seoul travel Archives - Mindanaoan - Multi awarded CDO and New York Lifestyle Blog

Feb12015 by Mindanaoan IreneNo Comments

Mindanaoan In Korea Travel Series: Lotte Mart Seoul

Korea, Leisure, Mindanaoan Update, Shopping, Tourism, Travel

Lotte Mart in Seoul, Korea sits on a pretty huge complex. Considered as a hypermarket, Lotte Mart is where you can buy groceries, toys, clothes, electronics and lots of other goods. My brother and I weren't there to shop, though. We went to Lotte Mart to EAT! (and take photos, of course!) The Lotte Outlets is in a building right beside Lotte Mart Should you decide to shop, by the way, and your purchase has reached at least 30,000 KRW (Korean won - roughly US $30.00), you are entitled to Lotte Mart's tax refund service. Before you leave, bring all of your receipts to the tax refund counter at Level 1. We went to the supermarket area. Found this food court. Yum! Lotte Mart Seoul Station 122, 2-ka Bongrae-dong, Seoul, South Korea Store hours: 10 AM to 12 m...

Oct212014 by Mindanaoan Irene1 Comment

Mindanaoan In Korea travel series: Cheonggyecheon Stream

Blogging, Features, Korea, Leisure, Mindanaoan Update, Musings, Personal, Travel

After visiting Deoksugung Palace and witnessing the changing of the royal guards ceremony, my brother and I then proceeded to Cheonggyecheong Stream, an 8.4 kilometer long stream that flows west to east through downtown Seoul. What used to be a neglected overpass in the 70's was restored as a massive urban renewal project worth $900 Million in 2005 and is now one of the popular tourist destinations in Seoul, South Korea. Actually, even locals love hanging out here as well. From Deoksugung Palace, we walked for about 250 meters to Cheonggyecheong Stream. If you're at Deoksugung Palace facing the Seoul City Hall, Cheonggyecheong Stream is on your left. Just go straight and look for Chongye Plaza or this cone/shell sculpture. This signifies that you're at the mouth of the stream :) ...

Oct212014 by Mindanaoan Irene2 Comments

Mindanaoan In Korea travel series: Deoksugung Palace changing of guards

Blogging, Features, Korea, Leisure, Mindanaoan Update, Personal, Seoul, Travel

Since we arrived late in the evening in Seoul, Korea, my brother and I decided to start the first day of our Korea escapade a little late as well. First order of the day was go to the nearest subway station and buy a T-Money card. As I mentioned in my earlier Seoul, Korea travel tips post, T-Money is a "reloadable" card that you can use to buy subway tickets, bus fares or even to buy stuff at convenience stores. After buying our T-Money card, we took the train to go to Deoksugung Palace, one of the "5 Grand Palaces" built by the kings of Joseon Dynasty. How to get to Deoksugung Palace: Take Seoul Subway Line 1, 2 to reach City Hall Station. Take Exit 2. You will see scenes like these: Walk for about 100 meters to your left. A good landmark is a Dunkin' Donuts store (th...

Oct92014 by Mindanaoan Irene3 Comments

Mindanaoan In Korea travel series: Seoul travel tips

Blogging, Entertainment, Features, Flights, Korea, Leisure, Mindanaoan Update, Musings, Seoul, Shopping, Society, Tourism, Travel

So before I really get down to business with my Mindanaoan in Korea travel series, please allow me to share a few travel tips and tricks that you may find helpful when you travel to Seoul, Korea. I like to be well-prepared whenever I travel and hopefully, these Seoul travel tips can help you, too. 1. Do you already have a valid visa for travel to Korea? Here's how I applied for a Korean tourist visa 2. Check the weather in Korea at the time of your trip. This way, you can bring proper clothes. 3. I suggest that you bring U.S. Dollars (instead of Philippine pesos) and have those changed to Korean won. The exchange rates at the Incheon International Airport are fair but I got the best exchange rates in Myeongdong, the famed shopping district in Seoul. Here's a handy tip: 1,000 KRW i...

Oct62014 by Mindanaoan Irene10 Comments

How to apply for a Korean visa – requirements for Filipino tourists

Features, Flights, Government, Headline, Korea, Leisure, Mindanao, Mindanaoan Update, Musings, Society, Tourism, Travel

When my friends and relatives first learned that I was set to visit Korea, all of them got really excited. Can't blame them as Korea is one of the favorite travel destinations of many Filipinos these days, thanks to the ever growing popularity of K-Pop, Koreanovelas and continuous visits to the Philippines by popular Korean celebrities. As of this writing, Filipinos still need a visa to enter Korea. Filipino tourists who intend to stay for 59 days or less can apply for a Korean tourist visa FOR FREE. The thing is, though, you must apply at the Korean embassy in Manila for you to avail of the FREE South Korea tourist visa. For people outside Metro Manila (like me and my brother!), the cheaper option is to have an accredited travel agency fix our applications. In our case, since our fligh...

Oct62014 by Mindanaoan IreneNo Comments

Mindanaoan in Korea travel series: itinerary, tips and more

Blogging, Culture, Entertainment, Features, Flights, Korea, Leisure, Mindanaoan Update, Musings, Society, Style, Tourism, Travel

I have been traveling a lot the past few weeks! One of my recent foreign travel destinations was KOREA :) It was my very first time (and most definitely not the last!) to visit the world's only divided country and my brother (who was my travel companion) and I had the most amazing time! We stayed for a little over a week - just the perfect number of days to explore Seoul, Nami Island and a bit of North Korea (yessir!) I can't wait to share with you more details about our Korea trip! Please follow my humble Mindanaoan in Korea travel series by CLICKING ON THIS FEED and bookmarking/saving the pages :) You may also want to take a look at some of my photos on Instagram. I will share budget travel tips, very helpful travel apps, recommended hostel in Seoul, delicious Korea food finds, videos...