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Train From Seoul To Busan: Why You Should Get The KORAIL Pass
Ready to travel to all of the amazing places in Korea I’m constantly talking about? With high-sped scenic trains crisscrossing the peninsula, you can get from Seoul to Busan or just about anywhere in between via train… if you know how it works. The KTX is one of the most efficient rail systems in Asia and if you want to use it, you’ll want to get to know the KORAIL pass, especially if you’re on a budget. Get ready to travel by train in Korea: (This post contains affiliate links, which means I receive a certain percentage of a sale if you purchase after clicking at no cost to you.…
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Can I use the Wise Card In Korea? How To Send Money To Korea
Whether you’re looking to travel to Korea for the first time or you’re moving to Korea and want to be able to use your money from home in Korea easily, you should look into the Wise travel card when it comes to converting currencies and getting away from card fees and bad exchange rates. I first started using Wise when I was traveling outside of Korea and wanted to make sure I had money. If you’re a resident of Korea and traveled abroad, you’ve probably found like me, it was hit or miss to use your local Korean cards when abroad. What’s that about? Having thoroughly tested my Wise card…
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Where To Stay In Myeongdong: Best Hotels for Every Budget
Myeongdong is one of the most practical places to stay in Seoul, and also one of the most fun. The neighborhood runs from morning until late at night, which makes it useful if you’re working through jet lag or just want the option to eat at odd hours. The subway connections are excellent, you can get to Seoul Station, and the airport train, in minutes, reach traditional neighborhoods like Insadong in one stop, or get across to Hongdae or Gangnam without much effort. The shopping is obvious and well documented. What’s less obvious is how much the staying-in-Myeongdong experience differs from just visiting for the day. We did a staycation…
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Birdwatching in Korea: When, Where, and How
After living in and adventuring around Korea for some years, I can say that seeing wildlife in person here is something that stops people in their tracks. Hikers take pause when they see a squirrel and try to take a picture, and in recent years, national parks have amped up protections so that the wildlife that seemed to disappear could return with gusto… and they have. One sighting that always makes me stop when I see them, are cranes. They’re beautiful, large, and you can see them everywhere from the rice paddies to the many streams that crisscross Seoul. I’ve visited a number of places in Korea in recent years…
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Buramsan Butterfly Garden: A Beautiful Hillside of Azaleas To See In Seoul
There are beautiful places to see flowers all around Seoul, well all around Korea for that matter. The cherry blossoms burst into bloom all around Korea in April and then it’s just flower after flower from azaleas to tulips and daffodils saying hello. There are so many beautiful places to find flowers in Korea. I think azaleas are an underrated spring bloom. When these bushy flowers cover a hillside though, they are gorgeous! Here is one of the most beautiful places in Seoul to find those lovely light purple azaleas. Don’t miss Buramsan Butterfly Garden (불암산나비정원) in northern Seoul in the spring if you’re a flower lover like me. Here’s…
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How To Celebrate the Year Of The Rabbit In Korea
Happy New Year! 2023 is the Year of the Rabbit, a black rabbit to be precise, and rabbit’s are a sign of longevity, peace, and prosperity so this is looking like it will be a year of hope and fruitfulness. In Korean, this year is called “Gyemyonyeon”, 계묘년, with “Gye” meaning black, “myo” meaning rabbit, and “nyeon” meaning year. The year of the Black Rabbit is associated with the heavens. So, what does the Year of the Rabbit mean? And, how can you celebrate the Year of the Rabbit in Korea? Here’s what you need to know… What to know about the Year Of The Rabbit in Korea: (This post…
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6 Things To See In Eunpyeong-gu You Probably Didn’t Know About
Eunpyeong-gu is a district in the northwest of Seoul that most people drive through as they’re headed to Goyang. Having been a resident for a bit now, I was so surprised when I realized how many cool things there were in Eunpyeong-gu that so many people didn’t know about. While it might not be a huge tourist draw (yet), it should be on your list of areas to see in Seoul. From traditional villages to arts, culture, and eco-friendly parks, there’s a lot to do in Eunpyeong-gu. Eunpyeong-gu has some surprises. Are you ready to explore northwest Seoul? (This post contains affiliate links, which means I receive a certain percentage…
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How to Rent a Car in Korea: Rules, Costs, and What to Know
Travel around Seoul for more than a few days and it becomes obvious very quickly that a car is the wrong choice inside the city. Traffic can be brutal, parking isn’t cheap, and the subway system covers the city and surrounding suburbs extensively. But once you leave Seoul, the calculation flips. Trains and buses reach most of the major destinations, but a car opens up everything else: the hidden cafes between lava rock walls in Jeju, the coastal roads in Gangwon that no bus serves, the daffodil hills in Taean that only make sense if you can stop when you want to. This guide covers what you need to rent…
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Room Excape: An Escape Room In Seoul
Looking for something fun and maybe mentally-taxing for you and your friends while you’re in Seoul? Well, then trying out one of the many Seoul escape rooms in Hongdae is the way to go! We tried out Breakout Seoul recently and now it was time to try out Room Excape! At the white point address of Room Excape, my group and I decided to become astronauts for a day by delving into the B-POLLO-17 escape room. If you like escape rooms but don’t speak Korean, fear not, there are options. Get a group of friends together and have fun in Seoul this weekend at an escape room. Which theme would…
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This Museum in Gangwon is Quirky, Cool, and Kind of Unbelievable
If you’ve never heard of the Gangwon Comprehensive Museum (강원종합박물관), you’re certainly not the only one, and yet this huge and rather eye-catching museum in Korea should really be on everyone’s radar. It’s a bit traditional, definitely quirky, and really unique in all of the right ways. If you love finding off the beaten path hidden gems in Korea, then this is definitely one to seek out. Take a roadtrip into Gangwon, maybe head to Gangneung like we did, and then pull over for a stop at this museum in the middle of nowhere. Check out this epic museum in Gangwon-do: (This post contains affiliate links, which means I receive…
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Beopjusa Temple: UNESCO World Heritage Site in Songnisan
In Songnisan National Park in Chungcheongbuk-do, a 33-meter golden Buddha watches over the forested mountains from a temple that has stood here for over 1,400 years. Beopjusa (법주사) is one of Korea’s great Buddhist complexes, home to the tallest free-standing Buddha in Korea, the only surviving five-story wooden pagoda in the country, and three national treasures. In 2018, it was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site as one of the seven Sansa, Buddhist mountain monasteries that have functioned as living centers of Korean Buddhism since the 7th and 9th centuries. It is also, for reasons no one planned, the temple Bruce Lee originally chose as the setting for a martial…
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Did you know the world’s largest drum is in Korea?
You never know what you’ll find in Korea. The world’s largest drum is one thing that you can find in Korea… if you know where to look. Heard of the Yeongdong Nangye Traditional Music Center (영동 난계 국악체험촌)? It’s a pretty cool place established to spread information about the development and achievements of Nangye Park Yeon and promote gugak, or traditional Korean music. Get ready to learn more about traditional Korean music and also see the largest drum in the world of course… which yes, you can beat on. Learn more about where to find the largest drum in the world: (This post contains affiliate links, which means I receive…
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10 Beautiful Greenhouses in Korea To Find
Do you like greenhouses? You might be surprised to learn how many greenhouses there are in Korea. From greenhouses on palace grounds to eco-parks, there are greenhouses everywhere. These curated indoor gardens are great in the winter when you need a warm pick-me-up and super lush in the summer. If it’s too dusty in Korea and you can’t go outside for the day, head to a greenhouse to get your dose of healthy oxygen and greenery. I’ve created a list of some of the most beautiful greenhouses in South Korea to check out. You never know what you’ll find until you go and look. Oh, and if you do love…
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Where to See Christmas Lights in Seoul
Almost every country in the world celebrates Christmas in some way, shape or form. Regardless, holiday lighting displays seems to reign supreme in every place that features this winter holiday. While no one does it quite like the USA, Canada or Europe, the Christmas lights in Seoul, South Korea are quite breathtaking in their own right. Remember to dress warmly, I like to layer with Uniqlo heattech whenever possible, and head out to see what Christmas is like in Korea. Find out more about the top 11 places to see Christmas lights in Seoul along with a healthy number of honorable mentions. From Lotte retail giant and several shopping malls,…
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Ever Healthcare: Easy Access to Korean Beauty Treatments
As someone who went from “I think I want to grow old gracefully” to “You can pry my youthful skin out of my cold, dead hands,” I naturally jumped at the chance to try out Ever Healthcare’s concierge service and get some Botox and anti-aging laser treatments. I’ve noticed that over the last few years my skin has been looking thinner and the wrinkles on my forehead deepening. Knowing numerous people in Seoul who spoke enthusiastically about their own experiences with this anti-aging treatment, I was keen to try it but completely unsure of where to go. Choices can be overwhelming, especially when it comes to cosmetic treatments, so it…
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What are the travel requirements for South Korea?
Are you thinking about traveling to South Korea? The country is one of the top places to visit in the world today. Do you know what you need to travel into the country? The travel requirements changed for tourists during Covid and while some of those updates will go away, some are here to stay. We will go through the list of travel requirements for South Korea and other things you may need to know. Do you need to get travel documents translated into Korean? Can you just walk right through immigration as a tourist to Korea? Let’s see. Get ready to travel to Korea: (This post contains affiliate links,…
