I’m really excited to interview Dan Hughes of Dan Hughes Music about Jeonju, South Korea. Dan’s tips for the best things to do in Jeonju are awesome because he fell in love with the city while performing at its great music venues. He loves the people, the food, and the history and traditions of Jeonju.
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Hanok Village. Photo courtesy of rawkkim on UnSplash
Jeonju, South Korea
Jeonju is known as the spiritual capital of the Joseon dynesty. As the modern world evolves, Jeonju remains in a bit of a time warp with its historical Hanok Village, royal museums, temples, and a castle fortress on a hillside. Hanok Village is a collection of over 800 traditional “hanok”-style buildings.
The city ranks as one of the most popular cities for South Korean travelers. It was named a Unesco City of Gastronomy in 2012. There’s a growing food scene that offers a mixture of traditional tastes (bibimbap or hotteok), as well as fried squid and a wide variety of new creations.
When you visit, you must try the traditional local food known as bibimbap. Jeonju is the birthplace of this local delicacy. The word translates into “mixed rice” and is usually served as a bowl of warm white rice topped with namul (sauteed and seasoned vegetables) or kimchi (traditional fermented vegetables) and gochujang (chili pepper paste), soy sauce, and doenhang (a fermented soybean paste). It is often topped off with a raw or fried egg or sliced meat. Before serving, you thoroughly mix it together to fuse the flavors and ensure that you get a bit of everything on your plate.
We share a lot of resources and local suggestions in today’s podcast, but you should also check out Ohmokdae Tourist Information, the local convention and visitor’s bureau. They are a wealth of information and can help you plan an itinerary based on your time, budget, and interests.
If you’d like to learn how to travel for free using airline miles and hotel points, check out my free 7-day email course.
The local dish Bibimbap. Photo courtesy of seul5167 on Pixabay
Getting around Jeonju
The local airport is Jeonju Airport (CHN), which is about two hours by bus. If you fly into Seoul, the best option to fly about an hour to Jeonju. Otherwise, the train will take about two hours. The Jeonju train station offers extensive service to major city centers throughout South Korea. The Jeonju Intercity Bus Terminal also connects the city to nearby cities. Use our Expedia tool below to find flight, hotel, and rental car options.
Dan says that taxis and rental cars make getting around the city very easy. Click here for the best offers from Avis, Budget, or Hertz. Public transportation is efficient, clean, and affordable.
Dan Hughes clapping at a meal with fans
Places we talked about on the podcast
Here is a map of all of the places we talked about on the podcast episode with Dan Hughes about Jeonju, South Korea. You can zoom into the map and click on each dot to explore the city.
- Red dots = best places to eat in Jeonju, South Korea
- Green dots = best things to do in Jeonju, South Korea
- Yellow dots = best places to stay in Jeonju, South Korea
Who is Dan Hughes?
Dan Hughes is a dynamic UK-based musician, songwriter, guitarist, and producer. He learned to play the guitar at a young age and grew up in a musical environment. Dan continued his musical education by learning from experienced session players and playing in pubs and other local venues. At the age of 16, Dan auditioned for the highly regarded music institute BIMM where he gained a place to study for two years. Since graduating, Dan has played around 200 gigs a year while creating new music.
In 2017, Dan visited South Korea on tour for the first time. He played at the Green Blue Music Festival while promoting DHT’s debut album “Neil.” Dan continues to play at local venues and international concerts around the world.
You can connect with Dan on his website and on Facebook, Instagram, and Spotify.
Click here to download our one-page guide of Dan’s tips for Jeonju.
Big thanks to today’s affiliate partner – AwardWallet
This episode is brought to you, in part, by AwardWallet. Using airline miles and hotel points makes travel affordable, but keeping track of all of those loyalty programs can be a challenge.
That’s why I use AwardWallet to track my miles and points balances, reservations, and special goodies like free hotel night certifications and airline companion passes.
Having everything in one easy to use dashboard helps ensure I don’t let any rewards expire and makes logging into my accounts super easy. Go to WeTravelThere.com/awardwallet to start your free account.
The Old Cathedral. Photo courtesy of O Sim at Pixabay.
Stay tuned for our next episode
Listen to the next episode when Josh Ginsberg, a Reedy Press author, shares the best things to do in Tampa Bay, Florida. Josh and I talk about the Gasparilla Pirate Festival, the Salvador Dali Museum, and live Mermaid performances. We hope you’ll join us when We Travel There.
What’s your favorite part of Jeonju, South Korea? Send us a Tweet, let us know in the comment section below, or continue the discussion in our Facebook group!
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To see which cities we’ve interviewed and scheduled, please visit WeTravelThere.com/map. If you’d like to be a guest on the show, please submit an application at WeTravelThere.com/guest.
Related episodes
To learn more about China and other Asian destinations in this region, please listen to our other episodes:
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- Best Things To Do In Hong Kong with Sarah Li Cain
- Obon Holiday, Hanami Cherry Blossoms & Osaka Castle in Osaka, Japan
- Sumo Wrestling, Sushi Train & Hachiko Dog Statue in Tokyo, Japan
- Eating Conveyor Belt Sushi in Kamakura, Japan with Corinne
