Just as Damyang is synonymous with bamboo, mention Boseong-gun (Boseong County) to any Korean and they'll immediately think of green tea. The region reportedly produces nearly 70% of the country's tea leaves.

This area is one of my favorite places in South Korea regardless of the season, but the best time to visit is spring, when there is a Dahyangje Festival (The Aroma of Tea Festival) in early May and when you can watch women harvest the bright green new leaves by hand.

Yulpo is a seaside town just down the mountain from the Boseong tea fields. There you will find hot springs where you can soak in green tea baths, enjoy foods made with green tea, and stay in an inexpensive yeogwan or minbak near the ocean. Yulpo beach is best visited in July or August, when the water is at its warmest.