Sparkling Korea: Jeju

Jeju is very pretty, but it's very hard to travel around by yourself, as the sights are all far apart, and there's only a bus network.

Hence, I recommend signing up with a tour group e.g. Yeha Tour. http://www.yehatour.com. I did both their East Course and West Course. You can either stay at their guesthouse or ask for pickup at another hotel. And at the end of the tour, you can request to be dropped off at the Teddy Bear Museum or any other places. The tour was quite good, and they don't bring you to any jade/ tea factories. Instead, they really just bring you to pretty places, give you sufficient time to wander about and take photos. And the tour guides buy you ice-cream! So cute! Haha.

I just checked the website and it's about KRW80,000 for a day tour (either East or West Course). Prices have increased! When I went on the tour 1 year ago, I think it was only about KRW50,000.



The old Yeha guesthouse was really pretty! A bungalow set in a very pretty garden, with swings! This photo was taken on a super rainy last day, where flights out of Jeju were cancelled. Luckily mine was in the late afternoon and didn't get cancelled. The Yeha guesthouse has since moved to a town area, which has both pros and cons. Pro is that it's much more accessible (the old one was REALLY ulu). Con is that it doesn't have the pretty garden anymore.

Some sights on the tour...





The "All in" house, I think. I didn't watch the series...

Sparkling korea: Part 4: Miscellaneous

Official Korea Tourism Website

The website is super useful! You can request for a booklet and map to be sent to you for free! You can also book a goodwill guide for free! http://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/index.kto

Filming Locations

Famous Korean movies' and dramas' filming locations can be found at http://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/CU/CU_EN_8_5_1.jsp. The Cofffee Prince shop was overpriced, but still adorable.



Changdeok-gung Palace

If you have limited time, just visit this palace... the largest and the most beautiful. The entrance fee is only W3,000 and you get to dress up in traditional Korean hanbok for free! With the palace as the setting for the photos, you'll really feel like a princess in a Korean drama ^^



N-Seoul Tower

It's possible to either take a cable car or walk up 2km. You should walk, because you get to take photos at a very scenic spot halfway up the hill.


There are martial arts performances on top of the hill sometimes. There's also a food court, the teddy bear museum and the famous locks from “We got married”!


DMZ Tour

Just sign up with any domestic tour agency... the tour is quite interesting as you get to walk through the low tunnel dug by the North Koreans, and glimpse North Korea.


Suwon Folk Village

Take a 1 hour ride on the subway to Suwon. The folk village is very big, and was the filming location for “Jewel in the palace” and “King and the clown”! There's really fun places to take photos e.g. in jail cells, being caned in front of the magistrates' court. There's also performances like see-saw jumping, tightrope walking etc



Jimjilbang!

I went to the 7 storey Dragon Hill near Yongsan station with some newly-made friends. There's ginseng bath, jade bath, charcoal sauna, ice room, games room, movie theatre, swimming pool etc… all for just W 12,000! Be warned about trying to crack a hard-boiled egg on your head though ^^

Tax Refund

Only need to spend over 30,000 won in a receipt! You can even claim for groceries^^ Do claim so that you can pay for excess baggage charges.

Sparkling korea: Part 3: Accommodation

I recommend Yim’s house! Only W 33,000 for single room with cable TV, fridge, hair-dryer, private bathroom, with an amazing location (very near to Changdeok-gung palace, and can walk to Insadong, Myeongdong etc).

Reservations can be made at http://www.seoulbusinesshotel.com/

Sparkling korea: Part 2: Shopping

Other shopping tips

Grocery shopping

There's a supermarket, Emart at I'Park Mall, at Yongsan station. There's tons of seaweed, and you can buy korean plum wine (with gold flakes!) for just W 6,000!

Facial products


Face Shop, Etude House, Skin Food, Laneige are all more than 50% cheaper than in Singapore! Tony Moly and Innisfree are pretty good too. And all of them give lots of free samples!

Underground shopping

There are a lot of underground malls, so if you see an entrance, go for it! Underground shops tend to be cheap! Even subway stations have lots of shops, with good deals!

Sparkling korea: Part 2: Shopping

Factory outlets

Yeoju premium outlets

Take the subway to Express Terminal Bus station, buy a bus ticket to Yeoju on the Yeongdong line bus and get off at Yeoju Terminal. The ride takes about 1 hour and 30minutes. Cross the street and take a bus to the outlet. Almost everyone at the bus stop gets onto that bus.

The outlet is actually very small, compared to the dizzying awesomeness of America's factory outlets. Only worth it if you really want to buy branded stuff from Burberry, Coach etc, or sports stuff from Adidas, Nike etc.



Gasan Digital Complex Station

Exit from the subway station towards outlet shopping at Mario mall and Fashion Island... it's mostly korean brands, but there's some international brands too. You can get a tax refund from Mario mall if you spend above W 30,000.

Sparkling Korea: Part 2: Shopping

Can go.

Hongdae and Sinchon

This is also an university area, but the shopping is not as fun as Ewha's.


The Hongik market on weekends is tiny and not really worth going.

Namdaemun market


This area is full of wholesale malls and markets, but the clothes are v auntie-style. The market is full of fake LV etc.

Apgujeong

This is the posh part of Seoul, lots of plastic surgery clinics and luxury stores.



COEX mall

Quite a big mall, with the usual brands. It also has the COEX aquarium, where a scene in "Kim Sam Soon" was filmed.

Sparkling korea: Part 2: Shopping

Must go!

Ewha’s women university

This is an awesome shopping area! Full of shops selling skirts at W 5,000 and dresses at W 10,000! And there's lots of salons... haircuts at only W 15,000 and highlights at W 50,000!



There's Hello apm here too... it's smaller than the one at Dongdaemum, but I found a Mango sale in this one!! There was a concert outside Hello apm! And they were going out free popcorn and cotton candy ^^

Ewha's women uni is so pretty!



Express bus terminal station

Also known as the W 5,000 to W 10,000 underground heaven! Full of shops selling clothes from W 3,000 onwards, necklaces from W 3,000, earrings from W 800, bags & shoes from W 10,000... there’s also a Tony Moly outlet here (about 10% - 20% cheaper than the normal outlet).

It's a great place for rainy days, because when it rains in Seoul, it really rains for the ENTIRE day.

Sparkling Korea: Part 2: Shopping

Must go!

Myeongdong

I love Myeongdong! I can just wander around happily in this very festive shopping area, which has tons of shopping malls, streetside stalls etc. You MUST GO to the 3-storey Forever 21, where prices are about ½ of Singapore’s! And Migliore! The awesome wholesale mall! You can take a break from shopping to visit the gorgeous Myeongdong cathedral... look at the rainbow! ^^Dongdaemun

Dongdaemum has a lot of wholesale malls... the must-gos are Hello apm and Migliore (can’t remember whether the Dongdaemum one or the Myeongdong one was nicer, so you must go to both!).
There's tons of streetfood stalls outside Doota mall as well, so can eat on the go and continue to shop, shop, shop^^Sometimes, there's free concerts on weekends too!

Sparkling Korea: Part 1- Getting around

Aaah, Korea, a giant shopping mall. It is currently at the top of my favourite shopping cities around the world. *LOVES KOREA SO MUCH*

Part 1: Getting Around

Incheon International Airport
After landing, the best way to get to Seoul is by limousine bus. After exiting the airport, there are counters to buy bus tickets. The very comfy bus will cost only around W 12,000, compared to W 60,000 for a taxi. There are many bus routes, which stop at various locations, including hotels. Check out the nearest stop to your hotel at http://www.airport.kr/airport/traffic/bus/busList.iia?flag=E&fake=1142381787184. Alternatively, you can be like me and take a bus to the vicinity of your hotel, and take a cab for the rest of the journey.

For k-pop fans, check out the buses, which have pictures of cute boybands plastered all over!
Korea is so awesome! ^^

Gimpo Airport
This airport has Korean budget airlines flying to Jeju... can buy return tickets for around W 130,000 from Jeju Air. Just queue up at the ticketing counters. You can reach the airport on the subway, and it will take around 1 hour from town (e.g. Myeongdong area).

KTX train
Take the subway to Seoul Station to take the train to other places in korea such as Busan, Gwangju etc. You can buy the tickets online at http://info.korail.com/2007/eng/eng_index.jsp.

Subway
Buy a T-card from the subway station or any convenience stores, and use it like an ez-link card. You can top up the value at any of the easy-to-operate machines at the subways. Koreans are wonderfully gracious and will queue up at the doors, and chivalrous korean guys even offer seats to ahjummas!

If you're bored, there's also eye candy on the trian ^^


Taxi
Their taxi drivers are all equipped with phones, so you can give them your hotel's phone number, and they will call them to get exact directions. Taxis are really cheap! So if you're travelling with a couple of friends, it's very convenient. But beware of jams.