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Seoul Tower is one of my favourite attractions. On top of a massive hill, it gives you a very good view of Seoul as a whole and a good perspective of the city.
Near Chuncheon is the small town of Gangchon. I would recommend staying here as the accommodation is cheap and comfortable - just don't take the first offer you find! You can rent scooters or quad bikes and go charging about the hills and mountains.
Near Gangchon, there is a pretty mountain. At the top, try the dakjjim (a spicy chicken dish). You might have to wait a few minutes whilst they catch, kill and prepare the chicken!
This region is famous for the wonderful Korean dish Dakkalbi (a spicy chicken stew with vegetables and rice cakes) if you haven't tried it anywhere else, give it a go here.
You can get to Gangchon by bus from Chuncheon - take a bus from the bus station
Chuncheon, The City of Lakes, is a typical Korean city with a host of beautiful scenery surrounding it.
I enjoyed a visit to the park near Soyang lake, which is an artificial lake created by a large dam. You can catch a boat (be sure to have your alien card/passport details) and then take a short hike up to a temple.
There is a slightly hidden trail past the temple where you can walk up the mountain and find secluded hermitages and a seven-story stone pagoda waiting to be discovered.
Before you take the boat back, try the deep fried fish in one of the many restaurants - but watch out because the last boat leaves at 6:30!
You can get to Chuncheon from Seoul via a bus or train. You can catch the bus from Dong Seoul station and the train from Dongamak (I think).
Seoraksan is the most popular national park in South Korea. Sadly, this means that the peace and solitude most people seek when heading for parks and mountains is hard to find.
The initial hour or two on most trails consists of tarmac/brick roads, but eventually you will come to steep paths and the inevitable steel staircase.
I have been in autumn and found it very pleasant with wonderful weather and beautiful scenery. But, as I mentioned, there are so many people you may have to find yourself queuing to reach the peak!
If you go to Seoraksan, stay in one of the many hotels/motels in nearby Sokcho. There is also a pretty good beach here as well as a street with many fish restaurants. Try the sushi!
You can get to Sokcho from Seoul by bus - take a bus from either Dong Seoul or the Express bus terminals. There is no train route.
You can then get the bus to Seoraksan - it takes about 30-40 minutes depending on traffic.
No reservations required at this museum since March 2007.
The DMZ is the line of demarcation between North and South Korea on the 49th parallel. It is patrolled and managed by the South Korean and American forces on the South, with the North Koreans guarding the Northern side.
Tours are available with a number of travel companies, but I recommend arranging a trip with the US army travel corps at Yongsan. They run regular tours and their tours visit a number of sites not available to all operators. Prices include travel to and from the zone, lunch and all travel around the site, (which includes travel amongst an armed convoy at the DMZ).
The atmosphere at the DMZ is one of tension and palatable eeriness. Arriving as part of a convoy of buses, with armoured cars leading and tailing, you are taken to the central observation tower and to various sites of importance. A US Army spokesman explains their side of the story, which for me gave a personal insight into the propaganda of war, bearing in mind that the North will have its own version of events.
The highlight for me was the DMZ meeting hall, a UN-blue building which straddles the 49th parallel and has been the location for inter-Korean dialogue since the end of hostilities. North Korean guards, in tired looking uniforms, stare from their side of the line, with their South Korean counterparts assuming a more aggressive stance, (taken from the martial art of Tae Kwon Do), complete with US Army-issue Raybans.
A great full-day trip, and an essential one in my opinion. The reality of the situation, considering the two countries are technically still at war and the real and desperate poverty in the North, is worth reflecting on, as you arrive back in the modern metropolis of bustling Seoul.
These are the women who traditionally engage in pearl/ seaweed diving on Jeju Island. It is a tradition that is passed on from mother to daughter. These women are very strong, independent and have strong organisations. It is very interesting to watch them at work. The tradition is dying out as mothers don't want their daughters to take up such hard work.
It's best to check with the Korean tourism dept on Jeju Island about the various hay-nyaw diving sites dotting the island. They also run inns where you can stay.
It's a "secret" garden (biwon can be translated literally as secret garden) attached to Changdeog-gung palace in central Seoul. The garden used to be strictly off limits for the non-royals, but now it is open to the public to enjoy. The scenery is breathtaking all the year round, but in the autumn, the leaves turn to spectacular colours to the delight of visitors. The place is not too crowded if you time your visit well and can be a great place for quiet thoughts and reflections in the middle of one of the most hectic cities in the world.
www.lifeinkorea.com/Travel2/76; Underground (Subway) line 3, Anguk Station, exit 3, 5 minutes walking
Though this area near to the US army base has been called a special tourist zone and is praised for it's international shops, it's really the place where sellers try and hawk tacky Korean gifts and American clothes to the (mostly) American tourists. There are many other markets which are more representative of Seoul and are pretty much only frequented by locals.
It is a newly "restored" stream slap bang in the middle of this huge city. The stream was a lifeline for many Seoulites from the 14th-century but was covered over with tarmac during the 50s to provide land to build shops, high-rise buildings and a flyover during the frenetic days of the double-digit economic development that engulfed the nation up to the 90s.
As the paradigm for economic development has shifted from brute expansion to a more human-oriented, environmentally responsible growth over the last few years, the city is developing more places where weary Seoulites can find peace, tranquility and nature in the forms of parks, forests (yes forests), walkways, squares and now a stream!
The tarmac over Cheong-gye-cheon is gone now and the stream is open for all to see. The "opening" day attracted a million people, which doesn't quite jive with tranquility, peace and nature, but it shows how interested Seoulites are of their latest addition to the city attractions. There have been sightings of fish, birds and other creatures missing from central Seoul for decades and an urban legend is being created amid reports that cranes were seen a few days ago.
Many bridges (some modelled on those that used to exist centuries ago) span the stream and a newly created path accommodates joggers, amblers and courting couples and in the week or so that it's been open, it has become a must-see and be-seen destination for any self-respecting Seoulite. There is a museum showing the long history associated with the stream and many people expect the surrounding district to attract new businesses catering to Seoulites from all walks of life. It is the place to see and be seen in this trend-conscious city.
South Korea is one of the world's most wired countries, and Seoul is the most wired city in Korea. In order to stay in touch with folks at home or anywhere in the world for that matter, or to do whatever you want on the web, find a PC Room (or PC Bahng) in almost any neighbourhood in Seoul. It's cheap (75p an hour or less), reliable and extremely fast, catering to those ever busy Seoulites. If you find yourself spending a long time there playing web based games or whatever, you can even order lunch or dinner (or beer) and have the food delivered to your terminal
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