Seoul Activities and best Starwood Hotel

I%26#39;m headed to Seoul in April on business. I%26#39;ll have about 1.5 free days and a few evenings. A few questions:

1. What are the best activities for someone looking to get a ';feel'; for the city?

2. Where should I stay? I%26#39;d like to stick to Starwood, but can be flexible on which specific hotel. I generally like W Hotels, however I%26#39;ve heard the W Seoul has a poor location. Thoughts?

Thanks in advance!

Seoul Activities and best Starwood Hotel

First thought on W hotel. It%26#39;s a very nicely decorated hotel (check out the Woo bar, it%26#39;s beautiful). However, yes the location is a major bummer. It%26#39;s only accessible by cabs and on top of a mountain so for a one-nigth drunk excursion awesome, but not the most conveniently located hotel.

Seoul really has lots to offer, but what%26#39;s most imp is what kind of tourist you want to be (are you the, tourist trap one? the adventurer..the shopper? etc)

For spots to hit, I%26#39;d say ignore all other tourist traps and hit

1) Insadong - turning a little more touristy than it used to be, but def has the old Korean tradition feel to it (please do google it =D)

2) Clubbing - if you do want to check out the Seoul night scenes (I%26#39;m from NYC, and I%26#39;d say clubbing scene here is better...now skip this part if you are way over your 30s). There are places called Circle and Answer, and of course the spot in W hotel is also another cool one.

I%26#39;m in a hurry (going to work soon..) so just throwing basic ideas- feel free to ask more.

Seoul Activities and best Starwood Hotel

Not sure if you left on your trip yet, but most of the major hotel chains are nice. you can stay at the lotte hotel, the intercontinental, or the ritz, which all have good locations. the W is beautiful but as mentioned, location is inconvenient.

depending on what you are interested in, you could go the cultural route and see the historical sites or insa-dong. or, if you are into shopping, you can check out Coex (near intercontinental), which is essentially a shopping mall, check out the kangnam bus terminal, where they have tons of stalls selling everything from hairpins to cheap clothes to $10 shoes, etc. or, you can see the huge department stores- Lotte, Hyundai, and ShinSaeGae. all the dept stores have a lot of restaurants in them (check out Oodles in ShinSaeGae) and a whole floor dedicated to food and food courts. all have free samples! kyobo is the big bookstore. you should go to an hot spring sauna and get a body scrub. if you are a night owl, go to Migliore, which is night-time shopping (starts around 10pm) for fake bags, hair accessories, etc. for the inner child in you, you could go to Lotte World, which is an indoor amusement park. the current hot spot for clubbing is called MASS in kangnam. everyone there is in their early 20s. you can go to Lotte Dept store and then walk a few blocks to myung-dong, which is closed to traffic and everyone walks around.

hope that helps!

Which bus from Airport to JW Marriott.

Can someone tell me which bus to take from Incheon to JW Marriott? Does bus stops right at hotel?

Where in the Airpor do I find the buses? Where do you buy the tickets?

Ciberteco

Which bus from Airport to JW Marriott.

There is a big travel/tourist help desk once you exit the restricted area on the arrivals level that you can approach for help and free maps. To reach the bus boarding area, you have to turn right towards the end of the airport. You can buy the tickets from the driver, korean won, exact fare. Unfortunately the fares have gone up from KRW10,000 to KRW13,000. For service routes and hotels served, check out this link:

http://www.lifeinkorea.com/Travel2/IABIe.cfm.

client side script

August

I also was looking at travelling in August. The tour directir (i haven%26#39;t signed up yet) says it is not as hot as Japan or China at that time of year and that the temperature is around 84 degrees f. Is this not true? Does it rain everywhere at that time of year? I rea that the rainy season ends in July. Is that also untrue? Thank you

August

It%26#39;s humid and very warm, about 84 sounds right.

And the rain certainly usually decreases by August.

Look at http://english.visitkorea.or.kr; under ';location and weather'; tab you will find your info

Seoul + some other destination - advice?

Hello,

Planning a trip to Seoul (from west coast USA) for Nov 2008, and will visit a friend in Seoul for a few days. Would also like to visit some other destination, as I will have about 7-9 days total (exclusive of travel time over the Pacific). While in South Korea I would like to see some other sights - maybe the DMZ and one or two other sights. So that leaves me with perhaps 3 to 5 days to go elsewhere if I so desire.

Thailand is very interesting to me, as is Japan (and perhaps I could stage a long layover on the way there or back, in Tokyo?).

My interests include historical / cultural sights, a little bit of nightlife, sampling local foods %26amp; drinks, and generally experiencing the locale and seeing things I won%26#39;t see at home.

Any suggestions as to what else I could comfortably fit in (both time- and money-wise)? I%26#39;m a regular guy with 2 weeks vacation per year and average income, so I want to make this trip as worthwhile as possible.

Thank you!

Seoul + some other destination - advice?

There are so many good places to visit, old temples, old Korea mountain tops, island resort, etc. Buy a travel book and make a plan. Buy the Korea Rail Pass so you can zip through Korea in ~3 hrs. by their bullet trains and rails between any major cities(Seoul-Busan %26amp; others). Your time frame is good to see the beautiful fall foliage.

Seoul + some other destination - advice?

Hi amazinga,

Thank you for the reply. You%26#39;re right - a book or two is definitely in order, to give me some more ideas.

I have decided on 5-6 days in Korea and then 5-6 days in Tokyo on the way back.

I%26#39;m super-jazzed!

Almost bought my airline tickets through vayama.com (which I%26#39;d read about here and there), as their fare was $940- compared to $1400 on the Northwest Airlines site (same flights, days, and times); other sites were all $1200, $1300, +. But a local agency got me the same NWA flights for $1075, an AmEx Travel partner. I figured worth the extra $ just for the peace of mind, as vayama.com just seemed too good to be true...

(just mentioning vayama here in case others go searching the forums for them - my advice is go with a local trusted agency for the extra $, if you can...)

I%26#39;d say check out Hwaseong Fortress in Suwon as an afternoon excursion out of Seoul. I%26#39;ve been here 3 years but never gotten around to doing the DMZ tour. Go figure. Give yourself the experience of a good scrub and soak at a sauna or oncheon (hot spring resort). You don%26#39;t actually have to go too far for that; the Silloam Sauna near Seoul Station is great. Busan%26#39;s got a good vibe and is worth a couple of days. I%26#39;ve heard good things about all the historic sites around Gyeongju (which is a bit northeast of Busan) but haven%26#39;t made it down there yet. I wouldn%26#39;t opt for the pass, though: train fares here are cheap and the whole country is the size of Indiana.

Korea%26#39;s hotel scene is artificially expensive because love hotels, yeogwans (traditional little inns), and jjimjilbangs (the sleeping rooms in public saunas) fulfill that role but are often impossible to book online in English. You can crash at the Silloam for almost nothing. Lots of people do this if they%26#39;ve been out late drinking and they miss the last trains.

There aren%26#39;t many good Seoul and Korea guidebooks but the Wallpaper one (I think that%26#39;s it -- it%26#39;s a little folding thing) is one of the better ones, and it has some sensible recommendations.

hi, you might find this destination guide useful

cheaperhotelrates.com/seoul-south-korea-hote…

all the best

burts bees

INC to Korail station

Can somebody please give me an idea of how far the train station is from the airport. Any information on how to get to the train station, and how long that would take would be great help.

INC to Korail station

Take it you mean ICN?

And which station are you looking for?

There%26#39;s a local train on airport.

If you mean Seoul Station- i.e. main line including KTX high speed train, you need a bus or cab into town. I%26#39;d reckon on a full 2 hours.

BUT you need pre-reserved seats on Korean main line trains, and unless you%26#39;re going 1st class, that can be quite hard for popular journeys.

To get to Seoul Station, you can take KAL limousine bus for 14000Won- I think it%26#39;s line 1, the Namsan bus.

INC to Korail station

Hey thanks for they replying to my shotty question!

Yes I did mean Incheon international.

And yes Seoul station is where I need to get so that I can train over to Busan.

About 2 hours into town and to the station eh, thanks for the estimate!

Do you happen to know what metro stop seoul station is at, I know line 1 and line 4 can get to it, but I just can%26#39;t seem to find the exact stop.

As for booking a KTX, I%26#39;ve searched all over the Korail page and only seem to have found a page for reserving trains that is in korean writting. Anyone have an english link?

At present time I am now thinking I will stay a night or two in Seoul before making my way to Busan. It would be too much to try and tack on the train ride after a long flight. So to abruptly change the subject, anyone know of good hostels near

a) Seoul Station

b) Incheon airport (or on a limosine drop off route)

no longer any English link, I%26#39;m afraid.

Seoul Station is pretty close to City Hall, if you look at the subway map.

There is of course a bus from ICN to Busan- not much longer than train as you don%26#39;t need to get into Seoul.

You could take KTX back.

From Airport to Myeong-Dong Area

What are the various options for getting to Myeong-Dong Area for ICN?

What is the ';KAL Limousine bus'; and how much does it cost?

Is there a subway and/or train from ICN to the Myeong-Dong Area?

Thanks!

From Airport to Myeong-Dong Area

Taking the Airport limo, is the cheapest option for one or two passengers, if more, it might be better if you take a jumbo van.

Just exit ( think exit 11 or 12, can%26#39;t recall ) and look for bus 605-1 and you will get to Myeondong, they stop at Sejong Hotel, you can let the Limo bus travel that you want to get off there but its one of the more popular stop.

I am not sure if the fare is still the same but you can check this out.

http://www.lifeinkorea.com/Travel2/IABIe.cfm

From Airport to Myeong-Dong Area

KAL bus is run by Korean Air Lines, duck egg blue bus. Costs 14000 won and runs on different lines to various hotels. Journey time 60-90 mins dep on time of day.

Subway can get you there, but involves changing trains a couple of times and usually with stairs to negotiate.

Google ';KAL Limousine';- the Korean Air website is pretty helpful. Route 1 is the KAL one for you.

O/wise there%26#39;s an Incheon airport website that sets out all the options

Limousine buses also run by others; lines 600 onwards. Cost is a little less, but space on bus also less.

I%26#39;d go for the KAL bus every time to be honest: spacious reclining seats and an ice box with water make it good after a long flight. A porter loads your baggage and gives you a receipt.

What hotel do you stay in?

Thanks for the detailed reply. I am staying at the Ibis Myeong-Dong.

Yes: KAL bus- take City Hall line, get off at Lotte Hotel

I am staying at Sejong Hotel in Myeong-Dong and I was checking the KAL website but die not notice that there is a stop there. Does that mean that I have to take the normal Airport bus and not the KAL Limousine?

to Myeong Dong, you can still take KAL bus, but there will be a walk. the 601 bus( I think -you need to check) would also work, and there are other buses as wel- or indeed the subway which is longer more complicated but cheaper

I think I will opt for the Airport bus as I don%26#39;t want to be carrying my luggage. I will check at the information counter. Thanks.

Electric??

Traveling to Korea next week. What kind of adapters do I need to run my chargers for Computer, amera, ipod etc etc?? Also, do I need an inverter... Is the power 220 or 110?? Thanks

Electric??

South Korea uses plugs with 2 small round pins, similar to those in Austria. Voltage is 220V, see if your equipment is marked 100-240V or not.

cant install webcam

restaurants that don't include pork, alcohol in its dishes

annyeongha seyo yeoreobun ^^

There is a plan to visit South Korea, manily seoul, next winter. Four days~

Since I can%26#39;t eat pork, or drink alcohol, i would like to ask if you guys know any good restaurants in Korea that serve food doesn%26#39;t include these two things in their dishes..?!

If not, what are the dishes that don%26#39;t have alcohol and pork .. especially in local markets since i%26#39;m planning to visit it.??

thank you

restaurants that don't include pork, alcohol in its dishes

I know of many, but that doesn%26#39;t help you!

Raw fish restaurants (';hoe'; pronounced ';h-way';), bulgogi, kalbi (both beef), dolsot bibimbap (rice in a hot stone pot) would do you. Duck restaurants abound.

You could also try ';Sanchon'; -a buddhist temple restaurant in Insa-dong- a bit pricey.

If planning to eat in markets, you may find very VERY little English, if any at all. Sundae, a sausage, is to be avoided as it%26#39;s pork.

restaurants that don't include pork, alcohol in its dishes

so my choices should be around Raw fish dihes and rice..

sanchon !! i will search about it.. is all buddhist temple restaurants are good to eat in?

In fact, the local market i was talking about is Insa-dong.. so sanshon sounds a good choice..

(((( Sundae, sausage )))) AVIOD .. Okay~ i will keep that in mind..

i will search more and post it here to ask u about your opinion.. hope to get help from you again ^^

i found one.. it%26#39;s called %26#39;Moghul%26#39;.. what is it? indian?

Resto Help.

Hello everyone.

I visited Seoul around 6 months ago. I dined at this restaurant but I have forgotten its name. I need your help to remember guys.

The restaurant is located within this University area. The area was really jammed packed with students. The restaurant resembled more like a fast food joint and the ambiance was really busy and nearly all the patrons were students.

The thing that strikes me the most was the type of food and how they serve it. Each table had a large circular metal pan in the middle. But instead of youe usual Korean barbeque course of beef and pork belly, they roasted rice with some meat/veggies topped with a spicy sauce on the pan. It was then mixed by the waiter and the finished product looked like fried rice. They even had one where they added cheese and it was really the best fried rice I have ever tasted in my life.

Does anyone happen to remember the name or the location of this restaurant! It’s so good!

Resto Help.

Could it have been Choon Chun Jip? They are a chain dak galbi restaurant. Chicken and vegetables are cooked in a wok at the table. The atmoshpere is usually boisterous. Lots of fun and inexpensive.

Good korean food @ Myeongdong ?

Hi, I will be visiting seoul soon and will be staying at myeong dong. I am a super fan of korean food and would love to try a place that serves good ginseng chicken or good spicy seafood soup and has great side dishes.

We love spicy stuff! If any local or regular could introduce a great place to go to at Myeong Dong, I would much much appreciate it! I don%26#39;t have much time there so I would hate to waste my meal-time on a place that serves sub-standard food

Thanks for any advise!

Good korean food @ Myeongdong ?

If you are adventurous and like Korean local fare, you%26#39;re lucky because many restaurants post big colourful pictures of their signature dishes on their shopfronts so you can always check out the place if you like what you see. That said, your best bet to try out many local dishes under one roof would be the food court in the Shinshigae Department Store across the main street where a one dish meal can be had for KRW4000-KRW5000. I tried the spicy kimchi jigae soup there and ended up all sweaty and teary but I enjoyed the dish. I did not try the ginseng chicken so I can%26#39;t comment if it%26#39;s worth the calories.

You won%26#39;t go hungry in Myongdong. There is a plethora of fast food chains and casual restaurants nestled among the shops in the cluster of streets behind the Ibis Myongdong Hotel. There are a couple of casual restaurants that offer korean dumplings (mandu) and you can pick your choice of soup base -chicken or ribs. A set meal can be had for about KRW8000. The street behind Sejong Hotel (near the Myongdong subway station) has a restaurant with Chinese tiled roofs that is famous for its bibimbap -a rice dish with generous toppings of vegetables, meat and egg that is mixed together with korean hot pepper sauce at the table. One tip about dining in Korean restaurants - if you like any of the side dishes served with your entree, do not hesitate to approach the wait staff for a second helping, free of charge. They are unusually generous in refilling side dishes and korean tea throughout the meal. Bon appetit.

Good korean food @ Myeongdong ?

IMHO your problem is going to be finding somewhere generic, rather than a specialist restaurant. There are lots of average ';normal'; Korean BBQs, and lots of regional/local places there. You may find yourself in an Andong restaurant, or a duck specialist restaurant.

Samgyetang is better in other palces -for example to the west of the Blue House there are some good places.

But I don%26#39;t think you%26#39;ll be disappointed wherever you go.

A lot of the ';hole in the wall'; places where westerners don%26#39;t go serve great food.

Have fun!

I recommend you to try myeongdong kal guk soo.you%26#39;ll find the finest spicy kimchi in the world.

burts bees

So what is life really like for women in Korea?

Hello! I%26#39;m an Icelandic engineering student. I love Korean movies and television, have been learning Korean for a while now and I thought it would be interesting to do an internship in Korea. Korea is so technologically advanced that it seemed perfect.

I visited several of the websites of Korean companies and I was happy to see that there were job postings in English and they were indeed interested in hiring foreign engineers. Something very strange, though: Several of the job postings (all the good ones, actually) said ';Gender: male'; on them!

Is this serious? Is it going to be impossible, or implausibly difficult, for me to get an engineering internship in Korea as a woman? I hope not. That would be so sad.

So what is life really like for women in Korea?

Whoops. Sorry that I accidentally posted this twice.

So what is life really like for women in Korea?

Hi palanama, I am a British Engineer and I am going out to Korea to work in July. Since I haven%26#39;t moved there yet and I am a man I can%26#39;t really comment on how female engineers will be treated within a Korean company. But I would suggest you make a posting on a forum like www.pusanweb.com to ask people who actually work there. Hope this is of help.

Bangkok-Seoul flights

While staying in Bangkok, we%26#39;d like to visit a customer in Seoul. Thai, Korean and China Eastern have very expensive fares. Air Asia has cheap flights from BKK to Macau, but Macau-Seoul costs a lot with Air Macau too.

Any other options, via Hong Kong or anywhere else?

Thank.

Bangkok-Seoul flights

Malaysian flies between the two (1 stop)

so does Korean Air, and, I think, Asiana.

Asiana%26#39;s excellent; Korean pretty good.

Bangkok-Seoul flights

Try Orient Thai airlines. I know they have very cheap airfare from Seoul-Bangkok. I can%26#39;t see any reason why they shouldn%26#39;t have on the opposite routing as well. By warned though, they have poor reviews on service and cleanliness....safty I don%26#39;t know.

connecting database

Trip to Seoul - Advice for foreigners

Hi!!

Im planning a trip to seoul with 5 friends!! And would be grateful if anyone can reccommend us good accommodation to stay in.

Since we are students we are on a low budget and was hoping to spend around 30-40 dollars a night or less. Is there any cheap hotels to stay in or hostels/guesthouses which would be more suitable for a group of friends and also close to the markets, attractions, basically in the city centre.

And whether these services have english speaking staff, since we are foreigners and we only understand and speak very little korean, which leads me to another question but I will post that another time.

I%26#39;d really appreciate it if anyone gets back to me,

Many thanks

Trip to Seoul - Advice for foreigners

for clarity: 30-40 US dollars? each person or each room?

Trip to Seoul - Advice for foreigners

Hiya and thanks for your message!!

We%26#39;d spend around 30 -40 dollars a night per person. I think 30 dollars is the cheapest we%26#39;d pay and 40 the maximum. If there are any rooms cheaper then 30 that would be even better!! However im looking for quality too and accommodation that have good ratings if you can reccommend me any, i%26#39;d be truly thankful!!

Many thanks for your help!!

Hiya!!

I also forgot to mention. We are planning to go during summer. Probably around end of July or beginning of August. I found that room prices often changes in seasons particularly in summer? ?

Many thanks again

Seoul Youth Hostel sounds good. They have 2 family rooms for 4-5 people(1 double bed and 3 singles)for 120,000 won plus tax. so book early.

http://www.seoulyh.go.kr/accom_1.php

www.seoulyh.go.kr/boardeng/board.php3…

Check out some of the serviced apartments. An example is CO-OP Casaville in Sinchon. I%26#39;m not sure, but I think you will be able to get a 2 bed room suite apartment with kitchen for your budget or 2/3 double rooms. Try to book through a hotel web site and not directly to the property. A korean web site that has english is www.hotelnjoy.com, but for some reason the 2 bdrm Suite(KRW 145000+tax) is not an option in english.

Sinchon is a great place to stay for 5 young people since it is a univeristy area with 3 universities close by. Lots of cheap restaurants, pubs, disco and young people. Hongdae, 1 stop away with subway, is one of the infamous party areas.

Jeju Island Itineraries - Pls advise

Hi, I would like to visit the following places in Jeju Island. Can anyone advise if 2 days is enough to cover all? Is it easy to get to these places by bus? Any other places that we shouldn%26#39;t miss? The trip will be in Sept or Oct.

1) Mysterious Road

2) Yongduam Rock

3) Dragon Head Rock

4) Moksuwon Park

5) Seongsun Sunrise Peak

6) Seongeup Folk Village

7) Teddy Bear Museum

8) Miniature World

Thanks!

Jeju Island Itineraries - Pls advise

It looks as though you can take buses to most of the places on your list, especially the ones in town. Two days? Possible, but you%26#39;ll be a bit rushed. What about renting a car? Check this website out if you haven%26#39;t already:

http://english.tour2korea.com

Click sightseeing and then Jejudo. It has a lot of great info and even bus schedules I believe. I would add Halla-san to your list for nature walks, etc...

Jeju Island Itineraries - Pls advise

additinal Info:

http://www.chejuinfo.net/trans/trans_e.html

check this bus tour.

http://www.tbus.co.kr/english/index.php

I just got back from a 2 1/2 day, 2 night tour of jeju. it was my first time there. we were with a tour group so the bus took us around. we stayed at the hyatt on the southern point of the island, but it was not nearly as nice as the shilla or lotte hotels.

we saw most of the items on your list. the mysterious road is the road where your car moves forward uphill. it takes about 3 minutes before the excitement is over, and it was in the middle of nowhere.

the rocks are cool, but then again, it takes about 3 minutes to see them and then youre done. the folk village was a little tour that took about an hour and then they tried to sell us oranges and mushrooms and other things. it was interesting to see though. we also saw a tour of an orange grove. they try to sell you hallabong (the big oranges), but they are quite expensive and not as good as sunkist. we also went on a submarine ride (rip off at $45 per person) and a boat tour (which was great). the botanical gardens are a must-see. we didnt go to the teddy bear museum but i heard it was great. if you saw the korean drama goong, that is where the characters went. we also went to a chinese acrobat show (quite depressing as they were all children and seemed sad) and a horse show. i havent heard anything about mini world.

2 days is plenty time to see all those things on your list. our tour group began at 9am and ended around 4:30-5 before we ate dinner and we saw a few more things than your itinerary. the island isnt that big, so you can rent a car and drive around if you feel comfortable doing so.

one thing you should not miss is eating fresh sea cucumber and abalone and also eating ';hook dae-ji';, or korean black pig.

Hi Issy, thanks for your feedback.

Two days is definately not enough and by the way there is a LOT to see on Jeju....take the extra time and smell the roses....by the way, the climbing of Hallasan is an adventure all to its self...and dont forget the lava tubes.

It seems like you%26#39;re hitting the major tourist traps...I would recommend you go to a famous island called ';Udo'; for a day trip instead. To cover all the places you wrote down on your itinerary it%26#39;d be not only tiring but also...not the least best of the places you could hit in Jejudo. I would really just go to Udo for a day and hit maybe 2), 3) and 5).

I agree with the last poster. Udo is a fantastic small island. Look for the famous, old, diving ladies....I believe they are called haenyo.

I also found the pentagon/octagon shaped lava stones close to Seogwipo fascinating. Also visited a bonsai/bunjae tree park....lovely place.

We rented a taxi for the whole day for KRW70000, that%26#39;s around US$70.

First time to Seoul

We are planning a 4 day trip to Seoul. Our family - 2 adults %26amp; 2 young adults (12 %26amp; 16 years old). What is a good safe area to stay at? Any recommendations on hotels (4 to 5 star). Restaurants? What we want to get out of this trip is WHAT MAKES SINGAPORE, UNFORGETABLE?? What Attractions should we as a family experience to get the most out of this trip? i.e. museums, sites, culture, food. Within 5 days what is it that we need to do, visit, experience, taste. etc. to get the most out of this trip? What should we STAY AWAY from?

We are very active- we walk a lot. Love the outdoors, we are open minded to different experinces, foods, etc. We like SHOPPING!! We however are not so much into the night life/clubbibg, etc. We are more ';day'; or early evening people. Please provide as much info as you think you can. Answer the question, in your opinion, WHAT MAKES SEOUL UNFORGETABLE?? What will keep us talking about this trip for years to come?

Thanks

First time to Seoul

I think it%26#39;s all safe. At least I%26#39;ve not found anywhere that seemed unsafe. Stay downtown, I think, is best for you- in Junggu or Myeongdong. Your budget will determine your hotel, of course. The Shilla hotel is a real experience, but costly. Visit palaces: esp Changdokkung- you need a tour. Climb Namsan. Walk along Cheongyecheon.

Whatever you do, do take the train to Suwon- walk the ramparts and visit the Folk village.

Do try some Korean food before you go to Seoul; then you%26#39;ll know what you like. Many regional or dynastic restaurants exist in Seoul,but the standard BBQ or instead a bibimbap for lunch is a staple.

Also, take subway to Samseong station on the circle line. Walk through the Coex mall to the north end and then cross the road and climb to the temple. Afterwards, eat in O%26#39;Kims%26#39; Brauhaus in the COEX centre -great fun and bizarre!

First time to Seoul

Don%26#39;t miss the DMZ tour. It is a unique experience and a place the young adults should see.

What makes Seoul unforgetable to me is the fact that the city was totally destroyed in 1953. It is now a bustling city of 11 million.

I%26#39;m sure you will have a great time in Seoul. it is a bustling mega city with lots of stuff to do. Don%26#39;t worry about the safety. All places are safe. I have been to Seoul many times, visited most parts of Seoul and Korea and never had any problems whatsoever. That includes late night drunk taking taxi across Seoul to get back to my accomodation...and no, I don%26#39;t speak korean. Here are my suggestions:

1) Hotel: I have only 1 experience with 4/5 star hotel and that is Somerset Palace. IMHO an excellent place. You can read my review here on tripadvisor.

2) Restaurants: I wouldn%26#39;t bother.....lovely food everywhere. For cheap korean lunch or dinner, do as the koreans and go to Kimbab Chongguk($3-$8). Try pork(tuechi) or beef(so) kalbi, bulgogi, grilled kalchi (kalchi gui).

3) Sights: DMZ, Kyoungbuk palace, Fish market in Noryangjin (have to be early!), Blue house (have to make a reservation in advance), Insadong, traditional market in kyuong dong, hike up Namsan tower.

4) Amusement: Everland outside Seoul have amusment park, Zoo, water land.

5) Shopping: Myeong-dong, Dongdeamun %26amp; Namdeamun which also have night markets and are cheaper options, Shinsegea Department %26amp; Lotte Department for more expensive shopping, COEX mall and many outlets around the city. Shopping is everywhere in Seoul.

6) What about a trip to North Korea?

Hope this helps

you%26#39;re planning a lot of trips; strange you seem to ask identical questions and make similar errors in each.

In the Seoul forum, what makes Singapore unforgetable; in the London, what makes Rome unforgetable.......

Not saying I don%26#39;t beleive you%26#39;re doing a world trip but......

cooking ingredients?

hello again :)

when i visit seoul, i plan to cook some english dishes for my friend, and i just wondered if the following items can easily be found in stores/market?

they are:

bacon

sausages

minced/ground beef and lamb

baked beans

turnip

swede

leeks

peas

big potatoes

maybe i can bring tins of baked bean in my suitcase if they are not here.

thanks for any help

cooking ingredients?

Lamb can be a problem....try Lotte, E-mart or Shinsegae department store.

cooking ingredients?

thanks! i heard lamb is expensive there. i%26#39;ll hunt some down. hope i can find some parsnips too

Be aware of that lamb meat is not common in Korea and besides being hard to find is unfamiliar to koreans. Some koreans may find the smell strange. My wife who is korean can%26#39;t eat lamb meat because of the smell, while some of here korean friends have no problem with it.

Good luck!

burts bees

Cheap Acomodation near Incheon Airport

Any one know of cheap acomodation near Incheon Airport? I will be staying that for a night and will leave for jeju the next morning?

Thanks !!

Can i just also check if the train from Incheon aiport to gimpo is in service right?

Cheap Acomodation near Incheon Airport

ck hotel queen. there are plenty of hotels in airport town (ICN) train station is huge and right in town (hotel has free shuttle from ICN)

dog

Seoul Harley Davidson

How do you get to Harley Davidson in Seoul?

Seoul Harley Davidson

I see you are from Camp Hovey, so I take it you will take the bus to Yongsan, right? If so, I%26#39;m sure you are familiar with Ietaewon. Enter Ietaewon from the Yongsan side and walk/take a cab all the way to the other end. At that far end the road will split, either left or right. Follow the right split and look straight ahead as the road BEGINS to curve. It will be right in front of you, across the highway. Get out of the cab there and take the walkway over the very large and busy street and you are there. I live in Hannam Village, which is all of 1/2 mile away if that.

Booking DMZ tour/city guide from Grand Intercontinental

Any ideas on both would be great, we%26#39;re only on seoul for 3 nights and would love to do the DMZ tour and also have a guide for the day to show us round the city!

Whats the best place to book DMZ?

Best wishes

Chris

Booking DMZ tour/city guide from Grand Intercontinental

I think you could do the city yourself; get Lonely Planet and wander yourself? Use City Tour bus.

GI is in Gangnam, far away from City Hall, best place to start.

Check for recommended DMZs; I%26#39;d book before going there as best ones need to be booked early.

How to go to Jeju from Seoul?

Hi,

Can any of the local experts here give me advise on how to go to Jeju from Seoul?

My wife and myself will be going to Seoul in early June, will it be a good time to go to Jeju?

How to go to Jeju from Seoul?

hi there

i am a jeju local and working for jeju government. there are 3 ways to get to jeju. return trip is the other way round. the one is to come from gimpo airport, seoul. another is from gimhae airport, pusan. the last is to travel by sea. i recommend you to use air travel from gimpo to jeju. when you land on incheon airport, get off and take subway leading directly from incheon airport to gimpo airport. and then take a flight from gimpo to jeju. there are so many flights running from gimpo to jeju. it is almost every 30 minutes. the ticket is very cheap compared to other countries. it would be less than 200 us dollars for round trip.

june is one of the best season to look around jeju. summer, which is very hot and humid, starts from july and ends in august. so you can enjoy fantastic niche season. jeju is very beautiful and was designated as world natural heritage last year. if you need any more inforamtion, send me email at check170@gmail.com

How to get to Hotel Biwon

Hi experts

Will be on my first trip to Seoul in a couple of days for 4D3N R%26amp;R. Pls advise how do i reach the hotel biwon from Incheon International. I read its between Jongno 5-ga on line 1 and Hyewha on line 4. Here%26#39;s my plan. I would be asking help at the airport for the bus to the nearest subway station along line 1 and then hop to Jongno 5-ga. Once at Jongno 5ga, which exit should I go for the walk to Hotel Biwon as I read exits are critical. BTW does anybody know whether Hyewha station along Line 4 is a better option - i.e. nearer walking distance to hotel biwon?

Many thanks.

How to get to Hotel Biwon

on their website,it looks as tho%26#39; Jongno 3 ga station is closer; take the exti for Changdeokkung palace and walk up the main road north .

How to get to Hotel Biwon

Hi Ethelman2

Many thanks. After much searching, found the following from shilla travel.

After arrival at Incheon Airport you can take the Airport Limousine Bus:

* Busline 602-1, get off at Changdeokkung Palace. Duration of the trip is 60 minutes. Fare is 8.000 Won ~ 7 Euro.

From there you have 2 options:

1. Option 1: Follow the big road in the direction of Changdeokkung Palace, cross the 1st side road and keep walking straight along the Palace Walls of Changgyeonggung. Cross the 2nd side road at the Wonnamdong crossing and after 20 meter you will find Biwon hotel on your right hand.

2. Option 2: take a taxi and ask for Biwon Hotel at Wonnamdong crossing (3 minutes by taxi, taxi fare is 2.000 Won ~ 2 Euro)

* It鈥檚 also possible to take the taxi direct from Incheon to Biwon hotel. Fare: 70.000 Won ~ 60 Euro

Lets hope i can cross the road easy :O Hey thanks again

hotel

We are traveling to Seoul in june. Our daughter is staying wth a family in Ilsan. What hotel is close? We can not find one with that address. We have been told it is all residential.

Thanks

hotel

you%26#39;re way out beyond the hotel zone, I%26#39;m afraid.

Try a hotel along line 3 (orange line -still 40 mins journey from downtown, I%26#39;m afraid).

There is expensive Shilla at Dongguk Univ; a couple by Chungmuro station, some near Anguk (Insadong)

hotel

I could only find one serviced residence in Ilsan. no hotel found. It is near convention center and Lotte department store.

http://www.residencenu.com/e_info_1.htm

The price is no more than 100 USD a day with breakfast. Call 82-31-813-8001 for reservation.

or

If you want to stay downtown Seoul I recommend Sommerset Palace. You can go to Ilsan taking Subway line 3 from Anguk station which is near the hotel or Red bus(9710) from Gwanhwamoon.

somerset.com/en/鈥omerset_palace.html

they are all including breakfast.

you can book cheaper at

http://www.koreahotel.com/

http://www.worldhotel.co.kr/en/

burts bees

hair straightener

Hotel near Seoul Nat'l University

I%26#39;m traveling to Seoul in about 2.5 weeks for a family member%26#39;s wedding, and she lives near Seoul Nat%26#39;l University, according to her: ';very close to ';Bongcheon'; (next to Seoul National University stop) on subway line 2.';

I am looking for a hotel that is close to there- in Gwanak-gu, but the only I%26#39;ve found is the Stay 7 Seoul Nat%26#39;l Univ. Hotel (apparently used to be the Co-op). It%26#39;s nice enough, but I%26#39;d rather stay in an area with a little more going on.

Are the COEX area hotels to far out of the way, or could I stay there with minimal travel times between there and her place? Or are there other hotels nearby that anyone knows about?

I don%26#39;t need anything fancy, but would like internet %26amp; maybe breakfast included. Thanks in advance!

Hotel near Seoul Nat'l University

It%26#39;s about 15-20 mins to Samseong Stn (Coex).

There%26#39;s a Ibis near Coex, which is OK; also some VERY expensive hotels, and some reasonable ones.

There%26#39;s also what used to be Co-op residence, now Seoul National Univ. Hotel, right nearby the U. Looks OK from outside

Hotel near Seoul Nat'l University

Thanks! I%26#39;ll probably end up staying there, as I think it%26#39;s closest.

8 hours connection time in Seoul

My family of five will have 8 hours connection time in Seoul. We%26#39;ll arrive Incheon around 12 noon and leave at 8pm. We would like to visit Gyeongbokgung Palace, some market place, and do some walk around in city. Is it possible? Recommendations welcome. Thanks.

8 hours connection time in Seoul

no: too far out. It takes 90 min to get to Seoul, 90 back and ?2 hours? check-in time. You might have time to do Namdaemun market or Doksugung palace- which doesn%26#39;t have a tour schedule, though.

There is a tour bus that does tours from airport into Seoul but I%26#39;ve never used it.

Korean classical theatre shows?

I did a search with the word ';theatre'; and can%26#39;t seem to find tips on it. Can anyone advise on what light classical Korean theatre can a visitor try? I don%26#39;t mean pop/rock types of shows but something more traditional/classical. Thanks in advance for any tips.

Korean classical theatre shows?

Try Chongdong Theatre - chongdong.com

Just a layover in Seoul, or take a few days?

We have the choice of a 12 hour layover in Seoul on our flight to Hanoi, or the option of taking a few days in Korea. Any recommendations for what length our stay should be, what there is to do, etc? Also, is Korea expensive?

Just a layover in Seoul, or take a few days?

depends when to be honest.

Hanoi and Korea are in different climate zones: Korea can be cold in winter, e.g.

Seoul is quite expensive; out of town, not.

If you%26#39;re up for a high speed train to Gyeongju, you can stay for US prices and eat/drink/explore for peanuts.

I%26#39;d recommend just that: two nights in Seoul to spend a full day in the city, then two in Gyeongju, taking train back for your onward flight.

South Korea in December

Hello everyone:

I am planning on visiting a friend who is teaching in South Korea over the Christmas holidays and will be spending a week in South Korea and then a week somewhere in South East Asia. I wanted to know if anyone knew of a cheap destination airfare wise? Do they have chartered airlines or vacation packages in South Korea to travel to South East Asia? Any information would be greatly appreciated! Thanks :)

South Korea in December

Hi,

I looked into doing something similar last month..

If it%26#39;s just the airfare you%26#39;re concerned with, I%26#39;d check with a travel agent, even better a travel agent that specializes in Asia, to see if you can get a ticket to a South East Asian destination with a one week lay over in Korea. When I checked, a ticket to Bangkok with a Seoul layover cost only slightly more than a ticket to Seoul on Korean Air. Bangkok-Seoul by itself was over US$500. I don%26#39;t know about other cities, but I was told that Bangkok became more expensive to fly to from Seoul than in the past due to some regulatory changes and fees, etc.

Also ask your friend in Korea to check in local English-language papers for Korean travel agent/ vacation package ads. I would think there are some good air + hotel deals to be found locally since South East Asia is a popular destination for Koreans.

Happy planning!

South Korea in December

Thank you very much :)

myspace codes

itinerary advice please!

Hello all,

I%26#39;d be very grateful for your comments on the following plan. I%26#39;m heading to Korea next week and have 5/6 days to explore the country beyond Seoul.

Day 1: Evening bus to Sokcho (I finish work at about 3pm)

Day 2: Hike in Seoraksan national park (is it good in early May? Has anybody done a 2-day hike there?)

Day 3: Look around Sokcho, bus to Gyeong-ju. Is there such a bus? How long does it take?

Day 4: Look around Gyeong-ju (tumuli park, bulguksa, etc.). Anything else?

Day 5: Hoping to go to a temple stay at Golgosa, not yet confirmed.

Day 6: Return from temple-stay, head back to Seoul.

Any comments very gratefully recieved. Also, what should I do if the temple stay doesn%26#39;t work out? Another day in Seoraksan? Somewhere else in-between?

Finally, I%26#39;ve also been thinking about going to the Ulleueng-do island after Seoraksan, instead of Gyeong-ju. Would this be better? Is it possible to get a ferry from Sokcho or would I have to go to Pohang (and is this possible)?

Many many thanks %26amp; I look forward to all your wisdom. Trip report will be posted afterwards, naturally.

BTW Flights to Jeju-do all booked up, so can%26#39;t do that one ...

itinerary advice please!

Hi,

I spent several days hiking Sorak some years back and just loved it. It%26#39;s still one of my all time favorite trips. Although being there during the peak of autumn foliage season had something to do with it, I%26#39;m sure it%26#39;ll be beautiful now as well. Azaleas maybe??

Anyways, I stayed in Sokcho for few days to explore outer Sorak (reachable through Sorak-dong, the main entrance to the national park) and another few days in Osaek (reachable by bus with transfer in Yangyang, south of Sokcho) to explore inner Sorak and climb the highest peak, Daechonbong. Outer Sorak was beautiful on a grander scale, while inner Sorak had cozier, more intimate feel. If you%26#39;re a serious hiker, consider getting up to the top of Sorak, spending a night at the shelter and then coming down a different way. Osaek-Daechonbong takes about 5 hours going up, while Sorak-dong to Daechongbong takes double that.

There should be, at least there used to be, buses to Gyeongju from Sokcho. If not, try taking a bus down to Gangrung, south of Sokcho, and catch a bus from there. Or see if you can get a bus to Pohang which is near Geyongju with frequent connections to Gyeongju. I don%26#39;t know how long the ride takes, but my guess is 5-7 hours.

In Gyeongju, I hear cycling is a popular tourist activity. If you have time %26amp; energy, I%26#39;d recommend hiking up to Seokguram Grotto from Bulguksa (or splurge on a cab to Seokguram and hike down to Bulguksa which is what I did about three weeks ago). Also check out Bomun Lake district (the resort area).

There%26#39;s no ferry to Ullungdo from Sokcho. You can catch one in Mookho which is closer to Sokcho than Pohang. But adding Ullung-do will be tough even if you skip Geyongju. East Sea is supposed to be rougher than other waters, and if the wind picks up just a little, they%26#39;ll cancel the ferry and you%26#39;ll get stuck on the island for an extra day or two, or possibly even longer. Happened to me once..

For 5-6 day trip, Sorak %26amp; Gyeongju are more than enough in my opinion. Alternatively, you can do Ullungdo %26amp; Gyeongju. You waste less time on the road with the latter combination. Gyeongju %26amp; Pohang are next to each other with frequent bus connections, and Pohang has an airport with daily flights to/from Seoul. Both cities also have high speed train connections to Seoul. Plan on 2-3 days on Ullungdo, 2 days in Gyeongju, and 1-2 day cushion in case of bad weather in Ullungdo. If you get off the island on time, you can easily explore another nearby destination (Busan comes to mind).

itinerary advice please!

Hi Wanderlustt,

Thanks so much for a really useful reply! I am now planning to go to Gyeongju first, since this is when I can stay at the Golgusa temple. Then, depending on time left and transportation, Sockcho/Seoraksan or Ullueng-do. I%26#39;m tempted by the latter for the reasons you mention but wary of missing Seoraksan (Sorak?) ...

Can you recommend anywhere to stay in Sokcho/Sorak-dong? It looks I%26#39;ll be arriving there at the weekend, according to the current plan.

Many thanks again, you%26#39;ve been a real help and I%26#39;m very grateful.

There is a bus from Sokcho(속초) to Gyeongju(경주). It starts twice a day. So transfering in Gangreung(강릉) would be better. 14 buses per day. A train is also available between Gangreung and Gyeongu. The train runs the remotest region in Korean, so you can enjoy breathtaking scene of Taebaek mountains (태백산맥). Bus ride will take about 5 hours, Train 7 hours.

You%26#39;re welcome, brighton99!

It%26#39;s always a pleasure to share about places I enjoyed..

As for Sokcho/ Seorak-dong hotel recommendation, I really don%26#39;t have one. I stayed at Daemyoung Condo and while I liked the place a lot, it%26#39;s not exactly convenient location-wise for a shorter trip like yours. Daemyoung is about 20 minute bus ride from Sokcho in the opposite direction of Seorak-dong, up the hill towards Misiryoung Pass. Reasonable price for a nice, spacious studio and a killer view of the Ullung Rocks.

If you want some luxury as closed to the national park as possible, Kensington Hotel looked like an excellent option. I%26#39;m saying it just from what I saw in terms of the location and the exterior, not from personal experience of staying there.

I hope I didn%26#39;t get your hopes up too high for Seoraksan. Just so you know, I generally like mountains and hiking, and I also had total of ten days to leisurely explore and experience the area.

Ullung-do is actually not too shabby a trip compared to Seoraksan. It was a quite special trip for me in its own way... hard to compare the two places because I went to Ullung-do under completely different circumstances for different activities (I was working remotely for much of the time). But in that you can experience both mountain and coastal sceneries at the same time, Ullungdo is kind of similar to Sokcho/Seorak.

Wherever you end up going, I%26#39;m sure you%26#39;ll have as much fun as you allow yourself. I%26#39;m already jealous, and I just came back from a Korean trip less than a month ago. :)

BTW, you might already have this, but make sure you get the tourist hot-line number from the Korean National Tourism Office. It%26#39;s supposed to give you English info %26amp; interpretation assistance 24-7.

burts bees

Hotel near the airport

I am arriving into Incheon airport at 7.15am and need to be back at the airport the next morning at 6.00am to join a local tour. Is there an airport hotel that I can stay for that night. What can I do at Incheon for that day? I need to stay close to the airport as I understand there probably won%26#39;t have any buses or taxis to take me to the airport at 5.30am. Please help. Thanks

Hotel near the airport

what%26#39;s your budget?

there are on airport hotels and ones slightly further away.

Incheon is not actually where the airport is; apart from Wolmidoo, Incheon%26#39;s not all that scenic anyway. Lonely Planet has a walking tour of Icncheon, and you%26#39;d need a taxi or bus into town. I%26#39;ve always gone into Seoul, (from where the subway runs to Incheon). Seoul takes 90 mins; however it would be silly to go there JUST to come back out to Incheon town,

Hotel near the airport

Sorry - I think we are arriving into Seoul airport not Incheon. We are travelling with my mum who is 66 years old and 2 young children aged 9 and 11. So we probably need 2 rooms convenient to everything, especially the airport. With the budget, I will probably be looking at between AUD80 to AUD100 a night. We need a basic accommodation for a night. Thanks

Incheon IS Seoul airport: unless you%26#39;re flying do,estic, in which case the a/p is Gimpo.

Incheon airport town has some basic hotels -Hotel June is- um, well, OK.

But you%26#39;ll struggle at these rates, I%26#39;m afraid.

Thanks for sharing. I will probably have to look at hotels between $100-$150 per night for a reasonable one. Had a look at a few websites and found some within my budget but haven%26#39;t sus out their reviews. Thanks

Less than a week ago I stayed at the Incheon Airport Oceanside Hotel (www.oceanside.co.kr). I LOVED IT. Free shuttle to/from airport. They upgraded me to a suite because it was my first time. In the suite free internet on their computer, free use of the minibar, a jacuzzi tub with a separate shower, a 42'; plasma TV mounted on the wall, a free adult entertainment channel and so more other perks all for just $70 nightly. It was unbelieveable for the price. I stayed in suite #516.

Hotels Recomendation

My wife and I going to Seoul in June. Does anyone have a hotel recomendation? Close to attractions and the train? Also in a good area?

Thanks

Hotels Recomendation

What%26#39;s your budget?

Hotels Recomendation

We hope to spent under $250 per night or less. I would pay enough to be close to things like train station and attractions.

Thanks

if by ';trains'; you mean the KTX High Speed, then Hilton Millienium, not former Swissotel), Lotte, President are all close. Also Best Westerns (New Seoul and Kukje).

If you mean the subway, then pick your hotel. Most are a min or two from a subway stop. You don%26#39;t really want to be in Gangnam (South of River) but in downtown;

Tower is on Mount Namsan, so out of the way and not really suitable: Walkerhill is remote, to,o as is the Namsan Hyatt. Also out are Ritz Carlton; Imperial Palace. Shilla%26#39;s probably too dear -but excellent hotel near subway.

Your search here or using other search engines will give you names of downtown hotels -you need City Hall area for main station.

Thanks for the info.

Lees than a week ago I stayed at the Ibis in Myeong-dong. The location is out-of-this-world. For the price (I paid $96 nightly), it can%26#39;t be beaten. Myeong-dong is a trendy side of Seoul with lots of shops and resturants close to the hotel. I will stay at this property again and again. I will soon post my review of the hotel.

Ibis Myeongdong IS a good location. However not near main-line trans; close to subway (gets you anywhere in Seoul itself ,and immediate environs)

Cheju

Hallo

I will spend a day in Cheju in August.

Can anybody give me info about things to do and see?

Thanks

Cheju

I went Jeju last year. It%26#39;s a very relaxing place. I would suggest you visit

the Jeju Folk Village, Jeju Teddy Bear Museum, Cheongjaeyeon Waterfall, Dumunpo Seashore and do check out the dragon head rock.

Jeju island is also a good place for hiking. You could try hiking up Mt Halla, one of the tallest mountain in Jeju. The view up there is really worth the hike.

Hope this helps.

Cheju

Hi I am going to Jeju in Sept. Did you take the Jeju Trolley Bus? Does anyone know how to reserve/ book the tickets for Jeju Trolley Bus? Thanks.

to Lowjg:

You can get the trolley bus tour ticket pass (1 or 2 day pass) at Jeju airport Tourist Info. Desk I think..that%26#39;s what I found out from the KTO office in Singapore.

I%26#39;m heading to Jeju Island in mid- Oct.

Do share your Korea/Jeju island experience! :)

Hi I am visiting Jeju in early Sept too. Am wondering if it is better to rent a car or just follow the trolley bus.

Does anyone know if the trolley bus is the same as the hop on hop off where you can get down anytime and take the next bus to continue the trip? How much is it? I tried to find info on their website but it%26#39;s all in Korean languages.

Also, does it cover most of the scenic spots in Jeju? I am referring to Seongup Folk Village, Lotte World Windmill, Mysterious Road, Teddy Bear Museum, Chocolate Castle, Cheonjeyeon Falls, Miniature Park, Seungsan Sunrise Peak and Yongduam Rock.

Korea weather in August

Hi, we have time to travel to Korea only in August - do you know what is the weather in that time? I know it is rainy season but what concretely this means?

Are some areas better or worse in this period?

Thanks,

Katja

Korea weather in August

I would say not the best time to visit. In early August it rains pretty much every day all day and it is very hot and humid. Of course, you%26#39;ll get some days with sunshine -- it just depends, but again, scorching hot. This is true all across the peninsula as well. I%26#39;m not sure if Jeju Island shares this weather, but I%26#39;m pretty sure it does.

Korea weather in August

Thanks so much - I have just decided to go anyway but now when I read your email...I think I will go somewhere else...any ideas for August?

KAT

How about the sea coast of Japan? I%26#39;m going for a short trip in early June.

The reason I mention this is because coastal cities/towns tend to be a little cooler even in hotter months. It%26#39;s an idea. There are some verrrrry beautiful coastal cities in Japan. I%26#39;m going to one called Miyazu. There is a site there called Amanohashidate and it%26#39;s one of Japan%26#39;s 3 most scenic areas. Amanohashidate means ';bridge to the heavens';. Further up the coast is the area of Niigata which I heard is also wonderful.

Maybe you could try going over to the Japan forums and get some ideas.

August is blazing hot in Korea and Japan. But I think the coast could give you some relief.

I%26#39;m sorry you won%26#39;t make it to Seoul. It%26#39;s really wonderful. Then again Korea has a coastal line on three sides, so that%26#39;s still an option too.

hi thanks for this kind idea. We would like to go travel back pack not for holidays lsying on the beach...is this part of Japan still an option?

Greetings from Slovenia:=)

Hello, lovely Slovenia. :)

YES, absolutely. You don%26#39;t need to lie on a beach (not sure if the Japanese even do that--but they do swim) to enjoy the coast of Japan. There is plenty of sight-seeing to do in the coastal cities. Especially if you love nature. There are some great nature walks in Miyazu, including Amanohashidate.

Here is some info on Miyazu and Amanohashidate:

http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3990.html

www2.gol.com/users/miyazu/hasidate.html

http://www.joho-kyoto.or.jp/~center/english/shop/amanohashidate/

This link -- the joho one -- gives you four nature walk options. Just click on ';sightseeing guide, beautiful spots';.

http://apike.ca/japan_amanohashidate.html

I%26#39;m sure you can find a lot more, too. However, if you are still interested I will help you get info if I can. Just let me know. I%26#39;m planning my trip there for early June. I know there are some good hotels and guest houses there. Also, if it interests you, there is another kind of treasure in Miyazu: Miyazu Catholic church, the second oldest Christian church in Japan. It is small and beautiful, built in the European style on the outside and Japanese style on the inside.

I cannot swear that it won%26#39;t be hot in August...I%26#39;m just thinking it may be cooler than other spots. The lady I corresponded with at city hall (very little english) did tell me that it will be ';a bit chilly'; when I am there in early June...so that tells me it%26#39;s cooler along the sea coast.

There are many other coastal cities you could look into as well.

I hope something works out for you and you can visit this beautiful country.

Sorry, wasn%26#39;t sure if that ';joho'; URL hyperlinked. Here it is again:

http://www.joho-kyoto.or.jp/~center/english/shop/amanohashidate/

Just to clarify for you: Miyazu City is part of Kyoto. I believe you can get to Miyazu in less than 2 hours from Kyoto on the bullet train.

If you look at the Japan map, find Kyoto and then use your finger to trace a line straight up but slightly to the left--you will find Miyazu there.

Here%26#39;s another fun fact: you can easily get to Himeji where you can see the famous Himeji castle from Kyoto in one hour or from Miyazu in about the same amount of time. Himeji makes for a great day trip either from Kyoto or from Miyazu.

If you look on the map, find Kyoto, then find Miyazu above it, then from Miyazu trace downwards to your left a little bit you will see Himeji. These 3 places form a triangle.

Unless you go to Hokkaido I can%26#39;t see any reason why coastal japanese towns should be cooler than korean coastal towns. There are many lovely korean coastal towns as well.

Yes, it%26#39;s hot and sticky in Seoul in beginning of august, but you would be very unlucky to have rain everyday. Rainy season is july.

I would recommend to stick to your original plan, because Korea is less touristy, much cheaper and imho better food.

And what about a tour to North Korea?

Hi,

thank you - I have already decided not to go, but now it is tempting again...:) Have you been there in summer months?

Yes, I have been in Korea 4 times during summer months (july, august and september). As I said, july is the rainy season and then it rains about every 3 days, but most days are hot, sticky and cloudy. When august starts, you start to get more sun, but still rains about every 3-4 days until mid/end of august when the number of rainy days get less. Sometimes I guess you can be unlucky and have 3-4 days of rain in a row.

If you don%26#39;t mind warm weather, I wouldn%26#39;t be concerned about going to Korea in august. It doesn%26#39;t rain all the time.

I don%26#39;t know what your plans are and how long you are staying, but I would definetly recommend you to go to Kroea!

Thank nice to hear all this suggestions - now we have decided for a shorter stay in Portugal, but Korea remains our goal - if not during the year then next summer. I hope you have a good plan for travelling this summer as well:)

rodents

What to do?

Hi

My wife and I will be in Seoul first week of September this year staying at the Ibis Myeong-dong and have just 1 day free to sightsee. We then return first week in October and have 2 days free.

Can anyone suggest what to do-see, where to go,likely weather, transport, day trips etc.

Any help would be appreciated,

Cheers

Alan

What to do?

Hi,

For your one day stopover in Sept, you could do your sightseeing in the hotel%26#39;s vicinity - visiting the Kyongbok Palace, Deoksu Palace and Cheongyechon Stream in the day. At night you could explore the Namdaemun Market or take a cable car ride to Seoul Tower.

For your two days in Oct, you could spend the first in Seoul and the second on a day trip. You could buy an all day Seoul City Tour Bus pass which will cover all the tourist attractions around Seoul including the Blue House (Presidential Residence), UNESCO heritage site Changdeokgung Palace, Korean War Memorial, Insadong, Itaewon, etc. You can alight at any place that catches your fancy and reboard the bus again, as many times as you like within the day.

You%26#39;ve not indicated what your interests lie, so here are a few suggestions for side trips on your second day in Oct:

%26gt; Everland Theme Park (much bigger than Dreamworld)

%26gt; Suwon Village - another UNESCO heritage site

%26gt; Demilitarized Zone

For the DMZ trip, you%26#39;ll need to get your

conceirge to book a tour for you once you reach

your hotel.

Have fun.

What to do?

Thanks for that info, much appreciated.

Alan

Airport Help

We are going to be in Seoul on Sat 16-Aug. We hope to do a DMZ tour which ends around 4:30pm. Then we will be flying to Shanghai.

My question is, which airport should we fly out of, ICN or GMP?

ICN flight is a little cheaper and is with reputable Korean Air. But it departs at 7:05pm and I hear that getting from central Seoul to ICN could take 90+ minutes - which would be cutting it too close.

GMP flight is with China Eastern and it departs at 7:40pm. GMP is close to central Seoul but it is more expensive and with a less reputable airline

Any Suggestions Would Be Helpful

Airport Help

I recommend you to use GMP airport. Because your DMZ tour would get back in Seoul later than schedule in Heavy traffic. Closer better.

Train takes you to GMP airport straight. But you know, you must change some transportations to ICN by around 5:40pm. I don%26#39;t think it is safe way to get there. There is no spare time to waste at all. Missing your flight is worst.

wrinkle cream

Transportation from airport

My wife and i are going to Seoul in June and we are staying downtown by city hall. I understand it is an hour and a half from the airport. What is the bast way to travel from the airport to our hotel the Best Western New Soeul?

Thanks

Transportation from airport

What do you mean by best?

KAL bus to City Hall means a walk; ordinary limousine bus, also a walk.

Taxi will do it, but costs you $$$.

I %26#39;d go for KAL to Lotte, and cab from there, I think.

Transportation from airport

oh, and cheapest is the subway/train: not very conveneint though. You%26#39;d need train to Gimpo, then subway to City Hall, I think. Then walk.

Take a KAL Limousine(14000won) or 605 bus(9000won) to KOREANA HOTEL.

It%26#39;s just across the road.

Do you have an idea of the cost of a taxi?

Thanks for the help!

Taxi all the way is about $100 US; from Koreana hotel or lotte hotel; at most $5.

Bus would be a limousine with big relaxers for about $13

Advice on 5-star Seoul hotel. Thanks in advance!

I%26#39;m hoping for some advice on selecting a 5-star Seoul hotel for an upcoming trip. It%26#39;s my first visit to Seoul and I%26#39;m looking for very comfortable accommodation (5*). I%26#39;ve found mixed reviews on various Web sites and am hoping for some help! I need to be in the Gangnam area, south of the river. I%26#39;ve seen good rates for the Ritz-Carlton but read mixed reviews. Does anyone have any current advice? I heard the Ritz-Carlton did a renovation and might be better now? I%26#39;ll be there for approx. three weeks. Many thanks in advance!

Advice on 5-star Seoul hotel. Thanks in advance!

Depends on where you want to be. Ritz is remote from subway and subway is best way around Seoul. I%26#39;d stay ( as I nearly always do) in one of the Interconts.

I prefer Grand, as it%26#39;s right by limousine bus terminal (City Air terminal).

This means a non-stop ride to and from airport. For me, I can also check in and check my baggage as I fly Asiana. Korean Air has same facility.

Advice on 5-star Seoul hotel. Thanks in advance!

Thanks for the reply. Have you stayed at both the Ritz-Carlton and Intercontinental? I%26#39;m wondering which has more comfortable rooms. Reviews on Ritz-Carlton seem mixed...Is one Intercontinental more luxurious than the other? What about the Renaissance? I just want to make sure the one I choose is up to the Western 5-star standard, esp. since I%26#39;ll be there for three weeks or more.

We%26#39;ll be flying Korean Air.

Thank you getting back to me! Helpful, esp. since this is my first trip to Seoul.

definitely go for GI. Get a junior suite- excellent rooms, great breakfast. Almost ';too western';- except for preponderance of bowing staff.

Better location than RC- you can walk to Bongeun temple -in sight from rooms, Coex mall adjoins (good Korean fod, also lots of US chain like Outback, Bennigans for when you tire of gimchi)

or even good Korean food(!)

Do try O%26#39;Kim%26#39;s Brauhaus- a real mixture of bizarreness.

To get to hotel from a.p. simply take the City Air (red and white) bus. They%26#39;ll take your bags into the trunk and give you a receipt. 13,000 won (13 US) with only one stop (outside your hotel- but don%26#39;t try getting off there as it%26#39;s only for those without baggage). Then bus drives round into Air Terminal where you reclaim baggage from the bus itself, go down escalator and follow sign for 200 foot walk across courtyard into hotel.

On way back, you need to be at Air Terminal 3 hours before take off; you clear emigration there, check your baggage in, and board bus. At airport you get fast track, with only minor checks.

The hotel%26#39;s location means you can easily take the Circle line to downtown to do a bit of sightseeing- without the horrendous jams you%26#39;d experience in a cab.

DONG HYUN CHOI South Korean Human Rights

Don%26#39;t go to South Korea and get what this guy got

http://www.donghyunchoi.com/

DONG HYUN CHOI South Korean Human Rights

You may be a north korean. That site is just north korean propaganda. Great Leader Kim Il sung? Are you kidding?

Torture in South Korea? It could be 20 years ago. At that time, military government controled south korea. But, as a result of civil protest demonstration in 1987, democratic government was established. And a former president, Kim Dae Jung was a victim of torture under military government. He won Nobel Peace Prize for protest against military government. Yun Yi Sang, mentioned in that site, also was a victim of military government. Now Korea is one of the most democratic country in the world.

transfer file

Pre & Post Night Hotel

There will be 5 (including 2 children)of us travelling to Seoul in September and we need a pre and post night before our tour. For pre night, we are arriving at 8.45am in the morning which means we have a full day and would like to stay in the inner city. For the post night, we have a flight to catch the next morning at 11.00am, so we want a hotel closer to the airport as we probably need to check our at 7.00am. Can anyone suggest a reasonable rate hotel in City Centre and one closer to the airport. i have been reading that IBIS Myeong Dong is a good hotel - is this right in the city? Please help as I have never been to Seoul and in theprocess of gathering as much information as I can. Thank you.

Pre %26amp; Post Night Hotel

Yes, IBIS is located in the heart of Seoul. But it is too far from the airport. There is no hotel close to City Center and the airport because City Center and the airport are at least 1 hour away by bus. IMHO, you%26#39;d better find a hotel near the airport. You can leave luggages to the hotel and enjoy Seoul exploration, then go back to the hotel in the night and leisurely go to the airport in the mornig. There are many hotels and guesthouses near the airport.

Pre %26amp; Post Night Hotel

You could stay at one of hotels near the airport or stay in the city and get up early in the morning.

There are Best Western premire and Hyatt Regency Incheon at the airport. They both have free shuttle bus to the airport and it only takes 5 min. It takes about 1h to Seoul by airport bus.

Grand Hilton hotel is the closest to the airport (45min by airport bus) that is in Seoul. However, it takes 20-25 mins to attractions and shopping areas such as Myeongdong, Insadong.

I%26#39;d recommend Ibis Myeongdong as it is in the city centre. You can catch the airport bus at 7am and get to the airport by 8am which is enough time to catch 11am flight.

Flights from Seoul to Tokyo

Using American travel websites, Im finding one-way flights from Seoul to Tokyo (September) to be approximately $350-400USD. That seems really high.

Are there cheaper discount airlines out there that do this route? A better website?

Thanks!

Flights from Seoul to Tokyo

Hi, have you tried www.wegolo.com?

Flights from Seoul to Tokyo

I don%26#39;t think $350-400 is that expensive unless it is the price exlcusive TAX.

Usually it is cheaper to fly with Japanese airlines (JAL, ANA) to Tokyo than KAL or Asiana. To Seoul, the opposite. KAL and Asiana will be cheaper.

Asiarooms.com

Hi - I don%26#39;t usually book hotels online but asiaroooms.com had a really good deal on a 5-star hotel in Jeju. The thing is, i%26#39;ve read through a lot of threads on this site and the reviews are mixed, but it seemed to me people only had trouble when they were making a change (refund, cancel, change room, etc.)

But can anyone share with me their peresonal experience of actually showing up and either 1) not being booked at the hotel, or 2) got a completely different rate?

I am also weary because after my confirmation (which took about only 15 minutes) says the following:

Your reservation will be held at the hotel in the name of ';World Hotel Center';.

The hotel will be given the name(s) of the guest(s) 3 days before the check-in date.

Therefore, if you contact the hotel before that time, the hotel will not be able to confirm that you have a reservation.

The voucher serves as your confirmation.

Can someone please confirm that this is NORMAL asiaroom practice to NOT put a hotel room under your name until 3 days before?

Does anyone know what the World Hotel Center is? Is that a wholeseller?

Thanks in advance for your thoughts! I%26#39;m really freaking out here that I can%26#39;t even call the hotel to confirm...

Asiarooms.com

I%26#39;ve used Asiarooms.com to book hotels in elsewhere in Asia e.g. Bangkok, Taipei, and the reservation is always processed by/held by a local travel agent e.g. Pacific World. After one encounter where I had to wait about two hours for a room in Bangkok, and being asked to provide THB4000 cash deposit despite having fully paid for my stay prior to my trip, I stopped using Asiarooms.com anymore.

I suppose Asiarooms.com probably does not have an office in these countries, hence the need to go through a local travel agent. This probably explains why your reservation is held under %26#39;World Hotel Center%26#39; which is likely to be a Korea-based travel firm.

Have you checked with your credit card issuing bank whether Asiarooms.com has billed/posted the transaction to your card account yet? If you%26#39;ve already been charged, it is strange that the room reservation is not in place. If I wanted to book only three days before I check in, I could have done so through agents that offer last minute deals such as priceline.com (name your price) or wotif.com (up to 28 days prior to check in date).

If you have doubts you could try calling their 24/7 hotline or e=mailing their reservations centre directly. Hope this helps.

Asiarooms.com

Thanks so much for your reply.

World hotel center (www.hotelpass.com) is like Expedia.com of Korea.

wrinkle cream

graffiti

hello

i%26#39;m wondering whether there are lots of graffiti pieces in seoul, i always enjoy to look at truly good pieces of street art and i am not referring to little mindless pieces of vandalism :) is there lots along the train tracks as in other countries?

if anyone knows of some special park, skate park, or area that i can view graffiti i would be happy to know it.

graffiti

Hi,

I don%26#39;t think you will find graffiti along train tracks. You could see a few graffiti in Hongdae area. Here is a blog that has some photos of Hongdae. blog.naver.com/food_table鈥?/a>

There should be better graffiti arts but I don%26#39;t know where you can find them. sorry.

graffiti

graffiti...I%26#39;m Korean living in Milano and see lots of graffiti here even in peaceful residence area. But in korea, graffiti is not common. Actually, most korean don%26#39;t like graffiti and tend to think it of cheap western culture. Only near some universities, like Hongdae mentioned above, there are some graffiti pieces.

thanks for the responses. the website is very interesting. i like to look at stencil works :) i%26#39;ll keep my eyes peeled when i am around hongdae area then. thank you

Ferry to Tokyo

I heard there was a ferry from Seoul to Tokyo. Does anyone know anything about this...how long it would take to get there, the cost etc. Any info at all would help. Thanks.

Ferry to Tokyo

No ferry from Seoul but you can go from Busan to some Japanese cities like Osaka and Fukuoka then a train to Tokyo. It will cost same as airplane or more. but it%26#39;s good if you are travelling those cities as well. buy JR Pass if you plan to use the train more than twice.

Seoul to Busan KTX train 50,000 Won(3hrs)

Busan to Fukuoka Hydrofoil 95,000 Won(3hrs)

Fukuoka to Tokyo train 12,000 Yen (4hrs)

Korail

http://info.korail.com/2007/eng/eng_index.jsp

Hydrofoil to Fukuoka

http://www.jrbeetle.co.jp/

Panstar ferry to Osaka

http://www.panstarline.com/EN/index.html

Japanese domestic fare search.

grace.hyperdia.com/cgi-english/hyperWeb.cgi

JR PASS

http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2361.html

JNTO

http://www.jnto.go.jp/eng/index.html

hope it helps.

email

Seoul Suggestions?

I will be traveling with my parents to Seoul this Fall (October 2008)and I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions of places to go or things to see. Additionally I was wondering if anyone had any ideas of good hotels to stay at.

Thanks for all of your help and assistance.

Seoul Suggestions?

I am a Korean. I think that you may have a guide book for Korea, but I think there are lots of places which travelers never know.

I suggest:

(%26#39;dong%26#39; means small district in Seoul)

Samcheong-dong (삼청동), Gahwoe-dong (가회동):

beautiful old town in seoul. If you want to see old houses and eat something traditional, these districts could be a good choice. Also for native Korean, I think these districts are much much better than famous Insa-dong (인사동). Could be reached at Anguk(안국) station of Seoul Metro line 3.

Seoul forest: A newly made beautiful forest in Seoul. Could be reached at Ttukseom(뚝섬) station of Seoul Metro line 2.

Han river: A broad river which flows across the city Seoul. Many Koreans go to the bank of Han river if the weather is good. I strongly suggest this place. Could be reached at Apgujeong(압구정) station of Seoul Metro line 3, or Ttukseom resort(뚝섬 유원지) station of Seoul Metro line 7. You can ride small Duck boat for 1~2 hrs at Ttukseom resort station (move in bicycle pedal)

Seoul Suggestions?

I am a Korean. I think that you may have a guide book for Korea, but I think there are lots of places which travelers never know.

I suggest:

(%26#39;dong%26#39; means small district in Seoul)

Samcheong-dong (삼청동), Gahwoe-dong (가회동):

beautiful old town in seoul. If you want to see old houses and eat something traditional, these districts could be a good choice. Also for native Korean, I think these districts are much much better than famous Insa-dong (인사동). Could be reached at Anguk(안국) station of Seoul Metro line 3.

Seoul forest: A newly made beautiful forest in Seoul. Could be reached at Ttukseom(뚝섬) station of Seoul Metro line 2.

Han river: A broad river which flows across the city Seoul. Many Koreans go to the bank of Han river if the weather is good. I strongly suggest this place. Could be reached at Apgujeong(압구정) station of Seoul Metro line 3, or Ttukseom resort(뚝섬 유원지) station of Seoul Metro line 7. You can ride small Duck boat for 1~2 hrs at Ttukseom resort station (move in bicycle pedal)

Because I am busy, I must stop writing now. If you have any question, please reply to this post.

You might like to visit the Norygangjin Fish Market. We thought it was an amazing place! We have seen other fish markets but not like this one. It was a huge place with all kinds of sea life - a lot of which we had never seen before. I would highly recommend it. You might want to combine it with a trip to the Seoul63 Building for the views from there. You will have to take a cab there, although you can see it from the fish market. Hope this helps. Seoul is an amazing city!

Noryangjin Fish Market is good. I really think so.

But if you want to eat some Hoe (fresh fish slice), you need some negotiation. Even Koreans need negotiation.

cherry blossoms, shuttle bus and food.

Just read on a website that the cherry blossoms festival at Yunjungno was on 2-11 April. Have I missed the blossoms already? I%26#39;ll be in town next Tuesday.

Am wondering if there are cherry blossoms at Deoksugong also. My colleague was raving about cherry blossoms since she came back from Japan last week.

On another topic, I wonder if it%26#39;s better to walk from the KAL bus station at Lotte to Ibis or wait for their shuttle bus. I usually travel with one cabin bag only. Read some earlier postings that we need to navigate up/down some stairs from Lotte.

Lastly, I%26#39;m not a big fan of Kimchi. Sad to say, I%26#39;ve not really explored korean food. Any recommendations around Myeong Dong? Would love to try some of the local stuff. Am definitely going to try the ginseng chicken soup. (What%26#39;s it called?)

Thanks in advance for any advise :-)

cherry blossoms, shuttle bus and food.

soup is samgyetang.

To avoid gimchi, you probably need a raw fish restaurant (';hoe'; pronounced '; hway';).

Most other Korean restaurants press gimchi on you; of course you don%26#39;t have to eat it! It%26#39;s always on the side.

There is no KAL station; it%26#39;s just the hotel entrance at Lotte

I%26#39;d take Ibis bus, personally.

cherry blossoms, shuttle bus and food.

Hi,

I will be switching from Lotte hotel to ibis. I read that there is a bus from Ibis. Can i contact Ibis to pick me up from Lotte?

Also, I would like to take the KAL bus back to Incheon airport. I can take the Ibis bus to Lotte and catch the KAL bus from there? Do i need to pre-reserve my seat/purchase tickets and how do i go about doing it if it is needed?

Sorry: no idea about Ibis bus.

I am not sure that there is one, in fact. Can%26#39;t see one on their website.

Am back from Seoul. Brought back a korean flu bug as well :p *sniff...sniff....honk!!*

Was expecting nice weather as indicated in the forecasts but I arrived smack into a rainy cold front.

Anyway, I did venture to try kimchi and lots of other korean foodstuff. Didn%26#39;t manage the korean ginseng chix soup though. Had vague notion that korean ginseng could worsen sore throats.

Glad to say that I liked some of the kimchi. Some were sweet, like gherkins. I like those *yum*. Then there were the really pungent and hot ones....erm... i reserve my comments on those.

Had the big pot of pork-bone+vermicelli+rice cake+etc :-) That was good. Had kimchi pancake. That was a bit greasy for my liking. But on the whole, food wasn%26#39;t too bad. Number of food stalls all around Ibis myeong dong was amazing. Every few doors would be a food place.

Oh, before I get carried away, Ibis reception on the 19th floor kept telling my hubby that there is no shuttle bus to Lotte hotel even though it was clearly stated at the ground floor lobby. I guess the shuttle was only available in the mornings.

Had to lug my feverish self and luggage up/down the underpass to Lotte Hotel. They couldn%26#39;t even let us extend the room for 1hr cos%26#39; the hotel was full. So sad.

oh... forgot to answer another question.

No, you do not have to pre-book your seats on the KAL coach. Just grab your tickets at the airport (exit 4 or 11) and wait in the correct line outside the entrance. Lots of ushers to help you there. No worries.

On the way back, just go to the reception at Lotte Hotel. Say that you want to buy tickets for the KAL coach. The coach-stop if exactly the same one where you got off. To avoid freezing your butt, get a bus schedule from the receptionist of Ibis.

Coach takes 1hour flat to get to/fro the airport from Lotte Hotel. (Note: this is during off-peak hours!)

Just one more thing to add while I%26#39;m at it.

Was it me or were the people in seoul oblivious to others in their path?

In the few days I was in Seoul, I had numerous people banging into me. One nearly poked my husband%26#39;s eye out with her umbrella. Not a single one of them apologised or even acknowledged that they have knocked into you.

It was a case of simply bull-dozing their way through.

Perhaps that was my culture-shock moment :p I%26#39;m sure other foreigners have things to say about my hometown as well.

10 years ago when I was in seoul, I had the same experience as well. I felt ppl were walking straight towards me without really moving away so I ended up doing most of the ';moving away';! At that time i felt it was pretty rude, but after awhile I realize that everyone seems to be doing the same thing so I guess it is a cultural thing and nothing to get pissy about! :)

Can I ask if the weather is really really cold? I was supposed to go 2 weeks ago but my partner fell sick and so we have postponed the trip to this Sunday. Hopefully it is not too cold!!

Can i ask where did you try the spicy pork bone soup? Is it near ibis as I will be staying there too.

Thanks

It was 80F today.....

yar... the eatery is near to Ibis. Can%26#39;t recall where exactly it was. Went through too many of em%26#39; for lunch AND dinner during my stay :p

I know it was on the ground level though. Sorry I can%26#39;t be of more help. Don%26#39;t even know the name of the dish. We just pointed at the picture on the wall... hehehe...

It was a HUGE stone hot-plate with all the ingredients in it. Comes with the usual assortment of kimchi and soup. Liked the pickled cucumber. Nice and crunchy :p Amazingly, there was this average-sized fellow who single-handedly finished the whole meal with rice on the side! We didn%26#39;t have rice but we were stuffed to the gills.

Yar, don%26#39;t mean to criticise the koreans. Just a personal observation. All cultures have their little querks. That%26#39;s why I like travelling :p

The Koreans struck me like a cross between the main-land Chinese and the Japanese. Not surprising given their geographical location I guess.

oh dear sorry that you caught a cold on your holiday :( it%26#39;s good to know the kal coach is easy to catch from the airport. i hope i don%26#39;t get stuck in traffic jam on the way to my hotel! :)

i am already drooling over all the food i will eat in seoul. i am a kimchi lover so i am excited to try some different ones. but i read it is rude to blow your nose or sniff at the table haha. the kimchi is always delicious and not too spicy to my mouth, but usually make me have a runny nose and it%26#39;s kinda embarrassing :(

i also read in my book that it is usual for the rushing koreans to bump or knock on the pavement without acknowledging you or apologising. i will not take it personally now i have read it will happen to everyone.

glad you had such fun!!