I used to just take the subway wherever I go, but when I had my son riding a bus seems easier. Subways here are about two to four levels below and some don’t have escalators and elevators. Imagine carrying a child and having to climb two or three flights of stairs. The best thing about public transportation here is that you sometimes won’t have to pay separately when you go from the subway to bus or vice versa, as long as you have a transportation card (교통카드) and you transfer within 30 minutes.
While there are English signs on the bus, the map route at the bus stops are only in Korean. An easier way to find the bus that you need to take is through the Seoul bus route map. On the left of the website is a panel for you to input the departure and destination points. You can just type the name of the place and search. If there are similar names then you’ll have to choose which one it is. The result will show the number of the bus that you should take and where you should transfer if necessary.
One of the most useful Korean websites for those living in Seoul is the online subway map. It is known as “사이버스테이션” (Cyberstation) and is flash-based. The interface was updated two months ago and it’s even better than before. 서울 지하철 (Seo-ul ji-ha-cheol) or Seoul subway has 12 lines (호선) and each line is distinguished by number/name and color. We are on subway line six (6호선) or the brown line.
A feature of the online subway map that a mother I know would appreciate is the “Elevator”. Clicking it will show which stations have elevators. Most stops on the older lines (1, 2, 3, 4) have none, making them stroller unfriendly. Some stations don’t even have wheelchair lifts!
I usually consult the Cyberstation to calculate how long it will take for me to travel from one station to another. My husband’s cellphone also has maps of the metropolitan cities that have subways: Seoul (and Incheon), Busan, Daegu and Gwangju. It is also an interactive map that lets you search subway stations and calculate travel time between the stops. Really useful!
I hope I can find similarly useful site when I tour outside Korea like when I go on a Las Vegas travel someday
I almost forgot. Seoul subway is also called Seoul Metro.
Last May 8th (Parents’ Day), I met Tesha and Angela at the Cheongnyangni Station. I asked them to be at Dongmyo Station by 9AM, but I told them to call me first before they leave. Glad I didn’t go at the station at the suggested time or I would’ve waited for almost an hour! Hehehe…
We were at the subway station by 10:22 AM. There is a train leaving for Gapyeong at 10:30 AM. We rushed to the train station (with my son on my back) and we’re lucky to catch that train. I swear it was one of the most athletic things I did in my life!
Our destination: Nami Island (Nami-seom or Naminara Republic). One-way ticket to Gapyeong is 3,800 won. I was glad the car wasn’t full. The trip took less than an hour and a half. From Gapyeong station, we took a taxi to Namiseom for 3,700 won. (Taxi in Korea is cheap!)
The place looked different from the last time I was there. The vendors at the “harbor” are gone, replaced by the ticket area. The ticket price also went up. Ferry ride and admission fee used to be 5,000 won but it is now 8,000 won!
Nami Island is better than ever. The island became famous for the Korean drama “Winter Sonata” and the first three times I went there, you’d see a lot of references to it. That has changed quite a bit. I didn’t see the banners with the photos on the way to the “first kiss” scene. Instead, there is a small building that houses the images of the drama. The huge billboard on the way to the metasequoias is also gone. The statue is still there though, and in front of it is now a small pond.
The bike stations have been relocated. The restaurants and gift shops are now all situated in one area. You’d notice a lot of “recycled” stuff, like the wall used in a stage that was made of soda cans. I think the island is promoting eco-tourism. I actually like it better than before.
The toilet rooms are better. They were made to look more artsy, like with the “toilart studio”. You’ll find books inside the cubicles! There is a Secondhand Bookstore and Peace Library with lots of books and cultural stuff from different countries. There’s even an exhibit of “Arts from Mindanao”. (And ostriches and squirrels roaming the island freely!) Of course, if you’d like to stay for a night or two there are accomodations, but they aren’t vegas hotels.
Overall, I think Nami Island is a really good place to visit with your family specially with your kids. I hope Angela and Tesha enjoyed the trip there. Afterall, they had a nice chat with a really cute Korean guy (and that’s priceless).
I’ve been receiving emails from people who’d like to visit South Korea. They usually ask which hotel is the best place for them to stay. Seoul is a big city divided into several districts. We have an efficient transportation system but traveling from one district to another could take time. Staying in a hotel that is far from the places you’d like to visit could be time-consuming. I’d like to recommend three hotels in downtown Seoul that are conveniently located near tourist, shopping areas and the subway!
1. Best Western Dongdaemun Hotel - This hotel is located right outside Exit 6 of Dongdaemun subway station. From the hotel, you’ll get a nice view of Dongdaemun (Western gate). It is also just a few (like 3!) minutes away by foot to Cheonggyecheon (the famous stream featured on Discovery channel) and a mere 700 meters away from the famous night shopping area of Dongdaemun. Subway and bus service in Seoul is only until midnight and taxis are more expensive at night. If you enjoy night shopping, you won’t need to worry about going back to your hotel. The best thing is, we live about 1.5 kilometers from the area
2. Yim’s House Hotel - Recommended for the budget traveler or for those who see hotels as just a place to rest their tired bodies and take a refreshing shower after a heavy day of touring. I haven’t been to this hotel but its location is great and the reviews on HotelsCombined are all positive. It is really near the palaces and a walking distance to Insadong (a famous tourist shopping area). It is also located near Anguk station, so you can just hop on the subway train if you’d like to explore more of Seoul.
3. Ibis Myeong Dong Hotel Seoul - This is a relatively new hotel. It is located right at the heart of the trendiest shopping area in Seoul. Like the previous two, it is also located near a subway station, Euljiro1-ga on line 2. I always bring my visitors to Myeong Dong for shopping, dining and singing - noraebang! You can walk to Namdaemun (South gate), famous for night shopping too and the perfect place to shop for souvenirs (traditional and Hallyu inspired), cameras, clothes, shoes, stationeries, kitchen utensils and so on.
You can make your hotel reservations or find more hotels in Seoul or other places in Korea through HotelsCombined, where you can search more than 30 sites at once.
If you’ve been to Seoul and you’d like to recommend a hotel, please feel free to do so. It would help others who are planning to come and visit.
Like I said in my previous post, we ate Koreanized Chinese food for lunch today. I planned to do a Coffee Prince-inspired tour for my friends today. I thought of bringing them to the Chinese restaurant where Yoon Eun Hye and Gong Yoo’s characters ate “tang-su-yuk” or sweet and sour pork. The place is called “San-dong-su-gyo-dae-wang” or “Chinese Dumpling King.” It is located on a street more popularly known as “Yeonhee-dong mat gil” or “Yeonhee-dong’s Street of Flavors”, for the many restaurants located in the area.
We reached the place at 3:15PM and found it closed! They are close from 3-5 PM on weekdays. We were a bit disappointed but not totally disheartened We just took pictures outside and moved on. I have a not-so-nice picture of the exterior. I was carrying my son and trying to avoid the traffic.
We walked some more and found another Chinese restaurant. It’s called “Jin Bo” and has a very nice interior. I was “famished” that I didn’t bother to take pictures inside! We ordered four “sam seon jjajang myeon” (5,000 won each) and “tang-su-yuk” or sweet&sour pork (small for 14,000 won). They didn’t offer water but a fragrant jasmine tea. After lunch (a late one!), we took the taxi to the 1st Shop of Coffee Prince. I’ll blog about this later… we have a three-day weekend and we’re going camping!
I once read that McDonald’s is the number one fast food store in the world except in two countries, the Philippines and South Korea. Jollibee tops in my home country while Lotteria lords it here in Korea. I brought some friends to Lotteria, they’re visiting from the Philippines and the USA. They’ve been having traditional Korean dishes since they got here, but today we had some Koreanized Chinese food for lunch and Koreanized burgers for dinner (I need all the top diet pills for all the food I ate today).
The Lotteria branch we visited is located on the 9th floor (Food Court) of aPM mall in Dongdaemun. There were not a lot of people since it was already around ten o’clock in the evening. AFAIK, the mall is open for 24 hours except on Mondays.
We ordered different drinks with the same burger — “bulgalbi”. The burger only costs 3,000 won while a set is 4,900 won! There are other burgers on the menu, however I was too lazy and tired to take photos that time. I’ll save it for next time
We had a summer-like weather last week. The temperature peaked at 29 degrees in Seoul, but it was a milder 25 degrees last Sunday afternoon when we went to Namsan Park. My parents-in-law and my aunt-in-law came to visit us (again). They came to our home at around three o’clock in the afternoon. The base of Namsan (”nam” means south and “san” is mountain) is a five kilometer drive from our apartment and the sky was clear that afternoon so we thought it’s best to go there for some air.
We took the car and parked at the National Theater of Korea. The Seoul city government used to allow cars to go up to the park. That all changed in the spring of 2005 and I think that it was a good move to reduce pollution. The city is seriously in need of air purifiers. Now, only shuttle buses (yellow bus) and the Seoul City Tour bus could go up to the park.
If you’re commuting, it’s best to take the shuttle bus (yellow) at the Chungmuro subway station. If you use a transportation card, you won’t have to pay extra for the transfer. If you’re paying cash, it’s 700 won per person. You can also take the cable car (7,000 won roundtrip) or just walk.
Namsan is one of the two famous places that people go to to get a bird’s eyeview of the city. The other is the 63 Building. It is also a popular filming location. Remember that cable car scene in “My Name is Kim Sam Soon”?
On the left side of the bus terminal is a “hyugeso” or a rest stop, where there is a small convenience store and a jjajang myeon (black bean sauce noodles) restaurant. You’ll need to walk an inclined 300 meters from the bus stop to N Seoul Tower. On the way up, there’s an ojingo-juipo (squid and flyfish) vendor at the left side.
Upon reaching the top, you’ll notice on the left a group of artists who does sketches for a fee. AFAIK, they charge 25,000 won per session. The day we visited the place, a US Army band was performing for the tourists. On our previous visit, there was a South American music group that played latin songs.
N Seoul Tower is an observation tower, and you need to pay to go there. I haven’t been up the tower, since I don’t want to spend 7,000 won to go there. It’s the same view anyway. I’d rather see Seoul from the free observation decks.
N Seoul Tower has one of the best restrooms I’ve seen in the city. It’s almost always crowded when I use the restrooms so I couldn’t take any photos. At Entrance 1, you’ll find a coffee shop and a bakery. There are exhibits and a waiting area with TV monitors for those waiting for their turn to ride the elevator up the tower. Outside is a food court (where I go to drink water), convenience store, gift shop, and more coffee shops. There’s also a buffet up the tower and a revolving (?) restaurant.
The Palgakjeong (pal means eight, gak is side) or the eight-sided pavillion is almost always full of resting people. The sloped 300-meter walk is sometimes tiring specially on a hot day! To the right is a beacon built during the Joseon dynasty. The district of Jongro or old downtown Seoul is visible from this area.
A few meters from the beacon is the entrance to Namsan Cable Car. The ride is 7,000 won round-trip or 5,000 won one-way. I once rode the car with sister when she visited us. There is also a stairs that go down the mountain from that area.
As much as N Seoul Tower is the main attraction of Namsan Park, there are other places to visit in the area. One of my favorites is the Botanical Garden located near the Hyatt Hotel. There is also the Cartoon Museum, libraries and the jogging course that my husband frequents whenever he needs an exercise. There is a really nice playground for kids in front of Dongguk University (Jeon Ji Hyun attended college here). And of course, the National Theatre.
Here are some pictures that I took on my visits. Also is a video taken last Sunday (to give you a feel of what it was like). If you see a guy wearing a white shirt and carrying a sky blue bag, that’s my husband I was piggybacking my son who was asleep that time. On the way back down, we walked… the shuttle bus would cost us 700 won each
N Seoul Tower is one of the must-visit places in Seoul. It won’t really cost you anything aside from the transportation, unless you want to go up the tower or ride the cable.
