Yangyang café boat ride on Namdaecheon: Cafe Dunchi

What can you do in Yangyang without getting in the water?

After finishing swimming and showering, I wanted to spend time on the water instead. I stopped by Cafe Dunchi (카페 둔치), where you can take a boat on Namdaecheon, had a drink, and tried an electric boat.

I visited while looking for something to do after it rained during a holiday break. The time I spent on the calm Namdaecheon remained one of the most relaxing parts of this Yangyang trip.

How late can you use the café and boats?

According to the original post, the café was open from 10:00 AM to 9:00 PM, while the boats were available from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM. The café and boats had different closing times.

Cafe Dunchi is at the water leisure sports center at 295 Ilchul-ro in Yangyang-eup. Since it is a place where you can have a drink while looking over Namdaecheon, I went into the café first to order drinks to take on the boat.

Can you enjoy the view without taking a boat?

From the café, I could see the sea, mountains, and Namdaecheon. I thought it would be nice to enjoy the scenery over tea even without the boat experience.

The ceiling was high, and Namdaecheon stretched out beyond the floor-to-ceiling windows.

What drinks and desserts were available?

The summer menu included house-made pineapple vinegar ade, iced omija, and old-fashioned patbingsu (shaved ice with red beans). I also noticed slices of cake, bread, and cookies, but because I needed to make the boat time, I reluctantly skipped dessert and ordered only drinks.

Alongside coffee such as Americano and café latte, there were many choices including ade, brown sugar bubble tea, smoothies, fruit tea, and herbal tea. I expected a café on the water to have a simple menu, but there were more options than I thought.

Bottled water, cups, straws, and syrup were also provided, which made it easy to use.

With scenery visible in every direction, I could drink tea while facing the view I liked best. I had mostly enjoyed the sea in Yangyang, but this time the quiet atmosphere of Namdaecheon stayed with me.

My brown sugar bubble tea and refreshing iced omija arrived. I took the drinks and headed over to the boat.

How much is the Namdaecheon boat experience?

According to the original post, the electric boat ride lasted 30 minutes. The prices for the electric boat and hwangpo dombaek (traditional yellow-sailed boat) were as follows.

• Electric boat, up to 4 people: ₩30,000 for 30 minutes
• Electric boat, up to 6 people: ₩35,000 for 30 minutes
• Hwangpo dombaek, 12 people: ₩6,000 for children, ₩8,000 for teenagers, ₩10,000 for adults

What did I prepare before boarding?

Safety rules for using the boats were posted on site. They prohibited exceeding the passenger limit, operating a boat while drinking, disorderly conduct, damaging rescue equipment or water leisure equipment, obscene acts, and dumping dirt, oil, or waste into inland waters. Children under 14 could not board without a guardian, and intoxicated people were also prohibited from boarding.

I put on a life jacket from the available size options and headed to the electric boat.

How were the electric boat controls and seating?

After receiving instructions, I started the 30-minute timer and set off. There was no separate seat in front of the steering wheel, so having to sit sideways was a little uncomfortable.

Because it was motor-powered, I did not need to exert any effort. I used forward, reverse, and stop buttons and moved the steering wheel left and right, so it was not difficult to operate after the explanation.

How were 30 minutes on Namdaecheon?

Namdaecheon was calm, and Seoraksan was covered in clouds. A sunset glow showed through the clouds, so I moved slowly while looking at the river and sky.

Watching the ripples while drinking on the boat made me put down my phone. At first I thought 30 minutes would be long, but it passed quickly after making one circuit.

After docking the boat and getting off, I also walked along the promenade. Next time, I would like to return on a clear day to ride the boat while watching the sunset.