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Lotte World Seoul: Discount Tickets, Magic Passes and How To Make The Most Of It
Lotte World (롯데월드 어드벤처) in Seoul is one of the largest indoor theme parks in the world, and it’s open 365 days a year, which means rain, heat, cold, and every Korean holiday is fair game. Right outside Jamsil Station, it’s one of the easiest theme parks to reach by public transport in the country, and a full day here covers everything from gentle carousel rides for toddlers to a pendulum swing that spins 360 degrees and a drop ride from 70 meters up. My husband and I were brought here by a very enthusiastic child who wanted a theme park birthday, and we ended up enjoying it considerably more…
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Glossika Language Program Review: Learning Korean Online
Do you want to learn Korean? There are some great programs to learn Korean online out there and Glossika is one of them. Whether you’re planning to visit Korea or just want to understand those Korean dramas you’re watching better, learning Korean is a good idea. When trying to learn Korean or any new language, it’s important to focus on listening and speaking just as much as reading and writing. There are a lot of programs and websites that will help you with memorizing vocabulary and learning grammar, but fewer that focus on listening and speaking. Glossika is one really good website to practice your listening skills. Check out my…
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A Guide To Daegu, Korea: What To See & Do
Did you know that Daegu is the hottest city in Korea? By hottest, I don’t mean the most popular place but rather that the weather is super hot. For this reason, it’s probably not the best idea to go in the summer, but there are still a lot of cool places to check out. Daegu isn’t a major tourist spot, but there are tourist attractions that are nice to see and probably won’t be too busy. Check out this Daegu travel guide so you can plan a trip to this Korean city with 1000 year old Buddhist sites and traditional markets and some really cool cafes and restaurants to see…
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Jaman Mural Village: Anime, Art and Views Above Jeonju
Just up the road from the traditional Jeonju Hanok Village is something that feels like it belongs in a cartoon, which is appropriate, because a lot of the murals here actually are cartoons. Jaman Mural Village (자만벽화마을) is a steep hillside neighborhood covered in wall paintings, winding upward above the rooftops of Jeonju. Spirited Away and My Neighbor Totoro share walls with The Beatles and Adventure Time. Artists’ plaques sit alongside many of the works. A cafe at the top has a resident E.T. and views over the city. It’s a 10-minute walk from the Hanok Village and a natural addition to any Jeonju itinerary once you’ve eaten your fill…
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Daebak: A Korean Subscription Box Review
Do you like Korean snacks? Do you like Korean beauty? Do you just like Korean culture? Well, if you’re abroad, one of the best ways to get up and personal with some Korean culture is to get a subscription box straight from Korea. I’ve written about some great Korean subscription boxes before. Today, we’re going to dive into the Daebak Box and the Snack Fever Box by Daebak. One is a bit more Korean snacks, and the other a bit more overall Korean culture. If you like getting mail and you like Korea, then definitely look into getting yourself on a subscription box list. Give yourself a surprise in the…
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15 Mistakes Tourists Make When They Travel To Korea
You’ve taken the jump and are going to travel to Korea! Good for you. There are some cultural mistakes to avoid in Korea you should know though… well 15 things to know in this list. Before you take a trip to Korea, just remember that the crosswalk signal shouldn’t be pushed and you don’t need to tip. Why? Keep reading to learn about the most common mistakes people make when visiting South Korea. Here are 15 things not to do 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. Thank you for…
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The Hangeul Museum: Where To Learn About The Korean Language
Do you want to learn more about Hangul, also written Hangeul, the Korean language? You’re in luck if you’re visiting Seoul, Korea as you can find the National Hangeul Museum (국립한글박물관) easily situated just south of the National Museum of Korea. This museum is one of the many free things to do in Seoul and it’s also got a great children’s museum as well. Should you visit the Hangeul Museum on Hangeul Day though? I would really not recommend it. Here’s what you can look forward to when you do visit though. Get ready to learn about Hangul: (This post contains affiliate links, which means I receive a certain percentage…
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39 Free Things To Do In Seoul: Museums, Palaces, and Hidden Gems
Seoul can be expensive if you approach it a certain way, clubs, tourist-facing restaurants, taxis, K-pop concerts. But once you know where to look, there are more free things to do in this city than almost anywhere else. Most major historical and cultural attractions cost nothing or less than ₩5,000 to enter. Several of the best museums in the country are completely free. Some of the most memorable experiences, a free observatory over a palace, a K-pop video studio, a museum hidden beneath a famous statue, cost exactly nothing. This list works as a standalone day plan or as a way to balance a trip where you’ve splurged elsewhere. If…
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How To Travel Korea On A Budget: Money Saving Tips From A Local
Ready to travel to Korea on a budget? While we’d all love to live that luxurious lifestyle and travel in style, for most of us, we gotta work travel out to be budget friendly and with inflation and prices soaring everywhere, it’s important to know how to cut costs where we can. Korean can be so much more affordable than many people realize. Stay in the wrong area, eat at the wrong restaurants, or miss the free attractions and discounts that Koreans take for granted, and costs add up fast. Get it right and you can spend a full week in Seoul seeing incredible things without breaking the budget. I’ve…
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The Seoul Arts Center: Enjoy Art, Musicals, and Performances
Coming up on its 30 year anniversary, the Seoul Arts Center (예술의전당) is what to check out if you’re interested in art exhibitions, plays, musicals, operas, and more. It’s a place that hosts musicals in its grand colosseum-like opera house, exhibits from artists from around the world, and performances by Korean artists. There is also a deluge of places to eat at from your typical Paris Croissant to full-on restaurants like Dam. Spend a day in and around the Seoul Arts Center in the Seocho-gu district of Seoul and feel the artsy vibes of the city. Plan a trip to the Seoul Arts Center: (This post contains affiliate links, which…
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Isntree: Hyaluronic Acid Sun Gel, Sun Stick and Sun Cream Review
This summer, I got to be apart of a great program with the Korean beauty company Isntree to learn more about them as a brand and try some of their products. I was blown away by some of them and want to share. If you’re looking for some of the best Korean sunscreens on the market, then you’ve come to the right spot. We’re going to review THREE of Isntree’s sun creams including: the Hyaluronic Acid Watery Sun Gel, the Hyaluronic Acid Natural Sun Cream, and the Hyaluronic Acid Airy Sun Stick. I got these from the brand at the start of summer and have been using them every day…
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Korean Mother of Pearl Lacquerware (Najeonchilgi): What It Is and Where To Buy It
Najeonchilgi (나전칠기), or Korean mother-of-pearl lacquerware, is one of the most beautiful traditional crafts in Korea, and one of the most overlooked. Each piece is made by inlaying thin slices of iridescent shell into lacquered wood, a process that can take a single craftsman months to finish by hand. It used to be a staple of Korean households; today there are only a handful of master artisans left, which makes a piece both rarer and more valuable than it was a generation ago. I’ve been collecting it for years, and I think it’s one of the most underrated gifts from Korea you can bring home. In this guide, I’ll walk…
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Suspension Bridges in Korea: The Longest, Tallest & Best Ones to Visit
For a few years, it seemed like there was a competition in Korea and every region in South Korea was trying to make their own suspension bridge. Now, suspension bridges dot the country and the cool thing is that some of them are easily accessible and some of them soar between mountains so they all have a bit different feel. The suspension bridges in Korea get pretty popular in the autumn, but you can get some great views throughout the year. Here are some of the coolest suspension bridges in Korea to find. Get ready to see some awesome suspension bridges in Korea: (This post contains affiliate links, which means…
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Korean Chopsticks: Why They’re Metal, How To Use Them and Proper Etiquette
One of the first things travelers notice when they sit down to eat in Korea is that their chopsticks are metal, not the wooden or bamboo ones they’re used to at Asian restaurants back home. It’s a small thing but it can, maybe will is better, change the experience thanks to the weight, the grip, and the feel against your fingers. Using metal chopsticks is an altogether different skill from wooden ones, and it takes some practice, possibly a lot of practice to get used to them. If your time in Korea is short, you might never really get used to them. Korean chopsticks (jeotgarak, 젓가락) are flat, typically stainless-steel…
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The 10 Best Things To Do At Starfield COEX Mall
Starfield COEX Mall (스타필드 코엑스몰) is one of the largest underground shopping malls in the world and it sits right in the heart of Gangnam in Seoul. But calling it just a shopping mall is like calling Gyeongbokgung Palace just a building, technically accurate and entirely missing the point. A jack-of-all-trades mall, COEX has an aquarium, a stunning library that is one of the most photographed spots in Seoul, a cinema, airport check-in facilities, a casino open to foreigners, changing exhibitions, public art, and directly across the street, one of the most beautiful Buddhist temples in the city. It works equally well as a planned half-day destination or as a…
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Seoul Museum of Craft Art: Free, Family-Friendly, and Worth Every Minute
It would be easy to walk right past the Seoul Museum of Craft Art (서울공예박물관) for popular nearby spots like the historical district of the Bukchon Hanok Village and the cultural district of Insadong, but this fantastic museum opened in 2021 deserves a stop too. Not only good for adults, it’s great for kids and like most of my favorite museums in Seoul, it’s completely free. It’s a really great museum in Seoul to visit and would be especially great when it’s raining or too hot in the summer in Seoul or if you appreciate the history and depth of Korean crafting, which is really interesting. From the lacquerware of…
