For the 7 days trip I spent SG$921 (on food and shopping)
0 Comments
* See caption The restaurant does look pretty. I reached the place at about 10:30am and there was already a queue. I registered with the reception and she told me my waiting time was 1 hour. I was disheartened as I did not want to wait for such a long time, but thinking that this was one of the must-visit restaurants in my itinerary therefore I decided to wait patiently. While waiting, I noticed that not the whole restaurant was opened at the time, only a small area was opened. The rest opened at about 11am. Hence my recommendation is that either you reach the restaurant before its operation hour or reach the place 30 minutes before 11am. Because you will still have to wait if you reach at 11am. If you reached at 10.30am, the waiting time will be shorter. Below was my dining timing 10.30am Reached the place 11.11am Entered the restaurant 12.00pm started eating (waited more than 30min for my food!) 12.30pm Left the restaurant I think it was fated that my time gonna be wasted at the restaurant. As you can see from the picture above the food are not cheap. As I am not familiar with the names and the menu has no pictures, I ordered something which I thought was a safe choice, an English breakfast. I could only describe the English breakfast in just one word, OILY! Everything, even the vegetables (except the bread and red bean), was like they were just taken out from the oil pool. However the bread tasted good. As I am a coffee lover, I was a bit disappointed with the restaurant when I noticed there was no coffee scent lingering in the air. This showed that the restaurant is not a popular place for coffee. My overall opinion
To note: Long waiting time Is a distance away from the subway station with no shelter. While I was at the Skyfarm, I spotted a park with sakura blossom. Hence it became my next destination, Hangang Park. * See captions Clarte Coffee The cafe is located more than 10 minutes away from Hongik University station I got to know about this cafe from a Vlogger. When I reached the place, I was a bit disappointed with the space, the place is not big (I expected it to be a one level cafe.) The cafe looks very clean and bright. The cafe has two levels. Yeonnam-dong (Hongik University Station, Exit 3) It is less crowded than the main street in Hongdea. Hence it is also less interesting. There are many F&B outlets, not a place for shopaholics. I think the area is only suitable for friends gathering, where they are able to spend the time in a less crowded cafe. Casa Myeondong
5D4N, 108800won, cashback SG$7.91 (though ShopBack) I stayed in the dorm, 4 people sleeping in the room (I forgot to take a picture of the room I stayed). The room I stayed in was very small; with 4 big luggage in the room, it will left with very little place to walk. Hence lets not talk about opening the luggage in the room. The dorm is okay to sleep in. There is a small locker in the dorm to put your small belonging. There is no locker to lock your big luggage. I am surprised to find out there is only two washrooms (toilet and shower are together) to be shared by everyone. But I was lucky enough not to have to face the situation where I had to 'fight' with someone in order to use the toilet. My last complaint is that in the toilet, there is no place to put my belonging like skincare products. I bought the 4 days flexible ticket from Klook. OrIginal price is SG$223.19 March promotion SG$15 off for SG$200 spent. Total I paid SG$ 208.19 with SG$6.15 cashback from ShopBack (SG) To Jeongju Hanok Village At the Jeongju KTX station, there is a concierge to answer all the tourists' questions. My direction to readers is, at the KTX station exit, walk straight (all the way) until you see the red bus-stop with a green cap (as seen in the picture above) To Jeongju Hanok Village, Buses available: 5-1, 5-2, 19, 60, 79, 109, 119 When I was on the bus, I did not keep track of the number of bus stops I passed. I followed according to the google map. But I did take note of the timing. From the bus stop to the destination, it took about 20-22 minutes So after taking the bus for 19 minutes, you have to start looking around. It is alright if you do not know which stop to alight. When are you near the place, you will see the Jeondong Catholic Cathedral on your left hand side. The place is not very big. You are able to finish exploring the place within an hour. I took the KTX to Jeongju Seoul to Jeongju: 07.05-08:54 Jeongju to Seoul: 15:27-17:10 Frankly speaking, I do not need so much time to explore the place (maybe it was because I was on solo trip) The earliest KTX that leave Jeongju to Seoul is 3.27pm. I had the Bibimbap for lunch for 10000won This is the popular Chocopies. I do not like it. The chocolate and cream are thick which some people might lose the appetite if ate too much. Gyeonggijeon Shrine Entrance fees 3000won In the shrine besides the main building, you can find rooms like kitchen, stable etc. I think this place is not worth visiting. Jeondong Catholic Cathedral The Cathedral is average. Visitors can only explore the outside of the Cathedral. Naksan Park My next destination after I returned to Seoul was Naksan Park To get to this park, you have to walk a steep slope and climb a few stairs. The place is beautiful. I believe the view will be more spectacular without the wires and tree branches. Had a kimchi stew for dinner near the Naksan Park
Seohwa Hanbok When I was doing my research, I came across this shop, Seohwa Hanbok. I was attracted by the modern hanbok. Compared to the traditional hanbok, this modern hanbok is more colourful and bring out the waistline of a woman I bought my voucher at Kkday, Seohwa Hanbok at SG$33.25 (full day), ShopBack SG$1.17 If you book from other sources, the rental duration is usually 4 hours. If you book from Kkday, you are able to enjoy additional 2 hours at the price of 4 hours (note, the offer may change by the time you see this post hence you will have to visit the Kkday website to double-check) First, do remember that the shop is located at underground, hence do not expect to recongnise the place by its physical shop. To find the shop, look for the sign board with the shop logo (second picture above) My Experience The shop is very closed to subway exit (about 1-2 minute walk) (Gyeongbokgung Palace Exit4) The shop opens at 9am. I reached the place at about 8.45am and there were already a few people waiting in the shop (probably more than 10pax as most of them either came in pair or group) There will be a staff at the reception but you will only be served at 9am (when other staffs arrived) When you reached the place, remember to register at the counter (show your voucher) When the time arrived, the staff will bring the customers to the wardrobe, at there, everyone will be divided into groups according to the speaking language they preferred and the staff will explain to everyone how to choose their hanbok. I am not sure does the briefing is consistent with everyone because at the later time, the shop will be in a chao condition which is impossible to conduct such briefing. When I returned to the shop, the shop was filled with people but the staffs were able to keep their coolness. The staffs were pleasant too. Your Belonging At first, you will be expected to put you belonging in the small locker below the wardrobe. Later you are expected to transfer all you belonging into a shopping bag provided and the staffs will help you look after the bag. Deposit Required Before you leave the place with the hanbok, the staffs will expect you to ensure the hanbok is at good condition. They will also record down the number of accessories you wore. You need to pay a deposit of 10,000won (passport not required) After all were checked, the staffs will give you a receipt which is required when you return your hanbok. My Advice I will recommend you to make your reservation in the morning because if you reached later, the selection of hanbok will be lesser and there will be limited or no hair accessories available. Then there is a chance you will have to re-wear the hanbok worn by the first person (imagine the person perspired while wearing the hanbok.) If you are interested to visit this place, remember to make a reservation. During my visit, I saw a few people who came to the shop without any reservation and the staff recommend them to revisit the shop after 1pm. Seohwa Hanbok information If you like to see how the shop looks like, you can visit their Facebook page 경복궁한복대여-서화한복 Seohwa Hanbok 西花韓服 (Facebook name) If you are interested to know the selections of hanbok it carries, you can take a look at its Instagram Changdeokgung Palace The palace is one of the recommended places to view the cherry blossom Yes, there were a few cherry trees, but the view was not that impressive. It is free admission if you visit the place wearing a hanbok. Ikseon-dong Hanok Alley It is a popular place among the locals, probably because of its hanok vibe. The place is not big, without entering the shops, you can probably finished exploring the place in less than 20 minutes. Although the streets are narrow, the shops and restaurants are more spacious. It is like you entered into another space. Seoul Coffee It is one of the cafes which I really want to visit. However, after my visit, my opinion about this cafe was so so. I was attracted by the cafe dessert which looked like soap, but it is actually an ice-cream. Firstly I was misled by the signboard The information I found is that the cafe is called Seoul Coffee. But when I was outside the entrance, it has a turning signage, with wordings like 'Seoul coffee', 'Seoul ice cream' (something like that. I cannot remember exactly what was on the signage) Because of that, I thought that was not the cafe I was looking for. For the ice cream, I ordered matcha and chocolate flavour. ( There is no option for one scoop) The flavours were thick but the amount was too much for me. If you were traveling alone, I would recommend you to buy the bar ice-cream which cost about 2000won I had my lunch at the Laperq, a restaurant opposite Seoul Coffee The pizza cost 12000won It is a thin-crusted pizza, hence not very filling but enough for a normal lady's appetite. The restaurant is not very big, As the restaurant was crowded so I did not capture the restaurant environment. Jeongdong Theater (The Palace: Tale of Jang Noksu' Show)
The performance was good and it was engaging too (at some part of the performance, the performers would seek the audiences to clap with the music.) The costumes are very colourful. In the theatre, there were two screens explaining the performance. However, at my seat, I could only see the Korean explanation. Probably because of that, I do not understand some part of the performances. By just looking at the performance, I felt that some parts of the story were missing Like how the main character turned from a commoner to a concubine and why the commoners laughed at the drawing? I felt that the performance started where the main character was already a concubine. My One Complaint When I was in the theater, I was trying to turn off the volume of my phone when I was approached by a staff. From her gesture, I think she was trying to tell me that I was not allowed to take pictures. Hence the picture I shared was the only picture I managed to take. I felt unhappy because I was trying to avoid interrupting the performance while other audiences were actually taking pictures of the performance but they were not being stopped. My feedback for Klook I bought my ticket from Klook From the direction given by Klook, it stated, By subway: Line 1 or 2 City Hall Station Exit 1 or 12, go along Deoksugung Palace stonewall walkway for about 5 minutes. Without any doubt, I followed according to the direction given and because of that, I was late for the performance. I did write a review on the Klook webpage but I did not see my post. Hence I think Klook had filtered out my review because I complained about their unclear direction guidance. The direction actually should be By subway: Line 1 or 2 City Hall Station Exit 1 or 12, before seeing the Deoksugung Palace entrance, turn to the left, go along Deoksugung Palace stonewall walkway for about 5 minutes, you will find yourself at a roundabout. At your position, you are facing the 12 o'clock direction. Walk toward the lane at 3 o'clock. (If you do not understand my last sentence, you can ask the passer-by for the direction. The Theater is around the corner) Gamcheon Culture Village It is nice to explore the place. There are a few cafes and shops selling some snacks and souvenirs. For me, I just walk around and enjoy the ambience. Direction @ Toseong Station (Line 1), Exit 6. Facing an intersection, turn right at the corner and walk straight. You will see a hospital on your right. Take Bus 1-1, 2 or 2-2 from the bus stop in front of the hospital. This will take you to Gamcheon Culture Village at the top of the hill https://preparetravelplans.com/gamcheon-culture-village-guide (Guide with picture) Later I took the bus 1-1 out of the village. Then I found myself confused because according to Google map, the bus was moving away from the bus stop that I first board. Hence my conclusion is if you are going to take the bus out of the village, do note that you will not be able to alight at the bus stop where you first board the bus. You will have to alight at the nearest train station. Hotel25 Seomyeo/25 Hour Hotel Firstly I have to ask why the hotel's name from Booking.com is different from its actual name? On Booking.com it is called Hotel25 Seomyeo but the actual name is called 25 Hour Hotel. It is very misleading. I kept walking to and for trying to find the hotel. Besides that minor incident, my overall experience with this hotel was excellent. During my stay in S.Korea, this was the hotel that I like the best because of its design and space. I stayed 3D2N for SG$98.24 with cashback SG$5.30 (through ShopBack) The breakfast was very simple, but I like it. Toast sandwich with egg and onion mixed with mayonnaise and about 3 selection of cereal. Each guest was given a small packet of milk. Coffee machine was available. If you are a person who do not like onion, I am not sure whether there is another option for you. For me, usually, I will try to avoid strong fragrant food in the morning. I think the egg and onion mixture is pre-mix hence when the guest arrived, the staff can just heat up the toast and applied the mixture. I was speechless when I noticed that the hotel did not provide milk for the cereal or the coffee. Hence I used the small packet of milk the hotel provided for my coffee. Maybe milk will be provided upon request. I bought the East Busan Exploration, half day tour from Klook at SG$35.75, cashback SG$1.25( through ShopBack) For this tour, I will be visiting
Overall, the tour was pleasant. Our tour guide, Anna, is a pleasant lady who is fluent in Mandarin. Without the tour, I will skip this place because I think it is not worth to push through all the hassle to this place just to walk on the bridge As it is very windy, it is impossible to take a nice picture here. If you plan to visit this place, do remember to wear something thicker. My next destination was Haedong Yonggungsa Temple. To reach the temple, I had to walk along a food street and climbed some stairs before I could reach the temple. Haedong Yonggungsa Temple During my visit, the temple was preparing for a festival (If I did not remember wrongly, it was Mazu's birthday) hence lanterns were filling up the place. At night, the temple will be lighted up by the lanterns which I would imagine to be a beautiful view. Jukseong Dream Church The place was known because of a drama. It was built as a shooting location hence it is not a real church. Visitors are not allowed to enter the place. To me, I think this place is average; nothing much to see. Seongjeong 3dae It is said that in Seoul one needs to try its chicken soup (should be chicken, if I am not wrong) whereas in Busan you need to try its pork soup, So, of course, I must try it. This place was recommended to me by the tour guide. 3dae means 3 generations, hence I assumed their shop has been passed down to the 3rd generation. The pork soup was a dish which the locals ate during the hard times hence do not expect this soup to be very flavourful. I do like the soup. It has the fragrant of the pork and the taste is light. It is located at Seomyeon Station. Exit 1 More information: Seongjeong 3dae (Trazy) https://goo.gl/maps/b3t9VnaAuuEnbCVS7 (google map) Haeundae Beach
It is an easy walk from the subway exit. I do like the design of the streets. Shops were at the sides and a wide pedestrian path in the middle. Spa Land, Busan
After paying the entrance fees, you will need to put your shoes into the locker. The locker key will be your key to everything. Only with the key, you are allowed to enter the main hall and it is used to record down all the services you took. The place is bright with all the natural lighting. The environment is spacious and clean Being Naked (ladies perspective) I am sure there many ladies out there who wanted to try the Jimjilbang (bathhouse) but they hesitated when they heard that they had to get naked. From what I saw, being naked is only needed, if you want to use its hot spring which means you can still wear clothes if you are roaming around the locker area. If you are interested in the body scrub, you have to make a reservation with the staff (doing the body scrub). You can find them in the hot spring area. Note: If you intend to visit this place before Shinsegae department store opens, you have to enter the Spa Land from its main entrance. Direction: Centum City Station (line 2, exit 12). Walk straight about 110m and turn right to Spa Land's entrance. 3 mins walk. Philstay Myeongdong 1 Night at SG$91.30, cashback SG$5.76 (through ShopBack) I expected the room to be bigger, but in actual it was not. The breakfast was average. There are two points which I am unhappy with the hostel. Firstly, there are a few Philstay Myeongdong in the area, it is easy to mix up the place. Secondly, l am pissed off by its unclear direction. Below is the information was given by the hostel METRO(SUBWAY) You can take a metro from Incheon Airport station to Myeongdong station. Incheon airport(airport line)->Seoul station(line 4)->Myeongdong station(line 4) At the Myeongdong station, go out through Exit 8. From there you can get to our hotel in 7~8 mins by walking. To tourists, Myeongdong is a maze, such a brief direction is not helpful. Do note, depend on which escalator you took from the platform, it will lead you to different exits. In another word, if you are unfamiliar with the place, you may find it difficult to find the particular exit you are searching for. There is a long walking distance between one exist escalator/staircase to another hence if you are not familiar with the metro station layout you will find yourself walking up and down the escalators/stairs searching for a particular exit. Not all metro stations are equipped with escalator. As compared to Singapore, it does not matter which escalator you took from the platform, it will lead to the same place. Tourists then choose the exit they want after they exit from the train station. I think the hotel should attach some pictures and mention the icon buildings near the hostel. Goguan Studio (Myeondong) Since my first visit to S.Korea, I had been wanting to be disguised as a Kisaeng (Geisha in Japanese. A highly-trained artist women in ancient who entertained men with music, conversation, and poetry) Previously I was traveling with my friends hence it was inconvenient for me. So this time, I must try it. I bought my voucher from Klook at SG$22.59 (for normal hanbok and unlimited selfie pictures only), cashback SG$0.79 (though ShopBack) For the Kiseang dress up I needed to pay extra more. Additional: 5000won (upgrade geisha) + 5000won (upgrade hairstyle)+ 3000won (wig)+ 10000won (1 professional photo) For my very first hanbok try on back in the Year 2014, the studio I visited was Goguan. Hence this time I intended to try other studio. However, while I was doing my research I found that Goguan was the only place that offered me what I wanted- reasonable price, realistic props, no professional photographer. I paid less than SG$50 for the whole experience. There were colourful backgrounds and props which I could take pictures with. My Experience I book the earliest time slot, 9am. Maybe it was still early, there were very few people in the shop. During the period when I was in the studio, I only saw 2 couples. I spoke Mandarin with the staff. I think the staffs are able to speak English too (as the y deal with tourists every day) My experience with the studio was pleasant. You can make the reservation and get the price code from their Goguan website. More information: While doing my research, I found some studios providing professional photographers outdoor photoshoots. Besides the higher price, I think an outdoor photoshoot is suitable when you have companions. In addition, the pictures will give more of a modern look rather than a traditional look. Some studios offer indoor photoshoot with colour backdrop as background, like dark blue or dark red, which will not make the picture looks realistic. I also cross out studios that do not put in effort in displaying more, proper picture samples. Myeongdong Cathedral
This cathedral is never in my itinerary (past and present) This time I visited the place because it was near to my hostel, hence I decided to come here to 'check in'. |
|