Luckily I din go le. Now price drop by around RM1000. I see Reliance also RM1,688 plus plus airport tax, fuel surcharge I think around RM2,600.

But honestly even travel agent ask me not to go Korea. She said Korea main attraction is winter and snow. More expensive but worth it as nothing much to do there. So I already plan to go with my wife for honeymoon and my parents will be going as well on January. But it will hurt my pocket I think. I think RM4k one person.

Im going this January...
YAY!!!

I wanna see snow... snowball wars... EVERLAND!!! and take some pics with Korean gals if can...

Happy holiday!!!

I want to ride T Express in Everland. Did you see the video of it? Almost 90 degree drop for the first drop on the wooden roller coaster.

This post has been edited by andrekua: Nov 28 2008, 06:14 PM

Economy really not looking good. Thats a fact.

Korea trip is hot whenever winter arrive. Its cheaper than going to Japan anyway. This year, everyone was taken to a surprise trip by the rising price and then taken down almost immediately. Most of my customer had at least 50% drop in business just last month and this month is even worse. Now, everyone is waiting to see whats going to happen. All also no eye see liao, therefore going for holiday. This year the possibility of CNY holiday extending from 30th (chinese) to maybe around 10th (chinese) or even 15th (chap goh may). Next year, there will be a lot of retrenchment or forced to take unpaid leave. Its going to be ugly.

Just came back from Korea today...

I would say if I had the chance to go there again, I will definately backpack. Despite all my relatives who went there before saying how hard it was to communicate with Koreans, but hey, some of them answered me in Chinese and English when I speak Korean (e.g. hi and how much in korean) with them.

If you ask me, I think YongPyong ski is not bad. Can see the slope for Pro's is quite steep. However when I look at the short tour offered for each location, I saw another ski location which includes a true hot spring which allows you to wear swimsuit instead of getting naked. Not bad. The so-called hot spring in our package is more like a spa and in the end, most of us opted to forfeit the trip to the fake hot spring.

Anyway,

If you wan to enjoy the theme park, definately goto Everland and then only Lotte World. Again, if you go by tour, surely only half day there. If backpacking, make sure you spend a day there. It's fun I assure you. You MUST try the T-Express wooden rollercoaster. After you ride it, other ride become meaningless. The first drop was so f***ing scary and then the second one. After that, we, my wife and both sisters lost voice to shout anymore. However, the queue for T-Express can be quite annoying. It took us almost 90mins to ride it and that left us with just enough time to ride the triple looper and snow event before time runs out. Just PM me if you want a video made by visitor before me.

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Added on February 1, 2009, 1:48 amShort summary for my trip:-

Day1 - Reach KLIA and board the plane

Day2 - Reach Incheon. We were taken to the president office (or house?) and then the palace. Since it was the first day, still getting used to the cold weather. Was pretty much shaking when taking pictures. Then we had lunch (not bad) and proceed to DongDaeMun for shopping. Nothing much to buy really except ladies accessories like earing which is really cheap compared to Malaysian pasar malam. Then we proceed to some shooting site but I cant remember the name. The BBQ dinner was not very good as we either overcook or a bit too raw. Stay in Itaewon.

Day3 - We went to Kimchi learning centre. Sienz. Then proceed to strawberry farm, and again sienzzzz cos no strawberry for sale. Instead need to order and sent to the airport on the day our trip finish. End up nobody buying. Then we proceed to Everland. Reach there and tour guide push us on to the safari which was a very short trip. Then we proceed to the T-express by skipping lunch because I read on the internet that the queue can reach as much as 2hours if you are unlucky. Even so, it still tooks us around 90mins to get on as only 1 train is on the move and they only launch the 2nd one on our turn. The thrill of the ride made the wait WELL WORTH IT. Everyone coming down was thrill. Then we tried the triple looper but the hangover from T-express make the ride a bit unmeaningful. Time runs out as we had to go by 5pm. Wasted I would say as we din have time to even take a couple more photos. Then we was driven 2hours to YongPyong. The dinner somehow taste pretty good this time. I heard from friends that its going to be tatami style and indeed it was. But still acceptable.

Day4 - Not sure how they mess up the american style buffet but the ham was so thick and hard. Not what I was expecting but a bit below my expectation. Anyway, proceed to skiing. Since we had no coach, we learn on our own. After a few fall, we already start skiing. Skiing is as easy as driving. But as with driving, the problem was to control it rather than to make it move. Sometimes had to purposely fall to avoid colliding with other people. In the end, just ski slowly down and learn to turn left and right or even attempt to stop by going sideways. Still a noob. Then we had lunch and it was pretty good again. Next we got Nami Island. Took a few photo and left. It was quite dark even though its just 6pm. Not to mention that it feel somewhat colder than when we were skiing. The dinner was ok at first and we had plenty of chicken cutlet. Then when the shop attempt to cook fried rice on the pan of chicken cutlets, it took a turn for worse. Koreans really cant cook fried rice. This is because Koreans cook their rice quite wet and sticky. We left the table after we saw the whole thing turns into pig food. We stay in another hotel which had a bed and option to sleep tatami style.

Day5 - Again breakfast wasnt that good. A bit limited for american style breakfast and we had to content with breads. As with all tour, nightmare comes at the very last. Ginseng shop, jewelery shop, herbal shop, cosmetic shop etc. Then we request to skip the fake hot spring, and proceed to MyeongDong. One simple description. Its a bit like Bukit Bintang area. If you goto those Sg Wang style shop, you still can afford it. Walked across the road to Lotte and it suddenly become StarHill style. Nothing much to buy really. Stay in Itaewon again. Went out to walk and bought some souvenoirs.

Day6 - Breakfast sucks again. We were taken to an area further up of MyeongDong for shopping. This time its more like Petaling Street. Fake goods I suspect because much more cheaper. Anyway, then we had lunch and again it sucks. Almost untouch. Then we proceed to airport and gone home.

The main problem with Korean trip is food and they really sucks when they do. I thought I can pass by some computer malls but we didnt. On the final day, I got a map and then only realised that YongSan Electronic arcade wasnt far from where I stay but it came too late. I thought I wanna have a look if the pc is cheaper there. Overall, Im happy with the trip because we have some really funny peoples in the trip. Then the skiing was good and so does Everland.

From what I learn from this trip, there is a few more places that I wish to go but wasnt included. If I were to go again, I would make sure I goto COEX underwater world, computer arcade, different skiing resort, Mt. Sorak, and goto some of their shows like Nanta or Jump. Until next time....

This post has been edited by andrekua: Feb 1 2009, 01:48 AM

Some pics...

Will post more later... wait for my sis to download from her memory card...

After my trip, I definately feel that Free&Easy is quite possible in South Korea despite complaints that they can barely understand you. That is because, I feel the whole trip is quite rush. Everland so big and happening, but we only get 2 1/2hrs to enjoy it. After queueing for T-Express (IS A MUST!!!), already wasted 90minutes. The balance 1hr really not enough to enjoy the park + photo session lor. Secondly, the skiing only for 2hrs. Im not complaining about the lack of it but I would prefer to have a whole day there where you can try skiing for one hour then rest and have lunch, then try again lor. Not like ours, where we only have 2hrs. Die die also wanna ski.

Yeah, better go with reputable travel agent like Korea. No regrets cos they followed their itenary. At first I wanna go with Reliance but then later on my parent insist on Confidence. It kinda sucks cos the two main attractions (skiing and Everland), we end up spending 3hours on skiing and 3hours in Everland which is barely enough. Imagine we spent almost 2hrs for T-Express because one of the train broke down.

@faradrock,

Hard to believe huh? One of the train broke down. I queue with my wife and two sisters. When we were waiting.. we peek the lane and was surprise at the length of the queue after 1hr. It was damn cold lor cos no sun and winter.

I hate shopping in Korea. Language barrier is one of them. Secondly the things they sell in their pasar malam is expensive for a pasar malam.. those korean brand is very expensive while those branded on will mesmerise you with the amount of 0 on their pricetag.

I think if AA got free ticket might wanna go again free n easy to get a taste of living there.

The reason they learned Japanese is because there are a lot of Japanese tourists there every year.

Just like Petaling Street hawkers learning English nia

They will still sell. Went there in late 2008 Jan-Feb and they are still selling those. But are you sure you need it? I never wore leather shoe because my parents said its warmer wearing sport shoe. In fact I was wearing Timberland wet shoe which is very airy but the wool sock keep the cool away. Better wear thicker jeans as this is where I think I suffer most. Wearing thin jeans from Yishion, ontop of wool long john but still feel cool.

Maybe... its been quite long since my last winter tour... my wife not a fan of self-touring...

Still, Korea remained the best winter trip I ever had despite some short-comings. Still remember testing how cold 0 degree are compared to China winter. Just walked out of airport main door and cant even stand there for 5minutes. Thought no big deal since already putting on wool long john compared to polyesther one in China.

LOL..

Anyway, dont go too late. Otherwise would be greeted by hot weather sometimes. On our final days, we are actually just dressing like in KL. At first still wearing long john and then everyone kept sweating until beh tahan. Finally took off long john and all winter gears. How does it goes from close to 0 in the first day to 10+C a week later is really unknown. Still early Feb... issit our body already getting used to cold temperature?

This post has been edited by andrekua: Dec 20 2010, 07:44 PM

Oh... I didnt know the rides will be closed if snowing...

Anyway, tried T-express?

When I went to Korea 2 years ago, was wishing that it would snow but didnt... honestly its not the snow that we really want, its the coldness which is very syiok...

I wish to backpack to Korea but my wife aint a fan of backpacking... haiiihhh

The thing about Korean food is that you will pretty much like the street food more so than those served in restaurant like Ginseng Chicken Soup etc. Even the buffet breakfast in the hotel I stayed in Itaewon sucks.

Their street food is more or less like us but with different ingredient thus different taste.

Yeah, I hate travelling during CNY nowadays.

I went to Korea two years ago, for RM3.xK (x becos I cant remembered, around 3.3K if not mistaken). It does not include Jeju island.

The first thing I hate is the change in the itenary. The whole thing will be juggle upside down, and you end up having less time than the original plan. What is worse is that you possibly end up in second rate restaurant with so-so food which spoilt the whole holiday mood. Secondly, the price was jacked up possibly due to surcharge in air ticket price. Lastly, the transport to airport is pretty expensive and most of the time having to wait a very long time for taxis or van.

When I went to Bangkok a year earlier than my Korea trip, my family was stranded in the airport at 1am being told to wait for vans for hours despite the ridiculous charge of RM600/van. In the end, we just hop onto the already waiting bus (LCCT) and arrived in Jalan Ipoh one hour later. Luckily my sister and bro were free to fetch us up or we will be slaughtered by the taxis.

I think steamboat is very nice lor. I personally find their ginseng chicken hard to swallow with loh mai fan inside the chicken. Then the fried rice with nin gou in a hot pot is also not my kind of taste (which got worse after the staff crack a couple raw eggs in and mix it all up), rice on hot stone also not hard to accept as well as cold kimchi. I ate McDonalds Prawn and KFC Babi burger there.

The original steamboat soup is not very rich in taste but after you cook it with all the ingredient, it become quite ok. Just remember dont put too much seaweed food inside. Later become very salty.

No need to learn la. Its wasting time one. They will find it hard to understand what we speak also. Unless you are going to shop in shopping complexes, those street seller can speak chinese. I think some of them are chinese but look like Koreans.

This post has been edited by andrekua: Feb 27 2011, 08:22 PM