Tag: SouthKorea

Thanks to our pre-booked trains, the journey to Seoul was pretty straightforward, and we arrived just after 2pm. We dropped off our big bags at the hostel and decided to stretch our legs with a walk through the park up to Seoul Tower. We’d assumed it would be a gentle afternoon stroll, but the tower sits on top of a massive hill—and hiking up it in jeans and 24°C heat was definitely more of a workout than we’d bargained for. Still, the panoramic views from the top made it all worth it.

We didn’t splash out the extra £15 to go up to the very top of the tower itself. Instead, we treated ourselves to a cold soft drink at the base, sat on a bench in the breeze, and enjoyed the beautiful view over the sprawling city below.

The next morning started very early—up at 6am to make it to the pickup point for our DMZ tour by 7. Unfortunately, it rained all day, but luckily it was the kind of activity that could still be enjoyed in the drizzle.

The DMZ—the Demilitarised Zone separating North and South Korea—is one of the most heavily guarded borders in the world, and being there felt surreal. It was both fascinating and sobering to be standing so close to a place so charged with tension and history.

Our first stop was a striking red suspension bridge stretching across a quiet river, framed by forested hills. The peaceful scenery was deceptive—especially as we explored the nearby bunkers. These relics of past conflict sit eerily quiet now, but it was clear they once played a serious role, and being there gave the whole place a slightly haunted feeling.

Next, we visited the Freedom Bridge, once used by prisoners of war returning from the North. Now it stands as a powerful symbol of hope and reunification. Nearby, we saw statues dedicated to the “comfort women,” a deeply moving tribute to the women forced into sexual slavery during wartime. It was a sobering moment and added a deeper emotional layer to the day.

We then went underground to explore the third infiltration tunnel. This tunnel was discovered after a defector tipped off the South Korean government, who drilled holes until they found the hidden passageway. It’s one of several tunnels dug secretly by the North, designed for potential invasion. Hard hats on (and very much needed, given the low ceilings), we ventured into the narrow, dimly lit passage. It was cold, damp, and slightly claustrophobic—but amazing to be standing just 170 metres from the North Korean border, the closest civilians can get.

Our final stop was the Dora Observatory. There, through binoculars, we got our first proper look into North Korea. We could see what’s referred to as the “propaganda village,” Built to flaunt North Koreas wealth when the South was much poorer, with tower blocks and buildings that are painted to appear occupied but are likely empty shells. We also spotted guard posts, statues of the North Korean leaders, and old factories standing eerily still. Although not as quiet and somber as you may be imagining as South Korea blasts K-Pop (Korean pop music) to the North as a form of propaganda. In return the North sends over ‘trash balloons’ and drops waste over the South.

We arrived back in Seoul around 4pm, feeling reflective and grateful for the experience. After such a heavy morning, we decided to spend the rest of the afternoon on a lighter note. We headed over to the jewellery district and had some fun trying on engagement rings—very exciting, as Adam had asked for some hints about my preferences and ring size! A little sparkle to end an emotional day.

Our second day in Seoul started with something a bit different—trying out a popular activity with Koreans: cosmetic procedures. The beauty industry here is huge, particularly when it comes to cosmetic surgery. In fact, it’s estimated that over 30% of Korean women have had some form of cosmetic surgery, and it’s not uncommon for parents to gift procedures to their children as graduation presents!

We weren’t going quite that far, but we were curious to try some non-invasive treatments. After losing over 7 stone over the last six years, I’ve been left with a bit of loose skin, so I opted for an ultrasound procedure that targets the collagen layer in the skin and encourages new collagen production to help tighten things up. Grace, on the other hand, has a few patches of sun damage she’s wanted to improve, so she had a laser treatment. It was a fascinating look into a part of Korean culture we’ve heard so much about, and the staff were kind and professional, making it a smooth and comfortable experience, not to mention much much cheaper than the same procedures in the UK!

With our faces and bodies freshly zapped, we spent the afternoon doing more classic tourist activities. We wandered through a preserved area of old-style Korean houses, soaking up the charm of traditional architecture, and passing through a park filled with elderly people sat playing games and chatting, then headed to a local food market.

One stall caught our eye with a sign proudly claiming it had been featured on a Netflix show about street food, so of course we had to give it a try. We sampled their dumplings and some spicy kimchi—though honestly, the dumplings were a bit underwhelming. What we *did* love were the soft dough balls we later tried, filled with different fillings—we tried cream cheese, custard, and red bean paste (which oddly tasted a bit like chocolate). Originally, we ordered just one of each, but after we thanked the stall owner in Korean, he smiled, took our bag back, and added extras of each flavour for us—such a kind gesture. In fact, everyone in Korea has been incredibly warm and welcoming; we’re often greeted with waves or a cheerful “Welcome to Korea!” as we walk around.

In the evening we met up with the two Indian guys we had met in Gyeongju. We went to a rooftop restaurant and had some pork belly stew and some breaded chicken in a tast soy sauce and spent the evening chatting, before heading home very full and sleepy.

Our final full day in Seoul—and our last in Korea—was a busy one. We had arranged to meet up with Mark, a university friend of Grace’s best friend, Lilly. Grace had met him a few times over the years, and since he’s been living in Seoul for nearly ten years teaching English, he kindly offered to show us around for the day.We met him around 11am after he finished his class. His students had even prepared a document with fun facts about Korea and its history, which was incredibly sweet. Mark used it to give us little bits of information as we explored the city, pointing out statues and sites along the way.

We started off walking through one of Seoul’s trendy shopping districts before stopping for lunch at a spot Mark recommended. We told him we wanted to try something we hadn’t seen before, and he didn’t disappoint—we had tofu pouches stuffed with flavoured rice and topped with eel, octopus, prawn, and salmon. I was a bit nervous about the eel, but it turned out to be surprisingly tasty! We also shared a spicy soup that was packed with flavour.

After lunch, we wandered toward the main palace, passing through a lively square with water features, live music, and the presidential residence in the distance. Along the way, Mark pointed out a large statue of King Sejong the Great—a deeply respected figure in Korean history. King Sejong ruled during the Joseon Dynasty and is most famous for creating Hangul, the Korean alphabet. Before Hangul, Korean was written in Classical Chinese, which was difficult for commoners to learn. By developing a simple and logical phonetic script, King Sejong made literacy more accessible to ordinary people, forever changing Korean society. He’s also credited with championing scientific and technological advancements, promoting innovation in agriculture, astronomy, and printing. Seeing his statue and learning more about him gave us a real sense of how impactful his reign was.

We arrived at Gyeongbokgung Palace just in time to watch the changing of the guard ceremony, complete with bright traditional uniforms and rhythmic drumming. Afterward, we explored the palace grounds, which were beautifully laid out with peaceful gardens, elegant pavilions, and an artificial lake reflecting the surrounding buildings. Despite being in the heart of a busy city, the palace felt calm and expansive. Towards the exit, we popped into the National Folk Museum, where we learned about daily life in Korea throughout the centuries—from traditional clothing and religious practices to family rituals and agricultural tools. It was a really enriching way to get a sense of how everyday people lived, far removed from the grandeur of the palace halls.

After soaking in some history, we stopped for a drink and considered where to go next. Mark suggested the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art. Grace and I aren’t usually big fans of art museums—they can be pricey and a bit hit or miss for us—but since Mark had been so generous with his time, we happily went along.

And we’re so glad we did. The museum was featuring an exhibition by Ron Mueck, an Australian artist based in the UK. Entry was only about £4, and the work was super cool. Mueck creates incredibly lifelike sculptures of people—some miniature, others massive. Each one captured raw emotion so vividly it felt like the figures might blink or breathe at any moment. One of the most impressive was a huge sculpture of a woman in bed that looked like she could sit up at any moment. We also watched a short film about how the pieces were made, which gave us even more appreciation for the artistry behind them. It ended up being one of the most memorable museum visits of our trip.

We finished our day with a walk through the city, passing a beautiful Buddhist temple on the way to one of Seoul’s famous food streets. There, we had our final Korean BBQ—and finally learned we’d been doing it slightly wrong all along! Mark showed us that some of the sides, like the kimchi and bean sprouts, were actually meant to be grilled, not eaten cold like we had been doing. Better late than never!We treated Mark to dinner as a thank-you for being our tour guide, but he insisted on buying us dessert. We ended up at a soufflé pancake café, sharing a chocolate and a strawberry pancake between us. They were absolutely enormous, jiggly, and delicious—a sweet way to end our time in Korea.

Our last day wasn’t particularly exciting as we packed our bags and headed to the airport, most of the morning was spent queuing for tax refunds for all of our purchases here, we may have gone a little overboard on skincare products…

We also had a seemingly famous K-pop group on our plane people were sat with banners waiting for them to pass through security and taking photos of them as say waiting for the plane. We however didn’t have a clue who they were!

Sadly we didn’t have their first class tickets but were still on our way to our next stop: Taiwan—country number five!

I’ll tell you all about it soon. Love, Alice x

Our next stop was Jeju Island, just off the southern coast of Korea and famous for its natural beauty. The island is crisscrossed by a series of scenic walking routes known as the Olle Trails, which together form a circular path around the entire island. The hostel owner recommended sections 6 and 7 as her favourites, so we decided to tackle those first.

She was absolutely right—they were stunning. The trails took us along dramatic coastlines, through peaceful forests, past pretty houses and hidden waterfalls. At one point we stopped for a homemade lemonade and sat down to enjoy the view… only to realise we’d chosen metal chairs that had just been painted. So we spent the second half of the hike with fresh chair imprints on our bums. Not the most fashionable look, but it made us laugh, and it didn’t spoil the walk at all. The weather was lovely—bright and a little warmer than Busan, though still breezy.

As usual, we shared the trail with lots of elderly Korean hikers, who all greeted us cheerfully as they passed. At one point, two older ladies stopped us and, to our confusion, began showing us some drawings they had done. We told them the pictures were lovely and tried to hand them back, but they insisted we keep them as a gift. We’re still not entirely sure what it was all about, but it was a very sweet interaction and definitely a highlight of the day.

That evening we treated ourselves to another Korean BBQ, this time trying Jeju’s famous black pork. We weren’t quite sure what made it special, but apparently it comes from a breed of black-haired pigs unique to the island. Taste-wise it was pretty similar to other BBQ pork we’d had, but still absolutely delicious.

On our second day in Jeju, we visited a “wellness forest,” a kind of peaceful woodland area designed to promote mental and physical wellbeing. There were scenic walking paths, quiet spots for meditation, and even beds for “forest bathing” (which basically just means lying on sun loungers and soaking up the sounds of nature). It was incredibly relaxing—until we realised the trail gradually led us uphill to the top of a surprisingly steep mound. After the long hike the day before, we were definitely feeling it in our legs! But the forest was beautiful, and we enjoyed following the trail, which was marked by colourful ribbons tied to trees. It turned into a bit of a game, spotting the next ribbon and making sure we hadn’t lost the path—especially since there were warning signs everywhere about the dangers of wandering off-trail due to wild animals. Thankfully the only wildlife we saw were a few deer.

In the afternoon, I attempted a mission to the local post office to send home some clothes I wouldn’t need for the rest of the trip—shorts, dresses and swimwear mostly. It ended up being a much more stressful experience than expected. Between the language barrier and some very confusing paperwork, it took over two hours of miming, pointing, and hopeful smiling before I finally handed over the box. I *think* it’s now on its way home, though there’s a slight chance I just paid £35 to lose a random box of clothes somewhere in Korea.

The rest of the evening we spent relaxing—chatting with other travellers at the hostel and turning in early ahead of our flight to Gyeongju the next morning.

More soon! Love, Alice x

After a long day of travel, several delays and not much more than three hours’ sleep, we finally landed in South Korea at around 8am. First challenge was figuring out public transport while half-asleep, but thankfully a kind newsagent took pity on us and helped us top up a Korean T-card and pointed us in the direction of the metro. Once we were on the trains, it was all surprisingly easy—everything is clearly signed in both Korean and English, and there are handy indicators showing where the train is, which carriages are full, and even what side the doors will open. We had to take three trains to get to our hostel, but it all went very smoothly considering how tired we were.

Our day got even better when we arrived at the hostel and found we’d been upgraded to a private room and could check in straight away. We gratefully went back to sleep for a few hours before heading out to explore.

First stop was a nearby shopping mall—perhaps not the most cultural choice, but necessary! We’d gone from 32°C in the Philippines to just 11°C in Busan, so we spent a few hours buying jeans, jumpers and coats. Not sure how we’re going to fit it all in our bags, but we’ll deal with that later. Obviously we also stopped to admire the sweet treats and treated ourselves to a very pretty strawberry and cream croissant.

Once we were sufficiently layered up, we went in search of a proper meal and found a restaurant serving kimchi and beef hotpot. It came with loads of side dishes and was very tasty—meant to be for two people, but we still couldn’t finish it all. We also realised metal chopsticks are so much harder to use than wooden ones, so we’re basically back to square one on that front. It was an interesting eating experience we had no idea what pairs with what, or how to eat certain things, and I even managed to nearly blow my head off by not recognising wasabi and adding a big blob to a mouthful of food.

After lunch we headed to a park that was supposed to have lots of cherry blossom trees. We’d just missed the main season of them but there were still a few blossoms hanging on. We also found a cool samurai statue and plenty of stray cats for Grace to befriend. Later we found out why all their ear tips are clipped, it’s to show they’ve been neutered/spayed, which was interesting to learn.

On the way back to the hostel we popped into one of the many claw machine arcades (they’re everywhere here) before calling it a day. We’d planned to go to a drone show on the beach that evening, but it was cancelled due to extreme wind and rain, we even got warnings about it on our lhones, so instead we went back to the warm hostel, had gloriously long hot showers and brushed our teeth with tap water! Such a novelty after so long without it. Then it was straight to bed.

For our second day we took the train up to the town of Beomeosa, in the far north of Busan. After a bit of miming with a helpful shopkeeper we discovered there was a nice woodland walk to the temple, so we decided to follow it. It was a peaceful hour-long stroll and we passed lots of older locals out for walks or stretching—it seems the older generation here are very active.

Beomeosa Temple is still an active Buddhist temple, and since it was the weekend, there were no guided tours running and about 100 people were there to worship. We were still allowed to explore and wander through the beautiful old wooden buildings, all strung with colourful paper lanterns. It would have been nice to know more of the history, but it was still a lovely visit.

We stopped by a street market on the way back and picked up a pot of sticky spicy chicken to share —absolutely delicious, we regretted not getting one each.

In the afternoon we visited Gamcheon Culture Village, a colourful, coastal neighbourhood filled with art shops and cafés. We wandered the winding streets taking photos and enjoying a hot chocolate before deciding to get a little portrait done by a street artist. We’d seen someone else get theirs and it looked amazing, so we paid ₩35,000 (£20) and sat for ours. The artist spent ages measuring our faces and even stared deep into our eyes to get the colour right. Unfortunately, despite all of the inspections, the final result didn’t look much like either of us—maybe she wasn’t used to painting Western faces—but we still liked it and it makes for a fun keepsake.

That evening we joined a little hostel group for a Korean BBQ—one German woman and two Swiss guys. It was great fun, grilling meat at the table and trying different side dishes. I also decided to try the rice wine, expecting something light, but it turned out to be more like a small bottle of vodka. Apparently it’s common to mix it with beer here, but I went for coke instead, but the others said it was nice in beer too. After dinner we ended up across the road in a cocktail bar and had a really fine evening staying out until 1am! One round we all ordered drinks for the person to our left with the rule that it had to be something they hadn’t tried yet. I got a super sweet candy one, while Grace got a cocktail that was proudly described as tasting like “soil.” We assumed it was a mistranslation. It wasn’t.

Understandably, day three started a bit slower. We spent the morning writing postcards before heading to a traditional market for lunch. We shared another sticky chicken dish, a tempura squid stick, and some pork and kimchi dumplings. All delicious.

After lunch we headed to the beach, though it was too chilly for sunbathing. We strolled along the promenade in our coats and watched people building sand sculptures for an upcoming competition. It was a strange but cool contrast to see skyscrapers right next to the sea.

We tried to ride one of the cute two-person train pods we’d seen on overhead tracks earlier, but being the weekend they were all booked up. Instead, we grabbed seats on the slower coastal tourist train which left in about an hour and a half. We filled the time with hot drinks and I tried mochi in the form of — a chocolate mochi -covered strawberry it was a bit chewy and didn’t taste of much. Probably won’t get it again, but not bad as a one-off try.

The train ride was just a slow plod along the coast and there wasn’t loads to see, which was probably good as we both fell asleep for the first half of the train ride, which the Korean ladies next to us found hilarious. At least we saw the view on the return journey!

For dinner, we stopped at a little restaurant on the walk back to the hostel. It wasn’t in a touristy area so there was no English menu and the staff didn’t speak any either. We attempted to mime “whatever you think for two people” to the very patient waiter, and ended up with another BBQ and a selection of sides. There was also a jug of mystery liquid we assumed was water, but it tasted very sesame-y—possibly oil? Not entirely sure if we were supposed to be drinking it or not, we played it safe and ordered cokes.

On our final morning in Busan we got up early to squeeze in a few last sights before our afternoon flight. First was another seaside culture village, which looked very cute in the early morning light even though all the shops were still closed. The chilly weather and quiet streets made it feel a bit like an English seaside town out of season.

Next we took the cable car ride along the coast, which was fun and gave us a great view of the city—though the glass-bottom floor over the ocean was a bit unnerving! At the top we had a quick walk around the sea walkway before catching the cable car back.

Our last stop was the fish market, which I was dreading slightly (based on past experience of smelly fish markets). But it was actually fine—cool weather plus live seafood meant no terrible smell! We had a fun wander nosing around the tanks of fish and octopus before heading back to the hostel to grab our bags and head to the airport for our flight to Jeju.

More on that soon! Love, Alice x