Each cherry blossom season in Korea does not last too long, so to be able to go at the right time, take beautiful photos, and visit many places, you should not miss this article. Travellive would like to send you the answers to 5 frequently asked questions for cherry blossom hunting trips with two experienced characters Trong Nghia and Ngoc Hoa!
1. When is the best time to see cherry blossoms in Korea?
Trong Nghia (32 years old, Quang Ngai) - who has lived in Korea for 4 years - said that the temperature in the South of spring comes earlier than in the North. Therefore, this year, cherry blossoms on Jeju Island are expected to bloom first (around March 20), then Busan, Daegu, Gyeongju, Gwangju (around March 25) and the northern areas of Incheon and Seoul will fall around early April.
During his 4 years living in Korea, Trong Nghia spends time every year going to see cherry blossoms. Photo taken on Jeju Island.
"A secret that cannot be ignored to track the blooming situation of flowers is that we just need to type the place we want to go to on Instagram or Naver to see the latest reviews from local people," Trong Nghia shared. With this method, you can grasp the specifics of the destination, thereby making the right decision to avoid being "missed out".
2. Where to hunt for beautiful cherry blossoms?
"Cherry blossoms in Korea have their own beauty: gentle colors, dense blooms, large tree trunks, wide canopies, and close planting density, so they feel like they cover the whole sky," Ngoc Hoa (22 years old, Hanoi) shared with Travellive reporter.
Ngoc Hoa takes photos with cherry blossoms at Yeouido Park. Photo: Ngoc Hoa.
She shared that she felt lucky to start her exchange program right when cherry blossoms were blooming in Korea, so she had the opportunity to go see and take photos to preserve memories. Cherry blossoms bloom everywhere on the streets of Korea in spring. Therefore, she thought it was not necessary to go to places like Yeouido Park and Seokchon Lake because there were so many people coming to take photos.
You can completely stop by the roadside, admire and take pictures with the beautiful cherry blossom trees that are not inferior to the famous places in Seoul. You will probably love the beauty of the brilliant color combination of green and yellow interwoven with the characteristic pink of cherry blossoms.
Nghia said, "Currently, not many people know about beautiful and deserted places, far away in the southern sea like Namhae." Namhaedo Island (Namhae) in Gyeongsangnam-do is the fifth largest island in Korea. This island has many beautiful landscapes, and the cherry blossoms here are no exception.
A beautiful picture of Namhae Island in spring.
He added that whenever he wants to find a place to heal his soul, Namhae will be the first choice. There are not many tourists here, almost only local people. Therefore, instead of going to crowded places like Seoul or Busan, if possible, Namhae will be an ideal place for you to have a truly relaxing and comfortable time and is especially suitable for those who love privacy.
3. How to prepare for a cherry blossom hunting trip?
Enjoying cherry blossoms when there are few people will help you feel the beauty of this flower more deeply and you do not need to edit too much to have a beautiful photo. You should wake up early, be at the place you want to see the flowers around 8 am.
Regarding clothing, you should also choose suitable clothing to have satisfactory photos. "Koreans love to wear plain clothes, even though it is quite simple. But this style of clothing is suitable for cherry blossom scenery", Ngoc Hoa added: "If you choose the subway to travel, you can also visit and shop for clothes at stores around the train station with affordable prices and good quality".
Lotte World is considered one of the most beautiful cherry blossom spots in Seoul, Korea.
Trong Nghia said that the weather in Korea is now warmer, but still cold. The average temperature in Korea in March is 6.1 degrees Celsius (43 degrees Fahrenheit). The temperature in April ranges from 5.1 to 17.5 degrees Celsius. If you intend to hunt for cherry blossoms in Korea, please prepare all the necessary clothes for this trip!
4. How to get to cherry blossom hunting spots?
Round-trip airfare from Vietnam to Korea in March is around 7.5 million VND. Transportation in Korea is quite diverse, you can choose bus, subway, ground train, plane. If you choose public transportation, the cost will be quite cheaper than taxi, self-driving car or plane.
There are 3 types of buses that travel through the city: Ilban bus, Jwaseok bus and Maeul bus. When you want to travel outside the city, you can choose intercity buses or express buses. When traveling between major cities such as Seoul, Daegu, Busan, Gwangju and Daejon, you can choose the subway with cheap fares, fast travel time and extremely convenient.
Depending on different routes, times and costs, you can research for yourself the most optimal travel route. For Ngoc Hoa, she chose the subway to travel from Shunshin University to Yeouido Park in about 20-30 minutes. As for traveling from Seoul to Namhae, Trong Nghia chose the intercity bus in 3 hours.
5. What to eat, what to do, where to stay when hunting for cherry blossoms?
"Most restaurants in Korea have relatively consistent quality. No restaurant is too good or too bad, so you can freely choose any street food restaurant without much hesitation," Ngoc Hoa said.
She also added that Koreans often eat fried chicken and drink beer. This is like a cultural feature in eating that people here choose for picnics or cherry blossom hunting trips. You can spread a tarp around the area near the Han River, sit and watch the flowers, chat and sip fried chicken with a cold beer in early spring with relatives and friends like a "real" local.
Trong Nghia shared: "In Busan, in addition to admiring cherry blossoms, we can also stroll along Haeundae or Gwanganli beaches, eat seafood or cold noodles, which are famous dishes in Busan. When coming to the ancient capital of Gyeongju, in addition to hunting for beautiful cherry blossoms, you can also visit ancient palaces and tombs. In particular, when coming to Namhae, you can stop by a restaurant by the beach, order a pizza at Her-band and a bottle of beer to sip. In addition, you can also go to Dolchangko cafe to relax and enjoy the scenery."
The price of hotel rooms in Korea during the cherry blossom hunting season may be higher than usual, so you can choose types such as motels and homestays to save costs. Nghia shared that when coming to Namhae, he chose motels near the destinations, to save both time and costs for the trip.
Some places to visit you should not miss if you come to Namhae:
- Gacheon Daraengi Village - “Artificial Waves on Land”: This village is famous for its terraced fields that visitors cannot find anywhere else in Korea.
- Geumsan Boriam Hermitage - Temple among the clouds: Located just below the peak of Geumsan Mountain is Geumsan Boriam Monastery. Legend has it that visitors to the temple will be granted a wish.
- Sangju Silver Sand Beach and Dumo VillageWith its clear, clean waters, Namhae Beach is a great place for water sports.
- Mulgeon Windbreak Forest - Where the Forest and the Sea Meet:This row of trees was planted about 300 years ago to protect the village from strong sea winds as well as to attract fish with the colorful green of its leaves.
- German Village in Korea - A trip to miniature Germany: The German Village was built for Koreans who returned after living in Germany for many years. The village is home to many beautiful buildings with white exteriors and orange roofs.
- Join a local fishing experience: Jukbangryeom is a unique fishing activity that can only be seen in Namhae. The name refers to the bamboo poles used to set fish traps in a fan shape.
