Hide away this summer in idyllic accommodations at national forests
Korea is a country of mountains, and that’s what makes a retreat in its verdant forests in summer exceptionally appealing.
Ahead of the peak holiday season, officials of the National Recreational Forest, a group of 46 forest retreats across the country maintained by the Korea Forest Service, are busy preparing to receive guests coming for peace, quiet and a cabin with a view.
“Summer vacation season for us kicks off in early June,” one official said, adding rooms at guest favorites among the 46 retreats fill up more quickly. The most favored rooms are sought after because of their proximity to the Seoul area, among other considerations.
Last summer, the National Muui Island Recreation Forest in Incheon was the hardest to book, and some of those who were successful said the retreat had exceeded their expectations.
“Stunning sunset views,” Lim Hyo-jung said of her trip last year to the retreat, an hour drive from where she lives in central Seoul.
Her cabin overlooked Hanagae Beach on the western side of the island of Muuido in the West Sea, a vantage point for “explosive pink sunsets and sea views.”
For Lim, 22, who is a committed cyclist more used to uphill climbs and relaxed descents than shaded strolls, trails around the nearby mountain of Horyonggoksan unexpectedly led her to revisit.
“I thought I hated walking trails. I didn’t. I just hadn’t liked being crowded when strolling around, because that made me more aware of what’s around me rather than what’s on my mind,” Lim said.
Buoyant seaside retreat
The National Byeonsan Recreation Forest retreat in Buan-gun, North Jeolla Province, was the first among the 46 retreats in the country set up along the coastline of the West Sea, a difference that makes for an epic coastal trail.
“My personal favorite is the observatory deck looking over the sea,” said Pyo Hyung-min, who traveled west from Daegu, his hometown about a three-hour drive away.
“You can see the sun sparkling on the water and hear the sound of the water splashing,” Pyo explained. Pyo, 45, the father of two preteen children, traveled there last August on a summer trip that included stops across the Jeolla provinces.
Hong Ji-min, 32, said she most liked the living room that afforded an obstructed sea view. All cabins at the Byeonsan retreat boast such windows.
“We didn’t feel like going out to actually see the shore, so we left a part of the window open to let the breeze in,” Hong said of her trip last summer with her husband and his family.
Mountains streams
For Kim Han-soo and his two preteen children, giggles and splashing in mountain streams matter more than sea views.
That’s why the Kims, who live in Gyeonggi Province, are planning to make a repeat visit soon to the National Daeyasan Recreation Forest retreat in Mungyeong, North Gyeongsang Province.
“For us, children come first, and they like splashing. They aren’t old enough to be left alone swimming, which my wife and I wouldn’t approve of anyway,” Kim said of streams inside the forested retreat with water levels just deep enough for children to splash about under parental guidance.
“They are everywhere, tall trees by the streams at the retreat. They are a sunshade bringing the summer temperatures down,” Kim added.
The Daeyasan retreat is known for its pine and oak trees.
Breathing in phytoncides, the aromatic tree oils considered therapeutic, while walking the trails lined with oak trees with outstretched leaves and stately trunks is the hallmark of a stay at the retreat for many guests, according to a National Daeyasan Recreation Forest official, drawing on regular surveys of visitors.
Lisa Kim said she was satisfied overall with her recent stay, noting she had found “nature peace and calm.”
But the Korean American added, “Cotton mats on hard floors made sleep really uncomfortable. It’s such a shame that this place had no better daybeds, which to some could be a turnoff.”
siyoungchoi@heraldcorp.com
