A 7-day family adventure

<**2>

If you want to drag your family to the beach, but want something extra with your trip or a longer stay, head out to Gangwon Province.

There are a bunch of things to do in Chuncheon, and there are several areas with pensions near the city, particularly to the southwest along Cheongpyeong Lake. The usual conveniences of a small city -- supermarkets, bakeries and pharmacies -- are here, and there are options for cycling and other leisure activities by the river.



Day 1: Travel to Chuncheon, stopping off on the way at Petite France -- a cluster of French style buildings themed on Antoine de Saint-Exupery`s children`s book "The Little Prince." Tucked appropriately in the folds of the hills surrounding Cheongpyeong Lake, it`s a pretty impressive stab at creating a piece of Europe in Korea.

It isn`t awfully big for the entrance fee (8,000 won adults, 6,000 won kids and 5,000 won toddlers), and its a very disneyfied version of France -- minus the kickable cartoon characters -- but the castle-like buildings stacked on top of each other and surrounded by hillside flowers makes it an attractive diversion and a great place for family photos.

There is a theater showing puppet shows, jazz performances and short "orgel" (musical box) concerts - with the chance for kids to buy their own orgel to entertain you with in the car. There are a couple of museums, to Expury, percussion, and roosters -- France`s national animal rendered in everything from clay to canvas.



Day 2: Take a day out at Namiseom (8,000 won adults, 6,000 won kids) -- an Island further up the Bukhan River which was declared a republic in 2006 by its publicists. Famous as the setting for memorable scenes in Korean drama "Winter Sonata," it`s now a glory hole of different attractions.

There`s a surprisingly unbusy kids` pool here, as well as speedboat based water rides for bigger ones. You can tour the island on a variety of transport options -- overhead cycle monorail, train, electric car, bikes and pedal cars -- and venture offshore on pedaloes. Themed gardens, live shows and cafes add to the lively atmosphere, although it`s not hard to find a quiet area here, either.



Day 3: Travel across Chuncheon to Seoyang dam. It`s the biggest dam of its kind in Korea, but the best thing here is Cheongpyeongsa -- not to be confused with Cheongpyeong Lake.

Follow the stalls and descend to the jetty, and after a 10 minute boat ride you get to the Cheongpyeonsa area.

The area is named after a temple, although the complex itself is a 2km walk along the valley stream. It isn`t too steep or arduous, and there are a few diversion on the way, including the Guseong Waterfall.

The area itself is a beautiful wooded valley ideal for picnicking and relaxing. It`s also a fantastic place to see butterflies. Food here is Korean only and decidedly fishy -- deep fried trout is a specialty -- so bring your own if need be.

<**3>

Day 4: Travel further along to the East coast. Most of the way there, stop off at Daegwallyeong Sheep Farm. The farm is gaining popularity as one of the few places you can see sheep -- the farm`s least scary animal. Be sure to bring your camera, the undulating hills and grassy fields have made the area popular with photographers.

Nearby is the rest of the Daegwallyeong Ranch. It`s a massive expanse of pasture, with livestock grazing alongside the ranch`s landmark wind turbines. You`ll need to drive between the places you want to see, as it`s too far to walk.



Day 5: Odaesan National Park is not far to the west. The summit is hard work, and strictly for the energetic, but its gentle main valley is walkable for most children, although it stretches a long way. The best scenery is in the autumn, but late spring and summer are also good, with the white rocks around the stream contrasting with the green vegetation.



Day 6: Spend the day by the sea. Gangneung has three beaches within easy reach. The most striking is Jeongdongjin beach, with its seafront train station. The most family friendly is perhaps the northernmost, Jumunjin. The sand is flat, allowing the water to warm up more, and the beach is clean and has plenty of space.

There are several places to hire bikes around town, and the area around the lake has decent bike paths.

There are also caves and fishmarkets a bit further afield which are worth taking a look at.



Day 7: Travel home. Spa plus in Icheon is a good option for a stop over on the way back. This huge water park has outdoor and indoor sections and is reasonably priced - 20,000 won for adults and 13,000 won for children - and hopefully will leave the kids tired enough to sleep the rest of the journey.



To recommend travel destinations, e-mail mattlamers@heraldm.com. To contact the author, e-mail paulkerry@hotmail.com -- Ed.



By Paul Kerry