From Soul to Seoul – Our 11 Days Travel Itinerary in South Korea (Seoul) Part 1

I have received several e-mails/ messages requesting for my Korea trip itinerary and this is why I've decided to put up a blog  (Small World) to compile and share my past travel experiences with my friends and colleagues.

A great piece of history and architecture! 

An Urban City Full of Ancient History

An Urban City Full of Ancient History - Dongdaemun

I traveled to Seoul, South Korea in January 2013 just because I wanted to experience snow and winter sonata. Honestly, I don’t think January is the best time to travel to South Korea because it was damn cold.  It’s always below 5 degrees and highest temperature in the day can be only -5 degree. But I guess it was all worthy for the beautiful snow and skiing adventure. We wore long johns, hoodies and on top of it, another layer of pullovers and winter jackets for the 11 days winter trip in South Korea. 

From Incheon International Airport to Yim’s Hanok GuestHouse,  we took the airport express bus #6011 (cost us 10,000KRW) that stops us right in front of the main street. The bus ride took almost an hour from the airport.  I must say that the Guesthouse is conveniently located at the center of the town, which was just a few steps away from a subway station, Gyeongbukgung Station (Line 2). 

Gyeongbokgung Palace - Palace in the City, one of Seoul's most famous attractions!

The pond was frozen solid during the winter at Gyeongbokgung Palace

Changdeokgung Palace - Palace of Shinning Happiness

A Royal Life Revisited 

Seoul is generally easy to explore as the whole city is linked via subways. In every exit of subway stations, they will have this direction sign to various attractions, indicated by respective exits. So, all you basically need to do is to buy the T-money card from the convenience stores, which I found it very useful for travelers to pay transportation fares on public buses and subways and avoid the long queue and hassle.

One reason to visit N Seoul Tower at night - Brilliant laser light shows!

One reason to visit N Seoul Tower at night - Brilliant laser light shows!

Turn right, turn left you see "LOCKS OF LOVE"

Talking about shopping, it is one of the popular activities which most young travellers like to indulge in Seoul. Shopping at Dongdaemun, Ehwa, Hongdae, Myeongdong, Namdaemun, or Insadong is definitely a-must when you visit Seoul.  Myeongdong is definitely one of the places not-to-be-missed here. The area itself is crazily insane filled with countless of fashion beauty, cosmetic outlets and street foods. The prices for face masks are reasonable, and they come in all varieties, from Ginseng to Aloe Vera to Dangui. The prices vary according to the ingredients used but on the whole, they are pretty reasonable. Apparently, the South Koreans are way ahead in fashion. Their shopping streets can seriously make you burn a hole in your wallet!

A place not to be missed! - Myeongdong

On the second day itself in Seoul, we headed to Naminara Republic (also known as Nami Island) located at outskirt of Seoul. Namiseom is a tiny half-moon shaped island located in Chuncheon, South Korea, located about 4 hours from the city of Seoul. It was the main shooting location of a popular Korean television drama series called “Winter Sonata”. Regardless if you know or seen the drama, you'll enjoy the the island simply for its breathtaking sceneries.  To get there, we took the shuttle bus from Insadong (approx 4 hour journey) followed by a 5-10 minutes of ferry ride from the main island to Naminara Republic. We enjoyed this miraculously beautiful island in a good weather and spent some casual time in the island. The trees lined up in a symmetrical way and since it was winter, it was covered with white snow. Such a romantic places to go with your love one!  

LOVE is like a tree in Nami Island. The beauty grows as each day passes by

Winter Sonata in Memories

LOVE is like a tree in Nami Island. The beauty grows as each day passes by

Naminara Republic is an island for lovers!

The ferry that transport us to Nami Island

On the 8th day of our trip, we went to Jisan Forest Ski Resort for a skiing adventure. There are many skiing resorts in Seoul but they are all located outskirt of Seoul. The Guest House owner recommended us to go Jisan because she said there is the most convenient one compared to the rest. She booked seats for us in the free shuttle bus that brings us to the resort. Overall, it was freaking tiring but it was a memorable experience for me and Kah Boon. 

Be strong even in the face of winter storm

Jisan Forest Ski Resort - Ski School

A-must-do-sport during winter time 

We did a lot of research beforehand and for this trip, we (myself and Camel) took Malaysia Airlines flight from Penang – Kuala Lumpur – Seoul, Incheon and here’s what we did for our entire 11-days journey (17 January 2013 - 27 January 2013) in Korea:  <Seoul – Jeju Island – Naminara Republic - Seoul> 

Click here for you to download our complete 11D10N travel itinerary in PDF.

Day 1: 17 January 2013 – Depart from Penang – Kuala Lumpur (KLIA)

Day 2: 18 January 2013 
KUALA LUMPUR / SEOUL  - Kuala Lumpur – Seoul (Incheon International Airport) Deoksugung Palace (changing of guard ceremony at 11.00 a.m.) - Gyeongbokgung Palace - Changdeokgung (Palace) - Myeongdong Night Market(*We bought the Integrated Pass Entries to: Gyeongbokgung, Changdeokgung (inclusive secret garden) and Changyeonggung  priced at 10,000 KRW/pax) 

Day 3: 19 January 2013 
SEOUL / NAMI ISLAND – Took bus to Insadong (Tour bus stop near Tapgol Park) at 9.30am. followed by shuttle bus departing from Insadong to Nami Island - Sungnyemun Gate (**Round-trip bus fare cost 15000 KRW/pax / (for integrated entrance ticket to Nami Island and ferry + roundtrip bus fare + entry visa about 23,000 KRW/pax)
Advanced reservation required (Enquiries at: +82-2-753-1247) 

Day 4: 20 January 2013 
SEOUL / JEJU ISLAND – Took 08.10 a.m. flight from Gimpo to Jeju Island via Jeju Air – check-in Jeju Hiking Inn -   Sex Toy Museum – Teddy Bear Museum - Seongeup Folk Village - Cross by Bijarim Road - Hallasan National Park - Jusangjeolli Cliff of Jungmun - Jeju Stone Park 

Day 5: 21 January 2013 
JEJU ISLAND - Sunrise Peak (Seongsan Ilchulbong) UNESCO Heritage - Mysterious Road/ Dokkaebi Road - Yongduam (Dragon Head Rock)  - Trick Art Museum – Dongmun Traditional Market – Free & Easy 

Day 6: 22 January 2013
JEJU ISLAND / SEOUL - Free & Easy - Took 12.20 p.m. flight from Jeju Island to Gimpo via Jeju Air  - Mt. Namsan (N Seoul Tower + Teddy Bear Museum + Locks of Love) Namsan Cable Car 7,500 KRW/ round trip/pax   

Day 7: 23 January 2013
SEOUL – Jongmyo Royal Shrine (15mins walk from Changdeokgung) - Samcheong-dong street (shopping) - Bukchon Hanok Village – Samcheongdong area - Dongdaemun - Gwangjang Market (to taste local food)

Day 8: 24 January 2013 
SEOUL – Jisan Forest Resort (free shuttle bus) - Gwanghwamun Square at nightfall (Statue of Admiral Yi Sun-Shin)Click here for details: http://www.jisanresort.co.kr/eng/index.html **Tips: please avoid weekend

Day 9: 25 January 2013
SEOUL – Insadong Area -Ssamziegil Cultural Art Building - Insadong's Tourist Information Center and and Myeongdong Tourist Information Center (to experience Korean Hanbok) - Myeongdong Market -Myeongdong Cathedral for Korean Drama "You're beautiful" addicts - Ewha Woman’s Univ. Station (Sinchon) for dinner and shopping 

Day 10: 26 January 2013 
SEOUL – Cheongyecheon Stream - Statue of Admiral Yi Sun-Shin and King Sejong at Gwanghwamun Square - Dongdaemun- Korea House - Namsangol Hanok Village - Shopping at Lotte Mart (Seoul Station) 

Day 11: 27 January 2013 
SEOUL / KUALA LUMPUR / PENANG - Depart from Seoul (Incheon International Airport) - Kuala Lumpur (KLIA) - Penang 

Places of Interest: 
- Gyeongbokgung Palace
(Subway Gyeongbokgung Station, Line 3, Exit 5)
- Changdeokgung Palace
 (Seoul Subway Line 3, Anguk Station, Exit 3 and walk for 5 minutes)
- NSeoul Tower 
(Subway line 4, Myeongdong Station, Exit 3. Keep walking up in the direction of Mt. Namsan, for 10 minutes)
- Jongmyo Royal Shrine 
(15minutes walk from Changdeokgung Palace)  
- Gwanghwamun Square 
 (Subway Line 5 to Gwanghwamun Station, Exit 2 and 3 minutes walk straight)
- Myeongdong Cathedral for korean drama "You're beautiful" addicts
(Subway Line 4, Myeongdong Station Exit 7)
 
Entrance Tickets: 
- Integrated Entry Pass to:  Gyeongbokgung,  Changdeokgung (inclusive Secret Garden) and Changyeonggung - 10,000 KRW/person 
- Mt. Namsan +Seoul N Tower + Teddy Bear Museum + Locks of Love (Observation Deck + Teddy Bear Museum Package - 14,000 KRW/person & Namsan Cable Car - 7,500KRW/person/round trip
- Integrated entrance ticket to Nami Island + roundtrip ferry + roundtrip bus fare -  23,000KRW/person 
- Jisan Forest Resort (Ski Set: Skis+boots+ poles + Ski Wear) - 37,000 KRW/person 
- Bukchon Hanok Village – 5,000 KRW/person 

Jongmyo Royal Shrine: Not for you, not for me, ONLY for the SPIRITS

Jongmyo Royal Shrine - According to UNESCO, the Shrine is the oldest royal Confucion shrine preserved

Namsangol Hanok Village - A taste of yesterday's lifestyle

The city of Seoul, always full of cultural and emotional expression! 

Korean traditional house (Hanok)

Recommended Places for Shopping: 
-Myeongdong Street - Cosmetics heaven
(Seoul Subway Line 4, Myeongdong Station Exit #7) 
-Namdaemun Market - Traditional Markets
(Seoul Subway Line 4, Hoehyeon Station  Exit #5) 
-Dongdaemun - Wholesale fashion markets
(Seoul Subway line no. 2, 4 or 5, Dongdaemun  History & Culture Park Station, Exit # 14) 
-Ewha & Sinchon Area – Clothes / Cosmetics there are relatively more fashionable and trendy for Korean youngsters as the area is near to Ewha Woman’s University
(Seoul Subway Line 2, Ewha Woman’s Univ. Station, Exit #2 or #3)
-Lotte Mart at Seoul Station - Biggest departmental store in Seoul/grab all your ramen,
kimchi, peppero and banana milk there!
(Seoul Subway Line 1 or 4 to Seoul Station and Exit #1) 
-Insadong – Crafts, antiques and artworks
(Seoul Subway Line 3, Anguk Subway Station, Exit #6) 

Must Try / Eat:  
- Isaac's Toast (near Myeongdong branch) is so popular in Korea.Tasted decent and pretty cheap
- Samgyetang (also known as Ginseng chicken soup stuffed with rice-porridge) at Tosokchon Restaurant – 5-8minutes walk from Duri Guest House, walk straight and turn left at Jahamun-ro 5-gil Road 
- Angel in-us Holy Coffee (everywhere in Seoul)
- Street food in Myeongdong Market 

Samgyetang <Chicken stew with Ginseng stuffed with rice-porridge> at Tosokchon Restaurant

Isaac's Toast (near Myeongdong branch)

Angel in-us Holy Coffee

Don't forget to try this banana milk when you see it, and do tell me if you like it!

One of my tasty experience! Savoury pancakes (jeon)

Air Itinerary Details: Malaysia Airlines: Penang - Kuala Lumpur (KLIA) – Seoul (Incheon International Airport) / Seoul (Incheon International Airport) - Kuala Lumpur (KLIA) - Penang

Accommodation: 
(i)Seoul – Duri Guest House (previously known as Yim’s Hanok GuestHouse)         (highly recommended / rooms are limited during peak season)
Service/Facilities: Convenience stores, café or bakery nearby, daily room cleaning service,
Free WiFi, floor-heating system are available during winter/10minutes walk to Gyeongbokgung Palace 
Click here for details/early bookings: http://www.durihouse.kr/ 
(ii)Jeju Island - Jeju Hiking Inn 
e-mail: jeju@hikinginn.com

Local Transportation:
JEJU ISLAND 
How to get there:  Took domestic flight from Gimpo Airport to Jeju Island via Jeju Air
Duration: 1 hour 5 minutes 
Departure Gimpo - Jeju: 20 Jan 2013 -  08:10 a.m.- 09:15 a.m. 
Departure Jeju – Gimpo : 22 Jan 2013 – 12.20 p.m. – 13.25 p.m. 
Fares total: 79800 KRW/for return tickets/person inclusive of tax/fee/charge 
Click here for e-booking: http://www.jejuair.net/jejuair/ko_EN/main/main.jsp\ 

NAMI ISLAND – Proceed to Jongno 3(sam)-ga Station (take subway Line 1, 3, 5) Exit 1 and walk for 5 minutes toward Jonggak (Tapgol Park). Then take shuttle bus departing from Insadong to Nami Island 

MT. NAMSAN (N Seoul Tower + Teddy Bear Museum + Locks of Love) 
From Duri Guest House , take Subway line 4, Myeongdong station, Exit 3. Keep walking up in the direction of Mt. Namsan, for 10 minutes and you will find the cable car platform which head towards the N Seoul Tower

N Seoul Tower - The place couple "LOCKED their SOULS"

BUKCHON HANOK VILLAGE 
From Anguk Station (Seoul Subway Line 3) and Exit 2. Go straight for about 300meter. We found the best view at Gahoedong Alley - Bukchon 6th View 

 Old & New - A taste of tradition overlooking the urban city

Bukchon Hanok Village 

JISAN FOREST RESORT
Took shuttle bus to Jisan Forest Resort. Bus departing from Gwanghwamun Square (Free of Charge). Take Subway Line 5 to Gwanghwamun Station, proceed to exit 2 and 3 minutes walk 

Car Rental in Jeju Island 
Rental dates: 20 Jan 2013 – 22 January 2013 (3 days) 
Car type: I301.6 (Gasoline) 
Total Charge: 68,400 KRW for 3 days 
Click here for details/ bookings: http://www.avis.com/car-rental/location/ASP/KP/Jeju
*Reminder! Bring along your international driving license

Korean Hanbok Experience at (i)Insadong's Tourist Information Center and (ii) Myeongdong Tourist Information Center

Travel Tips: *Drop by: The Seoul Global Culture and Tourism Center (for cultural experience) located at 5th Fl. M-Plaza 31-1 Myeong-dong, Jung-gu, Seoul, Korea. Contact Information: (02) 3789-7961~3 / seoulcenter@seoulwelcome.com

Paintings at the underground subway stations

The subway station is always busy, thus every second counts!

Traveling on your own without any tour guides has its own excitement and fun. In these 11 days, we got lost, we went to random places and we made last minute changes to our trip itinerary. Every day was a new adventure day with getting lost and finding our way.

Till we meet again, Seoul! Blogging about it makes me misses Seoul but I will definitely be back again! Wish I could go back for the second visit. Perhaps I should plan a trip in the middle of March/April for sakura!

If you have any inquiry regarding this trip/travel itinerary of mine, you are welcome to leave me a message here. 

Read more about our travel experiences @ South Korea: 
From Soul to Seoul – Our 11 Days Travel Itinerary in South Korea (Jeju-do) Part 2

 

"The traveler sees what he sees. The tourist sees what he has come to see” - G.K. Chesterton

Welcome to Small World! This blog allows me to share my travel experiences with others in a straightforward and far-reaching way. I often made great use of other peoples travel blogs and websites every time I plan for my travel itinerary as they often contained most updated information and invaluable resources from their past travel experiences.  I really hope that you will find every piece of information contained within my blog handy and useful for your upcoming trip. Thank you very much for reading my post(s) and feel free to leave a comment/testimonial or click "Like/Share" if you love reading them all. xoxo  

  The writer is a passionate traveler who enjoys speaking to young keen travelers about the freedom to get cultured and to taste the fullness of life. Feel free to contact the writer if you need any travel guidance or tips or if you have any burning questions with regards to your upcoming trip/ journey. 
- Be inspired but more importantly be inspiring -

Italy Part 5: Unlike any other Italian cities! (Trieste)

Trieste, was our last stop.  After Florence - Pisa - Rome, we stopped in the port city of Trieste, Italy. We took the train from Florence to Trieste Centrale on 4 May 2013 and spent 6 days in Trieste. The train from Florence – Venice (Mestre) – Trieste took a little over 4.45 hours. On the way, we passed along the ocean.

It was late Saturday evening when we arrived, so a lot of places and shops were closed and we only got a brief view of the city. During spring, Trieste is beautiful, with cafés having their tables set on the cobblestone streets and sidewalks, where you can sip a cup of cappuccino!

Evening scene with City Hall

The Telegraph describes this city (Trieste):  “The great cliché about Trieste is that it has an air of melancholy.  Italians often say that “Trieste is in Italy but not of Italy.” The city looks like a Mediterranean Vienna rather than a typical Italian port. For most of its history Trieste was part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and became the fourth largest city after Vienna, Budapest and Prague.

Here’s some sights in Trieste that is worth visiting: 

1. Piazza Unità d'Italia, a large square on the sea front with nice architecture, which houses the Town Hall and Municipio di Trieste.  We spent some quiet time wandering around the waterfront area of Trieste, the main piazzas, dining and shopping venues that are close to the bay front. It was a divine intervention!  

Evening scene with City Hall

The real Italy

Trieste is the wealthiest in all of Italy

2.Canal Grande and James Joyce Statue, indeed a great place to stroll or enjoy a drink and dinner at any of the cafes along the canal. 

Trieste's lovely Grand Canal

3.Sea Front, with a harbour to wander around and watch the sea & the sunset.

A view of Trieste, Italy

A view of Trieste, Italy

Marina in Trieste, Italy

Trieste indeed a prosperous Mediterranean port

4.Castle (Miramare Castle/ Castello di Miramare) and its huge gardens built in 1856 for the Austrian Habsburgs a mere 150 years ago on the hill side.  

Castle of Miramare and its huge gardens

Castle of Miramare, a place full of exotic plants

A beautiful fountain detail

5.Sea Promenade of Barcola, along the beautiful coast road combined with carsic hills and gulf and sited along the way to Miramare Castle/Viale Miramare with spectacular view of the North Adriatic Sea. 

"Definitely a place for a total peace of mind" - Bhavani

An undiscovered gem

6.The Serbian Orthodox Cathedral of St. Spyridon with its complicated architecture. 

7.Well-preserved Old Roman Theater, built around the first century is located in the center of town.  

Historic center of Trieste

8.Church of San Antonio Nuovo, beautiful basilica built in Neo-Classical style.

Church of San Antonio Nuovo

9.Gigantic Grotto (Grotta Gigante), indeed gigantic and it’s the world's largest tourist cave. 

The Gigantic Grotto

10.Castle and Cathedral of San Giusto, built in the 15th century and located at the top of the hill.

Symbol of Trieste

The Cathedral dedicated to Saint Just (San Giusto)

11.Commercial Centre Le Torri d'Europa, the largest department store in Trieste and located a little outside the city. You can reach there by taking bus #29.
 
12.UNESCO/IAEA Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP), an international research institute to foster the growth of advanced studies and research in physical and mathematical sciences in support of excellence in developing countries and The World Academy of Sciences (TWAS), a global science academy established to promote scientific capacity and excellence. 

Originally, the trip was meant as a sort of a “working trip” for me to attend the 1st International Workshop on “Low-cost 3D Printing for Science, Education and Sustainable Development” which was organised by the Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP) Science Dissemination Unit (SDU) and co-sponsored by the Academy of Sciences for the Developing World (TWAS). I arrived at ICTP 2-days ahead on 4 May 2013 and spent a few days there (it’d be rude not to!) exploring the city with Bhavani and my workshop mates. 

The workshop held at ICTP gave me a glimpse of the many possibilities the 3D printing technology provides to science, education and sustainable development. Using digital models and various open source 3D software, the 3D printers can create or replicate solid objects and anatomical replicas for medical and educational purposes in dental surgery out of plastic!   To read more: http://www.ictp.it/about-ictp/media-centre/news/2013/5/3d-printing-at-ictp.aspx

You can be the "author" of your prototype objects

You can be the "author" of your prototype objects

You can be the "author" of your prototype objects

Group photo with the workshop participants

This northern Italian city is definitely not a tourist hotspot. There are no tourists and therefore we saw the real Italy. So we had the luxury of time to relax and enjoy just “being”.

In the end, Trieste turned out to be my favourite spot for this entire trip (thanks to the city for not being a tourist destination). After a few days spent in Trieste, we took the train and returned to Venice.

  

I would really like to take this opportunity to thank ICTP, Trieste from the bottom of my heart for this wonderful opportunity. Of course, there is no way I could forget this trip that could change my life so profoundly. 

GRAZIE MILLE PER TUTTO!!! (Thank you for everything!!!)
 

Air Itinerary Details: 

Penang - Kuala Lumpur  (via Malaysia Airlines MH) and Kuala Lumpur - Instanbul (Ataturk) - Venice (Marco Polo) via Turkish Airlines Inc.  / Venice (Marco Polo) - Instanbul (Ataturk) - Kuala Lumpur via Turkish Airlines Inc.  and Kuala Lumpur – Penang (via Malaysia Airlines MH) 

Accommodation:  
Venice (Venezia) - Hotel Minerva & Nettuno 
Florence (Firenze) - Hotel Stella Mary 
PISA – N/A (1- day-trip from Florence)  
Rome (Roma) – N/A (1- day-trip from Florence) 
Trieste - ICTP Galileo Guesthouse and Hotel Tritone, Trieste (**highly-recommended!
Please book in advance due to rooms are limited) click: http://www.tritonehotel.org/ or
e-mail: info@tritonehotel.org 
Venice (Venezia) - San Geremia Rooms

Ticketing: 
Piazza Unità d'Italia – FOC
Miramare Castle/ Castello di Miramare - Euro4,00/person
Gigantic Grotto (Grotta Gigante) – Euro11,00/person
Canal Grande and James Joyce Statue – FOC
Old Roman Theater – FOC

Local Transportation: 

(i)FLORENCE (FIRENZE SMN) - MESTRE - TRIESTE CENTRALE 

Departure time: 3.23p.m. - 4.23p.m. (Firenze - Mestre) & 4.23p.m. - 6.16 p.m. (Mestre - Trieste) 

Fare type:  42,40 Euro/pax /way (Normal Fare - 2nd Class Ticket)  

(ii) TRIESTE CENTRALE - VENEZIA S. LUCIA  

Departure time:9.18a.m. - 11.26a.m.

Fare type: 13,85Euro/pax/way (Normal Fare - 2nd Class Ticket)

“Travel far enough, you meet yourself” - David Mitchell, Cloud Atlas

**The photos were captured and edited with iPhone 5.  Images are for illustrative purposes only.

 

Welcome to Small World! This blog allows me to share my travel experiences with others in a straightforward and far-reaching way. I often made great use of other peoples travel blogs and websites every time I plan for my travel itinerary as they often contained most updated information and invaluable resources from their past travel experiences. I really hope that you will find every piece of information contained within my blog handy and useful for your upcoming trip. Thank you very much for reading my post(s) and feel free to leave a comment/testimonial or even click "Like/Share" if you love reading them all xoxo. 
  
The writer is a passionate traveler who enjoys speaking to young keen travelers about the freedom to get cultured and to taste the fullness of life. Feel free to contact the writer: chengywong@gmail.com if you need any travel guidance or tips or if you have any burning questions with regards to your upcoming trip/ journey 

- Be inspired but more importantly be inspiring -