Korea (Thread 13)

[barbillie]

Excited for our Feb 10-18 Korea trip! So far, here are our preps:

1. Visa -- approved na as of December 2017. We were granted 3-year ME.

2. Flight/Plane Tickets -- medyo napamahal kami kasi late na kami nagbook. Hinihintay kasi namin maapprove yung Visa so late December na din kami nakabili ng tickets. We booked our plane tickets via Air Asia, with 20 baggage allowance.

3. Accommodation -- We will be staying at Myeongdong. As in super lapit sa Myeongdong Station and Myeongdong Street.

4. Itinerary -- Below are the planned activities we'd like to have during our stay:
 > Day 1 - Arrive in the afternoon, N Seoul Tower, Namsan Park and Namdaemun Market
 > Day 2 - Jongno, Samcheondong, Insadong , Dongdaemun
 > Day 3 - Nami Island, Railbike, Petite France, Garden of Morning Calm
 > Day 4 - Sinchon-Hongdae
 > Day 5 - Ski Park
 > Day 6 - Lotte World
 > Day 7 - Mt. Inwangsan, Everland, Yeouido Hang-gang Park
 > Day 8 - Itaewon, Gangnam, Lotte Mart
 > Day 9 - Home Bound

5. Attraction Tickets -- bought via Klook. We bout the entrances to attractions, as well as the tours and discover seoul pass.

6. Winter Clothes - Dahil hindi kami prepared for winter, ayun, ang dami naming gastos. We bought parkas, thermal jackets, heattech wears, coats, boots. Medyo mahal pag bultuhan. Pero naisip ko, magagamit naman namin sya sa ibang international trips namin soon.

Siguro I'll start packing ng last week of January. Ayoko kasi ng nagcra-cram, tendency dami ko nadadala o palaging may kulang.

[starchild]

Hi mga sis! Nag back read po ako pero I couldn't find San maganda mag stay para gitna namin yun Lotte and Everland. Andun na din lang naman, might as well visit. Kaso, nakita ko 2hr trip! 😣 baka masiraan ako ng bait nun sa kulit nun dalawang kids. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated! TIA!

[luvko23]

hi mga sis! Pwede po pashare ng link sa korean embassy. Ilang days na ako nagcheck sa Google but laging page not found. I read somewhere nagupdate ata sila but I forgot to save the link. Thank you!

[ataypool]

Hi mga sis! Nag back read po ako pero I couldn't find San maganda mag stay para gitna namin yun Lotte and Everland. Andun na din lang naman, might as well visit. Kaso, nakita ko 2hr trip! 😣 baka masiraan ako ng bait nun sa kulit nun dalawang kids. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated! TIA!

Probably Jamsil. Lotte World is in Jamsil, and if you look at the website of Everland, there's a bus that goes from Jamsil. Masyado na yata malayo kung sa gitna pa ng dalawa. Parang Dongdaemun to Jamsil was about 30 minutes by train.

Or kung talagang you have to be right in Seoul, taxi from Lotte World to Dongdaemun was around 11000 won, kasi makukulit rin mga pamangkin ko na 3 and 8 years old. That time Chuseok holiday so not much traffic.

[MS_JanDel]

hi mga sis! Pwede po pashare ng link sa korean embassy. Ilang days na ako nagcheck sa Google but laging page not found. I read somewhere nagupdate ata sila but I forgot to save the link. Thank you!

Sis here you go.

http://overseas.mofa.go.kr/ph-en/brd/m_3277/list.do

[ayi21]

We?re going back to SK this Feb 15-19. Pero this time w/o the kids kami lang ni hubby. 1st time namin magttravel w/o the kids. I have few questions lang...

1. How?s the weather in SK on those date? Do we still need to buy heat tech, winter clothes o kahit simple jacket lang pwede na? If yes, san mas mura bumili - dito or dun na?

2. We want to visit a Ski Resort. Where do you recommend?

3. We want to visit Nami Island this time. Okay din ba ang Petite France & Garden of Morning Calm? Worth it ba silang ivisit din?

4. For the wifi, we used Flytpack before. No prob with the connection at all. Mabilis. Ang prob lang is sobrang tagal nila magrefund ng deposit kaya we are looking for other option sana na masconvenient and masmura. Do you have any reco?

5. Last, re accommodation, before sa Nine Tree Premier Hotel kami nagstay. Do you recommend any airbnb, hostel, guesthouse na masmura for 2pax. San masmura and maganda magstay?

Thank you in advance!!!

[7galleons]

We?re going back to SK this Feb 15-19. Pero this time w/o the kids kami lang ni hubby. 1st time namin magttravel w/o the kids. I have few questions lang...

1. How?s the weather in SK on those date? Do we still need to buy heat tech, winter clothes o kahit simple jacket lang pwede na? If yes, san mas mura bumili - dito or dun na?

2. We want to visit a Ski Resort. Where do you recommend?

3. We want to visit Nami Island this time. Okay din ba ang Petite France & Garden of Morning Calm? Worth it ba silang ivisit din?

4. For the wifi, we used Flytpack before. No prob with the connection at all. Mabilis. Ang prob lang is sobrang tagal nila magrefund ng deposit kaya we are looking for other option sana na masconvenient and masmura. Do you have any reco?

5. Last, re accommodation, before sa Nine Tree Premier Hotel kami nagstay. Do you recommend any airbnb, hostel, guesthouse na masmura for 2pax. San masmura and maganda magstay?

Thank you in advance!!!

To answer some of your queries:
For #1: Winter ang February. Light jacket won't do. Upon checking, -6degC up to 8degC ang week na yan.  Check the accuweather forecast regularly.

You need to buy heattech clothes here at least for two (2) days. By the time you arrive at the airport and you make your way to seoul sobrang lamig sa gabi. If you have time to buy clothes, you may buy at Seoul. Yes it will be cheaper.

#3 Don't miss the Nami Island and Garden of Morning Calm. It's worth a visit. You could skip Petite France. Maliit lang siya with the same entrance fee as Nami island. Mini french village per maliit lang. Maganda pero parang di sulit for me. Mas marami ka pa mapupuntahan sa Nami Island. But that's just me.

#4 You may rent pocket wifi via klook. It's cheaper at P150 per day. You could pick it up at the airport

#5 Do you prefer around myeongdong? Same as nine premiere? Check mo sa booking.com. Ito matataas ratings (8.0 and above) and near the myeongdong station:
-K-Guesthouse with breakfast (P2,800 per night)
-Philstay Myeongdong with breakfast (P2,700 per night)

I stayed in Step Inn Myeongdong. Almost P6k per night for a double room with breakfast.

[ayi21]

To answer some of your queries:
For #1: Winter ang February. Light jacket won't do. Upon checking, -6degC up to 8degC ang week na yan.  Check the accuweather forecast regularly.

You need to buy heattech clothes here at least for two (2) days. By the time you arrive at the airport and you make your way to seoul sobrang lamig sa gabi. If you have time to buy clothes, you may buy at Seoul. Yes it will be cheaper.

#3 Don't miss the Nami Island and Garden of Morning Calm. It's worth a visit. You could skip Petite France. Maliit lang siya with the same entrance fee as Nami island. Mini french village per maliit lang. Maganda pero parang di sulit for me. Mas marami ka pa mapupuntahan sa Nami Island. But that's just me.

#4 You may rent pocket wifi via klook. It's cheaper at P150 per day. You could pick it up at the airport

#5 Do you prefer around myeongdong? Same as nine premiere? Check mo sa booking.com. Ito matataas ratings (8.0 and above) and near the myeongdong station:
-K-Guesthouse with breakfast (P2,800 per night)
-Philstay Myeongdong with breakfast (P2,700 per night)

I stayed in Step Inn Myeongdong. Almost P6k per night for a double room with breakfast.

^Thanks for those info. Super helpful!🙂

Follow up question lang pala aside from Uniqlo san pa ba pwede bumili dito ng winter clothes? Also, kailangan ba winter shoes din ang gagamitin? Sorry. This will be our first time to visit ng winter. lol.

Sa accommodation naman since Myeongdong na kami before balak sana namin iba naman. Iniisip namin Jongno naman. Okay naman kaya dun?

[7galleons]

^Cheap winter clothes are available near Ewha Women's University. For the winter boots, depende sa pupuntahan nyo. You could bring sneakers and use heattech socks na lang. In may last tip, I brought both boots and sneakers tho.

Okay din sa Jongno. Okay din sa Hongdae area. It's near Hongik University so you would expect mas mura ang food. Madaming cafe and KBBQ  Resto around the area. Basta you are near a station okay yan.

[luvko23]

Sis here you go.

http://overseas.mofa.go.kr/ph-en/brd/m_3277/list.do

Thank you sis! PLDT connection pala ang nagbblock sa site nila.

[luvko23]

Open po kaya ang ski resort ng April 5-10?

[ayi21]

^Cheap winter clothes are available near Ewha Women's University. For the winter boots, depende sa pupuntahan nyo. You could bring sneakers and use heattech socks na lang. In may last tip, I brought both boots and sneakers tho.

Okay din sa Jongno. Okay din sa Hongdae area. It's near Hongik University so you would expect mas mura ang food. Madaming cafe and KBBQ  Resto around the area. Basta you are near a station okay yan.

Thank you 7galleons!

Btw additional question medyo alanganin ang dating namin ng Feb 15 10.40pm ang arrival. Abot kaya kami ng train or bus na lang talaga since may late night yata ang mga bus to seoul? Tapos re nami, petite france & garden of morning calm - balak namin iDIY na lang to. Okay naman ba to gawin halfday? Since mas okay puntahan ang garden of morning calm at night balak namin after lunch na lang pumunta para iba pa sana kami pede gawin in the morning o marami ng tao by then?

[7galleons]

Alanganin na kayo sa train unless mauna kayo sa immigration. 11:40PM last trip ng AREX all stop train. Sayang it's waaay cheaper than the airport bus. Mag-bus na lang siguro kayo kapag di umabot.

Source: http://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/TRP/TP_ENG_2_1.jsp

Re: Nami + Garden of Morning Calm
Not sure during winter pero when I went during fall marami ng tao around 9-10AM. Peak din kasi. It's your choice naman para di sayang oras. Mas maganda nga Garden of Morning Calm sa hapon (just enough light for pictorial) tapos pagabi.

Madali lang mag-DIY. Avail of the Gapyeong Tour Bus for 6000KRW. Unli ride na yun and they will stop at all tourist spots and train stations. Take a photo of the timetable for reference. Every hour lang kasi ang dating ng bus .

Source: http://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/citytour/area.kto?func_name=detail&cid=201500000010&title=Gapyeong+City+Tour

[MS_JanDel]

Open po kaya ang ski resort ng April 5-10?

Sis nagresearch ako kasi punta kami ng March 8-15. Apparently until mid March lang open ang ski resorts pero depende pa rin daw sa weather condition.

Sis ayi21 same tayo ng ETD. Kung hindi delayed ang CebPac pwede pa natin abutan ang last train pero pag hindi na maabutan, late night bus nalang talaga, pero konti lang stops ng late night bus eh, kaya balak namin Seoul Station kami baba tapos taxi na papuntang airbnb.

[kabes]

nag apply lang kami ng visa kahapon. complete ang documents ko, plus amex/bdo credit card. yung korean sa window 3, tinangal nya lahat ng 2 BDO bank statements ko and binalik sa akin. pero naka-attached yung credit card billing ko. scary, kasi naiwan kong bank statement sa kanya ay metrobank na lang, na ang laman ay 20k lang.

[7galleons]

^Meron kasing promo and BPI and BDO Gold and Platinum Credit Card Holders. Waived na ang ITR and Bank Certificate requirement kung meron kang latest credit card billing statement.

[kabes]

Hi sis! We still submitted all doc requirements kahit sinabi waived na yung pagsubmit ng ibang financial docs, we still submitted ours for better chances of approval and multiple entries. If you have ample time to request for your bank statements, why not? 

nagsubmit ako, pero tinangal yung bank statments ko. yung hubby ko di maganda ang profile. kasi kakastart nya lang ng own business nya so wala sya employment certificate and wala pa sya magandang bank statement. kaya we're hoping na maganda chances namin if makita yung bank statements ko.

parang nonsense naman if approved ako, tapos si hubby hindi.

[minatay91]

planning to book tickets for Korea!!! But kinakaba ako sa visa.. Sino po freelancers or work at home ladies who applied for visa na walang spouse and children? And wala din OECD country visa? (I'm ruling out those factors that I dont have hehe)

I'm planning to apply AFTER my last trip later this year to help prove that I am coming back.. It's my 5th country out, but unfortunately none are OECD countries.. Does it help? (I read it doesn't )

I do have a gold BPI credit card as I'm a supplement sa dad ko, will that help? Should I tick single entry or attempt multiple entry? (It's my first time) I read na 3 years daw validity..

Tips mga sis TT.TT to help increase my chances of getting approved..

[gil12]

Hangang kailan validity ng BPI and BDO Credit Card promo sa South Korea Visa? Kasi dati nabasa ko til December 2019 pero recently check ko ulit nakalagay til December 2018 na lang. Nalito ako bigla.

[kabes]

approved na ko sabi sa portal! makukuha ko na bukas ang passport namin ni hubby! the stress of anticipation is real!