Where to stay when skiing in Muju

Muju resort is the closest ski resort for us here in Jeollubok Province and so Farmboy and I have spent most of this and last ski season there. The last time we went, we camped (it was horribly cold but an adventure to say the least...click here to read more about camping in Muju). 

This time around we wanted to go with a group of friends and find a warm place to stay. There is accommodation at the resort itself, but you need to book before hand and it is quite expensive (we paid W150 000 a night for a tiny box of a room at one of the resorts) and so were looking for something a bit more budget friendly.

Muju town (where the bus terminal is) is a W25 000 taxi from the resort itself (you need to bear that in mind when making your way to the ski slopes). The resort area (ie where the actual slopes are) has a number of hotels around it which need to be booked in advance. Click here to read more about these hotels and to find information for booking. A short drive down the hill towards Muju Town and you'll find lots of ski rentals shops and Minbaks (a basic form of Korean guesthouse). If you drive to the bottom of the hill away from the slopes you'll come to a big intersection (there is a big CU convenience store on the corner). If you turn right and drive (or taxi) along that road you'll find a whole selection of much cheaper accommodation. There are also lots of restaurants (mostly Korean type food) and then eventually you'll come to Deogyusan National Park and the camping grounds. 

The day before our trip to Muju, we found this great webiste (click here) which lists a good selection of Pensions to stay at in Muju. The first one we called  (Dasup Pension) had space for the 6 of us and the owner spoke quite good english. It was as easy as that. It was clean and even had self catering facilities so you could take your own food and make your own meals.

The room we stayed in was Ondol style (so we slept on the floor) but there was enough bedding and blankets to ensure we at least were semi comfortable. It cost W130 000 for the night and so ended up costing us each W22 000. There are other style rooms for less people that include an actual bed. The owner was very friendly, had all the ski rental equipment needed and also offered lift passes. We rented our equipment from him (it was much cheaper than hiring at the resort) and he also offered to drop us off at the resort and fetch us again at the end of our ski session. The costs for rental were:

Skis & Poles W5 000

Jacket & Ski Pants W10 000

Here are some (terrible) snaps of the prices for this pension. You can call the owner, Mr Cheong Euk Shim on 063-322-3379 and find his website here: www.dasup.kr.

If you have any other recommendations for places to stay (or places you think people really should avoid!) please do let me know in the comments below.