Seoul Day 6 - 8

For Day 6, we wanted to let the kids experience snow. Well, the only snow play Auni experienced was when we went to Dubai and she got to play with the artificial snow. At the same time, I really wanted to visit the famous Nami Island made famous by the drama series Winter Sonata (which aired pretty long ago).

So we decided to book with a tour company as we did not really want to travel on our own with 3 kids as the distance is quite far. Plus, we were not really sure of the way. So we called up one of the tour groups (from the brochures we got at the airport) the day before we went. We managed to secure a deal with the tour group for a trip to Nami Island and Gangchon Elysian Ski Resort. Adults had to pay KRW 125000 each while children are charged at KRW 95000 each. Nuha was considered as infant as she was only 2 years old then. As such she gets to enjoy everything for free :)

The van came early the next morning to pick us up from our hotel. They was only one other Singaporean family while the others were mostly young adults travelling with friends or their partners.  We made payment using credit card. They had a wireless credit card machine with them.

The van took us to the ferry terminal where we boarded a ferry to Nami Island. It was a very short ferry ride, about 5 - 10 minutes. We noticed that many of the elderly (of different nationalities) were fascinated with my girls. Maybe because they seldom see 3 very young kids travelling in the winter cold.

Nami Island was cold. Colder than Seoul. We had to make several stops at the fire pits to warm ourselves up. The island is beautiful but I was pretty sure it would look even spectacular if it snowed. Sadly we did not experience snow in Nami Island while we were there. We rented the family bicycle so that it would be faster for us to travel around the island with the kids. The island is not huge but we had limited time as we were with a tour group. I would definitely love to visit Nami Island again and enjoy it at my own time.

Thereafter, we took the ferry back to mainland and had Dakgalbi for lunch. The restaurant was very near the ferry terminal. It is a halal restaurant. If you want to know the location of the restaurant and tantalise your tastebuds, you can refer to this website: http://www.havehalalwilltravel.com/blog/top-3-halal-korean-food-in-korea/ .We actually requested for halal meal when we booked with the tour company. Sorry, we did not take any photos here as we were busy eating :) But really, you should try the Dakgalbi, it is amazing!

Thereafter we proceeded to the ski resort. It is not far from Nami Island Ferry Terminal. Maybe about  30 - 40 minutes of travel time. We stopped by the ski shop to rent the ski suit which costs about KRW 15000 per person. Nuha had to pay too as we rented a suit for her. Thankfully they had one that fit her just right and she looked like a cute little teddy bear :) The girls all had waterproof shoes so we did not rent any boots for them. However, hubby and I had to rent heavy ski boots as we had no waterproof boots.

Now, we were travelling with 3 small kids, therefore there was no way we could ski. So we opted for the snow slide. Snow sledge and ski gloves were included in the package so we need not pay extra for those. As we were the only family that wanted to do the snow sliding, they sent us to the slopes first. The ski resort for the snow sliding was not yet opened to public as they had not completed setting the other slope (there were two slopes for snow sliding). So we basically had the area to ourselves! Well except for a few professional skiers who were testing out the slopes.

We went snow sliding, built miniature snowmen, rolled around the snow... The girls (and the parents) had so much fun.

Thereafter we returned to Seoul. We went back to our hotel to rest for a short while then we went down to Myeondong area in search of dinner. We went to Myeongdong Eomoni Jib. It is a seafood restaurant that is recommended by KTO for muslims. It is not halal-certified just that it serves seafood only. It is good to let them know that you cannot take alcohol. It is located in a small alleyway. For its exact location, you can refer to this website: http://www.muslimbackpackerseoul.com/2012/06/myeongdong-eomoni-jib.html .

Thereafter we returned to the hotel.

Day 7 was spent mostly in Myeongdong to finish up our shopping and buy goodies back for home and we took a flight back to Singapore early on Day 8.

Seoul Day 4 and Day 5

On Day 4, we decided to visit the famous Namdaemun Market. Mind you, we were bracing the winter cold with 3 kids and no stroller at all.

Myeongdong is very near Namdaemun. However we did not want to walk so we took the train from Myeongdong to Hoehyon, which is only one stop away.

We went there in the morning so there were plenty of ahjummas doing their morning marketing. At first I was not very impressed as they sold pretty much the usual souvenirs for tourists. So we shopped for souvenirs to bring back for our family and friends.

Then... I saw all the cute kids' stuff - from the boots to the cool skirts! That definitely unleashed the ahjumma in me. We bought cute boots for the kids. They cost about S$18 - S$20. Not extremely cheap but totally worth it for me! They are Made in Korea afterall (as the shopowners would tell you when you quote an extremely obscene price to them).

Where I bought some of the clothes for the kids.

Walking with kids in an open area in the winter cold without stroller is not easy. We had to cross over to the other side to rest at the cafe and have some hot chocolate. Well, partly because my younger 2 kids fell asleep. So hubby had to carry one while I had to hold the other. So we took our time. Had hot chocolate and doughnut. This became our daily snack every single day. (This is something the kids and I miss about Korea - having doughnut and hot chocolate in winter.) We took quite some time at the cafe. After that we continued to shop at Namdaemun.

The thing about Namdaemun is that when the sun sets, the area is converted into mini eateries. You see tables and stools being set as the people get ready to enjoy their night snack and soju. So we headed back to Myeongdong, bought some snacks and went back to the hotel.

Pretty uneventful day, but well, we did love Namdaemun.

So for the next day, we decided to return to Namdaemun again to finish our shopping. We bought plenty of kids clothes. They really have beautiful clothes for kids. Sadly, as it is winter, most are winter wear and  not appropriate for Singapore's weather. Nonetheless, we still managed to get what we need and plenty of nice shoes for the kids.

Thereafter we proceeded to Itaewon for our dinner. This time round we went to Kervan, a Turkish Restaurant. Expensive but worth it.

Day 3 Seoul

We woke up at 10 a.m. in the morning (yes, we missed the morning breakfast yet again). Had our own instant breakfast and then went out to Gyeongbokgung Palace.

Directions to Gyeongbokgung Palace from Myeongdong:

Take train from Myeongdong (line 4) to Chungmuro. Switch to Line 3 and stop at Gyeongbokgung. Use Exit 5.

I cannot actually remember which exit we took. We took the lift up and Gyeongbokgung Palace was just across the road.

We walked along the palace wall and reached the entrance of the palace. Took some photographs with the guards behind us (not allowed to touch or stand next to the guards). 

Went inside and paid the entrance fee. There was the guard-changing ceremony shortly and we were very lucky enough to get to watch it. You can check out Visit Korea website to find out more about the timing. Take note that the palace is closed on Tuesdays.

Guard-changing ceremony

We walked around some more and took more photographs. I would love to visit all the other palaces the next time I visit Seoul. 

After that we decided to skip Insandong and go to Itaewon to eat Halal Korean food instead. When in Korea, eat Korean food!

So we took the train from Gyeongbokgung to Yaksu. Switched to Line 6 and stopped at Itaewon.

When we reached Itaewon, we did not know which exit to take. So we took the one that says to Itaewon market. When we got out, again, we did not know which direction it was to Seoul Central Mosque (we wanted to eat at Murree, a restaurant that sells Halal Korean food), so we just turned right at the junction as we saw quite a number of people there. We went straight, saw a sign to turn left for the church. Incidentally, the mosque was also on the same street. So we went up the road and saw Murree Restaurant to the right of the road leading to the mosque. 

When we entered Murree, there was a guy there and another family eating. We ordered Dak DoRi Tang (spicy braised chicken with potatoes) and Galbi Tang (Korean short rib soup). These two dishes comes as a set with rice, kimchi, seaweed, spicy anchovies and another dish which i have no idea what it is (Ulfa loves it though). We also ordered the Ramyun, extra plain rice, Chaei (coffee), lemon tea and 2 glasses of strawberry juice. All in all in cost us KRW 55000. 

Hubby, Auni and I loved the Dak DoRi Tang. It is spicy and so perfect for winter. The Galbi Tang was nice, non-spicy, and good enough for the kids. The Ramyun was alright. Just like instant noodles but a little bit more springy.

I have never tried eating seaweed with rice. But after trying it out, I am a convert. We bought loads of seaweed to bring back with us to Singapore (as if Singapore has no seaweed, heh) to accompany our meals.

While we were eating, another family came in. Very friendly. While we were leaving, we found out that they were from Singapore too. They shared with us some places we can check out, like the Express Bus Terminal, for kids' clothes. They visit Korea yearly and told them that Summer is a good time to get clothes that we can wear for the weather in Singapore.

After we left Murree, we walked around Itaewon a little bit more. Bought some souvenirs for our family and then headed back to Myeongdong. At Myeongdong, we bought 3 haversacks for KRW 10000 each. Hubby bought two pairs of Nike shoes. 

Did I mention that Koreans love kids? From the elders who will smile lovingly at your children, pat their heads and help them put on their hoods (coz they are afraid that the kids will get too cold), to the younger generation, who will wave at the kids, play with them, carry them and offer them sweets and chocolates. Oh yes, they do love kids. And my kids were loving all that attention, of course. I did remind my kids that if the elders were to tell them to cover up and put on the hoods, they need to do so as it is only polite and a form of respect to the elders who were just looking out for them.

Over at Myeongdong, our flimsy, cheap, thirty-dollar stroller gave way. It did not manage to last us the whole trip. We bought it just for this trip with the intention of throwing it away at the end of the trip as we have another big, sturdy stroller at home. So we had to spend the last 4 days in Korea stroller-less.

Day 2 Seoul

We woke up at around 10 a.m. (which was late by my definition). We missed the hotel breakfast as it was from 7 a.m. till 10 a.m. So we had instant campbell soup (the powdered kind which we bought from Mustafa Centre in Singapore) and bread with Nutella (bought the Nutella from Hong Kong) for breakfast.

Our itinerary for the day was to Bukchon Hanok Village. Well, initially, we planned to go to Gyeongbokgung Palace and then to Bukchon Hanok Village. However, we changed our plans as we were walking with 3 cold kids. We had the heat pads that we bought from Expo during the Winter Sale but it was not working well enough for us. 

Directions to Bukchon Hanok Village from Myeongdong:

From Myeongdong Station (Line 4), take the train to Chungmuro (one stop away) and switch to Line 3. Take the train to Anguk. 

I cannot remember which exit we took but when we exited, we saw Dunkin Donuts. We sat there for a short break. We headed down the nice road towards Hanok Information Centre. Along the way there was this Information centre (small one). The person there gave us a map to Bukchon Hanok Village. We spotted some Persimmon trees along the way to Bukchon Hanok. A friendly mummy and daughter duo spoke to us asking us where we were from (well, the mother instructed her daughter to ask us since she could not converse in English). They were very excited over my 3 girls and kept on touching them and patting them lovingly.

Persimmon trees

Walking towards Bukchon Hanok Village

Altogether Bukchon Hanok Village is about 400m - 500m from Anguk Station. 

We explored the lovely Buchon Hanok Village and took photographs after photographs. Do remember to be quiet over there as there are people living in the houses.

When it was getting dark, we headed back to Myeongdong. At Myeongdong, we walked around. Spotted a cute police station.

Cute Police Station at Myeongdong

We went to Lotte Departmental Store. For dinner, we went across Lotte Departmental Store to Ibis Ambassador Myeongdong Hotel. At the lobby of this hotel, there is a halal restaurant called The Saffron.

Lotte Departmental Store

We went over to The Saffron for dinner. They serve Indian and Arabian food. The setting itself is very luxurious and the food is on the pricey side. We ordered Lamb Shank Biryani, chicken in some yoghurt sauce (which was very nice) and naan. The food was good. If you don't mind the price then you should try this out.

Our order

The Saffron

After that we headed back to our hotel. 

Day 1 Seoul

From Hong Kong, I booked a flight to Incheon Airport, South Korea.

We took the Hong Kong Express flight, which is a budget flight. We only paid S$835 for all 5 of us. This is inclusive of 40kg check-in baggage. Hong Kong Express does not offer online seat selection so we made sure that we reached the counter at least 2 hours before departure (we arrived 2hrs 30mins before departure) as we wanted to ensure that we got to sit together (since we were travelling with small children). We saw 2 other couples before us. Thankfully we were early as shortly after, the queue started to get really long with other passengers checking-in.

We got our preferred seats. It was a small plane. During check-in, the staff asked us whether we had a return ticket back to our home country as it is their policy to ensure that we have that. So we showed them the itinerary for our AirAsiaX flight back to Singapore from Seoul. The staff then took down the details.

Although checking-in was at Terminal 2, our departure gate was at Terminal 1. So we took the shuttle to Terminal 1. You can only do so at 7 a.m. as it is closed before that.

Our flight with Hong Kong Express went on without delay and we reached our destination on time. The travel time was around 3h 20min. It was overall a pleasant flight.

At the departure gate

We reached Incheon Airport around 0935. At Incheon Airport, once you arrive, you have to take a series of escalators followed by shuttle train to reach the immigration counter. 

Upon arrival at Incheon, we spotted the snow covered ground as it was snowing the day before our arrival.

After collecting our baggage, we went to Dunkin Donuts to get some doughnuts as we were starving.

There are many modes of transportation from Incheon Airport to Seoul. Since we were with kids  and had quite a number of luggages with us, we opted for the Airport Call Van Service. It is located between Exit 12 and 13 (near Dunkin Donuts). We checked with the person at the counter and agreed on the fare of KRW78 000 to Pacific Hotel, Seoul.

Welcome to Seoul

Our hotel of choice was Pacific Hotel and it is conveniently located at Myeongdong area, extremely near Myeongdong subway station. We did contemplate on getting an apartment but the apartments near Myeongdong station were mostly fully booked. We did not want to get one further as it was winter and we were not sure if the kids could take long hours out bracing the winter cold. 

Once we reached the hotel, we checked into the hotel. Since we came from the high-end luxuries of The Mira (Hong Kong), the minute we stepped into the room in Pacific Hotel, our mood was slightly dampened. It looked a little run-down. We had them replace a chair as it was rather wobbly. But soon, we settled in just fine. We booked the deluxe twin room with breakfast. Our room had one double and one single bed. The room was also big enough to accommodate all five of us. I am really glad that we booked Pacific Hotel as it was very very near the Myeongdong Station and the shopping area of Myeongdong itself.

We took a short nap as I was rather dizzy from my travel sickness (yes, I have travel sickness). I did not take any medication as I was travelling with my kids and I needed to be fully awake to attend to their needs. When you are a parent, your child's needs come before yours.

When I woke up, we got our down jackets on and explored Myeongdong. My kids were immediately excited over the fact that there were mists formed when we spoke. 

We were soon dazzled by Seoul. Myeongdong at night was filled with lights. It was a shopping heaven. Hubby bought 2 pairs of Adidas shoes as they were rather cheap. We ate some street food. We had Hotteok, somewhat like a fried pancake with cinnamon, brown sugar and nuts as filling. My girls also ate this crepe where they spread nutella on and put banana and strawberry and cornflakes and then folded it. We also had some grilled octopus.

The streets of Myeongdong

Crepe with Nutella, banana, strawberry and cornflakes

grilled octopus

On the way back to our hotel, we grabbed the must-try-if-in-korea banana milk. 

Banana Milk

In our hotel room, we had the heater on when it was too cold. At night, we slept with the windows slightly opened to allow the cold winter air in to cool the room.

We were already loving our first night in Seoul.

Day 5 Hong Kong

We started our day by taking the MTR from Tsim Sha Tsui to Causeway Bay. We had to switch to the Island Line at Admiralty in order to get to Causeway Bay. 

Our aim was to go to Times Square first so we should have chosen Exit A and exit from there before we tapped the Octopus card at the automated turnstile. However, we made a mistake by exiting from the automated turnstile first then tried looking for Exit A. Sadly, that was a mistake and we could only exit via Exits D, E or F. So we took exit F1. We went to Sogo. Along the way, we saw the baricaded area for the HK protest group. No one was in sight but we did see some tents and policemen.

Got myself a Marc Jacobs bracelet for HKD 437 at Sogo. Saw a pretty wallet from Samatha Thavasa in Tiffany Blue retailing for HKD 1200. Contemplated on buying but did not buy it in the end (regretting it now :/ ). It is a Japanese brand and has stores in US too.

We met a nice and friendly Malaysian diplomat and chatted for a while.

We then made our way to Times Square. Along the way, hubby entered a three-storey Nike store. We did not get anything from there nor at Times Square.

Christmas decorations outside Times Square

It was already 3 p.m. and our stomachs have started to rumble. However, a look at our Samsung Handy showed that some of the halal restaurants were quite a walking distance away. Since we wanted to go to Ladies Market, we decided to have our meal there instead. So we took the MTR. There is a link to the MTR from Times Square itself. 

We took the MTR from Causeway Bay, switched to the Tsuen Wan Line (red) heading towards Central and stopped at Mongkok. Made our way to Argyle Street, better known as Ladies Market. We bought a small bag for Ulfa and a leather bag for hubby. We did not get anything much. The things sold were not that cheap. Do bargain a lot if you want to buy an item. I normally quote half the price of what the stallholder offers. From there we decide on the appropriate price.

We then had our meal at Ottoman Mediterranean Cuisine at Ladies Market itself. This is a halal-certified restaurant by the Incorporated Trustees of the Islamic Community Fund of Hong Kong. The owner is a very nice Turkish man named Jameel. The restaurant has free Wi-fi (thumbs up for that!) and the owner gave us the password. We ordered Lamb and Cheese Pide, Chicken Doner Roll, Beef Kebab with Rice, Marinated Chicken Wings, Baklava and Potato Wedges. Hubby also ordered the Turkish Mint Tea (green in colour) which was pretty nice and refreshing. The beef for the Beef Kebab was very soft and goes very well with the rice. The Lamb and Cheese Pide was delicious! The bread was soft and the cheese goes very well with the sweet and juicy lamb.

View from inside the restaurant

I love that yellow HOT chili sauce. Really HOT!

The best pide I ever had. The kids agreed.

After the meal, the sun had started to set. So we headed back to our hotel, The Mira, at Tsim Sha Tsui using the MTR. It was very crowded. At Tsim Sha Tsui station, we returned the Octopus Card at the counter and was refunded the unused amount together with the deposit, minus the admin fee of HKD9. We got back to our hotel, informed the hotel to book for us a taxi to the airport the next morning and started packing for Korea. 

Hong Kong has very nice shopping areas but the prices are not extremely cheap either. Some brands are cheaper though because there is no tax on the goods. Overall, halal food is on the pricey side in Hong Kong seeing that it is not as readily available as it is in Singapore.

Do wait for my next blog post on our trip to Seoul, South Korea.