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Pyochungsa Temple In The Yeongnam Alps
Pyochungsa Temple has been renamed several times but has not lost its luster. Though the paint was cracking it was pleasant to see a temple that showed its age. The temple is located on Jaeyaksan, a mountain in the Yeongnam Alps range that runs through the districts of Ulsan, Miryang and Cheongdo in Gyeongsangnam-do in the south of the country. This particular mountain offers sights ranging from waterfalls to temples and even has an Ice Valley, though I haven’t seen it. (This post contains affiliate links, which means I receive a certain percentage of a sale if you purchase after clicking at no cost to you. Thank you for your…
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A Typhoon Hits Seoul… sort of
This week there was a typhoon warning and schools were cancelled in Seoul, Korea. Looking outside my window I didn’t see much rain or winds and wondered what it looked like down on the Han River. Schools in Korea hardly ever get cancelled and if they were cancelled I imagined the worst, but wasn’t seeing it. A friend and I decided to head to the river and at the first entrance were turned away by some sort of Han River guard on his bike. We decided to go down further and try entering down there. It couldn’t be that dangerous afterall, right? Luckily, there were no guards further up and…
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Yongchu Temple and the Waterfall To Find There
I had headed down to Geochang, Korea to visit a friend for a few days and while there are plenty of things to do in Geochang, we wanted to take a motorbike ride and explore another area. We hopped on my friend’s motorbike and set our sights on Yongchu Temple (용추사) and Yongchu waterfall (용추폭포) just 45 minutes away. (This post contains affiliate links, which means I receive a certain percentage of a sale if you purchase after clicking at no cost to you. Thank you for your support.) Basic Information Address: 962 Sangwon-ri Ahnae-myeon Hamyang-gun Gyeongsangnam-do (경상남도 함양군 안의면 상원리 962) The Water Falls In Hamyang Set up in the…
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The Neverending Story Secret In Geochang, Korea: Suseungdae
Geochang, Korea is off the beaten path yet full of hidden gems and Suseungdae is one of them. This is the main tourist spot in Geochang and famous for very historical reasons, but if you grew up watching the Neverending Story like I did, then you’ll love this stop for another reason. With locals, it’s a popular summer spot as it features a large stream where you can splash around in and enjoy natural rock slides. Ready for the fun? Let’s dive in! Ready to go to Suseungdae? (This post contains affiliate links, which means I receive a certain percentage of a sale if you purchase after clicking at no…
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Namhansanseong Park and Fortress: Hiking In Seoul
Looking for a great place to go hiking in Korea that’s not so difficult, great hiking for families near Seoul, and fun? Have you heard of Namhansanseong Fortress (남한산성도립공원)? While the Seoul Fortress Wall is long and can be rather mountainous in sections, Namhansanseong Fortress Wall is really pretty easy to get around and isn’t nearly as long as Seoul Fortress Wall. It’s a great spot to hike in winter near Seoul and great in the summer too. The wall is worth a visit in any season and even in winter the paths are relatively easy to walk along as there aren’t too many steep inclines. The restaurants inside the…
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Seonnyeo Rock Beach: A Weekend Getaway From Seoul
Just around the bend from the more famous Eurwangli Beach and Wangsan Beach in Incheon, Korea, sits the pleasantly quiet Seonnyeo Rock Beach (선녀바위해수욕장). Saying it is rocky is no joke. There is a small, but nicely sandy area in the center flanked on either side with rocks, rocks and more rocks. If you’re looking for a quieter beach near Seoul, this might be the one for you. Can you take a trip to the beach from Seoul? Yes, you sure can. Get ready for a trip to Seonnyeo Rock Beach in Incheon: (This post contains affiliate links, which means I receive a certain percentage of a sale if you…
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Jogyesa Temple: How To Get There & What To See
If you’re looking for the serenity and calm surroundings of most Buddhist temples set high up in the mountains outside of Seoul, Jogyesa Temple (조계사) is not for you. Right down in the center of the city where all of the daily hustle and bustle that makes Seoul famous occurs, sits a temple with more than 100 years of history. The commotion of the nearby streets in the popular Insadong district doesn’t end where the temple begins and this certainly makes it a different experience inside from most temples in the country. A religion where meditation is extremely important, with a temple in one of the busiest areas of the…
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Gyeongbokgung Palace: How To Get Tickets To See It At Night
People young and old, families and couples meandered at their leisure along the cobbled pathways that make up the Gyeongbokgung Palace (경복궁) complex in Seoul, Korea late into the night this past week. What started as a weeklong event many years ago, has now been expanded weeks long spring and autumn events to the enjoyment for tourists and locals coming to Korea. Gyeongbokgung Palace is now open late into the night from April through May and then again from September through October. The evening experience sees more than 100,000 visitors. Gyeongbokgung Palace at night is just spectacular and is a truly special way to experience the main palace of the…
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Daytrips From Seoul: The Popular Nami Island
Nami Island is one of the most popular destinations to get away from Seoul, Korea for a day trip. It’s easy to get to Nami Island from Seoul with multiple transportation options and tours and quite a bit to do. The island was made even more famous when Winter Sonata was filmed there. Whether you’re looking for the perfect day trip from Seoul, a K-drama filming location, or just a fun artistic spot with activities to partake in for adults and children, this is definitely an island in Korea that should be on the list. What’s better, it’s a great destination from winter to summer. Each season offers a slightly…
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The Icheon Sansuyu Festival: A Guide
Getting into the spring flower madness that takes over Korea, a group of friends and I headed out to Icheon this past weekend to take advantage of the Icheon Baeksa Sansuyu Flower Festival (이천백사 산수유꽃축제). There are flower festivals throughout the spring in Korea and we were excited to head to one. Icheon is a city a bit south of Seoul and is a great spot to see sansuyu flowers in the spring. If you’re looking for a place to getaway from Seoul or where to see sansuyu flowers near Seoul, this is the spot for you. There is a larger spring festival known for sanusyu flowers in Korea in…
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Getting My F6 Visa In Korea… The End
Take two. I’m going through the process to get my F6 visa here in Korea. Up until this point, I had gathered my passport, my Korean marriage certificate and through a slight debacle hadn’t yet gotten it translated, notarized and authenticated at the US embassy. So, here we are… After going home to the States and coming back at the end of January, I wrote the addresses of the two nearest offices that could translate and notarize our Korean marriage certificate for us once more for Jae-oo. Since I was still on vacation from school I went with him this time to make sure the translation and notarizing was done…
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Getting My F6 Visa… The Beginning
After two wedding ceremonies and a month vacation in the States, we finally made it back to Korea and after a week of resting from the vacation got our rears in gear to get everything filed for the F6 visa. We had started the process a few months ago, but after Jae-oo inadvertently made me make an unecessary trip to the American Embassy, I pushed everything aside until we were definitely ready to get serious about it. At the start, those months back, I had scoured the internet for information on what was necessary and what to expect of the process, but came to the conclusion that it all depended…
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Dapsimni Antique Town: A Market In Seoul, Korea
Antiques big and small everywhere is what you’ll see around Dapsimni Station. Having lived here for around 6 years now and realizing I won’t be leaving any time soon, I’ve decided I want my house to feel more like a home and less like an interim abode in a far off land. If you’re looking for antiques in Korea, or Korean antiques, then make sure to check out the Dapsimni Antique Market (답십리고미술상가). (This post contains affiliate links, which means I receive a certain percentage of a sale if you purchase after clicking at no cost to you. Thank you for your support.) How To Get There Address: 530 Dapsimni-dong…
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Guinsa Temple’s Unique Buildings in Danyang, Korea
There are Buddhist temples across the country of Korea and Guinsa Temple (구인사) in Danyang is definitely one of the most beautiful to see in person. Guinsa Temple is one of the most unique temples in Korea as it towers above visitors walking up the mountain paths to see it. And, if you’re one of those people that says, “if you’ve seen one, you’ve seen them all,” you are most definitely wrong. Go to this beautiful temple in Korea, see it from bottom to top and back down again and if you have the time, join their temple stay program and learn about Korean Buddhism and culture. Plan your trip…
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Chuncheon’s Cheongpyeong Temple and the Trek To Get There
The weather starting to warm up, or at least be reasonable for walking outside, has me itching to get out and do something. I was looking back at some temples I’ve been to so I can make a list of some different ones to check out in the upcoming year and I chanced upon one of my favorites, Cheongpyeong-sa Temple (청평사). Cheongpyeongsa is one of my favorites probably for the trip that it takes to get there, which entails traveling by bus, boat and a nice, but not too lengthy, hike. Take a trip to see this temple in Chuncheon. The trek to get there is beautiful: (This post contains…
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Korean Food: Dwaejigukbap Is A Must Eat In Korea
If you’re headed to Busan, then you most definitely need to eat some dwaeji gukbab (돼지국밥), or pork & rice stew. You can, of course, find this Korean soup in other parts of Korea, but you should definitely try it in the city that it originated from. I love Korean food and am always trying different dishes with my husband. Since he is from Busan, this is one of his top Korean dishes and so it’s not one of my top Korean soups. It’s hearty, delicious, and really hits the spot. Are you ready to try dwaeji gukbap? Let’s see: (This post contains affiliate links, which means I receive a…
