Destination: Jeongdongjin Beach – and an awesome lunch (Jeongdongjin, Gangwon-do)

The Jeongdongjin Beach Hourglass – originally installed in 1999 and counting down enough sand (eight tons) to last a year.

After arriving in Jeongdongjin one late Saturday night, Kiwi and I checked into a nearby pension to drop off our stuff, then meandered down to the beach. A cool May evening may not be the most ideal time to visit a beach, but it was almost deserted on the sand. The nearby seafood and chicken restaurants had some life, as did the small park above.

Ahh, the beach – perfect for dipping toes and walking alongside the shore.

Not sure what these bars were for – possibly drying fish or tarps, or perhaps a sand ballet class.

The next afternoon, Kiwi and I noticed how this place was filled with locals the previous evening – some good logic for figuring out which places are worth trying out.

Being the first customers of the day, the kind owner gave us the rundown of the assorted clams we ordered:

Actually, they all tasted about the same to me – except for the larger shells, which had a tomato sauce and shredded cheese added to the mix. The shells would be placed directly on the grill, heating up the goodies inside; the bigger one had some aluminum foil on the bottom as well.

At 50,000 won this wasn’t the cheapest lunch ever, but it was a refreshing break from seafood eaten cold and raw. Check them out if you’re in the area (강릉시 강동면 전동진리 572-2 is the address, and 011-367-5904 is the phone number listed on their card).

A rather peaceful place in the early afternoon, though I suspect the crowds will be much larger in the summertime.

The weather wasn’t exactly cooperating (light drizzle), so we hopped into a taxi and headed for our next destination: Ojukheon black bamboo forest in Gangneung. Read on!

Ratings (out of 5 taeguks): How do I rate destinations?
Ease to arrive:

Foreigner-friendly:

Convenience facilities:

Worth the visit:

Directions to Jeongdongjin Beach: from the Dong Seoul Bus Terminal (Gangbyeon station on line 2 is closest), take a bus to Jeongdongjin. The bus ride takes about 3 1/2 hours, which is a couple hours faster than the train can get you there. Once you’ve been dropped off, follow the road for about 10 minutes on foot as it winds along the coast. The park with the huge hourglass is along the way on your left side. If you arrive in the evening as we did, you may find some ajummas ready to offer you a pension, a minbak, or another sort of accommodation.

As for the restaurant, just keep following the road until you come to a T with the water in front of you. Turn right, and immediately begin looking right.

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