Korea (Thread 7)

[jiffy]

Hi mga sis, any recommendation na place to stay sa myeongdong area? Yung super lapit sa airport bus stop and subway sana. Tia!

[cheskacutie]

^Nasa Hongdae area ang Hello Kitty Cafe. Medyo malayo siya from Lotte World, sa may Jamsil ang Lotte World.

Thanks sis!:)

[esor]

I'm back!!!! 

Super lamig na talaga sa Korea ngayon, pagdating dito ang init init

Di pa din ako naka experience ng snow, super lamig lang talaga, mas malamig yung weather ngayon dun, compare nung nagpunta ko ng February (this year).

We went to Lotte World, Gyeongbukgong Palace, Sanggojae, Bukchon Hanok Village, Namsan Tower (love locks, teddy bear museum, observatory tower, cable car), Hongdae area - Hello Kitty Cafe, Dream High filming location (Kirin High School), Myeongdong Cathedral, Youngnak Church (Korean Drama "BIG"), experience Jjimjilbang, Ihwa Village & Naksan Park (Rooftop Prince filming location), Cheonggyecheon Stream, KTO,

For my fangirling: Mouse Rabbit Cafe, K Story, SPAO, Why Style

Coffee Prince Shop - close na to, sa Hongdae area, pinuntahan namin under renovation yung nakalagay.

Full House - hanggang Sammock Ferry lang kami, ang sabi samin papunta lang meron, then mag stay dun sa Shido Island, kasi walang pabalik, malakas daw yung alon, so di namin napuntahan, grabe siguro mga 20 minutes bago kami nagka intindihan sa sign language lang nila Pero at least di na kami tumuloy dun, kung di patay kami Super lamig kasi nung araw na to, then yun nga malakas talaga yung alon.

Okay pa din mag stay sa Namsan Guesthouse 3, ang daming pinoy naming kasabay dun na nag stay. Malapit sa subway, ang super lapit sa Myeongdong shopping area, at walking distance na lang ang Namdaemun Market.

Yung sa Hanbok wearing, sa M Plaza sa Myeondong na, wala kasi yung dun sa Jonggak. Parang until Dec yung sabi nung staff.

Overall super enjoy ko ang trip, excited na ulit akong bumalik next year

[katniss]

^welcome back sis esor! been waiting for your trip report.

how was naksan park? di naman ba mahirap i-hike kahit malamig? isasama ko kasi ito sa iti namin next year kaya lang baka isumpa ako ng mga ahjumma kong kasama. gusto ko na talaga mapuntahan yung fortress wall dun overlooking the city lights.

[j_in_tokyo]

may nakapunta na ba sa demilitarized zone?
I heard pwede daw magtour dun..sa certain area lang ofcourse..
parang gusto ko isama sa itinerary namin eh..

[esor]

^sis katniss, steep talaga, pero dahil malamig okay naman i hike, nakakapagod din  lalo na sa gaya ko na di naman nag eexercise, kakahingal din, buti na lang nga at malamig 

[katniss]

^haha buti na lang sa punta namin medyo malamig pa rin kahit papano. mga approximately ilang oras ang suggested dapat iallot sa ihwa + naksan? thanks!

[lischan]

Hi mga sis, any recommendation na place to stay sa myeongdong area? Yung super lapit sa airport bus stop and subway sana. Tia!

Hi sis.. If super lapit sa airport bus stop in Myeongdong, that would be Sejong Hotel or Hotel Skypark III. Nasa harap ng Sejong yung airport bus stop. Few steps away lang from their entrance. No need to go across the street to get off and get on the bus. Si Hotel Skypark III naman parang less than 20 steps away ata, same side sila ni Sejong.. Basta super lapit..

[lischan]

may nakapunta na ba sa demilitarized zone?
I heard pwede daw magtour dun..sa certain area lang ofcourse..
parang gusto ko isama sa itinerary namin eh..

Hi sis, we did the DMZ + 3rd tunnel tour. Bitin kami but I think it depends on the travel agency you book with. Grabe sobrang minamadali kami, as in 15min here, 15min there, parang 15min lang lahat, ano be.. Cosmojin kami nag book and I'd rather stay away from them next time.

Mas interesting daw talaga ang DMZ + JSA, however, walang nag ooperate ng ganitong tour during weekends. Sa weekdays naman, since we were there during US Thanksgiving na Thursday and Friday, hinde din nag ooperate yung JSA. Sayang nga. Good reviews naman so far ang travel agency na 'to: http://www.panmunjomtour.com

I contacted them nung nasa pinas pa ako, ang bilis mag respond. But when I got to SoKor, totally nakalimutan ko na sila, hehe.. Overwhelmed lang ata dun  If you go ahead and book with them, pa share din ng experience, in case lang babalik ng SoKor next time  Thanks 

[esor]

sis katniss, kaya naman ng 3-4 hours Naksan Park and Ihwa Village

Malapit lang naman sya from Myeongdong

[j_in_tokyo]

Hi sis, we did the DMZ + 3rd tunnel tour. Bitin kami but I think it depends on the travel agency you book with. Grabe sobrang minamadali kami, as in 15min here, 15min there, parang 15min lang lahat, ano be.. Cosmojin kami nag book and I'd rather stay away from them next time.

Mas interesting daw talaga ang DMZ + JSA, however, walang nag ooperate ng ganitong tour during weekends. Sa weekdays naman, since we were there during US Thanksgiving na Thursday and Friday, hinde din nag ooperate yung JSA. Sayang nga. Good reviews naman so far ang travel agency na 'to: http://www.panmunjomtour.com

I contacted them nung nasa pinas pa ako, ang bilis mag respond. But when I got to SoKor, totally nakalimutan ko na sila, hehe.. Overwhelmed lang ata dun  If you go ahead and book with them, pa share din ng experience, in case lang babalik ng SoKor next time  Thanks 

thanks sis..
grabe ayoko naman ng madalian..yung di-oras ang kilos mo..di mo maeenjoy yung moment.
ill check the link ng travel agency na pinost mo..
i hope pumayag si partner na pumunta kami hehe

[j_in_tokyo]

mga sis
yung entrance fee sa EVERLAND na 40k won
inclusive na yung lahat ng rides?

mahahaba ba yung mga pila for each ride?

[katniss]

thanks sis @esor excited na ko! hehe

[Serena.]

Buti nabasa ko yung reviews ni sis LISCHAN sa cosmojin para maiwasan. Ttry ko tawagan yung travel agency na pinost mo sis. i wanna try DMZ + JSA. Itatapat ko sa weekday yung DMZ tour para pwde sya. THANKS for the feedback sis!

[esor]

weather update regarding sa friend ko na nandun, nag iisnow na 

yiiii lamig lamig siguro lalo dun

[foruiz]

^kaloka, malamig na sa akin ang -1 nun andun ako 2 weeks ago, how much more ngayon! hehe! Ang dami ko gustong bilhin pa na di ko nabalikan, oh well there is always a next time!

[Miss Charcoal]

Mga sis, question lang po:

1. Tinignan ko na yung info about korean visa, pero di ko alam kung ano category ko. Bale, wala pa akong work (fresh grad) at pupunta sana kami ng parents ko dun for tourist visa. May chance kaya ma approve?

2. Magkano budget niyo per head?

Thanks!

[theflygirl]

Arrived MNL yesterday (29nov) from a 4day trip to Seoul. I was billeted in ICN at the airline crew hotel so hubby and I took the train daily to head into town. Unseo station was a hop skip from our hotel but it was biting cold the first night we went out. No snow yet last Mon night but it was very windy and -6 as we were walking to lotte mart for dinner. Train travel from Unseo to downtown Seoul takes 46mins per way. We visited Gyeongbokgung Palace & Myeongdong on Monday and N Seoul Tower, Yongsan (bought a camera at the electronics mecca) and dongdaemun at night. Not nice to go clothes shopping now as winter gear are most of the stuff being sold. Bought the usual cosmetics stuff at missha & étude house. Super happy to get tons of freebies, like hankies, facial foams and moisturizers. At étude, I bought some bulk packs of face masks at krw10000 each. 10masks per pack so it's almost a dollar each. When I got to the counter, they gave them to me buy 1, take 1. I should've gotten more though I almost had to sit on my suitcase for it to close.

Bought lots of my usual Starbucks goodies and even my carry on was filled to the brim. Soooo tempted to buy the fur-lined cashmere capes and knee-hi leather boots, although I stopped myself cos Di naman usable here in MNL and am preparing for another US trip this January.

The Korean community here is so widespread now, with 3 almost-simultaneous flights of PAL were at Gates 109, 110 and 112 bound for MNL (my flight), KLO (hubby's flight) and CEB. Add to that the 5J, KE & OZ flts.

[lischan]

@sis j_in_tokyo: Sana try nyo hehe.. Ours was pretty interesting na (for me anyway, I can be a history buff at times ) kahit parang engot yung pagka tour sa amin. I think with the right agency, mas lalo pa interesting ang experience. Especially talaga siguro if JSA ang tour..

@sis Serena: HTH  Hope you'll enjoy the tour!

@sis esor: Ayay, ang hinahanap kong snow, dumating na pag alis ko  At enjoy ako pagbasa ng gala mo sis, gala kung gala nga! Trip namin kasi medyo may pagka tamad-style na bakasyon e kasi oldies ang kasama, konting pagod lang, complain na hehe..

@sis theflygirl: I wish I had the luxury of buying boots there! Grabe, they are super cheap (well, not the ones in department stores and "normal" shops ha) but none, as in not a single one of them fits me. When I tell the shop owners (or tinderas) my size, they look at me in a strange way then they tend to check my feet out  .. Frustrating.. What's new? Haha.. I'm in Asia after all.. I was just hoping to try my luck in Korea 

Have you tried TFS masks? Is Etude better? Just wondering coz you mentioned buying at Etude only. We got some TFS masks at 10k din..

We haven't figured Dongdaemun out, tamad kasi most of my companions. We entered a building na parang wholesale at nawalan sila ng gana kaya we left the area na. Stayed there for less than 30min only hehe. I'm not sure where the 24hour night market was and they had no patience to walk around. Which part of Dongdaemun is that?

[esor]

^sis lischan, same here di rin namin naabutan yung snow, sayang nga, pero feeling ko ang lamig laming nun.

sa Dongdaemun History and Culture Park station, yung ibang shops dung gang madaling araw talaga, dun sa pinag saunahan namin, yung name ng mall is "Good Morning City" till 4:00am sya open. Daming clothes dun, pero mga pang winter na din ang tinda nila.

sa sizes naman sa shoes, yung size 235 is size 7, 230 is 6
nakabili kami ng doll shoes dun sa myeongdong area, saka boots na din