Travel Around Korea

Here’s a collection of posts about where I’ve been around Korea.

Around Seoul:

The DMZ

The Demilitarized Zone between the North and South made for an interesting day of touring with the US army – through the Joint Security Area, tunnel the North built to invade the South, and Dorasan train station.
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Everland: The Disney Land of Korea

Every kid in Korea wants to go to Everland, including me! There’s an awesome zoo, a pretty decent roller coaster, and the culturally fun American and European “Adventure” lands.
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Lunar New Year in Hanbok with Hanok

A 5-day adventure in Seoul, in which I wear traditional Korean hanbok at Unhyeongung palace, explore Bukchon Hanok Village and more of Insa-dong, contemplate North Korean prison camps, and do some ice skating.
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Hongdae

Hongdae is Seoul’s “university district”, and probably the biggest collection of bars/nightclubs/drinking establishments I have ever come across anywhere in the world. Quite the evening out.
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Elsewhere in Korea:

Golgulsa Temple, Gyeongju

24 hours in the life of a Buddhist monk, where I learned to levitate.
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Bomun Lake, Gyeongju

A beautiful little spot in Korea’s old capital, especially during cherry blossom season in the spring.
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Seokguram Grotto and Bulguksa Temple, Gyeongju

A fifth grade field trip to two of Gyegonju’s biggest cultural attractions.
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Cheongdos Bullfighting Festival
A day of Korean “bull-wrestling” in a little city west of Ulsan. A bit unexciting, but a fun cultural experience. Cheongdo is also famous for persimmons and sweet persimmon wine, which we sampled at the city’s romantic wine tunnel.
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Seonyudo / Gogunsan Islands

Some pretty little islands off the west coast of Korea in Jeollabuk-do. Great for renting scooters and bicycles, camping on the beach, and eating lots of seafood.
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Wando Island

The biggest island of a small cluster of islands in the south of the country, at the bottom of the Jeollanam-do province. Wando has a quirky little town, near to some beaches and places nice enough to be backdrops for Korean dramas, but it mostly seems like a jumping off point to get to the other islands.
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Chungcheongbuk-do

This is Korea’s only landlocked province, right in the center of the country. Full of beautiful scenery and tempting adventure sports. In a weekend I visited the cities of Danyang and Chungju, and a few of their attractions – Chungjuho lake, Gosu Cave, Guinsa Temple, and the Ondalsanseong fortress.
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Sangju

A great little city towards the center of the country famous for bicycles and persimmons. Also good for noraebangs that come equipped with wigs and masks.
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Andong

My favorite DVD bang in the country is in Andong. As well as the only fruit makkoli I have ever found.
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Busan

Ulsan’s neighbor to the south, and where most of us foreign teachers spend most of our weekends. Many may call it the New York City to Ulsan’s New Jersey, but I don’t know if I’d go that far. In this post I visit: the fireworks festival at Gwangalli beach, the BEXCO center in Centum City, and the shopping in Nampo-dong.
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To visit: Gangwon-do, Seoraksan, Daejeon, Gwangju, Jeju-do, Senyudo Islands, Pohang, Andong’s Hahoe Village, etc etc etc etc