#daewangam

On the second night of 3D2N trip with Wow Korea, we came to Lotte Hotel Ulsan and took a super good rest before heading to explore Ulsan. 

Ulsan is the lesser-known neighbour of Busan, both cities are about 1 hour bus ride (30 min train ride) away from each other. Visiting Ulsan en-route Busan to Seoul would be a good idea if you hold a korail train pass for unlimited rides. 

Hotel slippers in Lotte Hotel Ulsan

As expected of a 5-star luxury hotel, the amenities were great, ranging from free mobile phones to a charging station with universal ports and USB to an indoors spa facility and direct access to Lotte Departmental Store from the hotel lobby!

We headed to Taehwagang Simnidaebat the first thing the next morning to breathe in some nice fresh air. The Taehwagang River cuts in the middle of Ulsan city and the park has an extensive bamboo forest right in the city center! It was one of South Korea President Park’s resting facility during her summer vacation trip recently.  

The Simnidaebat Bridge that connects both side of the river

Taehwagang River

Bamboo Forest in Taehwagang Park

Taehwagang Park

We spent about an hour and a half walking around the park before moving to the next destination, Daewangam. Unfortunately it was raining that day and the winds were super strong (umbrellas broken kind of strong) as Ulsan is situated on the East Coast of the peninsular so I couldn’t get many pictures. 

Daewangam park is named after Daewangam island, a beautiful rock formation at the end of the park at the coastal line. Legend has it that a Silla King was buried under a rock and turned into a dragon to protect his dynasty, while his Queen did the same and became Daewangam Rock. Stroll through the pine forest of the park to the Daewangam Bridge, and cross the bridge to reach the observatory on Daewangam island. 

View of Daewangam Island in the far background

Ocean view from Daewangam Park

Daewangam Bridge linking the park to the Island

View of the Ocean from the Daewangam Island observatory

From Lotte Hotel Ulsan, take bus 133 from the bus stop in front of the hotel and alight at Daewangam Park Entrance (~1hr ride). Walk 1.2km to Daewangam Park. 

We headed to the Jujeong Mongdol Beach next, but due to the heavy rain we only had lunch. The view of the beach was pretty good in the restaurants along the beach. 

Yukgaejang for Lunch at Jujeon Mongdol Beach

The other famous attraction in Ulsan is actually Ganjeolgot Cape, and currently a very popular travel destination among locals as it is one of the 2 places in Korea where Pokemon Go is available (the other being Sokcho). Ganjeolgot is originally famous for being the first spot where the sun rises in the East coast, and people visit to see the breathtaking view of the sunrise. Unfortunately, we had to give it a pass due to the typhoon-like rain. Really sad about it cause I haven’t been able to play my Pokemon Go ever since I came back to Korea TT

The last place we visited Ulsan is the Jangsaengpo Whale Museum. It is the only whale museum in Korea as Ulsan had a whaling industry, until it was banned in 1986.

Jangsaengpo Whale Museum

Killer whale skeleton on display in the museum

The killer whale skeleton is the largest artifact on display in the museum. I asked the staff who told me it was actually a gift from Japan’s whale research center. 

The museum is an interactive and educational space to learn about whales, and I think the members enjoyed the 3D theatre the most, watching a documentary on whales around the world. 

Wow Korea members enjoying the 3D theatre in the Jangsaengpo Whale Museum

Whale watching facility at the Jangsaengpo Museum

You can check our the reservation details on the Whale Culture Zone Website, but I’m not sure the rate of seeing the whales are high, since they market it as a Dolphin-watching tour instead. 

Ulsan Station in the shape of a whale