Guide to Seoul, Korea in Winter 2016

Hello/ Assalamualaikum, or rather in Korean, Annyeong Haseyo!

This blog no longer serves the purpose of a diary like it used to be. Maybe its due to decrease in vanity as I age and the baraqah of sharing most of my feelings exclusively to Allah. =)

That is my introduction. The end. Hahaha and now for the important stuff, which is how to plan your own trip to Seoul, Korea, without learning the Korean language. You can do it.

Firstly, I did a lot of blog readings and watching Youtubers that have gone to Seoul. From their experiences, I gathered a lot of information and finally customized my own scheduled.

Apps that must be downloaded :

1) HHWT : Have halal will travel
2) Korean Subway map
3) Korean basic language
4) Airbnb
5) Google maps

My trip consisted of 6 days and 5 nights. I booked my flight 3 months before departure. It was already considered late. If you are interested in  getting less than RM1k for a return flight to Korea, it is advisable to book 6 months ahead. I flew on AirAsia for about 6 hours. Some of the passengers ordered 2 in-flight meals and oh boy, was I jealous of their Nasi Lemak Pak Nasser upon landing as I was famished! Note to future self: Order 2 meals for your flight and pay extra for the hot seats! You will not regret it, Shereen. - From your past =')

Upon arrival, of course, Hangry ( Hungry and Angry); My husband and I searched for food and we came across Krispie Kreme at the Incheon Airport. Those shiny sugar glaze sparkled like diamonds from afar and I could not resist not getting the one with Snoopy!

Okay so first things first. Establish communication and navigation after regaining sanity after eating a Snoopy donut. Where was I? Yes, the internet. How can we live in this 21st century without this thing called 'wifi'? Hahaha. Okay, so we rented a 'wifi egg' at the airport by the LG company. It costs RM 24 per day ( 6,000 KW) and we rented it for 6 days. You'll have to return it at the same airport on the day of your departure and pay the dues then as well. Easy and pretty straight forward. It comes with a charger and the wifi is UNLIMITED! Did I say UNLIMITED?!?! 

Yes, I did. 

And it's freaking fast like zoom, zoom, zoom!!!

Then, we rode on a bus to Yangjae, which is the closest stop our Airbnb apartment. <3

It took about an hour or so.. I simply could not recall. I dozed off to be honest. Buy some coffee first and don't be like me, because you just might miss your stop! Weehee~ >_<

Hubsy already using the wifi

Clean and nice bus. Since its winter, the bus was comfortably heated. 

Okay, the next part was when I met my Airbnb Hostess, Mi Young. So cute! 

Then we had a vegetable and cheese pizza at a local joint in Gangnam area. It was delish!

From then on, my husband and I took the Seoul Subway to commute from one place to another using the T-Money card. You could purchase it in most convenient stores. It looks something like this picture below. I loaded mine about 30,000 KW for 6 days including taking the taxi. Hahahahaha. 

Disclaimer*: I took this pic from google pics and those are definitely NOT my fingers. Please.

Here are the MUST visit places in Seoul Korea:

1) Gyeongbukgung Palace

I had underestimated the cold during winter since I have not experienced it for at least 2 years. It was difficult to recall the chill, and so, I decided to use heat packs from Daiso. This is a novelty for me and since I was down with a flu a week before my holiday to Korea, it became really handy. 

The palace is strikingly different from the one I visited in Osaka, Japan. The palaces had less levels to it and seemed more wider. It also had other several smaller buildings scattered across the palace grounds. 

If you could take a closer look underneath the roof, you could see that their colors are so vibrant and repetitive in order to create a harmonious look. It reminded my husband of colorful papers being pasted together. However, I believe it is made from wood. I love the effort and creativity of the artists/builders to create this intricate design. As compared to the Japanese palace in Osaka, Gyeongbukgung palace is more bright and colorful. 

There are palace guard processions that take place here twice a day. However, bear in mind that the palace is closed on Tuesdays. I love the fact that you could oversee the glorious mountains from the palace. What a view! 

The nearest station is : Gyeongbukgung station. 

3,000 KW / person 

2) Insadong

Insadong is just north of the palace. It is a walking distance from the palace ( so they say) and used to be the area where the King's officials would live with their family. I would gently refute that it is walking distance. It was a legit 30- 45 mins walk. I think, in the olden times, even the generals would ride on their horses to reach home. Anyways, on a positive note, along the way to Insadong, I had passed the famous statue of King Sejong and the War general. 

On that day, the Korean protesters held a protest against their current President Park for her scandal with her best friend who is in a cult? It was pretty interesting to be able to witness their protest and in a way, to be a part of history. 

In Insadong, there were a lot of traditional souvenir shops which sells unique trinkets that you would not find elsewhere. Do purchase them from local artists to help them continue their art and love for their culture. 

Moreover, do head to Insadong's Information and cultural center to rent their traditional Hanbok for just 3,000 per person. They were so helpful and kind to help assist me wear the clothing and take pictures for me ( given that they were not occupied at that time). 

 * Shin old tea House

This particular tea house was highly raved in the HHWT app that I downloaded. And so, I decided, I must give it a try. There are a lot of other tea houses in Insadong. Ikhwan and I decided to drink the 'Sam-thing-forgot-name-harmonious' tea and also the owner suggested that I  should take the 'Jujube' tea. (Mental note: the Jujube tea had a porridge-like texture. )The area was cosy and it had a Zen atmosphere floating around the room. Just on the patio, there was a bird feeder and birds flew in and out, chirping delightfully into the room. The birds' chatter was the music of the tea house. How lovely. Soon after ordering, our teas came with some sort of root shavings and dried fruit floating around in really unique clay cups accompanied with a complimentary snack plate. The snacks were mochi dusted with soy bean powder and hollow crispy rice cakes. The owner works alone and she is the 3rd generation in her family to continue the tea house business. Its been almost a 100 years old ( the house, not the owner) #justsaying =P. 

Nearest station: Angguk station

7,000 - 8,500 KW per drink. Side dishes are given for FREE!! 

* Ossuloc cafe

On the way to the Shin's Old tea house, we came across Ossuloc tea cafe. It is a green tea company that originated from Jeju Island and has rapidly gain popularity throughout Korea. You could find many selections of green teas mixed with various herbs, flowers and whatnot. Fret not if you have missed this shop in Insadong, because it is widely franchised in central areas of Seoul. 

Do spend time here experiencing the Ossuloc way of tea drinking. First, you must shake the small bottles of tea mix and smell their aromas. Then, head to the front of the cafe to taste their free samples. Lastly, make your decision and order. =)

Nearest station : Angguk Station 

3) Bukchon Hanok Village

Lastly, we walked to Bukchon Hanok Village from Insadong. It took us about 15 minutes which was okay. There are 2 parts of this village and we decided to explore the smaller village. Tourists are reminded to use indoor voices as actually people are living here as residents. This village is the remains of the actual houses of the generals with the actual layout still intact. I think it must cost millions to own one of these houses. Among the houses, some are repurposed as cultural attractions such as traditional weaving class, hanbok rental, restaurants and many more. 

Nearest station : Angguk station

shhhhh.... shut up.. I am having my nap - resident 007

Loving the wooden door design

4) Myeongdeong 

I did not get to take a lot of pictures at Myeongdeong because it was too overwhelming for me who is a hermit whom likes to avoid people. We went to Myeongdeong to get some makeup as it is the Mecca for Makeup, for real guys.. I stocked up 2 years of skin care product from Nature Republic and didn't even bother to visit the other shops ( because I hate the feeling of regret). 

Beforehand, Ikhwan and I spent a good 1 hour or more tasting the delicious food sold from the countless food vendors in Myeongdeong. Truth be told, it is more expensive to buy food there as compared to the ones in Insadong and Bukchon Hanok Village. 

To relieve Ikhwan from the agony of shopping for female products and restore his smile, we went to the cat cafe. We spent about 1 1/2 hours there and peace was restored. I had a good time relaxing and watching people playing with cats since I am severely allergic towards them, despite the love I have for the feline clan. =')

Nearest train station : Myeongdeong 

* Cat cafe

Meet Teary =')

9,000 KW for entry and drinks

5) Ewha Woman's University

This is one of the most majestic universities I have ever visited. It was funded by the missionaries and it is vast! I think you'll need a car or a bicycle at the very least to commute around the campus. Hahaha. I almost vomited after hiking that flight of stairs behind me in this picture below. My goodness. However, I believe the view from any part of this campus will be stunning despite any season. Mashallah. <3 Those who managed to be part of their student body are very lucky indeed. 

Nearest station : Ewha Woman's University station

6) Hongdae

 * Hello Kitty Cafe

I am a loyal Hello Kitty fan despite my age. It is written in the stars. Lol. 

I just could not resist anything that is cute and adorable, and the best part of it is I am not alone. My very best friend Raihah joined me in search of this cafe and it was truly a dream come true. I could vividly imagine if I was a student in Korea, I would frequent this cafe to study or socialize. * sound of piggy bank breaking* A small piece of heaven for those like me and Raihah. The drinks and food were delicious as well. *biased review* =)

4,500 KW for drinks and 6,500 KW for pancakes and ice cream

* Sulbing bingsu cafe

After enjoying our meal at the Hello Kitty cafe, we headed to Sulbing that sells shaved ice with various toppings. It was on the second floor of the building. Make sure to direct your gaze above the first floors when walking through Hongdae as some cool shops and eateries are located on higher levels of the buildings. We ordered this bingsu with mangoes and it was the bomb! Just perghH! This one portion was shared between us three. It was more than enough since I was coughing. However, if it was in the summer, I think I could have wallop this alone. =P

Nearest station : Hongik Uni Station

11,000 KW

7) Nami Island

I don't have so much to say about Nami Island because it is mainly for the love of pine trees and a very old Korean love drama. There is a Halal Asian food restaurant and a lovely and spacious prayer space provided in this island. The feels of walking through this island is very touristy but amicable. 

How to get here: Take the subway train to Gapyeong station and from there you can take the bus (1,300 KW) or the taxi (4,000 KW) to the ferry to go to Nami Island. If the weather is clear, why not try to zipline ( 40,000 KW) to Nami Island instead of taking the ferry. The admission into Nami Island including the ferry is 8,000 KW per person. 

Entrance to Nami Island : 10,000 KW per person 

8) Garosugil

* LINE cafe

* Artbox stationary shop

* Yang Good restaurant @ Yeoksam station 

We went to eat at this restaurant and got to experience the authentic korean bbq experience. 

Its quite pricey but totally worth it, especially if you are into eating meat. Coincidentally a Malaysian artist was eating beside us with her family but I am not going to share who because that person is quite controversial. Lol. Bear in mind it closes on Sunday and opening hours are from 4pm to 2am.

9) Cheonggye cheon stream

On our last day, we almost decided to skip this attraction because we wanted to do a lot of other things. However, to our delight, this stream was just walking distance from King Sejong's statue and since we just had Osulloc's cake and drinks, it was wise to walk it off. Ngee~~ 

10) Namsan park and Seoul Tower

From the Cheonggyecheon stream, we headed to the Namsan cable car by taxi. It costs about 4,000 KW. Since we came on a weekday, the crowd was sparse. The queue was less than 5 minutes. The view was spectacular subhanallah. You do not have to go up on the Seoul tower to witness the gorgeous view. There were also love locks area where you can purchase a lock and declare your love true there. However, after years of marriage ( alhamdulillah), I have learned that nothing is permanent, hence... unlocking. Hahahahaha. There was this funny but admirable girl who bought a lock and wrote her name on it and took a selfie on her camera. That's a love to cherish : self-love. #thumbsup #respect 

Cable car : 6,000 KW one way / 8,500 KW return 

11) Itaewon 

* Mosque 

* Eid Restaurant 

Lastly, we went on a search for this Insta famous halal shop in Itaewon ; Eid Restaurant. From the nearest station : Itaewon, exit 3, it was a long HIKE on a steep street and it feels like a never ending journey especially if you are hungry and tired like we were. Also, it was so tempting to just forget about this shop and just barge into one of the closer Halal shops in Itaewon. Level of Halal restaurants in Itaewon: highly saturated. However, I would urge you to be patient and try Eid's as it was delicious. I had samgetang ( ginseng half chicken) and Ikhwan had bulgogi ( marinated beef). It came with the side dishes, soups and rice. All in all, it was a moment to remember. Eid restaurant also hires Malaysian students; so, in a way, you are helping the kids to get some side income. 

12,000 KW with a complete set

12) GOTO mall @ Bus Terminal Station 

The best shopping tunnel ever!!!!!!! Everything starts from 5,000 KW. Even with my husband's close and strict monitoring, I managed to grab 2 lovely bags and a really nice shoe! All costs 10,000 KW each!! I can faint while writing this down due to excess excitement reminiscing the moment. Hahahaha. 

Nearest station : Bus terminal station ( orange line)

Hope my sharing of the short journey through Seoul, Korea could help you plan yours. All the best! Barakallahu fikum! Assalamualaikum! <3

*end*