After 5 years of parenthood, misterchewy and I decided that it was time we go on a couple trip! We share a love for Korean dramas so it’s a no-brainer that Korea would be our holiday destination! Actually, the hubs wasn’t keen on watching Kdramas as he thought that all Kdramas were soppy love stories until I managed to convince him and then he got hooked when he first started watching “Familiar Wife” starring Ji Sung and Han Ji-Min in August last year. Through numerous Kdramas, we picked up some Korean words and phrases, learned a bit about their culture and also got drawn to their food and soju. As we had to trouble our parents to take care (his on weekdays and mine on weekends) of the kids, Korea is also an ideal choice of destination as one week is sufficient to cover a few tourist attractions and activities. In fact, we managed to visit Seoul and Busan over our 8D7N trip.
Even before we boarded our plane, we treated ourselves to some hot food and drinks at the airport lounge. Access to airport lounges is no longer restricted to just business flyers, priority pass holders or travellers who purchase annual membership. Through Ready To Travel app, travellers can now book a single access lounge entry to SATS Premier Airport Lounges! Some facilities of the airport lounge include buffet spread, massage chairs, widescreen cable TV, shower facilities, workstations with internet access, free flow of beverages and extensive selection of newspapers and magazines.
Since we checked in two hours ahead of boarding time, we indulged in the yummy spread. The piping hot laksa was so good that we went for seconds!
We even concocted our own whisky highball drinks. Hehehe.
Perfect space if you want to have a quick nap and do not wish to be disturbed.
Our flight was scheduled to take off at around 1am but there was a slight delay. Somehow, we were assigned the last row of seats and it got kinda irritating with many passengers visiting the washroom throughout the entire flight. Thank goodness for these Kakao hooded travel pillows which helped to block out the light and noise around us.
We had a pretty restful sleep (not travelling with kids, that’s why!) and soon, breakfast was served! A pity the food wasn’t that fantastic.
Happy to know that we have landed safely in the Land of Morning Calm!
No queue at Shake Shack in Incheon International Airport!
Boarded the Airport Railroad Express Train (AREX) to Seoul. It’s one of the most convenient and cost-effective ways to travel to Seoul from the airport and vice versa. And of course, we whipped out our reliable Ready to Travel pocket wifi as soon as we touched down! Do you know that the pocket wifi comes with FREE delivery? Definitely saves you a lot of hassle especially when you are busy with your trip planning! Book yours here! Btw, please do not use Google Maps in Korea. We recommend Naver Map. You can download the app on your mobile device and input the destinations.
Since we were not travelling with the kids, misterchewy and I decided to stay in an Airbnb! So far our experiences were satisfactory but we also hear some horror stories from time to time, so book at your own discretion! I found this cute Hello Kitty themed apartment on Airbnb and the reviews are all positive! Also, our host is awarded as a “Superhost”, and we can attest to that. She has been very responsive to all our messages and patient with our enquiries.
Although the apartment is small, I feel that it is very cosy and fit for two people with not more than two huge luggages.
The shower head is attached to the sink so it took us awhile to get used to it. Toiletries and bath towels are also provided but this depends on individual Airbnb hosts.
Besides the price (only $60 per night during our period of stay), we loved the strategic location! Only a minute’s walk to the train station and we could also get to Myeongdong by foot in 10 minutes. There are also two convenience stores and many eateries just downstairs.
After freshening up, we went for lunch at Eulji Myeonok (을지면옥). If you like cold noodles or if it’s something you think you will like, do pay this restaurant a visit! It’s very popular among locals. There is also a spicy cold noodle version.
Address: 2-1 Chungmu-ro 144-gil Jung-gu Seoul
Ikseon-dong Hanok Village (익선동 한옥마을) is gaining popularity in recent years. It is a quaint place with a few alleys lined up with shops selling vintage clothings and some bric-a-brac, and also cosy cafes where you can sip coffee and watch the world go by.
We had to wait a while for the crowd to clear before taking this shot. There were throngs of people even on a weekday afternoon!
If you like collecting vintage or cutesy stuff, Ikseon-dong has plenty of these.
I was actually quite tempted to bring Peter Rabbit home!
The crowd at Ikseon-dong was starting to give me a headache so we didn’t spend much time there. We adjourned to Ihwa Mural Village (이화 벽화마을) and had to climb a long flight of stairs. Phew!
The peak of the cherry blossom season was nearly over and we were thrilled that we could still see many beautiful blooms all around us.
Stopping by for an iced cold drink before more walking.
As the name suggests, Ihwa Mural Village has many interesting murals and art installations, revitalized by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism’s public art “Ihwa-dong Naksan Project” in 2006.
Definitely a nice place to visit and capture some unique photos.
We did the love lock thingy when we went for our honeymoon in Europe a few years ago and we just had to do this cheesy thing again in Seoul! Yup we travelled to Namsan Seoul Tower (남산서울타워) for this!
Kinda looks like we are exchanging wedding rings right? LOL.
Since we were there and it was still quite early, we paid 10000 won each to go up the Observatory. There is no time limit so you can enjoy the beautiful view of Seoul and snap as many pictures as you want.
Namsan Seoul Tower (남산서울타워)
Address: 126 Namsangongwon-gil Yongsan-gu Seoul
We also made it a point to visit a few craft beer places during our trip. Almost everything on the menu contains beef, so we only had nacho chips to go with our drinks.
The Booth Sinyongsan Station Branch
Address: 100 Hangang-daero Yongsan-gu Seoul
After a long day, we were too tired to go anywhere else for dinner and decided to settle for a fuss-free one just below our Airbnb. The hubs had jjajangmyeon.
I opted for udon as I wanted something hot and soupy after being out in the cold.
We have come to the end of Day One in Korea/Seoul! Keep watching this page for more updates! 🙂