I hope everyone is enjoying the last days of summer.
We survived the hottest summer without an AC last year and I couldn't wait for summer to be over, but this year I am actually sad that summer is coming to an end. The difference is that we bought an AC beginning of this summer which is the best decision we made and the weather is much cooler and drier than last year around this time. The temperature is already dropping from upper 90s to mid 80s with low humidity (we even slept without turning on the AC last two nights) but I am not ready to say bye to the swimming pools, watermelons, mojitos on rooftops just yet... and I am even dreaming about a day trip to the beach one last time.
And what a huge difference one year makes with the kids! I just want to take a moment to brag that all my kids ages 6, 4, and 33 months are all potty trained!! Woohoo~ 👏 I felt like I was drowning last summer with 5, 3, and 21 month old, but for the first time in a long time I feel successful as a parent. We just came back from a short beach trip with our friends that are visiting from VA and we traveled so light without the diapers, baby wipes, and pack n play and it felt amazing. Our kids are all old enough to sleep together on the floor and entertain themselves for the most part. This was the trip where I saw a light at the end of the tunnel. We are almost there.
So we chose Naksan Beach for our trip with our friends for a few reasons. First, our friends didn't have a car, so we needed to go somewhere that was easily accessible by bus from Seoul and where everything is in close proximity. So Naksan Beach seemed like a perfect destination for us. Naksan Beach bus terminal is located only 5 minute walk from the beach and with the new highway, it only takes about 2 hours to get there from Seoul. We were also able to book a motel right in front of the beach that allowed 10 people to stay together in one room and rented tubes for free. The room we stayed was a big room with a sliding doors in the middle so we were able to divide the room and had two bathrooms which was great. Even though it was an old motel, it was clean and they replaced our towels as much as needed. And the location was perfect. There was a small grocery store, tons of restaurants, and of course the beach just a few steps away. It was a little pricey for what it was, but it's peak season and we couldn't find anything better for our situation.
We were expecting a rain storm, but thankfully the weather was perfect while we were there and from afar the beach looked amazing. Everything seemed picture perfect until we actually arrived on the beach for a swim. There were so much trash floating on water. I was shocked and disappointed. It was our first time visiting this beach, but I trusted all the good reviews I read online. One of my friends actually went there a few weeks before us and even she said it was so clean. Maybe it's because we went on a week after the busiest week, and some blame it on the Chinese fisher men that throw their trash in the ocean, but whatever the reason, people should clean up after themselves! It was one of my disappointing moments in Korea. I actually experienced this in Jejudo as well and this makes me really mad!
If you could get over all the trash like our kids, it was actually a nice beach. I wouldn't recommend it for babies or toddlers since the water is deep and the waves are strong. But our older kids ages 6-8 had a great time riding the waves all day long while our younger kids enjoyed playing with the sand and riding tubes with daddy. Here are some of my favorite pictures...
These beach umbrellas are 10,000won to rent for a day.
Right before I flipped.
To show how deep the water is and some trash floating.
Having so much fun...yep, he lost that hat he is holding and his goggles in the waves.
Awww...the only girl, always chasing oppas to play with her.
There is a famous temple, Naksansa also walking distance from our motel, so we decided to check it out. There is an entrance fee of 3,000 won per adult. And we didn't know that the temple was up on a hill and it's a quite a walk up, so I recommend wearing comfortable shoes and take a water bottle when you visit. It was a lot bigger and beautiful than I expected and has an amazing view of Naksan Beach, so I think it's worth a visit if you are nearby.
Wishing rocks on the way up.
A group picture!
And our family picture.
Taking a water break.
I love bamboo trees, so when I saw them I told my husband to take a picture of me. 😅
On the last day, we relaxed in our room, had lunch, dropped our friends off at the bus station, and we stopped by to take a closer look at the red light house. It's right behind the fishing boat tour port. The path to the light house was closed, but the view here still was beautiful.
I love this area because you get a different view of the Naksansa temple we visited behind me. You can see the Buddha Statue on top of the hill. And the sound and the view of the waves crashing into the rocks was refreshing!
The recap~
Where we stayed:
낙산바닷가모텔 (Naksan Badatga Motel)
Costs 30,000 to 60,000 won a night, so if you are looking for a cheap, but clean place to stay by the beach, I highly recommend this place. The prices go up during high season (mid July to mid Aug).
Where we ate:
1. First, we stopped by 실로암메밀국수 on our way to Naksan.
Their menu is simple. Buckwheat noodles and bossam (boiled pork belly with veggie wraps). This place had one of the best bossam I had in my life. It is a must try if you are in the area.
2. We wanted to try seafood while we were there, so we went to 남영횟집 by the beach. There are lot of restaurants that does seafood, but we chose this place because it had a small playroom for the kids. I think all the restaurants are similar regarding the quality and price, so as soon as we saw this place had a kids rooms, we agreed to go here. 😆 Kids had fun and food was good too!
So over all, we had a great time despite some trash on the beach. If it wasn't for the trash, I would highly recommend this place for families for a short gateway. But sadly I am not sure if I would go back here. 😔
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