Jalan-Jalan Korea 2019/20: Day 5

Day 5. It's snowing in Seoul! 1.1.2020

Jalan-Jalan Korea 2019/20: Day 4

Day 4. It was a terribly cold but beautiful day at Nami Island! First time we were here was back in 2009, almost a full decade ago. We walked, snapped photos and sought refuge in the stores from the negative temperature. I'm usually cool in such weather but I  needed ear muffs (and another layer of clothes, if I'm honest) just to survive. Haha. Happy New Year, folks!

Jalan-Jalan Korea 2019/20: Day 3

Day 3. Had another ace day today with our itinerary prepared by Tia! Went to Sinsa to look for the Spoonz store with exclusive Montsa X merch. Then it was off to the World Trade Centre and SMTOWN, the Anfield of Kpop 😊 

A scrumptious bbq lunch was next (at a place filled with 90% Malaysians) before we walked up and down the hills so Tia could pose in front of her favourite bands' record label offices. (yes, true story). 

And we ended the day in freezing weather amidst the madness of the Myeong-dong night market. 19,000 steps. 5 metro rides. 1 awesome day. 😁😁

Jalan-Jalan Korea 2019/20: Day 2

Day 2. Taking the Seoul City Hop On Hop Off Tour bus (which I had earlier booked through Klook), we did quite well hitting as many cool spots as possible within the day. From the Namdaemun Market to Itaewon, Myeong-dong, Hanok Village and to Dongdaemun. Weather was excellent too but it was drizzling slightly in the evening which made it even colder. A day well-spent!

Jalan-Jalan Korea 2019/20: Day 1

Day 1. Enjoyed the lovely cool weather and hunted for halal local food. A wonderful start to the trip!

It's Korea!

Funny how life can be sometimes. I had never been to South Korea before this year, but whaddya know, I made a SECOND trip to soap opera-central a couple of weeks ago. But if the March trip was purely on business, this one was purely for pleasure. Awesome huh?

And I got to experience a different season as well! Early spring back in May was cold and bland, but autumn in Korea is simply breathtaking! And cold also lah.

AND I also got to experience Korea beyond its capital city, Seoul. And by popular demand, the first place we went to was Nami Island. If it doesn't sound familiar, this was where they shot that hugely popular soap opera, Winter Sonata. See, now you're going, "aaaaa"...
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And of course the place was postcard material lah. Naturally, I had to jump for joy...
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I call this phenomenon, TV show-triggered Tourism. Seriously, I know of many people who've spent their hard-earned money on a trip to Korea just to relive the show's couple's magical moments here. Sappy giler....

...Knowing this fact, the Korean government had actually turned this into a full-fledged tourist attraction with shops, restaurants and sufficient signs pointing you to locations you should be snapping away.
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...The next day, it was time for some high-altitude action. But before that, I must say that the bus rides to our various destinations were rather long and boring, so if you're making the same trip, make sure you have sufficient kerepek and a book (or two) to read.

Anyway, Day 2 was all about Mount Seorak. Have a look...

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...Nice, huh? And if you're the type who likes to pose-pose manja, this is the place to go. In case you're wondering, the average temperature during these few days were between 5-12 degrees celsius. So, I really needed the gloves OK? Bukan saja nak eksyen.
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What's not here though are pictures of us in the cable car that took us right up to the mountain top. It looked like a pretty long line, but I timed it coming back down and the whole journey only lasted 3 mins . So if you're afraid of heights, the agony won't last that long lah. Cos really, the pay-off, ie: the view at the top, was pretty spectacular.

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Anyway, let me breeze thru the other interesting stuff we saw and experienced.

This was at the second hotel we stayed. Saw a sign in the lift with the "Lovely Bones" movie poster, but I had no time to check what the connection was with the film. But it had a cool name though, "The Kensington"!

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We also took a train ride along a coastal area. Lovely. (If my info on the places seem lacking, please blame the tour guide. So malas lah the fler).

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With all the nature-loving activities, we didn't get to do much shopping. I know, MAJOR bummer! However, we did get an hour(!) at this luxury brand shopping centre. But with the limited time given, it felt like "Supermarket Sweep" as we had to swiftly look, try on and pay for the stuff we wanted.

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...Another interesting spot was this beach that had this temple (Haha, again, really sorry lah for the sketchy info).
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We also had a few minutes at this seafood night market.
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...At this point, I'd like to just say a few words about the food over there. NOT GOOD. I mean, everything was boiled or grilled. And since meat was off limits, we had to endure five days of soup, kimchi, other veggies and rice, from morning till night! Yeah we had SOME seafood, but nothing as spectacular as Muara in Klang or even Muhibbah in Taman Tun! So yes, I'm being very Malaysian and advise you to bring along the sambal goreng . Loads of it!

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OK, back to the good stuff. A memorable day was also spent at the Everland Theme Park. Never heard of the place before, it did live up to its reputation of being "one of the four biggest theme parks in the world".
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And really the place had everything; cool rides, cool parks, a big-ass rollercoaster and even a safari complete with dancing bears. Sure they don't have "official" cartoon characters, but you can be assured of a nice day out at Everland.

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Back in Seoul, we also managed to drop by at a few interesting attractions. This was at the Ice Gallery...
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And this was at the Gyeongbuk Palace, right smack in the centre of Seoul.
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And to make the trip complete, we just had to go where they make the stuff that was our diet for five days straight...

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...So if you're thinking of Korea for your next family/romantic getaway, do it! Just don't forget the sambal goreng...