Kangwon Province Travel Guide

Beautiful city on the Eastern edge of S. Korea. Great sea side places and just a short bus ride away from Seorukson. Wonderful city to spend a few days in.

The Hwanseongul (limestone cave) is beautiful. However, the frequency of bus from Samcheok intercity bus terminal to the cave is very low. Taking a bus to this destination isn't a problem but it is best to confirm with the driver that there will be a bus at the scheduled time that will pick you up at the cave to return to the intercity bus terminal. The following is my experience (from my travel journal): This is really a frightening and heart-warming experience. Gosh... I was too late to take the very 1st bus (6.25am) from the Seoul express bus terminal. Thus, by the time I reached the express bus terminal, I could only take the 9.15am bus to Samcheok. This bus ride was 4hr long but it's really comfortable. Anyway, when I finally reached Samcheok at 1.15pm and found the tourist information center to get myself oriented for the cave trip, I was disheartened after looking at the bus schedule to the cave. I've to wait until 2pm for the bus to depart for the cave and the entrance of the cave was closing at 4pm. Still, I thank God that He made me overslept and resulted in me taking the 9.15am express bus from Seoul. Imagine if i were to reach any time earlier, I would have to wait for the same 2pm bus to get me to the cave. (See... there's a break between 10.20am to 2pm where ther's no bus service to the cave!) The frequency of the bus service to the cave is really terrible for a backpacker. I started my 1 hour long journey to the cave from the Samcheok intercity bus terminal at 2pm. I managed to explore the cave in an hour. The tour guide here speaks only korean so I just followed the group and amuse myself in the cave, admiring the wonderful sights. (The entrance fee includes the guide.) The frightening experience starts here when there wasn't going to be any bus service from the cave to the bus terminal....which means that I'm going to be stuck here in the wilderness! Looking at the bus schedule again, it shows clearly that there's going to be a bus at 6pm...but somehow....I had this gut feeling that there won't be any bus coming though the time then was only 5pm. Tour buses and private cars are leaving one after another. By 5.10pm, I told myself that I can't sit at the bus stop any longer to wait for the transport (which I'm pretty sure that it might not come) (trust a female's instinct!). I braved my way to approach one of the 2 tour buses that's left at the parking area. I 'told' the driver (gesticulate...cos I can't speak Korean except for 'Thank you', and some greetings) my situation and viola!!!! he assured me that he would take me with his other passengers and drop me off at the bus terminal... This is so heart-warming cos the Koreans are a helpful bunch to foreigners (not just this ). He also told me that there wouldn't be any bus service at that hour. I'm so glad that he was so kind to take me in ...or esle...I would have been stranded at the mountain...helpless.

I've been to Hajodae(하조대) in Yangyang of  Gangwon province in April,2008. HaJoDae was named after HaRyun and JoJun, who contributed to the founding of the JoSeon Dynasty. When they were exiled, they lived here for some time. While I was there, I thought it might be so great to spend the last of their life for two guys from noble class. So I envy them~ There is a pavilion on top of a cliff. That hexagonal pavilion is Hajodae. The color of sea water is so nice blue green! Also the smell of pinetrees are relaxing. I think scenery will gives you great pleasure and refreshment. I stayed at the pension near Beopsuchi  (법수치) and went to Hajodae next morning. In that way, I could enjoy the mountain and velly in Beopsuchi then enjoyed sea in Hajodae. Both places are located very close each other.