Summertime is the best time to go out and enjoy the great outdoors! Many Koreans opt for camping or "glamping", so why not kick your feet up and look up to see the stars? We give you the best places to go stargazing in South Korea!
If you are anything like me, I really love watching the stars at night. I think it's not only peaceful but also romantic and imaginative. With the universe so big, do we really know what's out there?
Sadly, as most of us live in a city these days it can be really hard to see the stars in the sky at night, so where can you see the stars in South Korea?
I was fortunate to see the stars in the sky when I visited a small town off the beaten track in Gangwon province, the town was called Inje. Here I took part in a stargazing class, and we also used telescopes and looked at different patterns with the stars, and their meaning, and found out the estimated distances! Since then, I have really wanted to see the night sky again, but I have not had the chance.
Aside from Inje, an administrative region, Anbandegi is part of the eastern city of Gangneung, which is close to the Olympic town of Pyeongchang.
As you travel beyond the vicinity of Yongpyong Resort (which is popular for winter sports), the road narrows from two lanes in either direction and becomes a real rural road, without a streetlight to be found. Sounds perfect right?
Located on a rugged ridge of the Taebaek Mountains at an altitude of 1,100 meters, this area is like one big cabbage field. The name “Anbandegi” comes from a combination of the local Gangneung terms “anban,” referring to a broad, concave wooden board used for pounding rice cakes, and “degi,” meaning flat ground. This place has been said to be one of the best spots in the country for stargazing.
The best times to look at the Milky Way are roughly between April and September. The rainy season from late June to July is not good viewing weather, so those who’d like to camp under the stars are advised to plan for a visit either between early April and mid-June or between August and September, so if you go outside of this time it will be perfect for looking at the night sky.
Seoul, Daegu and Busan for that matter have lots of light pollution and therefore it is hard to see stars in the sky no matter what time of year it is. I really love escaping to the countryside as I feel it is good to connect with nature and experience things for free or a cheap price depending on where you go and how long you stay for. Of course, depending on how long you come to Korea it may not be possible to head out of the big cities, however, I really recommend it for a more real experience. I can say for sure that some of the best memories that I have had have been in the countryside with the locals!
Have you ever been stargazing in South Korea? Let us know your best destination in the comments below.
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