Healience Seonmaeul — Hotel in Seo-myeon

This is not a place for people who loves partying into the night. It's for those who wants to have time for themselves, take better care of their health. One of reason I choose this place to go when I was holidaying in Korea, I love the idea of not having mobile network and wi-fi in this place, digital detox. I can live without my smartphone, tablet and laptop for 3 days 2 nights, can you?||||My room is simple and clean. There is no air con but there is heater for the cold season. I was there with my friend and had coffee in the balcony which we sat and look at the star. (We brought our bottle coffee and heat it, I do not recall that there is instant coffee or tea in the room). ||||I enjoyed the exercise session despite the fact I do not understand Korean, I basically just followed the instructor. The staffs are friendly and will try to help despite the language barrier. ||||The meals are scheduled timing and the guest are encouraged to spend 30 minutes to eat and chew their food properly. There are over 30 different vegetables and nuts as salad in each meal, and limited portion of meat or fish. (I'm not sure if we are only allowed 1 portion, I did not see others going for second helping for the fish or meat). To be frank, I really craved for meat after I left Healience although I enjoyed their meals. ||||The only regret is that they do not have their recipe which they prepared for us in other languages other than Korean. ||||They have a hot room made of red clay and heated with charcoal which is good for health. Note that we have wash up our body before entering into the spa pool naked.||||I went by bus, and below is the how I managed to arrive at Healience safe and sound.||||The direction for going to Healience Village:||Take mrt/subway to Jamsil Station Exit 5, go to the bus stop, take bus no 7000 and alight at Seorak bus stop. You will need to arrange with Healience for free pickup 2 days in advance (the pickup timing is at 2pm)||||Information is correct as of April 2015 :||Bus 7000 (red bus) is bound for Gapyeong and will take about 40 minutes to arrive at Seorak Bus Terminal. The fare is around 4,700 won.||The morning bus scheule is 7:00, 8:00, 8:40, 9:10, 9:40, 10:20, 10:50, 11:40, 12:30 and 13:20. Any buses after 13:20 will not arrive in time for the shuttle bus to Healience Zen Village for 2pm pickup.||Seorak Bus Terminal should be the first stop after Jamsil, but if you're worried, you can say "(Seorak Bus Terminal) ||||I asked the tourism board to help translate: ||I would like to alight at Sorak Bus Stop, can you pls tell me upon reaching. ||Seorak buhseu Tuhminul-ae dochakhal ttae malhae jusaeyo" ||설악버스터미널에...

Reconnect with nature. Don’t be fool with the star rating here because the experience you will get is beyond five stars world class facility to help you rejuvenate from the busy hectic life to a no internet zone. I stayed here for two days one night with three meals. The place felt like a little Switzerland cottage surrounded by mountains. I visited here in the fall (Early October) and able to see some leaves turned colors. No elevator here. You gotta be a bit physically fit to walk up the buildings and around the little hills. Come prepare with hiking gears. The place comes with many free programs including yoga, beginner hiking with trees 101 lesson (conducted in Korean), jjimjibang hot spring and cool carbonic water, bon fire while grilling sweet potatoes, and many more fun activities of your choice. Don’t worry about getting bored here because the fresh cool pollution free air and beautiful facilities full of season flowers and trees will keep you occupy to enjoy the nature. Another great thing about this place is the healthy simple food with fresh ingredients and no grill no fry concept. The food still is tasty in a healthy way served in buffet style. The different pavilion has four seasons theme. The owner would walk around greetings guests making it feel so warmth and personal. For those that absolutely need to connect to Internet, there is a special business center zone to give you access. Or hike up high enough and you will be able to get some internet signal as well. The guest rooms are simple with air condition and heater. I slept so well in this place. I like how there are signs to explain things in English and Korean as well. Definitely a foreigner friendly place but please take not that all classes and food are Korean. So if you want to immerse yourself to enjoy the simple Korean life and not picky in food, this is paradise for you. There is a bus daily from Jamsil station to the resort and back. Super convenient. Such a unique experience. Will...

Healiance is a five star healing resort founded by a psychiatrist who made it is his ambition to make hospitals unnecessary. It caters both to people interested in de-stressing their life and in people recovering from major medical conditions. In many ways it resembles Rancho La Puerta in Tecata, Mexico, the original spa, in providing a range of activities, relaxing accomodation, and a focus on very skillfully (and lovingly) prepared healthy, fresh food. ||||There are classes in yoga and meditation, diet and healing and a well designed trail system for walking in the woods and the surrounding mountains. The latter is conceived as the most important kind of therapy here. There are also traditional spa services including massage, a wood-fired, floor heated traditional clay sauna, tubbing areas for men and women and more. ||||We were there in early spring and enjoyed the wildflowers on the trails. One caution is that there are snakes that live in the woods and that are venonmous. They are not at all aggressive and there is no history anyone ever having been bitten. Just be mindful, don't walk the trails at night without a flashlight, and always wear good hiking boots. The trails range from easy to very challenging (e.g. 1,000 feet in 1 km) so good shoes are really necessary anyway. Service is genuinely friendly (not just hospitality industry friendly) and caring. Some people come for weekends and there are others who are long terms residents for months or years. ||||It would help if more of the signage were bi-lingual in both English and Korean, although you can certainly get help if needed from the staff. ||||As a point of integrity, use of mobile phones and computers is limited to a small wi-fi area in the office complex called "The Stress Zone," where I am writing this review. It has been a lovely few days and I hope to return in the...