Biggest party in the country, I was told.
Tour Guide -
Happens in July every year for a couple of weeks at Daecheon Beach, Boryeong.
More parties on the weekends. Shorter lines to wait in for the mud events during the week days.
High profile shows happen as well, such as an air show or concert in the evening.
Aspecific schedule should be available around the main mud festival area or on their website.
Everything that people could potentially do, good or bad, happens during this festival.
I'd suggest that you prepare for everything and conserve energy, if you want to stay up later. That's easy to do if you're simply cruising around the places. It's nearly impossible if you want to do this properly and embrace everything. So perhaps don't bother, just steel your mind.
If your body and mind are completely broken the next day, you did it right.
Directions -
If you're leaving from nearby Gunsan, there are bus lines open up directly to or from the Daecheon Beach bus terminal.
If that's unavailable, the train station, bus terminal and E-Mart is are at the same location in Boryeong, which is about 15 minutes away from Daecheon Beach by taxi, or 40 minutes by bus.
If you own a car, be prepared for congestion. Surprisingly, there are a lot of spaces for you to park. Some big parking lots can be found at the northeast side of the beach. Just don't end up on the wrong road, or you'll be stuck in there for quite some time.
Also, not a lot of people who own a car want to stay on the beach overnight. So there's more space after midnight.
At the beach, there are two main areas. The one on the north side, next to giant hotels and S&S Club, is the big one. This area is called Mud Square (머드광장) and people usually call it the main mud festival area. The other one is close to a pharmacy, Lotteria, a statue that looks like a tower and all the fish markets. This area is called Civic Tower Square (시민탑광장). In between the areas are a couple of coast guard or police stations.
The lost and found is near the northern part of Mud Square. S&S Club should be visible from there.
On the south side beyond the motel area there's a camping area. On the north side there's a zipline and one of the places where you can rent ATVs and electronic bikes.
There are a lot of bathrooms and a few places you can shower for a small fee. There aren't a lot of places you can eat without spending too much, and there's very little food per meal. There are proper restaurants hidden around the motel areas. And there's certainly no shortage of alcohol.
Some Notes -
- In my experience, half the time it's pouring rain, half the time it's blazing hot.
- Don't go to the beach when there's lightning. One struck within a hundred yards of me once. Stupid thing to do.
- For the newbies, don't drink someone else's alcohol, or leave your drink unattended. There are random drugs in there sometimes. Not worth saving alcohol.
- They won't let you go into the water 30 minutes after the sundown, 30 minutes before the sunrise, or during the rain. Some people have drowned people and their last words were, 'I'll be fine.' Bad business for everyone. And some of those rules are countrywide because North Korean coast guards keep their eyes on the water as well. Just imagine a crosshair on your chest if you swim in the ocean at night.
- Firecrackers, even those tiny handheld fireworks, are illegal. It makes too much litter, noise, pollution and sometimes they hurt people. My family was attacked by a clumsy lady once. you can still buy them because of the capitalism. But I'd be personally be happier if you couldn't.- For 'preparing everything', I'd include cold weather clothes as well. It could get pretty cold past midnight. And if your group booked a motel room, and if somebody likes the air conditioner too much, it might get too cold to sleep.
- In 2010, a motel, per person during the mudfest, cost an average of 70,000 won from my experience. In 2012 it was 160,000 won. It's MUCH cheaper with Adventure Korea. It's about 80,000 won including one night in a motel and bus from Seoul, Plus AK's separate programs.
- The mud in main area, or even the AK-programmed natural ocean mud, IS NOT CLEAN. It's infested by germs from thousands of people a day, not to mention ocean waste. It's okay to enjoy it temporarily. But wash it off ASAP if you don't like getting itchy. The mud from the fresh buckets or the bottles are cleaner, and if their advertisements can be believed, it's also good for your skin.
Links:
- Boryeong Mud Festival Homepage (English)
- Adventure Korea Homepage
~words and photography by Young Gun Park
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