Hot Spots
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Glamourous + Camping = Glamping
I didn’t know that term ‘Glamping’ until I went glamping myself. ‘Glamping’ is a newly coined word, combined with ‘Glamourous’ and ‘Camping’. If you already knew this, then you must be more adventurous than me, ha.
We had a chance to go glamping located in the Pocheon area during my last summer vacation. Everything is set there so you don’t have to set up a tent yourself or anything else. Basically there’s a huge tent installed on the ground and when you get in, you see the accommodation set up even a bathroom, a big size bed, a fridge, an AC and so on.
The entrance is tastefully laid out. You can see the glamping sites set up in a row. You should be careful not to get in the wrong one because they all look the same.
You don’t actually have to bring anything for camping because everything is already there. But the fee is more expensive than the normal camping fee.
If you pay some more, they provide food services as well as a barbeque set. You can eat Samgyupsal, sausages, shrimps, sweet potatoes and more for the barbeque menu and ramyeon and rice for breakfast.
This glampsite was set on the edge of the lake so it was quite a unique experience, feeling like floating on the water. Unfortunately, the weather was very bad. We had a stormy night on that day.
I got some more pictures from their blog with permission so you have a look how beautiful it is.
If you’re planning for a romantic trip with your girlfriend or a special trip with your friends, either should be fine. That was a very different experience compared to normal camping. It’s not easy to make a reservation during the peak season and it is very expensive. And be aware of the weather cast since it’s still a camping.
Below is the information if you’re interested in visiting this glamping place.
Address : Naengjeong-ri, Gwanin-myeon, Pocheon City, Kyonggi Province
Phone No. : 080-5982-1004
Accommodation Fee : 130,000 KRW for one night (2 people)
Travel
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Can Sundae Gukbab Be Recommended to Foreigners in Korea??
Sundae and Sundae Gukbab has been always my favorite Korean food. It is a very Korean style and traditional local food so I always thought that only the Korean people would enjoy this food. Sundae is a type of Korean blood sausage usually made from pig’s intestines stuffed with various ingredients. Does it sound disgusting already? Then you can skip this posting. But if not, you can hear me out.
If you’re still new to Korea then you may not like Sundae very much because of its look. You wouldn’t like the color either because it’s black. The strange thing at least to me is that most of the foreigners that I’ve known so far all liked to eat Sundae and Sundae Gukbab. Gukbab is like a hot soup with cooked rice in it so Sundae Gukbab means a Gukbab with Sundae in it.
Many of foreigners may not like Sundae because of its look and color. But once you taste it, you’re going to change your mind.
Most of Koreans love to eat Sundae Gukbab after drinking. Many of them believe that you can sober up after eating it. It works for me as well.
Sundae is a very popular street food in Korea. It became an inexpensive street snack since the Korean War sold in snack bars with other popular ones like Tteok-bokki and Twigim(fries). You’ll see Korean girls are crazy about them.
Here’s some information about the restaurant that I’d love to visit again.
Address: 6, Yangjaedae-ro27gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul
Phone No. : 02-445-0777
Operation Hours: 24 Hours
- Price for each -
Sundae Gukbab: 8,000 KRW
Sundae Set Menu: 12,000 KRW
Sundae Collection: Small 20,000 KRW / Large 25,000 KRW
Food
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Seoul Lantern Festival Is Coming Back!
Have you heard of ‘Seoul Lantern Festival’? Every year in November, they hold this Festival in the Cheonggye area which is called ‘Seoul Bit Chorong Festival’ which means Seoul Lantern Festival. Every year nearly 3 million visitors can expect to see lanterns along the 1.3 km Cheonggyecheon Stream with various things to see stretching all the way from Cheonggye Plaza and Supyogyo Bridge.
It was the 10th anniversary last year and I could see the huge lanterns with the shapes of many different figures. It was my first visit and it was very amazing to see them there. And now it’s coming back in November.
It was quite a long line along the stream. It looked like a parade with bright figures in the dark.
I really loved this figure. Some of you might tell what this is. It is called Taekwon V and it’s a very classic and popular robotic hero in Korean animation series. Yes, if you recognize this, you must be old enough.
This one stands for the current trend of culture in Korea. The title of this work is ‘Street Performance’. You can see a lot of young people perform on the street in the Hongdae area.
I’m pretty sure that visiting here will give you beautiful memories in Korea, especially to lovers and family. Whether you’re new to Korea or not, just go ahead. It starts in November this year again.
Here’s some more information about the festival of this year. Yes, I’m planning to visit there again.
Period : 2019.11.01(Fri) ~ 2019.11.17(Sun)
Address : 14, Jong-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul
Location : Cheonggye Plaza to Supyongyo Bridge
Phone Number : 02-2133-0910
Lights On 17:00 / Lights Off 22:00 (Sat, Sun 23:00)
http://www.seoullantern.com/en/
Entertainment
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E-Mart, 'THE' Supermarket in Korea
E- Mart is the place that I most frequently visit for shopping, especially the one that is located in Seongsu-dong. That’s because it’s very convenient to park my car and we can buy almost everything we need at reasonable prices. There are 2 more popular and common big supermarket brands in Korea and they’re Homeplus and Lottemart. I can’t think of why but my preference has been always E-Mart and that’s probably because I see them more often and I feel more comfortable, I guess.
There’s an E-Mart in my area as well but they don’t provide a spacious parking lot so I would rather drive down to another one. So I can say it’s not all of them are convenient for shopping. But most of them are better than average.
There’s a pet shop which is called Molly’s Pet Shop and you can adopt your pet and buy a lot of pet goods. I always like to visit this shop whether I buy something or not.
You can also go to the Food Court for visiting restaurants. You can see many different kinds of restaurants here, Korean, Chinese, Hamburgers and so on.
And of course you can buy not only stylish outwears but also innerwear. You can buy suits as well. I used like to buy my suits and dress shirts at E-Mart before.
They sell their own brand foods as well. Bakery, chicken, sushi, cookies and most of them are very nice and cheap. The brand name is No-Brand. That's funny, ha.
This is not all. Shopping at these supermarkets will save a lot of time and money. So we usually make a list of items to buy and take a chance to purchase them all at E-Mart. Besides, they provide discounts and promotional events almost every day. I’m not that interested in shopping but for some reason I always enjoy shopping at E-Mart.
Here’s some information about the E-Mart that we visit most of the time.
Address : 379, Ttukseom-ro, Seongdong-gu, Seoul
Phone Number : 02-3408-1234
Operation Hours : 10:00 ~ 23:00
Shopping
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Samgyupsal, the Most Common and Popular Barbeque in Korea
Samgyupsal can be translated as ‘pork belly’. And Samgyupsal is the most common and popular meat that Koreans enjoy. I always love to eat Samgyupsal with some beer and all my stress goes away. I would say everyone in Korea might feel the same way.
It’s not very hard to find a Samgyupsal restaurant in Korea. And I’ve never seen any foreigners who didn’t like to eat Samgyupsal. Yes, because it’s barbeque meat. Many people eat Samgyupsal with lettuce or with some other green vegetables. But personally I don’t recommend it. You can just dip it in the salt so you can taste the meat itself.
Some restaurants serve Samgyupsal with some salt sprinkled on it already. You can just eat it without sauce once it’s cooked.
You’ll be able to eat many different Korean side dishes as well when you visit them. But if you’re not very much into Korean traditional foods, you can just skip them.
Korean people love to grill Kimchi as well with Samgyupsal. When you do it, you’re going to see why they love to grill them together. Yes, Kimch tastes much better. But it’s not for Samgyupsal, ha.
Samgyupsal is the most common and popular meat in Korea. And it’s cheap compared to Hanwoo, Korean beef. You can also buy some at a butcher’s shop and cook it at your house. You have to make sure that you circulate fresh air throughout the house though.
Here’s some information about the restaurant we visited for Samgyupsal.
Address : 13, Cheonhodae-ro 155 gil, Gangdong-gu, Seoul
Phone No. : 02-6409-7771
Open & Close Hours : 12:00 ~ 24:00
- Price for Menu -
Samgyusal : 13,000 KRW (180g)
Moksal : 13,000 KRW (180g)
Hangjungsal : 13,000 KRW (180g)
Food
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Beautiful Sunrise at Jeongdongjin
Have you watched a sunrise and wished for something? I’ve never because I don’t believe in those things very much but I recently had a chance to visit Jeongdongjin beach located in Gangwon-do which is quite a popular place for watching the sunrise.
I drove down there but you can also take the train because there’s a station which is called Jeondongjin station and its first arrival is also perfect for the sunrise time.
I don’t think you can see the magnificence of the sunrise from the photo. It was really beautiful, beyond description.
You can see the clear ocean during the daytime. There are also a lot of places to visit for fun.
I would say you can be here to refresh your mind and body, get some fresh ocean air and clear your head. Are you in Korea now? Then visit this place to make a wish for something or someone.
Below is some information if you’re interested.
Address : 17 Jeongdongyeok-gil, Gangdong-myeon, Gangneung-si, Gangwon-do
Open & Close Hours : No limit
Phone No. : 1544-7788 (Jeondongjin Station)
Admission : Free
Travel
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EVERLAND, the Largest Theme Park in Korea
It’s been like forever since I visited Everland but I feel obligated that I have to introduce Everland since it’s a representative amusement park in Korea. I was told that they have 7.3 million visitors annually. Can you imagine that? Yes, it is HUGE.
Everland is divided into 5 zones, Global Fair for foods and souvenirs, Magic Land for rides, Zootopia for animal petting, American Adventure for western themed rides, and European Adventure for rides and restaurants with European architecture.
Rolling X-Train is quite a typical roller coaster but it’s really thrilling. You’ll probably feel dizzy and when you ride it because it keeps rolling.
T-Express is the first wooden constructed roller coaster in Korea. They said that it’s the 6th longest wooden coaster in the world with 1,770m length and it’s literally terrifying to ride it.
This is the Safari World and I always enjoyed riding a shuttle for watching animals like tigers, lions, ligers and many others. You’ll be riding a shuttle getting through those animals.
I can say that Everland is one of the top places you need to visit if you’re in Korea. If you like rides and thrill, you must get to this place for various exciting experiences.
Check the information if you’re interested. No, you don't have to be interested. You should just GO there.
Address : 199, Everland-ro, Pogok-eup, Cheoin-gu, Yongin City, Kyonggi Province
Open & Close Hours : 10:00 ~ 22:00
Phone No. : 031-320-5000
Admission : 56,000 KRW (1 Day) / 46,000 KRW (Evening Time)
Entertainment
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Everything in One Place(?)
Most of you may already know about E-Mart because it’s quite a big supermarket and they’re everywhere in Korea. But have you heard of E-Mart Traders?
When you visit one of them, you’ll probably be overwhelmed by its size. This is a hypermarket meaning it offers you a one stop shopping experience. You will find everything you will need from appliances, groceries, furniture, clothes, etc...
When you get in, you’ll see stacks of products piled up everywhere. And you can buy them at a reasonable price. You can also get a discount if you have a Samsung credit card. If you are tired from all the shopping, you can stop by the food court where you can try their homemade pizza, baked goods or just a cup of coffee.
One of the good things about this place that I visited is that it’s connected to Starfield which is a huge shopping mall. You can see countless shops and restaurants and one shop that I loved especially is Electro Mart. You will find all the electronics that you could ever want in one place.
Check out the information below if you’re interested.
Address : B2, Starfield Hanam, 750 Misadaero, Hanam City, Kyonggi Province
Phone No. : 031-8069-1234
Shopping
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100 Year Old Chickens for Samgyetang(?)
Yes, Samgyetang is such a popular Korean traditional chicken soup and it’s very common to eat Samgyetang everywhere in Korea. But this one that I had with my family was quite different.
First of all, the color is yellow which is why it’s also called Golden Samgyetang. Most of them have a color close to white or clear like water but this one is yellow. I figured that it probably had some sulfur in it as an ingredient.
And the soup is much thicker than others. Some of you may not like it but I would say the taste is definitely much better because of the thicker soup.
Maybe I’m not supposed to say this but the restaurant’s name has a unique word ‘Baekse’, meaning 100 years of age. They serve 100 year old chickens? Probably not, ha. It could mean that you might be able to live until 100 years old if you try this food. So it means this Samgyetang is that good for your health according to them. Besides, it was recently introduced on a TV show in Korea so you’ll probably have to wait in line to try it.
If you didn’t have a chance to eat Samgyetang yet then I would definitely recommend it because it is a traditional Korean soup. And if you already like eating Samgyetang, then try to visit this place for a difference in quality and taste. There’s a saying in Korea. Chickens are always right!
Address : 1533 Seobu-ro, Gwonseon-gu, Suwon, Kyonggi Province
Phone No. : 031-271-5888
- Price of Menu -
Sanghwang Samgyetang : 15,000 KRW
Hanbang Samgyetang : 17,000 KRW
Andong Zimdak : 32,000~45,000 KRW
Food