Plan your autumn retreat ( Matthew Lamers ) According to the Korea Tourism Organization , this year ` s autumn leaves began transforming into their beautiful shades of red , orange and yellow on Mt . Seorak on Sept . 29 . And although they predict the mountain ` s beauty to peak on Oct . 20 , there are dozens of places all over the peninsula to capture the splendor of the season , right up until early November . But if you want to do something a little different , go to a temple instead of any - old mountain to enjoy the autumn . Temples also provide great backdrops for your photographs , rather than simply photographing pretty leaves in a forest . Every week Expat Living will highlight weekend travel destinations . This weekend , we suggest you head to Mt . Seorak on the East Coast to beat the crowds . But if you want to wait for more leaves to change color , hold off until mid - to - late October . If you ` re one of those people that likes to make plans in advance , we also want to highlight the often - overlooked Suncheon for a mid - October visit . The city is in the province of Jeollanam - do , and its temples are of national fame . Moreover , the city is not famous for its autumn leaves , meaning you would avoid the swarms of people that will slog up Mt . Seorak single file . The true beauty is in the city ` s surroundings . To get to Seoraksan take a bus bound for Sokcho from the East Seoul Express Bus Terminal ( Subway Line No . 2 , Gangbyeon Station ) . There are 49 busses daily costing 18 , 600 won . From the Sokcho Express Bus Terminal , take city bus No . 7 to the entrance of Seoraksan . Total travel time is around four hours . If you want to stay overnight , which is recommended , there is no shortage of lodging , but book in advance as this is Seoraksan ` s peak season . To get to Suncheon from Seoul , you ` ll need to catch the bus from the Dong Seoul bus terminal ; the journey takes a little more than four hours and costs 28 , 000 won . The alternative is the train , which takes five hours . The KTO also suggests three Mt . Seorak hiking courses . Gwongeumseong Course - Sinheungsa temple district A cable car is an easy way to get great views . From Sinheungsa Temple , get a 10 minute ride , then hike for about an hour . Total time needed is three hours . Biryong Falls Course - Sinheungsa Temple District Another good afternoon course starts at Sinheungsa Temple . Passing Biryong Falls , this 2 . 4 - kilometer course will take about one - and - half - hours . Ulsanbawi Rock Course - Sinheungsa Temple District One of the most popular trails is the Ulsanbawi Rock Course , because it offers great views of the mountain . one way is about 4 kilometers and the whole course will take more than five hours . This isn ` t the type of trail you take your young children on ( 4342 . 10 . 09 ) ( mattlamers @ heraldm . com ) By Matthew Lamers - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ------------------------- Suncheon : A natural paradise SUNCHEON , South Jeolla Province - The easiest way to enjoy the sights here is to take the Suncheon city tourist bus . The bus leaves from the tourist office near the train station at about 9 : 30 a . m . It is very convenient and will take you everywhere in a day . The main sights in and around Suncheon are Suncheon bay , Nagan folk village , a film set , Songkwangsa and Seonamsa . The bay is a really nice place to take a lazy late afternoon stroll , and you can take a course around the wooden planked pathway as it navigates the reed beds . For further relaxation , there ` s a great boat cruise , while for the more active sightseer it ` s a 30 minute climb to the viewpoint over the bay . The view is perhaps one of the most iconic landscapes in Korea . If you don ` t decide to use the tourist bus , you can either get a taxi from the train station ( 10 , 000 won ) or the number 67 bus will also take you there ( 1 , 000 won ) . A great time to visit Suncheon bay is in October when the reed festival takes place ( Oct . 17 to Oct . 24 ) . The next attraction worth seeing is Nagan folk village . The village is one of the best preserved fortress towns in Korea , with its fortress wall dating back to 1424 . It will take you a minimum of two hours to see , and has numerous points of interest . There is a pottery shop , water wheel , large ponds , a smithy and various other crafts from older times . The village is full of old houses with thatched straw roofs and there are changing of the guards ceremonies outside the fortress walls several times a day . For overnight stay there are several houses that rent out rooms . Traveling to the village is by the 63 or 68 city bus ( 1 , 000 won ) or by taxi ( 20 , 000 won ) . As with Suncheon bay , Nagan folk village has a festival in October . The Namdo food festival begins Oct . 29 and finishes Nov . 1 . Suncheon , like many other places around Korea , has some very nice temples . Indeed , Songkwangsa is considered to be one of the three jewel temples in Korea and can be visited from Suncheon by bus number 111 ( 1 , 000 won ) , which leaves close to the train station . The other temple worth seeing is Seonamsa . You can enjoy a nice walk to this temple through the woods and along a stream . Along the way there is a tea garden complex , a great place to put your feet up and enjoy some refreshments . Those with the time could hike to Songkwangsa temple . The hike takes around half a day to complete and is well worth doing . To get to Seonamsa temple catch city bus number 1 ( 1 , 000 won ) , which also leaves close to the train station . ( The Korea Herald . 4342 . 10 . 09 ) ( alternative _ si @ hotmail . com ) By Simon Bond