#jeolla

Autumn comes first to the eastern mountains along the coast in early October and then spreads throughout the country into November. I highly recommend going to Naejangsan National Park (내장산) for the annual Falling Leaves Festival (단풍 축제). It has stunning 360- degree foliage scenery as you walk along roads lined with maple leaf trees that form tunnels surrounding you.  I’ve never seen such amazingly bold colors in my entire life, and the view becomes extra special if you pack a picnic and warm cider to drink along the way. Despite its distance from Seoul, about  3 hours by car, it’s located in Jeolla-do Province on the southwest coast of South Korea. But the view is amazing and if you like hiking, you’re in the right place!

Koreans love hiking.  I know that may sound like a generalization, but I don’t think I can understate this. Koreans LOVE hiking, especially the Grandmas and Grandpas. If you walk around Seoul enough, you’ll see that Koreans of a certain age own and regularly wear professional hiking gear, they’re always ready for a hiking trip. This makes Naejangsan pretty busy during this time of the year and of course, true to Korean culture, when it comes to festivals, poppin’ restaurants, hot cafes and bars, expect everyone and their mother to be at the best place at the best time to get that gram worthy pic. When I went, it was like walking through Hongdae on a weekend, it was swarming with people.

If you choose to hike past all the festival activities inside the park, you’ll come across famous waterfalls Dodeok Falls and Geumseon Falls where it’s rumored the gods bathed. As well as the temples Baekyangsa and Naejangsa, both of which provide visitors free warm tea after making the hike.

Of course, we can’t forget about food. While in the area, I recommend spending some time in Jeonju (전주). If you book a travel package (info at the end of the post) it will most likely take you to Jeonju’s Hanok Village where you can get some amazing food as well. Jeonju was the starting point for the Joseon Dynasty, and therefore is beautifully kept, rich in both history and classical culture. Hanok Village is magnificent, with over 800 traditional Korean hanok houses, it’s really charming to stroll along and see what South Korea looked like before it advanced and modernized. Be prepared to see tons of couples in traditional Hanbok costumes though, as this is often the backdrop to their kdrama worthy love scenes. On to the food though, Jeonju is known for its Bibimbap. This dish is rice topped with egg, vegetables, and chili sauce, but Jeonju has fresh vegetables and the sauce is a bit different and I can’t forget the amazingly good croquettes with a bunch of fillings to choose from, including Jeonju bibimbap, curry, kimchi, and cream cheese. To this day I crave the spicy Jeonju croquette, so good. If you get the chance, sample all the food, you won’t regret it!

How to get there:

It was actually my local Korean friend’s idea to go to Naejangsan and she booked tickets with a Korean tour bus company. However, I have seen similar tours on trazy.com that take you along the same tour I did for around $43, but their services and tour guide will speak english! How it works is you book the date, and then go to one of a few listed subway station exits to meet the tour guide and be picked up on the tour bus with other travelers. When the tour is over they will drop you off at this station again, and the entire trip did take up an entire day, so plan accordingly.

I found my Seoul, have you?