The hike to the summit of Suraksan is fun, with some crazy steep slopes and interesting rock formations. Expect hand-over-hand cables at the top, stair climbs, and sweeping views.
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All in Asia
The hike to the summit of Suraksan is fun, with some crazy steep slopes and interesting rock formations. Expect hand-over-hand cables at the top, stair climbs, and sweeping views.
Just two hours south of Seoul by bus, the eight scenic views of Gyeryongsan National Park await your discovery. Gyeryong Mountain has been held sacred for over a thousand years and its claim to fame is…
There are many routes to the summit of Bukhansan’s highest peak, Baegundae. This route begins at the Bamgol entrance on the western side of the park. It is tough, wild, and extremely picturesque…
Section 8 is the most scenic stage of the Seoul Dulle Gil, with terrific views of South Korea’s tallest mountains, including Bukhansan and Dobongsan. You will also pass by the April 19th National Cemetery, a moving and expansive memorial, and traipse through Korea’s “Beverly Hills”.
On the Seoul Dulle Gil, the steepest part of Stage 7 is the climb to the watchtowers on Bongsan Mountain. The majority of the trail is flat, especially from Gayang Bridge through the World Cup Stadium park…
Section 6 of the Seoul Dulle Gil is pancake flat. The entire section takes you along Anyang-cheon (“cheon” means “stream”), which features an explosion of color throughout the year with seasonal wildflowers, cherry trees, tall grasses, and rape fields.
Section 5 of the Seoul Dulle Gil is one of my favorite sections. It’s chock full of cool stuff to see: Seoul National University, Samseongsan Catholic Sanctuary, the “Tiger” temple (Hoapsa), Gwaneumsa Temple, and Nakseongdae Shrine. Add on a day hike to Gwanaksan’s highest peak, Yeonjudae!
Section 4 of the Seoul Dulle Gil manages to wind through a lot of wooded area south of the Han River, known as the “Gangnam Greenway”. You can almost pretend you aren’t in the city anymore.
Section 3 of the Seoul Dulle Gil includes both a super-modern drone park and an ancient neolithic village dating back 6000 years!
The second half of Seoul Dulle Gil Section 2 — through Yongmasan and Achasan — is very cool. Some of the very best views of the city found anywhere in Seoul are at the Achasan lookout.
Seoul Dulle Gil Section 1 is in the far north-east corner of Seoul. It circumvents the base of Suraksan and Buramsan. To make this section more interesting, add on a climb to Suraksan’s peak.
The Seoul Dulle Gil is divided into eight sections ideal for day hikes. Each section trailhead is near a subway stop for easy accessibility. Whether you are in Seoul for the weekend, the month, or the year, a hike is just a short metro ride away. We had a blast collecting the 28 stamps as we hiked the 157 kilometer (~97 miles) course.
Slip into this quiet tea house in Seongbuk-dong, Seoul, for an afternoon respite…
While in Mumbai, we stayed in the Bandra area, along the Arabian Sea coast. We joined a walking tour to learn more about Portuguese and British influence in this neighborhood…
It’s called a slum, but through sheer grit and determination, Dharavi in Mumbai has a $650 million annual micro-economy. India is a Russian doll: there’s always someone worse off…
Janta Mantar — a huge astrological observatory in Jaipur — is for science geeks! Through well-detailed written descriptions on every instrument, we received quite a new astronomy vocabulary…
Architecture in India reached its apex under the reign of the Mughals in the 1500’s, when monuments such as the Taj Mahal and Akbar’s Tomb were built…
Around the time Jesus was preaching in the Middle East, religious ascetics in Maharashtra province of India began painting and sculpting devotional masterpieces…
A breeze gathered strength, pushing fog tendrils up and over the cliff ridge. We had waited all day for Old Man Mountain’s big reveal. He did not disappoint. This is Huangshan, China.
Xidi and Hongcun are excellent examples of Chinese villages that are beautiful (great for photography) but also adhere to Fengshui and functional design principles. The architecture of Hui villages evolved to protect women, children and goods in the absence of men…