JEONJU, SOUTH KOREA
There is a lot that could be said about the beautiful city of Jeonju. Located in the western side of South Korea, Jeonju is the perfect mix of urban and rural, of the old and the young.
Jeonju offers an experience to traditional Korea in the most scenic, peaceful way.
To make the experience more authentic, book a room at one of the hanok houses (Korean traditional homes) turned into guesthouses for travellers.
Sleeping on the floor, with a tiny pillow and kept warm by silky and brightly colored traditional sleeping mats, would definitely make you feel like you have been transported to a his- torical Korean drama.
Temperature in hanok houses are controlled by an ondol, a sub-floor heating device commonin traditional Korean houses and which makes the floor warm in winter and cold in summer.
In the morning, as soon as you step outside your guesthouse, you will be surrounded with views of clear skies and mountains. One of the main attractions of Jeonju is the Hanok Village where rows and rows of hanoks are preserved and tourists, both locals and foreigners, can rent hanboks (traditional Korean attire) that they can wear while touring the village and the palaces.
Many of the hanoks leading to the palaces are transformed into coffee shops, restaurants, and souvenir shops that tourists will not lose the traditional experience even when they are eating churros or ice cream.
Near the vicinity of the Hanok Village is the Omokdae, a small hill people can climb to see the view of the hanoks from the top. The view is beautiful and worth the climb and there are traditional structures waiting for you at the top where you can rest and pass time.
Jeonju is also known as the land of best bibimbap, a popular Korean dish of rice topped with vegetables, and makgeolli, a Korean traditional rice wine.
Make sure to taste both while visiting Jeonju as they are the pride of the city. To get there: Travel to Jeonju from Seoul using the KTX train or through buses en route Jeonju. Travel time usually takes almost two hours and even the view from the train or the bus will definitely be memorable too.