| Travel Essentials to Korea |

#KoreaVibes 

"My 10 essentials while in Korea"

There are countless of things one requires when travelling especially to a foreign country. Depending also on your personal needs and what satisfies your individual comfort.

Korea is quite a convenient place to travel to, however I've come to realize that there are some things that I was quite dependent on while living in Korea during the summer time.

The following are the top 10 list of things I found really helpful during my time in Korea:

1. Subway Korea App 

I would say I've relied on this app for most of my journey throughout Seoul and other districts during my time in Korea. It also supports other major cities i.e. Busan, Dajeon and few others.
It provides real-time transit information, easy planning from fastest routes to least changes for your journey as well as subway maps.
Languages included are English, Korean and Japanese.

 

Link: Here

2. Naver Map App 네이버 지도 
Speaking from experience navigating on your mobile is quite an impossible task through google maps. It is not as current and precise compared to this Naver map. Downside is that you'll need to be able to read & type Hangul to search for places and directions.
A very convenient and helpful navigating system especially when I was looking for places to eat, locating subway stations and finding my way when I wandered off the beaten path.
Another feature is pin pointing your location to a destination and it provides you with the easiest route, mode of transport and travel duration which is a plus point. I've grew quite fond of this app and highly recommend it.

 

Link: Here

3. Seoul Bus 3 App

This app provides local bus information where you can enter your bus number, bus stops and routes for easy navigation. It also shows real time information of where your bus is, the number of seats on board available as well as the real time bus route location.
It's easy to use and is English supported.
I've found this app really useful especially at places where subway transportation is inaccessible.

  

Link: Here

4. Umbrella/ Rain coat

This is a no brainer really, especially during summer time June- August where it rains quite often due to hot and humid high pressures from the surroundings.
I've personally been caught in an episode of heavy downpour that left me stuck at the subway station until I couldn't wait any longer and decided to just dash across the streets to my hostel which left me soaking wet. Bad luck on my part especially since that was the day I had my hair cut, treated and styled before the heavens decided to open its floodgates.

5. Cap/ Sun protection 

As mentioned before, during the summer time it gets really hot and the sun can be quite relentless. If you're one that burns easily I would recommend purchasing sun blocks. Korea and it's beauty brands such as Nature republic, Face Shop, Etude house and many others offer great cheap deals for sun sprays and hydrating mists during the summer time. So there's an array of choices to satisfy your personal needs.
Head to the Myeong-dong one of the busiest shopping districts where the streets are literally filled with Korean beauty stores, restaurants and boutiques.
One of my favourite brand is Nature Republic. They offer great deals and products for reasonable prices.
Bottom left: Sun spray with aloe and SPF 50
Bottom right: A very famous application soothing gel for hydration or sun burnt treatment.

 

6. Socket adapter

The standard voltage in Korea is 220 volts. The socket outlet has two round holes and is the same type used in France, Germany, Austria among others.
It'll be quite handy to have a travel adapter especially when you decide to bring along your laptop to get on with some work/ update your social life on-line.

In terms of phone charging I bought a power bank before going to Korea. However, there are several charging pods available in some subway stations. It is also possible to get your phone charged in the convenience store usually found in the subway stations such as 7-Eleven and GS25.

7. Shorts & Tank tops 

Seoul is quite a fashionable city, beauty and fashion is seen to be quite an important factor in day to day life. It's quite obvious to notice when walking around the streets or taking the subway as everyone is dressed well with make up on.
As for me I love comfort wear especially when it gets really hot while you're walking about roaming the streets. Also I took the chance to just soak up the sun because I was deprived of such blessings living in gloomy cold England.
I've resorted to sleeveless tops and shorts as well as my flip flops as my go to comfort wear. It's all about trying to stand out! *Not*
Wear whatever floats your boat is what I'll say.

8. Cash

Seoul is a very wireless city, it's possible to pay for everything with a card. However, I've found it really useful to have cash around to pay for small items, street food or drinks etc. Also as I rely on the Subway most of the time, my T-card money gets used up very quickly and the only way to top up the card is through cash payment.
ATM locations are spread out around the city and districts and are conveniently located at shopping streets as well as the subway station. However, there are only a few ATMs with English option that provides foreign card services I've came across namely Citibank, Korea Exchange Bank (KEB) and Shinhan bank.

9. Local SIM card

During my time in Korea I used the EG sim card by the provider Olleh. This sim can be purchased online and picked up in the airport or bought at the local convenience store such as 7-eleven, GS 25 and Ministop.
This is a traveller sim card that provides Call, Text and Data services.
In addition, it connects you to the Olleh wifi that is available at all subway stations, in the subway car, restaurants, cafes and most shopping alleys.
Once purchased it comes with a little booklet that provides step by step guide to register and setting up your wifi connectivity.
I bought my sim at the GS25 store costing about 29,900KRW for a nano sim (Iphone 5) (16 GBP)
More information can be found on their website here
There were some connectivity issues with the wifi that had to be resolved by email. However, their response was quick and I had no troubles connecting to the Olleh wifi soon after.
I relied quite heavily on the DATA especially for navigation and contacting friends.

10. Travel Card

T money card is a travel card that is easily purchased from any subway station and convenience store. It can be used for the subway, bus rides and even some cabs. 
Cost: 2500 KRW
There are numerous locations where you can use the T money card such as Seoul, Daejeon, Busan, Ulsan etc.
Top up can be only done by cash at most convenience store and top up machines in the Subway station. English guide option is provided.

For more information check here

Here's the end of my top 10 essentials that I found really useful while I was in Korea. Hope you found this post really helpful!

Alexis XX

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the above photographs 

#KoreaVibes | Busan Edition |

#KoreaVibes

Busan부산

(5 Days 4 Nights)

Prior to completing my 6 weeks student summer exchange at Korea University I decided to plan a trip to Busan 부산 located on the south-eastern most tip of the Korean peninsula. 

There are many means of travels to Busan, various itineraries and accommodation choices. The following are my experiences and travel options I chose. 

1. Accommodation:

3 weeks before my Busan trip I booked an accommodation via Booking.com. I would suggest making earlier reservations especially during summer time as most hostels/ guest-house were fully booked. I was fortunate enough to secure a space in the Guesthouse 710 for a shared 4 bunk bed dorm(women) and from the reviews online this guest-house had a very good reputation. The price is above average but you're paying for good service and comfort which was my ideal choice.

My experience in this hostel was quite an enjoyable one, the service was very good 

(Wifi, clean towels everyday, breakfast included, air conditioned rooms, lounge/ computer area, ;laundry services ) and staffs were very friendly and helpful. 

During my stay I met several local Koreans and particularly had a great time during my last night of stay when the owner of the guest house held a party as well as a night out to a nearby sports pub. It was a great experience especially as the only non- Korean in the group and to experience a different culture in a foreign country.

Location was wonderful and easy to locate, restaurants nearby and less than 10 minutes walk to the popular Haeundae Beach 해운대해수욕장 and subway station.

If you're a solo traveller or in a group I would highly recommend this guest-house especially if you're open to having a good time and to meet people with different backgrounds.  

For more information follow the link to the hostel page:

Guesthouse 710

2. Travel 

As mentioned there are several ways to get to Busan. I chose the Korail Pass option which provides an option of purchasing 1-7 day passes only eligible for foreigners. 

I am aware that it is possible to get a bus to Busan as well but I didn't want to be stuck in a bus for a good 4-5 hours. 

I chose the 5 day Korail pass (youth saver age 13~25) that cost 111,800 won. 

Korail pass allows you to travel on with an unlimited access to the Standard

Class seats of the KTX, KTX-Sancheon, Saemaeul, Mugunghwa and Nuriro trains for a fixed period of time. It is a faster and more efficient was to travel. 

Procedure:

1. 1 week before leaving for Busan I went online to make a reservation for my ticket, fill in all required information and choose your rail pass options, PRINT e-ticket. Purchase transaction will only go through once you exchange your printed e-ticket at the Information Counter at Seoul Station.

2. Note: For expected arrival date in Korea: Put down the date of when you're leaving for Busan especially if you're already in Korea like I was

3. During the day of your travel to your destination: Bring along e-ticket, passport and credit card to Information Centre at Seoul station where they will give you a rail pass card with your name and details on it. (Keep it safe)

4. Go to ticketing booth and just show them the pass and let them know where you want to go. They will provide you with the earliest train time and seats if available. They will print out a ticket with your seat number, gate and destination.     

5. The trains are very punctual and leaves on time so remember to get to the allocated gate as early as possible. 

There are more information in English about Korail which gives quite detailed explanations.

Korail Link

Korail Rail Pass ( exchange from printed e-ticket)

Subway and bus travel: T-money card 

Purchased from any convenience store in Seoul i.e. 7-eleven, GS25 etc. Easy means of travelling as you can use it in Seoul and Busan as well as other cities. 

 Top up can be done only by cash at any subway stations/ convenience store

3. Intinerary

My main objective of travelling to Busan was to just relax and take my time to enjoy the sights and sceneries. Thus explains why I stayed for a longer period of time.

1st day (Saturday): 

Left Seoul Station on board the KTX-train bound for Busan. Arrived at Busan station and proceeded to Guesthouse 710 via subway. Finally checked in at about 5.00pm and was greeted very warmly by the Guesthouse manager who showed me to my room and other parts of the Guesthouse.

Walked to Haeundae beach and was surprised to see the whole stretch of the beach filled with people(literally).

Continued on foot along the beach to Dongbaekseom Island 동백공원 where there are several attraction points. It was a very relaxing walk along the shoreline surrounded by pine trees and a gentle sea breeze.

The sun began to set and I made my way by Subway to Gwangalli Beach 광안리해수욕장 famous for its fine sand, not as busy compared to Haeundae Beach and a picturesque view of the Gwangan Bridge. There were many shops, pubs and eateries along the way making it very convenient for visitors to order take out and have a little picnic by the sea under the illumination of the surrounding city sky lights.

It was a beautiful relaxing night, headed back to the hostel afterwards to rest up.  

View from Haeundae Beach

Sun set at Haeundae Beach

View from The Bay 101 area 

Dongbaekseom Island view of Haeundae 

Gwangan Bridge

Gwanganlli Beach

Gwangan Bridge

2nd Day (Sunday):

Had breakfast provided by the Guesthouse which consist of eggs, toast, cereal and juice. Left for Yonggungsa Temple  해동 용궁사 from Haeundae Station 해운대역 exit 7. Bus stop directly outside the exit and take bus 181 or just check the screen for any bus that is heading towards the temple area. Bus 181 drops you off directly at the foothill of the temple and takes approximately 25 minutes. Paid the bus fare using my T-money card.

From the drop off location it is another 10 or more minutes walk to the temple, surrounded by food stalls, drinks, souvenirs etc. 

You will then be greeted by the 12 Zodiac stone statues and as you walk along the paths you'll continue on down several flight of stairs that leads you to look out points and the temple itself. The weather was really hot and sunny, it was a great treat to buy myself an ice-cream to cool off.

Yonggungsa Temple from the look out point

Rare chance to get my own picture taken

  

After spending about 3 hours there I decided to go back to the hostel to freshen up before heading to church. For those interested do visit the New Philly Busan church a church plant from the Hong Dae branch I went to during my few weeks in Seoul. Service starts at 3.00pm and is located right opposite Gwangan Beach. 

Conveniently there was an Ultimate Frisbee pickup at Gwangan Beach so I joined in right after church service ended. It was great to be able to meet some players I met previously in Seoul during the Soongsil Hat tournament! The view was incredible and I could never say no to a beach pickup!

Unfortunately I had to rush off to meet a friend I haven't met in a long time and so had to leave early. It was great fun and met many wonderful friendly souls during that short time; Big thanks to Kyu Po for the lift back!

The night went by catching up with my friend. Shout out to Jay whom I met 3 years ago in Tasmania!

Useful links: 

Yonggungsa Temple

New Philly Church Busan

Busan Ultimate Facebook Group 

3. 3rd Day (Monday)

After a quick breakfast, I made my way to Taejongdae Park 태종대 . Took the subway to Nampo Station 남포역 and got a bus from Exit 6 the station is right before the Yeongdodaegyo Bridge 영도대교 and opposite Lotte Mart. 

There several buses that go towards Taejongdae Park, it'll be easier to look at the bus numbers located on the bus stop sign. 

Buses bound for Taejongdae: 8, 13, 30, 88, 101

Arriving at the park there will be rows of shops and restaurants. I made my way on foot to the information centre to get a map of the park. There's a lot of walking uphill before arriving at the scenic sights, one can opt for the Danubi Train 다누비열차 instead of walking by purchasing the tickets. The queues and waiting around made me loose interest and nothing beats walking/ working on the leg muscles!

Slowly and leisurely I walked along side many other visitors who preferred walking rather than taking the train. 

Map below shows that several attraction sights, but my main focus was to get to 신선바위 Sinseon Rock(cliff side) located at No. 4 from the map. 

Photo taken from online

It was quite a long descend down to the entrance to the cliff side, I spent a good 2 hours taking photo's, trying to get a closer look at the crashing waves below and climbing on the rock faces.

Fish market with platforms to sit at where you enjoy fresh sashimi

My essential travel pack and shades: Burton tinder pack

Interesting rock formations

Fishing hut

Feeling free

It was a shame that since I was travelling alone, I couldn't try the fresh sea food from the cliff side. It was too big of a portion and I wasn't willing to fork out large sums of cash for it. Solo travel problems!  

I continued on exploring the other sights after getting my adrenaline fix. 

Personally the highlight of this trip was the cliff side. It's not enough to just snap some selfies like many other tourists did; get down on your fours, feel closer to nature and the sheer power of evolution. It's a humbling experience.

Left Taejongdae on the same bus from the opposite bus station. Took the subway to Sinpyeong Station 신평역as I wanted to visit the Dadaepo Sunset Fountain of Dream. Unfortunately the fountain closes on Mondays and the evening was very cloudy so I couldn't catch the sun set which was quite a bummer. I travelled by a local bus that dropped me somewhere way off, so I do recommend just taking the Taxi as it's cheap and convenient.

The night ended with a long subway ride back to Haeundae for a good night rest.

Useful links:

Taejongdae Park 

Dadaepo Sunset Fountain of Dream

4. 4th Day (Tuesday)

Spent the day walking and exploring Gamcheon Village 감천 문화 마을 known as Busan's Santorini. A very interesting and colourful village painted with different attractive colours, with hidden cafes, boutiques and art galleries that will take up most of your day. 

I took a subway to Toseong Station 토성역  Exit 6 and walk towards the bus stop right outside a hospital, get on the local bus Saha 1-1, Seogu 2 or Seogu 2-2 that will drop you right at the entrance of the village. Went to the information centre to purchase a map, it was an interactive map that leads you to several interesting sights around the village and stamp your map upon arrival. Getting lost and exploring the narrow alleys made this visit quite a fun experience.

Interactive map from Information Centre

  

From a look out point

I wonder what it feels like to have strangers walking by your house everyday

Later in the day I went to Jagalchi fish market 자갈치시장 the largest fish market in Korea. Treated myself to some fried fish set for just 7000won. 

This was amazing

Fresh fish

After that I headed back to Haeundae Beach just to chill and relax while watching a guy attempting to surf. Joined in on the Guesthouse party held by the owner and continued on for a night out of beer pong and bowling. 

It's nice to people watch. I'm no creep.

Some of the lovely Korean's I met

Useful links: 

Gamcheon Village

Jagalchi Fish Market

5. Final day (Wednesday)

It was pouring down with rain, putting me off from visiting any other sights.

Checked out of the guest house at 11am and made my way back to Seoul via. KTX train. 

There are tons of information located online and it's easy to research and plan your trip accordingly.

Apologies for the long post! Hope it was informative and useful! Any questions please feel free to ask =) 

#KoreaVibes | Summer Highlights |

#KoreaVibes

The kettle clicks off from the corner of the room; I'm munching on some marshmallows under my Primark throw because it's been raining since morning and the room is quite chilly (Typical Leeds ).

It's been 3 days since returning back from Seoul, South Korea and honestly I'm going through some Post Korea Withdrawal Symptoms- The real deal. 

But enough of my personal emotional issues, I'm here to  give an overview of my 2 months in Korea. I'll try to keep it short as this post is supposed to be sort of a picture Blog! YAY!

Prior to my summer break from university I applied for a student summer exchange program to the University of Korea (고려대학교) and I got in! Long story short I found myself in Seoul on the 25th of June despite the initial worries of the MERS outbreak.

Throughout the 8 weeks in Korea, I've tried to visit as many places I could; Met many wonderful souls and ate gobsmackingly good food!

These are just some of the highlights of my trip and it is almost impossible to fit 2 months worth of memories into one Blog post!

It's been an amazing experience, especially since Korea has been one of my must go destinations and my undeniable love of Korean cuisine!

Cut to the chase, here are some of the places and things I've done along the way: *Reminiscing the good times* *Whimpers*

Pictures may take some time to load, but I hope you will enjoy it nonetheless. 

~Links to more information by clicking on the title

1. Gyeongbokgung Palace 경복궁

This is a must go "Touristy" place to visit and you'll find lots of information about it on-line. Situated in the heart of Seoul city it is easy to access and tickets are only 3000won (1.6GBP).
One can get dressed in the traditional 'Hanbok' clothing and roam around the palace grounds.

Changing of guards

Signalling the changing of guards

One of the entrance from the inside

2.  Banpo Bridge Rainbow Fountain 반포대교 달빛무지개분수

Not a must see but it's definitely a nice sight when you just want to chill and relax by the Hangang (한강) river. There are many parks along the way and it's a normal sight to see families pitching tents and having picnics on the open field. If you have time to spare, cycling along the Han river should be a great way to unwind and get some exercise done.

Beautiful reflection

3. Daebudo Island 대부동

Only for the adventure enthusiasts! Not a lot of information online as it is mostly a local getaway. There are no taxis and bus is the main transportation. However, go to the information centre upon arrival to the entrance of Daebudo for the map of the island and there are several trails on the map that one can tackle. However, it is quite tough to locate at times but the main thrill is getting somewhat lost and discovering beautiful sights and sceneries along the way.  
Watching the Sun set was one of the highlights of this trip as well as meeting friendly people who speak no English but would go out of their way to help you.

4. Yongma Land (Abandoned amusement park) 용마공원

First thing that came to my mind about visiting an abandoned amusement park ? Killer clowns! But the hipster-ness in me was more intrigued by the place and photo opportunities. Not the usual touristy place to go but after reading several blogs about this place I decided to pay this place a visit. It was quite hard to find the entrance and was a long walk from the nearest train station but eventually with the help of 'Naver' map I got to the park and paid an entrance fee (5000won) to an Ahjussi and then the exploring began. As expected it was a run down amusement park, rusts and broken glass everywhere but many picture perfect locations. Friends, professional photographers and couples were among the few who visited the park while I was there.  
Also, this park was a music video shooting location for one of the K-pop groups but I don't remember who.

Control room

Went up a dodgy flight of stairs in an office to the roof for this view. Well worth it!

The sun began to set

At the right moment

Merry-go-round that still operates but with a fee

This piano had some artistic feel to it

Perfect setting

5. Professional baseball game LG vs NEXEN

One of the school trips organised by the Korea University summer school team where we got to watch the baseball game and take part in the chants/ singing and dancing with the supporters. It was a nice atmosphere as supporters sang and danced to different songs as different players turn came.

6. Soongsil Hat (Ultimate Frisbee)

This was my first ever hat tournament and to be playing it in Korea itself was a very special moment. Not knowing anyone or who my team mates were it was a pretty daunting feeling initially but everything panned out pretty well eventually. Until I landed on my good ankle and was out of the the game but pushed on to play on the second day. Really enjoyed playing with team Kimchi! I mean who wouldn't love a team with such swag?

Picture from team mate Oliver

7. Seoraksan National Park 설악산국립공원 

Seoraksan was one of the most picturesque places I wanted to visit. It's also a World Heritage site listed by UNESCO. However, luck was not on our side when the day we made our way to Sokcho it was pouring down with rain. The rain did not ease up the next morning as we pushed on to the park, I didn't bother taking the cable car ride up to the peak as I was sure there wasn't much to be seen and all hiking trails were closed for safety reasons. After enjoying a cup of coffee at a quaint little cafe in the heart of the park the weather slowly cleared and we went for a short trail (2.4km) to Biryong Falls. Along the way the scenery was pretty spectacular, with suspension bridges and the thundering roar as gallons of water came cascading down the mountain ravines. It's just a shame that we weren't able to hike to the top of the peak.

On the way to Biryong Falls trail

8. Caribbean Bay 캐리비안 베이

Cue the Cabi bay song ft. 2pm and SNSD hotness overload *ABS ABS ABS* 

Be prepared to spend a long LONG time waiting for rides that last for less than 2 minutes. A fun experience nonetheless. Would've been more amazing if Taec-ssi was there. 

Wave pool after closing time. 10 minutes ago this pace was completely packed.

9. Gwangjang Market  광장시장

Stalls after stalls of good food. Bibimbaps, snacks like red bean porridge called patjuk (팟죽), jokbal pigs’ feet and sundae (순대) blood sausage. And the famous Bindaetteok (빈대떡) a thick pancake made from mung bean and vegetables. Another must try is the Mayak Kimbap 마약김밥; sesame Korean sushi roll goodness.

Bindaetteok (빈대떡)

Side dishes that really caught my attention and the ahjumma was really kind to offer some of her chilli baby crabs. Taste wasn't that great as it was salty as well as too crunchy for my liking. 

10. Noryangjin Market 노량진 수산시장

Visited this fish market with a friend from home and had the experience of eating the highly anticipated live Octopus 산낙지, raw sea urchins, abalone, crab soup and steamed king crab full with mouth watering meat! 

We chose the seafood we wanted and was given a price, the stall owner then led us to a restaurant upstairs where they cooked the seafood to of your choice. It was a good and filling meal!

Be prepared to fork out a good amount of money for the meals.  

11. Solo travels to Busan

A more in depth post of my 5 days 4 nights trip to Busan will be up soon with details of my travels, accommodation and itinerary. In short, it was a great getaway from Seoul to sunny sandy Busan!

An amazing sunset on the first day at Haeundae Beach 

Where the rich reside

Yonggungsa Temple 해동용궁사

Taejongdae Park 태종대

Nike! 그냥해

Wish I had enough cash to eat fresh Sashimi on the rocks by the cliffs 

Hope I wasn't intruding 

Jagalchi fish market 자갈치시장

Korea is such a unique country that still holds on to its traditions and rich cultures. It is admirable that a country with it's own language has grown into a successful and developed country. Of course like any other countries it has it's own flaws.
2 months flew by so fast and there are still countless places and things I wanted to do but couldn't make time for it. Hoping I'd get the chance to come back to this amazing country soon!

I'm ultimately grateful to my parents for allowing me to go on this trip of a lifetime as well as the University of Leeds for the opportunity to study in one of Korea's prestigious university (Korea University)

Shout out to every individual I've met in Korea; Hope you're doing well! Peace out~