We chose The Suites Namwon for an extened stay vacation during the summer of 2021. It was actually a hybrid remote working holiday of sorts. The suites has a main building with a variety of standard hotel rooms, but there are also a few stand alone structures- Americans would refer to them as bungalows, while in Korea it could be classified as a villa. Ours was a two bedroom two bath unit. There of course was a beautiful scenic living room with a big bay window. Our family of three was quite comfortable. During the pandemic- many hotels in Seoul had restrictions, but in Namwon (Jeolla Province) there were no such restrictions and we saw a few wedding parties and big groups. A new pool area was under construction as well.
The Suites is a short drive from Jiri Mountain National Park, which offers a beautiful driving course, streamside hikes, and a three generation family of bears (which we did not see). The national park is very rugged with dense forests that are unnavigable without a well established trail. Because the mountain is so big and the vegetation so dense- it does feel cooler as you climb in elevation, and it being August it was a nice reprieve from the near topical heat.
The Hotel restaurant is not worth eating at. Instead try the local food. The region is known for its fresh ingredients, mountain herbs, mudfish soup, and noodles. You really can’t go wrong. Every restaurant we ate at was better that what is offered in Seoul. There are few walking paths near the hotel, but they are pretty short. It was enough to enjoy an after dinner stroll. Be advised- if you walk on the rural roads be aware of dogs. We got caught off guard a few times during our evening walkabouts.
Jeolla Province is a bass fishing playground. It has some very productive lakes and nearly every river holds a good population of bass. One of my favorites spots is Jangseong Reservoir. It is long, narrow, and sits at the base of Jangseong National Park. The water is clear year round and most of the shoreline has nice rocky structure. The Jangseong fish also fight incredibly well. Largemouth bass aren’t know for their strength. You can usually get a few good jumps, but the Jangseong fish like to bulldog you, and on the fly rod it can catch you off guard. It is about an hour drive from Namwon, but there is certainly water much closer.