Learn how to become healthier at Healience Seonmaeul

When you live in a large city, sometimes you feel like getting away from the city to a quiet forest and staying in a small cabin by yourself. That way, you will be able to distance yourself from the noise of the city and return your body and mind to a comfortable state. If this dream sounds too outlandish, don’t worry, you will be able to do all of this and more at Healience Seonmaeul, located within the forests of Jongjasan Mountain in Hongcheon, Gangwon State, 250-meters above sea level.

In recent years, there has been an increase in the number of wellness destinations that promise a restful stay in nature. But in most of these wellness destinations, the dedication to wellness is only skin-deep, for many of them limit the number of guests and amenities, resulting in experiences that resemble seclusion rather than rest. Healience Seonmaeul, on the other hand, offers restful stays and experience programs like meditation and woodcraft under the guidance of experts. It offers a new interpretation and different choices, focusing on the theme of “intentional inconvenience.”

Hidden attentiveness in the idea of “intentional inconvenience”

If this is your first time staying at Healience Seonmaeul, the Resting Stay program is recommended as it includes accommodations, two daily therapy programs, and two meals. The program also includes access to onsite amenities like its Red Clay Sauna, G.X Room, and Chunha Library, as well as the Nature Healing Spa with its 1,000 ppm carbonic acid pool.

The meals in Healience Seonmaeul limit the use of sodium and forego artificial seasoning altogether to present high-protein, low-carb, healthy dishes. The selection of daily rotating menus, natural seasoning, and vegetable-heavy dishes have even been published into a recipe book upon the request of visitors. The road back to the accommodations is rather steep, so one naturally gets some aerobic exercise as well. These examples of intentional inconveniences will move you closer to the state of health without requiring you to take part in scheduled programs.
Another attraction of Healience Seonmaeul is its trekking experience. In addition to the basic Sasaek Courses, three trekking courses are open only to guests, such as Seonbi Course and Sinseon Course, that takes you along the ridges of Jongjasan Mountain. Furthermore, you can pick up mission papers at the Information Center, collect stamps that you can find across the trekking courses, and turn them in to receive coupons that you can use at the cafe.

Whether it’ll be lying down on the comfortable bedding and sharing some conversation with the light of the stars above or enjoying the view of the green forest with the music from old LP records at the Garden Music Hall, your experiences in Healience Seonmaeul are sure to be special. All these experiences are enabled by the act of putting down one’s smartphone, for there is no mobile phone reception anywhere in Healience, except at the Welcome Center. Healience thus brings us to the realization that when we are free of social media, the world we can see widens dramatically.

Healing programs with canine companions

Healience Seonmaeul also allows its visitors to stay with their canine companions. It even offers a program for guests with dogs, the “One Point Lesson,” which helps one understand the psychology of one’s companion dog and correct the dog’s behavior. In fact, the program is overseen by a professional pet counselor, who will examine your companion’s behavior, present solutions, and assist in correcting problematic behavior. There’s other programs offer as well, such as the “Dogga” program, yoga with dogs, and trekking programs with dogs.

Wellness Program

Healience Seonmaeul’s wellness programs include the detox program, which strengthen your body’s natural capabilities to heal; therapy programs, which reduce stress; and meditation programs, which help you reflect on yourself. The Forest Therapy, which is included in the Resting Stay program, is a program where you walk the forest trails of Jongjasan Mountain under the guidance of experts and interact with nature.
In addition, different programs are offered for each day of the week, including relaxation therapy with tools, silent meditation that includes breathing exercises, wave meditation using Tibetan singing bowls, mindfulness therapy with movement and breathing, relaxing meditation in supine form, aroma healing using aromatherapy, and detox therapy to release toxins and waste. All reservations can be made using the tablet PC placed inside the room.

NOTE

▪ Address: 122 Jongjasan-gil, Seo-myeon, Hongcheon-gun, Gangwon-do
▪ Inquiries: +82-1588-9983
▪ Operating Hours: Accommodations open all year round
▪ Website: www.healience.co.kr
▪ Experience Fees: Reservation on the website
① Accommodations Deluxe Garden Villa: January-March KRW 480,000 / April-December KRW 510,000 / July 20-August 20 KRW 540,000
① Suite Garden Villa: January-March KRW 510,000 / April -December KRW 540,000 / July 20-August 20 KRW 570,000
① Heali Pet Deluxe: January-March KRW 530,000 / April -December KRW 560,000 / July 20-August 20 KRW 590,000, pet surcharge KRW 30,000 per dog per night
④ Nature Healing Spa, Red Clay Sauna KRW 20,000 / Healing Program KRW 30,000 / Autonomous Trekking KRW 8,000
⑤ Rest Therapy, Serotonin Meditation, Singing Bowl Meditation, Meditation for Awareness, Relaxation Meditation, Aroma Therapy, Detox Therapy KRW 10,000 each

Transportation
• [Intercity Bus] Jamsil - Seorak Terminal, take Bus No. 7001 from Jamsil Station Exit 5 Bus Stop (07:15-24:00), takes about 40 min.
• [Shuttle Bus] 1 shuttle bus service per day from Seorak Terminal to Seonmaeul Healience at 14:00, takes about 30 min., KRW 10,000 one-way, reservations required

Recommended Tourist Sites

Sambong National Recreational Forest

The lush Sambong National Recreational Forest has a hanok accommodation. The Sambongyaksuteo Mineral Spring, located within the forest, is a Natural Monument of Korea featuring mineral water sprouting from three holes. The water is said to be effective for stomach disorders, so people from all over Korea visit the spring. There are two trails within the Sambong National Recreational Forest, 2-km and 3-km long, connecting the Sambongyaksuteo Mineral Spring with the Gachilbong Peak. Two guided forest experiences are offered per day along the 1.5km-long forest trail. There are also interesting experience programs like flower pressing, hinoki soap-making, sotdae-making, and wood necklace-making.

NOTE

▪ Address: 276 Sambonghyuyang-gil, Nae-myeon, Hongcheon-gun, Gangwon-do
▪ Inquiries: +82-33-435-8536
▪ Website: www.foresttrip.go.kr
▪ Wellness Programs: Forest walking, hinoki soap-making, sotdae-making, wood necklace-making

RUSTICLIFE Cafe

This farm cafe is themed after the imagery of a peaceful, rustic life. The complex has hanok and glass greenhouses, and reading rooms. Greenhouses and reading rooms require reservations in 1 hour 30 minute-long sessions. Visitors are provided with picnic baskets that contain food, beverages, and drawing kits. The cafe itself is housed in a renovated agricultural storehouse. Menus offered include the blended flower tea made with Siberian chrysanthemum and marigold, omija tea with honey sourced from the farm, and dessert dishes made with Hongcheon waxy corn. Don’t miss the indoor design made up of frequent features of Korean farmhouses, such as toenmaru (narrow wooden porches) and wooden chairs.

NOTE

▪ Address: 70 Soksae-gil, Yeonggwimi-myeon, Hongcheon-gun, Gangwon-do
▪ Inquiries: +82-507-1432-5058
▪ Website: www.instagram.com/rusticlife_cafe
▪ Wellness Programs: Drawing, moss terrarium