Asian coutries
Are you a non-tourist traveler? Maybe you’ve visited Seoul, South Korea before. Maybe you haven’t. But you want to go to the places tourists don’t go. You want to experience Seoul, South Korea like a local. Then head with me over to Wolgok and the Korea University area. Let’s live like locals. I chose this area because I wanted to visit a place in Seoul I had never seen. How do regular people spend their day? What would a non-tourist…
You can’t travel without appreciating the art all around you. That’s part of what this blog is all about. Taipei was no different for me. My next stop after the famous Sanxia Street was the Yingge Ceramics Old Street. Local shops at Yingge Ceramics Old Street sold their pottery all around. Some sellers showcased their designs in well-lit stores. Other sellers used carts and outside stalls. No matter the setting, all the art was stunning. Many shops had fired and…
Renting a hanbok is a must when visiting South Korea. Visiting one of the palaces or the Bukchon Hanok Village? Then, definitely rent a hanbok. Come with me and I’ll show you how. Hanbok Rental Shop How-to I knew I wanted to choose a rental shop near both the Gyeongbokgung Palace and the Bukchon hanok Village. There were a lot of options online. There are an insane amount of Hanbok shops to choose from. Do not choose a shop based…
Walking down the winding streets of South Korea never gets old. It took me a while but I finally visited the Bukchon Hanok Village. The hanoks (traditional Korean homes) were just as beautiful in real life as the pictures. I’ve stayed overnight in a Hanok before. I talk about it in this post. But this time I went to the famed Bukchon Hanok Village. It’s where all the noble families lived during the the Joseon Dynasty era of Korea. Now…
April marked my first visit to Taiwan. Check out the post here. I experienced another first last month. I visited my first airport lounge. You know. It’s the place where all the First Class passengers magically appear from at boarding time. Airport Lounge Location The lounge was the Plaza Premium Lounge, located inside the Taoyuan International Airport (TPE). There are four of these Plaza Premium Lounges in the airport. I stayed in the one located in Zone D of the…
I had been planning to go back to South Korea for quite some time. While I love revisiting my favorite destinations, there’s something magical about a completely new one! I booked tickets with a layover in Taipei, Taiwan. A 12 hour layover to be exact. What do you do with all that time? Go on the Free Taiwan Half-Day Tour. I got a lot of info about the tour at the Taiwan booth of the New York Times Travel Show…
One of the first things that strikes you about South Korea is the architecture. In the middle of bustling Seoul lies ancient architecture juxtaposed with tall modern skyscrapers. It’s that contrast that makes the country such a unique place to visit. Traditional The image seen below shows the attention to detail given to the majestic buildings that are part of the Gyeongbokgung palace complex. It wonderfully showcases the traditional Korean home architecture referred to as hanok. The painted parts are…
So many people are deciding to travel to South Korea. They may have tried Korean fried chicken, learned about k-beauty or started listening to kpop. Whatever the reason, keep reading to see how much it actually costs to visit South Korea. Airfare If you are headed to South Korea from the US you will no doubt see Korean airlines, Chinese airlines and US airlines. Do your travel research. I can’t stress this enough. Rock bottom prices can mean really bad…
Seoul The Coex Mall is said to be the largest underground shopping mall in South Korea. It is right next door to the Hyundai Department Store which I talked about in one of my South Korea travel diaries. It’s impossible not to get overwhelmed with all the shopping possibilities since there are stores as far as the eye can see. Gangnam subway station (underground) is for inexpensive items while the Gangnam neighborhood itself (above ground) is a great place to shop…
Friends took us to our first experience at an escape room called Escape 9. It’s where you are locked in a room and use clues to solve a mystery and get out the room. We sung our hearts out in a Karaoke room (see the huge remote control below). Finally singing Taeyang’s Eyes, Nose, Lips at an actual Korean Karaoke room made me sooo happy. We thought Gangnam station shopping was something. Gangnam station has nothing on Bupyeong shopping. The Bupyeong…