After watching the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics online and experiencing the 2014 Sochi Olympic fever as an exchange student studying in the University of Western Ontario, Canada. My dream vacation is to have a first hand experience watching the next winter olympics which will be held on the 9th to 25th February 2018 in Pyeongchang, South Korea.
PyeongChang is a county located in the Gangwon province of South Korea.
http://www.mapsofworld.com/south-korea/maps/south-korea-political-map.jpg
The county is situated in the South Korea part of Taebaek Mountains that stretches across both North Korea and South Korea and its about 180 km east of Seoul, the capital of South Korea.
Taebaek Mountains: Demilitarized Zone, which separates North and South Korea
PyeongChang is also called the "Nature's Playground" by many outdoor enthusiast due to the large amount of outdoor landscapes and national parks. With its natural assets and winter temperatures, it makes the area ideal for Winter activities and events.
http://gopyeongchang.com/about-pyeongchang/
Traveling to Pyeongchang during that period would not only be to experience the olympics, but it would also be to immerse into the Korean culture which has been gaining much interest over the years.
During the winter, Pyeongchang would also host the annual Pyeongchang Trout Festival. The festival would usually end early February. However, it is possible that the festival to run till the olympics in the year 2018 for visitors around the world to experience the festival when we all come together to watch the winter olympics.I am hoping to catch the festival while I am there.It has a variety of programs including ice and lure fishing, snow rafting, bobsleigh rides and ice carts. Visitors can also try traditional Korean winter folk games like snow sledding, kite flying and other outdoor activities.
Another festival that I will be looking out for is the Taebaek Snow Festival. One of the highlight is the snow sculptures created by top sculptures in the world including Korea. During this festival, visitors would be able to try Korean folk games in the snow, or savor the traditional winter food favorites.
Other places that I would like to visit in Pyeongchang include:
1. Odaesan Mountain
Odaesan Mountain is a highlight of the Odaesan National Park. It is one of the larger national park in Korea with an elevation of 1,563 meters. It is depending on weather conditions if I would be able to take a hike during the day. However, it would be a dream to see the Mureunggye Valley, waterfalls, and forests and have a scenic view of Pyeongchang from above.
2. Seorak-san Mountain
Famous for its old shaped rocks and abundant waterfalls and temples, Seorak-san Mountain. There is a cable car service available to take up to the smaller peak for picture taking. Hiking would be dependable on the weather.
Recommended to list of food and drinks to try while on this trip:
1. Tofu and Sanchae Bibimbap.
Bibimbap is typical type of Korean dish made with seasoned wild leafy and root veggies from the mountains.
2. Soju
A popular alcoholic beverage in Pyeongchang
