Seoul, South Korea. What I did, saw, and ate, and how it compares to Tokyo.
Hello again from Tokyo! I've been running low on writing inspiration as of late, and have been a bit MIA on the blog, but I'm back and ready to get into the swing of writing again.
I've just returned from a great trip over to South Korea, and it has reignited my passion for exploring other cultures and exploring new places.
I arrived into Incheon airport at around 5pm, and after completing the tedious immigration and customs process, I caught the AREX train directly to Hongik University Station (Hongdae area) which is near the hostel I stayed at. Right off the bat, I noticed that both the airport and trains were extremely clean and well organised. Incheon has shot up my list of nicest airports I've ever been to (Changi in Singapore still holds the number one spot though). The journey into the city took approximately an hour, not dissimilar in time to the journey from my apartment in Tokyo to Narita Airport. Seoul is like Tokyo in that there are two airports (Incheon and Gimpo). One is further away (Incheon), and the other is closer to the city (Gimpo).
I navigated my way to my hostel, unloaded my baggage and headed out to find some food, as by this point it was 7 o'clock, and I was starving. Investigating the restaurants nearby, I noticed a lot of the food looked fit for two, but as I was travelling solo, it took some time before I found a restaurant that had single portion sizes. I settled for a mung bean, tofu and egg soup, which was delicious, but packed a real spicy punch.
I then continued to wander around the area and saw several street performers, from singers to dancers to magicians. It brought a real energy to the area, and it's something you just wouldn't see in Tokyo.
The next day, I woke up bright and early thanks to a not so private hostel room and a fellow guest getting up to go on a tour. I helped myself to the free breakfast provided by the hostel (bread, eggs and cereal plus tea and coffee) before heading off to Hanuel Park, also known as Sky Park. I had seen this park on a Youtube video made by an American living in Seoul, and I'm so glad I went. It was absolutely beautiful, and in autumn there are long silver grasses (similar to toi toi for my New Zealand friends) and changing colours that looked amazing. You can also get a great view over the city. It is a bit of a climb to the top of the hill where the silver grasses are, but there are golf carts that can take you up to the top for a small fee. I honestly could've spent hours here as it was super peaceful in the early hours of the morning (before 9.30).
Next on the agenda was the Bukchon Hanok Village, a residential area full of traditional Korean houses known as hanoks. This area has become popular with tourists in recent years, and as a result it is getting quite congested. You are also encouraged to keep noise to a minimum as it is a residential area. This was something that didn't quite live up to my expectations, as there was construction happening on one of the streets, and I hadn't considered the fact that cars would be going up and down the streets too. It was still interesting to see the architecture, and get a view from the top of some of the steeper streets.
Afterwards I decided to take a break and stop for lunch. I had spied a bibimbap restaurant on my way to the hanok village, so made a beeline for it on the way back to the station. Bibimbap is a Korean rice bowl typically served with seaweed, carrots, radish, meat or tofu, egg and a spicy sauce. I ended up choosing a tofu and mushroom bibimbap to branch out a bit. It was tasty, but not the best bibimbap I've ever had. I did, however, have one more bibimbap later in the trip which was fantastic, and I got to make it myself!
Feeling full and refreshed after lunch, I moved on to Gyeongbokgong Palace, the main palace of the Joseon dynasty in Korea. It cost 3,000 won to enter (about $3) and it was so worth it! The palace grounds are huge, and you could easily spend two hours here. I noticed a strong Japanese influence in some of the architecture as Korea was occupied by the Japanese, but I also saw a unique Korean style in some of the other buildings. Getting to witness the changing of the guards ceremony was another highlight. This happens twice a day at 10am and 2pm.
I eventually made my way back to the hostel to chill out in the common lounge area, where I met a Russian guest, and we ended up having dinner together that night. We ate budae jigae- a Korean army stew. The restaurant we went to allowed you to choose your own ingredients, such as cheese, pork, spam, mushrooms, bean sprouts, noodles and so on. It was actually really delicious and not too spicy. We also shared some soju, Korean rice wine, similar to Japanese sake. After dinner, we watched the street performers and grabbed dessert on the go-mouth watering waffles!
The following day, I was the one getting up early to go on a tour. I had booked a tour of the DMZ area between North and South Korea, as I heard it was a fascinating and educational experience. Unfortunately, the actual DMZ observatory and tunnels are closed right now due to a swine flu outbreak. As a consolation, we visited the Gangwha Peace Observatory instead. You could see North Korea less than 3km away using binoculars and we watched a video explaining what the different buildings we could see were. For example, we could see schools and villages, and if you look closely you can see some of the workers. There's also a room filled with written wishes for the reunification of North and South Korea. We then headed for the 6.25 Veterans Memorial Park, dedicated to the veterans from other countries who served in the Korean war. I was surprised to see New Zealand there! Our final stop on the tour was Imjingak Park, which had a train that had been derailed by a bomb in the DMZ and had sat there untouched until it was recognised as a historical artefact and moved to its' current location. You could also see the Freedom bridge that people used to flee North Korea.
The tour bus dropped us off in Myeongdong, famous for shopping and street food. I sampled some dumplings here, as we didn't really have a chance to eat lunch on the tour, and then wandered around the area. It reminded me a lot of Dotonbori and Shinsaibashi in Osaka with lots of food and shopping. I kind of wish I had a bit more time to explore around here, but after getting up relatively early for the tour, I was quite tired, and headed back to the hostel. I ended up going out for some Korean barbecue with two Israeli girls for dinner that night, which was something I had wanted to eat. There are a lot of barbecue restaurants in Japan, but I thought I should have it at least once while in Korea. At many Korean restaurants there are unlimited side dishes, and these were all really good. They included kimchi, pickles and a corn salad.
After another interrupted sleep in the hostel room, morning rolled around and I decided that I was going to check out some of the amazing cafes Seoul has to offer. Instagram and Youtube videos made by people living in Seoul gave me some inspiration, and one place high on my list was Cafe Onion Anguk, a cafe designed to look like a hanok with a traditional tiled roof, and a wooden exterior. It had a huge courtyard in the centre, which would be great on a warm spring day, or earlier in the autumn season, but the day I went it was overcast and a bit cold. It was super busy, so if you intend to go to this cafe, I'd recommend going at the opening time to avoid the crowds as much as you can. I did go on a Sunday though, so I imagine weekdays would be quieter. The food all looked so tasty, and was very well presented. I settled for a mini pizza bun and a strawberry tart. I also had a good strong flat white, something that's difficult to come by in Japanese cafes. The Japanese cafe culture is slightly lacking, and many cafes don't open until 10 or 11, whereas I noticed in Korea a lot of cafes open earlier, which is really nice. It seemed to be a lot closer to Western breakfast/brunch culture, which is something I miss. I wish I'd had more time to visit a few other cafes. I'd seen a 2D cafe online that looked great, and there is also a Harry Potter themed cafe, but some reviews suggested it wasn't really worth the time you spend waiting for food and drinks and it was overpriced, so I decided to give it a miss. It would've provided some great photo opportunities though!
I then checked out COEX, a massive shopping mall that even has a library and aquarium inside. Close by is the Gangnam area, made famous by PSY's 2012 hit Gangnam style. I couldn't not stop by for novelty's sake and see what the area was all about. I ended up in another cafe (surprise surprise), this time Paris Baguette, a popular chain cafe in Korea, and this was just as good as the independent cafes. They even had a build your own salad area, something you'd never see at a cafe in Japan. The cakes looked beautiful, and I wish I had a second stomach for more sweets!
I then headed back to the hostel and on the way grabbed a black sugar bubble tea. Bubble tea, boba, tapioca, whatever you want to call it has taken Asia by a storm, and Korea is no exception. There are stands selling the stuff everywhere you look! I then headed out for dinner, and just as rain started pouring, I found the build you own bibimbap restaurant I mentioned earlier, which felt very local and I liked that you could customise it. I didn't want to stay out in the rain, so rushed back to the hostel and hung out in the lounge, and I was joined by the two Israeli girls, and a couple of Japanese tourists too. I really enjoyed being able to chat and hang out with other guests in the lounge in the evenings.
The next morning was my final morning in Seoul, so I hit up one more cafe close to my hostel and had some apple pie and the biggest latte I'd ever seen! Then it was time to make the one hour trip back out to Incheon Airport, and board the flight back to Japan.
Overall, I had a really great trip and would love to head back to South Korea again, possibly down south to the city of Busan next time. There were a lot of similarities between Japan and Korea, but also many small differences, so it was interesting to compare the two. I noticed that the convenience stores were not as big or well stocked as the Japanese ones, but things such as public transport and food were much cheaper in Seoul than Tokyo. The transport system is also a bit easier to navigate as they don't have many different private train companies like Japan does. The people also speak better basic English in Korea than in Japan, and they seemed to be more outgoing than Japanese people. However, I think Tokyo is more orderly and cleaner than Seoul, and customer service in Japan is better than I experienced in Korea.
I think my next post will be some tips for solo travel, as this was my first time travelling overseas completely by myself. I'm also hoping to get out and about a bit to see some of the autumn colours that are just beginning to change here in Tokyo.
Anyway, thanks again as always for reading right to the end, and I'll be back again soon with another update!
Hannah.
I've just returned from a great trip over to South Korea, and it has reignited my passion for exploring other cultures and exploring new places.
I arrived into Incheon airport at around 5pm, and after completing the tedious immigration and customs process, I caught the AREX train directly to Hongik University Station (Hongdae area) which is near the hostel I stayed at. Right off the bat, I noticed that both the airport and trains were extremely clean and well organised. Incheon has shot up my list of nicest airports I've ever been to (Changi in Singapore still holds the number one spot though). The journey into the city took approximately an hour, not dissimilar in time to the journey from my apartment in Tokyo to Narita Airport. Seoul is like Tokyo in that there are two airports (Incheon and Gimpo). One is further away (Incheon), and the other is closer to the city (Gimpo).
I navigated my way to my hostel, unloaded my baggage and headed out to find some food, as by this point it was 7 o'clock, and I was starving. Investigating the restaurants nearby, I noticed a lot of the food looked fit for two, but as I was travelling solo, it took some time before I found a restaurant that had single portion sizes. I settled for a mung bean, tofu and egg soup, which was delicious, but packed a real spicy punch.
I then continued to wander around the area and saw several street performers, from singers to dancers to magicians. It brought a real energy to the area, and it's something you just wouldn't see in Tokyo.
The next day, I woke up bright and early thanks to a not so private hostel room and a fellow guest getting up to go on a tour. I helped myself to the free breakfast provided by the hostel (bread, eggs and cereal plus tea and coffee) before heading off to Hanuel Park, also known as Sky Park. I had seen this park on a Youtube video made by an American living in Seoul, and I'm so glad I went. It was absolutely beautiful, and in autumn there are long silver grasses (similar to toi toi for my New Zealand friends) and changing colours that looked amazing. You can also get a great view over the city. It is a bit of a climb to the top of the hill where the silver grasses are, but there are golf carts that can take you up to the top for a small fee. I honestly could've spent hours here as it was super peaceful in the early hours of the morning (before 9.30).
Next on the agenda was the Bukchon Hanok Village, a residential area full of traditional Korean houses known as hanoks. This area has become popular with tourists in recent years, and as a result it is getting quite congested. You are also encouraged to keep noise to a minimum as it is a residential area. This was something that didn't quite live up to my expectations, as there was construction happening on one of the streets, and I hadn't considered the fact that cars would be going up and down the streets too. It was still interesting to see the architecture, and get a view from the top of some of the steeper streets.
Afterwards I decided to take a break and stop for lunch. I had spied a bibimbap restaurant on my way to the hanok village, so made a beeline for it on the way back to the station. Bibimbap is a Korean rice bowl typically served with seaweed, carrots, radish, meat or tofu, egg and a spicy sauce. I ended up choosing a tofu and mushroom bibimbap to branch out a bit. It was tasty, but not the best bibimbap I've ever had. I did, however, have one more bibimbap later in the trip which was fantastic, and I got to make it myself!
Feeling full and refreshed after lunch, I moved on to Gyeongbokgong Palace, the main palace of the Joseon dynasty in Korea. It cost 3,000 won to enter (about $3) and it was so worth it! The palace grounds are huge, and you could easily spend two hours here. I noticed a strong Japanese influence in some of the architecture as Korea was occupied by the Japanese, but I also saw a unique Korean style in some of the other buildings. Getting to witness the changing of the guards ceremony was another highlight. This happens twice a day at 10am and 2pm.
I eventually made my way back to the hostel to chill out in the common lounge area, where I met a Russian guest, and we ended up having dinner together that night. We ate budae jigae- a Korean army stew. The restaurant we went to allowed you to choose your own ingredients, such as cheese, pork, spam, mushrooms, bean sprouts, noodles and so on. It was actually really delicious and not too spicy. We also shared some soju, Korean rice wine, similar to Japanese sake. After dinner, we watched the street performers and grabbed dessert on the go-mouth watering waffles!
The following day, I was the one getting up early to go on a tour. I had booked a tour of the DMZ area between North and South Korea, as I heard it was a fascinating and educational experience. Unfortunately, the actual DMZ observatory and tunnels are closed right now due to a swine flu outbreak. As a consolation, we visited the Gangwha Peace Observatory instead. You could see North Korea less than 3km away using binoculars and we watched a video explaining what the different buildings we could see were. For example, we could see schools and villages, and if you look closely you can see some of the workers. There's also a room filled with written wishes for the reunification of North and South Korea. We then headed for the 6.25 Veterans Memorial Park, dedicated to the veterans from other countries who served in the Korean war. I was surprised to see New Zealand there! Our final stop on the tour was Imjingak Park, which had a train that had been derailed by a bomb in the DMZ and had sat there untouched until it was recognised as a historical artefact and moved to its' current location. You could also see the Freedom bridge that people used to flee North Korea.
The tour bus dropped us off in Myeongdong, famous for shopping and street food. I sampled some dumplings here, as we didn't really have a chance to eat lunch on the tour, and then wandered around the area. It reminded me a lot of Dotonbori and Shinsaibashi in Osaka with lots of food and shopping. I kind of wish I had a bit more time to explore around here, but after getting up relatively early for the tour, I was quite tired, and headed back to the hostel. I ended up going out for some Korean barbecue with two Israeli girls for dinner that night, which was something I had wanted to eat. There are a lot of barbecue restaurants in Japan, but I thought I should have it at least once while in Korea. At many Korean restaurants there are unlimited side dishes, and these were all really good. They included kimchi, pickles and a corn salad.
After another interrupted sleep in the hostel room, morning rolled around and I decided that I was going to check out some of the amazing cafes Seoul has to offer. Instagram and Youtube videos made by people living in Seoul gave me some inspiration, and one place high on my list was Cafe Onion Anguk, a cafe designed to look like a hanok with a traditional tiled roof, and a wooden exterior. It had a huge courtyard in the centre, which would be great on a warm spring day, or earlier in the autumn season, but the day I went it was overcast and a bit cold. It was super busy, so if you intend to go to this cafe, I'd recommend going at the opening time to avoid the crowds as much as you can. I did go on a Sunday though, so I imagine weekdays would be quieter. The food all looked so tasty, and was very well presented. I settled for a mini pizza bun and a strawberry tart. I also had a good strong flat white, something that's difficult to come by in Japanese cafes. The Japanese cafe culture is slightly lacking, and many cafes don't open until 10 or 11, whereas I noticed in Korea a lot of cafes open earlier, which is really nice. It seemed to be a lot closer to Western breakfast/brunch culture, which is something I miss. I wish I'd had more time to visit a few other cafes. I'd seen a 2D cafe online that looked great, and there is also a Harry Potter themed cafe, but some reviews suggested it wasn't really worth the time you spend waiting for food and drinks and it was overpriced, so I decided to give it a miss. It would've provided some great photo opportunities though!
I then checked out COEX, a massive shopping mall that even has a library and aquarium inside. Close by is the Gangnam area, made famous by PSY's 2012 hit Gangnam style. I couldn't not stop by for novelty's sake and see what the area was all about. I ended up in another cafe (surprise surprise), this time Paris Baguette, a popular chain cafe in Korea, and this was just as good as the independent cafes. They even had a build your own salad area, something you'd never see at a cafe in Japan. The cakes looked beautiful, and I wish I had a second stomach for more sweets!
I then headed back to the hostel and on the way grabbed a black sugar bubble tea. Bubble tea, boba, tapioca, whatever you want to call it has taken Asia by a storm, and Korea is no exception. There are stands selling the stuff everywhere you look! I then headed out for dinner, and just as rain started pouring, I found the build you own bibimbap restaurant I mentioned earlier, which felt very local and I liked that you could customise it. I didn't want to stay out in the rain, so rushed back to the hostel and hung out in the lounge, and I was joined by the two Israeli girls, and a couple of Japanese tourists too. I really enjoyed being able to chat and hang out with other guests in the lounge in the evenings.
The next morning was my final morning in Seoul, so I hit up one more cafe close to my hostel and had some apple pie and the biggest latte I'd ever seen! Then it was time to make the one hour trip back out to Incheon Airport, and board the flight back to Japan.
Overall, I had a really great trip and would love to head back to South Korea again, possibly down south to the city of Busan next time. There were a lot of similarities between Japan and Korea, but also many small differences, so it was interesting to compare the two. I noticed that the convenience stores were not as big or well stocked as the Japanese ones, but things such as public transport and food were much cheaper in Seoul than Tokyo. The transport system is also a bit easier to navigate as they don't have many different private train companies like Japan does. The people also speak better basic English in Korea than in Japan, and they seemed to be more outgoing than Japanese people. However, I think Tokyo is more orderly and cleaner than Seoul, and customer service in Japan is better than I experienced in Korea.
I think my next post will be some tips for solo travel, as this was my first time travelling overseas completely by myself. I'm also hoping to get out and about a bit to see some of the autumn colours that are just beginning to change here in Tokyo.
Anyway, thanks again as always for reading right to the end, and I'll be back again soon with another update!
Hannah.
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