londonseoul.blogspot.com
London to Seoul: Hiking Achasan
http://londonseoul.blogspot.com/2015/06/hiking-achasan.html
Saturday, 20 June 2015. Achasan (아차산) is in Eastern Seoul and easily accessible by several subway stations. It's an easy and gentle mountain to hike, with fantastic views of Seoul and the Han river. It is connected to Yongmasan (용마산), and you can hike Achasan and Yongmasan together in one day. In old mountainside villages in Korea. The paintings on the walls add something interesting to see, but people do actually live in the houses so I didn't take many pictures. It's worth a look. After hiking a little...
londonseoul.blogspot.com
London to Seoul: Samcheong-dong, Jongno-gu
http://londonseoul.blogspot.com/2015/03/samcheong-dong-jongno-gu.html
Sunday, 22 March 2015. The thing to remember if you want to visit Samcheong-dong for wandering around and taking pictures is this: GO EARLY. The little streets and alleys get jam-packed with tourists on the weekends and it can be kind of a nightmare, but it you go before 11am you can stroll around in peace. The stores and cafes start opening from 10am onwards. How do I get there? What else can I do in Jongno-gu? 1 Visit the palaces. 2 Wear a hanbok! 3 Buy stuff at Insadong. 4 Visit a Buddhist Temple.
londonseoul.blogspot.com
London to Seoul: Korea Hiking 101
http://londonseoul.blogspot.com/2015/03/korea-hiking-101.html
Wednesday, 4 March 2015. I wrote a post a few years ago. About how popular mountain hiking is in Korea. But I wanted to give a bit more information for anyone who might be interested, since it's such an awesome way to spend a day, and it really is so easy. All you need to do is:. 1 Go to a mountain. 2 Start walking uphill along any trail. As long as you see other people going the same way, it's all good. My tips for first-time hikers in Korea:. Don't be intimidated by all the Korean hikers in full mounta...
londonseoul.blogspot.com
London to Seoul: Seoul's Doll Cafes
http://londonseoul.blogspot.com/2015/03/seouls-doll-cafes.html
Tuesday, 3 March 2015. If you are a doll collector and hobbyist, Seoul is a good place to be! Not only is there a bi-monthly doll fair, the Doll Free Market, and a Volks store in Hongdae, but there are also a few doll-themed cafes where you can hang out with other enthusiasts, take pictures of your dolls and even shop for clothing and accessories. 2016 update: see link here. My top pick: Cafe Nine9 Style, Hongdae. Cute and quirky: Alice's Teapot, Buam-dong. Leave me a comment below. Many apartments in Ko...
londonseoul.blogspot.com
London to Seoul: Surviving the Jjimjilbang
http://londonseoul.blogspot.com/2012/03/surviving-jjimjilbang.html
Monday, 26 March 2012. Do you live in Korea? Are you a foreigner? Do you need a bath? If you answered 'yes' to the all of the above, then you need a trip to the JJIMJILBANG (follow link for a beginner's guide). But jjimjilbangs can be strange and scary places, to the uninitiated foreigner. So how do you deal with the ajumma stares, snoring and public nudity? Here's my ultimate guide to jjimjilbang survival. The Korean term for 'tummy-fat'. But the disconcerting thing is the other naked women. If anyone o...
londonseoul.blogspot.com
London to Seoul: Korean Spa
http://londonseoul.blogspot.com/2011/02/korean-spa.html
Saturday, 5 February 2011. My favorite jjimjilbang in Seoul is Dragon Hill Spa, near Yongsan station. There, for as little as 12 dollars, you can have the most relaxing time you've ever experienced in your whole life, with the added benefit that this particular place attracts a lot of foreign customers so you're less likely to feel awkward (it can be a little uncomfortable baring your body when every other single person is Korean). So what are you gonna eat now that the hot bath has given you an appetite?
londonseoul.blogspot.com
London to Seoul: Ihwa Mural Village in Hyehwa
http://londonseoul.blogspot.com/2015/08/ihwa-mural-village-in-hyehwa.html
Tuesday, 4 August 2015. Ihwa Mural Village in Hyehwa. Ihwa Mural Village (이화 벽화마을) is a fairly well-known tourist spot right in the middle of the really popular Hyehwa area, but for some reason I had never been there before, in all the time I've been in Korea. Well I'm glad I finally went! Actually, after finding a much smaller-scale version of one of these 'mural villlages' near Achasan. On the edge of Inwangsan, and Suamgol. Been painted from top to bottom, but on the whole it was mostly just houses.
londonseoul.blogspot.com
London to Seoul: Qingdao's Laoshan 崂山
http://londonseoul.blogspot.com/2015/08/qingdaos-laoshan.html
Sunday, 2 August 2015. If you're in Qingdao for more than a couple of days, you have to make a full day trip outside of the city to Laoshan mountain, which is about an hour's drive to the east. Actually, you could spend a couple of days here, or more. I did a day trip, and really only saw a tiny tiny part of the area. And getting on a special shuttle bus. Getting to the entrance of Laoshan from Qingdao city center is simple enough: Take the city sightseeing bus number 1. You can get back on the shuttle b...
londonseoul.blogspot.com
London to Seoul: Survival Korean: Excuse Me?!
http://londonseoul.blogspot.com/2012/06/survival-korean-excuse-me.html
Tuesday, 19 June 2012. Survival Korean: Excuse Me? Being British, I naturally say ' excuse me. An awful lot. 'Excuse me, can you take our order? Excuse me, how much is this? Excuse me, can I pass by' 'Excuse me, I'm sorry about that', etc etc etc. It's just terribly British, isn't it? BUT HOW DO YOU SAY 'EXCUSE ME' IN KOREAN? 1 When you want to get someone's attention. For example, in a shop or restaurant. If you want to get the waiter's attention, just call out to them:. This really means 'wait a moment!
