Ganghwa Island, South Korea: 37.7132° N, 126.4511° E

These photos were taken while on a tour of Ganghwa Island in South Korea. The island is about 17 miles/28 kilometers from Seoul Airport. I travelled there by bus on a sunny day in September last year. I was on my way to Singapore and I had a long layover in Incheon International Airport so I took advantage of one of their free tours (See here). I was picked up from the airport and returned in more than enough time to clear customs and catch my flight. They also held my luggage while I was on tour.

The island was known as the first line of defense for the capital city of Seoul. I spent most of my time there in the area of the Jeondeungsa temple pictured above. It’s a fairly steep climb of about fifteen minutes to get to the temple. I thought I was fit until I saw my tour guide who said he was sixty-five leave all of us in the dust as he made the climb in his church shoes. You know the leather ones with the slippery soles with no grip or traction. My Adidas sneakers and I were very impressed.

If your travels take you through Incheon airport I would plan ahead to give yourself some time to take one of the tours they offer. I’m sure the tours are one of the reasons Incheon has been name one of the best airports in the world.

 

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