Don't try to cover the whole sky with the palm of your hand.
-Korean Proverb
Suncheon Bay Wetland Reserve
From the standpoint of a zoology major, Suncheon is a natural habitat dream. Boasting the 5th largest tideland in the world and hosting a vast variety of birds and other tidal wildlife, it is no wonder that Suncheon is considered the ecological capital of Korea. Located in the southeast corner of the Jeollanamdo province, it is definitely worth seeing if you are a nature person.
During my day trip I saw only the area around Suncheon Bay, including the National Garden and the Wetland Reserve. If you wanted to see all the tourist attractions, I would suggest staying about 3 days. There are several famous temples and two filming locations in Suncheon as well, but it is impossible to see everything in one or even two days. Even the two places I went to I was unable to see or experience everything in a single day. The garden and wetland reserve both deserve their own day in my opinion. Then maybe a day for temples and a day for film locations and you would have seen the most popular places.
From Gwangju it takes about an hour and 15 minutes to reach Suncheon's bus terminal. The ticket for the bus cost only 7,000 won, so the price wasn't too bad. In order to reach the garden and the wetland reserve you can take bus 66, but this bus doesn't come to the terminal. However, the nearest bus stop isn't that far away. The tourist information booth inside the terminal has maps in English as well as someone who can help point you in the right direction. If this still isn't enough, the Kakao Maps app for phones shows the bus stops near you and usually will show what buses go there. We used the app and just followed the map to the nearest bus stop. The bus ride to the National Garden is about 15-20 minutes, and if you accidentally miss the first stop, there is a second one, for the east and west ends of the garden. The West end has less to see than the east, so we started there first. However, if you plan on taking the Sky Cube to the Wetland Reserve after you finish at the Garden, I recommend the east end first. If you do that it will save you a lot of walking. In total I walked 9 miles during the time I was there and thought I'd collapse by the time I made it home. So I think some shortcuts are a wise option.
Admission into the Garden is 8,000 won but includes entrance into both the garden and the wetland reserve. To get from one area to the other you could either take the 66 bus or the sky cube. The sky cube is 6,000 won one way or 8,000 for round trip. It is sort of like a rail-car and they seat 6 people. I took the sky cube one way to the Wetland Reserve, and I think it was a good mode of transportation if you want to see the surrounding gardens and wetland from a different viewpoint.
The Suncheon Bay National Garden ( 순천만국가정원) is huge. Easily an entire day could be spent there. The east and west ends of the garden are separated by the East Stream, so there is a bridge that you can cross to get there. The dream bridge between ends also doubles as an art exhibit, featuring tile paintings of the dreams and hopes of over 145,000 children from 16 countries around the world.
Korean Traditional Garden
Garden of Wishing
Bird of bushes on the mountain
French Garden
The really picturesque landscaping and terraced hills - Suncheon Lake Garden
Garden of Wriggling
Thai Garden
British Garden
Dutch Garden
African Garden
Obviously not all gardens are pictured, since there are so many. There is also a Spanish, Turkish, Italian, Japanese, American, Chinese, and German garden as well as a rose garden, bonsai garden, rock garden, and tree gardens - pine, meta-sequoia, cypress, maple, and evergreen. Every garden has its own unique atmosphere reflecting the country or aspects of the place that it symbolizes. There was so much to see at the garden that I really cannot describe everything, and why spoil the beauty right? It is really something that you should go see yourself. Go with friends, go with family, or you could even go there on a date.
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The Suncheon Bay Wetland (순천만습지) was incredibly beautiful. Everything was so green.Watching the reeds gently swaying in the breeze gave it a peaceful atmosphere, and the little crabs and goby fish scurrying about in the mud could peak anyone's curiosity.
In the winter this area is filled with hundreds of migratory birds, everything from ducks, cranes, spoonbills, curlews, and herons.
The tidelands characteristic mud dwellers - Crab and Goby...hehehe they are so cute.
도둑게 - Red Clawed Crab - Meaning 'thief crab' in Korean, it raids houses by the sea for food. 짱뚱어 - Goggle-eyed Goby - Known as the 'sleeping fish' because it hibernates in the winter. It also 'looks ridiculous and somewhat creepy, but only lives in the clean tideland."
갈대 - "Reeds are grass-like plants that grow in shallow water or on marshy ground. The flowers bloom in July and August. Reeds are very effective for the purification of water." 갯벌 - "The territory between the high and low tide lines of the sea coasts. Suncheon Bay is a tideland endowed with very fine soil."
Goggle-eyed Goby
Below are close ups of the English map of the National Garden and Wetland Reserve:
Map of the National Garden
West End
East End
Sky Cube to Wetland Reserve
15 minute walk from Sky Cube to the reserve
I've been wanting to go on the Hwangpo Sailboat rides along the Yeongsan River for several months now, but I had been holding back and waiting for someone to go with me. Finally I had my chance because I had a friend visit me during my vacation period, so I dragged her there. It was a scorcher of a day with a heat index of over 100 degrees Fahrenheit; thankfully on the water it was much cooler with a breeze.
You can take the 160 bus from Naju bus terminal and get off at the first stop once the bus crosses the river to get to the boat rides. It is fairly obvious to see from the bridge that crosses the river. We were charged 8,000 won per person for the ride, even though the sign said it was only 4,000....I am not sure if we were ripped off or if it had something to do with the time of day, season, or etc that we were charged more. Before paying you are required to fill out an info sheet with your names, contact info, gender, and show an ID to get your ticket. Life vests must be worn while riding the boats as well.
We rode the boat with a group of 5 older men who were clearly enjoying themselves. They offered us everything from beer, makgeolli and soju to drink, which we politely turned down. So instead they gave us ice cream and wouldn't take no for an answer. The guys tried really hard to strike up a conversation with us, where we were from and why we were in Korea. They told us we looked beautiful, pretty, and like barbies.... they wanted to make it clear that they thought we were pretty ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ. Flattering or too much?? They even wanted to take photos with us...and even though they sent us some pictures I know it wasn't all of them. It was a bit amusing though, as they had my friend pose with one of them and do a 'Titanic' pose at the bow of the boat. He was respectful, posing with her while making sure not to make body contact with her. Since they were drinking they got to be a little too much toward the end of our trip, but thankfully enough one of the guys told his friends to knock it off and just leave us be, which I appreciated. The guy driving the boat was looking out for us too, making sure the men didn't overstep any boundaries and even told us both once to move seats so that we could sit in the shade and not get sun burnt. He seemed like a nice man.
The river was a bright green due to lots of algae accumulation in the water. I overheard the men on board the boat talking about how the river resembled a green tea latte. ㅋㅋㅋ I think it was an appropriate comparison. It made me curious why so much algae was growing in the river. I wonder if it is because fertilizer from all the nearby agricultural land is getting into the water systems and causing algal blooms in this summer heat. Nevertheless the river was beautiful.
We saw this rock formation on the cliff side while on the trip that is famous as well, as it is supposed to resemble a man and woman kissing. From a distance you really could see the image in the cliff face. It was cool to see, but I was unable to get a decent picture of it. The river and surrounding area itself was really gorgeous, with the green water, mountains, and cranes flying past. Taking a traditional style sailboat along a river that historically was a main route for inland trading was a unique cultural experience that I am glad I finally was able to try.
Up to this point in my travels, Yeosu is the city to most effectively win my heart. This may be my bias due to my attachment to water and the coast, or it may be due to the amazing scenery and beauty of the city. I only stayed for two nights, but I would certainly return if the opportunity presented itself.
During our stay my friend and I stayed at the Island Motel, a nice motel that had fair rates and was in a nice location not far from the shopping street and downtown. We arrived late, so our first night we just walked around the area near our motel and hunted for some food. Most places in the area were closed since it was after 9 pm, but we managed to find one place that was open. The menu was simple, and we didn't recognize the foods offered so we asked what was the best soup, trusted the worker, and order two.
It worked out. It was some pretty tasty seafood soup ... which I forget the name of.
We spent the entirety of Saturday exploring and being tourists. We walked along the shoreline where we were staying and walked into the downtown area, there we managed to find a bus stop that would take us to the bus terminal (bus 89). Then from the terminal we could take 333 or 555 to the areas with a high concentration of places to see. We took bus 333 from the bus terminal to the 2012 World Expo Site. One word of caution, Yeosu has two bus terminals. This caused us a fair amount of confusion and difficulty, as the bus stop marked on the bus routes was not the one we needed to go to, and the taxi drivers even took us to the wrong one by mistake the following day as well.
The world expo site had some impressive buildings. The huge circular water fountain seemed like the landmark of the place to me, it was a shame we couldn't see it in action. We had lunch at one of the "World Expo" restaurants along the street and tried lots of seafood and soy sauce marinated crab. Apparently Yeosu is known for their soy sauce marinated crab, it was good, but the raw texture didn't settle with me well. Aqua Planet was located in the same location, so we stopped to check it out next. The general adult ticket for the aquarium cost about 26,000 won. The aquarium had several different themed rooms, marine and ocean life, and aqua forest. Marine life had the beluga whales and sea lions. The belugas seemed very playful, and were playing together with a tire inside the tank and flipping around. Aqua Forest is where the different fish species, turtles, and jellyfish were. The jellyfish room is in my opinion one of the best photo ops of the aquarium, with bright colorful neon lights illuminating the jellyfish. We had to wait around for quite some time to get the opportunity to take pictures. Ocean life is my favorite section however, because it gave you the feel for what it would really be like to be a part of the ocean. This area included a large observation wall and tunnel to see all the different sharks, rays, and fish located within the large tank. It is the first aquarium that I have been to that had a tunnel, so I was excited to check it out and it didn't disappoint. There is something fascinating with the feeling of becoming one with the ocean. It is something that all ages can enjoy to the fullest. It is also a great place to take an abundance of photos.
Yeosu Expo Style Breakfast - With Soy Sauce Marinated Crab
Yeosu's Aqua Planet
The picturesque jellies
Life at deep sea
Scenes from "Legend of the Blue Sea" I am told were filmed here.
The tunnel!
If you are looking for a romantic place, go to Odongdo Island. It is also located in the same location and you can get there either by taking the small train (which is super cheap but also packed with people - there was a line) or you can walk the path there. We walked both to and from the island, not patient enough to wait our turn for the train in the heat. It was cooler to just walk there and it wasn't too far. The island isn't too large, we walked around the entire thing, seeing the cave of the dragon, the lighthouse, some scenic cliff views, shops, and the musical fountain. When I got unbearably hot, I followed the kids to the fountain and soaked my hair and shirt with the cool water. It was so refreshing. There were no other adults in the water, just us and the kids, but it was so worth it to cool off. I thought I was going to sweat myself into a puddle.
The walk to the island
Cave of the Dragon
Cave of the Dragon Legend
The gorgeous walkway around the island with pretty trees
Odongdo Island from a distance
After our visit to the island we went to the cliff side where there was a large elevator. Take it to the 11th floor and that is where you can find the ticket booth and cable car rides that will take you to Dolsan Island across the water opposite from Odongdo. The round trip tickets were cheap at 13,000 won, but if I went again I would pay a little more and go for one with the glass floor to see the ocean through it. Even without the glass floor the view is spectacular though. It was at this point in our day that it looked like it would surely rain. The mountains in the distance began to disappear behind thick, dark clouds. Somehow our luck held out and it did not.
View from Dolsan
Dolsan Bridge
Yeosu Love
To end the night we walked along the shoreline beneath the cable cars and saw many seafood restaurants and the 'busking' festival that was taking place. Now I hadn't the slightest idea what busking was so I had to look it up, but basically it is where street performers perform for volunteer donations from their audience. We saw some great talent along the street throughout the night, many talented singers, guitar players, and magicians. The magician was my favorite; he knew how to keep an audience's attention very well. He worked great with the young kids and even had something more intense for the older crowd. He played with fire, spinning it around and putting on a show, while shirtless. It was attractive. He is the perfect street performer in my opinion, attractive, talented, had a phenomenal playlist for his act, and could be playful and cute with his younger audience. He also took photos with anyone who asked once he finished performing. I am sure he made lots of money as the night went on.
Our dinner consisted of a large platter of cabbage, onion, kimchi, vegetables, whole raw shrimp, scallops, and two raw octopus, which we then grilled over an open flame. The kimchi juices mixed into everything and gave it this rich, fresh, and healthy taste. It was so delicious. Just thinking about it now makes me yearn to eat it again. The staff assisted us in the cooking, checking in on us frequently to make sure that it was cooking evenly and that the pieces of seafood were cut into small enough pieces. Oh was it ever yummy.
Sunday we didn't do much, had some Krispy Kreme doughnuts ... which are heavenly, and then ate lunch at a tonkatsu buffet place that was great and a good price. For some reason almost all the restaurants were closed. Someone tried to explain why, but we didn't understand enough Korean to understand them. I think it had something to do with it being the first Sunday of the month. Either way, the buffet was open and we could eat our hearts out for 9,000 won/person plus an extra 1,000 for drinks. We took a taxi to the bus station so that we could buy tickets home following our lunch, the driver mistook our request and brought us to the terminal we were unfamiliar with. However, either terminal will get you where you need to go, so there is no need to worry like we did.
도둑게 - Red Clawed Crab - Meaning 'thief crab' in Korean, it raids houses by the sea for food. 짱뚱어 - Goggle-eyed Goby - Known as the 'sleeping fish' because it hibernates in the winter. It also 'looks ridiculous and somewhat creepy, but only lives in the clean tideland."
갈대 - "Reeds are grass-like plants that grow in shallow water or on marshy ground. The flowers bloom in July and August. Reeds are very effective for the purification of water." 갯벌 - "The territory between the high and low tide lines of the sea coasts. Suncheon Bay is a tideland endowed with very fine soil."
