Visit the world of Seoul, Korea

Seoul is the capital of Korea,and is one of Asia’s coolest cities to explore. With their amazing technology, strong economy and vibrant culture( I’m sure that most of you have encountered K-pop, K-drama, korean cosmetics and korean food at least once in your life) it manages to capture the attention of many people every year! Seoul has a lot to offer when it comes to tourism, but is it really worth your money? Before visiting Seoul, here are some things you would want to know about that city.

Things to know when before you go to Seoul 

• What to wear in Seoul- Seoul has very extreme seasons, from -20°C in the winter to 40°C in the summer, so make sure you pack the right clothes to wear for the right season.
• Seoul power adapter-  make sure you bring the right power adapter because it would be unfortunate for you to not be unable to charge your electrical devices.
• Tipping culture- tipping in the whole of South Korea isn’t a thing, they are most likely reject your tip 

Food

There are many types of food in Seoul and most of them are spicy. Here I will recommend 10 foods that I think are really delicious.

1. Kimchi

• Is a famous food that is a bit spicy and is made with gochujang, a red pepper paste.

2. Tteokboki, 

• Its is made of rice cakes and fish cakes
• It’s very cheap and it’s delicious. It can be a snack to fill you up and you can find it in a lot of places like restaurants, stalls at the side of the street, markets, etc.

3. Korean barbecue

• it may be expensive at some places but in my opinion it’s worth it.
• its like a normal barbecue but they use different sauces and the way they cooked it is extremely different from normal barbecue. They put in some sauce and they only grill it.

4. Hoetteok

• it’s a pressed caramelized peanut pancake. It’s fried and you can get it in markets. It’s quite cheap and it’s known for being a snack for sweet tooths.

5. Samgyeopsal

• It’s halal since it’s grilled pork belly and it’s a very famous type of gui (a pronunciation of a grilled dish) in Korea
• The pork belly is barbecued green onions, soy sauce, sugar, sesame seeds, sesame oil and hot pepper flakes.

6. Bulgogi

• it’s beef in korean and it’s very famous in Seoul. it’s in most on the dishes and it’s very healthy for you because it contains protein, vitamins, minerals, has a rich source of iron and it improves muscle growth.

7. Japchae

• it’s stir-fried glass noodles with spinach,carrots, scallions, soy sauce, sugar and fresh shiitake mushrooms

8. Bibimbap

• it’s a korean rice dish and a mix of various ingredients like beef, kimchi, egg, etc. It’s topped with gochujang, soy sauce or doenjang

9. Jjajangmyeon

• Korean style chinese noodles. its originally from korea but it’s similar to a chinese noodle called Zhajiangmian
• It contains chunjang, diced pork and vegetables

10. Juk

• a korean chicken porridge
• it’s known for breakfast or a light meal

Tourist Attractions

Get tickets for the most exhilarating amusement park in Everland Seoul. You can experience the wooden roller coaster and otger fun rides. Get a chance to experience with adorable pandas at Panda World. Experience the habit or even interact with different zoo animals. The young ones will love the Snow Buster to enjoy a great sledding experience. The tickets to snow buster cost RM 107.65.

Visit famous places around Seoul in a beautiful traditional Hanbok of South Korea with the Oneday Hanbok rental in Seoul. You are able to choose from a wide variety of sizes and designs with accessories to complete the traditional look. It is characterized by vibrant colors ,simple lines without pockets and dynasty artworks. It is similar to the traditional costume in the Jeongseon dynasty. You can rent it from 4 hours to 24 hours for RM58.

Get ready to enter another dimension of original Augmented Reality (AR) artworks in Trickeye AR Museum in Seoul for RM44.25 over 100 different optical illusion artworks to let your imagination soar and snap some hilarious pictures.

Get to see the city of Seoul in the N Seoul Tower. It is located at the top of Mt. Namsan and unbelievable view of entire Seoul You can see the busy roads, lifestyle of people, fashion of Seoul.

Transportation

There is an app called NaverMAP (iOs/Andriod). You can use it to search for your day-to-day routes and it will show you the fastest way to get there.

• By subway and bus

Seoul’s subway and bus systems are well-connected and cheap. You can also T-money card which is a card that you can recharge and use it to pay your bus and subway fees. The card can also be used in other parts of South Korea.

• By taxi

There are many types of taxis in Seoul but I recommend that you book an Uber.

Locations 

These locations are for some famous restraunts and markets to visit in Korea. 

1. Namdaemun Market

• Namdaemun Sijang 4-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul
• Hoehyeon Station exit 5

2. Hansunja Kalguksu

• 39-1, Namdaemunsijang 4-gil, Jung-gu, Seoul
• Hoehyon Station Exit 5

3. Piggy Bank Stone Grill Korean BBQ Restaurant

• 331-1 Seokyo-Dong
• Mapo-gu, Seoul, South Korea
• Hongik University/Hondae Station exit 8

4. Maple Tree House Itaewon branch

• Hamilton Hotel 2F, 116-1 Itaewon-ro 27ga-gil, Yongsan-gu, Seoul
• Itaewon Station

Hotels

Every trip you go, you need a place to stay so these are some famous hotels that are cheap and luxurious

1. StayB Hotel Myeongdong 

• It’s RM193(for now) for a night
• It’s a four star hotel
• It has bright rooms and suites featuring a restaurant, gym and a rooftop lounge

2. K-POP HOTEL Seoul Tower

• It’s RM95(18% less than usual) for a night
• There’s a cafe, a shared kitchen, free breakfast and Wi-Fi

3. Seoul N Hotel Dongdaemun

• A three star hotel
• RM122 for a night
• The rooms are in a contemporary hostel giving free breakfast and Wi-Fi

4. Hotel Icon

• A 3-star hotel
• RM99 for a night
• It is similar to K-POP HOTEL Seoul Tower

5. RAMADA ENCORE BY WYNDHAM SEOUL DONGDAEMUN

• A 4-star hotel
• RM138 for a night
• It’s also similar to K-POP HOTEL Seoul Tower

Internet connection 

South Korea has the fastest internet connection in the world and most places offer free wifi. But if you want to stay connected for your whole trip in Seoul i would recommend that you get pocket wifi or a sim card.

Seasons

The best times to visit Korea is during spring(April, May and June) and during autumn(September, October and November). These two seasons are sunny and have an average temperature which isn’t too hot nor too cold.

Help Korean Phrases

• Hello (formal)- Annyeong haseyo 
• Hello (informal)- Annyeong
• Thank you- Gamsahamnida
• You’re welcome- Cheonmanyeyo
• Yes- Ye/Ne
• No- Aniyo
• Goodbye (to the person leaving)- Annyeonghi gaseyo
• Goodbye (to the person staying)- Annyeonghi gyeseyo 
• Goodbye (informal)- Annyeong
• Excuse me- Sillyehamnida
• I’m sorry- Joesonghamnida
• Is there someone here who speaks English: Yeogi-e yeong-eoreul hasineun bun hyesimnikka?
• Help!- Dowajusipsio 

Conclusion

5 sleepless days of walking around the small yet complicated city of Seoul definitely wasn’t a regret. I have definitely managed to capture so many moments that I have gone through in Seoul that would be in my heart forever. I will not forget the high technology in Seoul and all the kind strangers that i have met there. there is always someone to help me when i was lost. I am going home but I definitely come back to Seoul again.