Sold on Seoul

Seoul has always been one of those cities that I was intrigued by but never really had the opportunity to visit-until now. I didn't have very high expectations just because I didn't do much research going into it, but regardless, Seoul was a fantastic city that I would most definitely visit again. Why you ask? Great question, to find the answer, I recommend you read on.

The capital of South Korea, Seoul is home to ten million of the most technologically advanced people in the world. We had two days to explore the best of what the city had to offer, so here is how we arrived and thrived on a budget.

Arrival:

Coming in from Jeju, we were able to land in the Gimpo Airport, which is twice as close to the city as the international airport, Incheon. Fun fact, flights between Jeju and Seoul are the busiest in the world! There is a flight every hour basically, all of which are on massive planes that are completely full. Once we landed in Gimpo, we went to the information desk to ask if it was better to taxi or train to Myeondong (where we were staying-more on that in a second), and he told us that a cab would be only slightly more expensive than the subway, but much faster and more convenient. As a common theme of the trip, we decided that we were totally not going to get ripped off by the taxi and that everything would be okay. Well, we were wrong. Again. The 20-minute cab ride into the city ended up being about $30, obviously much more than what a subway would have been. Plus the cab driver kept trying to speak to us in Korean which was funny at first but seriously got on our nerves after a while given that we speak nothing and were already frustrated at the rising number on the meter.

First class for $15, yeah sure, why not?

With that said, on our way out, I decided to use the Airport Limo to go from Myeondong to Incheon. Twice the distance for half the price, and, this bus is seriously nice. Like US domestic first class level nice. The seats are wide, plush, with tons of legroom, luggage is taken care of with a handler, and the ride was so smooth to the point I did not want it to end. Meanwhile, my buddy decided to take the subway for $7, and let's just say he had a far less enjoyable time than I did. So when it comes to arriving in Seoul, limo bus is the way to thrive.

Once you're in Seoul, the subway system here is the best in Asia, no question. Not only does it thoroughly cover the city, but it is also unbelievable comfortable. The seats are padded and the trains are considerably wider than your typical subway, making it feel much less claustrophobic. Getting around Seoul and arriving at different points around the city is easier and more enjoyable with a subway than anywhere else I have been to on this continent.

Seriously though, how nice does this subway look?

Stay:

From the W Hong Kong to the BlueBoat Hostel. As it is my goal to create a spectrum of experiences on my travels, I figured it was time to save up some money and check out the hostel life in Seoul. BlueBoat Hostel is located in Myeondong, and it's surrounded with things to do. It's a 10 minute walk to many of the sites and sounds of Seoul, and a 5 minute walk to three different subway stations taking you around the city. It's in a small alleyway of the Myeondong area so definitely have a map or something to reference if you plan on staying here, as most taxi drivers had no idea what we were talking about when we would mention the hostel.

I will admit, I have not stayed in as many hostels as a college student should be staying in, but I have done so a few times before so there is something to relate this to. The common room is on the second floor, without an elevator and a seriously steep set of stairs, so bringing our luggage up was an issue (although one of the employees did help us taking them down on departure). The room itself is a nice size with a stocked kitchen, couch, small dining table, TV, and larger bathroom. It's a small space and there were a few awkward moments coming in and out of the shower, but that’s the point of a hostel. We made ourselves breakfast both mornings consisting of toast and bread with some orange juice and thoroughly enjoyed it (I mostly enjoyed being able to cook on my own again, as it had been ages since I cooked anything myself).

Common room in the hostel-gives you what you need!

With all that being said, the actual room we stayed in was absurdly small. There was no room to put my backpack, let alone my other backpack and duffel bag. There were three bunk beds crammed into a room just larger than the size of three bunk beds, which made it quite the hassle to do really anything. I get the point of a hostel is to just give a bed and bathroom, but between the two of us, we both thought the room was excessively small. Plus the outlet sucked which made keeping my phone charged a pain.

Eat:

I go from Asian city to Asian city and I'm constantly impressed with the food. The best is Tokyo, second is Singapore, followed closely by Seoul.

Quick, my top 10 food cities in Asia (so far):

Michelin starred and under $30 for all this. Yes please!

Tokyo (Sushi/Ramen)
Singapore (multi-cultural/hawker centers)
Seoul (KBBQ)
Osaka (Takoyaki)
Hong Kong (Steamed Bun)
Beijing (Peking Duck)
Chengdu (Hot Pot)
Shanghai (Dim Sum)
Kyoto (Michelin stars)
Kuala Lumpur (Roti Canai/Satay)

Korean BBQ is seriously on a whole different level of amazing, but on top of that, we had some of the best noodles and dumplings in Asia during our time in Seoul. In fact, while roaming the streets of Myeongdong, we stumbled upon a Michelin starred restaurant named Myeongdong Kalguksu, where we had a bowl of the best noodles, ten dumplings and a spicy noodle and vegetable dish, all for $30. Michelin starred. Three huge dishes. $10/dish. My buddy and I talked about this place days after we ate there it was that good. Besides that, eat at any KBBQ place you can find and I promise you that you will be so satisfied you won't know what to do with your life.

We were also taken aback by the incredibly common and trendy coffee shops of the city. Whether it was in the hip, young Hongdae area, or the old-fashioned, historical Bukchon Hanok Village, a cute little coffee shop was waiting for you, all of which were reasonably priced with solid tasting pastries and drinks.

One example of many trendy coffee shops in Seoul

Of course, there's always the street food culture, which frankly was not as amazing as I hoped. We did stop and eat some mean pork which was fantastic, but a bit overpriced. The pork was tender yet slightly dry without much flavor (weird description but accurate) and served with tons of sides to make up for what it lacked. Besides that, we got some small bites here and there, none of which were good enough for me to recommend. If the street food was on the same level as Tokyo or Singapore, I may have put Seoul higher on my list, but frankly there was nothing special about it.

Yeah, there really is no such thing as a bad meal in Korea

Remember this though: Seoul, in comparison to other Asian cities, is expensive. You can't get away with a $2 meal like you can in Beijing or Seoul or even Hong Kong. We found it difficult balancing budget with our taste buds, but if you have no budget then you have no problem. Just something to consider when traveling to Seoul, and South Korea for that matter (and another reason why it isn't higher on my list).

Do:

Seoul is a mini-Tokyo in a lot of ways. I felt like walking through Myeongdong was a smaller version of walking through Ginza, and Hongdae was a mini-Shinjuku (if you don't know what those are, check out my posts from Tokyo a few months back). When it comes down to it, you're going to end up spending a lot of time shopping in Seoul, the same way I did in Tokyo. My buddy and I, two guys in their twenties, spent way more time shopping than anticipated. If you're going to do it, might as well know the best places, so here's what I thought:

Myeongdong

The best shopping area in Seoul for your high-end, brand-name, combined with some unique shops here and there. Cars are not allowed in these streets (and if they are, they seldom travel over 5 miles per hour because shoppers clearly don't care whether or not they get run over). Clothing in Seoul is pretty trendy, and Myeongdong is the epicenter, so definitely worth a visit.

Namdaemun

The oldest shopping street, and one of the largest, Namdaemun market in Seoul is a sprawling area covering several blocks with stand after stand selling anything and everything you could imagine. Bartering is not common here which is somewhat of a bummer because that's my favorite part of street shopping, but I bought a nice pair of UV-protected glasses for $10 which wasn't terrible by any means. Namdaemun is a MUST while in Seoul, definitely do not miss out.

You can seriously buy anything here, and it is pretty easy to get lost

Hongdae

This is the college town of Seoul, overrun by way too hip 20-something-year-olds. Shops here are contagiously trendy with an emphasis on bold statements (most of which I feel like Koreans don't actually know what they mean). This was my personal favorite in Seoul because of how different the style was. Definitely not going to find a shirt that says "F**k Tyga" in Zara.

Additionally, Seoul is home to several large "underground malls" which are a fun medium to get from point A to point B while seeing some pretty interesting shops, such as a massive record store and a vintage cash store to name a couple. I wouldn't use it as a destination necessarily, but definitely an interesting (and air conditioned) way to walk through the city!

The tram up to Seoul Tower offers great views and a convenient accessibility

Seoul N Tower through the city's own version of locks of love

Besides shopping, Seoul doesn't overwhelm with much to do. We went up to the top of the Seoul Tower, which had some nice views but nothing incredible. What made that experience memorable though was the popcorn and beer we got along with our ticket. That was definitely the first time I've sat at the top of an observation tower and had a Heineken with caramel popcorn while looking down over a city. So I would definitely recommend doing that, plus roaming around the ground at the base of the tower, reading the letters written on the thousands of locks on the fences (some are gut-wrenchingly funny).

Additionally, there's the historic side of Seoul. For that, you take the subway up to Anguk, where there are two areas boasting world class Buddhist temples and palaces. We first went to the Changgyeonggung Palace, which is one of the oldest in the city. Built in 1418 and once home to the most important people in the city, this palace is on huge grounds scattered with beautiful buildings and lush gardens. No need for a tour, although there are secret gardens which if you want to visit, you do need to go with a tour, and unfortunately it did not line up with our schedules. Also, make sure to ask about what happened to Prince Sado in a rice casket, it's pretty gruesome.

One of the oldest and most historically significant places in Seoul-worth a visit for sure!

At least we looked inside before joining the rally!

From there we walked through the streets of Bukchon Hanok Village, which houses communities, art studios, coffee shops, stores, and so on, to Gyeongbokgung Palace. We obviously intended to walk around here, which was the second home for Korean royalty in Seoul, but plans changed when we heard a massive rally going on just outside the gates to this palace. We faintly heard them during our walk over and the closer we got to the palace, the louder the chanting and singing got, so we figured we really didn't have a choice but to go and join in on the fun. Just outside Gyeongbokgung, at Gwanghwamun station, a union rally over thousands of people was taking place, with hundreds of different types of workers gathering in the thousands to protest on this main street. It was definitely a unique experience walking amongst some of them, and watching the scene unfold from the 3rd level of a Starbucks provided a unique vantage point to soak in the magnitude of this rally. So we missed Gyeongbokgung Palace but got to be a part of one of South Korea's largest gatherings this year. Give and take I guess.

Party:

A beautiful spot to pregame with some beautiful drinks

Seoul is a top 10 city for partying, and it is so easy to see why. Koreans go HARD. Like these guys are absolutely crazy. They're the Irish of the East, and keeping up with them was a challenge. Our night of drinking started off with a simple flight of wine in Hongdae. We then went to a club called M2, which had a $20 cover fee and was basically entirely Koreans. That had its perks, as we kind of did whatever we wanted in the club (also thanks to the fact that there was maybe only one other person in there over 5'10"), but also made us feel like we were somewhat of a pariah in the scene, like we had crashed a party and even though we made it more fun, a lot of the "invited" guests did not feel comfortable. Soju shots after tequila shots after Singapore Slings brought me to the level of a normal Korean, and we danced the night away in M2.

Side note about M2 that I found incredibly strange. The people working at the club would aggressively grab girls who were on the better looking side and bring them up on stage flanking either side of the DJ booth. On more than one occasion, the girl was not keen on going up on stage, but had no choice, and it was a combination of sad and frustrating for the rest of the people in the crowd. Just an observation. Please continue.

M2 was a great time with the locals, would definitely recommend!

We decided to leave M2 at around 3:30in the morning and go to an area called Itaewon. This is where we should have been, or at least pre-gamed. Itaewon is the international hub of Seoul, with cuisine ranging from Turkish to Italian to burgers. All types of ethnicities roamed the streets, and it made for very intriguing people watching at four in the morning. Additionally, this is the red light district of Seoul, so if you're into that kind of thing (don't worry mom and dad, I'm not), then this is the place to go. We walked through the area though, out of curiosity, and it seemed to be a majority of transgender places. So take that as it is. Just letting you know.

Obviously, you're probably wondering why we did not go to the most popular and well-known places to party in Seoul, Gangnam. Well, we were told by locals over and over again that, while Gangnam is one of the most fun, beautiful areas in Seoul, it is overpriced and usually not worth it. I, personally, would have wanted to go to Club Octagon, which is ranked #5 in the world, but we ended up having too much fun in Hongdae and Itaewon to make our way over to the place Psy made famous to us westerners. Whoopa Gangnam-style! Except not this time…

So there you have it. A brief blog post here, outlining basically everything we did in the city. Seoul will not take your breath away by any means, but it has a certain vibe to it that many major cities do not. It is relaxed yet advanced, the people are well-exposed yet culturally monogamous, and the food, while expensive, will not disappoint. This is a city you want to visit on a layover, in my opinion, because two days and two nights is all you need to thrive. Seoul marked the end of a week exploring all around Asia, and served as a perfect balance of city and relaxation before I was off to my next city: the savage land known as Beijing. Stay tuned next week for more on how you can possibly thrive in China's notorious capital.

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