Korean Job Discussion Forums

[matthews_world]

As a PS teacher, I'd like to take a break on my high utility bills this summer by using the vacation to go out and explore the countryside.

I'm not looking to rough it by any stretch of the imagination. Basically I'll be sleeping on the beach or a mountain/countryside stream and using public facilities for convenience. That's where the 'psuedo' comes in.

I plan to have only a 2-man tent, air mattress and sleeping bag.

I'm currently living in Kyungbook province and would like to avoid the southeast corridor - Daegu & Busan area.

Here are the areas I had in mind. All should be easily accessible by bus.

- Dangjin-gun / Seosan (A bit far but I've heard it's nice)

- Gangwon-do area. This is quite large I know but am looking for more info.

- Jirisan

- South coast (Yeosu , Jin-do etc.)

Here are the amenties that I would need to be close to:

Health club - help alleviate the boredom and to keep fit.

PC Bangs

Sauna/Jimjilbang - TV and to catch a break from the mosquitoes.

Laundromat - Mom & pop shops that would clean clothes for next to nothing.

Bus terminal with outlying buses

[Underwaterbob]

Camping during summer vacation is not a good idea. The campgrounds are loaded with families.

If you must, I'd recommend either Chiaksan or Woraksan, those two statistically (or so I've heard) are the least visited national parks in Korea. I don't know much about Chiaksan, but Woraksan gets pretty crowded during summer vacation because of the OK swimming in the Sam Gae Valley.

On the plus side, both those places are about as far from the urban sprawl as you can get in Korea, but close enough to Wonju and Chungju respectively if you need a drink with some other foreigners, or want to spend a night in a motel with a jacuzzi, wide screen TV and a king sized bed for 35kwon.

[Kurtz]

Waking up in a tent during a Korean summer is only for the followers of the Marquis De Sade, as is camping alongside the Kim family who will sure to be making massive amounts of noise.

I miss my days back home of camping out in the wilderness, hiking for days, packing the fishing rod, catching my dinner of fresh trout and cooking it on a rock with the fire burning.....in Korea maybe not.

If you have some friends, I'd suggest sharing a minbak which are usually quite cheap. Jirisan is the biggest park, and hence the least claustrophobic. I've been to 80% of Korea's parks and Jirisan is where it's at but in summer, I'd say just about every spare bit of rock, river, patch of grass will have Koreans drinking soju, sitting in a circle eating rice, dipping peppers into bean paste sauce and being generally annoying.

Best of luck, I'll be drinking beer in my favourite coastal spots.

[gprov]

[header]

Maybe try couch surfing? You may have some luck and end up with someone who can show you around or make helpful suggestions.
Hope it goes well for you

[Teelo]

[Robot_Teacher]

Staycation? Yes, it's a staycation for me too. Staycation as in stay in Korea for that time off as to save money since flights are grossly over priced.

[matthews_world]

Yea, I'm just gonna go out for 2 or 3 nights at a time, find some quiet and comfortable countryside patch near a beach, river, small stream or mountain and spend the night.

It has to be reachable by outlying bus service, as I don't have a car, and as least populated as possible.

I don't know what a minbak is. Please explain.

[Kurtz]

I see your join date in 2003, have you been in Korea for 6 years?

민박 is a private homestay. You'll be sleeping on the floor with some blankets. They are usually very basic and go between 25,000-50,000 a night depending on your bargaining skills, time of the year, and what season it is.

I've had some great times in a minbak staying in or near a national park. My favourite one is in Songnisan National Park.

[DrOctagon]

[Kurtz]

^

Sounds good, I envy you.

I do recall now sleeping in a bed, but that has been the minority. I usually go for a cheapie, which are very basic indeed, but kind of cosy too. Enjoy!