Playing with Sheep

Unlike the US, where things such as petting zoos are common, in Korea, interaction with animals is relatively minimal. So, when given a chance to pet a farm animal, many Koreans take it. In Gangwando(강완도), the northeastern province of South Korea, there is the  Daegwallyeong Sheep Farm (대관령 양떼목장). It's a small plot of hilly, grassy land filled with roughly 200 sheep.

After paying an admission price, you are  allowed to go and pet and feed the sheep as well as walk around the paths that encircle the sheep farm. When you pay your admission, you are given a ticket that is worth one bowl of hay. After retrieving your hay, you can feed and pet the sheep.

The area is quite crowded, filled with mostly small children and retired adults. The sheep however, are friendly and hungry. It's easy to go up and pet and feed the sheep.

After feeding the sheep, you can walk along the scenic paths. For our group, this was our favorite part of the farm. The farm is located in the middle of Korea's rolling mountains which creates some breathtaking and camera-worthy sights.

The price of admission is 4,000 won per adult or 3,000 won per child. The farm opens at 9 am closes at 5 pm sharp, so make sure to get there on time. If you're traveling in Gangwando you might pass by the Daegwallyeong Sheep Farm. For a pit stop/leg stretch, it's worth going, however, the Daegwallyeong Sheep Farm is not worth going out of your way to see.

A Strange Little Tip

My friends and I discovered this trick when we traveled together recently. When we went on our trip, our group planner made us official looking name tags as a joke and made us wear them. By wearing them, we actually ended up looking like an official tour group.

What made this unique however, was how interested people were in our little "tour group." With a mix of Koreans and foreigners, it looked like quite an odd yet interesting tour group, and we were thus stopped frequently asking how we knew each other or how we found this tour group. At many points at our stops, the owner(s) of the establishment would come out and greet, offering a free private tour or free service.

Free, private tour of Terarosa Cafe

So, a little Korean travel trick if you're traveling in a group, wear official looking name tags. Who knows, maybe you'll get a free private tour or some extra service as well.

Picture of us with the Vice President and founder of Terarosa Cafe