07, 08 & 09. Travel Solo and Learn a New Language and Visit Filming Locations
My South Korea trip last year was one of the highlights in my 20s. As they say, one should travel solo once and yes, I did that on my 29th. Well, when I visited Korea, I was 30 because in Korea, when you are born, you are already a year old. So, last year, I celebrated my 29 and 30th at the same time. haha!
I created the itinerary from scratch because I wanted to go to all the places that I really want to go. I researched cheap flights through google flights and booked my accomodation through booking.com. I booked my flight through Jeju Air—a direct flight from Cebu, Philippines to Incheon. It was good because I left Cebu at 2:30 a.m. and arrived in Incheon at 8:00 a.m. so I had a full first day to start exploring South Korea. This is a budget airline so you have to add a baggage allowance per flight if you need one. I paid around 860 AED for the round-trip ticket. It would have been more cheaper if I’ve booked it months before instead of 2 months ahead. And for the baggage allowance, I paid 40 USD for 15 KG both flights.
Upon arrival in Incheon, I was planning to rent a Wifi Egg but decided not to since the guesthouse has free wifi and according to the blogs I’ve read, there are free wifi everywhere. I purchased a one-way bus ticket from Incheon to Myeong-dong area to reach my accommodation and T-money – the card they use for subways and buses.
For the accommodation, I stayed in Maru Guesthouse which is located in Myeong-dong. This is actually on the same side as the Bank of Korea Museum opposite Shinsigae Duty Free Department Store – Myeong-dong Branch where a scene in Legend of the Blue Sea was shot (where Shim Cheong was kidnapped in front of the big Christmas tree). The direction going to the accommodation was easy and I found it right away. The guesthouse was pretty decent. I chose a room with private bath and toilet. It was around 650 AED and I paid upon the day before I checked out.
Day 1
Since I arrived early, I had to leave my luggage at the reception and went to have lunch. I was walking and hoping to find Hoehyun Metro Station but I got lost and arrived in Myeong-dong instead. I have been watching Korean Dramas and reality shows for years now so I can understand and speak some basic phrases but pointing on the menu was much easier but wait, you would be confused because once they serve the food, it would be a lot. I panicked but don’t because these are complimentary.
Going by the subway is pretty convenient and easy and the fare is reasonable. Almost all the tourist destinations are near the subway stations anyway.
The first stop after lunch was Gyeongbokgung Palace and went back to the guesthouse to check-in and take a shower. I went out again and went to YG Building where 2NE1 and BIG BANG is working. haha! I saw the CEO, Yang Hyun-suk, Jjangmae (2NE1 Manager), some of YG Dancers and Lee Seung-hoon of Winner. After staying outside YG Building for like an hour, I traveled back to Myeong-dong and had dinner at YG Republique. Myeong-dong is the cosmetic haven of South Korea and there are street food everywhere!
Day 2
I spent a day at Everland Resort in Yongin, South Korea. I took the subway and had to do several transfers including a 5-minute shuttle bus ride to Everland Resort. You will be given a discount upon ticket purchase if you show your boarding pass at the ticketing counter. This is where I did the Safari and Lost Valley Tour where I saw a bear, penguins, giraffe, hyena, and an elephant to name a few. I also went to see the cutie pandas. When I went there, Shakespeare exhibition was ongoing so several poems were plastered all over the place. I stayed until around 9 p.m. to watch the Moonlight Magic Parade.
Day 3
I booked the DMZ Tour through Trazy two months before my trip. DMZ stands for Demilitarized Zone—the border which separates South and North Korea. This is where negotiations are done between the two countries. It was a group tour and we had an English-speaking Korean guide. We went to Dora Observatory where you can see North Korea. We went into the 3rd Infiltration Tunner and watched a documentary about what happened in that area. As they say, it was a tunnel made by the North Koreans to enter South Korea discreetly. There were more than one tunnels discovered and this one has now become a tourist site. The incomplete tunnel is 240 ft below the ground. While you are in the area, no one is allowed to take photos. The area has a lot of land mines and South Korean armies are everywhere. We also went to Dorasan Station—a railway station which once connected South and North Korea which has been stopped when the North Korean government closed the border.
You can feel the tension when you are in the area. It was scary for me especially when I had to go down the tunnel however I recommend doing this tour though. You will get a better understanding regarding the situation of South and North Korea today.
We arrived back in Myeong-dong around 1 p.m. I had lunch and went back to the guesthouse to rest a bit.
I then went to Dongdaemun Shopping Complex and didn’t miss the chance to visit Dongdaemun Design Plaza which was designed by the late Zaha Hadid. I then went to K-Live to watch the BIG BANG and GD Hologram Concert. I was supposed to watch 2NE1 as well however, 2NE1 has disbanded a month before I visited so they had to stop the 2NE1 show.
Day 4
I booked the Nami Island + Gangchon Rail Bike + Petite France Village Tour through Trazy prior to my trip.
Namiseom or Nami Island is a tiny half-moon shaped island located in Chuncheon, South Korea. Chestnut and Mulberry Trees can be found in the island as well as the famous The Metasequoia footpath. This is where Winter Sonata, a famous Korean Drama was shot.
We spent like 4 hours in Nami Island before we went to Petite France Village where My Love From Another Star was shot. You can find a statue of the Little Prince here.
After Petite France, we went to Gangchon Rail Park where we did the rail bike. It was a group tour as well and I was the only one who came alone. Gisoo, the tour guide was nice and talked to me the whole time. He was amazed because I know a lot about korean dramas and kpop and by the way, he likes Sandara Park. haha
I went to Hongdae near Hongik University known for its live performance, indi music culture, clubs and entertainment.
There are a LOT of teenagers in this area and it was crowded at the time.
Day 5
I spent the day in Seoul and went to Bukchon Hanok Village—Korean traditional village in Seoul. I rented a Hanbok, a traditional dress for women and went around the area for two hours.
At around 5 p.m., I went to N Seoul Tower where you can find the Korean version of Love Locks at Pont des Arts in France.
Day 6
This is my last day Seoul and my flight is at 10 p.m. so I still had time to explore Seoul one last time. I decided to go to Four Seasons House where they shot Love Rain.
On the way, I went to Line Friends Cafe in Itaewon. I went back to Myeong-dong to do a last-minute shopping before I went to Incheon to catch my flight back to the Philippines.
A lot of people were asking me if it was okay to travel to Korea alone. For me, it was a nice experience. It would’ve been nice if I were with someone. haha I would love to go back to South Korea. I haven’t gone to Noryangjin to eat live octopus. I want to try jjimjilbang, and I want to go to Busan and Jeju Island. Next time, maybe?
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