Mountain caravan stay in Yeongwol with charcoal barbecue: Deo Swim

Checking in and parking at the X3 building at Deo Swim

For our Yeongwol trip, I wanted to choose somewhere we could rest quietly and properly soak up nature. That place was Deo Swim (영월 더 쉼). I already thought it looked like a unique stay in the photos, but once we arrived, it was surrounded on all sides by mountains and forest, and the atmosphere changed completely from that very moment. Best of all, we could relax comfortably in the room and enjoy a charcoal barbecue just among ourselves, so this was a stay that really stuck with me from our Yeongwol trip. 🌿

First, check in at the information desk!

When we arrived, we did not go straight to the room; we first stopped by the information desk to check in. Check-in is at 3 p.m. and check-out is at 11 a.m. You can use the room from 3 p.m., but the surrounding facilities are available from noon, so that is useful to know if you arrive a little early. When it is your first time somewhere, you get a little nervous wondering, “Where do I go?” haha, but it was easy to stop by the information desk, get directions, and head off.

Oh, and at check-out, all you have to do is put the card key you received into the card-key return box in front of the accommodation door. So easy~~~

Our room was in the X3 building, at the very top.

We could drive right up to the X3 building and park beside the accommodation, which made moving our luggage so convenient.

A caravan view surrounded by mountains and forest

After checking in and heading into the accommodation area, the first thing I loved was the scenery around it.

It truly suited its name, Deo Swim—literally, “more rest.” Instead of tall buildings or busy shops, green mountains and forest seemed to wrap around the stay, and simply looking out at them made me feel at ease.

It was also the moment that made me think, “We really made it to Yeongwol.” Once I saw it in person, I completely understood why it was named Deo Swim, a name that emphasizes resting in nature. The accommodation itself also had a different feel from an ordinary pension.

It is a private caravan with a curved exterior and large picture windows, so it looked even more distinctive set among the mountain scenery. I also liked that each accommodation had its own separate space, making it nice and quiet for just us to relax.

Bedding and amenities in the X3 room

After looking around outside, we finally went in! From the outside, I wondered, “Wouldn't a caravan feel a little cramped inside?” But once we entered, the space was used better than I expected. More than anything, although it was a caravan, the interior had a modern, upscale hotel-like feel.

Outside, it felt like camping in nature, but once we opened the door it felt like a comfortable place to rest. It was like getting both the mood of camping and the convenience of a proper stay.

The X3 type we used has two queen beds. The bedding uses Hungarian goose down and the pillows Polish goose down, so it honestly felt like we were at a hotel. They also say the mattresses receive professional care separately. Bedding is one of the most important things at a stay, so I liked that they seemed to put care into maintaining it.

A room setup that made the day comfortable

Rather than somewhere just to sleep, this stay really felt designed so you could spend a whole day comfortably inside.

The room had an air purifier, an automatic trash bin, a bidet, a hair dryer, outdoor slippers, a Himpel ventilation heater, and amenities, so we could use it comfortably and pleasantly.

Some travel stays look pretty but are inconvenient for actually living in, but Deo Swim felt as though it had thoughtfully covered what you need for a night's stay. There were also several charging cables like this near the bed, so it was easy for our family to charge all our phones at once haha.

A kitchen where you can cook—what is provided?

And one thing I consider important in a travel stay! The kitchen. It had a Samsung two-burner induction cooktop, and a microwave was provided too.

When I opened the cabinets, plates, bowls, and cups were neatly stored inside. There were also cooking tools such as pots, a frying pan, and a spatula, which was plenty for making simple food.

The guide says the room comes with Corelle tableware and cooking equipment, a water purifier, cutlery, an induction cooktop, and a microwave. But one thing! Cooking strong-smelling dishes such as grilled meat or fried fish is not allowed inside the room, so meat should be grilled in the barbecue area. We came all this way, after all—samgyeopsal (Korean pork belly) tastes best over charcoal. Haha.

Charcoal-grilled samgyeopsal and roasted sweet potatoes in our private space

One of the things I looked forward to most at Deo Swim was the barbecue. Each room has its own private barbecue space, and I loved that we could grill meat just among ourselves without worrying about other people.

Once the charcoal started catching, the mood changed completely. 🔥 We lined up the samgyeopsal we brought on the grill, and the long strips of meat almost filled it up—just looking at it was satisfying haha. It was one of those moments that made me think, “Ah, this is why we barbecue when we travel.”

The nicely browned meat had a light charcoal aroma on the outside, while the fatty parts were rich and savory—so delicious. Samgyeopsal cooked in a frying pan at home is tasty too, but meat grilled over charcoal while looking at the mountains on a trip feels like an entirely different dish. Haha. We grilled one batch, put it on a plate, and it disappeared in no time, so we grilled more…

In the end, barbecue time was one of the most exciting parts of this stay. 😋 Since it would be a waste not to use the charcoal, we wrapped sweet potatoes in foil and roasted those too.

I really recommend this! We peeled back the foil and split them in half, and the insides were beautifully cooked and yellow. One bite of the piping-hot sweet potato was sweet and soft, and somehow there was still room for more even after all that samgyeopsal haha.

Charcoal-grilled samgyeopsal → roasted sweet potatoes: a perfect course. 💛

An unmanned shop and artificial-turf field for children

There was also an unmanned shop on site. When you go traveling or camping, you always think you packed everything, but once you arrive, you realize you missed one thing or another. Haha.

Especially at a stay in nature like Deo Swim, it can be a hassle to go back out whenever you need something,

so having an unmanned shop at the accommodation was convenient.

It is unmanned rather than a regular shop with staff on hand, so it seemed great for dropping in without fuss whenever you needed something small during your stay. When you are getting the barbecue ready, those “Oh, I forgot that!” moments happen more often than you think, and having a shop on site is reassuring then. 😆

They also say you can use seasonings such as salt and pepper at the shop when grilling meat, then put them back where they belong. (So~ nice~~~) So even if you do grocery shopping before coming to Deo Swim, I do not think you need to worry too much if you have forgotten a thing or two.

There was one more space that would catch your eye if you came as a family: an artificial-turf field! For a mountain stay, it did not only have rooms and barbecue facilities; it even had a space outdoors where children could run around.

When children arrive at a stay, they want to run out first rather than sit quietly in the room, right? Haha. It was a wide, grass-covered area that looked great for kids to run around in the fresh air, and with mountains stretching out around it, it had a very different feeling from a city playground. 🌿 Especially for a Yeongwol family trip with children, having this kind of outdoor space seems like a big advantage.

The adults can rest while looking at the mountains, and the children can happily run around outside. I liked that even if you spent a long time at the accommodation, it would not feel stifling.

A day when time at the accommodation was part of the trip

What I liked about Deo Swim on this Yeongwol trip was that it was not simply somewhere to sleep and leave. From checking in at the information desk after arriving to slowly looking around the accommodation surrounded by mountains and forest, it already felt like the trip had begun. 🌿 The room had a kitchen, microwave, induction cooktop, and tableware, plus Nespresso coffee and tea, so it was lovely to spend time at an easy pace without necessarily going out.

There was an unmanned shop to use if we needed anything, and even an artificial-turf field outside, so families visiting with children would have plenty of ways to spend time both inside and around the accommodation. More than anything, though, the evening is what I remember most. :)

We lit charcoal just among ourselves in a place surrounded by mountains, grilled samgyeopsal until golden, and then roasted sweet potatoes in the remaining coals. This is what travel really is, I thought. Haha. 🔥

Even without going all over the place, the time itself—resting over a cup of coffee, looking at the mountains, grilling delicious food, and chatting together—became its own travel itinerary.

If you want to step away from a busy everyday life for a while, rest quietly in nature with your children, and make the most of barbecue and outdoor activities at your stay too, I think Deo Swim is worth a look. 💚 If I come again, I will definitely bring samgyeopsal and sweet potatoes again haha.

Looking at the mountains, resting, running around, and grilling delicious food. It was a Yeongwol trip where we properly enjoyed “rest,” just like the accommodation's name. 🌿