Traveling To South Korea

[austallia_1980]

I would like to stay in a very simple, well located hotel that has a swimming pool, and an in-room secure, reliable internet connection.

What are some of your favorite things to do in South Korea?

[tuky]

Mate, where are you staying? Seoul, Pusan, Geoje-do, etc etc etc.

[Soju]

What types of things do you enjoy doing? When are you planning on coming? August is not a good time to come as the weather is very hot and humid and almost all Koreans take their vacations then so all the vacation spots are jam packed. The weather is good is September, though sometimes get a typhoon then with lots of rain. October sees Autumn in full swing with lots of people enjoying trips to the mountains to see all the leaves changing colors. But the first week in October isn't good because that's the Korean Thanksgiving when all Koreans go visit their hometown and all the roads, trains, buses, planes are full. Seoul has a few palaces that are common places for tourists to visit. Lots of temples around the country. I can't recommend any hotels to you as I live here and so don't use the hotels.

[austallia_1980]

I am planning to go in early September

I had planned to stay in Seoul, unless there is something particularly interesting in these other cities.

My GF will of course want to do some shopping - outside of shopping malls. She will want a place similar to Mongkok's Ladies Market... And she will want to buy fake Grade A hand bags. I would like to buy real DVDs somewhere, which should be easy enough.

There is a Korean TV show in Thailand called Jung-Guem that Thai people love. She wants to go to that museum. I have my reservations about whether or not it will be a waste of time.

I would like to do something outdoors that is beautiful since I spend so much time in Bangkok - How is the Zoo? Or Gardens? How is the beach?

Thanks

[Soju]

If she likes shopping, for clothes specifically, I'd recommend DongDaeMoon. They've got lots of clothing stores selling goods for wholesale prices and likely lot's of fashion styles that haven't yet hit Thailand. Also lot's of shoe stores in that area. I imagine your girlfriend could spend the whole day there and be in heaven if she's a typical Thai woman. There's a number of tall buildings that sell all sorts of clothes and fashion accessories, but the prices there will be higher than the street stalls or the stores in the not-so-fancy buildings.

The fake handbags used to be prevelant in Korea, but I've heard they've been cracking down on them in recent years so don't know how easy they are to get these days.

Lot's of places selling real DVDs at not so cheap prices. If you're looking for Korean DVDs which might not be available in Thailand then any shopping mall will likely have a good selection. Lot's of places also selling knockoff DVDs. For a good selection of knockoff or real DVDs, try YongSan. It's a huge electronics/computer marketplace at the YongSan station. If you want to buy any electronics, you should know that Korea is 220V, same as Thailand. But the TV system here is NTSC, not PAL. DVDs codes for Thailand and Korea are the same, but of course you need to check that they have English, Thai, or whatever subtitles or audio tracks you want. Also being Korea is NTSC, if you have only a PAL TV with a DVD player that can't convert NTSC DVDs to PAL it might be a problem. Never tried that myself so don't know for sure what issues you may have there. Some of the electronics / computer goods can be had for a good price, though nothing really exceptional. Certainly not as good as USA prices. The selection is probably better though than in Thailand. Don't think about buying any cell phones here, as they are not compatible with the Thai cell phone system.

There's a shopping area geared for foreigners in Itaewon, but prices are much higher and personally I hate the place. But English is universally spoken in the shops there.

There's a zoo in KwaCheon, a southern suburb of Seoul which I've been to many years ago. Nothing special, but was okay. There's an aquarium in the KOEX shopping mall. Again, okay, but not spectacular. In the spring time the palaces are nice to visit with lot's of flowers, etc., but in September there won't be much to see. Don't know of any other gardens in Seoul though imagine there might be some that I've just not heard of. There's a real nice garden on Cheju Island, but that'll require a plane ride from Seoul and is a bit expensive there for hotels.

There aren't any beaches nearby Seoul as it's not near the coast. The weather is getting cooler in September, and thus the water temperature gets a bit chilly. I personally wouldn't recommend any beaches in Korea for someone who's based in Thailand and also not for someone going in September. Thailand beaches and resorts are far better than anything in Korea. If you really want to hit the beach, I'd recommend Cheju Island again. Lots of activities to do there as it's basically just a vacation / honeymoon island for Koreans. They've got a submarine ride, gardens (as already mentioned), waterfalls, minature theme park, museums, circus shows, etc. Nothing though in the way of shopping there to compare with Seoul.

South of Seoul, in Yongin there's a Korean Folk Village, which is always popular with the tourists, showing Korean housing and living conditions that existed in times past, along with shows of a traditional Korean wedding and traditional dance. Not too far from there, also in Yongin is Everland, a large amusement park, and probably the best in Korea if you're into that kind of thing. Several other amusement parks as well throughout the Seoul area.

There's a few hot springs in Korea which are popular with the Asians, but mainly Japanese, Koreans, and Chinese. The Thais don't seem to care that much for them.

Haven't heard of that museum you mentioned, so can't comment on it.

Most places are very busy on the weekends, so if you're flexible on when you go, I'd recommend you go during the week if possible as you'll be able to do more shopping and enjoy your other activities without the crowds of people. Seoul has an extensive subway system that's convenient to access a lot of the places I mentioned.

Hopefully your girlfriend can eat foods other than Thai foods. There's only a handful of Thai restaraunts in Seoul and none elsewhere that I've seen and the prices are sky high and quality mediocre at best. Prices at most western restaraunts are also not so cheap unless it's a fast food place. Korean and Chinese restaurants are very plentiful and cheap.

[migrant]

Korean and Chinese restaurants are very plentiful and cheap.

Just don't overdose on the soju (sorry couldn't help it!) Sounds like great advice. Been to S Korea a few times and enjoyed it.

[thaigene2]

Avoid Korean Airlines (KAL). Food sucks, entertainment poor. Try Asiana I hear they are pretty good but haven't tried them.

[Soju]

Korean and Chinese restaurants are very plentiful and cheap.

Just don't overdose on the soju (sorry couldn't help it!) Sounds like great advice. Been to S Korea a few times and enjoyed it.

Yes, it's very easy to overdo it on soju. The stuff is cheap and potent. A bit like me.

[austallia_1980]

How is Gangwon this time of year? What would you recommend doing there? How would I get there from Seoul?

How far is Dongdaemun Market from Gyeongbokgung Palace?

Thanks