Image taken from: rongviettravel.com
I had a trip in Seoul, South Korea with my girlfriends last
January 2017 and this experience is something that I’d like to share with you.
I have searched for blogs which will specifically tell me how it’s like in
Seoul in January and for some reasons, I never found one. L Hence, I decided to
share my experience with you.
My girlfriends and I decided to have a quick reunion to
catch up and the chosen city was Seoul. It was a 3-days, 2 nights trip and the
intention is really to catch up and bond as we missed one another. One of my
best friends is also a famous legit seller of branded goods in Instagram
(please follow her- IG: look_for_less) and she highly recommended Seoul so we
can shop and just have some fun-girl time. Two of us came from Singapore while
2 of them were from the Philippines. The flight they got was so much cheaper in
the PH, aside from the fact that their flight was shorter from PH-KR. Ours was
more than SGD700++ from SG-KR and it took us 6-7 hours to get there via Korean
Air direct flight. The entire trip was smooth and we took advantage of the
sleeping time so we can get enough rest as our departure time was at 1am.
DAY 1: Arrival in the Hotel; Seoul Afternoon Tour Including
Palgakjeong, Changdeokgug and Namdaemun Market
WEATHER: EXTREMELY COLD. I believe it was -11 degrees when
we arrived.
We took a cab from the airport to the Hotel, which is a
wrong-move. L
The cab driver was limited by language and by physical condition; hence, we had
a hard time to communicate and he cannot assist us with our luggage. This is
understandable though when we saw his condition. But I was informed that it’s
better to take the bus coach from Airport to Myeongdeong as this is cheaper and
more comfortable. My friends from the PH tried this and this is the most
convenient way to travel from the airport to the City.
HOTEL: CROWN PARK HOTEL MYEONGDONG SEOUL
The Crown Park’s location is perfect for people who loves to
shop. It is in the centre of the shopping area, Myeongdong and you can find
basically everything you’d need in this area. The room we got though was small
for 2 people but it was decent and really affordable. For 2 nights, each of us
only paid an amount close to SGD150++. We booked 2 rooms with 2 guests each in
a Standard Twin room. Two single beds per room. For the price we paid, we’ll
say this hotel is totally worth it. Everyone was friendly and helpful. So given
a chance, I will perhaps choose a different room type so I can get a bigger
space.
We arrived early morning and our rooms were not prepared
yet. We decided to freshen up in the toilet and prepare for our afternoon tour,
instead while we had our luggage deposited with the hotel’s concierge.
TOUR: SEOUL AFTERNOON TOUR
I booked the tour via Viator. I trust the site due to the
reviews and it never disappoint. The small group tour ended up to be a private
tour where my friend and I were the only guests. It was SUPER COLD outside. I
brought all that I used in Canada and had 3 layers of clothes and those weren’t
enough to withstand the weather. All the down coats and knitted jackets, plus
the thick knitted gloves and ear muffs were insufficient. So I decided to buy
the face mask in Seoul and it’s not bad at all. It somehow relieved the
discomfort brought by the super cold weather.
Below are some photos of our tour.
Our super friendly tour guide who takes care of us the entire afternoon.
Palgakjeong, an octagon pavillion on the mountaintop of Bugaksan. There was a little bit of snow in there and it was really cold.
Changdeokgung Palace and Bukchon Hanok Villagee are UNESCO- designated pleaces.
Namdaemun Market, my first encounter with Seoul street-food and I will highly recommend for you not to miss that experience
We headed back to the hotel after the afternoon tour to
check-in and to rest as we were so exhausted. Our friends from the Philippines
arrived at around 8:30m-9:00pm. Then, we decided to head out for dinner. We
tried the Korean barbecue and it was amazing!
And they arrived to Seoul alread. Korean Barbecue on our 1st night
The titas of Manila, enjoying the bar strip in Seoul
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