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Overnight trip to Tongyeong with Kids
After a night in the countryside at the Grandparents’ house, we set off for an overnight trip to Tongyeong on our way to Busan. The kids and I struggle with long car trips, so it’s always better to break up trips into smaller sections. The port city of Tongyeong seemed like a perfect stopover for beauty, culture, sea, and history! We chose a smallish hotel with pretty average reviews but a very decent price and views across the bay. It turned out to be clean, comfortable and waking up to watch the fishing boats come into the port was good fun. Tongyeong Samdo Sugun Tongjeyeong Naval Station During Joseon times,…
Overnight trip to Gyeongju
On our way home from Busan last month, we stopped over in Gyeongju overnight to break up the trip. The last time I was here was in 2007 with my parents. A LOT has changed in that time. Back then, we struggled to find a spot to stop for a pre-dinner beer or any restaurants that looked especially interesting. We did have a great time and resorted to Norebang (karaoke) for our nighttime entertainment. But now! Now Gyeongju is full of microbreweries, hipster bars and quaint cafes. Some complain about the gentrification of this small city, but the excellent rooftop pizza and gelati shop might make up for it! First…
Hongjecheon Stream, Walking and Cycling Trail in Seoul
There are so many fantastic walking and cycling trails in Seoul. Hongjecheon stands out due to it’s ease – you can easily walk or cycle here with children – and also the number of unique stops along the way. You can start and finish wherever you wish, but this tour begins at Sangmyung University (or at least the bus stop at the bottom of the hill to Sangmyung University) and ends at the Han River. You could take it the opposite direction, or jump in anywhere in between. Palseongsaeng Chinese Restaurant On the corner of the street leading up to Sangmyung University is this fantastic restaurant. If you start or…
How to Naturally Dye Easter Eggs with Food from your Kitchen
Look, I would prefer chocolate eggs (Cadbury Creme Eggs – if only!!). But, let’s face it, chocolate easter eggs are hard to find here in Korea. I know you can order them online, but I’m just not that organised. It’s Friday today, and I only just remembered that Sunday is Easter. Well, since today is Good Friday, it’s technically already Easter. Hence, we’ll make do with a couple of Kinder Surprise eggs and some hard-boiled ones for our little Easter Egg Hunt on Sunday morning. I also don’t have food dye. I already said I’m unorganised. The same thing happened last year, and we discovered a genius solution that we…
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…
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…
Gwangju National Science Museum
With its futuristic exterior and expansive grounds, the Gwangju National Science Museum is worth the visit before you even enter the building. Make use of the picnic areas and outdoor play spaces before or after your visit and you could easily spend the day here. Unfortunately on our rainy visit we had to stick to the indoor area. Although the interactive exhibits are more suited to older children our preschoolers still found plenty to explore. The permanent hands-on exhibitions include Light, Science, and Art, Science in Living and Science for the Future. There is plenty of inspiration for children and young people to get curious about science. On our next…
Hong Gildong Theme Park; some Korean literary history
We wanted to get out of the city, and Hong Gildong Theme Park in Jangsoeng-gun, Jeollanamdo, was an excuse to get some nature and a bit of South Korean literary history – well, in a theme parky kind of way – very South Korea! There is plenty of room for kids to run about and many families had bought scooters, bikes, balls and frisbees to make the most of the open space. The sky was so blue – not usual for spring – and the blossoms were just starting to bloom. But, back to Hong Gildong, Korea’s famous ‘steal from the rich and give to the poor’ character – a…
The ACC Children’s Gallery
Got young kids in Gwangju? Get yourselves to the ACC and find the Children’s Gallery! Gwangju’s ACC (Asia Culture Centre) is a cultural hub with galleries, exhibitions, concerts, theatres, workshops, libraries and reading rooms. It’s the Children’s Gallery that keeps us coming back though. The Children’s Gallery has a free Play Library with a beautiful collection of books (including a small but well-chosen English section) and comfy reading areas. Let the kids sprawl with a pile of books. Enjoy the quiet and watch them learn. If they’re ready to let some energy out, look for ‘Play Kids’. It’s free, but requires a ticket. You have to book a time slot…
