By Korea.net Honorary Reporter Costa Julie from Luxembourg
Photos = Costa Julie

During the past couple of weeks, a number of cherry blossom festivals have taken place all around Korea. This year, the cherry blossoms started blooming a little bit earlier compared to last year and took everyone by surprise. In no time, famous cherry blossom viewing spots were filled with groups of people wanting to catch a glimpse of the beautiful flowers before they were gone.

If you're planning to view the cherry blossoms in Korea next year, or anytime after that, here are some tips to make the most of your cherry blossom spotting experience.

Choose the right date.

The blooming period of cherry blossoms changes every year, but in the southern part of the country you can expect the blossoms to be in full bloom sometime during the last week of March and the first week of April. In Seoul, they usually reach their peak at the beginning of or middle of April. However, weather conditions leading up to the cherry blossom period can change the actual blooming days. The Korea Meteorological Administration usually announces approximate blooming dates at the beginning of March, and cherry blossoms take about five days to a week to reach their peak after they start to bloom.



Choose the right place.

There are numerous cherry blossom festivals in Korea, with the most famous being in Jinhae in the southeast of the country. In order to get to Jinhae, you can take a bus from Seoul, which will bring you directly to the festival. Given that during cherry blossom season, buses to Jinhae fill up quickly, I recommend you take the train from Seoul Station to Masan Station, which is a 30-minute bus ride from Jinhae. You can also opt for the countless number of tours that are offered by various tour companies.

Another famous cherry blossom festival in Korea is the E-World cherry blossom festival in Daegu, which takes place at an amusement park. Daegu is Korea's fourth most-populous city and is only a two-hour train ride from Seoul. Just like the capital, Daegu has its own subway system, making it easy to get around.

If you want to stay in Seoul during the cherry blossom season, there's a large number of places perfect for flower-spotting. The Yeouido cherry blossom festival, for example, is known for attracting large crowds every year. In addition, there are some other great festivals, like the Seokchon Lake festival and the Seoul Grand Park festival.



Choose the right time.

Every cherry blossom festival comes with a large number of people taking pictures of the natural phenomena. If you want to take a stroll under the blooming cherry blossom trees without having to make your way through the masses, you will need to wake up early. Arriving before 8 a.m. usually guarantees quiet flower-spotting without anyone in the way of your photos.

wisdom117@korea.kr

* This article is written by a Korea.net Honorary Reporter. Our group of Honorary Reporters are from all around the world, and they share with Korea.net their love and passion for all things Korean.