Korea (Thread 10)

[blaire.witch]

mga sis, sa website lang ba talaga ng Visit Korea puede magbook para sa Secret Garden Tour? Puno na kasi lahat sa travel dates namin (first week of november). Ask ko lang if anybody here knows any other way to book. Baka lang meron (fingers crossed).

[Foxyness]

Hi @projectgora it says dun sa isang package its mid december to february yung ski. Does it mean na wala pang snow at the time na pupunta kami? And we cant avail the package for nami island + ski tour? We really wanted to go skiing.. Sabi sa iba there are other ski resorts that are doing fake snow etc.. Is that true?

[projectgora]

^yes sis Foxyness, may mga resort na gumagamit ng artificial snow like Yongpyong Resort which I believe is the largest ski resort in South Korea. Yung travel date nyo is Nov 27 right? Sakto lang sya sa Yongpyong kasi early November alam ko naglalagay na sila ng fake snow. May nahanap akong tour na pasok sa travel date nyo:
http://www.tntkoreatravel.com/travel/view.html?no=306&pid=246

Kaso whole day ski sya hindi kasama ang Nami Island.

[Foxyness]

@projectgora sis thank you ha. Pasok nga..  meron ding nami island + skiing sa elysian ski resort. ang tanong since kami lang ni bf dalawa dun kami sa pax of two which is 200++ USD each or pwede kaya kaming makijoin dun sa pax of 7-8 para 125USD lang? Masyadong mahal naman si 200++ USD kasi..

[blue-purple]

halos same flight pala tayo. Nov 6 to 11 kami

Busan ka din mag laland? Excited na reserved na kami sa titirhan sa Busan and Seoul
Isa na lang din nag iintay ng Visa sa min. 18 days na lang (binilang talaga hehe)

We are going to Seoraksan pero uwian lang sana kayanin namin hehe

[scorpio]

mga sis, sa website lang ba talaga ng Visit Korea puede magbook para sa Secret Garden Tour? Puno na kasi lahat sa travel dates namin (first week of november). Ask ko lang if anybody here knows any other way to book. Baka lang meron (fingers crossed).

Changdeokgung ba?

You don't need to book online. Just go to Changdeokgung Palace early on the day you scheduled to buy tickets for the Secret Garden tour. We went there at 9:30am, available pa. The regular tour starts at 10:00 am, join ka muna doon before the Secret Garden tour at 11:30 am.  Sulit! I enjoyed that tour the most so far.

[projectgora]

@ sis Foxyness no problem sis. try to email them na lang para sa tour rates kapag sasama kayo sa ibang tourists, normally kasi madami din nag aavail ng ganung tour so for sure madami kayo kasabay.

@ sis blaire.witch Changdeokgung ba sis or secret garden filming location ang tinutukoy mo?

[scorpio]

Omg super lamig na pala dyan. What more next month. Sis napansin mo around how much mga mura but thick trench coat jan? Hehe.

This weekend hindi na masyado. Right now, it's just the early mornings and late evenings that are chilly. Pero next month siguro, malamig na talaga.

If you buy in Insadong, mga at least 40,000 won ang trench coat. Go to Gangnam Express Clothing Market pagpunta namin doon, may nakasale na 10,000 won na trench coat. Mas mura.

[pinkat]

^sis scorpio. Really that cheap? Sayang nagpanic buying ako dito. Bought mine 3k at bershka. Super sayang nakatipid sana ako.

[manlavs]

hi mga sissies.. pag magaapply ng VISA pwede kaya ang support by sister in law? hehe thanks!!! 

[blaire.witch]

oh thanks so much for the replies sis scorpio and projectgora! yeah i meant the secret garden at changdeokgung palace. puno na kasi ang reservations sa website nila kaya napaghinaan ako ng loob, eh gustong gusto kong makakuha ng autumn photos doon.

sige, we will go there early na lang baka sakali magbibigay pa sila for those who will buy tickets at the gate. bahala na kahit hindi english ang tour, kahit korean kukunin ko na makapasok lang. hehe...

thanks again sa pagsagot! 

[choco_loka]

Hi ladies! Just got back from our trip to Seoul. It was my first time to visit and I love it so much! I'm sure you'll love it there too!

Some tips:
(In response to @blaire.witch...) We didnt have any reservation for the secret garden tour at the Changdeokgung Palace. What we did was we joined the 10:30 am English guided tour, then got tickets for the 11:30 am Secret Garden tour- also in English. I think we paid 8,000 KRW in total if I remember it right.

I suggest downloading the Jihachul app or the Explore Seoul Subway app. It will save you time, and energy

If you plan on going to Nami Island (esp on a weekend), ask your hotel/hostel to help you reserve  bus tickets ahead of time (say a week or 2 before your scheduled visit). We tried reserving 2 days prior, and all seats were fully booked. We took the subway from Seoul to Gapyeong instead. Not really bad, but I think taking the bus will be more comfortable. The same is true with Everland, mag bus na rin kayo kasi ang daming transfers nung subway papunta dun.

For Namsam/Nseoul Tower, the walk from Myeongdong subway to the cable car  station is quite long... Maybe around 15-20 minutes, then the line for the cable car was pretty long too. Maybe because we went on a Sunday. I would suggest taking the bus from Chungmuro Subway Station (Suseo) Exit No. 1 and get on the small bus shuttle No. 2 in front of Daehan Cinema. It will take you directly to the NSeoul Tower, but would still have to hike a bit This saves you time (and money) from the cable car ride... Unless you want to experience the Namsam Cable Car

Buy and top-up Tcards (for subways, bus) at GS25 Stores. We loaded 30,000 KRW, but didnt get to finish the amount so we used it for buying food items/knick knacks at GS25.

Visit the Travel Korea website for discount coupons! Our entrance to Everland and Trick Eye Museum were discounted. There are coupons for make up brands as well!

[heavenleigh]

Upon arrival sa korea may interview pa ba sa immigration? Allowed ba i handcarry ang perfume?

[sonia62]

^macoconfiscate yan sa departure if more than 100ml. Bawal liquids (more than 100ml) sa plane  kahit san ka pupunta. Allowed sa handcarry less than 100ml that would comfortably fit sa 'ziplock' plastic ( yung kasize lang ng pangsandwich and not the bigger ones).

[heavenleigh]

Open ba all days ang Namsan Tower and Gyeongbok Palace?

[vainbutpretty]

it will be my first time in korea and im going solo, di kaya ako mahirapan?

pano pumunta from busan if galing ka ng namsam gusthouse, help sisses

[zee87]

kung meron kang map and translator sa cp, good ka na.
If you're going to or coming from busan, pwede ka mag bus or train.
bullet train is the most expensive but the fastest.

[sonia62]

@scorpio sis pano puntahan yang gangnam express clothing market?

[scorpio]

^sis scorpio. Really that cheap? Sayang nagpanic buying ako dito. Bought mine 3k at bershka. Super sayang nakatipid sana ako.

Hehe okay lang yan, sis. At least may coat ka na ready na ready for the November weather.

sige, we will go there early na lang baka sakali magbibigay pa sila for those who will buy tickets at the gate. bahala na kahit hindi english ang tour, kahit korean kukunin ko na makapasok lang. hehe...

Don't worry, sis. You'll get in Ako rin nag-try sa website nila, ayaw eh. Better on-site ka na lang. Saka they only sell for that day, walang advance sales. Basta maaga ka lang, ok na. Yung English tour has three schedules pala - 11:30, 1:30, 3:30

Hi! to our sisses who just arrived from korea, how's the autumn foliage this october? will be arriving second week of november, sana may maabutan pa kami.

Last week, yellow na ang mga trees, nagsisimula pa lang mag-red and orange. Yung full blast daw, last week of October and 1st week of November.

sis sonia62, sakay ka lang ng subway. Nasa Orange Line (Line 3) yung Gangnam Express Bus Terminal. Yung Clothing Market is connected to the subway

sis purple_tips, mukhang okay naman ang IT mo. Yung Day 5 lang mukhang a little heavy. Yung Changdeokgung tour starts at 11:30 am tapos allot 3 and a half hours to finish the tour. Take note, kakapagod talaga kasi you'll be hiking up and down a hill sa Secret Garden. Pagkatapos nun, gutom na gutom na kami hehe. So you might only be able to visit either Gwangjang Market or Gangnam Express station.
 
also on Day 6, be sure you leave for Incheon airport by 5pm, especially kung airport bus yung sasakyan mo. We left at 5:30, it was just enough time to get to the airport, check in, get our tax refund, have dinner and get to the Cebu Pacific gate 10 minutes before boarding. Anlayo kamo ng gate! Partida pa yan walang pila nung dumating kami.

[scorpio]

Ay let me correct myself pala sis. Yung Changdeokgung tour starts at 10:30 for the regular Palace tour, plus 11:30 am start for the Secret Garden tour, so you'll be done at around 1pm - 1:30pm. So may time pa rin palang mag Gwangjang market. Be ready lang to walk a lot!