Off the Beaten Path: South Korea

For travellers who like their adventures a little more off the beaten path, South Korea has plenty to reward those who delve a little deeper. Here are my five tips for little-visited destinations in the Land of the Morning Calm.

Gangwon-Do
South Korea’s rural northeastern province, Gangwon-do will be thrust into the spotlight in 2018 when the resort town of Pyeongchang hosts the 2018 Winter Olympics and droves of sports fans from around the world descend upon the region.

The small city of Sokcho is home to Seoraksan National Park, arguably the most stunning in all of South Korea, with Seoraksan itself reaching a height of 1708m, perfect for hikers. Further down the coast lies Samcheok, a small town known for its caves, ocean railroad bike, and a park with giant statues of penises.
Chuncheon hosts an annual mime festival and is renowned for its dalkgalbi, a spicy fried stew consisting of chicken and vegetables. Fans of Korean cinema might also enjoy a trip to Jeongseon, hometown of hunky Korean actor Won Bin, although a glimpse of the star can’t be guaranteed.

Uponeup
Consisting of over sixty percent mountains, South Korea is a hiker’s paradise, but the country has other areas of natural beauty to offer. Uponeup is a wetland area, lush and green in the summer, desolate and frozen in winter, equally beautiful in both seasons.

Not particularly easy to get to, Uponeup can be accessed on public transport from Changnyeong, about forty-five minutes outside of Daegu, the nearest large city. Photography fans should make sure they stick around until sunset.

Korean Islands
Being on a peninsula, South Korea is home to a huge multitude of islands, but outside of Jeju, none are really known internationally.

Ranging from the gloriously sandy Imjado, the dramatic scenery of Ulleungdo, the beach camping of out-of-the-way Bijindo, and the hiking trails of remote Geumodo, there’s something for everyone when it comes to the Korean islands, and very few, if any, other travellers or tourists to contend with.

Unless you’re visiting in July and August, which is when most Korean families take their annual vacation, it’s unlikely that you’ll need a ferry reservation in advance, but you can check schedules on the Korean ferry website – although you’ll need a Korean-speaking friend to help you out with it.

If you get to Korea, you should spend at least one day walking aimlessly in the rural farm areas.

Get away from the busy chaos of the cities and view the side of Korea that not everyone knows of. That would be the quiet, secluded, small little rice field farmers in the mountains or the small fishing villages along the rocky coasts.

Looking for that uniquely different vacation destination. Call Rawhide Travel and Tours today 602-843-5100 or visit our website rawhidetravel.com. We can help!

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