South Korea

Jeju is where Koreans go for their honeymoons, bride groom wearing matching t-shirts. So when you see such a thing you can tell them congrats. The highest mountain in Korea is on the island, and it's actually a Volcano called Hallasan. This is the thing to climb on the island, it's just breathtaking... but if you plan to climb over the summit and catch a bus back to the hotel from the other side of the mountain (signs will map the trails for you), take care to get an earlier start than afternoon, or you WILL find yourself descending in waning light, the busses will have finished, and you'll have to hitchike back to town. Never worry though, there's plenty of tourists out driving and they'll find room in the back for your party. Luckily. ps. still, when the humans make themselves scarce and the sun starts to go down, loads of animals come out that were nowhere near the trail earlier. So, you know, choices.

Ansan is a city south of Seoul. Located on the blue subway line #4 it takes about 1 hour to get to Seoul. Jungang-dong is the main town area of Ansan, while the area around Ansan Station has alot of South Asian immigrants who work in the factories. It is known as an industrial area, but there are a growing number of Westerners living here to teach English.

Chujado is a beautiful little rural island Northwest of Jeju Island in South Korea. It is a small fishing village, so there is a lot of wonderful fresh seafood. The Ferry ride takes about an hour and half, however depending on the waves it can be more. Even if you do not normally get seasick this is a ride worth preparing for ahead of time (don't eat a big breakfast).

Take a camera Beautiful scenery in Seoul.

Great place. For people who loves BIG and FANCY things, I wouldn't recommend this place, since Seoul has it's own unique style... for example, the palace wasn't HUGE like the palace that's in Beijing, or Ancient like Japan... Colorful... is the only word that I can explain... I reently heard some nutjob arsenaled the big south gate. That gate was really pretty, colorful and unlike other structures, it was also BIG. It's a shame that nobody can never see that gate again...

Art galleries are great, along with the restaurants attached to them. A new exhibition opened at 'Gallery Two' by the palace on 1/25. It's very contemporary and has an Alexander Calder sculpture out front. A must see! Also, the palace is a great source of history. I recommend going with locals because they add to the richness of their history because of how proud they are of their heritage.

There's really no reason to go Daejeon EXCEPT the Boryeong Mud Festival that takes place every July. In a major tourist-fest, you can cover yourself with the natural mud from head to toe and take pictures that will impress your friends back home all while exfoliating and soothing your skin.

If you like Korean spicy barbequed chicken ribs, make sure to visit Dalk-Galbee street, where there are over 20 such restaurants in a row.

If you really must go to Uijongbu a great place to stay is the Come On Inn. For about $40 a night you get a big screen tv, a massive bathroom. And one can even try the upgraded room for $60 a night with a great balcony and bar area in the room. Also, dont forget to try out the famous Budae Jigae which is a soup made famous in that area.

Whether it is the bars of Itaewon or shopping in Dongdaemun Seoul is a city with spirit. Expats often love to complain but in Seoul there is something for everyone.

I love Seoul. The people are nice. love the food, i love all asian food, but sushi, raw fish.............. There scuh beautiful places to see. If u go in summer time, it's hot, really hot, maybe too hot for some. When i was leaving, i felt like i was leaving my home.

It would be wise to invest a tiny bit of time to learn at least how to pronounce the Korean alphabet, it is not that hard. Buy one of those small tourist language guides to help you. This is beneficial because writing Korean in the Latin alphabet (as in English) is rather clumsy and not yet standardized, that is why names of cities are spelled different ways, such as Pusan/Busan. The Korean alphabet is extremely systematic and efficient, takes likely less than an hour to learn how to pronounce it, although you won't necessarily know what you are saying.

Traditional Korean music is worth checking out at least once. Buy a CD while you are there!

If you're a foreigner looking for a friendly place, hit up Julianna's. This bar is always stocked with alcohol, and native English speakers.

when using subway, you can us elec. card. howevr try to use paper ticket and find a way to keep it as a suv. i've heared theywon't mak no more paper tickets from next year.

Hookers are all over, look for 2 barber poles and you'll know its a whore house.

Same thing as Seoul...look for the American towns there, thats the best place to drink. The people are the most friendly there...Also look for a bar called Billy's or Joyce's

Awesome city, very fast and exciting.
Just make sure to wear a seat belt when driving.

I love Hyundai Beach. There is a great Vietnamese, Indian, and Japanese restaurant. There is also a nice aquarium. One of my favorite things to do is go on the observation boat. It goes around the harbor, out to a lighthouse and back again. It is a great way to spend an hour.

noisy.. complexed.. but, it has something special.. humanism..

Be careful not to mix up Daejeon and Tajon. Different places. Daejeon is in the middle of korea. Tajon is where the mudfestival is held. It is some party. This place is also famous for its raw fish.

if u visit this place dont drive ur own car let otashie drive they dont follow any road rules at all these are the worst n best drivers in the world they r very busy people

Carry tissues with you at all times (or else stock up on serviettes at cafes) because most public toilets (including subway station ones) don't usually have toilet paper. However, museum/art gallery toilets are usually really clean and do provide it.

There's a really nice 찜질방 (jjimjilbang, or sauna with sleeping rooms) to stay at in Sokcho, called 속초 해수피아 (Sokcho Haesupia), and it's only 5 minutes' walk from the Express Bus Terminal (NOT the Intercity one), which is close to E-Mart.

I love walking around the Fortress Wall. You could spend a day walking around the whole thing, although I only did half and came back to finish the rest.Suwon Folk Village (30 mins by bus from the train station) is also great. You could easily spend a day there, too.

Most people in Busan speak only a little English, so I recommend you to know at least a few Korean words. Hope it will help.

The best time to visit Taebaek in Gangwon-Do is in winter. Don't forget to participate in the Snow Festival.

Prepare yourself before you eat kimchi :)

The air is clean, the fish is fresh and there's a lot to see and do. Rent a bike and explore the island-- Not the most exotic place but quite peaceful.

Getting around in Seoul is pretty easy and cheap. A cab fare is usually about $5 or less. Or you can use the subway and that's less than $2. You can buy beer from street vendors and drink it while you walk. If you're near a shopping area, expect to be asked repeatedly if you want a suit made. I'd say its a pretty cool city. Don't forget to visit the Nam sam tower while you're there.

Check out the Lotte Department store area for lots of great shopping and good places to eat. There are Western brands there, so you can get a taste of home if that's what you need.

Chonju, or Jeonju, is a relatively large city in South Korea. Unfortunately, compared to Seoul, there isn't much to do here except for shopping downtown. However, the Hanok village is worth a visit.

Connected to Seoul by bus route and subway! Home of the International Airport in S. Korea. Visit Chinatown and see a statue of MacArthur.

Nice skiing in the area!

This is a fairly small town. If you want to get breakfast, beware that it will be really hard to find anywhere open. There's a lot of seafood in this area, and the only eating places we found that were open were seafood ones. We ended up driving to Iksan to eat our breakfast at a kimbab chain cafe!

Hit up miller time for 2500 won pints of miller!!

Incheon's Chinatown is worth a day-trip, but the food is pricey, and more Korean than Chinese. For a really great time in Incheon, check out the Arts Center, where you can catch a movie at CGV, grab a bite of either Western or Korean food, or explore the local venues to find theaters and live music performances.

There isn't much going on in this city during the winter, but the people are friendly and helpful. Many of the temples are recreations, which is slightly disappointing, though Beomeosa is definitely worth the effort. Beautiful even in the winter, but crowded, it was truly an enjoyable experience.

Seoul is one of the worst cities I have lived. I thought Lima was bad, but Seoul is worse. I have been in some ugly s**t holes in Venezuela, but aside from those two cities, Seoul is the worst city I have been in.Avoid it at all costs. It is not that I am bitter and I am not an ex Hagwon teacher. I just find Korea to be a place that goes against everything that I believe in. I will say that the younger generation is fighting to change the existing customs, but this Confuscious society has me puzzled. Women are treated poorly here, children are slaves to their schooling and men work 18 hours a day. In addition, most men hardly see their families and this causes problems for the kids. Also, why should the in-laws (father's parents) have such a say in what the family does. It is not to my liking. I know many people that do love Korea though. It just wasn't a fit for me.

I went see Suwon Fortress. It was amazing and deffiniatly worth the trip. Outside the bus station is the Tourist Information and its very helpful to get around. Great photos, and a beautiful place. I highly suggest it

Home of the only US Marine Corps base in korea. Good little hole in the wall place. The community loves Americans and when there is no deployment it is only about 30 military personnel there. You can teach out in town for locals for free. Its a great way to network out there.

Change your wong here before you leave

A trip to Panmunjom is essential if you go to Seoul - seeing the DMZ up close is quite amazing - the North Korean guards staring at you through the windows of the negotiation building is as close as you will get to North Koreans without going to Yanbian, China or Central Asia, unless you go to the DPRK itself... I went there only once, on my first trip to Seoul, but I hope to go back sometime when I am in Seoul and not so busy as I usually am there!

Great samgyetang! And good views of DPRK as well

Seoul is my favorite city in the world after NYC where I live - it is the only place in Asia where I do not feel like a zoo animal as a tall white guy. Also people are very friendly, especially if you speak the language. Avoid the areas frequented by foreigners, though Itaewon is a dive, and Kangnam is overpriced and boring. Insadong is also overpriced and too touristy for me - I prefer to just go where the locals are and eat where they eat and so on - if you do this, you'll find Seoul to be an amazing city! But learn Korean before you come visit, or you will naturally miss out on most of the good stuff!

Taejeon is a nice enough place - Korea's technology center - so it is full of engineers ;) But the city is pretty fun and a nice place to hang out - however my hosts from the university put me in a hotel in the "special tourist zone" which is not such a great place to be - mostly it is a big red-light district, which I could do without. It is much better if you get away from there to the areas where the locals hang out and people are normal!

Daejeon has some decent foreign restaurants. In the taxi, you can say "Timeworld," and in that area, you can find Starbucks, Outback Steakhouse, TGI Fridays, and Bennigans. If you ask around, someone can direct you to Krispy Kreme, which is about a 10 minute walk from Timeworld. You can also go to the Daejeon train station area ("Daejeon Yuk" in a taxi) and there you will find another Outback, Starbucks, and Cin-Cin Italian Restaurant; along with an above-ground outdoor shopping mall and about a kilometer of underground shopping beneath it.

Don't go to the "hot springs" in Sokcho. They are just like all the other Jimjilbangs

Hannam has the best foreign market in Seoul.  Go to Hangangjin Station (항강진역) and leave through exit 2.  Head straight under the highway.  Cross the footbridge and follow the street right.  Look for a Volvo building on your left.  Head downstairs and you're there!  Be sure to check all three markets in this building for what you want.  There is one large one, one that is like a small deli, and one that looks more like a gas station market than anything else (but they have some great ingredients that you can't find anywhere else.  Almond extract for instance.).

If you're in Daegu, try to find Commune's Pub. It's very foreigner-friendly and the owner has a great music collection.

There is not much to see in Inchoen, go to Seoul!

Learn a little of the language or have a phrase book handy at least, Koreans have very limited English (even at the touristy places) .

Lovely place!You can see the beautiful sea, rest at the beach and play volleyball,jetski,boat,swim!.Also,it's pretty safe at night.In fact,the nightscean is so emotional!Transportation?Don't worry to ask getting bus.If you are already in Busan,use Metro(Most of tour spots have it!).Or if you want to go from other cities,take a train(It's only 7-10min at a walk from Haeundae station to the beach!) Are you scare about Korean's English skill?Even the old in local market can speak simple English,and there're many foreiners.Moreover,you can find lots of food-traditional,Western,Japanese,India restaurant and cafeteria.

Go to Insadong! Visit the Insadong Markets for some excellent antique/souvenir shopping. Right across the street is the beautiful Gyeongbukgung Palace, and down the road is Changdeokgung Palace, with it's famous "Secret Garden".

You may have a chance for swimming and water sports

If you are far away from Seul and need to eat some europian food you may find Macdonalds and Pizza Hut there

You may find Turkish restaurant,name Sultan just infront of KFC

Jeonju, or Chonju as it was known before the Revised Romanization changes a few years ago, is the home to most Korean food. As the seat of the Joseon (Chosun)Dynasty, Korean royal dishes such as Bibimbap were invented here and the food continues to be the best available in all of Korea. This is not overstating the situation and even Koreans will concede this truth. The cheapest, and arguably best, food can be found in front of Jeonbuk National University in Deokjin Dong. Just tell the taxi driver "John book day, jeon moon ah pay" and you will be let off in front of the university gate and food can be found in its many wondrous forms down any of the streets running parallel to the front of the university from the main street running perpendicular to it. To have an experience that you will not forget, you should also go to the Makkoli (a fermented rice drink with the consistency and general ambiance of a nice British ale) House on a road called Paek Jae. To get there, you can say to the taxi driver, "peck jay ro, mockoli (like broccoli)jib ka joo say yo." Go into one of them (look like old adobes in a sense), order "mockoli" and "chon" ("mockoli han gay ha go yo, chon hana joo say yo" (repeat as necessary) and you are in for a treat!!! Also, downtown near Gaek Sa there is a "foreigner" friendly bar known as "Deep In." Any Friday night will reveal the foreigners in town and any would be happy to help a traveller. This bar was first popularized by yours truly and company in 1997/8 and has been popular ever since. You may still find my pic on the wall of shame! Overall, Chonju (as it was spelled then) holds a place in my heart as my first cultural experience and the start of my cultural learning. The museums, palaces, and churches hold appeal, but it is the food, the people, and the Makkoli Jibs on Paek Jae Ro that will forever separate Jeonju from other Korean cities!

We took a ferry from Gojedo to Oedo. It was a great deal and Oedo is definately worth a look. It was cramped with people and you are on a time limit but the gardens are beautiful!

This was a really fun day trip from Seoul. Very informative. If you get a package deal you can stamp your passport with North Korea and Dora railway stamps at the Dora station.

Gyeongju is a beautiful place in the summer and Autumn months. If you go there Sokkuram Grotto and Anapchi were some of my favourite places to visit.

spell it right first of all. its Seoul

I've been to Hajodae(하조대) in Yangyang of Gangwon province in April,2008. HaJoDae was named after HaRyun and JoJun, who contributed to the founding of the JoSeon Dynasty. When they were exiled, they lived here for some time. While I was there, I thought it might be so great to spend the last of their life for two guys from noble class. So I envy them~ There is a pavilion on top of a cliff. That hexagonal pavilion is Hajodae. The color of sea water is so nice blue green! Also the smell of pinetrees are relaxing. I think scenery will gives you great pleasure and refreshment. I stayed at the pension near Beopsuchi (법수치) and went to Hajodae next morning. In that way, I could enjoy the mountain and velly in Beopsuchi then enjoyed sea in Hajodae. Both places are located very close each other.

Texas street is definitely worth a visit, just out of interest obviously ;)

Be warned that cheaper accommodation may smell strongly of sewage due to the open nature of the bathroom plumbing and its proximity to the town's main sewerage pipes.When it is raining and miserable try the bowling ally by the bus terminal it's cheap and has air con, it may look derelict but trust me it will be open.

Naju is worth a look if you want to find out more about the history of Korea ,there are great sites an buildings to see but it is a bit spaced out an you will have to get taxis or take a local bus plus a fair bit of walking as well.They have culture tourist office of sorts which details the history an sites and the woman who works there is a book of knowledge really but unfortunately she has no english but her younger daughter speaks good english and they gave me a tour of the town free of charge as well .Naju has lots of places for eating as with all places in korea and the people arent as xenophobic as some places but you will get people staring but thats something you have to get used to being from a different country .There is a ktx there which is the korean super train just get a taxi from near the bus staiton but make sure you leave early as tickets maybe booked or you might have to wait a while and bring a book to read or something to amuse you there is nothing at the station or near .You can go to Kwangju from here it takes only 30 mins and could be cheaper(minus comfort though and maybe standing) from the local bus terminal which is across from the express buses ie the big red ones .The bus terminals are easy to find and are near the town center across from dunkin donuts down from lotteria ,its not a big place so easy to find .

The Anyang Art Park (안양 예술공원) is a great place to spend an afternoon. Set in a wooded valley along the northeast edge of Anyang, it has a plethora of abstract sculptures, several interesting and well-maintained Buddhist temples, and a number of easily-hiked mountains. There are also lots of great little restaurants specializing in "mountain foods," though be warned, I haven't seen any menus translated into English. It's easily accessible from Seoul--just take a taxi from Anyang or Gwanak Station on subway line 1--and remarkably uncrowded for an attraction in the Seoul metro area.

Itaewon is a major tourist hangout and many flock to it for it's night scene, although Hongdae is a trendier. Insadong is the place to get gifts, also has lots of traditional restaurants. Check out a Korean Sauna (Jim Jill Bang) at least once. Cheap place to stay overnight as well, if you don't mind sleeping on the floor with many other people. Duc (Chicken) Galbi is a must, or Dwaegi (Pork) Galbi. Near city hall you can check out a traditional korean dance and music performance. Very interesting. SC banks allow you to use your foreign bank card. There everywhere.

Cheju is a wonderful vacation spot however you do need to rent a car while there. The island is not condensed like the rest of Korea and some attractions are 45-1.5 hour drive away from each other. If you really want to experience the true beauty of the whole island, having a vehicle is the only way.

OK, first of all its Daegu, not Taegu. Daegu is an industrial town in southern-part of Korea. There is not much beauty in the city but Dongwhasa temple in Palgong Mtn. is lovely as is Apsan. There is a thriving foreign community and visitors should look into Thunderbird Club, The Holy Grill Restaurant, and Dijon Restaurant.

Go to any of the city's many markets to absorb the local customs and culture.  Insadong is the perfect neighborhood for souvenir shopping, lunch and tea.  Take the Namsan cable car to get great views of the city and a family-friendly environment. And Biwon (aka The Secret Garden) is the best escape from the city life.  Go on Thursday if you want to stroll around on your own without a guide. 

beautiful but crowded during cherry blossom season

there's a lovely teahouse across from the youth center down the street from Lotte Cinema. worth checking out!

To get the best burritos in Korea, find the small alley across from "BEAUTY ZONE" at Hyundae beach.

Dont forget to take photos of the tombs....I did.

Buses are a great way to get around, and there are usually heaps of them going everywhere. The only thing is that many of them don't have English on them. If in doubt stick to taxis, as they are pretty cheap here.

Need some extra cash while you are there?? Check out worknplay.com temp jobs often available!!

It's actually spelt, "Incheon" here in Korea. They are hosting the Asian Games in 2014...why they broadcast so far in advance is beyond me though! If you're coming to teach in Korea...don't get suckered into living/working there cause it sucks! Why not just move into Seoul...therefore avoiding travelling in to do things

There is a T.G.I. Fridays here that has awesome service and delicious food. It is very expensive (for Korea) however, so if you go, expect to spend at least $25-$30 per meal.

Food is very good, Bibimbap is my favourite!However be careful if you can't eat hot things and /or garlic. Don't let the hotels suggest you anywhere to eat. All the other restaurants are much cheaper. Expect to pay about 10 € per dinner, including beverages :-)

The castle is well-worth stopping to see. Plan at least two hours for it.

Please stay at the Coex intercontinental hotel as it is by far the best hotel in the city.

If you're ever in Seoul, Suwon is a great day trip away from the hustle and bustle of a big city. Just an hour trip on the very easy subway. Suwon offers a amazing wall (not comparable to the great wall) but DEFINITELY worth seeing. Other than the wall, there is also a fortress and some temples. Take a day and explore the wall, it offers a great view and a great work out!

I think things there are sort of expensive...And you can find the tiniest tin of coke there...lol

clean, tidy but bit boring. Not many speak English

When travelling in Korea, Busan offers a different feeling from the other big cities. It is laid out in a more spread out fashion, and while there are the same apartment buildings everywhere, the waterfront has some beautiful buildings, and a nice sandy beach. Unfortunately, the beach is constantly covered tip to tip in parasols, so if you want to lie on the beach to get a tan, you have to look carefully to find a spot.

Nightlife in Seoul goes on all night long. There is no closing time, and if you wanted, you could spend an entire day in various bars nonstop. Itaewon is considered a good place to go by many expats, but I personally consider it to be the armpit of Korea. The army base is right beside it, so drunken GIs getting in fights and being ugly americans is rampant. As a result of this, the Koreans that work in the area have become quite jaded, and are generaly quite rude. However, Itaewon has a lot of nice foreign restaurants, and is a good place to go and have lunch.Gangnam is the rich part of town, with lots of bars to go to, and lots of beautiful people walking around. If you want to go to a nice place and have a few drinks in a more typically Korean type of place, this is for you.Hongdae is the center for Seoul's expat community nightlife. Lots of bars, clubs, and live bands all over the place. Cheap drinks can be found, and good times to be had.

I normally stay at Hotel Changwon. Price is ok. They do remember you when you have been there a couple of times. The Chinese restaurant on first floor is excellent.

Seoul's good place for all those party goers. But I'd better tell you before you reach the split land that you can't get spliff, or what so ever drug. Public transportation is well developed, shining technology, shopping streets for girls. etc. etc. You can hang around Sinchon, or Hongdae area, where most of the pubs and clubs are located. Enjoy your night life there.

Kyeongju (경주) is called by some a museum without walls, and so it is indeed! Extremely beautiful city with a whole lot of places to visit! One of the Kyeongju's main attractions are Pulguksa Temple (불국사), a place not to omit when touring in Kyeongju, one of the world's finest shrines and stone temples - Seokkuram Grotto (석굴암 석굴) and the Tumuli Park Belt which contains 23 royal tombs. Probably the best way to sightsee in Kyeongju is a city tour, which is much cheaper than sighseeing on your own, and it saves you time as well (12000won/person [2007]). The Kyeongju city tour's company name is 'Cheonma Tour' and I was very pleased with them. Their office is located right in front of Gyeongju Express Bus Terminal, tel. 054-743-6001.

Commonly the island is known as Udo or Cow Island, and lies off Jeju-do. You can get to Udo by ship from Seongsan (Jeju-do), the fare is 11000won per 2 people (2007). The journey lasts only a while and soon you find yourself on a small amazing island, weather is hot and you run to the nearest beach, but the nearest one is full of stones, so you run to the next one which is fabulously sandy, water is crystallinely clean and the view of the sea is breath-taking. The food in the numerous restaurants around the beach is absolutely delicious and you feel like you want to stay there for the whole summer!

paju is a great place to see the countryside. you can also see north korea across the river. there are many rice patties and farmers. there is also a artist colony called haeree. it is a great place to spend a day. there are great restuarants and gallaries and out door exhibits. it is close to english village and only a 30 minute drive from seoul. there are express buses that run every 10 minutes to seoul.
its a great place to go and relax. the people there are very friendly and are open to many foreigners.

A trip to the DMZ (Demilitarized Zone) in Panmunjom is a really interesting addition to any trip to Korea. To see the North and South Korean Soldiers face to face and hear about the psychology of the DMZ is a one-of-a-kind experience. See how both sides pit their tallest, strongest soldiers to face each other across a thin line. A must-see if you can arrange it!

Don't forget to go to a Korean sauna (pronounced jinjilbang in Korean). It can really help you to release the stress, get some good sleep, and in some of them, they have jingseng waters which are good for your health. Usually, jinjilbangs are in suburbia Seoul. And if you find a Doctor Fish, do not forget to try it out!!!

Haeundae is a very famous beach, but it's way too crowded in summer. I've seen many Westerners who find this place gross in summer. It'll be half trash, half people. You can barely see water. Though, I think it will be worth visiting there at least once. Around this area, in summer, you can see people wearing bikini at McDonald's

This place has nice traditional village. It will be fun to date your girlfriend or boyfriend in this traditional village. Be sure to take enough time to look around the villlage. It has a lot of fun activities that you shouldn't miss! Also, don't forget to try bibimbap!

It's a great place to visit. It has many colleges, so it's full of young people. GyeongSang areas will be fun to party, and don't forget to check out Jinju fortress, it's sooo traditional and beautiful there. Jinju also has nice a Art center and beautiful relaxing park with beatiful flowers and ponds

This place has beautiful views. They also have great, great ark shell dishes. I personally love their food there. If you want to see local life, go to the sea foods market!

If a non-Korean speaker, make sure you keep a hotel business card with you for taxi drivers. Don't assume you'll get assistance with english - anywhere.

One of the coolest bars in the world is in Beomildong in Pusan. You can drink dongdongju in a cave!

At Busan, one should eat seafood or at least fish. Going to Jagalchi market to eat seafood will thus be a must coz of the fresh catch that is reeled in everyday. I had 'eel-grilling' at Jagalchi market. You gotta try this accomodation 'Zen backpackers'. Its really a nice cosy place to stay.

Folk Villages:
If you are going both Jeju and Seoul, I think you can just visit one of the Folk villages coz they are pretty similar.
(1) Talking about accessiblity, the Korean Folk village at Suwon (vicinity of Seoul) is a better of the 2 choices. For the Jeju Folk village, you still have to walk along a stretch of road before you can reach it.
(2) If you want to catch the performances, then Korean Folk village is the choice coz at Jeju's there isn't many tourist there and thus they might skip the performances.
(3) You don't need to rent an English audio guide at Jeju's, coz it's not good at all and in the end you might find yourself confused.

Nevertheless, it is still worth visiting the Jeju Folk village. Also, if you have the time you should go both villages and see for yourself the beautiful villages.

The Hotteok at Insadong is simply finger-licking. There are two stalls selling the same thing opposite each other. I think the tastier one is the stall that is located opposite the hospital. The stall that is along the same side as the hospital make sweeter filling and the filling is not as much as. Coz I think the stall holder uses a presser to flatten the pita-like bread. See the photos of hotteok and you won't get so blur about looking for it. Sipping tea is also one of the favourite activities apart from the traditional korean souvenirs that you can feast your eyes on. You can sip cold/hot drink and get a rice craker to go with your tea.

The Hwanseongul (limestone cave) is beautiful. However, the frequency of bus from Samcheok intercity bus terminal to the cave is very low. Taking a bus to this destination isn't a problem but it is best to confirm with the driver that there will be a bus at the scheduled time that will pick you up at the cave to return to the intercity bus terminal. The following is my experience (from my travel journal): This is really a frightening and heart-warming experience. Gosh... I was too late to take the very 1st bus (6.25am) from the Seoul express bus terminal. Thus, by the time I reached the express bus terminal, I could only take the 9.15am bus to Samcheok. This bus ride was 4hr long but it's really comfortable. Anyway, when I finally reached Samcheok at 1.15pm and found the tourist information center to get myself oriented for the cave trip, I was disheartened after looking at the bus schedule to the cave. I've to wait until 2pm for the bus to depart for the cave and the entrance of the cave was closing at 4pm. Still, I thank God that He made me overslept and resulted in me taking the 9.15am express bus from Seoul. Imagine if i were to reach any time earlier, I would have to wait for the same 2pm bus to get me to the cave. (See... there's a break between 10.20am to 2pm where ther's no bus service to the cave!) The frequency of the bus service to the cave is really terrible for a backpacker. I started my 1 hour long journey to the cave from the Samcheok intercity bus terminal at 2pm. I managed to explore the cave in an hour. The tour guide here speaks only korean so I just followed the group and amuse myself in the cave, admiring the wonderful sights. (The entrance fee includes the guide.) The frightening experience starts here when there wasn't going to be any bus service from the cave to the bus terminal....which means that I'm going to be stuck here in the wilderness! Looking at the bus schedule again, it shows clearly that there's going to be a bus at 6pm...but somehow....I had this gut feeling that there won't be any bus coming though the time then was only 5pm. Tour buses and private cars are leaving one after another. By 5.10pm, I told myself that I can't sit at the bus stop any longer to wait for the transport (which I'm pretty sure that it might not come) (trust a female's instinct!). I braved my way to approach one of the 2 tour buses that's left at the parking area. I 'told' the driver (gesticulate...cos I can't speak Korean except for 'Thank you', and some greetings) my situation and viola!!!! he assured me that he would take me with his other passengers and drop me off at the bus terminal... This is so heart-warming cos the Koreans are a helpful bunch to foreigners (not just this ). He also told me that there wouldn't be any bus service at that hour. I'm so glad that he was so kind to take me in ...or esle...I would have been stranded at the mountain...helpless.

The Hallasan hike to the summit was marvellous. Though it's a 9-hour tough hike, it's really rewarding and challenging.
Hallasan Hike to summit: Ascend and descend the mountain via different routes, as you will see two different sceneries of Hallasan. ( I ascended via Seongpanak track/course and descended via Gwaneumsa track/course. However,the disappointing thing is that one of the routes doesn't have any bus service. Hence, you have to take a taxi/cab from the foot to the nearest bus stop (if you are on a budget trip). If you really have a tight purse string, then you should back track the path back to the starting point when you descend, so that you can catch a bus at the bus stop right at the foot of the mountain.

Seongpanak track/course has bus service. Gwaneumsa track/course doesn't have any bus service.

seoul, south korea usually the tour packages end late and offer short periods f time for shopping. If you would like to shop at your own leisure, search for 24 hour shopping centres

Hanam is a city in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. Formerly a part of Gwangju County, it was designated a city in 1989. The ancient Baekje capital of Hanam Wiryeseong may have been located there. Lying immediately east of Seoul, Hanam is also bordered by Namyangju, Gwangju, and Seongnam.

We just when to see the caves in this city. Chaoyang Dong is a rather young show cave with some pretty formations. It was created as a co-operation between three families. Some parts of the caves are reached using a bamboo swing bridge.

We just when for the Olympics game in Seoul. I was beautiful country. Meeting people for all over the world. The 1988 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIV Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was the Summer Olympic Games celebrated in 1988 in Seoul, South Korea. The host was chosen in the September 30, 1981 vote, ahead of the Japanese city of Nagoya.[1] It was the second Asian nation to ever host an Olympic Games. North Korea, still officially at war with South Korea, boycotted the event. Cuba, Ethiopia and Nicaragua joined the boycott.[2] However, the much larger boycotts seen in the previous three Olympics were avoided, resulting in the largest ever number of participating nations to that date. 160 nations were represented by a total of 8391 athletes (2194 women and 6197 men) in the games. 237 events were held. 27221 volunteers helped to prepare the Olympics. 11331 media (4978 written press and 6353 broadcasters) showed the Games all over the world.[1] SEOUL, REPUBLIC OF KOREA Seoul is the capital of South Korea and the economic and cultural center of the Republic of Korea. Situated on the lower Han River the capital is only 35 miles from the Demilitarized Zone established with North Korea in 1953. The heart of Seoul is dominated by a city center that dates to the Yi dynasty state, which began in the 14th Century. Although skyscrapers now exist, the central city retains the layout of the royal capital which was designed according to traditional Chinese principles of city panning -- main streets running north-south and east-west. City Hall Plaza is the hub of much of the economic activity in Seoul, with two subway lines converging in this area, and many corporate office buildings, hotels, banks, and department stores. Seoul also achieved international recognition when it hosted the 1988 Summer Olympics. It is estimated that Seoul was founded over two thousand years ago, with three warring kingdoms battling for control of Seoul because of its strategic location in the Han River valley. What is today modern-day Seoul was first occupied in 554 and called "Hanyang" -- a name used for Seoul ever since. In 1068, King Munjong made Hanyang one of several regional sub-capitals, and when the Yi Dynasty overthrew the Koryo ruling house in 1392, Hanyang was renamed and became the capital two years later.

definitely buy the walnut shaped breads - the region is famous for them. they are filled with sweet red bean and walnut. phonetically: ho-du gwa-jah

take a tour bus from the main bus depot - even if you don't understand a word the guides are saying, the bus goes to all the hard-to-get-to sights in the hills.

Actually, there are few places to worth visiting in this city, while there are some heritages and landscape at the next city, Gong-ju (capital of ancient Baekje). The name of city, Taejeon, is derived from "the large rice field." Since the cross-country railway and highway was constructed, this city has developed rapidily as the centre of Korea. It is also well known as the city of Science and Technology which gathers hundreds of research institutes. Major places to visit are Expo park, museums, Yuseong spa and its night life :P Of course, you can feel the history and amazing landscape of Korea at GONG-JU. Don't forget to consult tips of Gongju when you visit Daejeon.

Haeundae has so nice beach and hotels and casino. If you want to go to Haeundae, you should go to Pusan and then board the subway. My recommend food is "blowfish".(be careful)

Soul is very hot in the July and August time of the year, high in humity. There is quiet a few attractions including a very good war museum. Hotels are expenisive (5 star), shopping okay, lots of different kinds of markets where you can get copies. Eating in the Korean restaurants is an experince you must try, but becareful what you order.

bring an converter for your computer and other things that needs to be charging.

This palce is famous for Dolmen park(did you know that 70% of dolmen in the world are in Korea?),they also hold dolmen festival once a year, I think it'll be good idea to enjoy your time with Koreans,so look up the information on the net.It also has beautiful temples on the mountains. There are some great restarants around those areas, too Don't forget to try bibimbap!

This city is pretty new and clean. It's the the capital of GyeongsangNamDo Province. It's a neat place to hang out. It will be cool to visit Art Museums, SungSan Art Hall and the traditional house, Changwon ui Jip(which mean house of Changwon). There are some cool places in central Changwon such as Kyobo book center, Lotte Department Store, E-mart, stores at City7, ChangWon Convetion Cetner(CECO). Those are most popular place for Korean youth who live in Changwon, Jangyu and Jinhae:)

This city is a satellite city of Seoul, I'd say.It has a big, big,big,big amusement park called, Everland. Everytime I visited the amusement park, I saw many international families. I'm sure children will love the amusement park and it's also a great place to date for couples. Have fun!

Hang out at "RockSSin" - Foreigners bar.

One of the important lessons that I learned in Seoul, which was really a carry-over from a lesson that I learned in Russia, is that Americans (including myself) are not always right! In Korea, when walking on the street or anywhere, it is the custom to pass on the left and not the right. I understand that this may be leftover from when Japan took over the country. In any case, I found myself nearly colliding with a number of folks, even though the sidewalk was wide open! Luckily, I was able to step back, see what I was doing, and decide that as a guest of Korea, it would not be amiss for me to be more flexible. This made my visit to Seoul a lot more enjoyable.

I think this is where "nam han san sung" is at. The road to this place is very curvy. There are some good resturants that specialize in spicy-chicken-and-potatoes known in Korean as "Dak doh ree tang". Worth a visit just for the food alone. Enjoy the lovely scenic drive also. This is a recollection from the early 90's so your experience may vary.

Probably where you'll start your adventure in Korea if you are an outsider. It is the home of the Korea's biggest international airport.

Lotte World Shinhwa Mission

Seoul Backpackers hostel

This is where the horse tracks are, Mt. Gwanak, and Seoul Land. The national museum is also in this area, too. I used to make trips up here for a few years straight to visit a late and great friend and senior.

Fly into Incheon Int'l Airport. This city is accesable via subway or cab (Aprox US $100)

Very nice place to visit lots of bars and shopping

change money to at the airport, you usually get the best rates there!

try haggling. its pretty fun.

the transportation is terrific!

chances are you wont go there unless your military, but if you do. and you want a nice shower, go to the gym on the korean side. the koreans are extremelly friendly and will help you with almost anything you need esp if your lost on there side of the base.

Stay away from Texas Street in Pusan. It is known for human trafficing. Yes I said Human Trafficing.

Travel is the best education you can get.

It's expensive in Seoul so don't be an impulsive spender.Don't worry about punctuality in Seoul. The Koreans are punctual.Enjoy Korean cuisine.

Bring a Korean Survival Dictionary.The locals are welcoming.The vegetarian dishes in Kwangju are great.Enjoy the cool breeze in Kwangju in May.

make sure to go down to the water front and eat some of the stuffed squid...the name escapes me right now, but amazing regional food

Be prepared - know exactly where you are going and don't rely on the locals to understand English!!! Seemingly nice people though :o)

when visiting seoul,dont forget to try th