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Gurye Sansuyu Flower Festival – Springtime in Korea
Spring is here! The striking yellow blooms at Gurye Sansuyu Festival signal the beginning of spring in South Korea. They are one of the first trees to start blooming in early spring. Last year we visited this quaint little village in Guryeon on the 20th of March. So, around about now. Since we just moved to Seoul and, well, travel is best avoided these days, we’ll have to miss out this year. My heart is melting looking back at the memories from last year. If you happen to be nearer and could visit on a weekday to avoid the crowds, I hope you can make some beautiful memories of your…
Winter Camping in Korea at Hampyeong Dolmeori Beach
It was the year that all events got scratched out of my diary. Our travel plans got cancelled, my visit home got put on hold, and all the friends we had planned to catch up with are still waiting. 2020 also, unintentionally, become our year of camping in Korea. Or, the year of camping in our little corner of Korea. We do try to avoid accumulating too much stuff and try to keep things simple. Simplicity (laziness?) is important to us. So we purchased a simple, pop-up tent. That’s it. We jammed our spare floor mattress and our pillows and blankets straight from our beds into the car and headed…
Autumn Leaves in Korea; Naejangsan National Park
Autumn, my favourite season in South Korea, has finally arrived. The air is fresh and cool, the skies are blue and the leaves are turning all shades of red, orange and yellow. Naejangsan National Park borders on both Jeollanamdo and Jeollabukdo, and it’s only an hour from Gwangju. The drive into the national park was beautiful! The entrance to the national park, not so much! Even on a Friday morning, the car park was packed, and the road leading up to the walking track was filled with food stalls and blasting trot music. Thankfully, just 15mins up the road, the crowds had dispersed, and we found a little peace and…
Mudeung Mountain Sheep Ranch, Hwasun
After being stuck at home with Covid-19 restrictions, we were looking for somewhere remote but also interesting for the kids. You can imagine our enthusiasm when we discovered that Gwangju has a sheep ranch only 25mins from our house, right on the green slopes of Mudeung Mountain. Lovely green pastures, surrounded by the dramatic, green of Mudeungsan mountain in late summer and a slight cool breeze now that autumn is on its way. This is the perfect time to visit Mudeung Mountain Sheep Ranch. It cost us 20,000won for the four of us. 6,000 for adults and 4,000 for kids. The entrance fee included four baskets of straw to feed…
Namyeol Beach; Swimming, Surfing, Camping in Korea
Yet another awesome spot for camping in Korea! Namyeol Beach is in Goheung, way down in one of the southernmost regions of Korea. An hour and forty-five minutes from Gwangju, it’s not the closest, but its quiet, peaceful, and an absolutely beautiful area! After Appa spent the morning preparing gimbap to take for lunch – yum! – we headed down to Goheung. The area is as rural as it gets, and the drive through the hills and rice fields is gorgeous. Appa tells me that the ageing residents of Goheung are amongst the healthiest and longest-living in Korea. It was a Thursday morning in September, which would explain the lack…
Oedaldo, Island Trip in Korea
Around this time last year, we spent a weekend on Oedaldo. Oedaldo is an island off the south-west coast of Korea. You can get there by ferry from Mokpo in Jeollanamdo. The ferry takes cars but we decided to save money and leave our car in Mokpo. It’s a small island and you don’t need a car. The ferry ride was an adventure in itself. There are no chairs, just floor space for people to sit, lie, laze about. Outside, birds were circling the boat. Likely waiting for people to throw them snack foods for entertainment. Not sure how good it is for the birds. Blue skies and beautiful green…
Bungye Haebyeon, Sandy Beach in South Korea
Bungye Beach, sandy island beach in South Korea
Gwangju Family Land and Uchi Park Zoo
Gwangju Family Land is a quaint, little amusement park on the outskirts of the city. Nestled into a mountainside, surrounded by greenery, we were grateful for the shade and breeze on this sweltering August day. Family Land opened in 1991, but I felt transported back to an even earlier time. For a couple of thousand won, you can take a little train from the car park to the gate. Don’t expect too much! A colourful observation wheel stands by the entrance, with several small food outlets and shops, and then an average selection of rides. The merry-go-round, dodgem cars, pirate ship and small rollercoasters have a somewhat vintage feel. Still,…
Deokbawi Agricultural Village, Kids’ Camping in Korea
In a very green, agricultural area in Chungchoengnamdo is a private camping ground designed for families with young kids. If you’re looking for an entertaining and affordable weekend escape with your littlies, then this is the place! It’s the furthest from remote, bush camping you can get. Don’t expect privacy or a peaceful place for quiet contemplation. Nope, this place is for fun, and camping in Korea with kids could not get more convenient! We chose this spot because it’s between Seoul and Gwangju, and we were meeting our dear friends from Seoul. It would be our first time with friends since the pandemic hit in late February, and we…
Living Sustainably in Korea
Ok, so, here’s the disclaimer – I do not live a sustainable life. Far from it. I order takeout in packaging. I eat meat, although less of it. And the big one, I fly in an airplane at least once a year. Still, I am trying to make lifestyle changes that help us to live more sustainably in Korea. It’s a work in progress and every little bit counts. There is so much plastic in Korea! I mean, there is so much plastic in the world but, in Korea, you get a bag of cookies all individually wrapped in plastic. It’s so convenient to have everything delivered, but it all…
