Wandering in Korea

Hello Everyone, specially korean lovers~

It's a story about when me and 3 of my friends visited Korea last October (23 October - 27 October). Actually, I did write about this trip in some parts but in my country language (bahasa). Then I think it would be better if I write it in english too. Please enjoy reading guys!

Wandering in Korea

First, when my friend ask me to accompany with her, I think it would be a great opportunity for me to visit korea, specially the date is when the autumn season is happen in Korea. I always want to see the beautiful color of atumn leaves. So, I decided to join her trip.

Well, it's my first time visited South Korea, and also my first time did solo traveling. Yap, my friends need to go to another city first, but I decided to just visited Seoul (I don't have much money tbh). I did solo traveling from Bandung (Indonesia) to Seoul (South Korea), alone without anyone that I know and also without travel agency. I'm a brave girl right? So, for everyone who want to do solo traveling, it's okay to make South Korea as your destination ;). But, for the safety, I've prepared a lot for this traveling very well.

Although I just with my self only, I didn't feel lonely, because on the airplane, I making friend with Korean named Songyi. We talk a lot to kill the time of the long flight. She also advised me to go to Bukchon, becuse "it's so beautiful" she said.

But so bad, my mobile phone was leaked by my mineral water, so I can't turn my phone on. I can't contact my friends, my family, and the most important is can't update my sns, kkk... So I calm my self to think clearly. Don't forget to buy T-money in convenience store there. Then I heading to Airport Railroad station. Thank God, finally I arrived Seoul safely.

This is my first seoul city view, Namsan and N Seoul tower peek behind flickering street and building
lamps.

For our trip in Seoul, South Korea, we stay at K-pop guesthouse. We choose this accomodation because it's so close to Seoul Station exit 11. Although the location was so great, the room rate is not too high.

Small tiny room of Kpop Guesthouse. ₩ 170,000 for 3 nights with bathroom inside the twin (bunk bed) room.

After having shower, I decided to visit Dongdaemun History and Culture park at night, because I want to see and feel the space that created by world star architect, Zaha Hadid. I'm an architect student btw, so I won't missed this opportunity. When I walk out the subway station, I was amazed by the beautiful design. I enjoy my self walking around this interesting place. I really love the space that created by the organic shape of the building. Although it was night and a little bit dark, I still can enjoy the design by the beautiful lighting there. On the other side of Dongdaemun Design Plaza, I see A LOT of luminous ROSES. It was sooooooo beautiful. It feels like I don't wanna leave this place. So amazing!

I take Subway line 4 and stop at Dongdaemun History and Culture park, then exit 1. From there you can see that amazing building. it cost ₩ 1,250 from Seoul station.

Dongdaemun design plaza

Then I continue my walking that night. I go to Doota. I also buy street food, Fishcake, with an 아줌마. It was so yummy. So I walk while eating that hot fishcake in this cool night. I ended up my journey that night in Heunginjimun before go back to Hostel to take a rest.

Heunginjimun / Dongdaemun = Great East Gate

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In the morning, my friends come. So we start our wandering together!

our first wefie

We choose Lotte World Adventure in Jamsil to having a fun time on our first day together. Lucky us, get a 50% discount from the flyer in our guesthouse, so we just need to pay ₩ 24,000 only for the day pass. Over there, we tried Lotty Train, Pharaoh's Fury, Gyro Spin, and Gyro Drop. But, my most favourite rides is Atlantis. The rides suddenly fasten their speed, takes me into the dark room through the way down with its fast speed. Then it take me outside the dark while turning 90 degrees, make my neck hurt. ugh. I sit in the first row, so I can feel the thrill clearly. Made my adrenaline!

from seoul station, we take Subway line 1, then transit at City Hall to change into Subway line 4, and stop at Jamsil.

Having so much fun at Lotte World Adventure

In the afternoon, we have lunch at Food Capital. I ate 청담순두부.  It cost 6,700 won. Ah, there's an interesting thing when we eat at restaurant. After we paid our orders, they give us a black alarm. This alarm will vibrate and blinked its lamp, it means that our order is ready to pick. Awh, so cute. I never experienced it before in my country. After we picked our meals, “찰목엤읍니다~”. My friend who order 짬짜면 said that her meals was so delicious. 

Confused choosing with cute menu~

After having late lunch, we had skating inside the building. because we had one day pass ticket, they give us a discount. So we need to paid 10,500 won only. I really love skating here because the ice rink is so BIG. I can practice my backwards skate without bumped with another skaters. And my record is, I didn't fall this time! HAHA.

I love skating here, the ice rink is BIG.

At night we visited K-Star road in Apgujeong, Gangnam. There're some of cute dolls along side the road represent some of Korean Idol groups. As we know, Gangnam is the luxurious place in korea. Here in Apgujeong, a lot of branded shops and galleries, line up besides the road. Not only that branded shops and galleries, over there there're also some famous entertainment building and offices. So, we visit JYP Entertainment building, SM Entertainment building, Cube Entertainment building, and FnC Entertainment building. But too bad we didn't meet 우리오빠, our idol there (T_T).

From Lotte world, we take Subway line 4, then transit in Isu to change into Bundang line, and stop at Apgujong.

K-Star Road and cute dolls that represents the Hallyu.

famous entertainment building and offices

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Next day, we decided to have Downtown Seoul City Tour.

Second day wefie

Our wandering today start from Cheonggyecheon, beautiful stream in the center of the city. It's a really good example of urban transformation to give some open space and also public space for the residents. We take a walk along the stream. On that day, the weather was so perfect for walking around the city. 날씨가 따뜻하고 시원해요. 좋다~ The water of this stream was so clean, because they have 'water quality measurement area' in Cheonggye plaza. This stream ended up at Han River.

Beautiful Cheonggyecheon

While we walking through the Cheonggye Plaza, we discover a booth. When I take a look closely, it was a free campaign to showing our love and our thanks to our parents. We join this 부모님 사랑·감사 캠페인. The staff help us a lot with explaining about this campaign while accompany us writing letters to our lovely parents. They also take our picture to sent it with the letters to our parents in our country for FREE!

Joining the free campaign and helped by the korean staff

We continue walking along the Gwanghwamun square. There's a statue of King Sejong, The Great King at Joseon Dynasty and founder of Hangul. There's also Admiral Sun Shin statue.

Sejong Daewhang statue and Admiral Yi Sunsin statue in Gwanghwamun square

In that sunday morning, there're a lot of booths just like a bazaar. My friends even buy some Hanbok from the flea market here. Then, lucky us discovering booth for free trying Hanbok. This Hanbok was so beautiful because this is a kind of the royals used.

So glad that can trying the Royals Hanbok

In the end of our walking through the Gwanghwamun square, there's a biggest palace of Korea, Gyeongbokgung.

In front of Gyeongbokgung

Then We go to Bukchon Hanok Village. I'm so glad that Songyi give me an aadvise to visi Bukchon. This area was sooo beautiful with hanok along side the contoured road. Walking along this village and getting lost makes me feel like being filmed in korean drama. Well, this one is my most favourite place because I can really feel the 'Korea' here.

We take taxi from Gyeongbokgung to Bukchon hanok village. It cost ₩ 3,600.

here's the spot that I visited reccomend.

Hanok - Building skyline - Namsan in one frame

Hanok is really exotic.

In the late afternoon, we ride cable car to Namsan. We enjoy the sunset with the background of Seoul city view. What a romantic one.
₩ 8,500 for return ticket of cable car.

We still can manage to take a wefie in that crowded cable car.

Sunset from Namsan

 

At night, we shop in Myeongdong till drop. kkkk... we bought A LOT of COSMETICS, and also some clothes. Korea brands cosmetic was cheaper here than sold in my country. We didn't missed that opportunity of course. They also give some free samples. even if you buy only one thing. We shopped a lot cosmetics at Etude house. We used our Korea Grand Sale 2015 coupon, so we got 20% discount. Yehey!. I also like shopping clothes in here because the autumn wear is my favorite style. I can find affordable price of clothes in Myeongdong. Of course, they wrote 'made in korea' on their brand.

We forget our tiredness in here. kkkk~

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On our last day, we visited Ewha Womans University. On our way there, I can feel the youth and colleger vibe even in Subway. The youth vibe got stronger when we go outside the subway station, where there're some shops alongside the road to the campus. When we arrived at Ehwa, what a beautiful campus!!! I really love the landscape here because the leaves start to change their color. The old building of this campus also so exotic. in the center of that exocitc building, I can't resist my self to did a sketching of Campus complex building that design by Dominique Perrault. I love the way how he create the space there. Feels like I really wanna be 대학셍 and try to study here (>.<)

From seoul station, we take subway line 1, then transit at City Hall to change into Subway line 4, and stop at Ewha Womans University.

Beautiful campus of Ewha Womans University

Then we go to Nami Island, beautiful yet romantic place. We take a looooong way there with subway and train, because it's outside Seoul. In the train we meet an 할아버지. He keep talking with us nicely with 한국어 that we can't understand. hehe... He also sing korean song that I've never heard before. It sounds like folk song I guess, so I sing some lyrics of Arirang. Surprisingly, he can guess this Arirang song that I sang. I'm not bad singer right? kkkk~ Not only that 할아버지, but 택시 아저씨 also so nice with us, he keep talking with us because he can feel our happies visiting korea with seeing our excited face.
Although in monday, there're a lot of tourist at the port who wanna go to Nami Island too, just like us. Well, it's a perfect time when we visited there, because we can see green, yellow, and red color of autumn leaves. We really enjoy our walking there, between and under colored trees, and taking some pictures here and there. Scene that I've never see before, and also scene that I REALLY wanna see.

From Ewha Womans Unoversity, we take subway line 4, then transit at Konkuk University to change into Subway line 7, then change our train again at Sangbong to change into Gyeongchun line, then stop at Gapyeong.

Spread love from Korea~

Our last wefie in fascinating island.

From Nami Island, we heading to Incheon Airport. We didn't forget to take our luggage that had been stored at the locker in Seoul Station before. We arrived at Incheon late night. To complete our wandering in Korea in backpacker way, we sleep in airport that night. There're some travelers sleep over night there, don't need to worry. I even walking arround in airport that night to buy some snacks.

Arex all stop train from Seoul station to Incheon cost ₩ 3,500 

 Incheon Airport touring

Well, in the end, I really really had a good and fun time wandering in Korea with my friends. We shared a lot of memories there. Hope to see you again Korea.  안녕~

Souvenirs

You can check the full story in bahasa here.

If you have some free time, kindly watch the video.

감사합니다~ ^^