Korea (Thread 10)

[itsnikimendoza]

hi sisses what can you suggest, kasi kailangan namin magbayad sa hotel upon arrival, eh mga 10pm na dating namin dun. mas okay ba na magpapalit ng peso to won dito sa pinas or sa airport nalang? tapos okay lang ba na peso na dalhin namin then don na direcho magpapalit or mas makakasave kami kung US dollar nalang dalhin namin? next Saturday na trip namin. so excited!xx

[esor]

^sis itsnikimendoza, mas okay kung dito ka na magpapalit ng KRW.
Try mo sis sa Sanry's lagi naman silang mag available na Won.
I don't think nag accept ng PHP to KRW sa Korea, correct me if I'm wrong.

[janesjane]

Got back from our 6D/5N Korea trip last Saturday,
Thanks to sis esor for answering all my queries here in this thread and even on PM. thanks sissie!

Flight Manila-Incheon is thru Airasia Zest, I booked last Dec 2013 for 5K. No baggage nor any add-ons.
Blessing in disguise na rin yun mga flight changes ng Airasia (2x) kasi we were able to request for re-booking to extend our trip for free. Aside from the 80USD compensation we received na we used to buy baggage allowance + inflight meals. tee hee!
Flight was smooth and was able to arrive earlier pa.

ACCOMMODATION - stayed for 3N at NAMSAN GH3 in Myeongdong and 2N at Backpackers in JEJU CITY INN at Jeju Island.
Both comes with free breakfast. Ok naman naging stay namin on both accommodations, but I prefer the one in Jeju City, I don't know, I find the people there more accommodating and friendly. And I like their free breakfast more! In addition to the IPAD per room (wala kasing TV)

WEATHER - start of autumn, tolerable pa ang lamig, I just wore sweater/scarf sa Nami Island. The rest I just brought my denim jacket lang. A bit gloomy for the whole duration of our stay in SK. Some scattered rains sa hapon at gabi.

TOUR - DIY style the whole trip. Commute lang lahat thru bus, taxi and subway both in Seoul and Jeju Island. I downloaded the JIHACHUL apps for their subway system. Super helpful. You can bookmark routes you need to save. Apps will show/guide on what line to take, where to alight and even the fare rate. As expected, napaka dali magcommute thru their subway, although madaming lakaran but I really appreciate their transpo system. Nakakainggit para sa Pinas!

Day1 - Arrival in Incheon. Travel to Namsan GH3
             Rest. Myeongdong Church and Namsangol Hanok Village
Day2 - Travel to Jeju Island c/o Jeju Air. Check-in Jeju INN
             Travel to JungmunTourist Complex - Jusangjeolli Cliff, Alive Museum, The Seaes Hotel Resort
Day3 - Seongsan Ilchubong Peak.
             Should have went to Seopjikoji kaya lang it was raining na in the afternoon.
Day4 - Travel back to Seoul. Went back to Myeongdong Church and Namsangol Hanok Village
             Have to cancel N Seoul Tower kasi it was raining/cloudy in the afternoon
Day5 - Nami Island
Day6 - Gyeongbokgung Palace and Bukchon Hanok Village
             Flight back to Manila 9PM

sis, automatic ba inooffer ni airasia yung 80USD pag meron flight changes?

[itsnikimendoza]

^sis itsnikimendoza, mas okay kung dito ka na magpapalit ng KRW.
Try mo sis sa Sanry's lagi naman silang mag available na Won.
I don't think nag accept ng PHP to KRW sa Korea, correct me if I'm wrong.

thanks sis! any idea kung how much per head yung DMZ tour nila? kasi 4k plus ata yung pinaquote namin. isa lang ba nagooffer ng tour na yun?

[catherine ann]

^sis itsnikimendoza, mas okay kung dito ka na magpapalit ng KRW.
Try mo sis sa Sanry's lagi naman silang mag available na Won.
I don't think nag accept ng PHP to KRW sa Korea, correct me if I'm wrong.

sis dun sa may Myeongdong (between Two Some Place and Drug store in front of 711) may  money changer na nagpapalit ng peso to won kaya lang sabi nung kasama ko na puro peso dala nya ay lugi sya.

[purplegravity]

Its best to bring korean won then US dollars for extra cash. You can also use credit card (as back-up).

[longing]

thanks sis! any idea kung how much per head yung DMZ tour nila? kasi 4k plus ata yung pinaquote namin. isa lang ba nagooffer ng tour na yun?

hi sis, when my friends chose the DMZ tour earlier this year, it's about 5K/head.  The amount depends on the course you will take eh. They chose I think with the 3 tunnels.  My family did not join them coz we have our 5 year old daughter, 11 y/o and above ang pwedeng mag DMZ.

[aquatica]

Pag December pa madalas mag-resched ang AirAsia? our planned trip is supposed to be on Dec.25-31,2014.

[a.k.a. HELGA]

@janesjane, I dont think all cases of flight changes will have monetary compensation. To be sure, you can check on their website or hotline support if you are entitled with it. Most of the time, free re-booking ang offer.

@pinkat, I got the 80USD credit after I re-booked my flight. Since I have an existing Airasia account na. Automatic na naipasok. This will be informed and confirmed by Airasia rep during the time na nagpaparebook ka na.

IMO, I brought USD kasi wala na ako makitang mura palitan ng WON dito sa Pinas and medyo gahol na rin sa oras. I was able to change my dollars sa WON sa Myeongdong Area. Daming money changer dun. Punta kayo sa looban kasi mas malaki rates nila. Last week I was there, I was able to change 1USD - -1065 KRW. Pwede na, kasi online its only 1040KRW per 1USD. Basta technique sis, wag sa mga money changer sa bukana magpapalit. Sa loob ng Myeongdong Area marami.

[u8mypinkcookies]

@esor, sis less than P7500 kasama baggage. Galing kasi kami April this year. So sakto lang autumn naman trip namin next year reco places naman, hahaha, fourth na namin so medyo wala na maisip puntahan sa seoul. And if may alam ka sa busan.

[esor]

^pwede na din yung price ng ticket, di yata uso piso fare pa SoKor.
Hindi ko pa na try mag Busan, ayaw nyo mag Jeju Island?
Ang daming pwedeng puntahan dun.

[itsnikimendoza]

naisip ko nga din kasi parang lugi kung magpapapalit kami ng US dollar dito tapos won. thanks sa help sisses

[u8mypinkcookies]

@esor, sis piso fare sya actually. Nachambahan nga lang. Parang all in papunta nasa 2700++ then pabalik nasa 3900 ata? Di ko maalala. Mahal ata yung ibang taxes, etc kaya umabot sa ganyan e. Mura na compared sa air asia (na panget ng service!!!) or sa regular fares. baka di kaya mag-jeju. Budget lang din kas trip as much as possible. Hehe.

Not sure actually ano pa pwede puntahan kahit sa Seoul. Nag-Nami na kami before, Pati Petite France, Half day DMZ tour. Gusto ko mag-Banpo bridge (tama ba?). Ano pa ba?

[aquatica]

^sis, ang maganda lang ata sa air asia ay yung sched nila. i might consider this kasi sayang ang isang araw kung mag-Cebu Pac. What's your experience with Air Asia?

[u8mypinkcookies]

^ naka lang change kami sa flight sked. Yung evening fight namin pauwi sa Manila, ginawa nilang 8am instead of 10pm ata orig sked. So nagrequest kami ilipat kami sa flight the following day, sayang din 1 day sa Seoul eh. Tapos yung 12mn flight namin to korea, nilipat sa 2am. Them binalik sa 12mn without informing us. Nalaman lang namin coz we calledto ask about another concern. Weeks before, binalik ulit sa 2am. Nung flight na mismo, delayed kami 4 hours! We were checking in before 12mn then sa counter lang sinabi na delayed. Di pa sure ano oras aalis. So lahat kami inis na. Bad weather daw kasi sa Korea. Eh lagat ng airlines na papunta dun na kasabay ng flight namin umalis na. Kami lang naiwan. Dunno if totoo sinasabi nila. :-/ We left NAIA around 6am na. During the whole time na nasa airport kami, wala kahit 1 staff na nag-assist. Nagpakita sila mga 5am may dalang breakfast (aba dapat lang!!) tapos telling us we're boarding at 6am. Sayang yung day 1 sa seoul kasi we got there almost lunchtime na. Buti nalang naka-extend kami ng 1 day nung unang beses na they changed our return flight to Manila.

[esor]

^sis u8mypinkcookies kaya din naman mag jeju ng cheap lang, dun talaga madami pang pwedeng puntahan.
pero kung sa Seoul naman, try nyo dun sa Seoul Grand Park, tabi tabi dun yung Seoul Zoo, Rose Garden & Seoul Land, malapit lang din yun.

re: Air Asia - last punta ko sa Seoul , okay naman, once lang nila binago yung time of departure namin to Incheon. Hindi naman na delayed, mas early din yung pauwi namin.

[itsnikimendoza]

sisses accurate ba yung forecast ng accuweather? Sabi kasi dun uulan sa stay namin ano bang advisable gawin kung di okay yung weather? plan b lang kami hehe

[summer888]

Based from our experience accurate ang accuweather. When we were in Seoul nung forecast na uulan the next day eh umulan nga. Na try ko na rin siya sa ibang countries at tama ang forecast pati time kung mga anong oras uulan.

[esor]

^sis itsnikimendoza, just in case umulan:
Option A: instead of Everland mag Lotteworld na lang kayo
Option B: Pwede rin mag Hongdae kayo for Trick Eye Museum and Hello Kitty Cafe.
Option C: Pwede din sa COEX Aquarium.
Option D: Namsan Tower for Observatory & Alive Museum.

 

[u8mypinkcookies]

^^ sis esor, check namin yung seoul. Mga how much ba to jeju? Plane lang yun diba? We have to go to Busan pa rin kasi dun galing flight namin pabalik sa manila. Medyo matagal nga trip namin, feeling ko. Hahaha. We leave Thursday afternoon... So friday to wednesday kami pwede mag-ikot. Wed evening pa flight pauwi