Tips: Hello Korea!

Assalamualaikum

Selamat menyambut Awal Muharram! Tahun baru dalam Islam yang menandakan bertambahnya lagi tahun dalam kalendar hijrah Islam, Alhamdulillah, masih bernyawa :) Disebabkan excited sangat pergi bercuti di Seoul Korea, so agak rajin nak mencari macam-macam info kat Korea ni. Mind you, tips-tips ni kami share dengan harapan dapat membantu anda yang nak travel without tour guide, so, we'll be glad if you find it useful - thanks! but if you're not, then - mianhamnida (sorry!). Haha. Sigh. Apapun, ini hanya pandangan kami dan terpulang pada anda untuk menilainya. Yang baik itu daripada Allah dan yang buruk itu daripada kami.

Shopping Tips: Pergi SINI untuk dapat discount ketika shopping di Korea. Good bargain okay sebab anda boleh save duit dengan adanya extra benefit ini. Website ni memang best sebab anda boleh print out sebanyak mungkin discounts and if you're lucky, you'll get a great offer from the participating outlet.

Currency: Korea hanya menerima Won tapi Japanese Yen tak sure. Sila tukar duit siap-siap kat Malaysia and the exchange rate would be around 1,000won = RM3.00 or more or less. Nasib-nasiblah sebab time kami pergi, RM tengah jatuh so agak rugilah sebab nak kena spend duit lebih sedikit.

Helpful Website and Apps: Memang banyak sangat website yang boleh anda jadikan guide and reference jika nak bercuti di Korea. Some of it boleh dapat through blogwalking dan juga through Korea's Tourist website. Dari link-link website ni, anda bolehlah start plan itinerary dan jadual sepanjang percutian anda. Kadang-kadang dari sini, boleh juga jika anda nak estimate cost supaya taklah lari budget anda nanti. Kalau anda ada smartphone, bolehlah install apps yang ada kat website-website ni.

• Visit Korea: A helpful website of describing beautiful Korea.
• Visit Seoul: A must visit web if you travel on your own. Seoul area only!
• Seoul City Bus: The best way to travel Seoul in a day - except if you're a truly healthy-fit-and-eager-to-walk in Seoul :)
• Korea Be Inspired: From this website, you'll get updated with latest events happen in Korea.
• Hi Seoul!
• City Discovery
• E Book: Dalam banyak-banyak website, yang ni paling best sebab boleh download Ebook for free. Ohhh, seriously. Even downloading the Ebook(s) makes me happy! There's too many and easy to browse too. Make sure you got your Ebook on your smartphone! What I did in Korea - tunjuk saja mana-mana building yang nak pergi tu kat siapa-siapa and for sure mereka akan guide anda since the Ebook provide both English and Hangul language. My sincere advices, go get this two Ebook - Korea Travel Guide and Restaurant Guide for Muslim Visitors.
• Another Ebook!: Recommended Ebook - Seoul Travel Guide, Seoul Tourist Map and Walking Tour Guide Map.

Food & Beverage: I guess, it's never be a problem for non-muslims to travel anywhere, huh? Foods are everywhere and to some extent, you might feel bored with Korean food. Maybe our tongue used to Malaysian food kot since we met some Malaysian, and of course, non-muslims who tired with the taste of Korean food and indeed, craving for some nasi lemak. Haha. Truly Malaysian, right? But, trust me, for those yang pernah try kimchi in Malaysia and tak suka, please try kimchi in Korea. Tasted better than what we have in Malaysia. Original from Korea la katakan, mestilah lagi sedap kan. Tteokbokki is a must try food kalau pergi Korea tapi halal atau tidak, wallahualam. Some said halal and some not, maka terpulanglah kepada anda. Tapi, kalau nak beli pon, make sure kedai tu tak jual benda-benda yang tak halal - pork and alcohol. Since kami stay di apartment, makanan tak jadi masalah sangat untuk kami. Tapi, kalau travel negara asing dan tak rasa makanan mereka macam tak puas je jalan kan. So, sometimes, we had our brunch or light breakfast at Lotteria and Paris Baguette. Oh, kalau nak try halal Korean food, bolehlah pergi ke Murree Restaurant di Itaewon sebab mereka ada serve Korean dish walaupun tak banyak mana. Too bad for us sebab time kami pergi, kedai ni tutup - mesti tengah sambut raya ni, jadi tak bolehlah nak komen whether sedap atau tak masakan mereka. Jumpa satu kedai turki - Mr Kebab kalau tak salah tapi memang sedap. Even Korean pun ramai makan kat situ sampai sempatlah owner kedai tu gelak ketawa dengan mereka. Go and check it out! Islam itu mudah tapi janganlah kita rumitkan lagi. Bila dah timbul perasaan was-was tu, baik jangan makan atau beli okay. :)

Paris Baguette: Halal Certs News, kalau rasa macam was-was nak makan kat sini, janganlah makan. Kami pun tawakkal je beli roti kat Paris Baguette ni, tapi roti kat sini memang sedap! Outlet Paris Baguette ni memang banyak. Jalan sedikit saja dah jumpa lagi satu outlet. A must try drinks kat sini is Caramel Macchiato, memang sedap! Kat Paris Baguette ni pun kami hanya beli roti yang berunsur vegetarian, jadi kalau rasa tak yakin, jangan beli roti yang ada meat based. Kalau rasa was-was juga, jangan beli kat sini. Ada lagi satu bakery yang InsyaAllah halal iaitu Salam Bakery yang terdapat di Itaewon. Please please please rasa baklava kat Salam Bakery ni especially yang baklava coklat. Seriously sedap sangat. Tak pernah lagi jumpa baklava coklat macam yang ada kat sini. Haih, teringat dah rasa baklava tu. Rugi tak beli banyak sebab memang sedap. Craving for chocolate baklava, where on Malaysia can I find it? Gulp. 

Lotteria: Lotteria ni sort of McDonalds or KFC la sebab outlet Lotteria ni memang banyak. Kalau nak order kat first-fast-food-brand in Korea ni, make sure order Shrimp Set or Squid Set sahaja. Again, kalau rasa was-was, jangan makan tau. Wallahualam.

Attraction:

• Lotte World: Admission fee are vary depending on your preference. Please click HERE for more details. 
• Everland: Adult admission fee is 44,000 won but they gives discount to foreigner. Please click HERE for more info.
• The Trick Museum: Similar to the one that we have in Malaysia - I City Trick Museum. But of course, this one is larger and more tricks to offer. Located in Hongdae and will cost you 15,000 won per person for entrance fee.
• Mount Seorak: Boleh pergi ke sini dari Express Bus Terminal, beli tiket bas ke Sokcho, dan dari Sokcho Terminal Bus, naik bas 7-0 or 7-1 ke Mount Seorak. Perjalanan dari Seoul ke Sokcho lebih kurang 3+- jam sehala sahaja, so please plan betul-betul jika nak ke sini. Ada orang prefer stay 1 malam di Sokcho supaya tak terkejar-kejar. Kalau nak pergi daytrip to Mount Seorak, kena bertolak awal pagi dari Seoul sebab perjalanan agak jauh. Paling penting, kalau hari hujan, batalkan saja niat anda sebab sangat bahaya untuk anda naik ke Mount Seorak.
• Aiins World: Miniature of attraction and historical landmarks / building from all over the world. Admission fee is 10,000 won and they got our Twin Tower here. Truly proud! Getting here is quite complicated though as it quite far from the city.
• Jeju Island: Beautiful island with breathtaking ocean view. Best enjoyed if you spend few days here. Will visit here someday, soon! Accessible by JEJU AIR. There's a Jeju Air counter in Seoul Station.
• Busan: Tourist love to sunbathing and relaxing at the Haeundae Beach - Busan's no. 1 beach. Busan is surrounded by mountains, beaches and seas. Thus, the best way to travel within Busan is riding the Busan City Tour.
• 5 Palace: Entrance fee for each palace - Gyeongbokgung 3,000 won, Changdeokgung 3,000 won, Deoksugung 1,000 won, Changgyeonggung 1,000 won, Jongmyo Shrine 1,000 won. Among all these palace, only two palace were awarded under UNESCO protection which are Changdeokgung and Jongmyo Shrine. Plan your visit as some of the palace will be close on Monday or Tuesday.
• N Seoul Tower: Also known as Namsan Tower, located at Namsan Mountain. The best building to watch scenery in Seoul. Some recommended it would be best viewed at night, but I prefer the daylight scenery. There are three way of getting here - either by Namsan bus, Seoul City bus or Namsan cable car. You can try the Namsan Oreumi for free while others will incurred cost. Admission to observatory is 9,000 won while the Teddy Bear Museum is 8,000 won. Return cable car from Namsan to N Seoul Tower is 8,000 won.
• Hangang River Cruise: Another best way to take a look at Seoul City either during daylight or night. The cruise fare are vary according to the place you board the cruise. There are 3 docks where you can board the cruise - Yeouido, Jamsil and Ttukseom port. The fare starts as low as 11,000 won for adult. Please refer HERE.
• Banpo Bridge Fountain: It's free and picturesque! The harmonious fountain together with the songs would soothe your mind and soul. Luckily it was just 15 minutes only. Nearby subway station is Dongjak station but advisable either to take the bus or ride the taxi if you go for the last show. 
• Namsangol Hanok Village: A cultural and heritage place where you can see hanok village - the traditional house located in the bustling and busy Seoul city. Why you must visit this place? Because it's free! And there's cultural show some more, free tea testing ceremony, free hanbok experience and lots more. Yes, all this for free! :)

Banpo Fountain Bridge

Transportation:

• Subway: Subway adalah cara paling senang nak travel kat Korea ni sebab banyak transit and various line. Tapi, disebabkan terlalu banyak line, make sure anda naik subway yang betul. Fyi, subway di Korea ni terlalu banyak exit atau gate. Jadi, kalau anda tersilap gate, maybe anda akan keluar di gate yang jauh daripada destinasi anda. Maka, dengan adanya Ebook di atas - Seoul Travel Guide, ada provide map with certain nearest subway to attraction places. Tapi, jangan risau. Kalau sesat juga, di setiap subway station ni ada signboard menunjukkan each gate menuju ke mana. Tak faham juga, tanya je kat siapa-siapa. But, let me remind you. This used to be my biggest concern as we went there with our parent. Please don't expect their subways are similar to us sebab there's too much stairs! Some of the subway are not senior-friendly though. Kalau pergi dengan orang tua anda, naik bus adalah cara yang paling selesa dan menyenangkan sebab tak perlu turun naik tangga ala-ala tangga di Batu Caves. Please don't tortured or bullied your parent with the stairs punishment - it's just too tired thinking about the stairs! Haha. Memanglah setiap station ada lift, tapi bukan semua exit ada sediakan lift or escalator. Bagi mereka yang dah biasa naik LRT kat Malaysia, subway ni bukan masalah bagi anda. Subway pun salah satu cara untuk jimat tapi setiap kali anda naik even hanya untuk 1 station, still akan dicas 1050 won. Jadi, kalau larat nak jalan, better jalan je. Macam dari Seoul station ke Hoehyeon station, walaupun hanya 1 station, anda masih akan dicas 1050won. Kalau dalam sehari tu, lebih sepuluh kali anda tukar-turun-naik subway, lebih dari 10,000won dah kena charge. Jadi, kalau nak jimat, macam kami, bolehlah naik Seoul City Tour Bus. Selesa, selesa dan senang :) Kalau nak pergi long distance destination, boleh juga naik Korail, sort of keretapi laju - macam dari Seoul ke Busan.
• Bus: Kalau nak naik bus, anda bolehlah naik di Seoul Station sebab Seoul Station ni memang macam KL Sentral. Bus, subway dan long distance train juga senang diakses dari sini. Kalau nak pergi long distance destination, anda bolehlah beli tiket bas di Express Bus Terminal. Express Bus Terminal ni macam Pudu Sentral. Nak pergi Mount Seorak, boleh beli tiket di Express Bus Terminal dan beli tiket ke Sokcho.
• Seoul City Tour Bus: The most easiest way to travel Seoul. Up till today, Seoul City Bus ni ada 3 courses yang bawa anda to different routes. Please refer HERE. And if I'm not mistaken, the fares are vary for each course and as for me, the night course bus is the most unworthy because you just gonna had your sightseeing tour in the bus without any stops. There will be 30-minutes interval between buses or sometimes, may be more or less than that. So, plan your trip wisely okay? :) Oh! If you pay the fare using T Money card, just get in the bus and you gonna pay it on the spot. No need to queue up at the counter ticket. Easy, right? Em. Some might think it is a waste for taking up the bus courses, but if you went to Korea with elders or children, you'll know why we prefer to rode the bus. Apparently, during our visit, that was the best alternatives for us, after looking at the very-busy-subway-and-super-high-stairs! Fuhhh.
• City Circulation Course: 12,000won (dah naik harga padahal harga minyak Malaysia yang naik, confused jap sebab budget dah lari)
• Cheonggye and Palace Course
• Night Course

Stopover for City Circulation Course

Accomodation: Walaupun kami tak stay kat tempat-tempat ini, we listed out hostels and guesthouses for our reference and comparison. We ended up choosing Brown Suite Residences for us to stay since the location is good and that's the best resort that we had. Since we're looking for a place where we can cook, some of the hotel listed below provide a kitchenette in hotel room. So, sesiapa yang nak cari bilik or hotel yang bagi anda memasak, bolehlah tengok senarai di bawah. Ada yang affordable, ada yang nearby to subway station dan ada juga yang near to shopping street. Do take a peek on their webs - please click on the link! 

• J Guesthouse
• Kimchee Guesthouse
• Hostel Korea
• Doo Guesthouse
• Beewon Guesthouse
• Malaysian Homestay Gangnam
• Seoul I Guesthouse
• Studio 41st
• Crib 49
• Family Housetel
• Pencil Guesthouse
• GOM Guesthouse: Mereka sangat friendly and response dengan cepat. Ada kitchenette untuk anda masak di dalam bilik.
• Hyundai Residence: Affordable. Quite far from main attraction and subway.
• Daelim Residence
• Brown Suite Residences: We stayed here and the city view is great!
• Gongdeok Stay 7 Residence
• Fraser Place Residence: Too pricey and luxurious stay. Near to Brown Suite Residence.

Shopping Spree: Tell me who doesn't loves shopping? Sometimes, travelling to other countries could awake the monster inside you, especially, ladies. Korea might be the best place for shopping at a very lower price. I got myself a facial mask and it costs me 10,000 won for 10 pieces. Ain't it cheap? I love to compare the merchandise sold in other country with Malaysia before purchasing it. And most of the time, things are slightly cheaper here than Malaysia. Cosmetic, beauty and personal care, clothes - depends on your preference and of course because the discount coupon provided on their webs, and bags. Only ladies would finds these stuffs interesting! Oh, I bought scarfs and shawls in Itaewon and Myeongdong for only RM10 per piece which I regret for not buying it more. The scarfs are wider and longer than what we had in Malaysia and super cheap too! I should grab more. Sigh. In Seoul itself, there's lots of underground shopping street and also those along the subway station. Gangnam also famous for their longest underground shopping street. We bumped into many shopping area along the street to Dongdaemun. Itaewon have lots to offer since its a place for foreigner and you shall see some foreign brand boutique in here. If you're looking for bedsheets, curtains and quality clothing at cheaper price, you can do so in Dongdaemun. For souvenir and gift - brooch, necklace, fridge magnet, keychain and nail clipper etc, you can get it in Namdaemun. For beauty care and accessories lover, you really need to see the streets at Myeongdong. Other than that, like Insadong and Hongdae, it's more to culture and relaxation place.

Souvenirs!

Must-go-places:

• Seoul Culture Centre: A place to experience Korean culture and free hanbok experience. Situated in 5th Floor, M Plaza at Myeongdong, in front of Innisfree Outlet. Need to do some reservation before 3 pm due to very packed slot. If you really want to experience the hanbok, please reserve one day earlier or you gonna miss the chance as there's too many demand for hanbok. Oh, crazy enough with K-pop dance? You can do so here by register yourself at the counter.
• Nami Island: A must visit place to complete your trip to Korea. Should spend few hours here, in a manmade island - great scenery with breathtaking view. Best time to visit are autumn and winter. There are 2 way of getting to Nami Island - by ITX train (from Yongsan Station / Cheongnyangni Station to Gapyeong Station) or Namiseom shuttle bus (all include package, click HERE). Naik train lagi murah tapi flexible, naik shuttle bus kena make sure anda punctual kalau tak nak kena tinggal bas. So, choose wisely. Admission fee is 8,000 won including return ferry. We booked the shuttle bus few months back but since we can't make it for the payment appointment, we just took the train. And, yes, glad that we took the train! Oh. Mind you that the train ticket is selling fast, so, please buy the ticket first upon your arrival to the respective station. You surely don't want to spent your time wandering around the subway station like we did, right? Sigh.
• Myeongdong: Fashion lover? Cosmetic maniac? Yay. It's a total heaven for youth and teenagers. Crazy about cosmetic stuff - BB Cream, Facial Mask etc? Just name it - there's too many of them. Banyak sangat accessories outlet, cosmetic and beauty outlet, cafes and shopping mall too. Bought several shawl and pashmina here, which is very cheap compared to Malaysia! Sampai sekarang still rasa tak puas nak cuci mata kat Dongdaemun. Haha. Couple dalam WGM pun pernah shooting kat sini. Woohoo! :) One great tips: Since there's too many outlet, most of them come out with good marketing ideas which is - free sample and various free gift for different outlet. Terbaik! Worth every won that you spent. What makes a girl happy? Free cosmetic gift! Kat Malaysia tak ada pun nak bagi free gift ni. I would say, free gift is the best way to attract more customers, especially for ladies. Ada kedai yang memang dah letak free gift dalam bakul, asalkan masuk tapi tak beli pun tak apa.
• Namdaemun: Best place to shop! Orang Malaysia selalu akan cari bangunan ni untuk shopping barang secara borong dan bawa balik Malaysia. E Lengdang or E World. Susah nak bargain sebab harga barang kebanyakan sudah murah.
• Dongdaemun: Clothes, clothes, and clothes! Another shopping spree time for fashion lover. Tapi tengok musim juga. Kalau pergi time winter, memang semua pun dok jual baju sejuk. Herm.
• Itaewon: Muslims definitely will love this place! It's a place for foreigner. Biggest mosque in Korea - situated in Itaewon. Route to the mosque is hilly and will drained you out, so take your time and take a break at any cafe here. Great place for shopping and dining. Banyak restoran halal terdapat di Itaewon - Murree, Siti Sarah, Mr Kebab, Turkish Restaurant and many more! Em. Masjidnya terletak agak jauh kat atas bukit, jadi kalau pergi dengan orang tua anda, sila bagi mereka naik taxi dan anda menapak sampai ke masjid. Hehe.
• Namsan Mountain: Seriously. You need to go here. Best place in town to watch the best view of Seoul. Some would say night will be the best and some will say during the day gives you the best moment. So, experience yourself! Dua-dua pun best. Ada 3 cara nak pergi sini. Naik cable car to Namsan Tower or naik Namsan Bus / Seoul City Tour Bus or exercise naik bukit sampai atas. Kereta persendirian dan taxi tak dibenarkan naik ke atas. Kalau nak jimat, sila naik Seoul City Tour Bus.
• Hongdae: I would say Hongdae as the youth street. Lots of cafes and clubs where to some extent, you might bump with an artist if you're lucky. Why youth street? Sebab terletak berdekatan dengan Hongik University. Memang tempat pelajar lepak dan bersosial.
• Insadong: My fave hangout place! I just love spending the night at Insadong street. Shall I compared Insadong to Central Market in Kuala Lumpur? I guess the 'feel' being at these 2 place are somewhat similar. If you're an art lover and eager to know Korean culture, please visit this street! You'll see many couples here. Insadong street tak sebusy dan sehavoc Dongdaemun tapi anda akan rasa tenang. The street musician will spice up the night at Insadong and of course, free music okay!

Nami Island

Nami Island

Must-have-and-bring-item:

• T Money: If you're on your own, getting yourself a T Money card is really handy. T Money works exactly like the Touch and Go card except this card is much better in terms of its usefulness. Going from places to places is easy as you can just touch it and go - applicable to all the subway station, buses and train and to add the value, you can shop at selected convenience store using this card. It's great right having a card that works for two?
• Maps and Guide Book: Upon your arrival at Incheon airport or any airport in Korea, there always a rack full of free maps and travel guide books. Make yourself comfortable by taking the free travel guide provided there. No worries as the language will be in English and Hangul.
• Umbrella: Be it short or long legged umbrella, it's good to have one. Weather in Korea tend to change rapidly. Now you're good to go and suddenly the rain falls. Precaution action helps your holiday plan, smoothly, right? And fret not, if it rains, you can grab one at the subway. It's available everywhere! A shocking moment to me where almost everyone, including men, crossing the roads while holding a colourful umbrella. A scene that you can't get in Malaysia, I guess. I could say umbrella is the trend during the bad weather in Korea.
• Handy calculator: Shopaholic? You gonna need this. Kalau susah sangat nak communicate, just type the figure you want. Even the owner used calculator when there is any communication breakdown.
• Dictionary: I bought one but we never had the chance to used our dictionary. But why? Cause we get eager everytime we arrived at the destination and it's hard to always carry around the books while your hand already full with maps etc. Instead, you can just highlight or remember few Korean vocabs so it easier for you. Annyeong - hello, kamsahamnida - thanks, pali pali - faster, aniyo - no, ne - yes, olma eyo - how much?
• Medicine: As always, please be prepared.
• Electrical Appliances: Travel adaptor - Korea use the 2 pin plug so it's either you buy the 2 pin plug adaptor or just bring the global travel adaptor. Since we always prefer to cook on our own, we had this convenient travel cooker that is really compact and easy to use to. If you need one, just drop a comment and we'll give you the contact number. :) I can promise you that it is handy and lighter too.
• Instant food: Pergi Korea ni selalunya tak ada halangan untuk bawa makanan kering dan instant food.

Travel Cooker

Travel Iron

Musafir Travel Cooker

Must-do-thing-before-boarding:

• Visa: Bercuti ke Korea antara top list destination for most people disebabkan oleh tarikan yang ada di Korea, lagi-lagi pada mereka yang memang mengikuti K-Pop. K-Wave inilah antara punca kenapa ramai sangat orang nak pergi bercuti di Korea. Fyi, Malaysia - Korea tak memerlukan visa jadi mereka yang nak melancong ke Korea, be happy and no worry! I don't know about other countries, so please check with your Korea Embassy.
• Passport: Again, for those who loves to travel, passport is no matter - sebab confirm dah alert dengan 6 months policy kan. Bagi mereka yang baru nak berkecimpung dengan dunia travel, bila dah beli ticket, make sure sebelum nak pergi tu, check passport anda. Passport anda kena valid for at least 6 month dari date anda akan berlepas or else memang tak dibenarkan terbang.
• Money: Selalunya travel cheque tak diterima di banyak tempat, jadi jangan susahkan diri anda dan sila ready bawa duit Won siap-siap. Kadang-kadang nak exchange duit ni, kena selalu buat comparison among money changer supaya kita tak rugi. Antara money changer yang selalu kami pergi - Mid Valley Megamall, Matahari Mall kat Taman Dato' Harun, Tropicana Mall, Giant Mall Kelana Jaya. Selalunya exchange rate kat sini memang berbaloi but still, sila buat comparison. Credit card boleh diguna bila travel and sometime, exchange rate adalah lagi murah berbanding exchange rate di money changer.
• Last sekali, before nak keluar rumah tu, bacalah doa supaya tak jadi apa-apa kat kediaman anda dan juga keselamatan anda ketika bercuti. Jangan lupa check duit, passport dan airflight ticket before keluar ye. Ini memang penting sebab pernah terjadi kat kami. Haha. Nasib baik sempat pusing balik tau. 

Hope you find this entry beneficial! Enjoy your trip to Korea and have a safe and sound trip! Annyeong. :)

P/s: Am watching Neraka Zionis at TV Al-Hijrah. Dokumentari mengenai perjuangan Palestin dan Misi Mavi Marmara. Perjuangan mereka dan kekuatan ukhuwah fillah abadan abada. MasyaAllah. A good cover-up and must watch documentary. Semoga roh mereka yang terkorban ditempatkan di kalangan mereka yang beriman :'(

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