Top Trips to Take While Teaching in South Korea

Living in South Korea as an EPIK teacher offers numerous travel opportunities both domestically and internationally that I never could have experienced while living in the US. Within my short six months in Korea so far, I have gone on many trips domestically and went to Taiwan and the Philippines during winter vacation! I purposefully left out my adventures in Seoul, since there is far too much to cover in this short blogpost. I also figure that there are already many resources out there for those looking for things to do in Seoul. 

Jeju Island

I’ll start with my most recent trip to Jeju island! Before moving to Korea I had heard that Jeju island is like the Hawaii of Korea. While it is not as tropical as Hawaii, the island did bear some resemblance to the big island of Hawaii with a towering volcano in the center and palm trees scattered throughout. Jeju island felt unique in its plentiful orange trees, abundance of igneous rocks in its architecture, and luscious green grass. There is plenty to do on the island: Depending on the time of year, there’s hiking, swimming, surfing, walking along Olle Gil Trail, eating seafood and oranges, and more. While there is a bus that goes around the island, I highly recommend renting a car. I was able to secure a rental car at an SK rental service using an international drivers license. It made moving from the forest to the beach stress free, and afforded me the chance to try many restaurants that tourists often struggle to find. I also recommend that you go in the fall or spring if possible, since the weather will be more temperate. 

Gangwon Province 

Gangwon province is the mountainous Northeast province in Korea where I am currently located. During Chuseok (Korean Thanksgiving) I traveled to Wonju, Gangneung, and Sokcho, three of the major cities in Gangwon province. I also frequent Chuncheon and have two notable trips to Nami Island and the Elysian Ski resort.

Wonju

The first stop during my Chuseok travels was Wonju. In order to get anywhere from my town I need to first go to Chuncheon, and from there it was just an hour bus ride. A friend from orientation was placed here, so I was able to stay for free and check out a new city! I highly recommend being friendly during orientation, it can lead to lasting friendships (and cheaper travel opportunities). Wonju is a decent sized city with the usual shopping, restaurants, and bars. 

The most notable activity in Wonju was hiking to the top of Chiak Mountain. Because of a late start we began our hike at around 3pm. We got to the top just before sunset and saw birobongs (pictured above) and chipmunks! Because we reached the peak so late, we had to use our phone flashlights on the way down. After several rolled ankles and a few wrong turns, we managed to get to the bottom. I recommend the hike, as long as you manage your time properly!

Gangneung

The next stop on my Gangwon province cities tour was Gangneung. If you’re only able to visit one city in this province, I would prioritize Gangneung. It is the largest city with the most attractions. For any fans of BTS, the bus stop featured on their You Never Walk Alone album sits along the beach. There's also the iconic jumunjin breakwater, a location frequented in the K-drama Goblin (Guardian). I also went to the Arte Museum, an interactive light museum with a variety of rooms exhibiting the beauty of nature through modern technology. 

Gangneung also has many beaches which make it a unique city. During Chuseok some Korean people celebrate with fireworks, so I walked along the coast watching families shooting fireworks into the moonlit sky. It was a bit chilly to sit by the water, so I recommend going during the spring or summer to get the most out of the seaside city!

Sokcho

I was only in Sokcho for two days so I can’t offer many recommendations, but at least got a glimpse of another beach city in Gangwon province. Although it felt smaller than Gangenung, those who enjoy nature can visit the nearby Seoraksan National Park. Unfortunately, I was still sore from my hike up Chiak mountain so I didn’t check it out. But I hear it’s best to visit during the fall, as Gangwon province’s fall foliage is the best in Korea. The picture above was taken at a donut shop with this stunning view and even better donuts! 

Chuncheon

Chuncheon is the city closest to me and the capital of Gangwon province. I already discussed the main shopping and restaurant area as well as cafes in my previous blogpost. In this I’ll be covering two attractions in Chuncheon: Nami Island and the Elysian Ski Resort.

Nami Island

Last autumn, I was fortunate that one of my co-teachers took me to Nami Island! But if you don't have a car, there is a subway stop relatively nearby. On the Han River ferry ride to the island, she explained that the island is named after the brave General Nami who was killed due to a false accusation, along with other historical context that my memory fails to recall. The island has cultural events, concerts, restaurants, hotels, and most notably, picturesque landscapes. The island is beautiful year round with its fall foliage, snow covered trees, blooming flowers, or summer verdure. My co-teacher is well-versed in botany, so she pointed out the many plant species that we came across. And I was most surprised when I happened upon these ostriches, how random! 

Elysian Ski Resort

Just before Christmas, my elementary school had a trip to the Elysian Ski Resort in Chuncheon. I didn’t expect to join in myself, but my co-teachers encouraged me and I decided to snowboard! I hadn’t gone snowboarding in years, and even had to ask a stranger for help. This Taiwanese woman gave me some pointers and we ended up taking a photo together along with her friends! There were several slopes for all skill levels, and it had already snowed quite a bit by this point in the year so there was little manufactured snow. I recommend going as early in the day as possible, since the day pass is more cost-effective than paying hourly, as I did. 

Everland

Everland is one of Korea’s main amusement parks located in Gyeonggi Province–the suburbs which completely surround Seoul. As one of Korea’s major theme parks, Everland has every type of ride you would expect, from larger roller coasters to kids’ rides. I went with my middle school and the lines were quite short! So I recommend going on a weekday if possible. At one point I joined the crowd of people watching the K-pop group Tomorrow X Together ride the Double Rock Spin. And my favorite part of Everland was the panda exhibit, where I watched Fubao endlessly eating bamboo.

International Travel

If you teach English in Korea through the EPIK program, make sure to use your vacation days to explore the many climates, cultures, and foods around Asia! I have friends in the program who went to Japan, Vietnam, Thailand, and many other Asian countries to make the most of their time here. I personally used my days off this winter vacation traveling in Taiwan and the Philippines!

Taiwan

I spent the first few days of my week in Taiwan in its capital, Taipei. I stayed in a clean and affordable hostel called Fun Inn Taipei, located on camera street just a ten minute walk from the Taipei Main Station. From here I was able to commute easily to the Huashan Creative Park, night markets, hot springs, and Yehliu Geopark (pictured above). 

Next I went to Taichung, where my friend is working at an English academy. Here he showed me around the city on his motorbike–as most Taiwanese people do. With the motorbike we were easily able to traverse the city, and even go up a few mountains to see sunsets and city views. While Lunar New Years is not the ideal time to travel in Taiwan, my friend and I went to his Taiwanese friend’s New Years dinner where we ate many traditional Taiwanese foods and later went to a temple at midnight to receive red envelopes! In general, Taiwan has excellent food, for instance their beef soups and soup dumplings. But my favorite was the 7-11 mapo tofu which only cost a few dollars and had szechuan sauce that I haven’t found in any of the food here in Korea. It was my last meal in Taiwan before I headed to the Philippines! :)

Philippines

I spent my time in the Philippines on an island called Palawan. I first took a cramped, speeding van to El Nido, a tourist spot right next to the ocean. During my time in El Nido I stayed at the Happiness Hostel which helped us rent motorbikes, recommended some beaches and waterfalls, and also had boat tour packages (that we didn’t do). The main event in El Nido was scuba diving! I had never been before but had a great first experience. We did it with Palawan Divers that had an extremely friendly instructor who calmed my anxieties and showed me all the beauty lying below the surface of the ocean. My goal was to see a sea turtle (one of my favorite animals), but only my friend saw it :(. Instead I saw rainbow patterned fish, corals, starfish, anemone, and came face to face with a puffer fish. 

The next and final stop on this trip was Port Barton. There was a much smaller tourist presence here, making the traditional foods and fruit smoothies even more affordable. We rented kayaks and went out to starfish island, a sandbank off the coast of the nearby beach. Here I watched a seaplane fly in front of the sunset and land on glittery water. The climate was similar to El Nido, so we again rented motorbikes and went to an even bigger waterfall! The weather in the Philippines was exactly what I needed during the harsh winter of my northern town in the mountains.