Tea Fields

Close-up shot of some the tea!

The weather is getting warmer and things starting to look a lot greener around here. This morning, as I was making my tea, I was struck with the realization that I won't be able to make the annual trip to the Boseong Tea Fields.

Boseong was a great, albeit difficult, place to visit in the spring. It is classified as a county, and in Korea that kinda means that its half way between rural and suburban. The main bus hub is small which means that buses don't run to and from there terribly often depending on where you are coming from- or you might need to plan for a connector. If you're coming from anywhere outside Jeollanamdo (the province in which Boseong is located), a overnight in Suncheon or even Gwangju would be worth a thought. Getting from the bus terminal to the tea fields is pretty easy. The bus is labeled and there are likely to be other people headed there, too. 

The fields are great for wandering. There are pathways all around, so you could definitely make a day out if it. I wish I had my FitBit while I was over there- definitely put a massive dent in my daily steps whenever I visited! There is a moderately-sized hill that you can climb up and get a great view of all the tea and the surrounding landscape. There are some food options, but it might be wise to pack a snack or lunch.... unless you plan to survive on green tea ice cream for the day. No one would judge you for that.

The souvenir shop is cool, too. I always stocked up on tea bags. They have loose tea and I think they have instant (powdered) tea as well. The green tea cookies and candies are pretty nummy, too. There are loads of trinkety things, as well. If you need to grab a souvenir for someone, this is an awesome place to do it!

Getting back from the terminal can be a little tricky. I noticed that the chart that says what time the buses are supposed to run, isn't always accurate... and the later in the day you leave, the more likely you are to run into transportation hitches. Taxis are available, but make sure you note the name of the bus terminal you want to go to- because there are two. Made that mistake once, and it was a very mistake to make. Apparently the other terminal is way far away, and we had to pay the driver to bring us out there... and then another driver to bring us back to where we originally wanted to go. Whoops!

What is your favorite kinds of tea?