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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 (이열치열), 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 (서울 마포구 홍익로3길 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 (인천 차이나타운) 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…
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Ihwa Mural Village: A Guide & Guidelines For Seeing The Area
Mt. Naksan in Seoul is home to one of the most popular mountainside mural villages in Korea. Ihwa Mural Village (이화동벽화마을) is known as a moon village or “daldongne” due to being set on the hillside which means you should be prepared for a bit of a hike up to see this famous village and the views of surrounding Seoul from the village. If you’re looking for a mural village in Seoul, this is the first one that will come up when you begin your search and there’s good reason for that. Learn more about this popular tourist destination in Seoul, Korea. Get ready to see Ihwa Mural Village: (This…
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Vineworks: Interactive Wine Tasting in Seoul
Looking for a wine bar in Hongdae? A great place to have a wine tasting in Seoul to learn about wines? When it comes to wine, Ian Ashworth is not only knowledgeable but he is super enthusiastic in making wine as approachable as possible and that’s why he founded Vineworks. If you’re on the lookout for a Seoul wine bar, Vineworks is a fabulous place to try different wines, learn about wine, and eat delicious food whether you’re going to an event or attending just for dinner with some friends. Learn about Vineworks, a Seoul wine bar that does tastings and more: (This post contains affiliate links, which means I…
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Korea Kids Cafes: Tayo The Friendly Bus
When it comes to finding fun things in Seoul to do with kids, I’ve found there are plenty and kids cafes are among them. After Pororo and the toys and kids cafe visits that came with it, just as quickly the little one LOVED Tayo the Little Bus and all of his friends. Pretty soon we had learned about loads of vehicles and they had names too! Walking down the street, green buses became Rogi and blue buses became Tayo. Not only did our daughter think they became Tayo, but the Korean government has literally placed stickers on local buses to give them Tayo’s eyes and mouth so they literally…
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11 Summer Music Festivals In Korea! Here We Come!
Those summer music festivals in Korea that everyone looks forward to each year to get out and about, chill out and listen to some awesome live acts actually start a little earlier than you might expect! Starting in May, the outdoor music fests can be heard blasting some awesome music around the country. From camping under the stars with some awesome rock bands to dancing the night away to some EDM, there are plenty of awesome music festivals in Korea to choose from to fill your summer weekends with fun. Get ready to rock out at a music festival in Korea: (This post contains affiliate links, which means I receive…
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A One Day Incheon Itinerary: From Chinatown to Fairytales
Do you want to make the most of a daytrip to Incheon? If you’re looking for a packed Incheon itinerary so you can eat until your belly is content, find plenty to take pictures of, and have some fun, then this is it. Incheon, Korea has a lot to do and Incheon is actually a lot more than just the Incheon International Airport, so don’t be confused. For this itinerary in Incheon, we’re headed to the popular Jung-gu district home to the only official Chinatown in Korea, the Songwol-dong Fairytale Village and more! Here’s what to go on a daytrip to Jung-gu, Incheon, Korea: (This post contains affiliate links, which…
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The World Cup Park: A Complete Guide To The Most Underrated Park In Seoul
What is the best park in Seoul? There are a lot of answers but I think World Cup Park is the most underrated park in Seoul. It’s massive and most visitors only see a very small popular part of it and nothing else. Living so close to the World Cup Parks means that I’ve been able to go there and have a good look around on plenty of occasions. Last year, when the little one was just learning to walk, we must have headed there at least once a week to climb, dig, walk, run, fall, pick flowers and do all kinds of other things. From flowering cherry blossom trees…
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15 Hot Spots In Mangwon-dong For Eats & Treats
Mangwon-dong in Seoul, Korea sits just a subway stop away from the night out artsy district known as Hongdae. The districts around this university art and music neighborhood have been getting more and more hype because cool places are moving out of Hongdae, likely due to high rent prices, and moving into Mangwon and other nearby districts. Yeonnam-dong is another nearby neighborhood that has experienced a boom in the past couple of years. The area is now host to a beautiful park as well as foodie hot spots and neat cafes. Mangwon is Yeonnam’s understated little brother, but he’s piping up for attention! Since my husband has had a studio in the area…
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Nest Hotel: A Modern Hotel Near Incheon International Airport
Looking to have a weekend away in Incheon without much fuss and loads of chic and modern aesthetic appeal, I began my search by checking the Design Hotels properties in Korea knowing that they have properties around the world that are amazingly interesting to stay in. Nest Hotel is one of the best hotels near Incheon International Airport and you’d be surprised how much there is to actually do on the island that the airport is located on. Whether you’re a tourist in Korea or looking for a staycation, this is a great hotel to do it. Have a great stay at Nest Hotel in Incheon, Korea: (This post contains…
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Korea Kids Cafes: Pororo The Little Penguin
Pororo the Little Penguin was first introduced to Korea’s child audience in 2003 and since has grown into quite the big man on campus… though he hasn’t seemed to age one day on screen. From Pororo Kids Cafes to Pororo cutlery and dishes, they’ve pretty much got the market cornered in South Korea and every single child here starts their interest in cartoons with this penguin and his crew. There’s no end to the joy to be had and there are plenty of things to do with kids in Seoul and kids cafes are just one of them. If your kid loves Pororo though, definitely take them to a Pororo…
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Fish Markets In Seoul: Noryangjin and More!
Again and again, I’m asked for information on the Noryangjin Fish Market. How to get there, what to order and how to make the most of a trip there. I’ll be honest, I’ve been there a handful of times and though it is the most popular fish market in the Seoul, I just want to say that it isn’t the ONLY fish market in the city and definitely not the only fish market in Korea. Noryangjin is the most centrally located of the fish markets in Seoul so I’ll give all of the info you need to know to get in, around, and up and down in the space but…
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Hidden Gems In The Hip Hannam District In Seoul
Hannam district, or Hannam-dong, has quickly become a hot spot hangout for the locals looking for intricately well designed restaurants and cafes alongside some artistic and musical venues to inspire. The neighborhood near Itaewon can be enjoyed from morning until night and should be. The district has always had airs of international inspirations what with the roads lined with embassies, but with the influx of music performance spaces along with the ever popular art museums in the area and now surrounded by chic cafes and local design and lifestyle shops, this is a classy hip place to hang out a bit different from the younger boozy streets of Itaewon just…
