Last stop of 2018: South Korea.
I did not really care to visit South Korea. For some reason, the country has never caught my attention. But, I knew I had to go eventually. A few months ago, a fellow traveler reached out to me with an idea to travel somewhere together over New Year’s Eve weekend. South Korea was one of the only countries that neither of us had previously visited.
After a night in San Francisco, we arrived at Incheon International Airport in the late afternoon on Saturday, December 29, 2018. We booked a three-night stay at the Zzzip Guest House located in Hongdae—a region in Seoul near Hongik University known for its urban arts and indie music culture, clubs and entertainment.
Getting around Seoul is easy. The city’s subway system is one of the most convenient and fastest ways to get around the city. Additionally, three types of buses cover routes connecting every corner of the city. And, of course, taxis are also available. I definitely recommend buying the T-money card—a rechargeable smart card that can be used to pay for public transit fares in the Seoul area as well in other cities around Korea. The T-money card can be used to pay for subway, bus, and taxi fare. The card can be purchased in nearly all convenience stores and subway ticket booths. Users of the T-Money card receive a small discount on all bus and subway fares. Do not worry about putting too much money on the card, you can get a refund before leaving the country.
We only had two half and two full days in Seoul, so we had to be selective with what activities made it onto our itinerary. After dropping off our backpacks at the hostel, we headed out for Korean barbecue at Baetjang.
Day 1
The Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) is a strip of land that serves as a buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea. To visit, you need to book a guided private or group tour with an official operator. So, while planning this trip, we booked the “Half-Day Korean DMZ Tour from Seoul” through Viator for our first full day in Seoul. Even though I had previously visited the DMZ from the North Korean side, I thought it would be interesting to also experience it from the South Korean side. Nope. I was wrong.
The South Korean side is basically a tourist trap. On the drive over, to hype up the experience, the guide exaggerated the dangers of the DMZ. Yet, he failed to mention that none of the places visited on this tour are actually located inside of the DMZ. While in North Korea, I visited the Joint Security Area portion of the DMZ—where North Korean and South Korean forces stand face-to-face. This is the only “attraction” located within the DMZ. There, I entered a hut that straddles both Koreas and had the rare opportunity to stand in both countries at once. That experience was definitely one of the highlights of my trip. Visiting the Joint Security Area from the South Korean side is possible, but the option to do so was not available during our time in Seoul.
The first stop of the tour was at Imjungak Park to see the Freedom Bridge—a bridge that connects North Korea and South Korea. In front, a captured North Korea train and ribbons containing reunification prayers.
After spending some time walking around the area and visiting the observation deck, we headed toward the DMZ to visit the Third Infiltration Tunnel, which the North Korean Army used to infiltrate South Korea. I felt like this stop was a waste of time. It is literally just a tunnel. You are provided with a helmet and can walk down to the tunnel. That is it.
Next, we visited Dora Observatory. Situated on top of Mount Dora, the observatory looks across the DMZ and into North Korea. For those who have not been to North Korea (likely every single person on this tour) a view of North Korea is something special. For me, actually visiting North Korea was something special.
The last stop of the tour was at Dorasan Station—a railway station which used to connect North Korea and South Korea and has since been restored. As many hope, the station could one day become a stop on a proposed Trans-Asian Railway. Until then, you can just pretend and get a souvenir stamp that mimics an immigration stamp.
We were dropped off at Seoul City Hall. From there, we headed over to Myeongdong Kyoja. Located near Myeongdong Cathedral, the noodle restaurant has been in business for more than 40 years and is known for their knife-cut, handmade noodle soup.
After lunch, we headed to the N Seoul Tower to watch the sunset. We arrived just minutes before the sun started to set. Unfortunately, the wait to get up to the Observatory was so long that it would have caused us to miss the sunset. Instead, we watched it from an observation deck on a lower level.
We wanted to end the day at the Moon Bird Only Thinks of the Moon Tea House, located in Insadong.
On the way to the teahouse, we stopped at Jogyesa—one of the most important Buddhist temples in Korea and a symbol of Korean Buddhism.
Day 2
A trip to Seoul is not complete without a stop at iconic Gyeongbokgung Palace.
Built in 1395, Gyeongbokgung was the main royal palace of the Joseon dynasty. It is the largest palace of the Five Grand Palaces of Seoul.
We spent some time wandering around the area before walking over to Bukchon Hanok Village—a Korean traditional village.
From there, we made our way towards Gwangjang Market for lunch.
The market is Korea’s oldest remaining daily market and one of the best places to go for authentic Korean street food in Seoul.
Afterwards, we returned to Insadong and spent quite a bit of time walking around the neighborhood before taking a train to the Gangnam district to try South Korea’s fried-chicken-and-beer combo and returning to the guest house to get ready for the New Year’s Eve celebrations in Hongdae.
New Year’s Day
South Korea has a thing for cafes with wild animals. In Seoul, you can go play with meerkats, raccoons, and even sheep while sipping coffee. After breakfast, we headed to Meerkat Friends to cuddle these adorable creatures before leaving for the airport to catch our early evening flight to Chicago via San Francisco.
Overall, I was unimpressed by Seoul—which is surprising since so many fellow travelers only had good things to say. Oh well, not every place can be my favorite.
Happy New Year! Wishing you all health, happiness, and all the best in 2019!
