Mud Pool

Here's another video of one of the most popular activities during the Mud Festival:

Mud Activities

This year, five of my friends are coming with me to the mud festival to have the time of our lives. I just cannot wait to spend more time with. I know that this year will be another time for us to bond together. And where else could we better do that but in the mud.

So..what should we do this year...hmmm...mud slide, mud bath, mud challenge, ormud skiing? Oh there are just lots of activities! There are just too many...I can't decide. But I know it will be more fun this year!

Boryeong Mud Festival Photos

I went to Korea and heard about the Boryeong Mud Festival held at the Daecheon Beach. I wanted to know what the hype was all about so I went for the first time. I have to admit I was so exhilarated I just had to come back.

And true indeed, I had fun! Here are some photos..

The Many Benefits of Mud

I did my research and found that the mud in Boryeong have minerals like Germanium and Bentonite which are supposed to be good for the skin. These studies were conducted by Korean research institutions like the Korean Institute of Standards and Science and the Korean Research Institute of Chemical Technology.

Here's an interesting article I found. Read on:

Mud treatment options have proved to be vastly popular with spa goers around the world. Despite the popularity of the treatments, questions and confusion over the use and benefits of the "mud" continue to surface.

An issue that is commonly confused is the actual use of "mud" in salons and spas. Products and treatments are often labeled as “mud” in order to simplify the product for consumers as well as for lack of a different term. It is this term that may have lead people to question whether their mud bath is not really filled with an expensive version of mud from their backyard, and could in fact be a dirty and unsanitary practice. Backyard mud contains high levels of toxins, such as lead and bacteria which can in fact have detrimental effects on the skin. Fortunately, most spas and salons utilize mud consisting of seaweed, volcanic ash, clay as well as other mineral rich substances which are mixed with natural or spring water. The Dead Sea mud is still recognized as one of the most beneficial forms of mud available, due to its high concentration in salt and minerals.

But is the mud bath still sanitary when other spa goers have bathed in the same bath as well? Well the answer is yes. You will be happy to know that the mud bath is sterilized after each use. This is usually done by adding boiling water to the mud for 15 mins and then draining it away after each mud bath is taken. The mud is also often raked and new mud is added after each visit. This ensures that the mud is sterile and fresh, guaranteeing a healthy and positive experience.

Besides the relaxation benefits of mud treatments, the mud also has a number of benefits on both the skin and body. The mud aids with blood circulation, skin detoxification and purification, removal of blackheads and blemishes, has anti-ageing properties as well as other added benefits. Depending on the type of mud used and its ingredients, it can be used for both cosmetic and healing purposes. Due to its water solubility, mud allows the skin to absorb nutrients from it or other products applied along with it.

Home based mud treatments are also now widely available, however they do not compare to the therapeutic experience received at a spa or skin clinic. The natural ingredients in mud products stain clothing and fabric and it is difficult to cover your entire body with mud. For this reason alone, a visit to your local spa may be the best way to experience a healthy and relaxing mud treatment.

Source

Summer "Mudding" Happens So Fast

Summertime in Korea is almost here. It’s here now actually and I am excited as to how my Summer 2008 will be more fun. I already went swimming 2 weeks ago and this weekend, I am going on a hike with friends.

Next July though, I think will be the highlight of my summer since my bestfriend and I, together with our co-employees will be going to the Boryeong Mud Festival. As you already know, I haven’t missed joining the mud festival eversince I went there the first time. Because I tell you, It’s just so much fun.

Mud Time, Fun Time

I have found a new way to escape and have fun. Every year, a special kind of festival is held in Boryeong City in Korea. In Daecheon Beach, thousands of people, both Korean and non-Korean come together for one purpose: to have fun in the mud! Yes, I go to Korea every year during summer to bathe, swim, ski, dance in mud!

I didn’t know what to expect the first time I went there but good thing I went with my best friend so both of us had a lot of fun. The next year, we brought our families and friends with us and it was double the fun.

G-Jay - Mudfest 2007 - Enough

The Boryeong Mud Festival is not all about mud. Great music can be expected. Watch the video:

Enjoying the Mud Massage

Why would Koreans and foreigners like me want to do this in the first place? The answer is more than meets the eye. Aside from the obvious fun of doing all sorts of things while covered in mud, it is the beneficial nature of the mud itself for the skin that draws thousands of people into Daecheon Beach in Boryeong.

I happen to enjoy the mud massage after a tiring day of playing like crazy and like a kid in the mud. Good thing there is such mud massage in the Boryeong. I really can’t wait for next month’s trip to the beach!

Fireworks at the Boryeong Festival

Here's a video of the fireworks during a Boryeong Festival. Wonderful indeed!

Boryeong Fun

When I go to the Boryeong, I see to it that I enjoy myself, the attractions, and the time with the people there, especially with my friends and family. It’s not all year round that there is the great mud of Daecheon Beach to play on and get crazy so I see to it that I join the festival and bathe in the mud.

After bathing in the mud for a little while, I start to feel a tightening sensation on my skin. It is said that the mud contains certain minerals that actually makes the skin firmer and seemingly younger. Just great. I really need this because going to the derma and the spa can be a bit expensive at times.

Why Daecheon Mud is Good

The mud at the Daecheon Beach during the Boryeong is said to be good for the skin. It brings a lot of healthful benefits such as making the skin tighter and firmer, leaving a person feel invigorated or refreshed…more beautiful actual with a new glow.

I go crazy playing at the mud and at the same time get to beautify myself. Crazy huh?The mud also strips skin of old and dead skin cells. Not only do I get the chance to be like a kid again and go crazy in the mud, I also subconsciously take care of my skin as I get carried away by the mud.

Dancing Girl

I'll never get enough of checking out for Boryeong Videos because I'm just so excited! I'm counting the days before the Boryeong Festival finally starts. Anyway, here's another video I saw. Looks like fun eh?

Boryeong Mud Has Minerals

As a kid, I used to play in the mud and get myself all dirty. This angered my parents, especially my mother because she washes all my clothes. But now that I am older, I make my own decisions and I have decided to play in the mud at the Boryeong Mud Festival for the sake of fun and the benefits for the skin.

I'm sure if my mother found out that I plan to bathe in mud, she'll think I'm nuts. But the mud in the Daecheon Beach is not dirty or filthy. In fact, it is filled with minerals that supposedly makes skin more firm and tight. For sure, the mud in the Boryeong Festival is cleaner and safer to bathe in than an ordinary puddle of mud.

Lather on Some Boryeong Mud

If you happen to be in the Boryeong Mud Festival, it is a must that you get a mud massage. There are other activities as well that involve mud and all its benefits for your skin, like mud bathing and skiing. Yes, taking care of your skin had never been this fun before. Daecheon Beach is waiting. So, what are you waiting for?

I have to admit, I have never looked at mud the same way again after "experiencing" it myself. It is said that the mud from the Daecheon Beach actually contains minerals which are good for the skin. I never thought I would swim in the mud and put it on my face! I noticed that my skin felt tighter and firmer after doing all that.

Will Will Sing?

I don't know who Will is but the video is sure funny. Enjoy!

Why Get a Mud Massage

Mud has a handful of benefits for the skin. It makes skin tighter, firmer and it also clears away old and dead skin cells. Hence, a mud massage helps invigorate the skin. When I am at Daecheon Beach, I make sure that I get a mud massage because is also relaxes me. After playing and bathing in the mud, all I want to do is get a mud massage so I can finally relax and feel refreshed.

Some people think that mud is just wet dirt that is filthy. But, mud in the Boryeong Festival at the Daecheon Beach is clean, especially during the mud festival season. It is also good for the skin.

Boryeong Mud is Interesting

It is an understatement that Boryeong has a lot of mud. It is not surprising why every year, the famous Boryeong Mud festival is held in Daecheon Beach. This year, it will be the 11th anniversary of the Boryeong Festival. I can not wait for the festival to begin!

One of the interesting spectacles in the Boryeong Festival is the mud prison where people are placed inside a cell filled with mud. It is not unusual that people are willing to lock themselves in the cell for the sake of fun. Other more pro-active mud activities include the popular mud bath, mud skiing, and the difficult mud challenge where people have to finish an obstacle course made more challenging by of course, mud.

Mud Slide

Going to the Boryeong Mud Festival is always best when you do it with friends. Remember the first time I went there? I was with my bestfriend and it was all fun! Maybe because I was with a very special friend. But really, even if I go there alone, I know I would still have fun with all the people who go there.

If I went there alone, I would have played on the mud slide all day long. There is something about the going up then going down the slide. Okay, so the slide is perfect for the kids but adults like me can still enjoy sliding. This July, I think I might want to spend more time there instead of mud skiing.

Korean Countryside

Mud Massage is Wonderful

I don't understand why some people don't like the mud. Sure, they look dirty but actually they're not. In fact, the mud found on the Daecheon Beach at the Boryeong City especially during the mud festival season is clean and is good for the skin.

Skin can feel tight and firmer when applied with some mud. Get a mud massage and feel invigorated. This I usually do when I am on the beach because it simply relaxes me. You know, after a fun but tiring day playing on the mud, I deserve to relax right? So yeah, the mud massage is my number one choice to feel refreshed and less tired.

G-Jay - Mudfest 2007 - Johnny B. Goode

Fun in Daecheon

Boryeong is rich in mud. No doubt about it. That is why, the Daecheon Beach is home to the famous Mud Festival that is held every year. Like most of my family and friends, I am looking forward to going to the Daecheon Beach for the festival. This year, it's gonna be the 11th Boryeong Festival and I am certain it'll be a blast as usual.

For sure, the mud prison will still be open. The mud bath, mud skiing, and the mud challenge will perhaps be the most popular attractions since they have always been fun and exciting.

Muddy dancing ajummas

I saw this on YouTube. Something worth sharing:

Playing in the Mud

When I was a kid, my parents, especially my mother, would get mad at me for playing in the mud. Now that I'm an adult, I am sure they won't scold me for playing in the mud at the Boryeong Mud Festival. Okay, so they should not know about it but I will tell them after I go there.

I wonder why they wouldn't let me play in the mud when it's all good. The mud isn't really dirty. In fact, it's filled with minerals. Or maybe because the mud I used to play in isn't like what Daecheon Beach currently have. Yeah, Boryeong mud is way cleaner than the common puddle of mud you see after the rain.

Mud Makes Me Beautiful

I must say that the mud is one wonderful gift from above. The mud found on the Daecheon Beach is actually healthy with all the minerals. You can either swim in the mud or put it on your face. You'll notice that your skin will feel firmer and tighter.

During the Boryeong Mud Festival, make sure that you try getting a mud massage after playing in the mud bath or spending time in the mud skiing area. Since the mud is more popular for its benefits, you can never be too late in taking advantage of it. The beach is now calling you. Hope to see you on the Boryeong beach next July.

Mud Festival Fireworks

Daechon Beach, Boryeong , South Korea
Annual mud festival .

Great fireworks set to music...

Boryeong is Fun Alright

I will not forget my first experience at the Boryeong Festival. It was a hot summer afternoon and I did not know what exactly to expect. All I knew was that there was a lot of people and of course, fun in the mud.

This Korean Festival is the reason why many Koreans and tourists flock to the Daecheon Beach every summer. It has become a popular event that brings in more and more people year after year. Playing in the mud has never been done on such a large, organized, coordinated and multi-cultural fashion. And it had never been this fun.

Seafood at the Shore

If you like seafood, you will not run out of good choices from the many restaurants along the beach. After playing in the mud and doing all sorts of fun activities, people can just wash up and enjoy wonderful seafood.

In addition to the various activities involving mud, seafood restaurants line the shore of the Daecheon Beach. Hence, the place is always alive and full of people especially during summer when locals and tourists flock to this paradise.

Enjoying the Mud Festival

There is a reason why in Boryeong the event is called “Mud Festival.” The celebrated mud of the Daecheon beach has created one of the most wonderful events in Korea.

Koreans and foreigners alike look forward to the festival every year. As more and more people come, the festival has turned into an event that should not be missed.

Though only a few years old, the festival has easily become a favorite because playing in mud was never before done on such a massive, celebrated scale.

Playing in mud may seem preposterous to some people but if done in the company of friends and other people willing to have fun, the Mud Festival can be a most memorable experience.

Covered in Boryeong Mud

The mud is actually the tourist attraction. People bathe in it and do all sorts of activities while covered in it because it does wonders for the skin. Korean scientists say that the mud in Boryeong contain certain minerals that are actually good for the skin.

The Boryeong Festival is something I look forward to every July. It is held in Daecheon Beach which turns into a busy tourist spot. I come for the mud which the city of Boryeong is known for. I am just one of many tourists that flock to the festival every year.

Down, down, and dirty with it!

To shove oneself in mud seems like something only a crazy person would do. But in the Boryeong Mud Festival, my friends and I did exactly this! The sand of the Daeachon beach in Korea is rich in minerals and is actually good for the skin as it exfoliates and clears away old and dead skin cells. Getting “dirty” never felt so good.

In addition, mud cosmetics and massages are available. These help prevent skin aging. Mud may help tighten the skin and make it more firm.

The lure of the mud festival is not so much the “dirt” that is good for the skin. What attracts people is the activities that can only be enjoyed while covered in mud – mud wrestling, bathing, skiing, sliding, There is also the famous but difficult “mud challenge that involves a series of tasks to be accomplished while completely covered in mud.

Boys of Summer

I'll be posting Boryeong vids here for you to enjoy and see what Boryeong is all about. :)

Covered in Boryeong Mud

Getting covered in mud is something that I look forward to each year. Every July, the Daecheon Beach is a busy tourist spot because of the yearly Boryeong Festival. The Boryeong City is blessed to be rich in mud and other natural resources that is why more and more people visit there every year during summer.

Mud cosmetics are known to become excellent products from Boryeong. It's because the mud at the Daecheon Beach has such an excellent effect on the skin. Even some Korean scientific institutions say that the Boryeong mud minerals are really beneficial.

Get down and dirty with it!

Get down and dirty! That's what my friends always tell me the first time I went to the Boryeong Mud Festival. You see, the Deachon Beach abound in mud that is rich in minerals perfect for the skin. It may seem dirty but no it's not and it does wonders to the skin.

Getting down and dirty is just an expression because the mud isn't really dirty. Mud activities are the best since you don't always get to do things like mud wrestle, mud bath, mud ski, mud slide, or join the difficult mud challenge.

Also, the mad cosmetics and mud massage are made available to bring a number of benefits such as prevention of skin aging. Mud can tighten the skin and make it firmer so try to get a mud massage or mud facial after a really tiring day of playing on the mud beach.

Enjoying the Mud Festival

Enjoying the mud during the Boryeong Festival like there's a party s always fun. It's the mud that makes it the festival one of the best events in Korea.

The Boryeong Festival, as a great event in the country, is one of the most looked forward to festival. Since it started a few years ago, Korean locals, foreigners, and tourists find the Boryeong Mud Festival such a special traditional that shouldn't be missed every year.

Even it's a newly started festival, the mud festival has become one of the most favorite summer events of visitors because playing in the mud is just something.

Playing in the mud can be a bit difficult since you might slip and slide all the time but that's what makes the Mud Festival all the more fun and memorable especially when you go with friends.

Seafood Loving at the Boryeong

There are a great number of seafood restaurants that can be found along the beach shore during the Boryeong Festival. Actually, even if it's not the mud festival, Daechon Beach is full of life. But it is during the summer that the famous beach becomes paradise to many Korean locals and tourists.

If you dig seafood, you can choose from the many fine restaurants you can find at the beach. After playing in the mud, you can just wash up and enjoy some more time with friends over a hearty meal.

Fun, Fun Festival

It was a hot summer afternoon but it was all fun. Why? Because Boryeong Mud Festival just started.I remember the first time I went to the Daechon Beach for this fun and crazy festival.

All good things happen on the beach especially when it's the Boryeong Mud Festival. The festival is an annual event in Korea that has been attracting tourists from all over the world, of all ages. Summer is really the best time for the Boryeong Festival to be held since the weather is warm and playing on the mud is all fun and memorable for every participant.

Enjoying the Boryeong Mud

Boryeoung Mud Festival is a yearly festival that brings all types of crowd to the Daechon Beach for a few days of playing in the mud via the mud bath, mud slide, mud ski, and mud prison attractions. It is usually held in summer in Korea, perfect for those who like to spend more time outdoors with friends.

The mud found at the Daechon Beach is believed to be good for the skin. I agree with this because after I got a mud massage, my skin has tightened and has become firmer. The Boryeong mud has got minerals that bring many benefits to the skin.

Not only geeks and crazy groupies go to the Boryeong Mud Festival because almost all types of people of different ages go to the Dancheon Beach to enjoy the mud.

Boryeong Mud Festival: Great Beach Party

Partying at the beach has always been fun. But what makes it more fun is mud! Yes, that dirty and slimy mud can make one's stay at the Daechon Beach more exciting especially during the Boryeong Mud Festival.

The Boryeong is described as Korea's greatest festival because it has attracted hundreds of thousands of visitors in just a span of few years. The Mud Festival speaks a lot about the culture and lifestyle in Korea that is happy and fun. Everyone who participates at the Boryeong Festival is sure to leave the beach and go home with a smile on his or her face.

Both Korean locals and people from nearby countries, as well as, foreigners who work in South Korea have found a new annual tradition in the Boryeong Mud event. It's fairly a new festival held in Korea but it has proved to be an exciting and memorable one for more people.

Why Mud Wresting is Cool

One of the many favorites of Boryeong Mud Festival goers is the mud wrestling. It is one of the most highlighted events in the Daecheon Beach during the mud festival season because it brings a different kind of joy to the wrestlers and even the audience.

Mud wrestling, as a different and difficult sport during the mud festival, becomes more exciting to watch especially if your friends are playing. As they get all dirty, rowdy, and crazy on the mud, it's fun to see them wrestle with each other and then slip or slide at times. It's such a tricky thing to do because mud can be a bit slimy and gooey at times making it more difficult to move and wrestle.

Try mud wrestling for yourself and see why mud wrestling is so much cool.

The Mud Crowd Gets Crazier

Expect a huge crowd to greet you each year that you go to the Daecheon Beach for the Boryeong Festival. The annual mud festival has been attracting more locals and even tourists because of its different appeal to all types of people, both young and old alike.The 3-hour drive beach from Seoul seems to be a challenge for those who can't sit still inside any vehicle for more than an hour but once you get to the Mud Festival, the travel is just worth the wait.

More and more people go to the beach to get dirty in the mud. It is a known fact that the mud is very good for the skin that is why there are many tourists who choose to soak in the mud, hoping they'll have a smooth skin after. Some people, on the other hand, find it more fun to play and wrestle in the mud. Getting crazy like kids is the norm when in the Daecheon Beach for the Mud Festival because after all, that's what the festival is all about.

Some More Mud Activities

Going to the Boryeong mud festival always excites me because I get to witness a lot of interesting events like the mud slide, mud wrestling, mud skiing, as well as the very difficult mud challenge and the hilarious mud king contest. I see to it that every year in July, I visit the Daecheon Beach for some more fun and memorable moments at the mud festival with friends.

If one goes to the beach all clean and pretty, expect that he or she will never come out of the beach without having some mud on the face or better yet, the whole body. Until you get dirty with mud on your face and body, you can never go out of the mud prison. Some people actually choose to be imprisoned because getting more mud all over is fun.

Other fun activities at the Boryeong Mud Festival include silt extreme training for some really VIPs allowing them to go through training activities, human pyramid, and games all played while on the slimy mud. It's something Koreans and tourists alive shouldn't miss.

Mud Fights and Mud Wrestling at the 10th Boryeong Festival

I've been looking for random videos when I saw another video about the upcoming Boryeong Mud Festival. Watching the video makes me more excited than ever!

Alone on the Mud...not really

Darn! I am a bit pissed because my bestfriend can't come with me to the Boryeong Mud Festival this year because she's going to Japan for a work assignment. Sigh. It's been our tradition every year but looks like we won't be able to come together this year. Oh how I'll miss her ski. I just think going to the mud beach without her will be so much different.

But hey, I will still go. And I have all the right to go right? After all, I still have my other friends and my family to go with me. Ever since we invited them to go to the Mud Festival, they got excited to go each year too. Maybe because of the many activities in the festival that they want to experience and enjoy over and over again.

This year though, I am not sure where to focus. The mud prison perhaps? Oh wait, I think I'll skip it this year since my bestfriend and I promised each other that we should be together in the mud prison.

Mud Bath for Babies and Old Babes

On the 3rd year of my going to the Boryeong Mud Festival, my bestfriend and I decided to invite our families and join us. Of course, every one in our families can join but only our siblings did. Our parents just said they were too old for such craziness so they let us go on our own instead.

And guess what just happened, we had twice as fun as the previous years because we came with our sibs. It actually became more of a family activity since my family and my best friend's family know each other since we were kids so it's like we were one big family who came to enjoyed the mud.

I even took my younger sisters to the mud bath and the mud slide because for me the slide is one famous activity that every mud festival goer should not miss no matter how old or young.

Video: Korean Mud Festival

I was browsing through Boryeong videos and YouTube when I found this:

Get Challenged at the Mud Challenge

I think I will never ran out of stories to tell about the Boryeong Mud Festival. You see, ever since I went there four years ago, I've been going to the Mud Festival every year. And every year, I and my companions see to it that we enjoy more of one or two activities as highlights of that year's festival at least for us.

The first year, like I already said in my previous blog, my bestfriend and I joined the mud challenge and enjoyed the mud slide. The next year though, we spent more time in mud skiing. Okay, I know it's a bit childish but the challenge of having to impossibly ski through the mud and get to a destination was what made it one hilarious activity for us. I'm not sure about how many times I fell but it sure was more than 5 times. Hahaha! I'm such a klutz but hey, the mud ski was really no joke.

Mud Festival Slide is a lot of fun!

I will never forget the first time I went to the Mud Festival. Man, that was really crazy I had so much fun. I used to enjoy playing in the mud when I was a kid but my mom would always scold me for getting so dirty because it means she would have to wash my dirty nearly trashy clothes. I had fun then playing with my friends, neighbors,and cousins.

That is why I went crazy when I played in the mud once again at the Daecheon Beach for the Boryeong when I went there some 4 years ago. I went with Mimi, my bestfriend and we had a blast. I'll never forget the mud slide and when we joined the mud challenge. It was a bit difficult to finish..actually, we didn't finish but it was okay since we ended up laughing anyway.

PS: The girls in the photo are not us. Just got it from the Internet. Sorry, I didn't have my digicam then.

Boryeong Mud Festival Video

Here's a video of the Boryeong Mud Festival:

Now don't get muddy?

When you were growing up did your mother often say ``now don't get muddy''? When we think of mud we usually think of it as something we loved as children but try to avoid as adults. Saturday, diplomats and their families, foreign media and other invited guests of the International Friendship Club Korea (IFC) got a little muddy _ on purpose, that is. Two IFC buses traveled from Seoul to Boryeong on Korea's west coast so guests could participate in the opening day of the 10th Annual Boryeong Mud Festival.

Judging from IFC guests' reactions and the celebratory mood in Boryeong city and Daecheon Beach, the festival lives up to its designation, appointed by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, as a ``Best Festival.''

Mud about mud

You can swim in it, slather it all over your body and even wrestle in it. RITA JONG joins the thousands of tourists in Boryeong for a dirty good time at the annual Mud Festival HAVE mud, will travel. That was the motto of some 320,000 locals and foreigners who thronged the 320,000 locals and foreigners who thronged the streets of Boryeong, South Korea, for the 10th Mud Festival in the summer.

Hailed as one of the most celebrated events in the world, the summertime Mud Festival has, over the years, attracted foreigners from all over the world.

Boryeong City is a blessed city

Boryeong City is a blessed city that is often called Manseboryeong because it has had plentiful resources, beautiful mountains, and clean water from old times and the people here have lived in comfort for generations.

16 types of cosmetics, such as mudpacks, were developed by processing good quality sea mud gathered from the pure foreshore neighboring Deacheon Beach in July 1996.
The product from Boryeong radiates lots of infrared rays which is beneficial to human body and since the ingredient content of germanium, mineral, bentonite is higher than foreign products, the excellent effect on the skin was proven by domestic prominent research institute such as the Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science.

Koreans enjoy mud beach

Always good to have IotDs of people in joy. These S. Koreans are participating in the seventh annual Boryeong Mud Festival in Daecheon. Looks like the mud there is grayish? Googling for the festival finds the following speculations about it: The mud from Boryeong radiates long infrared rays and contains minerals, germanium and bentonite an indispensable cosmetic constituent. Also, cleansing form stimulates blood circulation, slow aging, reduces wrinkles and removes excess oil and dirt from your skin.

The Best Festival

Saturday I went to Daecheon Beach where they held the 10th annual Boryeong Mud Festival . This was designated as the best festival to attend by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. It took 2 hours to get there, and only stayed for a few hours, but I wish I could have stayed more. It felt excitingly dirty to get covered up in mud. The most expensive thing about the trip was dinner, when we had ???? (grilled seafood) ~30,000 KRW. You'd imagine seafood would be a LOT cheaper than that. Bus fare was only like 8,000 KRW.

Let's get dirty !

"Let's get dirty," was my theme for this past weekend, where I visited the 10th anniversary, of the Boryeong Mud Festival. I went with the "Adventure Korea" tour group, to Daechon Beach, which is two hours south west of Seoul, on the yellow sea. The mud festival is a yearly festival that attracts many foreigners. Many people go to not only see the beach, but to partake in the mud activities near the beach. Daechon Beach mud is known for making mud cosmetics, as the mud is supposed to help tighten the skin and prevent aging (I sure could use a little of that). More about the mud benefits below.

Mud Experience Land

It was mid-afternoon by now, and in the main area was packed with muddy revelers and hundreds of photographers. They were staked out in the windows of cafes or on the tops of RVs. Many were just wandering the crowds with plastic bags wrapped around their massive lenses. We all had dozens of photos taken of us, and a guy from a TV News crew stopped to ask me some simple questions in English about how I liked the festival and if I found the language barrier a problem (my answer at the time was no, but the tune would change when it was next to impossible to find something for dinner later on). The only thing that totally outnumbered the cameras were the beer cans.

Good Clean Fun

Sometimes the best marketing ideas take on a life of their own. Seeking to publicize the skin-care benefits of grooming products made with local mineral-rich mud, the South Korean city of Boryeong staged a small "mud festival" in 1998. Eight years later, the annual Boryeong Mud Festival, mudfestival.or.kr , sees a staggering 1.5 million visitors flock to the normally sleepy seaside destination for a week of gooey fun. Located 200 km (or about a two-hour bus ride) from Seoul, on the country's west coast, Boryeong is home to the soft and seemingly endless Daecheon Beach. From July 15-21, a section of this impressive, 13-km-long tidal flat will be the location of Mud Experience Land, the festival's heart?and despite all the talk of skin benefits, it's clear

Manseji Boryeong

Boryeong has been referred to as Manseji Boryeong, because people have the blessed life for generations as respecting the old and loving neighbor as well as the natural resources are abundant and people are so genial. Boryeong is the rich country where mountains, fields and sea are harmonized. And it is the district of Culture and Tourism where there are Daecheon beach that is the tourism destination for all seasons, Muchangpo beach where is the mysterious sea path, 78 islands, famous mountains such as Sungju mountain, Oseo mountain, etc., and various cultural properties such as Sungjusaji, Ocheonsung, Galmaemot Martyrium, etc.

A Dirty Weekend

The next few hours became a blur as we joined a traditional Korean drumming troupe, mud-wrestled with Koreans, painted ourselves with mud, made our own mud soap, swam in the sea, went for a motor boat ride, rode a mudslide through the gapping jaws of a shark and wandered among the crowds.

Plenty to do even on a Tuesday. Don't be fooled into thinking all the good things happen on the weekend.
On the wall there was a prescribed method to the madness of mud bathing, an oxymoron itself. Shower, mud, sauna, shower, salt bath, hot bath, cold bath, rinse and repeat. I followed the steps to the letter and it was the most relaxing part of the day, excluding the little girl who got mud soap in her eyes and used her powerful lungs at full capacity.

A small holiday town

Boryeong is a small holiday town on Korea's west coast. For the majority of the scorching Korean summer, it is filled with Koreans playing soccer on the beach or enjoying the warm blue waters of the Yellow Sea. With its golden sands and accompanying promenade, the town is a great place to catch some sun and then grab some seriously fresh seafood. Despite the perfect seaside surroundings, though, for one week a year Boryeong goes crazy--with mud.

Up and down the neighbouring stretches of coastline are a series of mud flats, which locals insist are chock full of therapeutic minerals. Because of this, every July tons and tons of the thin almost watery mud, which is not dissimilar in both texture and appearance to chocolate syrup, are transported into the centre of Boryeong for the annual mud festival.

Plenty of seafood restaurants

The specialty of the Daecheon Beach area is grilled shellfish. Lotteria, a hamburger chain restaurant, is also available for a quick meal, which is located at the Citizen Tower Square. Grilled shellfish is served at numerous pojang-machas (outdoor drinking tents) on the streets connected to the beach.

As the day turned into night, the drinking continued and so did the entertainment. The centre piece was one of the most amazing firework displays put on in Korea , followed by hours of playing the sea front games. Some games were invented such as crab bobbing.

Mud Fest got a little dirty

If good, clean fun is not your thing, head to Boryeong City in South Chungcheong Province in July for the annual Boryeong Mud Festival.

Enjoy mud baths, mud massages, mud cosmetics and mud wrestling.

The official website promises such treats as "a raid training mock cavalry battle marine gluttony pole training experience in a beach neighbourhood". And if that doesn't make you want to go, nothing will.

Boryeong boasts 9.9 million square meters of the brown stuff, and it's not just any old muck. Far from it. In fact, Boryeong is the only area to receive a certified credit from The Korea Institute of Geology, Mining and Materials for the quality of the mud on its tidelands.

Getting Down and Dirty

Special high quality mud, rich in minerals and good for the skin, nerves, and preventing wrinkles is imported into Daecheon from the nearby town of Boryeong especially for the festival, just don't think mineral mud means spa retreat. Although Daecheon for the majority of the year is a spa town, this festival is certainly not one for relaxation, it's all about getting messy and having fun. Mud self-massage is a good way to ease into the messy brown day, followed by a trip down the inflatable mud slide to dirty yourself up a little more.