My sister and I visited Seoul in September 2010. You see, my sister is a big fan of Super Junior and 2PM. Since I was doing the itinerary, I included a visit to JYP Entertainment (2PM's producer) and SM Entertainment (for Super Junior). We particularly wanted to pass by JYP to put a note by their door to bring back Jay Park. But after a few weeks, my sister, already accepting the fact that Jay Park's not coming back, and I deleted the visits to both offices. But anyway, they're not the only ones we wanted to see *grin*
1. Seoul City Tour Bus - For first timers like us, it was really useful to go on the hop on/hop off Seoul City Tour Bus. For just KRW10,000 (around PhP385.00), the bus took us to Seoul's top tourist spots.
2. Cheonggye Stream - Part of Korea's commitment to preserving the environment, Seoul restored the stream that flowed before the Joseon Dynasty. One of the must places to visit for me.
3. Finally meeting Admiral Yi Sun Shin in Gwanghamun Square - Korean war army hero. His figure stands prominently on Sejongno, facing the Gwanghamun palace.
4. Palaces - We were able to visit Gyeongbokgung, Deoksugung, Changdeokgung and another palace that I forgot the name now. After visiting a few, it started to bore us so we just decided to skip the other palaces. hehehe
5. Food - Spicy and delicious!!!
6. MTR and the Seoul City Pass/T-Money Card - The best way to get around Seoul is the MTR using the Seoul City Pass or T-Money. The first thing we did at the airport when we arrived was to look for a Mini-stop or Mini Mart to get our cards.
7. Uljiro Co-op Residence - Found this hotel in agoda.com. My choice of hotel should be near the MTR, near the shopping centers (hehe), clean, have good reviews in difference websites (agoda.com, trip advisor) and, of course, affordable. Recommended!
8. National Museum of Korea - We unknowingly chose to visit Seoul during the Midautumn Festival or Chuseok, one of the most important Korean traditional holidays where locals celebrate good harvest. Most of them visit their ancestral hometowns. Those left in the city are still treated to traditional folk dances which we experienced while visiting the National Museum of Korea.
9. N Seoul Tower - Teddy Bear Museum and Chain of Love. A must visit for kids and kids at heart *wink*
10. Shopping at Dongdaemun Market - Its just a block from our hotel. Doota, Migliore, Hello apm, where shops are open from 10:00am to 6:00am!!! No kidding.
Korea is a must visit. Visa application is free. It's one of the most beautiful cities I have visited in Asia.
