The
northeast side of Korea has never been one of the most popular holiday
destinations for foreigners. In our mind, there not many tourist areas at this
side of the country and we always visit the same places again and again. I live
in Korea for a long time and I have visited the south, the southwest and
southeast part multiples times but it took me a while to discover the unique
beauty of the east coast.
Born
and raised in an island of Greece, living close to the sea is one of the most
important parts of my life. In my opinion the sound of the waves and a walk on
the seaside can clear your mind and make you relax like nothing else. My wish
to enjoy the beach while living in a place with view of the sea was fulfilled
in Gangneung city and specifically in Gyeongpo beach where I stayed with my
family at Seamarq hotel.
It takes about 4,5 hour drive from Ulsan to Gyeongpo beach, a
300 Km long distance in a road where most of the time you are driving along the
seaside where you enjoy the unique sea view and the huge waves crushing on the
countless beaches. On your way to Gangneung you can stop by to the famous
Jeongdongjin station, with the train which has seats placed sideways so
the passengers can enjoy the view on the 58Km-long east sea coastline, the hourglass park where you can find the biggest
hourglass in the world and the sun cruise resort which is one of the world’s first
themed ground cruise resort.
While
you get closer to the Gyeongpo beach Seamarq Hotel can be easily seen from a
great distance as it comes out on the horizon as a great landmark. Located on
top of a hill in front of the beach, facing the east sea on one side and the Gyeongpoho
Lake on the other, you can only imagine that the view from every place of the
hotel is amazing. By the time you enter the lobby you feel that you don’t need
anything more than enjoying the facilities of this super luxurious hotel (which
is designed by Richard Meier, one of the world’s most renowned architects) and
walk by that long white sandy beach which extends to a length of 6 km, being
one of the biggest and most iconic of the east coast according to locals
because of the depth and temperature of the water. We also enjoyed the walk by the lake (4.3 Km
long) where it is said that one can see the moon
five times there, in the sky, reflected in the lake, reflected in the sea, once
reflected in a drinking glass, and once more in the eyes of their loved ones…
This area is a great place to enjoy the sunrise especially the first one in the
New Year Day, which it’s very important according to the Korean culture.
Entering the hotel, in the lobby, a long table made from a
single tree sliced longitudinally and a huge gold ribbon above it, catch your
eyes. The table and the gold ribbon in which the light of the sunrise is
reflected to create an amazing atmosphere with the reflected sun rays gives the
hotel a modern artist aesthetic. Next to the table there is the piano and a
small amphitheater where the visitors can seat to enjoy a live concert of
classic music on the Saturday night.
The hotel manager was kind enough to take us a tour of the
hotel, and we were amazed by the warm (having the same temperature all year)
outdoor infinity pool named “beach on the cloud” with a view to the majestic
ocean. We spent many hours swimming there the next few days enjoying the warm
water, warmer than their indoor pool and the view to the ocean from there. Also
there you can find an outdoor hot tub where you can also relax and enjoy the
view.
When we made our reservation we informed them that we have a
1-year-old baby and requested a crib. We were very excited when we saw the baby
equipment prepared upon our arrival which was more than enough including a
stroller, a bottle sterilizer and even a baby bath. Their kid’s club on the
hotel was amazing too where the hotel staff was baby sitting your kids, while
you were doing something else in the hotel, having a schedule was posted on the
door with different activities organized for them every hour. Unfortunately
babies were not allowed so we just check the place for future reference.
The overall experience was exceptional. I can’t wait until my
next visit to this area and especially Seamarq hotel.
Some highlights of our visit:
The spa experience
Seamarq hotel has one of the best spas I have ever visited. The
staff was friendly and they truly pay attention to detail. The facial treatment
that I had was a unique experience, more than I ever expected. The soft music
in the room together with the smells of rosemary and mandarin essential oils
that I picked from a variety of essentials oils made me relax instantly. The 70
minutes treatment included different kinds of face and belly masks and upper
body massage. After getting pampered for more than an hour a plate full of
healthy treats was waiting for me at the spa lobby, tea, yogurt and nuts. The
thermal suite of the hotel followed the same standards too, with lots of small
bathtubs, each one of them in a different temperature but all of them facing
the ocean, 2 saunas and a relaxation room can satisfy even the most demanding.
The restaurant experience
Our first night in Seamarq hotel we had a reservation for the “Chef’s
table” and it was as glamorous as it sounds. Each plate was better than the
previous, the main dish was a wonderful tender grilled rib eye steak with
truffle sauce cooked to perfection and making room for the dessert was not an
easy task. The bright colors of the ingredients placed in a specific way on the
plate made it a feast for the eyes as well for the stomach. The dessert plate
at the end, not just one dessert but a combination of few (persimmon pudding,
macaroon, Valrhona chocolate), was the perfect way to end our dinner.
The main restaurant of the hotel where you can enjoy many
different flavors from the buffet was exceptional. There was a large variety of
dishes for breakfast and dinner, both Asian and western cuisine with fresh
ingredients to satisfy every taste.
PS.
The city will be the venue for the indoor sports of the 2018 Winter Olympics
and the 2018 Winter Paralympics
in Pyeongchang.
(The article was published on the FLIK Magazine)
