Reflections on my 6D5N Seoul Trip

 

Hangang River

I just came back from a maiden 6D5N budget Seoul trip.

It has been an eye-opener and awesome experience.

As shared in earlier blog post, this was a last minute impromptu trip booked merely 3 weeks in advance with minimal planning.

Here is an overview of the itinerary.

Day 1: Dongdaemun (hotel neighbourhood) - Dongmyo flea market, Dongdaemun Gate, Dongdaemun Design Plaza, Cheonggyecheon.

Dongmyo flea market where locals rummage through piles of old branded clothes i.e. Ralph Lauren, Tommy Hilfiger for 1k to 3k Korean won each only.

Dongdaemun Design Plaza, an artsy & musical hub akin to Singapore's Esplanade

Dongdaemun City Gate

Cheonggyecheon

Day 2: N Seoul Tower, Namsangol Hanok Village, Myeongdong

N Seoul Tower

Entrance of a traditional house in Namsangol Hanol Village

Shopping paradise in Myeongdong for skincare products, branded clothes and street food

Day 3: Gangnam, Coex Mall Starfield Library, Underground Goto Mall, Banpo Hangang Park

Gangnam Statue outside Coex Mall

Underground Goto Mall at Express Bus Terminal subway station where local ladies shop for stylish Korean clothes at affordable prices

Banpo Hangang Park overlooking Banpo bridge

Day 4: Insadong, Tapgol Park, Annyeong Insadong Mall, Ssamzigil Mall

Insadong street with many teahouses, eateries and artsy shops

Tapgol Park featuring Korean national heroes and a Pagoda

Ssamzigil mall is a complex selling art and crafts items and some providing caricature services

Annyeong Insadong Mall, another cultural shopping complex with galleries and artsy stuffs

Day 5: Olympic Park, Yeouido Hangang Park

Olympic Park

Lone tree hill within Olympic Park where many Kpop music videos and dramas are filmed

Lake in Olympic Park

Yeouido Hangang Park overlooking Mapo bridge and Seoul cityline

Hordes of picnickers, mainly youngsters chillaxing by the Hangang river while enjoying the cold breeze and food

Day 6: Travel to Incheon Airport for noon flight

Journey on AREX train to Incheon Airport

Arrival at the busy Incheon airport for flight home

Due to shortage of time, there are many places of interest that we did not manage to cover - Hongdae, palaces, Buchon Hanok Village, National Museum, Seoul City Wall Trail, Lotte World, other parks and so on.

Let me briefly share on some takeaways from this trip.

1. Cash is still King

Although most shops and restaurants in Seoul accept credit cards or multi-currency debit cards in general, most did not reject cash even for shops with automated ordering kiosks. There is always a way for manual order to accept cash. Top up of Tmoney card at the kiosks in subway stations is via cash only. In Seoul, I believe the more Korean Won we bring will only allow us to get all the items we like and food we crave for. Cash is still King!

2. Transport is robust but complex

The subway system in Seoul is much more complicated and complex than Singapore's. There are 23 lines, each with different colours- navy blue, light blue, purple and so on. Usually, from point A to point B, there are more than 3 routes and we need to find the most efficient route by using apps such as Kakao map or Seoul subway map. Fewer stops do not mean shortest path.

One downside to the efficient subway system is the fleet of stairs one need to climb or long distance to walk to reach a particular subway exit or make train transfers. Some of the subway stations were built decades ago and were not equipped with lifts. 

3. Language is not a barrier with the help of technology

Google translator app or other translator apps can take in text, voice inputs, images and translate Korea words into English on the fly. Hence language barrier can be overcame. Although not fool proof, such translator apps help us greatly to understanding food menus in Korean words and assist us to communicate with Koreans who could not understand English.

4. Great food at great prices

The food in Seoul is great and awesome at affordable prices but not cheap compared to Singapore. From ginseng chicken soup, fried chicken, fast food burgers, ramen, fried rice to gimbap, all are delicious and nice. However, there are no hawkers nor coffeeshops like in Singapore offering S$3.50 noodles or caifan. The average baseline prices for food in Seoul for e.g. a bowl of plain noodles is at least 6,000 won or S$6.20. That is why we need to budget more for food when in Seoul and be prepared to eat what we like or crave for without bothering about prices.

5. A City Rich with Culture and Vibes

There are 12 main Riverside Hangang Parks, 5 Royal Palaces and not to mention the numerous mountains, hills, smaller parks spread across the city and a few nearby islands.

The city is immersed in nature and is a shopping paradise for cosmetics, cultural items, branded and stylish clothes.

In many ways similar to Singapore, there is a good mixture of tradition with modernity, ancient but futuristic, cheap and expensive.

Thank you for reading.

With love & peace,

Qiongster