This post is also available in: Français (French)

Hi my dreamers, 

Happy new year and welcome to my very first travel story where I will tell you 15 things to do in South Korea apart from taking photos in a “purikura” style photo booth, singing in a karaoke (noraebang), eating kimchi, Korean barbecue, etc. 

It was not easy for me to write about this trip because : 

• it was in 2013, so the things I wrote might be a little different from now.
• during my trip, I only thought about enjoying XD I didn’t think that one day I would show/tell my trip and recommend things to people about South Korea.
• so I didn’t take (good) pictures/videos as much as I should have taken to write this article all these years later.

But also, you are probably thinking that now is not the right time to travel because of the pandemic. I agree but as I wrote in my About me page (where you will know all the progress of this blog), in my opinion, it is in this period that we have the greatest need to dream and to escape, so I hope to take you on a journey through this article.

Despite all these reasons, I absolutely wanted this trip to be part of my blog and to be the first published because this trip was exceptional and because my passion for travel started with South Korea.

To explain to you the context of this 6 weeks trip to South Korea…

In 2013, when I was a student in communication at the university, I applied to a summer school in South Korea where I chose the Ajou University, in the south of Seoul. Their program was called AISS (Ajou International Summer School) and I recommend it 100%, both for the very friendly staff and for the faultless organization of the super schedule.  So, one day I took the plane alone for an unforgettable adventure 9,000 km from home.

Now, let’s get to the heart of the matter!

Based on my own experience, here is a list of 15 things to do in South Korea:

1) Relax in a spa, like the Dragon Hill Spa & Resort, a 7-floors spa open 24 hours a day

There are several pools of hot water at different temperatures with various virtues and a very large rest room where you can sleep (maybe the last resort if you have nowhere to sleep? Lol). And I warn you, people are all naked there (women and men separated obviously)!

2) Have fun in an amusement park, like Lotte World

This park is really reminiscent of Disneyland but there is also a very large indoor ice rink.

3) See Kpop singers sing live

At that time, Show Champion reserved the upper bleachers for foreign tourists on one of its shows. I had been able to see and listen to a few Kpop singers including Ailee.

4) Take a walk in Myeongdong

In my opinion, it is the ideal place to go shopping (Hongdae is also not bad), to go to a cat bar or just to stroll because it is big, there are lots of shops and it is always very lively. Also, one night I was there, a great electro music festival took place in the street and it was one of my best parties!

5) Watch a baseball game

For less than 10€, I attended a Doosan Bears game at the Jamsil Baseball Stadium and it was a blast! At the bottom of the bleachers, there was a stage with a host who, along with the supporters, sang a hymn dedicated to each of the players with different choreographies to encourage them. I felt like I was attending a concert rather than a match, it was a real show!

6) Walk along the ramparts of Hwaseong Fortress and get a panoramic view of Suwon

The ramparts of this UNESCO World Heritage fortress measure 5.52 km and require the purchase of a ticket to walk around. It is a good place to go for a walk, especially at sunset.

7) Visit palaces

There are quite a few but I visited only two, the Changdeokgung (Palace of Prosperity, a UNESCO World Heritage Site) and my favorite, the Gyeongbokgung (the first royal palace of the Joseon dynasty). Before accessing the latter, you will be able to see in the distance the “Blue House” which is the executive office and official residence of the president.

8) Immerse yourself in Korean culture in folk villages

Near Mount Namsan there is the Namsangol Hanok Village, made up of five hanoks (traditional houses) dating from the Joseon dynasty, where you can for example wear a hanbok (the traditional dress), participate in a tea ceremony, learn the Korean calligraphy… This village is much more modern than the Korean Folk Village for example, which is further away from Seoul, in Yongin, and where you will be completely immersed in the life that Koreans led in the past. If you are lucky you may be able to see a demonstration of a traditional wedding ceremony.

9) Contemplate Seoul from the sky

… from the 60th floor of the DLI 63 Building or from N Seoul Tower. I don’t know if that is still the case today, but at that time, you could buy a padlock on the spot and hang it on one of the barriers.

10) Marvel at the Moonlight Rainbow Fountain

Not far from N Seoul Tower there is the Banpo Bridge where several times a day there is a 15-minute free musical performance with multi-colored water jets. It is the longest fountain in the world, measuring 1140 meters.

11) Go to the North Korean border

You can only get there on a tour. I paid 100,000 wons (about 75€), for transportation, meal, and the tour. When you stop at the wall with barbed wire and a large locomotive, if you wish, you can purchase a small colorful banner to write a message on and hang it up. It was a tense day (proper attire required, strict schedule, propaganda, standing, and expressionless soldiers, brief time to look at the North Korean building from where someone was watching us with their binoculars…) but that was worth seeing that.

12) Stay in Jeju-do

The University of Ajou organized 3 days of excursion on this island and on the island of U-do, where we visited the cave of Manjanggul, the labyrinth of Maze Land, the forest of Bijarim and we climbed Seongsan Ilchulbong, which is part of the UNESCO World Heritage and offers a view of the entire volcanic island.

13) Enjoying the beach in Busan

…to Haeundae Beach or Gwangalli Beach. You can also walk to Dongbaekseom, which has a beautiful view of the colorfully illuminated Gwangandaegyo Bridge at night, and if you want to shop you can go to Shinsegae Centum City, one of the biggest department stores in the world.

14) Have a snack at Miss Lee Café

This little cafe, where you can taste Korean frozen desserts (bingsu), is located in the Insadong district. The decor is original because customers can write on the walls and hang little notes all over the place.

15) Eat at the Tongin Traditional Market

In this food market located near the Gyeongbokgung Palace, we exchange wons for golden coins that allow us to pay for dishes from different sellers. You can put these dishes on a meal tray and eat them on the spot. I liked it because for not much money you can taste a bit of everything like in a buffet and everything is very good!

That’s all for my recommendations!

Finally, to summarize my feelings a little, I would say that this trip was perfect because I enjoyed very much, I liked everything about this country and the context of the summer school where I met a lot of great people was the icing on the cake. I had never even felt so happy and alive as during this stay <3

And you, what did you do or what would you do there?

If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment!

See you soon for the next article!

 

Find me on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube 🙂