Things to do in Asan, South Korea

The Asan area is famous for the hot springs, which are now turned to popular spas. Whether you're visiting or living in Asan, you might think there is not much to do other than getting pampered in a spa.

Actually, there is a lot to do if you know where to go and what to eat. :)

Places to go and things to do:

1- Spa, of course. Since you're visiting Asan you should go to one of the famous spas and some of them have water parks during the summer. Spavis is the best known spa in the area. Paradise Spa Dogo and Hot Spring hotel in Onyang Oncheon offer you a relaxing stay with a sauna.

2- Oeam-ri folk village: take a trip through time and visit a historical village to get to know how Koreans have lived in the past.

3- Hyeonchungsa Shrine: it's the shrine of general Lee Sun-Shin, a national hero. A beautiful garden with a pond surrounding the temple and the houses.

Hyeonchungsa

4- Onyang folk museum: a closer look at Korean culture and traditional households.

5- Gongseri Catholic church: a historical church with gorgeous architecture.

6- Pinnacle Land.

7- Bonggoksa Temple.

8- Botanical Garden: a thousand species of flowers.

9- Sinjeong Lake: some call it a resort but it isn't, it's just a lake. Nonetheless, it's still a nice walk, especially during autumn as the leaves change colors and during the spring when cherry blossom are in full bloom.

Sinjeong Lake

10- Soonchunhyang University: Only recommended to visit during the cherry blossom season. A walk around the university will take your breath away, hundreds of trees in full bloom in white and pink. And usually there's a festival goes on in Spring there. 

Soonchunhyang university 

11- Asan rail bike: get around the countryside by pedaling.

12- Blue Crystal Village: Mediterranean style architecture with nice-ish cafes and restaurants. It's a nice walk for sure.

visitkorea.or.kr

13- Pentaport: there are many things to do in Pentaport. Watch a movie at CGV theaters. Go clothes shopping at Moda stores, a bit pricey. Food shopping at E-Mart. Shoot zombies in the arcade. Get a fancy and relaxing massage at Amia. 

Five Tips For Budget Travel

Photo copyrighted to Ian Porell

I've been traveling on a budget for years now. I'm not a rich person, never was, but there are many ways to travel cheap and enjoy your trip to the fullest. In this post I'm sharing a few tips that helped me to not to break the bank while traveling.

1- Research Your Destination and Plan Your Time: when you're on a tight budget, you should research your destination well. It will save you money and time. For example, if you're going to travel across a country, research what the best transportation options are to take you from city A to city B.

Trains are usually faster than buses, but they cost more. In that case you need to plan out your time and see if you have extra hours to spare on the bus to save some cash.

2- National Tourism Websites: as I said before in a previous post, those websites are treasures. Sign up for their newsletters to get updates on the latest offers, events and vouchers. Many of those websites offer discounts for hotels, exhibits and museums.

3- Street Food: to get to know to any country better you need to eat its food. But, as we all know, eating in a restaurant is pricey. Just go to the street market and eat whatever looks good to you. Before you eat, look at the menus to know how much you will pay at the end of your meal. Also, if you have a weak stomach, ask the vendor if the food is spicy or not. Trust me on this one - street food is delicious. If you're worried about how clean street food is, just go to a mini supermarket and buy groceries like bread and cheese.

4- Avoid Peak Season: peak season is usually in summer or during holidays like Christmas. Be smart and plan your trip in spring, autumn or winter. In my experience, hotels in winter, late January and February, offer rooms for half the price. Take advantage of that.

5- Sharing Your Personal Space: whether you're a couchsurfer or a hostel guest, you have to be willing to share your personal space, like sleeping in a dormitory room or sleeping on someone's couch, and using a shared bathroom. For a lot of people it's not the most comfortable way to travel, but it saves some money.

I have an issue with sharing a bathroom with someone, so what I do is look for hostels that offer a private room with a bathroom. Or, look for hotels deals.

You can make friends with other guests in the hostel, go out with them and share a taxi.

Happy travels!