School me on South Korea

[G]

Will be going to Seoul in December for approximately 6 days. Is there anything you suggest me take a look at? How much should I be looking at spending etc? I probably won't be shopping that much since I will be heading to Hong Kong after.

Some things I was looking at:
- Coex (?)
- Lotte world
- Lots of eating

[cecilia]

Cheongyagni, myeuong dong, itaewon stations
Street food is great there esp. The beef /pork skewers and you HAVE to try their kimchi chickens
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[Jer3]

check out the touristy places like gyeongbokgung, dongdaemun, myeongdong and insadong. also id recommend hitting up apgujeong rodeo and sinsa (garosu-gil) if your around gangnam. seeing as your coming in december, make sure to bring a thick jacket. it's crazy cold in winter.

if you want to party, itaewon/hongdae/gangnam are good areas. i'd recommend m2 (hongdae), boombar (itaewon), ellui (gangnam), answer (gangnam) and octagon (gangnam). if you want a cross between a bar and a club, then goto ho bar (there's tons everywhere)...it's like $70 and you get a bottle, a table and service (snacks).

oh and make sure you grab some $1 soju's from the convenience store and prepare to get completely destroyed before you go out at night. it's the way to do it.

any other resources, you can find at this site

[G]

Are transportation costs fairly cheap? Also, any suggestions on a phone calling prepaid card for 5 day use?

[bcedhk]

Transportation is relatively cheap. The subway, although confusing at first, is quite convenient and will take you to all the major destinations.

You will probably just want to rent a cellphone while you are at the airport. getting a sim card and number in Korea requires registration of your Alien Card or Passport.

Spending wise, thats hard to say. You can survive on 5 dollar meals (street food stalls) , or you could be lavishing on $25-30 per meal (e.g. bbq beef, multi-course traditional meals). That being said, with a student budget, you should still be able to afford a variety of Korea food during your stay hurting your wallet too bad.

Are you into crafts/indie music? In the Hongdae district on Saturday, there is quite a bit going on (concerts & street market). There is also a lot of nice cafe shops that I think is worth a visit.

[G]

^Thanks for the reply!

My buddy is going to help me get around since he's currently living there.

How does renting a cell phone work? Cheap?

Spending wise, I am thinking of 100$ Canadian a day for the 5 days I am there, that would be sufficient right?

[bcedhk]

The rental service for cellphones are hard to miss once you are at the arrival hall of the airport. You just give them your passport/card information and you will be given a phone . You just have to return it (either by mall or directly at the airport) when you are done.

$100 a day should be fine if you want to do the site seeing/eat/transit type of travel. Korea is pretty credit card friendly so i would just use credit for any shopping/big purchases.

[G]

Thanks for the tip! The rental service isn't free right?

I doubt there will be anything that will jump out at me.

Any tips or things that I should specifically bring?

[bcedhk]

I forgot the price, but it was reasonable. I survived on using wifi Skype/kakaotalk for about 3 weeks before getting a phone in Korea.

Depending on your style and intrest in fashion/gadgets, Korea does offer quite a bit of unique items that you won't be able to get elsewhere. I really enjoy the crafts at Sangsangmadang in Hongdae.

[G]

Cool, thanks for the info!

[Jer3]

$100 is way more than you need for a day. i'd even say less than $50 is suffice per day including food and transportation. it will be closer to a $100 if you decide to drink alcohol unless you drink soju/maekgolli. like eddy89 said, you might be best to rent a cellphone from the airport.

as for wifi, there is tons of unsecured and open wifi connections everywhere you go in seoul.

transporation is really cheap. its roughly a $1 when you take the subway/buses. taxi's are also surprisingly cheap...since i assume your from hong kong, you can expect taxi's to be around the same price.

[G]

I have 3 full days and have the following on my list:

- korean bbq
- gyeongbukgung palace
- lotte world (heard its very childish)
- myeongdeong
- itaewon
- gwangjang market
- Cheonggyecheon stream
- coex
- more korean bbq
- Insadong
- namdaemun
- Hanok village
- Seoul folk flea market

Think I can get through that in 3 days?

[inv4zn]

Uhh. Probably not.

Lotte World is indeed childish, but there's a more "grown-up" area outside. This is where you'll spend 2 hours in line for each ride. Still some decent rides though. Go early, leave early. Prepare to be touched repeatedly while standing in line.

I think you'll have the most fun in myung-dong if you go at night. That's when its craziest.

Cheongecheon is LOONG so you can probably squeeze that into some of the other parts you want to visit; plan ahead. It's also prettiest at night, but it'll also be busier.

Coex itself isn't really worth visiting, unless you just want to walk around. There are some interesting shops however, especially if you're a tourist. Aquarium isn't terrible either.

The flea market, I would probably cross out. It's not as interesting as they make it sound, and it's pretty far out, so I think you'll be spending more time than worth.

Always account for extra travel time, because the subway stations are huge and it takes forever to leave them. Morning/evening rush hours, prepare to get touched by many people simultaneously.

Have fun though

[bcedhk]

Ya I would skip Lotte World and Coex. They are nothing spectacular and i would only go there if you were there for a few weeks.

If you want to "shop" then try going at midnight to DOOTA Mall. They open till 5am (yes, am).

Have you considered going to the fish market for lunch or dinner? Korean sashimi is different than japanese style cause they kill the fish on the spot and they use the remaining bits and pieces for soup. (budget around 30-50 dollars per head if you want a good variety).

[G]

^^Thanks for that!

Yea, I am probably going to cross out Lotte World. Doesn't seem to be worth it, and since I am going close to Christmas, a lot of kids will be out of school etc so I will probably try to avoid it.

Coex is mostly for the Aquarium, but again, it's one of the main places to visit as a tourist from what I heard.

I will cross out the flea market as well since it was just a last minute filler thing my friend suggested.

I am thinking of going to a Jjimjilbang but fuck, it sound's so fucking awkward. Not really down to get buttfuck naked infront of other men and shower lol. Anyone have any experiences? I am down for the sauna thing though, sounds relaxing, especially if im going during winter.

@eddy89: I will check out DOOTA mall, thanks for the suggestion! I have not considered going to the fish market at all. I myself do not eat sashimi so it wasn't that intriguing to me...

[bcedhk]

Ah then yea, skip the fish market cause is out the way of most touristy place.

If you go to gyeongbukgung, then I suggest you go spend some time at Samcheong-dong. There are a lot of nice cafes, restaurants and shops that give more of a local vibe than the touristy stuff found in places like Insadong.

I didn't see Hongdae on your list? I would honestly spend my time in Hongdae more than Itaewon.

[G]

^Hongdae = Bars/nightlife culture right?


- gyeongbukgung palace
- myeongdeong
- itaewon
- gwangjang market
- Cheonggyecheon stream
- coex
- Insadong
- namdaemun
- Hanok village
- DOOTA Mall
- Hongdae
- Gangnam

[bcedhk]

yea. is like the robson/dt area for the young/hip/artsy people. Itaewon is more for American's / foreigners.

[inv4zn]

Itaewon is where foreigners go to meet other foreigners. And where Koreans go to see foreigners. Don't really see the merit in that..lol

Unless we're talking about different places, Hanok village IS samchung-dong, which is by gyeongbok palace. It's quite a bit of walking...and once you're in the heart of it, it's almost like a maze.

If you're thinking about DOOTA, there are 2 other (i think) big department stores like it. AM/PM and Milliore. Plan ahead because they close completely on certain days. Although I may be mixing up some of them. They're all in the "dong dae moon" area, which is also quite interesting at night. Very busy place.

Honestly, a lot of the places you plan to visit are bunched in similar areas, and you can just cab around. Basic fare is something like $3...give or take.

Do keep in mind though, that at night, it's very hard to actually catch a cab, especially if you're going short distances. The driver will ask where you're going, and if it's not worth their time, they will drive away lol.

Also, scope out restaurants first. And find out where they are. Addresses are virtually meaningless in Korea. You have to go by directions, and some places are a bitch to find. And if they're famous, or considered a "matjib" (tr: tasty house..lol) then prepare to wait.

[G]

^I was thinking of just eating at wherever haha. I don't have any preference nor do I want to research specific restaurants lol.

Thanks for the tips!

[chinook79]

There's a chicken soup place by Kyung Bok Gung called To Sok Chon Sam Kye Tang.
Personally I'm not a fan of chicken soup but that place I will go back any day. It's very VERY popular. If you take cab, and ask cab driver to take you there, they should all know that place. If you can find time to go there, here is a word of advice: go during off peak hour(3~5PM) unless you don't mind waiting 1 hour.
Apparently it's so popular that former president of Korea is regular there as well as Prime minister of Japan..

[chinook79]

Too bad you only have 6 days.. otherwise I would highly recommend Jeju island. Very tourist friendly place with cheap guest house, amazing food, etc.. I remember going to a Korean sashimi place. $100 for 3 people(set menu) and we couldn't finish all the food. There are literally 30+top quality seafood dishes coming out..

If you are into spicy food, while in Seoul, try Myu Kyo Dong Nak Ji. It's spicy calamari place by Myu Kyo Dong. Ever seen TV cartoon where someone eats spicy food and his face turns red? I didn't know until I went to that place that people's face DO turn completely red when they eat very spicy food...

Oh and someone mentioned rental phone from airport.. Last time I went it was more expensive than I expected so I got sim card instead which if I remember correctly, it costs half of rental phone to get sim card. Not every place have sim card available, so you'll probably have to hit the bigger mobility store. I had Galaxy Nexus so I had no problem using Korean simcard. I prepaid like $30, then $20 more when I ran out(used quiet of data to search for places on the phone which wasn't exactly cheap, and I couldn't locate free wifi everywhere I go although there are some).

[inv4zn]

if you're short on time, that's not a bad idea.

Do know that it may be hit or miss though. There will be a lot of places that are good...but there are only some places that are good and cheap

[cecilia]

not to put you down or ruin your trip or anything but the korean mentality over there is that if you dont speak korean, they will ignore you because they dont wanna waste your time on trying to figure out what youre saying. i got that ALOT even for asking directions, but figured youre with your friend who lives there, should be well off just fine

do a trip report !

[bcedhk]

lolwut.

Of course you would expect some people to ignore or avoid you if you can't speak the countries official language.

I was traveling alone in Korea for the first month and had no issues getting around to the destinations I want. Having good sign language and a smile helps a long way.