Did you know bamboo is not a tree, but grass? 😲 And depending on the species, it could grow up to 98ft tall. If you want to see these 90+ft tall grass in person here in Korea, there is 죽노원, Bamboo Forest in Jeollanam-do Damyang, which is a perfect tranquil retreat 3.5 hours south from Seoul. Maybe it's the color green, maybe it's the sounds of nature, or the breeze blowing through the bamboo leaves and birds chirping, or maybe it's all of above that made walking through the bamboo forest so refreshing. It was definitely a contrast between the hustle and bustle life in Seoul. But enjoying the quiet and peace didn't last long with our three little ones running around. We also had an incident where my husband and I got separated and my husband misplaced his phone after our daughter fell while running down a hill, so I couldn't reach him for awhile. I was a little annoyed since it was like a maze in that forest, so it would've taken forever to find each other without the phone. But luckily we did find each other shortly and nice people returned the phone by leaving it at the ticket booth. Thank you! 🙆 In the midst of our own chaos and stress, it felt good to experience the kindness of a stranger.

There is a small playground, plenty of places to sit and rest, hanok village and cafes throughout the forest. But I would still bring plenty of snacks for the kids since the walk through the forest could be long and tiring especially for toddlers.