from.the.bottom.of.my.heart: AKU ADA, KAU ADA??? Blog Contest

This post is a response to KOREA PLAZA KL and Korea Tourism Organization Malaysia.

1. Name two places in the movie <Aku Ada, Kau Ada???> which Tina and Nordin, who constantly clash with each other in Korea:

Nami Island (Pic credit: mymovies2u.netii.net)

Everland Resort

2. If I have a flight ticket to Korea and I will...plan an 8-days trip to ensure I've made full use of my holiday with flight tickets from KTO!
Since going for an oversea trip requires me to be mentally, physically and financally prepared, I'm planning on going during autumn~more time to save and to plan my itinerary!
Plus my univ would have a week semester break..hence it's a perfect time to go to Korea!

Below are the highlights for my Korea trip:

shopping/sightseeing where to shop, where to go for sightseeing
culture & historical places experiencing the uniqueness of Korea, learning the history that makes Korea as it is today
K-Pop/leisure who would miss the chance to visit K-pop stars?? or taking a break at hot sauna or trying on pretty hanbok
food super excited to get a taste of original korean food!

Which season shall i pick for my Korea trip? :)

Autumn (Pic: Wikipedia, as tagged)

I've always love cool weather so, I think this season would be perfect for me^^

Catching fallen leaves with bare hands..

Taking a stroll across the street watching people passing by

Riding on a bicycle at the park..

Accommodation

Last time, I stayed at Myeongdong, so for a wee bit change of air, I'll opt for Jongno.
WHY JONGNO??
Because->many low to medium-priced accommodations are offered in this district especially for backpackers
i.e Tea GuestHouse, Jongnowon Guesthouse etc.
Plus, Jongno is easily accessible by Subway Line 1, 3 or 5.

Hanok homestay/guesthouses (Pic credit: musical-bell.blogspot.com)

This is how hanok looks like. It has ondol floor (underfloor heating which uses direct heat transfer from wood smoke to the underside of a thick masonry floor). What a good way to start my trip~a warm, nice and oh-so-comfy stay!

Above: The exterior view of hanok. Below: The interior view of hanok.

Transportation?

Fret not! Even if i'm still unfamiliar with the routes and stuff, i can get to 1 place to another at ease! Subway, bus, taxi..name it! Info: The subway system is provided in 6 of Korea's major cities: Seoul, Busan, Daegu, Gwangju and Daejeon). Thus getting around the country is very easy and cost effective!

To ensure a smooth journey, use T-money card, a rechargeable prepaid card (similar to TouchnGo card in Msia). I can purchase it at any convenience store; price for a card is about 3000won. T-Money card can be used when buying at the convinence store and taxi too!

Subway station

Example of subway map in Seoul:

Need further assistance? VISIT THESE WEBSITE and PRINT THE MAPS FOR FUTURE REFERENCE:

Seoul Metro http://www.seoulmetro.co.kr/eng/
Visit Korea http://www.visitkorea.or.kr/ena/TR/TR_EN_5_1_4.jsp
SMRT http://www.smrt.co.kr/program/cyberStation/main2.jsp?lang=e

Visiting cultural/historical places
The best thing of Jongno is that I could spend a day paying a visit to a number of historical places like Changdeokgung Palace, Unhyeongung Palace which are located around this district!
FYI I'm such a big fan of Saeguk drama! Hence I won't let go of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!!

Changdeokgung Palace (Pic credit: trekearth.com, koreatour.com)

"Aww I wish I'm a princess~" Changdeokgung is one of the "Five Grand Palaces" built by the kings of the Joseon Dynasty. Literal meaning of Changdeokgung is "Palace of Prospering Virtue".

Admission for adult is 3000won. Tours are provided for visitors like Regular Tour (3000won for adult), Huwon Tour aka Secret Garden area (8000won for adult) and Integrated Admission (admission to the Four Palaces: Changdeokgung Palaces including Huwon, Changgyeonggung Palace, Deoksugung Palace, Gyeongbokgung Palace and Jongmyo Shrine; 10,000won for adult). Direction: from Jongno 3 Station, just go straight along Donhwamun-ro Street for 10min.

Bukchon Hanok Village (Pic credit: jaehoonj.wordpress.com)

This village is used to be the place where the Royal family and other noble family lived during the Joseon era.
It is situated on a hill, it is all up and down, and it offers a splendid view of Seoul.
Many inexpensive activities can be done here i.e dressing up in a traditional hanbok and take pictures, dining in fabulous restaurants, coffee shops and tea shops.
Trivia! The village also leads to Chung-ang High School; the filming location for Winter Sonata.
LOL I'm such an avid fan of Winter Sonata :P
Direction: Take Subway Line 3 to Anguk Station (Exit 2). Then continue straight for about 300m.

The War Memorial of Korea (Pic credit: asiatravel365.com)

Admission is free so i can walk wherever i want~^^ *It is closed on every Monday (if Monday is a holiday, it will be closed on the following day).

The museum like memorial provides an insight in to all the different wars that the country has been involved in. There is a large collection of documents and war memorabilia displayed in numerous rooms. Military equipment is displayed in the outdoor exhibition center. Direction: Take Samgakji Station (Line 4 or 6), go to Exit 12. War Memorial is just 5-10 min away from the station.

Korea Folk Village (Pic credit: phillipseton.com)

As I've mentioned before, I'm a 'Sageuk drama freak' thus visiting Korean Folk Village would prevail to me the elements of Korean tradition and culture~!

KFV is a living museum in the province of Gyeonggi in South Korea.
Admission is pretty expensive; adult 15,000won, youth 12,000won, children 10,000won.
There are numerous replicas of traditional houses of the different social classes (peasant, landowner, yangban) and the various regions.
The park also has a traditional street market, restaurants etc.
*Special performances every day; traditional wedding, string acrobat, farmers' dancing, horses' show.
Direction: Suwon Station (Line 1), Exit 4. There will be shuttle bus from Folk Village Office in front of Suwon Station to Korean Folk Village.
Runs 5 times a day.
Cool! More Won to save later for shopping! :P

Ewha Womans University (Pic credit: e-architect.co.uk)

The moment i saw Ewha's pics on google, I was blown away by its 'beauty'! As a university student, it would be great to see one of the prestigious univs in Korea!

A private women's university, is one of the most prestigious universities and the best university for women to get in to! It also has a museum on campus that displays art, clothing, furniture, and ceramics of the 양반 (aristocrats) back in that era of Korea. Direction: Ewha Womans University Station (Subway Line 2, go to either exits 2 or 3, walk about 5-10min^^

Cheonggyecheon Stream (pic credit pleasetakemeto.com)

The 8.4 km-long Cheonggyecheon Stream offers many beautiful sights. I can enjoy the scenery of themed/decorated walls, laser shows, water-fountains etc.

As the river is very long there are many starting points (via exploringkorea):

Subway Line 1: City Hall Station, Jonggak Station, Jongno 3-ga Station, Jongno 5-ga Station, Dongdaemun Station, Sinseoldong Station.

Line 2: Euljiro 1-ga Station, Euljiro 3-ga Station, Euljiro 4-ga Station, Sindang Station, Sangwangsibni Station

Line 3: Jongno 3-ga Station
Line 4: Dongdaemun History & Culture Park Station
Line 5: Gwanghwamun Station (main starting point; exit towards Cheonggyecheon Stream)

Yahoo! Let's Shop Till I Drop!!

Do you know that 2010-2012 is Visit Korea Year?

(via Visit Korea) There is a variety of special events and promotions have been put in place to ensure that vacationing in Korea exceeds one's expectations. I can participate in various events such as contest, shopping spree, volunteer work etc! Seems like SO MUCH FUN ^0^

Myeongdong (Pic credit:flickr.com)

During my last trip, I almost emptied my wallet at Myeongdong alone.
I went here almost every single day during Korea Grand Sale and almost everything was given discount: make ups, cafes, clothes!

Myeongdong (literally called as Bright Town) is extremely popular among foreign tourists and one of the top places-to-visit in Korea! Forever 21, H&M, Etude House, Nature Republic, Tony Moly, and hundreds more could be found here. It usually gets busy in the evening. All sort of thing is available here; clothes, bags, shoes, make ups, accessories, etc.

Myeongdong Subway Station

Why subway, you ask? Hey.....Myeongdong subway is the place where Kpop fans spend their money for~! :P
*after tapping the T-money card at Exit 6, don't go upstairs (yes..it leads to Myeongdong...) instead, walk straight from the exit and roam the area LOL!
Trust me, so far, Myeongdong subway's price is the BEST when it comes to Kpop-related stuff:
Light sticks, notebooks, albums, photobooks etc.
I spent about 40% of my travelling allowance at two of the shops here.

Duty Free Shops (Pic credit: budgettravelkorea)

I was told by friends that shopping in duty free could save me quite a lot! Plus, if I spend rightly, I could ask for a tax refund! Isn't it awesome?!

South Korea has more than 600 branches duty-free shops, mostly in advanced hotel and department stores. Be it Lotte Duty Free or Shilla Duty Free (these two are the well known duty free shops). Hallyu Wave stars aka DBSK, Super Junior, Choi Ji Woo, Kim Hyung Joong and more are the 'faces' of these duty free shops^^ Occasionally, duty free shops will offer great great discount!

Ewha shopping district (Pic credit: http://xlilsecretx.blogspot.com)

Targetted at youngsters (duh..ME..haha!) Ewha district gets 'extra' busy when the sun goes down..haha.

The streets around the women’s university has become a shopping heaven for women. There are a few big department stores and streets lined with all the latest fashions, shoe shops, nail/hair salons etc.
Direction: Take line 2 to Ewha Station and go to exit 2 or 3 and head straight.

Hongdae Free Market (Pic credit: Andy Kim)

Hongdae Free Market is a little market for handmade goodies

i.e paintings, clothes, bags, jewellery and others).

This market runs every Saturday from March to November, 13:00-18:00

Located at Hongik Univ. Most of the vendors are students from Hongik Univ.

Direction via visitkorea.or.kr: Take subway line 2 to Hongik Univ. Station, and go out exit 9 → Walk ahead onto the wide street on the left →Turn right at the second small intersection → Walk past some shopping centers → When you get to a driveway, turn left→Walk ahead in the direction of Hongik University →Continue to walk ahead and cross the street to the right at the three-way intersection → Walk ahead and go up the uphill road to the right → Hongdae Playground will be on the left-hand side.

Insadong

I'll be staying in Jongno and Insadong is pretty near to each other; 10 min walking distance!

Insadong is a big shopping area where one can find mainly Korean - themed items, from souvenirs to clothing, porcelain, art and craft, pictures, books in the shops lining both sides of the street.
The street is closed to traffic and open to performances on Sundays.
I've been here once and i love the place.
One can bargain (if buy a bunch of stuff together) etc ^^v

Ssamziegil (쌈지길)

A unique building! Oh-oh! Must see this!

Ssamziegil (operating hours: 10:00 -20:30) is visited frequently by locals and tourist and one can buy a few unique items for gifts.
Korean paper, music boxes, caricatures, traditional hair accessories, restaurants, cafes, book shops etc.
The mall is fairly new which is opened in 2008 and it is designed in the form of a spiral-like stairway; allowing visitors to go between floors without using stairs.
How to get there: Take the Subway Line 3 to Anguk station. Go to exit 6 and walk straight for about 500 meters.

Hm..What/Where Shall I Hunt For Food/Coffee?

Going to a place to another consumes lotsa energy, so....in order to gain back what I've been missing, I can dine at the plethora of restaurants/coffee shops along the street! As a coffee addict, going to cafe in korea is a MUST! Ah~I'm a Muslim so getting food here is quite hard so I've done my homework~^^

Itaewon (Pic credit: http://cikhanie.blogspot.com)

Kebab? Turkish ice cream? Rice? Meat? Chicken? Lamb?

Direction: Get off at Itaewon station (Subway Line 6). V-POPULAR AMONG MUSLIM TOURISTS. As u can see from the pic above (a mosque), the biggest mosque in Korea. Islam in Korea is growing gradually~it is the main area for foreigners living in Seoul (via wikitravel.com) Itaewon is Seoul's international district, housing a variety of Western-styled venues to eat, drink and be merry. I can find a great deal of Halal restaurants in Itaewon.

Hongik Bab (recommended by budgettravel2korea.blogspot.com)

Bibimbap is the main food being served here. (via wikipedia.com) The word "Bibimbap" literally means "mixed meal" or "mixed rice". I have yet to taste bibimbap, so here's my chance! It's served as a bowl of warm white rice topped with namul (sautéed and seasoned vegetables) and gochujang (chili pepperpaste). Drooling already~~ T_T

A raw or fried egg and sliced meat (usually beef) are common additions.

The ingredients are stirred together thoroughly just before eating.

Direction: Get off at Hongik Station (Line 2) and head towards Hongik University.

The restaurant is around the area (ask people nearby).

Chilgabsan칠갑산 (recommended by budgettravel2korea.blogspot.com)

I've always wondering how Korean's food taste like, complete with a traditional surrounding. Chilgabsan is probably one of the best places to sit in! The food is reasonably cheap and it offers a warm surrounding~perfect!

The famous dish here is the Jeongshik or Jungshik (칠갑산 정식) which means Korean full course meal.
However it usually consists of meat (non-halal) so pick the right menu!
Direction (via budgettravel2korea): Walk after Anguk Station, Exit 6 towards Insadong. Pass Ssamziegil building and after passing a pharmacy SudoYakguk 수도약국, walk into Insadong-10-gil road. Walk about 20 metres and you will find a signboard on your right acrossan old Korean Traditional House read 인사동 수제비. Walk towards the end of the alley and you will see the bright yellow signboard. Chilgabsan is just next door.

Street food (Pic credit: google)

"What better way to start my culinary adventure in Korea than by hitting up their local street food!" They are cheap, fulfilling and easy to get! Let's hit the stall, will ya?

Above: Ddeokbokki (sliced chewy rice)

Above: Hue O Ri Gam Ja/Tornado Potato (screw-shaped potato chips)

Above: Hoddeok Japchae (in Insadong)

Hello Kitty Cafe (Pic credit: winnieisnotabear, kyutie.com)

Although I'm no fan of pink, but I'm still a girl. I LOVE CUTE THINGS! The entire cafe is decorated with pink and HELLO KITTY~!! Furniture, walls, chairs, and even the food (waffle is shaped into a Hello Kitty!)

Located in Hongdae, finding the cafe ain't easy for a first timer so I Google-ed and found the direction that might help! Thanks to winnieisnotabear.wordpress.com->Direction to H.Kitty cafe: Hongdae subway station exit 9, walk forward (you will pass a street on your left and Paris Baguette). Turn left into the street after Paris Baguette, walk straight (pass by starbucks). Cross the road at the crossing and turn right at the 2nd junction. Walk down looking to your left. A pink cafe is hidden there<3.

Starbucks (Pic credit: flickr.com)

Btw, have u heard about the "Korean Starbucks"? Supposedly the cafe is the only one in the world with its sign written in a language other than English! I would love to get my pic taken in front of the cafe!

Trivia of Hangul Starbucks:
Insadong is a neighborhood that presents a unique coexisting landscape of both traditional and contemporary Korea.
Thus, in order to protect and promote the overall atmosphere of the area, most of the logos for the stores at Insadong are written in Korean (Hangul) even if the brands are from foreign origins.
Wow!!
Direction via visitkorea.or.kr: From the main gate of Changdeokgung Palace, just walk to the right for about 5 min until you reach a 5-way intersection. Cross the street and walk a little more to the right and there will be the entrance to Insa-dong.

Experiencing First-Hand Korean Culture

Early this year, my univ. held a Korean Heritage and Contemporary Arts. Wasn't i thrilled to be at the exhibition!! Haha! I took pics..and was definitely awed with what were being displayed. Being able to experience this has aroused my desire to be in Korea!

Tea ceremony
(Pic credit: explow.com)

I'll be able to 'master' the etiquette, getting to know the individual tea ceremony table (hands-on experience of how to brew and drink tea) and so much more. Oh! Tea is my 2nd fav after coffee :P

Craft making

When I'm leaving Seoul, I don't have to spend all my time shopping at the duty-free stores at the Incheon International Airport.
The Traditional Culture Center, located near Boarding Gate 40 at the airport, is one place where departing tourists can learn to make traditional crafts for free.

Trying hanbok
(Pic credit: buhaykorea.com)

Hanbok: Korean traditional clothing. It might cost me a bomb if i intend on buying one. The only way for a ~~cheapskate~~ money-conscious traveler like me is....trying on the hanbok! I found this on the web->The best spot to try hanbok is in UnHyeongGung (운현궁) a small palacial area between CheongDuk Gung and Gyeongbok Gung. One can try on a hanbok for 2000won and walk around the entire palace! ~~While the other places require one to only stay out in front of the palace or in certain areas.~~ The easiest way to get there is Ahnguk Station (안국역), Exit 4. Just head out straight and you'll see it on the left side.

K-Pop and Leisure...

When one talks about Korea, K-Pop would definitely come out from one's mouth! It can't be helped lah~ As a huge fan of K-Pop, visiting the company where my DBSK spend their time to practice, do some recording etc would fun! How about leisure, then? Well, I can't leave Jimjilbang out of the topic;) ~~noraebang~~ ~~(karaoke) is one thing but i really don't bother singing in public!~~

K-Pop Music Shows

If luck is on my side, I would like to attend to any of these music shows:
Mnet Countdown (Thursdays) | KBS Music Bank (Fridays) | MBC Music Core (Saturdays) | SBS Inkigayo (Sundays).
*How to apply? Go to Visit Korea for further enquiry.
There are steps and rules that one has to take note^^v

Cjes Entertainment building

Address: Seoul, Gangnam-gu, Yeoksam-dong, 629-7

How to get there : Yeoksam St. (Line 2) exit 6

SM Entertainment building

Address : Seoul, Gangnam-gu, Apgujeong-2dong, 521, SM Entertainment

How to get there : Apgujeong St. (Line 3) exit 2, walk about 20 minutes toward Galleria Department Store, the building is next to KIA building.

Kona Beans (Pic credit as tagged)

Super Junior fans must have heard this newly-opened cafe! Who knows I might have SJ member to serve me my coffe and waffle? ;)))) lucky day, huh? Kyaa~

Direction via polkadotyyann: Take Exit 2, from Apgujeong station. Make a U-turn on your left and follow the path straight all the way till you see a Hyundai Oil Station. Cross the street towards the petrol station and keep walking until you see “Black Smith” cafe at a small alley junction (which is on your right). Turn right and walk into the alley. You will see Jindo building and walk down the street for about two more blocks and you’ll see Kona Bean Cafe~!

Jimjilbang/sauna house (Pic credit: ihcahieh.com)

How could one be skipping jimjilbang if travelling to Korea..? Jimjilbang is great for one's skin as it helps rejuvenate the body after a tiring day. It's good in removing dead cells too!

I heard some Koreans go there before they go for work o.O it's a no surprise that Koreans have such baby bottom's skin *pardon my hyperbole LOL*
FYI, recommended jimjilbang by some Malaysian tourists is Silloam Fire Pot Sauna.
Visit: http://www.silloamsauna.com. Price starts from 8,000won.
Direction: Seoul Station (Subway Line 1 & 4), Exit 1. Go towards Seobu Station, go past an overpass, and walk across the street. You will see the sauna on the 5th floor of the building to your right. Total walking time is 5 min.

Everland (Pic credit: 10mag.com)

Korea's biggest theme park. Just like Malaysia's Berjaya Times Square and Genting Highland..well ours aren't humungous like Everland:P More fun and definitely adrenaline pumping ridesssssssssssss! More info/ticket->http://www.everland.com/web/

Direction via dianateo-dt.blogspot.com:

#1. Take a train to Gangnam Station for Subway Line 2. After that, heading to Exit 6.

#2. Once out from the subway, walking straight for about 3 minutes until you see this shop on your left-hand side. There's where the bus station to Everland located on the right-hand side.

#3. Hop on to the 5002 bus which cost 1800won per single journey and there it goes all the way to Everland until you reach the final stop.

#4. The journey hasn't end here yet as you need to take another shuttle bus in order to reach Everland itself and no worries, this shuttle bus is free.

Noryangjin Market 노량진 수산시장 (Pic credit: jamielew.com)

One of Korea's largest seafood market. There's variety of fish or sea creatures (as I would call 'em cz they look so abnormal ROFL!) which are worth to look at (well, some are pricey T__T)

One can also buy fish and bring it upstairs to one of the many restaurants and have it prepared.
So fresh!
And a tad cheaper than ordering seafood from a restaurant
Again, as a foreigner, one needs to be assertive and know market price for seating and preparation, but the end result is awesome!
What a deal!
Direction: Noryangjin Station (Subway Line 1), Exit 1, walk about 100m over the bridge.

Annyeong!

(I drew this by myself okay! Wahaha :3)

Travelling is a part of me and it really is an eye opener for someone who's eager to 'venture' culturally via travelling! Hopefully, I'd be able to set my feet on the land of Kimchi as it shows the efforts that i had put into this blog:

Staying at hanok->in Jongo!
Visiting historical places->Changdeokgung Palace | Bukchon Hanok Village | The War Memorial of Korea | Korea Folk Village | Ewha Womans University | Cheonggyecheon Stream
Window shopping->Myeongdong | Myeongdong subway station| Duty Free shops | Ewha shopping street | Hongdae Free Market | Insadong | Ssamziegil
Indulging in street food~!!
Eating Korean food->Itaewon | Hongik Bab | Chilgabsan
Going to cool cafes-> Hello Kity cafe | Starbucks | Kona Beans
Experiencing Korean culture first-hand~
It's K-Pop time->SM Entertainment | CJes Entertaiment | Music shows
Trying hanbok, having fun at Everland Resort, spending the entire morning at Noryangjin market~