By Honorary Reporter Laarni Calpo from Philippines
Photos = Laarni Calpo

The Manila office of the Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) from Jan. 24 to Feb. 9 ran a Korean content creators club to promote tourism in Korea to Filipinos. One prerequisite for entry was answering the question "Why I should be part of the club," and my favorite answer was "I love to share stunning landscapes even in Korea's provinces." 

The travel program "March: Rediscover Hidden Local Gems" was launched on March 1 as part of the campaign "Travel Month March" announced by the KTO and the Korean Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to stimulate tourism in the provinces. 

The campaign's incentives include discounts on transportation like domestic flights and vehicle rentals, something I plan on using during my next trip to Korea. This initiative is especially of interest to me since I like to visit the provinces by bus and the bullet-train KTX. 

The following are my top three tourist destinations in the provinces that I went to during my last trip to Korea.

Suncheonman Bay

This area of 1,973 hectares is the site of the annual Suncheonman International Garden Expo, whose main purpose is to prevent flooding in Suncheonman Bay Wetland Reserve in Suncheon, Jeollanam-do Province. I explored the reserve riding on the unmanned monorail SkyCube connecting Suncheon Bay National Garden and the reserve. 

I also discovered the entrance to a little hiking trail leading to Yongsan Observatory just by walking on the designated path from the reeds field of the wetland. The observatory has a gorgeous panoramic view of the reserve. 

This is a view of Suncheonman Bay Wetland Reserve in Suncheon, Jeollanam-do Province. (Oct. 31, 2023) 

Jeonju Hanok Village

I caught a roundtrip shuttle bus from Seoul to Jeonju, Jeollabuk-do Province, on a limited promotional tour arranged by the provincial government featuring a tour guide fluent in English, free guide map and voucher code usable to get freebies. The majority of tourists in this village wear Hanbok while enjoying the distinct atmosphere and beautiful scenery. I also bought a bag of chocolate pies from the famous PNB Bakery in Jeonju.

This Hanok-style store is in Jeonju Hanok Village. (Nov. 12, 2023) 

Mudeungsan Mountain

With a peak of 1,186 meters, Mudeungsan is situated halfway between Gwangju and Damyang-gun County, Jeollanam-do. In fall 2022, I experienced something new by taking the chairlift and monorail to the summit of this mountain. The peak has a little hiking trail and the breathtakingly gorgeous forest in autumn is to die for.

Seeing Mudeungsan Mountain while riding a monorail. (Nov. 1, 2022) 

msjeon22@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.