안면도 Anmyeon-do

Getting there from Seoul :

Source : http://world.kbs.co.kr/english/culturenlife/culturenlife_discover_detail.htm?no=3635

Anmyeondo

2008-12-13

Today I highlight a perfect place for people in Seoul to get away for a brief trip. It’s close, it has both forests and a beach, and it’s particularly famous for its beautiful pension housing. It is Anmyeondo, or Anmyeon island, in Taean county in South Chungcheong province. The island is known for its Natural Recreation Forest, the onl　y recreation forest in Taean district. It’s a very unique tourism spot which features a beach and lush wooded area ideal for walking. In the forest, original pine trees tower toward the sky. These pine trees were used as timber during the Joseon Dynasty.

From the entrance of this arboretum, there is a beautiful pine forest. There are also yellow earth grass roofed houses, a forest lodge, and other lodging facilities. I traveled here onc　e with two friends during the height of summer, so we enjoyed the beach and then cooled ourselves in the cool shadow of the forest. The beach is always fun, but I think I liked the woods even more. It was so tranquil and fresh and we were truly bonding with nature. I should be clear that this is not just a park but a huge recreational forest area where people can stay for days to relax, recuperate and recharge themselves before going back to the real world. I would say it’s the perfect place to connect with nature and reconnect with yourself. And Anmyeondo is great all year round. My parents and several of their friends made plans to go to Anmyeondo this past Monday for a one　 day sleepover, but it snowed quite a bit on Sunday, so they couldn’t go and delayed it to next week.

There are many different types of lodges inside the forest park and also private commercial pension homes offered outside the park. Accommodations inside include forest cabins which are log houses, traditional Korean-style houses, grass-roofed houses and the more generic forest recreation center, so you can choose whichever suits your purpose and budget. The center is the most affordable, while the more unique types of housing cost more.

There are famous Anmyeondo festivals for each season year-round. In spring, there’s a massive flower festival. The island brims with colors of red, yellow, pink, you name it. In the summer, there’s the tideland or mud flat festival where we all get dirty and play in the mud. But it’s not just for play. In the mud, we search for shellfish and clams we can cook and eat later! In the fall, there is a shrimp festival for all the shrimp lovers out there.

Anmyeondo is also a great spot to enjoy the sunset and its beaches, woods, and traditional villages have ball been popular sets for TV dramas.

As for directions now, you first take a bus from Seoul to the Taean Intercity Bus Terminal and from there take an Intercity Bus bound for Anmyeondo Island and get off at Anmyeon-eup(town). From there, you can take another bus to reach the Nature Recreation Forest, but if this is getting a little too complicated for you, simply hail a taxi and it will take onl　y 5 minutes from Anmyeon-eup to the nature forest. Typically, taxi rates are far lower in the provinces than in Seoul, so it’s worth taking cabs if you’re lost or having a hard time using public transport, or just to save time.

Anmyeondo is a perfect getaway for Seoulites, complete with a great mix of beaches, forests and beautiful accommodations.

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