Korea Winter 2017
- Jen
- Apr 11, 2018
- 16 min read
Annyeonghaseyo! Really late post, but I just thought I'd share about my Korea trip? So, I was in Korea last year from 5th Dec to 12th Dec and it was a really fun trip. Since it was during winter, it was rather cold, with temperatures hitting -13 degrees. But the cold didn't really bother me, and I had so much fun. Let me take you on my journey, leggo!
4th Dec(evening)
Departed from Changi Airport Singapore. We were supposed to fly by Cathay Pacific with a transit in Hong Kong, however as there was a flight delay, they switched us to Korean Air instead, and it was a direct flight, scheduled to land the next morning at about 6+am at Incheon International Airport. As the time of the flight was pushed back, we had time to roam about the T4(also where we boarded). T4 was pretty interesting. There was a small peranakan gallery and an art facade that featured a peranakan love story. It was quite an entertaining cultural experience. Also, there was an entertainment corner with different type of games to keep travellers occupied while the wait for their flight. So cool, right? Anyway, so at about 9+pm(or was it 10+pm), we boarded the plane and began our journey to Korea. On board, we were served dinner(though it was nearly midnight-I remember waking up to eat bibimbap lol). Honestly, I am not sure if it was because I was tired, but the food fell short of my expectations? But yeah, I just ate and then tried to catch some sleep.
5th Dec(dawn)
I couldn't really sleep, in fact my sleep tracker only tracked 2 hours of sleep? It was about 4+am and I just decided that I will sit there and wait for the plane to land.
Arrival at Incheon Intl Airport
We landed at 5+am and then proceeded with the usual immigration procedures.
Breakfast
By the time we were done, it was nearly 7am and we decided to walk around and look for food for our breakfast. In the end, we settled with food from Tous les jours.
They sold buns and cakes. As it was Dec and winter time, they had special cakes(I guess it's pretty obvious which ones I am referring to in the photo). The cakes looked so tempting haha, I am craving them as I am writing this, tbh. I got the cake as shown in the photo.
I got the cake as shown in the photo. It was so delicious, a great start to the trip!
Getting to the Airbnb apartment that we booked
7+am, probably almost 8am, we made our way to the subway station to take the train to Hongik University Station. We sort of got lost for a bit but we made it in the end. The train ride was pleasant and it didn't take very long to get to our destination. So. We got to Hongik Uni Station and then we started to find a way to the apartment and the first step was to exit the station. When we exited the station, we were greeted by the cold air. It was so so so so so cold, brrr.. So, we walked in the cold to the apartment and guess who got lost. But we managed to contact the owner of the apartment and we found our way there in the end.
Lunch
Had an early lunch bc it was so cold and we needed something warm. Few shops were open at that time, so we settled for something at a shop that happened to be open along the street.
So this was our lunch. Appetite was not fantastic even though I was hungry and tired but the warm soup made me feel so much better haha
Trick Eye Museum
Embarked on our journey to the Trick Eye Museum in Hongdae after lunch and we got lost again. Thankfully there was a place for us to seek help and ask the officers for directions. The Trick Eye Museum was really cool, they even have an app that you could use to take photos with special effects. Below are some photos of me hehe:
Ice Museum
We also had tickets to the Ice Museum too. Very very low temperatures were maintained in order to ensure that the ice sculptures do not melt. My hands were frozen when I exited but it was an interesting experience, nonetheless.
Dinner
So after taking lots of photos, it was about 5+pm, or almost 6pm? We decided to have an early dinner somewhere nearby before going back to have an early rest because it was cold and mom was not really used to the cold yet.
Found a shop near the place we stayed and we ordered the bibimbap, dumpling soup and rice balls. It was so yummy, my favourite was the rice ball, especially the one with the flying fish roe! Also, the dumpling soup helped keep me warm in the cold winter. It's one of the best things in life to have a warm bowl of dumpling soup in the cold, cold winter.
6th Dec: A day at Everland!!
Woke up rather early to catch the transport to Everland. But before that, we grabbed a quick bite from a nearby cafe, Deux Copains.
The cafe was neatly organised and they even provided samples for some of their products.
After breakfast we took walked to the pick up point to take the transport to Everland.
EVERLAND
It was beautiful. As it was winter and nearing Xmas, there was seasonal decorations which made the place really really charming and enchanting.
As we were early, there was not a lot of people there yet.
We took the Human Sky from the Global Fair to Zootopia and then roamed around Zootopia for a bit. But as it was so early, many of the rides were not available yet. So we went to have a walk in Zootopia where we got to see a great variety and various species of animals(a few of them shown below).
When the attractions were open, we tried the Lost Valley(where we got to go on a ride in an amphibious vehicle and get closer to animals like the giraffe, lion and white tiger). After that we decided to head toward European Adventure. By the time we reached Euro Adv, it was about noon and so we decided to have lunch first.
After lunch we went around Euro Adv, trying the Mystery Mansion, Space Tour and VR experience, before heading to Magic Land where we tried the Racing Coaster, and then to American Adventure where we tried the Championship Rodeo. We did not try many of the attractions because quite a few of them were closed and some had long queues and we were feeling a bit too cold to queue(oops) and by the time we tried these attractions mentioned above, it was evening already. I wanted to find the other roller coasters but couldn't. The lights at night were beautiful, especially the xmas deco. Here are some photos that I took:
Everland was a magical experience even though we did not stay for the fireworks, and I hope to be back one day to try the other attractions(esp the roller coasters haha) and see the fireworks.
Dinner
Anyways, moving on, after Everland, we went for dinner. It was really cold that day and so we decided to go to Haidilao Hotpot(near the place we stayed) because soup and hotpot seemed like a good idea for winter(and it is). The soups were really good and after dinner, I felt warm despite the cold.
And this concludes day 2.
7th Dec:
Isaac Toast
Prior to the trip, I was looking up on popular food in Seoul and I came across Isaac Toast. People have said that Isaac Toast is one of the most popular places to have breakfast in Korea, as they have one of the best sandwich toasts. So I decided to try it since there was a branch(the one opposite Hongik University) which was near where I was staying.
And, the verdict: It didn't disappoint me, I love it and as I am writing this about 4 months later, I can still remember how it was and I AM CRAVING IT SO BADLY RIGHT NOW. The toast was freshly made, warm and the sweetness from the sauce that they used made it special. Also, the cheese was good! So, if you are going to Korea, and if you come across Isaac Toast, do go and give it a shot.
Alive Museum and Dynamic Maze
After the scrumptious breakfast, we headed to the Alive Museum in Insadong. There was a Dynamic Maze and we tried it too. For the Dynamic Maze, we were not allowed to bring our phones and cameras in(all valuables had to be placed in a locker) so I couldn't take photos. There were many obstacles in the maze and some required us to think of ways to get pass them, but in the end we managed to clear the obstacles. It was quite fun. After the dynamic maze, we went to the museum. The Alive Museum is similar to the Trick Eye Museum however, unlike the Trick Eye Museum, there was no app for photo taking(so no special effects for the photos). Personally I feel that both museums showcase different stuff but I would prefer the Trick Eye Museum because there's the app and also, there's actually the Ice Museum and the Love Museum(which I didn't go), but for the Alive Museum, the only other thing is the Dynamic Maze. It's personal preference but you could try both if you just want to take fun photos. Here are some photos, as usual:
Lunch(sort of)
Had a quick bite after the Alive Museum. Tried Korean red bean rice cake, some porridge(to stay warm in the cold) and also bingsu(despite the cold, which is ironic since I wanted to stay warm, yet I am eating cold dessert too, but I mean I was in Korea and bingsu is popular in Korea, so I should at least try it, right?). The food was good, but the only thing was that I was not very used to eating red bean rice cake. It's nice but I was not used to the texture of it and also because I thought it would be sweet(well, the one we got was not sweet).
Namsangol Hanok Village
Headed to Namsangol Hanok Village after lunch. The village features traditional houses that have been restored and remodeled after those of the Joseon Dynasty, giving tourists a glimpse of the traditional Korean life of the different social classes-peasant to aristocrats, back then, thereby making it a good cultural experience.
Dinner and Myeongdong
Last on the list for day 3. Myeongdong. Had dinner at Wangbijib(which we found out about when researching for the trip online). The food there was good and the portion was very big(look at the appetiser-photo on the left), and we were so full after eating hahaha xD
After dinner we took a walk in Myeongdong and shopped for beauty products-I mean, Myeongdong is known for shops selling beauty products, right? Walking by the street, you will come across many well known shops like The Face Shop, Nature Republic, Etude House, La Neige, etc... and you may realise that there are a few of these shops all along the road, a beauty paradise for sure if you want to get some beauty products because some shops will have deals for different kind of products. But what I realised was that (at that point of time when we went) they had very good deals for face masks, so, yup I bought quite a lot of face masks hahaha xD
The bustling streets of Myeongdong, that was how day 3 ended.
8th Dec: Lotte World
Breakfast
Before we embarked on our trip to Lotte World, we had breakfast at Angel In Us Coffee.
Lotte World
Took the subway to Lotte World(Jamsil Station) and went to redeem our tickets(which we had purchased before our trip). First stop was Lotte World Adventure.
Lotte World Adventure is basically a theme park, with many many attractions. However, because the queue was very very long, we spent a lot of time queuing and could only try 3 of them(wanted to queue for the roller coaster but the queue was insane-we were told that it was at least 2 hours long!)
But nonetheless, Lotte World Adventure is, like Everland, a really really beautiful and magical, though my experience would be better if only I had the time to walk around more and visit the other districts(Like the Magic Island, which we only found out about when we were about to leave..) I would certainly return one day to experience the other attractions. But before I move on, just 2 photos:
After Lotte World Adventure, we went to have dinner in the mall. Grabbed a quick one before proceeding to Lotte World Aquarium.
Lotte World Aquarium
As the place was huge, it took us a while and a few attempts to seek help from passerbys to find the Lotte World Aquarium. The aquarium features many different types of marine animals, and as it was nearing Xmas, some of the fishes were living in festive habitats, it was really cute. Also, there was a robot fish too, which was really cool. I also had a lot of fun trying to watch and interact with the Beluga Whale, penguins and sea lions through the glass haha xD
After Lotte World Aquarium, we made our way to the Lotte Mart. On our way there we past Gong Cha and I got a hot chocolate drink, a winter special. To be very honest, I got that drink because it was Gong Cha and at that time, there was only one Gong Cha branch in Singapore and people were queuing for it here in Singapore since it just opened and I thought I might as well satisfy my Gong Cha cravings in Korea where there was no queue(and also try the drinks there at the same time). But anyway, the chocolate was rich and it was so good I finished it within minutes.
We then proceeded to Lotte Mart, where we got a lot of snacks(which were really worth it honestly). My personal favourite is the Binggrae Banana Flavoured Milk, which is I came across when I searched the web about stuff to buy in Korea, the milk is really nice!
And after all the shopping, we headed back. It was a tiring but fun filled day.
9th Dec: One Mount Snow Park
On the itinerary that day was One Mount Snow Park. But before heading there, we grabbed a quick breakfast at a nearby cafe-A Twosome Place. The food and coffee was good, though I would have preferred if they separated the food by placing them on different plates.
Got to One Mount Snow Park via the subway to Juyeop Station after breakfast. When we got out of Juyeop Station, we were greeted by a beautiful view. It was snowing at night, so the ground was covered with snow, and what caught my eye were the trees, which were beautiful. Also, there were exercise facilities and blocks of what I'm assuming to be apartments along the way, a sight that was different from what I had been seeing over the past few days.
Just some photos, look at the snow and the trees!
One Mount Snow Park
It was about noon by the time we got our admission tickets, so we decided to get lunch first.
Great food, I love the dumpling especially, also, they were really generous with the kimchi. After lunch, we entered the snow park. There was an ice skating rink in the snow park, a carousel, santa's hut, an open area upstairs where people queued to sled down a slope, etc.. And occasionally, we saw huskies pulling on sleds. The admission tickets did not include the rental of ice skating skates, etc and so we had to pay for it. Honestly and personally, I feel that this is more suitable for kids as the facilities are kid friendly, but apart from ice skating and the sled, I felt that there's nothing much that I could do apart from taking photos(for e.g. at Santa's hut), and as such, a was a little disappointed. But anyways, here are some photos:
After walking around the snow park, we came across a cafe outside the park and we got dessert(despite the cold weather):
So.. After One Mount Snow Park, we were done with our plans for the day and we decided to head to Ewha Women's University Fashion Street for dinner and to walk around.
Was hoping to get some clothes at Ewha Women's Uni Fashion Street but I didn't in the end because there were quite a lot of winter clothes at that time and also, those that were not winter clothes were not of my style.. Also, there were the typical shops selling skincare products on this street, so I guess it is one worth visiting if you are into fashion and beauty products.
So, after walking around for a while, we decided to head back to rest for the day. As we were living in Hongdae, which was quite near Ewha, we thought that we could try walking back, with the help of Google Maps. However, we sort of got lost. The thing was, Google maps led us by the long way, and by certain places which were quite quiet, and since it was dark, it was a bit scary, given that we were not familiar with the place. And, I guess it's not a good idea to walk in the cold, because my hands almost froze as I had to hold onto my phone to check the map.
Took us quite a while to reach Hongdae but when we did, we passed a bread shop that seemed to be quite popular(their breads always seem to sell out every hour), so we decided to get a loaf for breakfast the next day and it was one of the best decisions ever because the bread was so fresh and good(and I am craving it right now). It was probably one of the best bread I ever had.
10th Dec: Teseum(Seoul)
It snowed that morning before we went out and so the streets were covered in snow. I have been wishing to see snow during my trip(which I never got the chance to), and so the fact that I was so close to seeing it, yet I did not, was a little disappointing for me(but on the brighter side, at least i got to see the fresh snow on the streets haha)
Anyways, the snow did not stop us from visiting the Teseum. As a teddy bear lover, the thought of going to a Teddy Bear Museum(or Teseum) made me really really happy and throughout the entire trip, this was one of the places which I looked forward most to visiting and also one of my favourite places:) The Teseum tells the history of teddy bears, and houses a huge collection of teddies. You get to touch and carry/hug some of the teddy bears too, making the experience even more fun-filled. If you love taking photos, the Teseum is definitely a place to do so as it has a lot of good photography spots. What's more, you can be a kid again and relive your childhood! Oh right, and I realised I forgot to mention about a mirror maze. So, before you enter the place where all the teddy bears are, there will be a mirror maze that you will have to pass. You just have to feel your way through the mirrors and get to the entrance haha xD It's so so so so so cool!! Some of my favourite photos below!
After the museum, we headed for lunch. As it was already very late, we just went into one of the first shops we saw(that had jjajangmyun as I read about it and was curious about how it would taste like). Before I start giving my honest opinions, I will first apologise because whatever that follows will probably sound rather harsh. However, unfortunately, I was disappointed by the food at this shop as 1. there was a very strong taste which I did not really like(for the noodles), 2. it was a bit too salty for my liking and 3. the sauce was too thick.. (but honestly I haven't tried jjajangmyeong before this so I don't know if it's meant to be like this or not, so maybe someone can enlighten me on this, I mean you can always drop me a message or comment??). Side note, my dad chose the rice with the sauce(forgot what they called it on the menu), but it was not good too. The only thing that I found okay were the dumplings, in all honesty. But yeah we were hungry so we didn't really care so much but we also didn't finish the food. And in case you are curious, here's how the food looked like(not very appealing tbh):
After lunch we had nothing much to do, so we just walked along the street. Came across the Seoul City Wall and decided to have a short walk there to take some photos. I loved it because there were lots of steps hahaha but for my parents, they did not really enjoy the walk because it was cold and they didn't like climbing stairs(yes we are sort of opposite, but that's not the point here). The view was quite good as you get to see the city from above.
After the Seoul City Wall walk, we decided to visit Dongdaemun Fashion Town-the malls. I heard that clothes there were relatively cheaper, yes I gotta admit that some of them are, though honestly they were not really of my style.. So, I didn't get much too.
Dinner
What's a trip to Korea without KBBQ right? Pre-trip, we were already planning to have kbbq but it was during our trip that we found out about a place called Doma in Hongdae which is quite a popular KBBQ place in Seoul. And, yup we headed back to Hongdae from Dongdaemun and had our KBBQ dinner at Doma. As Hongdae was quite big and we were not very familiar with the place, we had to approach a few locals for help before we found the restaurant. We got there, ordered our food and ate(well you don't say). They were generous with the appetizer and the portions were big. It was a very good KBBQ experience, would consider going back next time if I visit Seoul again.
Decided to get ice cream despite the cold(I mean, YOLO) after dinner because I had been seeing people post pictures of the ice cream they had when they were in Korea on Instagram and I decided that I should give it a try too and it was good!
And this concludes day 6(but before that, let me just say that we went to get bread from the bread shop for breakfast again because the bread we too good:") )
11th Dec: Exploring the streets of Hongdae
Kickstarted the day with the delicious bread(choc and blueberry) from the bread shop and my banana milk hehe^^
It was a very very cold day, we didn't have anything planned on this day, also since we were leaving the next day in the early morning, we decided that we should not go somewhere that's too far. We realised we didn't really explore the streets of Hongdae, so we decided to do so.
We set out at around noon, getting lunch before walking around. Had lunch at Yookssam Naengmyeon and I must say the food there is nice.
I read about Hongdae being known for its street art, so we decided to look for some of these street art.
But honestly, the temperature that day was two digits below zero and the wind was so, so cold that I was shivering and we ended up stopping by heaters or entering shops every few minutes to warm ourselves. As such, we(especially me) didn't really feel like walking much. I remember shivering to the point when I just felt sick. Because of this, we had quite an early dinner at the shop where we had our first dinner, and the warm soup did wonders in making me feel less cold.
After dinner we went to get bread again(so addictive oh my) and then headed back to call it a day and pack our stuff for the departure the next morning.
12th Dec: Homebound
Woke up really early in the morning to take the subway to Incheon International Airport at about 5+am, almost 6am(Korea time). It was freezing cold but at least only for our walk from where we were living to Hongik Uni station.
I had my breakfast on the train because it is allowed there and I know I would not get a chance to do so back home, so why not?
Reached the airport at about 7.15am and went through the usual procedures. Boarded the plane and left for Hong Kong where we transited(we flew by Cathay Pacific). On the plane, I watched It, and it was quite a good movie!
At Hong Kong we just took a short break before boarding the plane bound for Singapore. Read my book and had lunch on the plane. The lunch was good and to me, it didn't taste like what people would normally say about airplane food.
Landed in Singapore in the evening, and it felt so good to be back home again.
Advice for future travellers:
1. The subway in Korea is very convenient, there's an app that we used that was rather helpful in helping us find the shortest way, etc. It's called Subway Korea by Malang Studio Co. Ltd.
2. Google maps could lead you the long way, so be careful when using it too and maybe try to approach the locals for help
3. The food portions are quite big there, so if you are small eaters(like us), maybe try ordering less first and order more if you are still hungry after eating(that's why if you realised, we only ordered 2 portions for some of our food)
4. In winter, soup will not go wrong.
Alrights, that's all I can think for now and I will hereby conclude this post on my Korea trip. I hope you enjoyed reading it. Any comments do drop it below or DM me. If you are visiting Korea soon, here's wishing you a safe and pleasant trip, have lots of good food and have fun!
Cheers!
~Jen
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