THE ADVENTURE STARTS IN KOREA

WHAT WE’VE EXPERIENCED IN KOREA: excellent subway throughout Seoul; very friendly and helpful people; regional road networks; history and National Parks; agriculture and steep mountains.

WHAT WE’VE NOT EXPERIENCED: flat vacant land; graffiti; motor homes and caravan parks; many Caucasians; foreign vehicles.

The best kept Seoul secret is the Secret Garden; an oasis within a bustling city, in existence for a thousand years giving peace and tranquillity.



Korea is a modern first world country with interesting Asian flavours and a rich cultural heritage. We have been touched by the generous assistance offered by the locals we have met. The lack of language between us has not discouraged locals from going out of their way to show us or take us to our destination. We have found the average Korean friendly and helpful to foreign visitors.



Our helpful shipping agents in Korea are Harmony Transport. All was cleared and our two children, Essy and Troopy were waiting in a shipping container on the Busan wharf. After checks and inspections by Korean Customs were unloaded and off to the Phoenix Hotel in the centre of town, close to the local fish markets, and night life.



Once out of Busan we have been heading north on minor and secondary roads, avoiding the expressways and zigzagging the country.

First night out we found our way to Tongdosa. As there are almost no caravans or motorhomes in Korea, so there are no caravan parks. The best camping space we could find in Tongdosa was a carpark adjacent to a fifteen story residential building in the middle of the small town. No objections from the locals, just slow drive-bys to have a close look at these strangers and their foreign vehicles. Our first free campsite.



As we head north we take interesting minor roads and from mid afternoon we keep an eye out for suitable campsites. One beside a large water reservoir and another adjacent to a National Park. We are very pleased to meet Mi-hwa, and her two friends Chang-woo son, and Gung Muk.. Mi-hwa speaks excellent English, having stayed in Melbourne for a year recently. They suggest some good destinations on our journey north. We have taken their advice. Thank you Mi-hwa and friends.



Essy and Troopy are going well, but the roads in Korea are excellent, so they are not really being extended so far.



Out of our hotel window in Sokcho we can see the large ocean-going ferry, Dong Chun Ferry, that we will take tomorrow for a 400km trip north to Russia.





Some costs that might be of interest:
$A1 = 950 Won
Diesel $A1.30-$1.40
Container transport from Sydney to Busan
Two vehicles 1 40ft container $1650 each vehicle
Marine insurance for each car approx. $500
Unloading each vehicle in Busan about $1000
Third party car insurance for one month for Korea $150

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