South Korea Travel Guide
A county filled with exclusive fashion, cutting edge technology, remarkable foods, rich history, and how could I forget the legendary K-pop music. Seoul, Korea's capital is a dazzling metropolis that has found a perfect balance of embracing the new while preserving the thousands of years of culture and history. The country has done a marvelous job blending traditional temples alongside some of the worlds tallest office buildings. With this precise balance of contemporary and traditional society it has easily became my favorite country I have had the pleasure to visit and live within.
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Top 5 things to see and do in Korea
1. Visit the Magnificent Gyeongbokgung Palace
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Originally built in 1395, the palace is considered one of the greatest and oldest within Korea. Its name translates to "palace greatly blessed by Heaven" which is a name it greatly deserves. Being the largest palace within Seoul, when visiting it you should definitely put aside a whole half a day to wander the courtyards that hundreds of royalties, government officials, concubines, and scholars once called home. It is a great way to look back on Korea's unique and rich cultural heritage. |
2. Gazing at the Bright Lights of Konkuk University Station
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Konkuk University area has been a long time favorite of mine, it really is one of Seoul's most hidden gems. Only the local Korean university students know of the area and whenever I visit, the sight of other foreigners is often rare, just the way I like it. This area is filled with bright neon lights and crawling with cheap pubs and restaurants. |
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3. N Seoul Tower & Namsan
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The N Seoul Tower is known as the second tallest point within Seoul. It is a great place to spend an evening to unwind, catch the sunset and view the whole city of Seoul after dark. If overlooking all of Seoul lit up like one big Christmas tree doesn't sound romantic enough, than this whole observation area is filled with thousands of love locks which you can buy atop of the mountain and lock one to the top of the mountain and throw the key over a cliff. Its a great way to spend a cool summer evening in Seoul. |
4. Spend an evening at Gwangalli Beach
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When it comes to Busan there are two well know places with great beaches. They are Gwangalli beach and Hayunde beach. Both are great places to visit, however Gwangalli is better in every single way. It has better views, entertainment, and restaurants. A summer night on Gwangalli beach is often made up of wandering the beach strip, jumping form bar to bar while enjoying the breath taking view of the illuminated Gwangandaegyo bridge. After a few drinks, I always think it's quite fun to head for a night beach walk and shoot some of the local fireworks from the beach. The fireworks are so cheap and are sold everywhere along the beach. Gwangalli makes for the perfect summer night out in Busan. |
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5. Grab dinner at the Gwangjang Market
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If your anything like me the Gwangjang market will be a treat! It is a bustling market filled with food stalls selling warm local food like: spicy rice cake ( Tteokbokki), Blood sausage (Sundae), dumplings (Mandu), and Kimchi Pancakes (Kimchijeon) just to name a few. However the magic from this place comes when you spend an evening relaxing drinking the local Korean spirit known as Soju. While talking and relaxing with locals. You will feel completely immersed in Korean culture here, and that was why I loved it! |
Money & Costs
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Currency: Korean Won (₩)
$1Dollar = ₩1,066 Won Budget Travel - Less than ₩70,000 a day. Oneway Subway ticket: ₩1,350 Dorm bed: ₩20,000 Local street food ₩2,000 - ₩5,000 Soju bottle: ₩1,450 Local beer: ₩3,000 Entry to Gyeongbokgung: ₩3,000 *When traveling in Korea most places will accept credit cards. However it is also very important to also carry at least ₩60,000 cash because not all places will accept cards (Mainly street food vendors). |
