| |
 South Korea travel tales
Our customers share their travelling experiences in South Korea.
Read about first hand stories on travel tips and guides, events, entertainment,shopping, food, business and transportation.
Also, you might want to read our
Jeju city guide,
and Seoul city guide.
Pages (2 of 21):
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 More »
| C Wong |
29 April 2005 |
Stayed at Hamilton Hotel - Seoul, South Korea.
|
Seoul is a sprawling city. But it has a very extensive and efficient subway system that could take one to most places in the city. If you get lost there is always the taxi, which though expensive, offers good and honest service.
Language is a problem as very few Koreans speak English but their helpfulness and honesty put one at ease and more than make up for the inconvenience.
Myeongdong, Namdaemum, Namsan Mountain, Gyongbookgung are the usual places tourist would want to visit but the Korean War Memorial is a must if one wishes to learn about the history of the Japanese colonisation, the second world war and the korean war. Only then would one understand why the Koreans are so united and nationalistic and truly proud of their achievements. For the national servicement, the Memorail also showcases the differnet types of weapons, missiles and war machinery that are used in modern warfare. And the entrance fee is only 3000 won,excellent value for money.
One place that one can miss is the Korean Folk Villlage which survives only because of the free entry given to school children and there are hordes of them around whcih can be quite disturbing with all the noise they make. It showcases the traditional Korean lifestyle and villages of yonders past.
Seoraksan mountain near Sokcho which is 4 hours by bus from Seoul is an interesting place as the cable car ride up to the mountain plus the climb to reach the top is quite refrshing. One can stay at one of the condominiums nearby for US$60 and travel to nearby Sokcho by taxi for food.
|
| G Cook |
24 April 2005 |
Stayed at Airpark, Hotel - Incheon, South Korea.
|
We took the KTX high speed train back and forth from Seoul and Busan. It is a very nice way to travel, especially if you want to see the countryside. It is important to know that the trains can sell out, especially on Friday night. However, just as importantly, the tickets can be sold back and the "sold out" status changes moment by moment. The traveller's information people -- while very polite -- did not really explain this to us. So, when we discovered how to read the board we had to do it on our own. The first time I tried it I only had a minute and didn't quite make the train. Then I had to pay 30% to get the rest of the cost of the ticket back. (I could have argued, I suppose, but the language barrier was too great to overcome at that point.) The second time I had an entire 5 minutes, ran to the train and got on just before it left. Unfortunately, I didn't realize how the seating worked -- they are assigned -- so I ended up getting on at least half the train length away from my car. I eventually made it, however. The staff was very polite and suggested that rather than dragging my suitcase all the way to my car that I store my suitcase in a closer car. I wouldn't even have considered it if I was in a different country, but South Korea is very nice that way.
|
| M Tan |
19 April 2005 |
Stayed at Savoy Hotel - Seoul, South Korea.
|
I love to go to Seoul coz of the quality of their goods. It's not exactly cheap but you're paying for the quality. Myeongdong area is a bit on the higher end but a very good location to stay in - 1 subway stop away for namdaemun market & 2 stops away from dongdaemun market. Based on my experiences, I found namdaemun cheaper than the 2 places I've mentioned but smaller. People there are probably insomniacs =) their shops are open till 5am! Just a tip- it's a bit cheaper to shop at nite.
|
| V Mccormick |
15 April 2005 |
Stayed at Coatel Chereville - Seoul, South Korea.
|
Seoul is a safe, interesting city to travel to with many things available to the visitor from cultural sights and museums to sporting events and shopping areas. Public transportation is cheap and easy to follow if you know where you want to go. If not, a city tour can give you an overview about what is available in the city. I've always found the people to be friendly and helpful if you have difficulty. The country of South Korea is a beautiful land with rocky mountains, beautiful seashores and a rich history. I think it is one of the hidden treasures of Asia.
|
| C Prosser |
09 April 2005 |
Stayed at Best Western Hotel Dongdaemun - Seoul, South Korea.
|
The hotel is in a terrific location and the Airport Limousine Bus 602 will drop you not far from the hotel...just keep walking a look for the gate. The hotel is incredibly accessible to shops, restaurants and the wonderfully efficient and easy to understand subways. We caught a subway (line 1 just across from the hotel) to Gyeongbokgung Palace. The following link shows a brief video, www.seoulsearching.com. Handy Hint: You use the subway underpasses to cross "under" all of the main streets and this is both fun and good for you (interesting shops and loads of stairs).
Second Hint: Wear comfy shoes (and waterproof) shoes if going in Spring/rain - lots of steps abound and puddles.
Third Hint: Look out for cars and motorbikes -They don't want to hit you but the "Seoul" system seems to rely on everyone giving way when necessary.
Fourth Hint: Do take a small umbrella or rainjacket in April.
Fifth Hint: Do try the wonderful Korean food. Everything we had was excellent and spicy.
|
| C Ditona |
30 March 2005 |
Stayed at Incheon Airport Hotel - Incheon, South Korea.
|
If you want to see Seoul and experience the Korean culture in one day; you may want to check out the Modern Seoul Tour and the Korea House Dinner and Show sponsored by Grace Travels. It was a great experience!
|
| P Yeung |
25 March 2005 |
Stayed at KAL Hotel, Cheju - Jeju, South Korea.
|
The local tours, both the east and west island ones, are well organized. However, it emphasizes a little bit more on entertainment and less on culture. I think the Jeju National Museum is impressive and should included in the tours. I also personally would like the Tea Museum be included in the west island tour. There are plenty of restaurants around the hotel and the Food Street is close by. I enjoyed the variety of Korean food, but would only hope that there are other quality restaurant of other culutres, such as Chinese, Japanese, French and Italian, around apart from that offered by the hotel.
|
| P Yeung |
21 March 2005 |
Stayed at Seoul Prince Hotel - Seoul, South Korea.
|
The tour at Changdukgong and Piwoen is excellent. I also enjoyed the tour to Jogesa and Bongeunsa Temples and a relax tea session in a traditional tea house. The half-day out of town excursion to the Korean Folk Village
proved to be a rewarding contrast to the city
life.
|
| D Dolfi |
16 March 2005 |
Stayed at Coatel Chereville - Seoul, South Korea.
|
Korean restaurant in the hotel is very good but a little expensive. Fridays, Outback and Bennigans are close within a few blocks of the hotel if you need a flavor of the US.
|
| A Finkel |
09 March 2005 |
Stayed at Queen Incheon Airport, Hotel - Seoul, South Korea.
|
This is my 7th trip to Korea. Unfortunately, I'm working, sleeping and eating mostly on US military compounds, so I don't get around much.
The Queen hotel where I stayed this trip is in Incheon approx a 10 minute ride from the airport. Nice place in the city, but I was only there overnight prior to another flight to my final destination.
The Seoul Hilton is an awesome 5 star hotel with an incredible buffet. Nice pool and gym on the 2nd floor.
In Seoul the Korean War Museum outside of Yongsan Army base (near Itaewon) is a great place to spend a day or two if you're into history. A DMZ tour and the tunnel trip is a must. Can book through the USO (just off Yongsan Army base).
My favorite bar in Itaewon is Gecko's. Good mix of people from around the world. Good food, nice atmosphere, and pool tables. Nashville, another bar just down the street is okay also. Chinhae is the place to be at the end of March for the Cherry Blossom Festival. Beautiful port town (home of the S. Korean Navy). There's Cherry trees everywhere, and if the weather hits right the entire town is just gorgeous.
Hope this helps.
|
|
Pages (2 of 21):
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 More »
Book a hotel in South Korea
|
