Hey Guys!
I love travelling and a country I've always wanted to visit is South Korea! I haven't had the opportunity yet to get to travel as far as Asia but hopefully in the future I will have the opportunity to visit all the places on my travel bucket list and see more of the world.
For this post I have collaborated with Megan from the Instagram account @meeho1987 to create this post for you guys. Megan has lived in Korea and has experienced first hand what great things the country has to offer so Megan has answered all my questions and given the best advice to those who are either travelling to South Korea or are planning to.
I love travelling and a country I've always wanted to visit is South Korea! I haven't had the opportunity yet to get to travel as far as Asia but hopefully in the future I will have the opportunity to visit all the places on my travel bucket list and see more of the world.
For this post I have collaborated with Megan from the Instagram account @meeho1987 to create this post for you guys. Megan has lived in Korea and has experienced first hand what great things the country has to offer so Megan has answered all my questions and given the best advice to those who are either travelling to South Korea or are planning to.
What are the top 10 places to visit in Seoul? (In no particular order)
Bukchon Hanok Village
Dongdaemun Design Plaza (at
night)
Myeongdong
N Seoul Tower
Gyeongbokgung Palace
Insadong
Lotte World Amusement Park
Changdeokgung
Palace
Lotte
World Mall & Aquarium
Hapjeong
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| Bukchon Hanok Village |
Which are the best palaces and museums to visit and is it free entry?
(Not necessarily just palaces and museums
but other great places to check out)
N Seoul Tower
Bukchon Hanok Village
Seoul Olympic Park
National Folk Museum
Cheonggyecheon Stream
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| Seoul Olympic Park |
What is the most traditional thing to do in Korea?
I would suggest to rent a hanbok for a
day and visit one of the many palaces or shrines nearby. Be sure to take lots
of photos! After some sight seeing stop at a traditional Korean restaurant for
lunch. Order something you’ve never heard of or tried. Then wrap up the day at
a jimjilbang (Korean bathhouse).
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| Traditional Hanbok |
Where are your favourite places in Korea?
I loved the surrounding areas of Seoul
such as Byeollae and Nowon. It was quieter and more laid back from the hustle
and bustle of the city center. I really enjoyed hiking the surrounding
mountains, the scenery was breathtaking. Reaching the summit was a wonderful
experience.
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| Nowon |
Is there anything important to remember about etiquette and manners in Korea?
Blowing your nose in public is frowned
upon which is really hard when you have a cold! Go to a restroom or quiet area
to do so. When you meet someone for the first time it is polite to bow. Hugging
and hand-waving are OK for close friends. It’s also good manners to wait to
eat until elderly or people older than you started first.
Considering how busy Seoul is
where are the quiet spots that are nice to visit?
I would tell any traveler to Seoul to
spend a day going hiking. It’s quite a popular pastime in
South Korea. People of all ages enjoy it, and when I say all ages I mean all ages! Haha. I will be
struggling or out of breath and an ahjussi in his sixties will sprint past me
without hesitation! Take a picnic along and don’t forget to bring makgeolli 막걸리(Korean
rice alcohol)! The
views of the city and the fresh air is priceless. Stop at a Buddhist temple
along the way to relax and enjoy the peace and quiet.
Which method of transport would you recommend? Taxi, the subway or
walking?
I recommend taking the subway or
walking. Most places (depending on where you are of course) have cafes,
restaurants, or grocery stores within walking distance. The subway is easy to
navigate, as is purchasing your subway card and refilling it when needed. Taxis
are an OK option, but I caution that some taxi drivers are vey aggressive and
fast! Haha.
Is there anything like a
travel card you recommend getting, similar to a travel pass for the subway and
buses?
There’s a travel card you can purchase
at the subway kiosk called “CityPass” which works for both subway and bus
transportation. All you do is swipe the card on the card pad upon entry and
exit. The pad will tell you how much you have on your card incase you need to
refill soon.
How much money would you suggest taking for 1 week and how much for
2 weeks?
For spending money, I would suggest
adding 600,000 won to 1,200,000 won on top of all your other expenses including
airfare, hotel, etc.
Where would you recommend finding a hotel/hostel to stay?
Honestly, I would recommend doing some
research and book a place through Airbnb. Places through Airbnb are very
reasonable price-wise and the place you book may even have a kitchenette. When
it comes to location it’s all about preference. If you love the city and being
in the middle of it all, I would recommend staying in Gangnam or Hongdae. For those of you
interested in the lesser-traveled areas, I would recommend looking into places
a bit outside of the city.
What are the essential items to pack in your suitcase?
Depending on where you’re from, you will
definitely need to invest in a power plug adapter. The standard voltage in
South Korea is 220 V. Other than personal items such as medications, Seoul has
pretty much everything you need. On a side note… If you are a tall person with
large feet (such as myself) certain sizes are very difficult to find so bring
extra pants and shoes!
Is it worth buying a Sim Card to use while in Korea? To get
access to wifi and 3G?
The great thing about Seoul is that Wifi
is pretty much everywhere. However, I do recommend purchasing cellular
data/minutes just to be safe because Wifi doesn’t always work in the subway and
certain locations. That extra money you spend on data/minutes might come in
handy during an emergency.
What are the best street foods to try?
My favorite is hotteok 호떡! It’s like a
small, deep fried dough pancake filled with cinnamon-sugar, peanuts, and other
spices. Other great street foods to try are bungeoppang붕어빵(fish-shaped bread
filled with sweet red bean), tteokbokki 떡볶이 (rice cakes in a spicy chili sauce),
gyeran-ppang계란빵(sweet and
fluffy egg bread), and eomuk 어묵(fish “cake”
served on a skewer).
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| Hotteok |
What are the best Korean dishes to try?
Aside from Korea’s national dish,
kimchi, I recommend trying bibimbap 비빔밥(a hot bowl of rice you mix with vegetables and chili paste),
bulgogi 불고기(thinly
sliced marinated beef), pajeon 파전(thin
seafood pancake), galbi 갈비(marinated beef ribs), samgyetang 삼계탕(chicken ginseng soup), and samgyeopsal
삼겹살(grilled
pork belly). One of my favorite dishes is jajang-bokkeumbap 관련볶음밥,
which is fried rice served with a black bean sauce.
Korean cuisine is not only delicious but the ingredients are so fresh. Most
dishes are prepared and cooked right in front of you.
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| Samgyeopsal |
In restaurants do you have to use chopsticks or are knives and forks available as well?
Restaurants in Korea have a box on the
table filled with chopsticks and spoons. Most places today have forks and
knives if needed. Sometimes, the waitress/waiter may see a foreign customer
struggling with chopsticks and give them a fork. But do give chopsticks a try!
I was so clumsy at first but now after practice and determination even my
husband is surprised how well I eat with them.
Other than traditional Korean dishes are any
other types of food that are popular to eat in Korea?
Gimbap (seaweed rolls filled with rice,
veggies and meat), haemul pajeon (seafood pancake), kalguksu (noodle soup in a
clear broth), doenjang jjigae (tofu soup), and patbingsu (red beans with shaved
ice).
What are the best snacks to try from the
convenience store?
I was a sucker for convenience store ice
cream! Korean ice cream (not the traditional kind) is so creamy and not super
sweet. Other great things to try are Nongshim shrimp crackers, Lotte Kancho
biscuits, Pepero sticks, Orion choco pies, Nongshim banana kick, and Cosmos
Wang Sora (my favorite!)
How much is it to rent a Hanbok for a day and
where are the best places to rent a Hanbok from?
I’m not particularly sure about price
but I do know you can rent them daily at historical sites such as Bukchon Hanok
Village and Gwanghwamun Square. Some historical places will even let you enter
for free if you’re wearing a hanbok! I rented one for my wedding which cost around
200,000 won. I had it custom fitted and was able to choose the colors and
style.
What are the best themed cafes to visit?
My husband and I visited the cat café in
Myeongdong. They have over twenty cats! It was nice to enjoy a cup of coffee in the
company of some new feline friends. There’s also a
really neat design-your-own cellphone case café in Hongdae called DB Story Café
that’s worth checking out.
Where are the best places to go shopping?
Myeongdong has many Korean beauty shops
as well as Uniqlo, H&M, and Zara. Garosu-gilis great for those who are looking for high-end
designer brands. For traditional Korean gifts and
unique items, I recommend Insadong and Namdaemun. Ewha Women’s University is
another great shopping area. Plenty of unique boutiques and delicious street
food vendors! The best place, however, to find great deals on clothing and
accessories is the underground Express Bus Terminal mall. It’s ENORMOUS! You
could spend a couple days just looking through every store. I’ve found tops for
10,000 won and accessories for less than 5,000 won. The downside at Express Bus
Terminal is the majority of stores only offer “free size”.
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| Namdaemun Market |
What is the best thing to do at night in Seoul?
Definitely check out the street food!
Afterwards, head to a noraebong for some late night belting out of Adele or Big
Bang.
What does the average night out in Hongdae cost?
It depends on what you’re looking to do; hang out with a group of friends,
date night, etc. My husband and I usually went out with a group of friends,
it’s more fun that way! In South Korea, you go to three to four different
places for drinking and eating. You can enjoy soju, beer, or both (called
somaek 소맥). Bottle service is also available.
Afterwards, you can go to a noraebong for some late night karaoke! A night like
this can cost anywhere from 50,000 won to 200,000 won. It all comes down to how
much you want to spend and how much you want to do.
 |
| Soju |
Which Korean beauty stores should be on our itinerary?
I highly recommend Innisfree, Nature Republic,
Skinfood, and Etude House. Innisfree and Nature Republic offer great natural
skincare products. Innisfree has a green tea skincare line that I love and
Nature Republic has the best sheet masks and hand cream. Skinfood sells
heavenly smelling body wash, scrubs, and creams. Etude House has the cutest
packaging ever! Their makeup line is feminine and colorful with lots of
products to choose from. All of these brands are reasonably priced and sell
high quality products.
What Korean beauty products would you suggest checking out and buying?
I would look into purchasing skincare
products such as sheet makes, serums, essences, and treatment creams. Basically
anything that may be hard to find or expensive where you live. The popular new thing in skincare is
cleansing sticks. I would suggest purchasing
one or two!
What are the best souvenir gifts to take back
for friends and family?
I suggest bringing back traditional
Korean made good such as fans, handkerchiefs, paintings, makeup pouches,
scarves, etc. Their silk-work and paper crafts are gorgeous and very well made.
Of course you have to bring back Gangnam Style and Kpop socks!
I hope this is helpful for those of you who are wanting to travel to South Korea like me and needed some tips. I know it will help me when it comes to organising my trip :)
Where do you guys want to travel to in the future? Let me know in the comments below.
And a big thank you to Megan for helping me with the content for this post and giving such great advice for tourists and myself. Go send her some love over on her Instagram account ❤
See you on Wednesday lovelies!
Amy xx
I hope this is helpful for those of you who are wanting to travel to South Korea like me and needed some tips. I know it will help me when it comes to organising my trip :)
Where do you guys want to travel to in the future? Let me know in the comments below.
And a big thank you to Megan for helping me with the content for this post and giving such great advice for tourists and myself. Go send her some love over on her Instagram account ❤
See you on Wednesday lovelies!
Amy xx
