Korean Job Discussion Forums

[bobsbarricades]

Anyone been? Things to check out? Cheap places to stay? Advice?

[Smee]

How long are you going? What do you want to do?

[bobsbarricades]

umm, I should be there for about 2-3 days. I am big on exploring. Not a party guy. I want to have good food, good sights, and good experiences. Maybe go island hopping if I can find someone with a boat. I'm open to anything!

[waynehead]

I like both places, and hope to spend more time in each one.

In Mokpo there's a small little mountain that's worth a hike if you're into such things (I'm usually not but I enjoyed watching the sunset from up there, and it wasn't too strenuous). I think they also have a maritime museum tho I've never been.

Yeousu has a replica of Admiral Yi's turtle ship, which is kind of cheesy but important to Koreans so worth checking out. There's a big "house" on the top of a hill in Yeousu which used to house sailors way back in the day, I can't remember its name, but it's worth checking out too. A great place to chillax at the end of the day.

There's good food/seafood to be had in both places. Expats exist I'm told, but when I was there I didn't meet any. Have fun.

[hugekebab]

Mokpo:

Small 'mountain' near the city centre and a bigger mountain around by the maritime and other museums (which are a 10-15 minute taxi ride from the train station in the centre). Theres also a Buddha rock by those museums, but its nothing much to look at, but pleasant because it's by the sea. It's nice there in summer because they have a lot of nice fruit trees etc growing there; quite a pleasant little town, but nothing much really happening there and good for a day trip. In the centre theres a great mandu place; looks like a modernish gimbap house, I think it's orange, hard to miss, right in the centre - lots of glass.

Mokpo is pretty well signposted for tourists considering its size.

If you do go check out all the elderly drunks by the train station (which is right int he centre); it's actually pretty funny.

[Smee]

That house in Yeosu is Jinnamgwan, I believe, which is where they used to manufacture some turtle ships. It's right next to the downtown shopping area, and I like it because of the view of the bridge.

One of the more notable tourist attractions is Dolsan Bridge (돌산대교) which is among the largest bridges of its kind in the country. It lights up at night and changes between some 50 colors. It connects the mainland with Dolsan Island, and if you cross the bridge and go up the hill you'll come to a park . . . good for a nighttime view. If you cross the bridge and look to your right you'll see a small harbor with boats that'll take you on a tour of some outlying islands. Only a few thousand won for a 1-hour tour, and they have 2- and 4-hour tours as well. When I've gone I've asked the cab driver to take me to 돌산대교, then I've walked across the bridge and either taken a boat ride or gone to the park. Then I walk back down, cross the bridge and turn right. Walk for about 25 minutes along the ugly shore to get to the downtown pedestrian shopping area. You can go to Jinnamgwan if you want, or walk around the few blocks of "town."

As far as islands go, there are a couple that'd be intersting to see. First on my list would be Geomun-do, which has some architecture from when the British had a port there: http://www.rjkoehler.com/2007/10/24/old-port-hamilton/

If you go to Yeosu you should try and see Hyangilam hermitage, a temple complex perched on a mountain overlooking the sea. It's especially popular for New Year's.

I don't know much about Mokpo. There are several museums pretty close to one another, and that mountain Yudalsan is all right. From the ferry terminal you can take boat tours of some of the outlying islands, if I'm not mistaken, but I have no idea about timetables or anything.

[VanIslander]

between Yeosu and Mokpo I've come across several great places, but only during the warm months, March thru October

hike up wolchulsan (creek alongside trail for cool slurp on hot day), green tea outdoor pools near beach in Yulpo, boseong green tea fields, islands near Wando (sinjido, bulgido, etc), countless parks, every single place i've come across to sleep and eat is cheap with plenty of surprises

the southwesternmost region has been very good to me, plenty of great travel memories, but in winter? ugh.

[bobsbarricades]

Thanks for all the places you've been! I'll definitely have to check out the green tea pools VanIslander, but maybe when it's warmer =)

Smee, I feel that you and I explore much the same, I am going to improvise something similar to your route I think.

I'm curious if anyone has been to the black beach Manseong-ni?

I'm definitely going to the cliff at 'Hyangil-am, but I think I'll still be in Daejeon for the sunrise Gyejok-sanseong thing.

[Smee]

I've been to the "black sand beach," it's shit, don't go. It's just pebbles, shells, and garbage, and if you do go in the water (you wouldn't in January) you'd cut up your feet on giant pieces of concrete and rock. If you absolutely must go you can grab a cab from the bus terminal for about 6,000 won, but it's nothing special. I put a couple pics at the bottom of this post.

Just wanted to mention that those boats next to the bridge don't take you TO the islands, just drives you around them. If you want to get off and explore you'd need to take a ferry. If you can read Korean you can look at the timetable here: http://yeosu.go.kr/site/Home/tour/come_by/come04/

[bobsbarricades]

hmmm, i like the beach that's north of it - it looks more like what i was hoping for.

cool blog - and yes... gwanggyo looks REALLY awesome. Do you know any more information about it? Is it going to be built?

[Smee]

No, don't know if/when it will be built. Looks like something out of Star Wars.

The city next door, Suncheon, has a city bus tour every day, so that might be something to do, too. I'm sure the tour will be in Korean, but you're not really doing it for the tour guide, you're doing it b/c it's much eaier to do all of these things via one bus rather than trying to do it on your own.

http://www.suncheon.go.kr/home/english/tourism/city_tour/introduction/index.jsp

[bobsbarricades]

easier,yes.. but I'm not thinking too much in terms of ease =) I'm really ecited to check out the hermitage/cliff in the south. Sounds really nice. I'm bringing some sketching for sure =) Hope the stationary shop is open tomorrow