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The Korean Bath House: The Etiquette Inside A Jjimjilbang
Korean bath houses are one of those topics that come up in conversation and it seems while there is high interest, most foreigners that come to Korea just don’t know what to expect and only have visions of sitting around naked and uncomfortable with a lot of people. Sure, there’s nudity in a Korean jjimjilbang (์ฐ์ง๋ฐฉ) but that’s not the only thing that happens in a Korean spa. I’ve visited a mokyoktang, or neighborhood bath house, a number of times and also been to more high-end one time experience Korean spas that are perfect for tourists. Both have their purposes and are equally essential for a good beauty ritual if…
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16 Cafes Making A Statement in Hongdae
Cafรฉ hopping is one of the ultimate past times to have if you visit or live in Seoul, Korea. It’s just utterly amazing how many interesting and new cafes there are are ALWAYS! Korea has unique design concepts and quirky fun cafes too. If you’re visiting Seoul, every day should have at least one interesting cafe stop. If you live in Seoul, then you KNOW you have to get out to see a cool cafe once awhile if not more. Here is a list of the coolest and best cafes to check out in the Hongdae / Hapjeong area of Seoul. This district is known for the young college crowd…
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Hamdeok Beach: The Idyllic Place To Stay on Jeju Island
Jeju Island is the best place in South Korea to visit in the summer months in Korea. There are plenty of beaches to explore and museums and fun indoor sites too. Our favorite place to stay and what I would consider one of the best beaches on Jeju Island, the white sandy Hamdeok Beach is so inviting. When you’re stuck between the city buildings of Seoul and the clear blue waters of Jeju are calling, this is where you’ll want to stay in Jeju. It is too enticing to pass up. Looking for a beautiful and also kid friendly area on Jeju Island? Definitely check out Hamdeok Beach on Jeju’s…
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Solgaheon: A Foot Bath & Tea in Bukchon
(This cafe has closed unfortunately. For another option in the area, head to Tea Therapy where you can also sip tea and have a foot bath.) Bukchon has a handful of experience programs set in traditional Hanok houses that I have been able to try over the years and I have enjoyed every single one of them. There’s just something about the unique traditional setting, the opportunity to learn a bit more about the Korean culture in a different way and the history of the area. A few weeks ago, I headed over to Solgaheon (์๊ฐํ) which specializes in rejuvenation for the immune system through medicinal herbal teas. Walk down…
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Yongma Land: The Abandoned Amusement Park in Seoul
Yongma Land (์ฉ๋ง๋๋) is a small failed amusement park in northeastern Seoul that has become popular with photographers and photo-op seeking teenagers in recent years. The abandoned amusement area offers some of the standard rides like the iconic carousel and the “Viking” as well as a mini train that is now covered in vines. Whether you’re looking for abandoned places in Seoul or want to film your own Kpop video to mimic your favorite artists, this is the place to go in Seoul. It’s not the most common addition to a Seoul itinerary, but it’s a cool spot if you want something unique in the capital of Korea. Plan a…
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Seoullo 7017: Where To Walk In Seoul, Korea
If you’re headed down to central Seoul, Korea and happen to be transiting through Seoul Station, then you cannot miss a walk along Seoullo 7017. This elevated pedestrian walkway completely changed the major roadway outside of the ever busy Seoul Station in 2017 and hosts events by day and light shows by night. There’s more to see around Seoul Station than most people realize and this is one thing that has gained a lot of attention not only for what it provides to see like the Seoullo 7017 Skygarden, but also what it provides a safe place to walk for pedestrians in the downtown Seoul area.ย If you’re headed downtown…
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15 Of The Best Beaches in Korea You Haven’t Heard About
When summer comes, it’s amazing how fast those beaches start beckoning. With the temperatures rise, the sun’s rays are strong and all I can think about are lapping waters, sandy beaches and swimming, swimming, swimming. The salty seas refresh and luckily in Korea there are miles and miles of beaches to choose from. The western coast, eastern coast and southern coast of Korea offers up beautiful beaches of all kinds. From white sand and clear blue waters in the east to the long mud flat fun of the west and then the sprawling beaches of the south, not to mention Jeju’s beautiful white sand, black sand and rocky beaches too,…
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FishisFast: The Mail Forwarding Service You Cannot Live Without!
Over the years in Korea there have been times when there’s something I just CANNOT find and want to get from the States. There was that time I put out a call to get some Cow Tales shipped to me and then that time I was looking for maternity clothes that I just couldn’t find here in Korea. In those times, Fishisfast would have come in handy. Things like fitted bed sheets, peanut butter M&Ms and a few other specialty items can arrive at your door in just days… once you sign up and order them and all that jazz. While sites may offer global shipping, those costs can add…
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Cafe Valor: K-Drama Filming Location, Coffee & More!
[NOW CLOSED] Cafe Valor (์นดํ๋ฐ๋ก) first drew my attention when I was planning my trip out to Incheon to stay at the immaculately designed Nest Hotel some months back but I didn’t get a chance to visit the cafe/studio until recently. Not having spent terribly much time in Incheon, I wanted to know what there was to see and one tool at my disposal was, of course, Instagram. I ended up with a great itinerary for the westernmost coast of Incheon that included Incheon’s Chinatown, the Fairytale Village and more but just couldn’t find the time to get to Cafe Valor which really took my fancy. Was it a cafe? Was…
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The Soul of Seoul | Operation High Jinks Recap
This past weekend I hosted an AMAZINGLY fun event called “Operation High Jinks”. A bit Amazing Race missions, a bit Running Man hysterics and a bit scavenger hunt clues, it was a race planned to introduce attendees to Korea of today in a fun way. Not only did teams get to meet local Koreans and cook Kimchi jeon (Kimchi pancakes), they got to meet a local photographer and get a photo, meet some local expat entrepreneurs and more. (This post contains affiliate links, which means I receive a certain percentage of a sale if you purchase after clicking. Thank you for your support.) Finding things unique to Korea like dressed…
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The Seoul Sky Observatory: Tallest Building in Korea
The Seoul Sky Observatory (์์ธ์ค์นด์ด), the third highest observatory in the world but featuring the highest glass deck in the world, sits in Lotte World Tower. It is easily a must see spot in Seoul and should make it into the top 10 things to see in Seoul every time. If you’re looking for the most amazing view of the Seoul skyline, then this is the tower you should be seeking out on your next trip to Seoul as you can get panoramic views and you’ll literally be standing higher than the helicopters that check the traffic are flying down below. On clear days, you can see as far as…
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The Cold Korean Soups Calling My Name In The Summer
When summer hits Korea, it can be pretty hot, humid and sweaty… well for the foreigners anyway. My Korean husband seems to only sweat when he’s eating hot soup. While traditional Korean belief promotes the idea of iyeol chiyeol (์ด์ด์น์ด), or the idea of controlling heat with heat which means that Koreans eat HOT soups on the HOTTEST of days in order to feel cooler, not all Korean summer soups are hot. Some of my favorite summer meals in Korea are when we sit down to lunch on a delightfully cool bowl of Korean soupy goodness that may or may not also have some ice cubes floating around too. Looking…
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The Discover Seoul Pass: Travel On A Budget In Seoul
Whether you’re planning your trip to Seoul or already here, make sure you’ve looked into the Discover Seoul Pass if you want to travel Seoul on a budget. When used correctly, there are some great advantages but you need to understand how the Discover Seoul Pass works and how it will work for you and you need to have a plan or at least a good itinerary for your day or days of FREE site visits. Do not just buy the pass and then set out for the day. There are some things to consider. The Discover Seoul pass is more than just a pass to landmarks for free, you…
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The Trickeye Museum: Augmented Reality
[TRICKEYE in Hongdae is CLOSED] The Trickeye Museum in Hongdae, Seoul recently updated their already 3D fun space with augmented reality that literally brings the awesome paintings to life and I just had to see it for myself. While the paintings on the walls are the same as they were when I visited at the end of 2015 with my daughter who was just 1, they’ve been given new life with a new app that shows off the augmented reality of the paintings. For more pictures of the paintings, check out that older post about Trickeye revamped. Basic Info Address: 357-1 Seogyo-dong Mapo-gu, Seoul (์์ธ ๋งํฌ๊ตฌ ํ์ต๋ก3๊ธธ 20) Directions: Go to…
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The Soul of Seoul | Operation High Jinks
When it comes to summer, all I can think about is getting out and about and having fun. For me, fun includes walking in parks, swimming in the ocean and playing games. I LOVE a good game. I’ve got a competitive spirit but I also don’t think games are just for the kids. Last year, I noticed that there just weren’t events of the get out and about and learn while playing sort. There used to be many years ago, but seems the groups that used to plan adventurous games stopped. So I took up the helm and planned not one, but two scavenger hunts with the help of some…
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Incheon Chinatown: A Guide To The Area
People flock to Incheon’s China Town (์ธ์ฒ ์ฐจ์ด๋ํ์ด) looking for authentic Chinese food and the quintessential red lanterns hanging from windows. Once leased territory to Qing China in 1884, the area is now known as the birthplace of the Korean-Chinese delicacy ‘jjajangmyeon‘. That should tell you something about what you’ll find out there. While there is authentic Korean-Chinese food, I’d say it’s pretty difficult to find authentic Chinese food. While that’s something to be aware of, it’s still a fun area to visit to eat it up and walk around while learning about the port city that is still home to the descendants of those first Chinese settlers in the…
