Resom Forest & The Have9 Healing Spa: The Perfect Wellness Getaway in Korea

Resom Forest (리솜포레스트리조트) is a resort in Chungcheongbuk-do, Korea that seeks to provide healing through nature and water. The resort sits in a forest of trees that has been there for a 1000 years and the buildings were built to coexist with their natural surroundings. Through eco-friendly construction and ideals and providing holistic and natural healing programs, the resort has effectively integrated nature, healing, and even adventure for guests that make the trek out to the area.

Resom Forest is a spectacular getaway for the adventurer and might just have the best spa in the country. If you’ve had enough city time in Seoul and needs a break to the mountains, Resom Forest features one of the best spas that I’ve had the pleasure of visiting in Korea and the trip to the area is so soooo worth it. Not only that, but this is one of the first family friendly, kid friendly, spas I’ve found where both Ava and I can have our needs met in a relaxing, calming atmosphere.

Plan your trip out to Resom Forest:

• How To Get There
• What You Need To Know
  • How To Book A Stay Here
• Dramas Filmed Here
• Where To Go & What To Do
  • Go Trekking or Meditate In The Forest
  • Visit The Have9 Healing Spa
  • Visit A Cafe
  • Eat Eat Eat
• What To See On The Way There
  • Youngwol Y Park

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How To Get There

Address: 365 Geumbong-ro Baekun-myeon, Jecheon-si, Chungcheongbuk-do (충청북도 제천시 백운면 금봉로 365)

This resort is located in the Juron Mountains in Jecheon, Chungcheongbuk-do. Surrounded by lush forest with views for days, this is a resort that is a must see with an infinity pool and rock jacuzzis that hang out into the trees. The resort is not the easiest to get to if you don’t have a car. You would have to rent a vehicle if you don’t own one to get out there.

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What You Need To Know

How To Book A Stay Here

The only way to book currently is through their site. Their site is only in Korean, however, if you use the translation widget on Chrome, you’ll be able to figure it out. 

Note that there are both villas and a hotel on the premises to stay in. The villas are spacious and ours featured two bedrooms as well as a kitchenette and a bathroom along with a veranda to sit on with epic views. The villas feature floor to ceiling windows and the sliding doors can be opened to let all of the fresh air in. The villas are designed using quality natural materials in an eco-friendly manner. There are four groups of villas that continue up the mountain.

The furthest up, where we stayed take about thirty minutes to hike up to from the main resort area and about fifteen minutes to walk down to. Not to worry though as the hotel provides carts and cars with drivers to take guests up should they need. The other option to stay is the hotel which is a stylish boutique hotel with 250 rooms. There are four different themes of rooms and the hotel is located closest to the main building with the restaurants and spa so is really easy for families or visitors that don’t want to walk as much.

We didn’t mind the leisurely walk that wound through the mountains and let us take in the colorful foliage as autumn took over. The road is lined with cosmos and trees of every color. There are picturesque tunnels to walk through and stone paths to follow. Whether you’re next to the main building or out in a villa, be assured you’ll find comfort and luxury at every turn.

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Dramas Filmed Here

If you’re a K-Drama fan, then you may recognize this resort from dramas Can’t Lose/Hate to Lose/ Can’t Live With Losing (지고는 못살아) when the main actors come to rekindle their love. The resort is also featured in My Secret Hotel (마이 시크릿 호텔) and Secret Garden.

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Where To Go & What To Do

Go Trekking or Meditate In The Forest

Upon arrival, guests are provided with a map of local trekking trails to reach the nearby summit or just head out to find the resting locations and must see forest “hot spots”. There is the Book Reading Forest which features benches beneath trees that tower above and gorgeous trees that burst into color come autumn. The courses take anywhere from a mere twenty minutes to an hour and provide the perfect amount of healing with nature before the healing in a spa comes.

Don’t be afraid to venture out into the forest to find a seat to meditate and breathe in the surroundings. We found the paths to be perfect for us even toting a toddler along. When it got too long, we just turned around and were back before we knew it.

Visit The Have9 Healing Spa

The spa is where all of the water fun takes place and as I said is one of the best, if not the best spa I’ve seen in the country. Upon entrance, men and women separate to enter the changing rooms. The changing rooms lead to the shower and nude spas as well as to the mixed public pools and spas, which requires clothing obviously.

In the women’s shower room, there was a dry sauna and a wet sauna as well as four different bathing pools with varying temperatures between 23C up to 39C. We took advantage of this area at the end of our visit to bathe and pamper ourselves. If you’ve never been to a Korean nude sauna, check out this post so you know what to expect. Head out into the mixed area and there is space after space of pools, spas, and fun!

After exiting the showers, the first thing visitors see is the kid’s indoor water park area. There are life jackets available for rental here as well. From the upper platform nearest the changing rooms, you can either head downstairs to find the kids area or head down a separate staircase to the quieter relaxation pools.

These indoor pools feature various pools and relaxing spaces with jets. Numerous people could find their own little “seat” here and make a day of it. This is also where the entrance to the Sasang Constitutional Spa is located.

The entrance to this spa looks like it’s something a bit more chic and maybe high end and thus maybe a bit more costly, but it isn’t. There is a further W5,000 fee to go here, but it’s worth it. In traditional Korean medicine, it is said that everyone is born with a certain physiology or physical constitution.

Upon entering here, everyone’s finger prints are taken to ascertain what sort of person they are. There are four types of people and this is called the Sasang physiology. The four types are Soeumin, Taeumin, Soyangin, and Taeyangjin. You can learn more about this at the Seoul K-Medi Center if you’re interested as well.

The program is based on the medicines created by Che-ma Yi from the late Joseon Dynasty and the staff will direct you to the matching baths which each contain various natural medicines to help fill the constitutional deficits. We were a bit of a mixed bag as our representative told us to start in the first pool for 20 minutes and then to try out each… unless we misunderstood the translation.

Anyway, we tried the three baths and then headed into the dry saunas for some time before coming down the steps to find a very calming meditation space with yoga mats situated around a pool of water. The room also featured a calming meditative record playing to help visitors get into a calming rhythm. The entire visit here will take about an hour and ends with a tea.

FYI: Even if you’re not staying at the resort, you can still visit the pools and spa. There is a separate entrance where you can purchase tickets on site. You can check current fees on their site: www.resom.co.kr

From the Sasang Spa, head back through the indoor spa space and find the doors to exit to find the ample outdoor space. There are red and blue colored jacuzzis that lead down to a beautiful infinity pool that looks out over the mountains. Don’t stop there though because further into the forest are gorgeous stones that function as jacuzzis as well. Not only are they relaxing and perfect for a couple, but they are so appealing in photos as well.

The private stone spas are a must visit before heading into the further hot stone jacuzzis in the area. It’s pool after pool after jacuzzi after jacuzzi. Visitors could easily spend the day exploring and experiencing the entire facility. On the website, it seemed to suggest that you needed to reserve times in the stone spas but we didn’t find that to be the case. Maybe in high season, but it really didn’t seem like anyone was paying particular attention to who was coming and going in the area though there were lifeguards near the infinity pool.

Can’t get out of Seoul but want to pamper yourself a bit? Here are two very popular Korean spa experiences I would recommend looking into:

• Sulwhasoo Spa: This high-end label is one of the most famous in Korea and their skincare and makeup is beyond compare. Their gorgeous flagship store in Gangnam also houses a spa that is widely known for an array of anti-aging treatments that utilize the brand’s products as well as jade, amber, and white porcelain. Choose from massages, brightening, and anti-aging programs. This is an amazing company that provides relaxation, calmness, and rejuvenation. Make your reservation online before you go because they are very popular.
• Spa 1899: This spa in the Gangnam area is known for their signature red ginseng treatments and the treatments can focus on various parts of the body. Some of their must-try treatments include the slow-aging, balancing, and full care options that use red ginseng to rejuvenate the body from the inside and out. Be sure to book online before you’re hoping to go.

Visit A Cafe

There are two cafes on the resort grounds that are in smaller buildings unto themselves and not in the main building. These cafes feature beautiful natural spaces with plenty of windows for views and the aesthetic is kept calming and quiet. Need a coffee or smoothie? Stop into one of these for a morning or afternoon break from the main building. 

It was funny, these cafes seem to be VERY quiet… as in, when we walked in we actually startled the attendant inside. And people hiking up and down nearby seemed to come and peer through the windows and move on and then when they saw us inside and realized it was open, finally entered. The cafes are lovely so take advantage of them.

Eat Eat Eat

There are multiple options for eating on the grounds which was perfect even for just two days. Sometimes it can feel monotonous to go back to the same place to eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner when you’re on a resort or in a hotel with just one option. Here, that won’t happen. The options include:

Hamil: This Korean restaurant provides healthy delicious food 365 days a year. We enjoyed the kimchi stew and my daughter got a great children’s plate that included seaweed soup, rice, bulgogi, a fried egg and sausages. We also devoured all of the great healthy side dishes. Can’t go wrong with Korean food in Korea.

El Lounge Restaurant: This spot serves organic dishes like pizza, pasta, and salads. The seats all get a gorgeous view through the floor to ceiling windows out to the mountains too. No better spot to sip some wine and sup. Everything we had here was appetizing and the perfect lunch before we departed.

The Breakfast Buffet: The buffet features fresh organic ingredients and there are great Korean and western options. Definitely something for everyone. We stuck to the fruits and yogurts but there were numerous Korean options that I’m sure my husband should have enjoyed would he visit.

Moonlight BBQ: Head up to the top floor of the main building and there is a great BBQ restaurant that has both an indoor and outdoor rooftop seating option. Need some Korean BBQ while you’re in the forest? You can get it at Resom!

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Resome Forest was a spectacular way to end the summer and head into the autumn. I’m so thankful to have been in the Korean Wellness Supporters group this year that introduced me to this spot as well as Healience Resort among other amazing spots around the country.

Korea definitely has wellness and healing spots aplenty and if they’re all like these ones, you can’t go wrong. Get out of the city and see what you can see!

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What To See On The Way There

Youngwol Y Park

Just an hour from Resom Forest, this stunning artistic experience is in the middle of nowhere but worth the trip. Enjoy nature and stunning artistic experiences and installations. It’s really out of this world and great for both solo travelers and families. Find out more about Youngwol Y Park here.

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