When I was a child I loved going to the beach. One of my favorite things to do was dig through the sand. My parents would ask: “Why are you digging?” I would of course say: “I’m looking for treasure!” This treasure could be a seashell or a pretty piece of sea glass. This same curiosity to find treasures has lead me to travel to some interesting places, not well known for tourism. Sometimes you will find yourself in a destination where no one seems to know of any places for sightseeing. However my curiosity to find “treasures” kept me inquisitive and exploring even places that no one would typically travel to.

This is how my visit to Pyeongtaek started. I was told by everyone that I was going to a place that has nothing to see or do. I would not accept this answer, and I kept digging for the treasures that Pyeongtaek had yet to reveal to me.

Entrance to Mangisa Temple

I visited Pyeongtaek easily by hopping on the subway from where I live in Suwon. The Pyeongtaek city website had informed me of an interesting destination. it was a temple that was supposedly built in 942 A.D. and was named Mangisa Temple. This immediately peaked my curiosity, and I decided I had to see this temple myself. Upon doing some further research I found out that public transportation to Mangisa Temple is tricky. The bus runs only every 3 hours, so I carefully studied the schedule and decided I can catch the bus returning to Jinwi Station if I traveled to Mangisa Temple by cab. Passing through the countryside, I saw some of the largest companies’ manufacturing plants, which to me was surprising.

Main Building of Mangisa Temple

The temple itself was very different from any other temple I have visited in Korea. There were beautifully intricate stone Buddha and pagodas on the outside. Just walking through these grounds, I felt that the layout had a very different feel than other temples. I was glad I was able to make the trek to this temple, and it was worth my while. Getting back was a little worrisome, as there is no labelled bus stop. So I had to use kakaomaps to locate where the bus would stop. The bus was not on time, so I was wondering if I was stranded. However, it did show up 10 minutes later.

The journey to Mangisa Temple would win as the most exhilarating trip to a temple in Korea! The infrequent buses and being in the countryside puts you on high alert to be back on time! To visit Mangisa Temple go to Jinwi Station Exit 1. From this exit, find a taxi cab stand and hop on a quick 15 minute cab ride. It should cost you less than 10,000 won!

My curiosity got the best of me, I found out that my hotel was located a 5-minute drive away from the 2nd longest bridge in Korea! After seeing it, I realized I needed to go back to my hotel… I quickly discovered kakao taxi was not working in this area. I remembered taking down a local taxi number and tried calling them. After a lot of exchanges I realized this cab driver would not find me.

Main Building of Yeonhwasa Temple

It was getting dark and very cold outside. I saw a bus and decided to hop on it, by chance it passed by a temple. It was the loveliest little temple. It was very unique, and it was almost resembled a cottage more than it did a temple. It was very quaint and very welcoming. According to the map the name of this little temple is Yeonhwasa Temple. After looking around I decided I really should get back to the hotel before it got too dark.

Main shrine in Yeonhwasa Temple

Due to the remoteness of my location, kakao taxi would still not work. I decided to use the kakao maps and find a bus stop and take the bus back in the opposite direction. I had a short 15-minute wait before the bus took me back within a block to my hotel, all before it was dark! I felt quite accomplished! To reach Yeonhwasa Temple take bus # 80 or 81-1 and ride for 11 minutes to get off at Higok Super.

Entrance to Yeonhwasa Temple

When studying the Pyeongtaek Tourist Map, I noticed there is a lake area that is designated as a tourism complex. From the hotel I wanted to attempt taking public transportation, so it did require me to take 2 buses with 1 transfer in between. Taking the 1st bus was no problem, however the 2nd bus never came…. Rather than waiting I decided to take a taxi the rest of the way there. What I found was a very lovely view of the water, and noticed a very long bridge under construction. There are paddle boats available for rental when the season is warmer. There is also a drive-in theater, and an art exhibition hall shaped like a pyramid!

Street art at Pyeontaekho Lake

Outside Soriter Building

With some exploration of this area there are plenty of Instagram-worthy photo spots. If you are feel peckish, I also noted there are seafood restaurants available in the area as well. This location is a cute little spot for a stroll and some fun sightseeing! To reach the Pyeontaekho Lake Complex it is easiest to take a taxi cab from any location you are in Pyeongtaek, as public transportation to this area is infrequent.

Yeonhwasa Temple

More Information

Double Room inside Ramada

Where I stayed was the Pyeongtaek Ramada. Ramada is a well known chain of hotels in North America. Ramada is known to provide clean, comfortable rooms and has a standard it abides all its’ hotels to. Since I knew the hotel belonged to the Ramada chain, I expected my stay would go well.

Lobby

The hotel’s location is perfect for anyone planning on going on a cruise departing from the Pyeongtaek International Ferry Port, it being only a 5-minute drive away. Upon entering the hotel I was immediately in awe at the grandness of the lobby. It was immaculately maintained and there was a small group of staff at the front desk ready and available to help at any time.

Bathroom

There were some brochures provided for tourist attractions in the Asan area. The lobby area is bright and has a little photo booth area to snap some fun souvenir pictures. If you need to do some quick browsing, there is a business center located right in the lobby as well. The room itself was very welcoming and comfortable. The hotel made sure to provide every toiletry you could ever imagine needing. The bathrooms were clean and brightly lit. It was very easy to make myself feel right at home in my room which also came with a mini fridge! One of my favorite things about this hotel is how there is a convenience store attached right to the hotel! On those cold chilly nights, you can grab a snack easily without needing to go outside! The hotel provides breakfast for early risers so make sure you get there on time!

This hotel is also perfect for anyone visiting with children and there is a play space for them on the lower levels. The front desk staff is very eager to help, and always called me a cab when I needed to go out sightseeing. This hotel exceeded my expectations far and above what I had experience at any Ramada in North America.