the AA arriving time in icheon is 9pm and the flight back from icheon to kl is at night.so,what u do during that period before check in hotel during arrival and after check out from hotel when u leave icheon?did u book ur hotel on that day of arrival to icheon?

I booked the hotel 1mth earlier. I used my skype to call the hotel to inform that I will be arrivinmg late on that day..Well i reached the hotel ~ midnite haha.

I checked out early on my last day. I asked them to help me keeping my luggage till ~ 4pm and I took the opportunity to go JalanX2 on the last day & returned to the hotel to pick up my luggage and make my way to the airport.. reaching the airport early at 6pm and spend my time touring the airport , Dinner at the Mc Donald (Damn shiok esp the bulgolgi burger - same price as Seoul!!)

mind telling me what u take from icheon to ur hotel?u are staying at namsan park hotel right?sorry for asking so many question.im going to seoul on march,so need u to be my consultant since u just came back from seoul.

This post has been edited by scy320: Dec 17 2010, 10:22 PM

Incheon departure hall forex displayed rates is selling or buying ?

Actually travel options already discussed much earlier & also I hv compiled it on pg1. You can read there 1st. I took AREX train to Gimpo airport & thereafter supposely using MRT to my hotel but due to the jam at immigration counter, I took AREX none express train and by the time I reached Gimpo airport ~ 11:20pm, all MRT to Seoul already stopped! I hv to take taxi to my hotel for 30K won after negotiation. Lucky i can understand the pricing the qouted.. haha..

Otherwise if it;s too late, take the limousine bus to Seoul..depending on location. Namsan = Myeong Dong so it's 10K won per pax.

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Added on December 17, 2010, 10:56 pmMostly qouting buying rate ..I checked ~ 3 there..price ranging from 1189 to 1198. Departure hall only KEB qouting buying & elling, Others qouting only selling rate.
This post has been edited by stimix: Dec 17 2010, 10:56 PM

The "multi-lingual" only applies to Beauty Cosmetic shop where they target a lot of Chinese and Japanese. Thus they hire those that can speak Mandarin and Japanese. You'll notice that whenever one walk past, they would start conversing in "Korean" then followed by either Japanese or Mandarin see whichever gets your attention. Once one started to listen, they would speak that language.
But true, a lot are Chinese migrant working there.

However, if you go to normal shop selling clothing apparels; then pretty hard. But the younger generation although doesn't speak English that good, still can lar. Just need a few body and sign language i.e. pointing here and there. haha

lol gonna sapu some cosmetic things there,buy for friends,sis,mom.

Although there is a language barrier, but i think most of the younger generation understand some basic english, just say the keyword if u wan2 ask something...don't tell them a long story.

Ya the cosmetic sellers in myeongdong mostly can speak chinese and japanese. But the thing i love bout korea is that korean are the most friendly and helpful people i ever met...there are several times people come over to us and offer to help when they see us looking at the map. When i was in everland, I used up all my cash accidentally and got enough money to take the bus and subway home to seoul (i left my t-money card in the room that day )...i have no usd to change with the locals too, so last choice i borrowed money from a waiter, i just need 1000won and after explaining my situation to him, he and his fren gave me 2000won, i wanted to give them rm6 but they don't want it, just took rm2 from me as a souvenir...really touched

basic english?

i will remember for a long time how that cashier at kfc at the airport who screwed up my order and then throwing the receipt at my colleague.

but that's just me.

haha...maybe i was lucky, but there were also times that i really find a hard time communicating...went to han river hoping to go for the river cruise and the ticker seller keep saying no and making a cross with her hands...she spoke in korean n tried to draw something for me but i still don't know what she meant.haha

lol throw at yr colleague? wah if me i sure damn piss off.

ooh...if cant speak chinese so how la?hehehe...but after all the reading in this forum..got lots of confident to travel backpacking in korea.

Hiya! A friend told me that the price on winter clothing will hike up during winter. Is it true??? Hoping that he's wrong cos I wanna buy more winter stuff when I'm there? So, Myeong-dong is the place to shop, eh?

Here is a tip when you want to ask for direction in Seoul.

Preferably, choose a working class young male to ask for direction. Why ? Because the possibility of communication in English is better, they are more friendly towards foreigners and 9 out of 10 will flash out their GPS enabled cellphone to assist you.

thanks for the tip...i'm jotting it down in my notebook now.

yeah...happened on first day at airport some more

like i said, do your homework.

write down all the places you want to go in korean on a piece of paper..if u dunno how to go..can show this paper to the locals..

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Added on December 18, 2010, 11:40 amhowever some of them can't read the GPS properly and point you to another direction as well.

This post has been edited by zstan: Dec 18 2010, 11:40 AM

oh ya sometimes on the streets u might see 2 people wearing red uniform with an 'i' on their cap...they're people from the seoul metropolitan government or something and are located at tourist areas to assist tourists. I saw them at outside deoksugong palace and myeongdong...just approach them and ask them if u need any help, and they will give u a map...and show u how to reach your destination...but i doubt they will be standing at the streets of seoul during late december or january cos of the freezing temperature.

Aiyoo.....no need to write la. Use your camera lor...just aim your camera at your LCD screen and copy ma. Example if you plan to go to Nami island just take a picture of the below and show it when you want to ask direction, buy train ticket, show it to the taxi or bus driver, etc etc.

Thanks guys for all the tips...and yes i've been gathering all the info before goin to korea. This is my plan for springtime next year..Feel free to give comment and suggestion, Thanks

7d/6nite.

Day 1- arrive from Kul-Icn
Day 2-Visit Spring festival at Yeuido Hangang Park
-Visit 63 building
Day 3-Nami Island
Day 4-Seoul City Tour
-Namsan tower
Day 5-Everland
Day 6-Cheongyechon stream.
-shoping at Dandaemun market,Myeondong fashion street
Day 7-return home icn-kul.

This post has been edited by namie90: Dec 18 2010, 12:01 PM

Myeong Dong is a Nite market and its reminded me of Ximending of Taipei. Almost the same pace. Mostly selling cosmestics - Yeah every corners you will see cosmestic stores. Less on clothings actually mostly sold by those road peddlars similar to Petaling street scene. But Very happening. My wife & daughter luv Myeongdong and we windows shops & collect free cosmestics almost every nites

However, on Morning market and cheap clothings, I prefer Namdaemun. There are lotsa shops (well probably uncountable) selling winter clothings, boots, souvenirs, foods, ginseng, seaweeds& etc. Price is already dirt cheap there and vvery difficult to negotiate. They walked away from you if you try to negotiate! I saw the cheapest winter boot seeling at 6900won there & lotsa cheap winter clothing..you can even get a warmer for only 2900won!! I luv shopping for those cheap items at Namdaemun. Souvenirs are the cheapest here...

Dondaemun...Well I don't really shop here bcos mostly indoor gigantic wholsale complex and I was earching hight & low for Money changer...At the end I dun even enter the whole sael complex & shop around..bcos all clothings that doesn't interest me..Doota also very dissapointing..nothing great..

Insadong - Lousy expensive souvenirs street - Not many shops around better go to Namdaemun for cheap souvenirs..And the back street of Insadong esp walking from Jongno 3 to Insadong is one of the dirtiest in Seoul...Beggars, rubbish along the road - Avoid Insadong. regreting going there..

And lastly you can sometime shop at the undegrounf shopping at almost every MRT stations. Good bargain there. My wife got a cheap thick scarf for only 5000won ..There are also beggars, sellers walking insing MRT trains. Those sellers soemtime selling cheap Mochi & also cheap scarf. I regret din buy a Buff (Well almost like a buff but wth thicker cloth)..for only 3000won..damn can't find it in Namdaemun