Seoulmates: South Korea 2024
Man, oh man, does it feel strange to be back on the blog. I am both sad and a little encouraged by the fact that I’ve been so engaged in our Saudi Life 2.0, that I got out of the routine of blogging.
However, after a travel-related group chat brought up questions about Seoul, South Korea, I found myself overly eager to share, not just with the inquiring traveler, but with you, my readers. I hope you’re still up for hearing of my/our adventures and that you’ll subscribe to the newsletter for notification of future posts, should you not be signed up already.
So, after much ado, here she is…
Seoul - the city and the place it warms inside you, like a milk heart nestled into the crema of a latte. Inspirational is too generic a word to describe the lasting effect this trip had on me. Awakening, motivating, thought-provoking…. now we’re getting somewhere. Compounded by the fact that I took this trip with two of my most affirmative female friends; the entire experience left me awe-struck. Even if Seoul wasn’t the destination, being with these two friends would have proved good for the soul.
So when a group chat spun wildly into the “what if we….” context, we found ourselves booking flights only a few hours later. Helps to have a travel planner in the group (I see you, Sarah/Matri), who was lightning fast at drafting a travel-itinerary that connected 3 girls, spread equally across the world, to Seoul within a few hours of each other.
This trip was unlike any I’ve ever taken, for a multitude of reasons. Namely because I planned so much less of it than my typical 100%. I assume this role very seriously within my family - and even to the occasional extended family member or friend - so relinquishing a large part of the responsibility to a friend with way more connections within the travel industry did not come naturally. Full disclosure, I even had some anxiety leading up to the trip, not having my hands on all the details. However, we all knew we were in good hands and had plenty of input in the activities we took part in. One thing we did was each put in our top 5 must see/do’s and then we matched them up to see which were a priority to all or most of us. How fortunate that all our goals aligned so perfectly and we could achieve everything we wanted to in our 5 days of exploring.
Accomodation
Let’s start with where we stayed. While much of Seoul is budget-friendly, accommodation is a different story. We were rather surprised by the price tags tied to many of the hotels in our original search. However, Sarah was able to locate a very reasonable hotel, Nine Tree, in the Myeongdong area. Even though the room was literally wall-to-wall beds with a bathroom, it was so much fun posting up in sleepover status, each with our own good-sized bed. This very urban area was easily walkable and allowed us access to many sites and restaurants, on foot. It sure makes a difference being able to maneuver a city without toddlers in tow.
We spent the first half of our stay in Myeongdong and the second half in Bukchon Village, in a traditional hanok. Absolutely stunning and a bit of a splurge, we would have all loved to stay longer, but we had our eyes and wallets set on too many experiences and purchases to justify any longer. One thing I wish we had made the time for was a traditional tea service, offered inside our hanok, but we just did not stay still. In fact, one of the experiences was a foot massage that came out of more necessity than desire (though the desire was there too) simply because of the mileage we put on our soles.
Transportation
Only a quick note here about transportation, because we really did walk for the majority of the 5 days. On the few occasions we needed a lift, Kakao and K.Ride offer an uber-like experience. I do believe there is also traditional Uber, but through a counterpart. We found all the taxis to be extremely clean and the rides very economical. There is also public transportation, such as the metro and buses, that appeared very reliable and easy to navigate, we just really didn’t have the need.
One other thing you’ll find is that South Korea has it’s own “Google Maps.” It’s called Naver, and while we were warned our own Google Maps would be limited, we actually still preferred it to Naver, which was often times hard to navigate.
To-Do/See
You’ll quickly understand why even 5 days is not enough in Seoul and why we weren’t able to venture out to any other cities. There’s so much to do and see in Seoul alone that we still needed more time. Here were our top experiences:
1) Gyeongbokgung Palace. Rent yourself some hanbok from one of the MANY rental shops surrounding the palace and not only will you get free entry, but the most incredible photos! Playing royal dress-up with my girlfriends, overseas, in a palace… how do you get more girls’ trip than that?!
*PRO TIP: wander off the main street to avoid LONG lines at hanbok rental shops. You’ll also find the less frequented shops have some of the more unique dresses that are far less worn-in looking. Regardless, the shops do have a very efficient, honor-based, system that gets you dressed quickly and just asks you to drop the dress off (and pay) before the shop closes.
2) DMZ Tour. Maybe this should be the #1, or top thing to do. It was such a fun and informative tour that included so much more than the border itself. Yes, it is incredibly touristy and you get the sense they are playing into the “danger” of the tension for added effect, but upon hearing the history along with each of the sites, I was teary-eyed more than once. It needs to be noted that you cannot enter the DMZ without an official tour. Tour buses max at 50buses a day and up to 50 people per bus. The first tour we tried to book was unavailable during our stay, but we ended up on a great one.
Some additional stops on our tour included the Suspension Bridge, (Wow, beautiful), the Third Infiltration Tunnel (no photos allowed) and the Unification Village (fascinating!). I was honestly blown away by the attempt of such a village, where families from North and South Korea would choose to live in harmony, for the sake of their countries. When we were there, only a few South Korean families were still living in the village. We also learned that living in the village would exempt a man from fulfilling his military service requirement. Something not even the famous K POP group, BTSS, could avoid. *Fun Fact - as of writing this post, the last BTS band member has completed his service and the group can finally reunite!
3) Scalp Therapy. Did I mention this was a Girls’ Trip? We visited the Park Jun Beauty Lab for the well-known, multi-process scalp therapy treatment. I liked that this studio could accommodate us all at the same time. It felt like being at any typical hair salon, whereas other salons may offer a more luxurious and/or private experience. Even so, every step felt meaningful and educational as we were each instructed how to better care for our scalps based on individual conditions.
4) Gwangjang Market. An absolute must-visit for immersion into the Korean lifestyle. Here you’ll find more food stalls than you could count, each with a limited number of stools, offering up things you could not identify if you weren’t local. It’s also the best place for shopping local garb and souvenir type items. I was able to pick up the most beautiful hanbok for my kids and my Korean goddaughter.
5) Seoul Tower & the Lock Bridge. This was probably the only take-it-or leave-it destination for me on this trip. We waited SO long to ride the able car up to the lock bridge and look out. The tower is a beautiful site, particularly lit up in the night sky. We were feeling giddy to all be together, so we took full advantage of the scene, purchasing a lock and inscribing it with all our initials.
Eats
Food is always the most identifiable means to experience a foreign country. As an American, Korea has got to be the most foreign of any place I’ve visited thus far. Both by language and food criteria. We didn’t have too many pre-planned meals for this trip, knowing full well how much we wanted to embrace the “see where we end up” mentality and let our eyes, ears and noses be the judge of where we stopped. We did, on one occasion, unknowingly sit down at a restaurant that served exclusively intestines and found ourselves apologizing for wanting to leave.
We stopped at many neighborhood cafes, tea houses and restaurants on a whim, finding that most of them specialized in only a few, expertly executed dishes. The cuisine was typically simple, a few ingredients and little to no flourish, but you could taste everything in the dish. Meals felt clean and purposeful, much like everything else in Seoul.
We did book a reservation for one place.
Zest. A zero-waste, craft cocktail bar with a speakeasy vibe. Limited seating, a reservation is a MUST.
Shopping
And finally, the SHOPPING! Tell anyone you’re visiting Korea and they are likely to ask you what shopping you plan to do. As well as to request a few things for you to bring back for them. From tea to textiles, skincare to snacks, there’s an abundance of exciting treats to drop your money on. Maybe more fun than raiding a local 7-11 was a random stop we made into a no-label clothing boutique. While I personally struggled to find much that fit well, due to the Asian sizing, I did manage to snag a few shirts and skirts that now are on repeat in my closet. Korean men and women are unrivaled in their effortless elegance. It left us all in awe watching locals from 8-80 gracefully navigating the streets with nary a wrinkle in their clothes (or skin for that matter!)
Here are some of my recommended shopping destinations:
1) As previously mentioned, Gwangjang Market. For the local purchases, traditional sourvenirs and general experience of shopping such a market.
2) Olive Young - the Korean Sephora. Kind of a duh, as you’ll be hard-pressed not to run into multiple locations if you spend any time in Seoul. What I really loved about these stores is that they offered direct tax refunds in the store. Just remember to have your passport on you to get the ease of immediate refund.
3) Sulwhasoo Spa for high end Korean skincare. You can also find a Sulwhasoo stall, along with many others, at the luxury mall, Lotte. It has duty-free shopping on the top floor, making for much less hassle for luxury purchases.
4) The entirety of Insadong Culture Street. This is shopping and an experience all on it’s own. Do take out some cash and be prepared to sample some wild dishes that pop up in carts along the street, as the sun goes down.
And that’s that. I cannot believe it took me 8 months to write this baby. Perhaps I needed that time to let the full effects of such an amazing, soul-reviving trip settle within me. I hope you enjoy the read and find your own time to experience the magic of Seoul.
