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Unforgettable 2-day Autumn Caving and Canyon Cruise trip

By Paula Rivera

Many know Pyeongchang for its ski resorts and for being the host of the 2018 Winter Olympics, but did you know that if you explore the rural area you will find a beautiful ginkgo tree path, a view of the Baegun Mountain and the Donggang River. You would also be able to cruise through the river, enjoy a bonfire, stargaze in the night, go caving and get to know people from different nationalities.

Gingko Tree grove

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We started the day early by taking a shuttle bus from Seoul to Pyeongchang and visiting the ginkgo tree grove. We saw the yellow leaves falling, and took some amazing Instagram worthy pictures. As you keep walking you will find hammocks and chairs for you to relax and have a picnic.

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If you forgot to bring snacks, don’t worry, when you continue the path and pass the hammocks you will find a small cafe. There you can buy coffee, tea and something light to eat. We still recommend that you bring a bottle of water, and a few snacks, just in case.

Hiking in Baegun Mountain Ciljokryeong trail

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After having our picnic we went for a hike in Baegun Mountain. There we were led by a guide through the Ciljokryeong trail. Make sure to bring comfortable walking shoes, you will be passing through steep and rocky areas.

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Finally, we made it to the watch point! We got to see a view that, if it wasn’t for us being there, we would have thought it wasn’t real. The pictures may look good, but if you visit that area in person, trust us, you will say, Wow!

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Be careful while climbing down because the path starts to get rocky and it becomes a little difficult, but not impossible to go down. When we reached the end point of our hike we walked straight to our next activity, the canyon cruise. 

Canyon Cruising (Donggang River)

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We began our journey by putting on the safety equipment. From there we got on board the motorized raft and started to sail. The water was really clear that you could see different fishes and also the bottom since, in some areas, the river is not deep.

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Seeing this view made us feel a sense of calmness and appreciation of our surroundings. 

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This was an experience that we will never forget. The view was breathtaking! And the autumn foliage looked really beautiful. 

Bonfire

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What better way to finish the first day and celebrate Halloween than with a bonfire and some Squid Game activities.

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Our first activity was the Dalgona game. Our guides provided us with the dalgona cookie and many managed to do it but for others it broke, mine was one of them 🥲. After this they showed us how to make the dalgona ourselves. It was much harder than we thought.

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We also played the marble game, where I lost again🥲, but it was still a lot of fun. It was an amazing night full of memories and meeting other travel lovers, like ourselves. 

Stargazing

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Of course we can’t forget about stargazing! We walked to a grass field where we laid on the ground and saw the stars. We couldn’t believe how many we saw. There were also a few shooting stars, that if you blinked you would have missed them. 

Yoga

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The morning of our second day started with yoga at nine in the morning. We went to the same grass field where we stargazed and did one relaxing session.

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We got to do different yoga poses, the hardest one being the headstand. They made it look really easy, but it was really hard trying to balance. Overall, the session was peaceful and rejuvenating. 

Caving in White Dragon Cave

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After our yoga session we went to the White Dragon Cave. It’s interesting because this is the only cave you can fully explore in Korea. Before starting the company provided us with all the equipment and taught us how to crawl through the narrow paths.

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Even though we had to crawl occasionally in some paths, it was surprisingly not scary at all. While doing the tour we learned about the history of the cave

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When we arrived at the end point we sat down and our guide told us to turn off our headlamps. At that moment we experienced complete darkness. It was a new experience for us, because we couldn’t even see the person sitting next to us. 

Jeongseon Traditional Market

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We made it to our final stop of the trip, Jeongseon Traditional Market! It was a wonderful experience because everyone was so lively. The locals were really friendly, the food was amazing and there were so many small shops.

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We were surprised by the rural side of PyeongChang and the best part was that the area was not crowded. Thanks to this we managed to take amazing pictures and create good memories. This two day Halloween weekend trip was one that we will never forget.

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