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. 

Chuncheon, a Fun Destination

Chuncheon has been always one of my favorite cities in Korea. Actually it was the reason I wanted to visit Korea. Years ago I watched a popular Korean drama “Winter Sonata” which was filmed in Chuncheon and showed the beautiful nature of it, I put it in my bucket list. When I visited it the first time, I wasn't disappointed and that's the reason why I keep coming back and visiting again.

There are many outdoors and indoors activities in Chuncheon you can enjoy.

1-Nami island is a must-see, whether you liked the drama or no. You should go for a day trip and enjoy the island or rent a bungalow by the riverside for the night. You can take the ferry to the island or zip-line your way to it.

The island offers you beautiful nature and fun activities, Here are some things you could do:

a- ride the UNICEF charity train around the island. 2,000W one way.

b- rent a bicycle. 3,000W for 30 minutes per person.

c- get on an electric car-tour bus. 5,000W per person.

d- tour the lake in a motorboat. 40,000W for 5 people.

e- zip-line. 38,000W that include the entry fee to the island.

There are a lot of cafes and restaurants around the island and souvenir shops, of course.

2-Cheongpyeongsa Temple.

3-Jungdo Island

4-Jade Gardens, where the Korean dramas Full House 2 and Love Rain were filmed.

5-Soyangho Lake

6-Gangchon Recreational Area.

7-Bungee Jumping, if you love adventure.

8-Walk around the lake.

9-Swim in the river. Follow road 65 under the bridge in Sa Bok Myeon, Otan Ri. There's a nice spot where you can swim.

10-Canoeing. We used West Canoe company. They didn't speak much English, however, they were very nice and friendly to us.

11-Ride a rail-bike.

12-Animation Museum. It's a very cute place, but it's definitely for children.

Eating in Chuncheon:

Oh boy, there are plenty of good restaurants over there. I was impressed with the food.

1- Ramos Burger, this is my favorite. Oh my god, heavenly food. The food and the service were outstanding. The best burger I have ever had and chili french fries. I'll be eating there when I go to Chuncheon again. Check them out on Facebook @ ramosburger.

Chili French Fries

Beef Burger with shrimp and Mango Salad

2- Myeong Dong Bak Ga restaurant in Myeong-Dong area. Dalkalbi is one of the best Korean dishes and Chuncheon is famous for its delicious dalkalbi. This restaurant took the dish to a new level of yumminess. They add udon noodles to the chicken and sweet potatoes and veggies. Check out the website: www.mdbg.co.kr

Dalkalbi

3- Buckwheat Cafe and Restaurant, when we ordered I noticed that the prices were a bit high for the two dishes we ordered, but I realized I was wrong when the food came! The first course came, soup and bread and salad, then the main dishes came and the portions were huge. Each dish was enough for two people for sure. The food was tasty and comforting. I ate a lot there and I have no regret. The service was good.

Adderss: Gangwon-do Chuncheon-si, su myeon, hyeon am-ri 697-3

Phone: (033) 244-6080

Chicken Fried Rice

Cheese Pasta

4- Jacaranda cafe, they serve pizza, pasta, and pork cutlet and drinks. Most of the dishes include pork. The prices are high and the potions are regular size. The decoration is nice.

Phone: 070-8830-6271

Gorgonzola Pizza 

5- East River Restaurant, we ordered dalkalbi and potato jeon. The dalkalbi was ok, the potato jeon was good. The service was bad and I won't go there again.

Address: Gangwon-do Chuncheon-si, sa bok myeon, otan 2 ri 566-2.

Phone: (033) 243-5545

Potato Jeon

6- River Story Cafe, a lovely little cafe and restaurant with nice atmosphere. Phone: (033)243-6353

Address: gangwon-do Chuncheon-si Su Myeon Bak sa ro 1210. 

Boryeong Mud Festival

You know it's summer when the festival breaks the heat and cools down your body by mud bath. This year is the 18^th Mud Festival, if you haven't been before, it's time for you to visit.

www.visitkorea.or.kr

The festival is located on Daecheon beach, you'll know you're in the right place when you'll see a big crowd dancing, singing and covered in mud. The mud festival is one of my favorite Korean festivals. It's so lively with fun activities. You won't get bored there.

Activities:

1- Mud bath and massage.

2- Mud slide.

3- Mud games.

4- Mud marathon.

5- Mud kids land.

6- Opening and closing ceremony.

7- Live concerts.

And other special events will take place during the festival, Starting July 17^th to 26^th

Eating and drinking around Daecheon area:

You don't have to worry about what you are going to eat at all. There are countless seafood restaurants along side the beach and around it.

Fried chicken and beer joints are also popular there. There are even some delivery guys who walk around the beach with already cooked chicken and sell it. So, while you're laying on the sand enjoying the sun, your lunch or dinner will come to you.

There are a few cafes that serve sandwiches too. There will be food stalls around the festival that sells shawarma and chicken kebabs, Turkish ice cream.

You can buy drinks from anywhere, 7/11, 25GS, C&U.

Sleeping in Daecheon:

Okay, that might be the hardest part. You should book a room in advance if you're planing to spend a night or two at the festival. All of the good rooms will disappear quickly in the first couple of days of the festival. The rooms that are left are either very bad or far from the beach.

Other things to do:

1- Walk around and explore the town.

2- Play fair games.

3- Visit the trick eye museum.

4- Go to the water park across the street from the beach.

For more information, please visit the link below:

http://www.mudfestival.or.kr/#header

10 Dishes You Must Eat While in Egypt

People usually ask me to recommend tourist attractions in Egypt. I always recommend food first. That's right, Egyptian food comes before the pyramids, the Nile and ancient temples. Why? Because Egyptian food is delicious, and you should do a food tour around the country.

Here's 10 traditional Egyptian dishes you can't miss:

1- Kabab and kofta: chunks of beef and beef fingers that were spiced and grilled slowly on a coal grill. 

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2- Mombar: rice sausages boiled then fried in deep oil. 

www.women.bo7.net

3- Molokhia: smashed jute leaves, cooked with garlic and chicken broth (the most commonly used broth for this soup) It's also considered the national dish of Egypt. Could be vegetarian if the chef used a vegetable stock. 

www.vb.n4hr.com

4- Alexandrian cow liver: cut to small pieces and cooked with butter, green chilies and onions. One of my favorite street foods. 

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5- Shawarma: you can get beef or chicken shawarma from pretty much any street in Egypt, I love it when it's served in hotdog buns with pickles.

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For vegetarians, you can get my vegetarians' Egyptian food guide on Amazon.com

http://www.amazon.com/Vegetarians-Guide-Egyptian-Street-Food-ebook

6- Stuffed and deep fried fish: mackerel fish stuffed with a mix of parsley, garlic and spices. Powdered with flour and deep fried, served with caramelized onion and turmeric rice and green salad.

www.yasmin.jaeed.com

7- Macarona bi al-bechamel: two layers of penne pasta, stuffed with ground beef and covered with bechamel sauce. 

www.qamoora.com

8- Fatta: many cook this dish to celebrate a religious holiday, like the feast or Ramadan. A layer of Egyptian toasted bread, a layer of rice, topped with chunks of beef, then pour a scoop of soup and a scoop of garlic and tomato salsa. 

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9- Renga: salted and smocked herring fish served with lemon, tahini sauce and Egyptian whole wheat and bran bread. Egyptians love eating it on Sham El-Nassim day, spring festival. 

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10- Last but not least, Foul Medammes: we eat this dish every day for breakfast. It's fava beans simmered slowly and spiced with salt, cumin, chili powder and lemon juice. Served with tahini, oil, bread. 

www.elwatannews.com

Writing this list makes me hungry!

Gwangmyeong Cave

Are you looking for an adventure underground? If your answer is yes, then you should visit Gwangmyeong cave.

The “cave” went through dramatic transformation, from an abandoned coal mine to a cool themed cave.

Gwangmyeong cave provides visitors with a unique experience from the moment they arrive. Hike up a short staircase and you'll find a cafe on the top of the cliff with lovely view and the flowers of the spring covering the sidewalks.

Hike up more stairs and enter the cave. The cave is cold, so I recommend you take a jacket or a sweater with you. There are a few people working inside to guide you through the cave, so don't worry about getting lost.

There are many themes going on inside and each of them is fun. Lighted passages and lighted tunnel are beautiful.

Tiny caves with lighted bugs and creatures crawling out of them.

An aquarium with some rare fishes.

A golden road with some treasures.

An artificial waterfall.

A lovely surprise, the appearance of Gollum. Yup, there's a sculpture of Gollum deep in the cave. My favorite part of the trip was WETA artwork hanging on the walls near Gollum.

A modern history exhibit and some info about the cave.

A wine store where you can taste and buy local and international wine. And at the end a passage of flowers.

I know there are a lot going but somehow all of the themes are working together.

Admission: 4,000 won for adults/ 2,500 won for youths and 1,500 won for children.

Opening hours: 9:00-5:00. Closed on Mondays.

Address: San 17-1, Gahak-dong, Gwangmyeong-si, Gyeonggi-do
Directions: Gwangmyeong Station (Seoul Subway Line 1), Exit 8.
Get on bus 17 in front of the station and get off at Gwangmyeong Cave.
Walk along the path for 15 min.(290m)

For more information please visit the link below: The website is in Korean only. 

http://cavern.gm.go.kr/site/cavern/main.do

Ilsan Lake Park and International Horticulture Goyang Korea

Spring is here and the flowers are in full bloom and the best way to enjoy a sunny spring day is by going to the flower exhibit with a lake view.

Ilsan Lake Park is hosting international horticulture from April 24^th to May 10^th. Walking through flowers that came from all over the world and smelling the fragrance is the perfect day trip.

The thing I enjoyed most in my visit was seeing families, couples, children and elderly smiling and taking photos with the flowers.

For more information please visit the link below: 

https://www.flower.or.kr:5521/eng/main/main.php

There are some fun activities, like biking around the lake. You can make flower ornaments. You can sail a flower boat for 5,000KW per person. You totally should do the boat thing, it was fun.

Eating:

Okay, do yourself a favor and don't eat before you go. There are many street vendors who sell yummy food and drinks.

Shopping:

You can buy flowers, gardening tools and seeds.

You can buy exotic essences.

You can even buy clothes from there.

Some Peruvians had a tent were they were selling bags, clothes, and llama dolls, and at the end of the day they performed traditional dances.

Operating hours: 9:00 to 19:00 on weekends and 8:30 to 20:00pm on weekends and public holidays.

Admission fee: 10,000 won or 8,000 won for foreigners.  

Yangshuo and The Moon Hill

On the way to Yangshuo

Caving and the Moon Hill were the main attractions for us. Floating on a bamboo boat for two and half hours, passing by the mighty karst, caves, and fishing boats was heavenly. To get to Yangshuo town, take a van or mini bus from the river side. The roads are rough and the trip downtown isn't fun. However, once in town everything will be easier.

Yangshuo Culture House Hostel Review:

Exceptional! The hostel is owned and run by Wei Xiaogeng and his lovely family and it was the best hostel I've ever been to. A private room with a toilet cost about 11$ at the time of my trip, but the price might be higher now. The most comfortable bed, like you're sleeping on a fluffy cloud. Very clean, they cleaned the room and the toilet every morning. The family was very nice to me. I don't eat pork and they cooked special dishes for me. The hostel offers some Chinese cultural experiences. Wei is helpful, he will talk to you, show you the map and give you recommendations and tips.

Important Note:

There are dog meat markets in town, if you're sensitive to it, try to avoid going there. Ask your hotel/hostel to give you routes away from the markets.

Things to Do in Yangshuo:

1- Moon Hill: a gorgeous sight where you can hike, climb the rocks or bike. Admission fee: 9 CNY .

Moon Hill

2- Gold Water Cave: who doesn't like a mud bath, especially on a hot summer day? Unfortunately, the cave was over-crowded in August. Opening times: 9:00AM to 4:30 (last entry). The cave tour takes about 1 and half hours. Wear proper hiking shoes and take a swim suit and a towel with you. There are no toilets inside the cave, so before you enter make sure to use the toilet by the ticketing office. Admission fee: 90 CNY. Some travel agencies promise cheaper tickets. I don't know how honest those agencies are. I got my ticket from the ticket office in the cave. Also, be aware of scams. Some people will approach you and try to sell you over-priced tickets.

The entrance of the cave

3- Rent a Bike: bike by the river side and small villages.

4- The Light Show: a performance by Li River. Tickets are a bit pricey for budget travelers. The prices starts at 198, 238 and 480 CNY.

For more attractions in Yangshuo, please visit the link below: 

http://www.travelchinaguide.com/cityguides/guangxi/yangshuo/

Eating in Yangshuo:

There are Western restaurants in the West Street area. You can eat locally in small restaurants or street food.

I was still recovering from food poising I got in Guilin, so I didn't take any risks, I had all my meals in the hostel.

Happy Travels!