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Yes, You Just Saw Me On CNN & PBS In The Same Week!
January was a good month. Not only was I asked to participate in an episode of Point Of View on CNN, but an episode I had filmed with Samantha Brown on her latest show Places To Love aired. Bing Bang Boom! Here’s what you missed. This just in: I was on CNN’s program ‘South Korea POV’. POV stands for Point-Of-View and the premise of the show is that a local will guide viewers around a city. Having lived in Seoul for the past twelve years, I can say confidently that I am pretty adept at getting around, finding things on and off the beaten path and consistently try to share…
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Bukchon Hanok Village: What To See, Where To Go & What To Do + A Map!
Bukchon Hanok Village is one of the most visited areas of Seoul, Korea. The neighborhood of Bukchon is special due to the numerous traditional Korean homes, or Hanoks, that are located there. The neighborhood was originally home to high-ranking government officials and nobility so you would be right in assuming that these Hanok estates are rather nice. Bukchon is a neighborhood that sits to the east of Gyeongbokgung Palace, the main palace in the capital city of Seoul, and west of Changdeokgung Palace, known for its gorgeous secret garden. The neighborhood to the west of the main palace, while not as traditional in architecture, is also a great spot to find…
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Three Things To See In Seongju, Korea
There are so many hidden gems in South Korea that never really make it onto the radar of foreign travelers. Seongju, Korea is one of those places. It’s a bit off the beaten path located down in Gyeongsangbuk-do and the things to see there are traditional and definitely interesting. I was invited by the tourism board there to see what there was to see and was asked to write a fictional piece of writing about the area for an anthology. Since The Soul of Seoul is usually a straightforward no fuss no muss sort of site, I thought I’d share the fictional piece with you but below that is all…
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The Peace Culture Bunker: Once Military, Now Communal
It’s not uncommon to travel around Seoul, or Korea for that matter, and find military bases and bunkers. Usually they’re surrounded by barbed wire and fences because civilians, like myself, cannot enter. They’re starting to get converted into community spaces though as they become unnecessary. The Peace Culture Bunker (평화문화진지), once a tank bunker is one of those places and it’s now a very cool community space. More and more these bunkers and bases are being given back to the community at large and they are being given back in some awesome ways. Don’t miss the new spaces to find around the city. Is Korea still at war? Technically yes,…
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Busan, Korea: Everything You MUST See, Do, Eat & Try!
Busan is the second largest city in Korea and one of my favorite places to visit. If we weren’t living in Seoul, Busan would be our home for sure…. and not just because my husband is originally from there. This city on the southern coast of Korea has beachy vibes and tons of seafood to eat along with some mountains just north and all kinds of fun in between. If you can’t live there, a weekend… week… or just any time at all should be spent in this coastal city down south. Want to know how to get to Busan from Seoul? Read on. Busan is definitely a must visit…
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Where To Get Skin Treatments In Seoul: Lasers, PRP, and Serums Oh My!
In this post, I’ll talk about the skin treatments I received in Seoul, how each visit to the dermatology clinic went and at the end there is a breakdown of costs. So, sit back, relax and lets delve into my experience getting a beauty treatment in Korea. I was invited by Seoul Cosmetic Surgery and Banobagi to receive a consultation to talk about some of the dark spots I had noticed more over the past couple of years. I’m pale so freckles are nothing new to me, but some of these spots seemed to have come while I was pregnant or just after giving birth and they just got darker.…
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Christmas In Seoul: The 2024 Holiday Guide To Markets, Lights & Events!
The Christmas season has begun this 2024… at least Starbucks seems to suggest so since they’ve started playing their Christmas CD on repeat. Who is getting excited for the Christmas tree at Starfield Library in COEX and the twinkle lights? Everyone is in search of where to get the holiday goods, gifts and more so I culled this list of markets to check out with mulled wine to quench the holiday thirst, gardens with twinkling lights and holiday events. What will you get into this holiday season? This post has been updated for 2024 and more will be added as companies release their events and restaurants, so get ready. With…
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Ski In Korea: A Guide For Where To Go & How To Get There
When I first came to Korea a decade ago, I packed my bags and that included a snowboard. I remember reading about how mountainous the peninsular country was and after searching “where to ski in Korea” “can I ski in Korea” and “how close to Seoul can I ski?”, I saw numerous options. Korea is very mountainous if you didn’t know and there are plenty of places to go skiing in Korea. Here are the Korean slopes, the Korean ski resorts, and the Korean mountains to check out this winter, where they are, and how to get to them. Plan to stay at some of the awesome ski resorts in…
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Changgyeonggung: The Hidden Palace In Seoul
There are five palaces in Seoul and not all of them attract equal attention. This is good to know if you want to walk around a gorgeous Korean palace WITHOUT all of the crowds. As far as Korean palaces go, Gyeongbokgung Palace, the main palace in Seoul, and Changdeokgung featuring the Secret Garden always seem to top the lists but if you were to ask me, I’d say visiting Changgyeonggung (창경궁) is even better… for a number of reasons. Different palaces for different feels I guess. I do love Gyeongbokgung from time to time and always take short term tourists there, but if I want to visit a palace and…
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Pocheon: What To See & What To Do Northeast Of Seoul
Pocheon is an area that sits to the northeast of Seoul in the Gyeonggi province. Last summer, I headed northeast to visit the beautiful flowery fields of Nari Park which is just south of the Pocheon area. It was an invitation to explore more in that region this year. Here are some places in Pocheon that are must sees and for those K-drama addicted among us, quite a few recognizable dramas have been filmed in these places, so enjoy! Want a day trip option from Seoul? This is a great area to explore with numerous nature spots and artistic finds too. I’ve got you covered if you’re looking for places…
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The Seoul Derby: Autumn Edition Recap
The Seoul Derby just keeps getting bigger and better each time I host it. Last year, I hosted it just once and that was the plan this year. However, there were just too many people interested and I was happy to host again if Arielle from Soju4Two was down so hosted again we did. The first one was in the beginning of the summer, as they usually are. If you missed that one AND this one, then get ready next spring and be on the look out! This time around we rounded up the teams at the Malli-dong Plaza near Seoullo. It’s one of my favorite spots with an installation that is…
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The Seoul Botanic Park: Find Nature In Seoul
Whether or not you enjoy gardens or botany, the gorgeous architecture of the large greenhouse is definitely a draw at this new hot spot in Seoul. The Seoul Botanic Park (서울식물원) was opened in Magok in the Gangseo-gu district which was an interesting choice for the massive park. This area of Seoul has been getting a lot of development and even has an Ando Tadao building now, the LG Art Center. This is THE spot to visit in spring in Seoul or even summer in Seoul. We love parks and if you do too, this is definitely one you can’t miss here in Seoul, Korea. Here is where you’ll find…
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Danyang, Korea: A Guide To The Best Things To See & Do
When it comes to getting away and taking a weekend to travel, I know it’s not just me, I search out a coastal city and head straight to the nearest one with an available hotel and a seaside view. The center of Korea has been quite overlooked by me… and I imagine many others, but I’m gonna put this little post up here with a little reminder that there is indeed plenty to see and DO in the middle of Korea. To be fair, I had visited Danyang (단양군) many… many years… okay, maybe a decade ago. It was actually one of the FIRST places I ever enjoyed a weekend…
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Why Namsan Tower Is A Must See In Seoul
If you’re a tourist headed to Seoul, South Korea, chances are you’ve heard of the iconic N Seoul Tower. Nestled atop Namsan Mountain, this observatory offers unforgettable views of Seoul. As one of the city’s most recognizable landmarks, this towering structure boasts not only breathtaking panoramic views of the sprawling metropolis but also a rich cultural significance and should definitely be on your Seoul itinerary even if you’re in the city for a short time. Plan your trip to N Seoul Tower now: (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…
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Camp Greaves: An Abandoned Military Base With An Artistic Future In The Korean DMZ
The DMZ has never been calling to me so much as it has this year. I didn’t visit the area for most of the past decade living in Korea and somehow have been quite a few times in just mere months. Here’s the thing, I like authentic historical sites and have never been interested in the touristy/photo zone spots and somehow the DMZ mingles between both. It’s an odd thing for me to go someplace that has so much meaning for separated families and people that fought here, then to see an amusement park and photo zones really throws me. Some areas along the line are worth the trip and…
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The Langogo AI Translator: A Review Of The Real-Time Translation Device
Once you start traveling, you realize how many MORE places there are to see. You might also realize how many of those places don’t speak your language and while some people may be daunted by the thought of going to a place where communication will be difficult, it revs my engines. If you’ve got time to learn some key phrases before you travel, awesome. If not though, in steps an AI translator. Taking a translating device on travels really changes the way you can travel. Maybe you have an allergy or want to make sure the taxi driver is taking you to the right place. In both of those situations…
