The weather in Korea is finally getting warmer, which means road-trip season! I've wanted to go to Jeonju for a long time and at the last minute we decided to book a hanok (traditional Korean house) and head there finally!
If you haven't been to Jeonju, you really should. A few months ago a writer from the NY Times came to Korea and spent most of his time in Jeonju, if that's any indication. The architecture is nice, the food is delicious, and it's a much nicer atmosphere than can be found in most parts of Seoul. Think Insadong/Samcheong-dong times a thousand. If you are a foreigner, you can take a free bus from Seoul and it will drop you off right in the Hanok Village and from there everything is within walking distance!
First off: accomodation. We stayed at 학인당 (Hakindang), which is one of the only real, original hanoks remaining. Our room was 90,000 ($85) for two people plus breakfast and a tea ceremony/tour. If you go to Jeonju, try to stay in a Hanok!
Our room with both sets of doors closed.
Inside our room. You can see again the two sets of doors.
Tea ceremony and hanok history lesson with the owner. (in Korean)
After checking into our hanok we wanted to jump right into Jeonju with bibimbap, the local specialty. 성미당 has the #1 rated bibimbap in Korea for approx. $12. A bit outside of the Hanok Village but only a 12-15 minute walk.
Paris Baguette in a hanok.
The street art here is soooooo neat.
Cute little stores everywhere.
A vintage cafe/museum with some really fascinating stuff to look at.
Lots of souvenir shopping at good prices.
If you haven't been to Jeonju, you really should. A few months ago a writer from the NY Times came to Korea and spent most of his time in Jeonju, if that's any indication. The architecture is nice, the food is delicious, and it's a much nicer atmosphere than can be found in most parts of Seoul. Think Insadong/Samcheong-dong times a thousand. If you are a foreigner, you can take a free bus from Seoul and it will drop you off right in the Hanok Village and from there everything is within walking distance!
First off: accomodation. We stayed at 학인당 (Hakindang), which is one of the only real, original hanoks remaining. Our room was 90,000 ($85) for two people plus breakfast and a tea ceremony/tour. If you go to Jeonju, try to stay in a Hanok!
학인당 entrance.We had to crawl through that little door.
Our room with one set of the doors open.
After checking into our hanok we wanted to jump right into Jeonju with bibimbap, the local specialty. 성미당 has the #1 rated bibimbap in Korea for approx. $12. A bit outside of the Hanok Village but only a 12-15 minute walk.
After a late lunch, we started wandering around the Hanok Village - the best way to explore Jeonju.
CU convenience store in a hanok.
We also went to the Yeomyeong Camera Museum/Cafe. Entrance is 3,000 won but it's pretty cool and includes a cup of coffee/tea. Nice place to charge your phone and escape some of the tourists.
The cafe even had these little animal houses - haha!
At Omokdae. Great view.
I highly recommend going to a cafe called 'Tomorrow.' You can see up on the 2nd floor on the patio and look out at all the hanoks.
We got cold and went inside. Still a fantastic view.
We also ate Seok Galbi - another popular thing in Jeonju. This is my new favorite Korean food.
There are lots of handmade booths on the streets.
Jeonju was so nice. It reminded Choi and I of Otaru, a small artisan city in Japan where we spent a semester. I wish I could live in the hanok village. Highly, highly recommend~~
Our next road-trip is to the Jinhae Cherry Blossom Festival in 3 weeks.
No comments:
Post a Comment