Travel Log | A Scenic Drive through Namhae to Busan with RusstyArt

So, let's just unpack that for a moment. Yes, there is a little German town in South Korea, and yes I drove solo through that town and onto Busan. Not sure what I was thinking.

This part of my South Korean journey took me to the beautiful island of Namhae in South Gyeongsang Province.

I was determined to get the Boriam Temple in the south west part of the island, but I was also on a tight schedule in order to make it to Busan for the International Fireworks Festival. That story coming soon. There were no trains, tours or buses that were going to meet my needs.

Kakao Maps: Route from Suncheon to Busan 294 km / 5:50

So, I hired a car. Madness. For us lefties, driving on the right hand side in a foreign country is challenging enough. But the street signs! Oh my god! In fairness, there was actually English on some of the signs, and that's more than I got when I asked for directions.

I picked up the car in Suncheon, and gave myself 24 hours to tick all my boxes (5 stops in total) and make it to Busan on time:

Daraengi Village
Namhae German Village
Boriam Hermitage
Dongpirang Village
Geoje

The distance to Busan was about six hours, but I only had to cover five before stopping overnight in Geoje. Pffft. Easy.

I wasn't more than an hour out of Suncheon when I got myself into a hot mess over a toll gate, which did NOT have any English signs.

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Daraengi Village

My first stop on the island was Daraengi Village, known for its terraced rice paddies, set on a steep hill in the south overlooking the Sea of Japan. The view across the ocean, and up toward the hills behind the village was beautiful, but sadly, I arrived just after harvest, and missed the photo op I was looking for.

Namhae German Village

Not sure why I was so surprised to come across a German settlement in a foreign land, after all there were many early German settlers in my home town. But this one is different, and it's kind of shiny and new-ish.

In the 1960s and 70s, thousands of South Korean nurses and miners went to West Germany as part of the Gastarbeiter (guest worker) programme to help fill the labour shortages after World War II. Many stayed long after their work contracts had expired. But later, as they approached retirement, some were lured back to South Korea, after the Namhae government held presentations throughout Germany.

The village now boasts around 20 houses, has its own Oktoberfest and runs a food cooperative which sells odd looking bratwurst to suckers like me.

Boriam Hermitage

Boriam Hermitage or temple stands atop Geumsan Mountain, with views over the Hallyeohaesang National Park, and the islands of the Namhae Sea. It's a stunning location by any measure, and sets this house of prayer apart.

The history of the temple can be traced back to the 7th century and is apparently one of the most "prestigious prayer spots in Korea.".

It's a tricky place to get to, which is why I elected to drive, but you also reach the temple by Namhae Bus 500 , or by one of several tours operating throughout the Namhae area.

Dongpirang Village

Dongpirang village, which lies on a hillside overlooking the town of Tongyeong and the port of Gangguan, has been re-vitalised by street art, murals and paintings which adorn the walls in the area.

It all started in 2007 when the local government invited artists from all over the country to put their mark on this sleepy township.

It's an absolute "mecca" for selfie takers, which made it a little challenging to capture the shots in my gallery, but it was worth the wait.

This was a big day, and it was getting dark, so I moved on to Geoje for an overnight stop, before the final drive into Busan in the morning.

I was originally drawn to South Korea for its rugged natural beauty, and while it didn't disappoint, I found way more than that, and one day, I'll be back.