[WEEKEND GETAWAY] Enjoy 'petcance' with your furriends at these locations this summer

K-campus

Published: 01 Jul. 2023, 13:55 Updated: 06 Jul. 2023, 17:53

[WEEKEND GETAWAY] Enjoy 'petcance' with your furriends at these locations this summer

Taean Daengdaeng Bus package, run by Petsgo and Korea Tourism Organization, offers a tour that is dog-friendly and enjoyable for both the dog and the dog owners. [BAEK JONG-HYUN]

Summer vacation is the sweetest part of the season. Imagine going on a "petcation," a vacation with your pet. It would be an ultimate paradise. Pet owners who go on long trips often miss their animal companions, and so do their furriends. If you are among those who don't want to leave their animal friends behind, the Korea JoongAng Daily has the following recommendations for your petcation this summer.

Petsgo "Petkage" Trip

Farmkamille in Taean, South Chungcheong, currently runs a hydrangea festival up to July 31. [BAEK JONG-HYUN]

There are multiple things you have to keep in mind when traveling with your animal friend, and the list is endless — checking whether there is a weight limit for pet companions, if you need a cage and if the pet is allowed to travel by your side.

For this reason, package trips that have everything planned out for you come in handy. With the Korea Tourism Organization, Petsgo offers "petkage" services — a portmanteau of "pet" and "package" — including transportation, accommodation and tourist spots that are open for both humans and animals.

A good example is Daengdaeng Bus Package to Taean County, South Chungcheong. The term "daengdaeng" is a cute way of referring to puppies in Korean since the Korean letters in the word resemble the word "puppy" in Korean. The package trip to Taean consists of a yoga session with your dog on the white sand of Kkotji Beach on the first day and hanging out and enjoying hydrangeas at Farmkamille on the second day.

Farmkamille is a farm currently running a hydrangea festival until July 31. The trip does not only save you the hassle of having to shortlist the dog-friendly destinations, but it allows you to make new friends for both yourself and your pet. While the package does not include accommodation, the organizers have a list of pet-friendly accommodations you can book.

Convenience as the main perk aside, the Daengdaeng package trip comes with various options and offers pick-up services in Seoul. If you are tired of rallying back and forth between nearby parks and dog cafes, hop on a creative journey with Daengdaeng Bus.

Petsgo
@petsgotravel
Phone number: 02-322-0777
Website: https://www.petsgo.kr/

Ban-life Daengdaengi Chartered Flight

A dog passport is given to those who take the chartered flight to Jeju, run by Ban-life and Hi Air. [BAN-LIFE]

According to Jeju Air, the number of pets traveling on airplanes nearly tripled since 2019, exceeding 20,000 in total last year. In accordance with the increase in pet-accompanied flights, multiple pet-friendly services are appearing, one of them being Daengdaengi Jeju Charter Flights.

Planned out by a dog-friendly service platform Ban-life and Hi Air, the private plane alternates between Gimpo International Airport and Jeju International Airport. If your dog weighs 10 kilograms (22 lbs) or under, the pet can travel with you in the cage.

Since most airlines place the pets in a separate area or limit the space of the cage to underneath the seat, flying while sharing frequent eye contact with the pet is a huge plus for many pet owners.

The round-way ticket costs 498,000 won ($378), and each flight has 50 seats, which get sold out within minutes after they go on sale.

One special service included in this flight is a designated daengdaengi passport for your dog. If you need further help with the itinerary once you land in Jeju, Ban-life's official website and the Jeju Tourism Organization's Visit Jeju list pet-friendly accommodations and destinations.

Daengdaengi Jeju Chartered Flight
@banlife_official
Gimpo and Jeju round-way flight, 498,000 won

Mung Beach

Mung Beach, Gangwon, is the nation's first dog-only beach in Korea, in operation since 2016. [PETSGO]

A summer vacation could not be complete without a day out at the beach. Usually, pets are not banned from beaches. However, it is common to see many of them with a sign prohibiting pet entrance during the crowded summertime for safety issues. Nonetheless, there is no need to be discouraged since there are designated beaches welcoming dogs.

One famous example is Mung Beach in Yangyang County, Gangwon. The name of the beach is inspired by the barking sound of a dog in Korean. Mung Beach is Korea's first dogs-only beach that has been in operation since 2016.

It is open for only 45 days in total every year, this year from July 7 to Aug. 20. Currently, you can get a 10 percent discount on admission tickets through Naver or Mung Beach app, where you can book an entrance ticket directly available for use.

If you search the venue on social media, you'll see happy faces of dogs relaxing underneath a pile of sand or dogs excitedly running along the waterline in lifevests. There is a simple shower facility for dogs to quickly wash away the sand and the seawater after a swimming session.

Mung Beach
@meong.beach
78-20 Gwangjin-ri, Hyeon-nam myeon, Yangyang, Gangwon
Business hours: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. (Open from July 8 - Aug. 20 this year)
Admission fee: 5,000 won per person, 5,000 - 15,000 won per pet depending on the weight
Website: http://mungbeach.kr/

"Petcance" at L'escape

Pets are allowed at L'escape Hotel, Jung District, central Seoul, and are treated with special dog gifts during the stay. [L'ESCAPE HOTEL]

"Hocance," a portmanteau of "hotel" and "vacance," a French word for holiday, is a well-rooted trend among Generation MZ in Korea. Along with the trend, "petcance" also became a thing.

Hotels are usually reluctant to let pets in due to customer complaints and safety issues, but not at L'escape Hotel in Jung District, central Seoul. L'escape Hotel is one of Korea's most well-known pet-friendly hotels, operating since 2018.

There are six different types of pet rooms to choose from, starting from 'Classic' and leveling up to a bougie option of 'Corner Suite.' A typical petcance goes like this: the pet owner checks in, carries the pet in the pet stroller, orders room service, enjoys the pet amenities and says good night to the dog on the designated pet bed.

L'escape Hotel is currently running an early summer event that offers room upgrades and amenity gifts to those who book a room until July 14.

If you are on the search for somewhere away from Seoul, Kensington Resort in Chungju runs a special pet-friendly care service for free. Kenny, a general manager and a hotelier of this resort, is an energetic border collie who gets paired up with the visiting dogs to hang out together at the Dog Waterpark and the indoor playground. The service is free and highly popular, so make sure to reserve a spot in advance.

L'escape Hotel
67 Toegye-ro, Jung District, Seoul
Phone number: 02-317-4000
Website: https://www.lescapehotel.com/

BY BAEK JONG-HYUN, KIM DONG-EUN [kim.dongeun@joongang.co.kr]