We recently took an exciting trip to the beautiful area of Phoenix Park in Pyeongchang for the Lunar New Year holiday weekend. The bus picked up our group at the Express Bus Terminal and Cheongmyeong, and then we were on our way to celebrate the exciting holiday in the mountains!
Once we arrived at Phoenix Park we received our rental ski and snowboard gear and headed towards the slopes where we split into two groups of people who were beginners and people who were ready to hit the slopes right away.
It was my first time skiing so I joined the beginner group and received a 2-hour private lesson from a professional instructor on the practice slopes.
The instructor was amazing and taught us how to stop and turn our skis. He helped us build our confidence so we were able to ski down the actual slopes.
The main building in the area was a great place to take a break from skiing to enjoy different types of food and drinks. After a couple hours of skiing, our entire group met back up at the bus and grabbed our suitcases to check into our accommodation. We stayed in a luxury youth hostel that fit 7-8 people per room. I stayed with 6 other girls in a bunk bed room that had heated floors and provided us with plenty of room for our belongings and rental gear.
Shortly after check-in, our group walked to a nearby Korean barbeque restaurant for dinner and drinks. We were able to regain our energy to hit the slopes for night skiing after dinner.
Night skiing provided an exciting environment where we were able to fly down the slopes under the stars. It was the perfect way to end the first day of the weekend trip. 
The next morning we were provided a ski pass to use in the morning and early afternoon. A group of girls and I decided we were too sore from skiing so we instead used the pass to take the gondola up the mountain to a cafe for breakfast.
We had a beautiful view of snow-covered mountains and the slopes. You could see the entire resort area from the top of the mountain!
That night many of us decided to head over to the water park and relax in the heated lazy river and hot tubs.
On day 3 we headed to the Trout Festival to go fishing and enjoy other festival activities.
The weather has been unusually warm for winter in Korea so the ice was too thin for ice fishing. Instead, we were given a coupon for indoor fishing.
After we caught our lunch, we headed to the giant tent and had our trout prepared in three different ways: grilled, sashimi, and fried.
We paid extra to participate in thrilling activities such as snow rafting and ATV riding.
There were free activities to do at the Trout Festival and we enjoyed walking through igloos, snow sculptures, and a farmers market. We took a short bus ride and headed back to Phoenix Park for dinner.
Some members of our group paid extra to ski and snowboard throughout the entire weekend, and the rest of us enjoyed participating in the many other forms of entertainment at the resort. There was bowling, karaoke rooms, and various pubs and restaurants. We had a great time being able to walk around the entire resort and take in the scenic winter views.Â
On the last day, we met up at the bus around noon to drop off our luggage, and then we enjoyed one last meal together before heading back to Seoul. We arrived on time to the city and said our final goodbyes as a group.Â
This was definitely a trip I will never forget! It was a fun Holiday weekend full of making new friends, skiing, and many adventures! Happy Lunar New Year!Â
Written by Diandra Freese
