6 Ways to Enjoy Summer Vacation in Korea

Honestly, I am not a summer person but after staying here in Korea for a long time I discover that there are so many ways to enjoy summer vacation. So this is the time that I’m sharing with you these ideas on what to do and how to stay cool in summer in Korea.  

I’ve been here for 4 years and my first year here was very bad as I felt like I’m going to die. They kept on asking me that I’d grown up in a tropical country and why I can’t stand the summer in Seoul. So let’s check out the difference.

The weather in Seoul during the summer is very humid. When you say humid it means there’s a lot of water in the air, so the heat becomes hotter. If this is the case, I bet you’ll choose to stay indoors while enjoying the cold breeze of air condition instead of going outside where you’ll get sweat a lot and feel sticky.

Aside from the hot weather, rain is unpredictable and it’s called “Jangma season”. From the last week of June to July, it rains like cats and dogs. So don’t forget to bring umbrellas with you during this season.

6 Ways to Enjoy Summer Vacation in Korea

Eat refreshing summer foods

Another way to beat the heat of the summer in Seoul is to eat refreshing summer foods like cold noodles and soups and desserts like bingsu, traditional teas, and ice creams.

Chogyetang (초계탕) 

If I remember this was my second time eating this chogyetang (초계탕) or Chilled Chicken soup in English. Aside from the chicken hot soup, samgyetang (삼계탕, ginseng chicken soup)  that we need to eat during the summer I also enjoy having this chilled chicken soup because it’s really perfect for the hot weather. A very refreshing and nourishing dish that you should try.

Bingsu and teas at Suyeon Sanbang Tea house

There are so many different cafes that serve the Korean shaved ice dessert called Bingsu. But one of my favorites is the one from Suyeon Sanbang Tea house. It’s very unusual to have a bingsu with beans and squash together but it really tastes good.

Aside from that, I love their traditional teas too like the omija tea, which is very refreshing too plus the place is very relaxing.

Have fun and play on indoor activities

If you cannot beat the heat outside don’t worry there are many activities that you can do indoors. Color Pool Museum at Annyeong Insadong is one of the enjoyable and colorful museums that I’ve seen. While Trick Eye Museum at Hongdae is a good place for optical illusion photos that you can enjoy during the hot weather or rainy days.

There are also exceptional snow parks in Korea during the summer like One Mount Snow Park.

Visit indoor or outdoor water parks

During the hot weather here, some people avoid the beach and just enjoy the nearest indoor and outdoor water parks. There are many famous ones like Caribbean Bay at Yongin but I’ve never been there although it’s part of Everland.

We’ve been to One Mount Water Park at Ilsan twice already. I like this indoor waterpark since it’s child-friendly. I don’t need to worry much because they have a big pool which is designed for kids only.

They also have indoor and outdoor slides, flowing and surf wave pool where kids and adults enjoy a lot. If you don’t want to go too far Ttukseum Hangang Park is available.

Enjoy camping with family nor friends

Camping in Korea is one of the most chosen activities by Koreans. They love to go camping even if it’s the hottest or the coldest season of the year. I’ve been seeing families who’ve started buying camping cars which is very convenient for the whole family.

I experienced camping too here in Korea and I thought it was hard since I am not an outdoor person. But I saw how fun and enjoyable it was. Last year we went to Garegol Camping (가래골 농원 캠핑장) located in Pocheon in the province of Gyeonggi.

It has pension houses if you don’t want to do camping. A playground for kids to play in and a swimming pool with slides too. Visitors can also enjoy feeding the donkeys and bunnies. You don’t need to worry if you forgot something you need because they also have a mini-mart where you can buy your camping needs like foods, ice, woods for a bonfire, and others.

Enjoy a cool swim from hidden valleys

You don’t need to go too far to enjoy a cool swim because Seoul has a lot of hidden valleys to visit during summer. Uidong Valley (우이동계곡) and Dobong Valley (도봉계곡) are the nearest to our house here in Seoul. I also love the view from Suseondong Valley which I think the smallest one among the valleys in Seoul.

But if you prefer to go outside of Seoul, Gangwondo, Busan, and Jeju have a lot to offer from valleys to beaches.

Watch the sunrise or sunset on the beach, mountain, or at Han river

Aside from what I mentioned above, this is one of my favorite thing to do. Watch the sunrise and sunset during summer since this season has the longest daytime. Usually, during summer the sun rises at 5:30 while 7 am during winter am and it sets before 8 pm while 6 pm during winter.

Sunrise gives us hope and sunsets offers positivity to our life. That’s any they say that people who love this kind of activity are optimistic and happier.

Summer is summer. We can’t change it anymore so instead of hiding be active and let’s enjoy the weather. Just don’t forget to put on sunblock and also wear cotton clothes to stay cool. I know that there are so many things to do during summer to but based on my experience these are the things that I love to do. How about you how do you spend your summer in your country?

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Xoxo, Hyejin 

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