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Can I See Snow In Seoul In The Winter?
I cannot count the number of times I’ve seen this question pop up in my inbox. If you’re traveling to Korea in the winter and wondering if you’ll get to see snow in Seoul or just wondering where to see snow in Korea at all, I get it. Snow is a quintessential part of winter and if you’ve traveled from a warmer country, I totally understand the interest. You might get lucky and see snow in Seoul, but if you want to see snow for sure, I’ve created a list of places to see snow in Korea and detailed the best snow-covered sights. From winter festivals in Korea to snowcapped…
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Traveling With Children: Stop Judging Me
As someone who flies around the world at least a couple times a year, I find the stories from fellow travelers who loathe parents and their children especially intriguing. I wasn’t a parent until a bit over two years ago and previous to that, I didn’t really pay much attention to parents that were traveling or the kids that were with them. Why would you? I suppose I had grown up with little people around me for most of my life though as I am the eldest of three and the eldest in a family of 15 cousins. There have always been little ones around and that has never stopped…
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Where To Eat In Myeongdong: 90 Years Of History At Hadongkwan
While the majority of visitors to the hopping shopping district of Myeongdong are there looking for the newest shiniest thing from apparel to cosmetics, there is more to Myeongdong than meets the eye. Walk down the alleys in the area and you’ll find the newest of shopping vendors and stores, but you’ll also find some old gritty spots that have lasted the test of time. Looking for something to eat in Myeongdong? You should definitely find the tried and tested Hadongkwan (하동관). This Korean soup restaurant is delicious… you’ll see. How you know a restaurant is good? It’s old and only has a few things on the menu: (This post…
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IBIS Ambassador Myeongdong: A Budget Friendly Hotel In Seoul
The streets of Myeongdong in Seoul are crowded with vendors hawking everything from souvenirs to fast fashion apparel, cosmetics and more and it can easily wear even the most avid shopper out walking up and down and across the numerous streets. Tourists that head to Seoul for shopping would be remiss if they didn’t choose to stay in a hotel in the centrally located hot spot. Myeongdong is centrally located, has plenty of restaurants, amazing street food, and cafes and makes for a great district to stay in Seoul and the ibis Ambassador Seoul Myeongdong is a great budget friendly hotel in the area. (This post contains affiliate links, which…
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Cotton Candy Clouds at The Stylenanda Pink Hotel, Myeongdong
Myeongdong is one of the most popular districts in the city of Seoul for shopping. But, between shopping til you drop, be sure to check out the cool cafes in picturesque facades in Myeongdong too. The striking pink exterior of Stylenanda’s third flagship store which was opened in the bustling shopping district of Myeongdong in Seoul’s city center screams to anyone passing by that they’ve just got to enter. Even if you’re not into Stylenanda’s cosmetics or apparel, you’ll appreciate this themed building from bottom to top if you liked the film it’s based on. Where to find the Stylenanda Pink Hotel: (This post contains affiliate links, which means I…
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Line Friends: The Cutest Stores In Seoul
Always on the lookout for cute things in Seoul and fun shops, of course when the LINE FRIENDS stores started popping up, we had to check them out. These stores looks very kid friendly with huge teddy bears, ducks, bunnies and other furry friends in the windows and decorating the doorway so walking by with a two year old and NOT entering was NOT an option. If you’re on the lookout for LINE FRIENDS stores in Seoul, you’re in luck, because there are a number of them. BUT, only a few have the big characters to take pictures with AND all of the LINE FRIENDS products you could want. Get…
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24 Stunning Buddhist Temples in Korea You Can Visit
There are around 900 traditional Buddhist temples in Korea inviting one and all in for quiet meditation and calm surroundings. Ranging in size with some only consisting of a few buildings while others have dozens, they all have one thing in common and that is how stunning they are. From the temples that sit smack dab in the middle of the city to ones that require a hike a couple hours into lush mountains, they are all intricately painted and adorned with gorgeous religious relics inside and out. Some look out at oceans and some look out onto valleys. Some have statues that tower high above everything around and some…
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10 Years In Korea: How I’ve Lived Abroad For A Decade Happily
Living abroad is amazing, scary, enlightening, humorous, lonely and from there the list of adjectives could just go on and on. Traveling abroad is one thing but most that take the adventure know that at some point they’ll go home which can effect an entire outlook on how they experience a place. Living abroad takes a whole host of adjustments and immeasurable levels of acceptance in many ways. (This page contains affiliate links. That means if you click on them and purchase something, I will get a percentage of the transaction at no cost to you. Thanks for the support!) I wrote an article for Groove Korea Magazine in October…
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Lights, Art & Interaction: The Future Of Theme Parks At Team Lab World In Seoul
teamLab World just opened in Seoul, Korea in August and it is mesmerizing in the best immersive way. (UPDATE: teamLab is no longer in Seoul.) The interactive play place is fun for children and adults and has activities in every corner of the space appealing to the eyes at every turn. Upon entrance, guests are thrust into the depths of a futuristic fun world. Guides in each space invite everyone to partake in the fun by playing, exploring and learning through movement, drawing, hopping, jumping, skipping, sliding and all other haphazard methods that could lead to exploration and amusement. (This page contains affiliate links. That means if you click on…
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caFACE: A Selfie Obsession Of The Latte Variety
In a selfie obsessed world, why not dive in and start sticking that face on every other thing under the sun including the latte that you savor in the cafe up the road? I’m not anti selfie, do NOT get me wrong. I’ve been known to take a few. Hey, I took a selfie of myself holding a latte with a selfied photo of me in this here post. How often can one even do that? I dare say the chances are slim that most will ever be able to do this but if you’re in Seoul, then you’ve got better chances than most. A Seoul cafe with the sole…
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Compromise, Acceptance & Happiness In A Multicultural Marriage
Five years! We are celebrating our five year anniversary this year.. well actually at the beginning of next year. Okay, that’s confusing. Five years ago in October of 2011, we wed in traditional Korean fashion down in Busan, Korea. While the ceremony was colorful, interesting and fun, we also wed stateside in Ohio in January of 2012. We actually celebrate our wedding anniversary in January using our American ceremony date, BUT that doesn’t stop me from reminiscing over our Korean ceremony each year come the autumn foliage and cool breezes in October. Just look at us all done up in those gorgeous Korean traditional duds! Getting into them required a…
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The Best Places To Go Shopping In Seoul
Shopping in Seoul can be fun, frenzied, and in the hustling bustling shopping neighborhoods, Seoul seems anything but calm. If you’re in the market for K-beauty products, Korean fashion, or just some fun Korean souvenirs, there are plenty of areas you can go. Shopping is a pastime for many a local and some tourists come to Seoul with the sole purpose of filling up their luggage with Korean goods. From the best shopping malls in Seoul to the most popular places to buy Korean fashion, there’s a lot to know and more places to go than you might realize. Here are the best areas to go shopping in Seoul and…
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Fall In Seoul: The Foliage, Festivals & Fun Guide
From fall foliage to roadside eats that send cinnamon and nutty aromas into the air, there is so much to enjoy for the short time that autumn hits the Korean peninsula. Fall is the best time to visit Korea and here is why. Watch as the perfectly shaped maple leaves fall to the ground and look forward to the magnificently yellow Ginkgo leaves lining the streets. Enjoy the air that isn’t humid anymore and the views that are just crisper somehow. Here is a guide to fall in Seoul. Want to skip around this post? Here are the sections to look out for: (This page contains affiliate links. That means…
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A Guide To Yeonnam-dong: The Hot Spot Near Hongdae in Seoul
Yeonnam-dong, a neighborhood near Hongdae, a hotspot for live music, bars, and a local busking scene, has seen a lot of popularity in recent years. The first six years I lived in the area, it was under construction and no one wanted to cross the street to walk the area but as soon as Gyeongui Line Forest Park, also called Yeontral Park as an ode to New York’s Central Park, opened, the neighborhood saw a popularity it hadn’t seen in ages. There are now tons of cafes, restaurants, and a gorgeous, albeit very thing, park where locals and visitors rest, picnic, and walk. If you want to check out one…
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The Complete Guide: The 8 Gates of The Seoul Fortress Wall
The Seoul Fortress Wall runs 18.6 kilometers around the center of the city of Seoul and sits up high on the mountains of Bugaksan, Naksan, Namsan and Inwangsan and sits down low running through Dongdaemun too. Initially built in 1396, it took 98 days and just over 197,000 people helped in the construction. The Seoul Fortress Wall is one of those sites that most tourists don’t directly seek out but will run into at some point while they’re visiting Seoul, Korea. On the other hand, people who become residents of Seoul for a period of time might make it a mission to walk the entire fortress wall during their time…
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Mt. Munboksan & Epic Camping In Korea
Camping in Korea has gotten more and more popular over the past few years though it could seem like it’s more popular than it really is with the number of tents that can be seen in every park on every weekend. Don’t be confused. If you want to go camping in Korea, look into some of the great mountainous camp sites like the ones on Munboksan Mountain. We stayed at Munboksan Camping Grounds (문복산캠핑장) and it was great, family-friendly, and near some beautiful views. (This page contains affiliate links. That means if you click on them and purchase something, I will get a percentage of the transaction at no cost…
