lifestyle
DMZ and explained the significance of
each stop along the way. We went to
four different sites—both high (Dora
Observatory) and low (Third Infiltration
Tunnel)—and finished the tour at an
obligatory shopping stop, the Korean
Ginseng Centre.
On an overcast day, the barbed wire
fences, winter-brown fields and warning
signs—Danger! Mines!—brought home
the sobering reality that this is a country
divided. My daughter felt it keenly since
several of her friends are now facing the
issue of mandatory military service. She
said later that the tour was her favourite
part of the trip.
We were dropped off at City Hall
and after a short walk back to the
hotel and a shared bowl of bibimbap,
we were ready for our foot massages.
Three words describe the experience:
heated massage tables. This was no
quick rubdown while reading the latest
issue of Hello! but 45 minutes of full-leg
attention at very reasonable prices. I
wish I’d booked a longer session!
Rested, hydrated and ready for
our last outing, we took the Metro
to Jongno 3 station to meet guide
Youjeong Park from Seoul Hunters.
Youjeong, a recent university
graduate, took us to three drinking
and dining spots all located within
the hip, gentrifying areas of Ik-seon
dong and In-sa dong. Here you’ll
find pedestrianised streets, narrow
alleyways and traditional hanok, or
Korean houses, many of which have
been transformed in to trendy cafes
and boutiques devoted to Korean-
made sweets, crafts and clothing.
Amongst an after-work crowd, we
started off with local beer, grilled pork
belly, and several tasty side dishes at
Ik-seon Dong Barbeque before heading
to an old-school family restaurant, Mat-
bo-rae, for their renowned spicy rice
cakes. The cakes were served hot-pot
style in a steaming seafood broth—a
traditional Korean dish that Youjeong
said was her idea of comfort food.
The night was getting colder as we
wound our way through In-sa dong’s
picturesque alleys to a pub that we
definitely would not have found without
a guide. Appropriately called Back Side
of the Moon, the relaxed, homely bar
serves Korean pancakes and other
snack items along with a selection of
soju (rice wine), beer and cocktails.
By now, we had just enough room
in our stomachs for a slice of pancake
each, but the soju was going down well
and the pub’s low-key vibe encouraged
conversation. We spent the rest of
the evening discussing post-graduate
plans, education systems—East v.
West—and, most interestingly, how
the #MeToo movement has affected
South Korea. Another unanticipated
moment, but one that any traveller
can appreciate.
An afternoon return flight gave my
daughter another chance to sleep in,
and me time to indulge in some street
photography around the hotel. As we
caught the airport bus at midday, it
felt like we’d found the right balance
between activity, exploration and
relaxation while in Seoul. Though we’d
missed out on artsy Hongdae or stylish
Gangnam districts, we’d experienced
plenty of Hallyu, and we now had at
least two more reasons to go back.
Helpful Hints
1. You can fly overnight HK-Seoul
but flights tend to be more
expensive and the short hop
doesn’t offer much time to sleep.
2. Airport buses run frequently to
districts all over Seoul. Check your
hotel website for which bus to
catch and purchase a ticket from
the central kiosk outside of the
arrivals hall. Allow one hour to get
in to town.
3. I got a good deal on the daily
breakfast by booking in advance
on booking.com, but I did have
to prompt the desk clerk for my
breakfast vouchers on arrival.
4. Local transportation options
abound: Seoul Metro is easy to
navigate, Seoul Bikes provides a
bike-sharing service, and taxis are
metered and reasonably-priced,
though not always easy to flag
down, especially in the evenings.
5. South Korea is one of the most
advanced countries in the world
when it comes to cashless
transactions. It’s great if you
want to use your Visa card for
everything, but it also means that
ATMs are not as plentiful as in
Hong Kong. If you prefer using
cash, be prepared.
6. Shops participating in the Tax Free
program offer VAT cash refunds
on the spot if: you are an eligible
shopper and can show your
passport; the purchase is between
30,000 and 300,000 won; and
you present your receipts upon
departure for verification. You
can also claim back VAT at the
airport refund counter or kiosk, as
per usual.
For more info, check out:
www.english.visitkorea.or.kr
www.seoulcitytour.net/English/
https://seoulhunters.com
Spring 2019
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