Nokcha Resort

The setting is lovely, with walking paths right outside and birds and bugs singing all the time. The tea leaves and flowers smell wonderful. It’s easy to reach the Tea Museum and Tea Farms, and the place is quiet, clean, and away from traffic and tourists. The room is modest and comfortable, a single room with a queen bed, bench, shelves, and a kitchenette with two burners, pots, and pans. Plates, bowls, cups, and silverware are there too. It also has a fridge with freezer, a swamp cooler, heated floors, a bidet, and a bathroom where the whole room becomes the shower. They provide shower shoes, plenty of hand towels, shampoo, conditioner, and body wash. There’s hand soap, a hair dryer, air fresheners, free WiFi that works well, and a 43-inch TV. Sometimes there’s an old smell, like the room may once have had a wood-burning stove. Staff replace towels and toilet paper daily. There’s a garbage and recycling area just outside, a picnic table, and a small convenience store at check-in. The nearby stairway leads down to a grocery store, tourist shops, the bus station, cafes, and an information booth. Be ready for a lot of stairs, with no benches to rest on. There’s a fence to steady yourself, and the steps have anti-slip strips, but shoes with good grip are still a good idea. It’s a modest place that fits the area and culture, so don’t expect lots of extras.

There’s a good little shop in the lobby, with food, drinks, and other useful things at reasonable prices. The staff were kind and helpful, too. The rooms look rustic, but the amenities are good, including a full kitchen. Ours had both sleeping mats and a king-size bed. I’d recommend the resort if you want something a bit different from the usual.

The climb is worth it for the ocean view from the top, and there are plenty of historic details in English and nice spots for photos. The park costs 4,000 KRW to enter. It’s about three hours from Seoul, but there are plenty of ways to get there. Expect stairs and hills. I visited in the afternoon, when the sun was at its hottest and brightest, so early morning or evening might be better if you’re trying to avoid the heat. My photos still came out great, and I’ve heard it gets very foggy around sunrise, which makes for lovely scenery. I had a really nice visit and picked up souvenirs, including tea leaves to take home. The green tea ice cream outside the park in the parking lot is cheaper and tastes better, too.

The location is great, and the room has a full kitchen and fridge. But the linen didn’t seem fresh. It had yellow stains all over and smelled odd. The toiletries were just a used bar of soap and some shampoo.