Going to 4 season countries during summer is no fun. Is sticky, hot, crowded and everything is over price with surcharge and all.

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Added on June 24, 2011, 8:03 amNo, further up to Seongsanillchulbong Peak. The beach looks nicer than the Seogwipo but wonder if the area got place to eat or not.

This post has been edited by Listiani: Jun 24 2011, 08:04 AM

whats the opening hours for insadong and myeondong ??
btw expect more questions from me soon

You mean shopping mall?? I guess normal as others mall around the world. 9-10am opening hours and close between 9-10pm.

It's an open street area just like our Petaling Street or HK Temple Street/ ladies street style.

Namdaemun Market is the earliest to open ~ 8am you can start seeing lotsa street vendors & shops opened dy. MyeongDong more on Nite market & trendy fashions & never ending cosmestics outlets and really reminding me of XiMengDing of Taipei.

Insadong - For me- you can skip this (Not really great and small). Mostly souvenirs based shops and pricey than those in namdaemun. For souvenirs, goto Namdaemun market. Anyway, In Insadong area, you can see the older part of Seoul wth those old style housing wth super narrow street that car kenot enter..Also the backlanes of Insadong area probably one of the dirtiest place in Seoul

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Added on June 24, 2011, 9:49 amIt's street with lotsa shops & etc. Insadong area, I dun even see any malls there and those Malls in Myeondong & namdaemun are relativel small malls that none of them can rival KL gigantic Malls ..well more like South East Asian gigantic malls

The largets malls there probably COEX or Lotte World but that on the other part of Seoul i.e the Southern part area..near Gangnam where you can see the modern highrises & super clean city This post has been edited by stimix: Jun 24 2011, 09:49 AM

Brader Stimix, what is the specialty from Myeongdong?? I mean beside the small mall. Do they have rows of small shops like in Hong Kong? I will stay at Myeongdong Guest house.

Yes. like those small shops like in Hong Kong temple street & even our Petaling st except, the street vendors not so many there but more small shops & repetitive cosmestic outlets..like Nature Republic, Skin foods & etc ..Damn so many & repetitive similar outlets within that area haha..Also lotsa small restaurants & etc. Not many departmental stores..Only few. & I dun even wanna enter them haha..Even the largest so called departmental Mall - Shinsegae (Mandarin- SinSheJiek) just at the middle of Border between Namdaemun & Myeondong where I passed by everyday also I malas to enter haha

Anyway, right move staying there..Namdaemun & Myeondong market all within your door step..haha

Abit of what you expect from Myeondong (Soli- Winter time)


Namdaemun (Morning Market):


Insadong - Waste my time only)


This post has been edited by stimix: Jun 24 2011, 10:08 AM

oiks... those who go in july. which hotel to recommend ah? i really need to book today.. sorry no time to read thru hundreds of pages!!

sorry sorry

Just goto front pg for the budget hotel list if you want. I stay at namsam Park hotel located in between Namdaemun & myeondong

nice info there stimix ..
so shud i skip insadong for the folk flea market/itaewon/ehwa/hongik ?? which do u prefer for shopping/coffee-sipping and all ..

This post has been edited by mkaz: Jun 24 2011, 10:30 AM

Well, You can get cheaper folk flea souvenirs at namdaemun market compare to insadong. I was interested on Insadong bcos of the street possession. but none during that time. And walking from the nearest MRT to Insadong is not easy job..I lost my way actually haha..and ended up in those dirty backlanes near to the park & that's why i said it's abit dirty there. Anyway, walking on the road interlock wth one buiding above reminded me of that buiding prominently featured in one of Kdrama.. well forgotten which drama but very fames wan haha.

I passed by Itaewon are vis the Seoul tourist bus and dun even wanna stop. Nothing interesting to me there except more American/english signboards everywhere..This is one of the picture I took from the bus ~ Itaewon area:



I din goto Hoggik & Ehwa areas so no comment on these 2 areas

Brader stimix, if you watch Marry Me Mary acted by Jang Geung Seuk then I think you will know why the youngsters love Hongik/Ehwa area Old people like us feel so so only but the young ones got so excited to go there

Yeah I watched Mary Stay out nite/late (hmnn diff title?)..but din know it's in Hongik/Ehwa area...Anyway, it's really a memory by able to recall those places featured in kdramas and you're indeed there b4 haha..Just like in Secret Garden..Of the Dept store belong to Hun Bin...That's Cheongyangin station new Lotte Mart store

And the current showing of "Can you hear my Heart" , I can recognise the highrises I admired opposite COEX mall which is keeps on repeating in the drama

In Secret Garden the mall call LOEX or something like dat. Hahahaha!!

Now I watch Baby Face Beauty in KBS. Do you recognise The Style Building in that drama??

No idea wor..If you lucky you probably see this familiar buiding liao haha..baby Faced beauty extended..by the time you're there you probably able to see Jang nara & Daniel Choi running around that area

When I visited LOEX mall haha (The Cheonyangin railway station Lotte Dept Store)..The episode earlier was shot at the buiding days b4...ouchh I missed Ha Ji Won by days

Wah!! we can see actors/actress during shooting?? Cross my finger I can see Lee Min Ho or Jang Geung Seuk during my trip since Hyun Bin and Im Ju Hwan off for national service.

When was the Secret Garden shooting brader?? Last year??

Yeah, I read also about Baby Face Beauty extended 2 more episode due to good rating. Haiyah!! cannot wait the moment the evil b**** got crush by Lee So Yeong.

BTW, I'm watching Secret Garden for 3rd time this week. I missed my oppa Hyun Bin.

This post has been edited by Listiani: Jun 24 2011, 12:33 PM

I was there ~ late Dec. and the shooting of secret garden was ~ 1/2 way - 3/4 way mark..

Hi all..

I will go Korea (Seoul) end of July for company training. one week training. Only have two days for jalan-jalan around seoul which before and after our training. already read v1 to v2 of this thread. commonly there are issue with food at korea, and espcially to muslim like us.

This is first time for all of us. So, i have a few question. Hope u can help me.

1) How much estimated for breakfast, lunch and dinner expenses per person? if RM50 enuf or not?

2) Where place is suitable for souvenir shopping? cheap and ok

3) Do i need to change RM to Won first here or @ can do at korea?

1)I'm not sure about muslim food pricing in Seoul. Infact i see none except the one listed on pg 1 by listiana and mostly at Itaewon area. For common Korea food pricing, mostly ~ 4000-5000 won/plate ..i.e on avg ~ RM12-RM15 per plate. So just take this as yardstick.

2) Souvenir- Namdaemun market is the cheapest place for souvenirs & for cloths- Dongdaemun & for cosmestic - Myeondong. Insadong is not cheap

3) Up to you but RM is not well tradwed in Korea. You can change it here wth a lost of ~ RM30 per every RM1000 or change to US$ 1st and change it at Seoul airport

Don't worry Rajatetra, my friends and I in the midst of compiling halal places to eat in Seoul for muslims travelllers. Once I got my list complete, I will post it here. I'll post it here within 1 week.

Hi forumers,

I'm going to visit Korea this September with family free & easy. Plan to stay in guest house at Seoul, Busan and Jeju due to budget constraint.

Any recommend guest house which easy access to public transport, subways or etc....

Thanks