Saturday, September 30, 2017

Autumn in Gangwon

As we bid farewell to the summer heat, it is time to usher in the fall season. The first thing that came to my mind was autumn foliage. Temperatures during the fall month average around 10-20 degrees Celsius, which make it the most ideal season to travel. Fall foliage begins in late September in the colder regions of Gangwon-do province and creeps down to the warmer Southern regions. Dates for peak fall colours vary, but the 16 national mountain parks around the country boasts the best fall foliage views. The forecast for the first foliage and peak foliage at popular national parks are shown below. 
(credits: Kweather)

AUTUMN AT NAMI ISLAND
Our first autumn experience was in Japan; standing at the top of Kiyomizu-dera overlooking the autumn foliage was simply amazing. Last autumn, we did a self-drive trip in Jeju before continuing the rest of our journey in Seoul. Needless to say, I have to head to one of my fave places in Korea - Nami Island - for the autumn foliage. 
It was almost mid day when we arrived and check out the crowd waiting to board the ferry from Nami back to the main island! If you are paying a visit during this period, be sure to allow at least 1h of waiting time in the queue. 
The well-wishes "tunnel" whereby you can write your wishes on a leaf-shaped memo and tie it to the metal railings. As Nami is engulfed with a romantic atmosphere, we do see a lot of memos seeking and praying for love :) 
A cute little squirrel fussing over his seed cone.   
Nami island's winter scenary was already made famous by Winter Sonata, but the fall scenery also makes a strong impression thanks to the scarlet maple trees. We got to enjoy the crimson foliage of autumn, as we strolled along the walking trails over the island. 
Nami Island
Address: 1 Namiseon-gil, Namsan-myeon, Chuncheon-si, Gangwon-do
Tel: +82 31 580 8114
AUTUMN AT SEORAKSAN NATIONAL PARK
(credits: Korea Tourism Organisation)

Seoraksan is the most iconic mountain of Gangwon-do and stretches through three countries of the province. Every fall, it is one of the first mountains in Korea to be coloured with autumn foliage, with mid-October being the best time to view this splendid scenery. Visitors can view the beautiful temples hidden within the mountain, most notably Baekdamsa and Sinheungsa or reach the Gwongeumseong Fortress by taking the cable car, where the East Sea can be viewed from above. You can also soak in the carbonated and alkaline hot springs, located at the end of Jujeongol Valley on Hangyeryeong Pass. 
Seoraksan Mountain
833 Seoraksan-ro, Sokcho-si, Gangwon-do
AUTUMN AT GANGCHON RAILPARK
If you are a fan of Running Man, this railway park would not be a stranger to you since it made its appearance in ep 144. Gangchon railway bike is near to Nami island and this 6km Gangchon Rail Bike experience, starting from Gimyujeong Station lets you soak in the stunning landscapes and picturesque sights of the island. 
We cycled down on an abandoned railway, which Mugunghwa train used to travel for a span of 70 years. We passed by the enchanting Bukhangang river, which stretches for 318km! The cool breeze made it easier for us to peddle down the track and it was a great workout! 
There is a resting spot at the halfway mark and we got some snacks for refueling before continuing the rest of the journey. Once we reached the finishing point, we got to rest our tired calves as we hop onto the free shuttle bus back to the station. Thankfully we don't have to ride the railway bike back! 
Gangchon Railway Bike
Address: 1383 Gimyujeong-ro, Sindong-myeon, Chuncheon, Gangwon-do, South Korea
AUTUMN FESTIVALS IN GANGWON
Gangneung Coffee Festival (강릉 커피축제)
There are a couple of festivals in Gangwon to take part, such as the Gangneung Coffee Festival, taking place from 6th Oct till 9th Oct in Gangneung, the city of coffee. The festival celebrates not only the coffee culture in the city but also, the city's past and present culture with a variety of coffee-related events. Visitors can get to enjoy barista performance and also, get to sample a wide range of coffee. Coffee lovers can also take the opportunity to visit Anmok Coffee Street, a 500m long coastal road lined with cafes. Here, visitors can relax with a cup of coffee while taking in the gorgeous sea views. 
Gangneung Anmok Beach Coffee Street
Address: 17 Changhae-ro, Gangneung-si, Gangwon-do
Jeongseon Arirang Festival (정선아리랑제)
(credits: Korea Tourism Organisation)

Jeongseon Arirang Festival is held annually in October in an effort to preserve and develop "Jeongseon Arirang", an intangible cultural heritage. Designated as a masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO, Arirang is the most beloved Korean folk song. This was handed down by word of mouth through the generations and its lyrics seem to encapsulate the Korean concept of existence and the range of emotions one may experience through it. Anyone may sing it easily and the song continues to be loved today and is continually re adapted to modern times.  
Jeongseon-eup Arari Park
Address: 112, Bongyang-ri, Jeongseon-eup, Jeongseon-gun, Gangwon-do
Some of my friends were afraid of going to Korea due to language barrier. If you are in need of travel information, an interpreter or in an emergency situation, dial 1330 from any phone to reach the Korea Travel Hotline operated by the Korea Tourism Organisation. A friendly and trained staff will be ready to help, providing the interpretation services when needed. Now that we have this sorted out, start packing your bags and head to Korea for a wonderful autumn!

Tuesday, September 12, 2017

N Seoul Tower N서울타워

Standing at 237m tall, N Seoul Tower (also known as Namsan Tower) is the highest point in Seoul and offers a bird's eye view of the city. From a transmission tower, Namsan Tower has undergone various renovation and remodelling to become an iconic landmark of Seoul. It was also renamed from Seoul Tower to N Seoul Tower, where "N" stands for new, namsan and nature. The tower is often featured on K-dramas as the defacto meeting or dating place for all couples, who will then leave a love lock as a pledge of their everlasting love. 
There are various ways of getting to N Seoul Tower, but we opted for the cable car since we were staying at a guesthouse nearby. It takes 10 min on foot to reach the cable car station but we took twice the time as we were busy taking pictures and exploring the surrounding areas since this was our virgin trip to Korea so we were intrigued by every single thing that we came across. 
We finally reached Namsan cable car entrance after scaling a steep slope and several flights of stairs. The cable car runs from the base of the mountain up to N.Seoul Tower. Besides walking, there are several ways to get to the cable car station.
Shuttle Bus
You can board the free shuttle bus at Exit 1 of Myeongdong Station and at the Seoul Square bus stop at Seoul Station. The shuttle bus operates every 30 minutes, starting from 12PM till 8.30PM. 
On Foot
From Exit 3 of Myeongdong Station, walk through the alley and stay to your right, passing the 7-11 store and continue about 7-8 minutes between Pacific Hotel and GS25. Namsan cable car is at the top of the hill near the Chinese Consulate.
By Ohreumi/Incline Elevator
From Exit 4 of Myeongdong Station, head towards the Hoehyeon intersection (towards Shinsegae Department Store) and turn left at the intersection. Walk about 5 minutes to reach Namsam cable car Ohreumi/Incline Elevator.
We headed to the ticketing office on the 1st floor to purchase our tickets for the ride. An adult single trip costs KRW$6,000 while a round trip costs KRW$8,500. Hence, it made more sense (for us at least) to purchase the round trip tickets. After purchasing the tickets, you will be ushered into the queue.  
Check out the crowd! It was recommended to reach before noon for a quieter experience but hey, looked like everyone had the same thought! I even planned this visit on a weekday so we get to avoid the crowd but this looked like my plan failed miserably. 
Well, I shouldn't let the crowd dampen our holiday mood :) 
By riding the cable car, you will see the whole of Namsan right in front of you. 
With a capacity of 48 people per car, I have to say the waiting time is still bearable. The cable cars is equipped with glasses on all four sides, which give riders a view of the surrounding city-view as we made our way through to the top. The ride was relatively smooth and before we knew it, we have arrived.
Our first picture here, displaying the Korean-heart. Saranghae 
It was indeed a sunny day, but surprising the cool wind kept me cold and I had to put on a light jacket.
I immediately recognize this pavilion - this was featured in Running Man, whereby they had to gather people for a rope jumping/picture mission. In fact, a lot of other K-variety and K-drama shows feature N Seoul Tower which makes it a must visit on my first trip to Korea. 
There was an event for visitors to dress up in hanbok and take pictures with the royal guards for memento.
If given a chance, I would love to visit again at night. With the latest LED technology lighting which constantly changes colours and patterns, N Seoul Tower has become a "light art" providing various media art together with an unusual cultural art experience. 
This place is so crowded that it is difficult to get a picture without anyone walking into your frame. We managed to get one decent pic, all thanks to the group of strangers who helped to stop "traffic".
The main agenda of our visit was to ...... you guessed it - that is, to leave a love lock to pledge our everlasting love! Actually, we came here to have a meal at N.Grill but since we were already there so might as well right?
This place is home to thousands of love locks, where the padlocks covered every inch of the railing and fences. Each of the padlock symbolize the hope of everlasting love that the couple shared.
We bought these from the gift shop, went to find a quiet bench and proceeded to write on the locks and ended up with
.
.
.
.
Our declaration of love, is that evidence of our "telepathy"? At least I'm faithful to only 2 (at the point) while someone had a whole truckload of girls that he liked.
Well, at least we had our less important "love declaration" on the other side :) We then proceeded to find a lucky spot for our locks.
You can chose to deposit your keys into the bin thereby sealing your love forever, but we decided to bring the keys home as memento of our virgin Korea trip. 
Tadah, our padlocks of love at N Seoul Tower. Another mission checked. 
Before we left, look who I bumped into? Leecher termed it as my "highlight" of the day, to take picture with a Kim Soo Hyun cardboard. Well, that certainly light up my day!
N Seoul Tower
105, Namsangongwon-gil, Yongsan-gu, Seoul
서울특별시 용산구 남산공원길 105 (용산동2가)

Thursday, August 31, 2017

Gangwon: A Journey Through Nature

Gangwon-do province is gifted with nature's riches: to the east lies the azure blue waters of the East Sea and along the mountain range, the backbone of Seoraksan, Odaesan and Taebaeksan mountains each showed off their splendid beauty. Surrounded by lush mountains and pristine waters, the region is often referred to as the "lungs of Korea" for clean air, peaceful valleys and breath-taking views are scattered throughout the region. It is a place to experience true relaxation and revitalize the tired body and mind in the untouched natural environment of Gangwon-do. No wonder that Gangwon-do is the most popular holiday destination for all! Let me take you through the 5 places to visit for a journey through nature in Gangwon-do. 
Seoraksan National Park 설악산국립공원
Seoraksan is the most iconic mountain of Gangwon-do and stretches through 3 counties of the province. With Daecheongbong Peak at its summit, Seoraksan Mountain (whose name literally means "mountains of snow and rocks"), features unique rock formations such as Ulsanbawai Rock and Gongnyong Ridge. Every fall, it is one of the first mountains in Korea to be coloured with autumn foliage, with mid-October being the best time to view this splendid scenery. Also referred to as the "snow-like white rock", the mountain is especially spectacular in winter when it is entirely covered in snow. 
Nami Island 남이섬 종합휴양지
Well-known as a filming site for the ever popular Korean TV drama Winter Sonata, Nami Island boasts an unique and romantic atmosphere. One of the most famous locations on the island is the tree-lined roads, which greets visitors with different colours throughout the year. You can relive the memories of the drama by walking along the path, otherwise there are also many interesting activities and facilities on the island. 
Jeongdongjin Sunrise Park 정동진 해돋이 공원
Jeongdongjin liternally means "due east" and was named so for being located directly east of Seoul's Gwanghwamun Gate. Crowds of people flock to this seaside park every New Year to watch the first sunrise of the year. A view of the coast can be seen immediately upon exiting Jeongdongjin Station, which holds the Guinness World record  for being the station closest to the sea. Not far from the station is Haslla Art World, which is an art garden located on a hill overlooking the green waters of the East Sea. 
Woljeongsa Temple 월정사
The most beautiful fir tree forest trail in Korea leads to the 1000-year-old Woljeongsa Temple, which is surrounded in the natural environment of Odaesan Mountain. This is especially ideal for hiking due to its trails lined with fir trees. At the entrance leading to Woljeongsa Temple, visitors will find restaurants serving set meals featuring over 20 side dishes made with mountain vegetables. A great opportunity to cleanse the body and soul! 
Hwanseongul Cave 환선굴
Hwanseongul Cave is the largest cave of Asia which formed an estimated 530 million years ago. The cave measures 6.2km long, of which 1.6km is open to public. The cave has a complicated structure, full of uniquely-shaped stalactites, stalagmites and is inhabited by many cave creatures. Visitors can take the monorail that departs from the ticket booth to the entrance of the cave, which offers a beautiful view of Deokhangsan Mountain that sits on top of the cave. 

So, start planning your next trip to Gangwon for an experience through nature! Have fun :) 

Images from Korea Tourism Organisation are credited with their watermarks. 


Saturday, July 29, 2017

Winter Ski in Korea

Winter is probably my favourite season; partly attributed by the fact that I'm born in the last month of the year. There is just something magical about winter; the streets are decorated with beautiful illuminations and romance is in the air.  Living in Singapore meant that we don't get to enjoy the 4 seasons but that doesn't stop me from traveling to other countries to experience the winter season, even though packing for winter travelling is a chore. There are tons of fun activities to do in winter, such as skiing, building snowman (my fave, by the way) and ice-fishing. Most of us living in the tropical countries will have little experience in winter sports, but fret not - take the opportunity to learn something new. After all, it is all part of the unique traveling experience! 
Ski slopes are often cold and snowy. The temperature is about -6°C degrees celsius on average but can drop below -10°C. Hence, we must be prepared at all times to enjoy skiing/snowboarding to the fullest. Before we start, here's a checklist of the items on what to prepare for skiing:
  • Ski goggles: protect your eyes from direct sunlight and light reflected from snow-covered fields. Extremely useful for shutting out wind and cold air.
  • Beanie, gloves and scarfs: prevent skin from being exposed to too much sunlight. Also to keep warm.
  • Lip balm, sunscreen: moisturise your lips since winter weather is mostly cold and dry. 
  • Heat pack: extremely handy in keeping your hands warm.
  • Ski jacket and pants: prevent wind from entering the body since they are mostly made from wind-resistant and waterproof materials. 
  • Skis and snowboarding: plenty of rental shops available within or outside the resorts.
Our 2-day ski trip at Yongpyong Resort. 
Besides skiing, we also visited the famous Dragon Peak at Yongpyong Resort. This is the filming site of K-dramas such as Goblin, That Winter, the Wind Blows and Winter Sonata. Well, no Gong Yoo by my side so have to make do with Leecher, lol! Stay tuned for more as I will be sharing more of our adventures in Yongpyong resort :) 

Visitors can also discover a whole new experience in skiing through the Ski Korea Festival, which combines 4-day ski festival and a 2-day snowtube race festival. You can refer to here for more details on the various festivals - something to check out on your next winter trip to Korea! Speaking of winter sports, there will be 15 winter sports disciplines included in this Winter Olympics. These are divided into snow, ice and sliding sports.
Snow Sports
*pic credits to PyeongChang2018 official website
  • Alpine skiing: a sport where a skier speeds down snow-covered slopes on skis with fixed heel bindings.
  • Biathlon: combined sport of cross-country skiing and rifle shooting. The athletes ski around a certain distance with a rifle carried on their back and have to shoot at targets in a designated shooting area.
  • Cross-Country Skiing: a sport in which athletes ski along a designated course on snow-covered hills and fields. It emerged from a need to travel over snow-covered terrain and was developed as a sport at the end of 19th century. 
  • Freestyle Skiing: combines speed, snowman-ship and the ability to perform aerials, moguls, cross, half-pipe and slope-style tricks while skiing.
  • Nordic Combined: brings cross-country skiing and ski jumping together. It requires techniques and great physical strength. 
  • Ski Jumping: athletes descend a specially constructed ramp and takeoff with as much power as they can generate, to fly as far as possible down a steeply sloped hill.
  • Snowboard: a sport that uses a board attached to athlete's feet to speed down a specially designed slope.
Cross country skiing and ski jumping are probably the oldest ski sports in the games, having debuted in the first Winter Games in 1924. For ski jumping, my heart tends to skip a beat when the skiers glide down the ramp to jump and fly as far as they can go from the launching zone to the landing section. They must have enjoy the excitement and imagine the adrenaline rushing through the body as they fly through the air. 
Sliding Sports
*pic credits to PyeongChang2018 official website
  • Bobsleigh: teams of two or four athletes make timed runs down narrow, twisting, banked, iced tracks in a gravity-powered sled. The timed runs are combined to calculate the final score. 
  • Luge: athlete slide down a frozen track lying on a sled in the supine position. 
  • Skeleton: athlete slide down a frozen track on a sled in the prone position. The sled is controlled by the shoulders and knees.
In this category, athletes start with a 'push' phrase where the athlete sprints, pushing the sled to generate as much speed and acceleration as possible over the short distance to propel their body down the ice track. Speeds of 140km/h is common and at these speeds, it is inevitable that forces of gravity will hit 5G's and possibly, 6G's. Not everyone can withstand these type of forces. 
Ice Sports
*pic credits to PyeongChang2018 official website
  • Curling: two teams, each with 4 curlers, take turn sliding heavy, polished granite stones across the ice "curling sheet" towards the "house", or the target area.
  • Figure Skating: where skaters perform jumps, spins and artistic performances skating on ice to music.
  • Ice Hockey: contact team sport played in a rink, in which two teams of six skaters use their sticks to shoot a rubber puck into the opponent's net to score goals.
  • Short Track Speed Skating: where skaters skate on an oval ice track with a circumference of 111.12m.
  • Speed Skating: where two competitors race each other as fast as they can on a 400m ice rink. 
******
Now that we have learnt more about the various winter sports, it's time to mark the calendar for the event dates of these sports so we can cheer for the athletes as they compete against one another for the highly coveted Olympics medals! 
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