Top 10 Places to visit near Seoul

Top 10 Place to visit near Seoul

Suwon

Everland 

Korean Folk Village

Edelweiss Swiss Theme Park and Petite France

Muuido Island

Nami Island

Wolmi Park

Hot Springs in Ansan

Songwol-dong Fairy Tale Village and Sinpo International Market

Ganghwado Island

Seoul is not the only place you can go to South Korea, there are many places to visit that are amazing places to take day trips to on the weekends. You can go visit multiple different islands on the west coast that have beautiful beaches. Many of them are only a few hours away from Seoul and some are right next to Incheon airport. If you want to experience mudflats the fifth-largest mudflat in the world is in this area. You also can visit beautiful spots in nature on these islands. 

Another popular thing to visit is the hot springs. The best area to go is Ansan which is about an hour away from Seoul. These are different from Jjimjilbangs and many people go to heal and recover. There are a variety of different hot spring spots in Ansan and you need to figure out which one is best for your budget. If you want to have a day learning about how people lived before the 20th century you should also visit the Korean Folk Village in Suwon. This is also close to the fortress in Suwon so you can make an awesome day trip out of it.

If you love fairy tales you will love to go see Fairy Tale village in Incheon and its one of the best places to get awesome pictures. There is also a market nearby as well as a theme park and a nature park. You can make a great day out of exploring this area as it is close to Incheon airport. You can do this during the beginning or end of your stay to make the most of your time.

Those who are adventure seekers should go to Everland, this theme park is like Lotte World but is in a very scenic area and is outdoors. You can easily spend all day here and want to return for more. There are also themed villages close to Seoul, the top two to see are the Edelweiss Swiss Theme Park and Petite France. They are also super close to each other so you can make a day trip to go see them. Each offers a different experience and are great for those who are on a budget.

By Marissa Owens, Intern Editor

Drake University, Des Moines, Iowa, USA

mowens3107@outlook.com

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Best 5 Study Cafes in Seoul

Study Cafes in Seoul

Now that you are in Seoul either just travelling or studying, and want a place to relax and be focused, you should consider visiting one of these awesome Cafes in Seoul!! Studying at the same location everyday can get tiring and unmotivated, therefore here is a list of places you can go and sit down to study or read. Since changing environments time to time can improve your style of thinking and spice up your study time.

The 1st Penguin

The 1st cafe in Seoul that is great for those who want a nice and quiet place to study or read, has designed their shop for those purposes. This style of a Cafe is unusual but effective for customers since there are 200 electric outlets, 2 computers, 30 lamps, dozens of pencils and sharpeners. Also they provide free water and books if you don't have anything to study with. You will also find some couches, desks for two with a lamp, blankets and even a chalkboard. That being said, this place is really for those who want to study or read, so not a good idea to go there and have a conversation.

The location of The 1st Penguin is near Korea University, so it's really popular for students who attend the prestigious school. Also the colors of the Cafe are really bright and colorful that help people stay awake!! Another thing about their location, is that there are quite a number of restaurants around that you can go eat when you get hungry, but The 1st Penguin do sell small snacks.

For more information click HERE!



Cafe Meeple

Cafe Meeple first opened back in 2007 and has attracted tens of thousands of students to study there and people to just prepare work or read. The cafe is really spacious and aims to provide comfortable study spaces for people. There you can find various sizes of tables, study rooms, and printing facilities. Also there is a possibility you can get a discount if you go during their early hours!!

If you know Korean, visit their Website for more information!!



Dokdabang Cafe

The Dokdabang Cafe is symbolic in Sinchon, it first opened back in 1971 as a music cafe and it was popular among students in the 70's and 80's for 33 years and closed down in 2005. However it has re-opened thanks to the grand son of the original owner and has been a favorite of locals since then!! and close to Yonsei University!!

The Cafe is not just for study as the other two, it has two separate areas for study and regular common space. The ambiance gives a gracefully library-like feel because of their interior design such as wooden tiles, ceiling-tall wooden shelves, wood patio doors with gold linings and classical music as background music. They also have huge glass windows that you will be able to enjoy the view of Sinchon.

If you need a quiet space to study or read, they have a room for that!! In there you will find tables with study lamps and absolutely no talking. Another great part of this cafe is that they have two private meeting rooms for hourly rent for any purpose you would need, maybe such as study groups. Now for the coffee, any drink you purchase you can have a coffee refill for FREE but only once for every purchased drink.

The cafe also is well known for their seasonal Bingsu, every Summer they sell Melon Bingsu which is a favorite because of the style it's served but also of its delicious taste!!

For more information and reviews click HERE!

More pictures and credit click HERE!

Cafe Cita at Soom Island

This cafe near Sogang University is a combination of reading room, cafe and an art gallery. The environment is really peaceful and relaxing!! The combinations mentioned are divided into different spaces around the building, such as where you would find the Book Gallery there is a no-talking policy, then there is the Cafe (CITA) and then an art gallery to enjoy.

Occasionally the Cafe Cita hosts film screenings, book club meetings and lectures. You would also find special meditation and conference rooms available for rent on the seventh floor. However CITA is well known for their beautiful pastries!! The Head Chef studied at Le Cordon Blue in France and one of the popular items are the tarts which people claim are the best ones they ever tried!!

For more information click HERE!


Sahara Cafe

The Sahara Cafe is a hidden gem in Seoul and is really popular among Soongsil University students. Because of the cheap price for coffee and a beautiful and minimalist design. You can go there to study or read, they even have hundreds of books to choose from!!

For seating they have pillowed chairs, long tables with study lamps and just a nice quiet relaxing atmosphere. The nearest subway station to get here is Soongsil University station and they are open Monday to Saturday from 11 am to 11 pm and on Sunday 1 pm to 11 pm, go ahead and check them out!!

Address: 501-2 Beonji Sangdo-dong, Dongjak-gu, Seoul, South Korea
주소: 서울특별시 동작구 사당로 6-1

We hope that you find this information useful and get the chance to visit any of these locations!! Remember to check out our other blog posts about Exploring outside of Seoul!! 

5 Most Recommended Accommodations in Seoul

Living in Seoul

Planning your trip to Seoul can be really exciting and intimidating in having to decide what kind of accommodation you will want to stay in during your time here. However we have a list of the 5 most recommended types of accommodations you can choose from, just remember to do your research and calculate your budget for housing!! (They are not ordered by rank)

Hotels

Depending on how long you will be staying in Seoul, booking a hotel room might be the best option for you and pretty convenient as well!! This option is great too if you are looking to having your own space and privacy. A Tip when looking for a hotel is to always check the location and amenities they have because being at the center of Seoul and close to the stations are the BEST, mostly if its your first time in Seoul!! 

Hamilton Hotel

If you have heard about the Namsan Tower or just Itaewon, you will know that they're the center of Seoul. As mentioned, being in the center of Seoul is really convenient if you are planning to explore all around Seoul west, east, north and south!! Itaewon is not too far from popular areas, it's about 15 min from Hongdae on Subway as well as Gangnam, and about 20 min to Myeongdong. 

The Hamilton Hotel is  located right next to Itaewon Station and on the main street of restaurants, shops and clubs!! Also Itaewon is known to be foreigner friendly so there are quite a few restaurants catering to foreign foods and stores with foreign style clothes. The Hotel also includes a gym (complimentary access) and a rooftop pool (but additional charges might apply), the rooftop is quite popular for sun tanning!! 

Follow this link to Book a room!!

If this Hotel doesn't sound as great, visit this Website for other great Hotels in Seoul!! 

Guest House/Dormitory

This option is among the most popular choices since is more affordable and having the opportunity to meet many people around the world. A usual Guest House would be a place where you either have your own room or share a room and share the common spaces such as the kitchen, living room and sometimes bathroom. There all kinds of styles for this and Dormitories are considered the same. 

Heima Guesthouse Hongdae

This guesthouse is considered as the best one in Seoul by many visitors, anyone who stayed there has left with great memories!! Each room has FREE Wifi and if you are going to stay for long term it will be cheaper!! The rooms are well air-conditioned,a private bathroom with hairdryer, has satellite flat-screen TV, provides a concierge service and luggage storage for guests. Also their location is great for those who will stay around Mapo-gu such as Hongdae, Hapjeong and Sinchon. They are only about 700 m from Hongik University, 2.8 Km from Ewha Womans University and 5 km I'Park mall (which is great for shopping and repairing shops).

Also if you love breakfast, they provide continental breakfast daily!! If you are going to be travelling with someone, they have a rating of 9.8 out of 10 for two-person stay satisfaction!! If you are afraid of a language barrier.... Don't Worry since they have bilingual staffs that can easily help you in anything you need!! 

Follow this link to Book a space!! 


Goshiwon

Maybe if you are familiar with Korean culture, you may have heard of this type of housing most Korean students pick because of their affordable price and locations. Goshiwons are buildings offering small rooms with a desk, chair, cupboard, closet and your bed. The space is really limited and some of the halls offer free rice or noodles!! This type of housing is considered the cheapest option for a University student to pick. 

Since there are a few Universities international students may be attending it's hard to tell which Goshiwon is the "best" therefore follow the link below where there is a website with all the information about booking a goshiwon room!!! 

Click Here!


Stay with 42SHARE

Another great option is to stay with us, 42SHARE!! We hope you have read through our blog posts and watched our amazing residents' videos, they certainly are great and had a memorable time with us during their studies. One of the many reasons you should consider to stay with us, is that we have housing halls in great and convenient locations if you will be studying at Ewha, Yonsei, or Sogang University!! 

To be honest, it will be a lot more affordable for you to stay with us if you are planning to be in Seoul for a long term. Because our prices are reasonable due to the location, room conditions, and the spaces we provide for you to feel comfortable. We have different kinds of rooms you could stay in, depending on how you want to live, such as rooms with their own kitchen and rooms without one but there is a common Kitchenette at the rooftop of the building. 

Click this link to read more about the different kinds of rooms we offer and to start your booking!!

On-Campus Dormitory

A popular and sometimes most convenient form of housing for international students are to just stay at the university's on-campus dormitory. Yes, they can be a cheaper option and more comfortable as well, but there are a lot of restrictions and rules that residents NEED to follow or you will automatically be kicked out!! 

Some of the rules include, having a curfew which usually is 11 pm to 12 am, no guests of the opposite sex or sometimes no guests at all!! Depending on which university you end up going the rules may vary but are all quite similar, also you need to remember how to sort out your trash well or penalties will be applied without warning!! 

For this case, we recommend to look into your University's Dorm rules before signing and think of how you would want your schedule to be like once you are in Korea, will their rules restrict you from excelling your time in Seoul? 

Feel uneasy about the whole Korean recycling system? click HERE for a guide!!  


We hope this short list of different types of most recommended accommodations in Seoul helps you to decide how you would like to live your time in Korea and that you decide what is best for you!! 

Stay in Korea for the Spring 2020

Come to Korea in the Spring!! 

Spring is one of South Korea's seasons that don't last long but is a beautiful and romantic time to be in as well!! Usually Spring last from mid March to May and every year you will witness beautiful cherry blossoms (usually beginning of April). Because of the Cherry Blossoms there are various seasonal items and perfect locations to take the perfect picture!!

Flower Festivals ONLY in the Spring

Cherry Blossoms are everywhere in South Korea during the Spring, but unfortunantly they don't last long so here is a list of places we recommend for you to go if you want to capture the perfect Instagram picture or your new profile pic!! Also keep in mind that most of the dates are to be determined (TBD) due to we can't know when the cherry blossoms will show.  

The Apricot Blossom Festival (Gwangyang Maehwa) 

Dates for 2020: First half of March TBD  

Once a year since 1997, the celebrations of this festival are specified on the Apricot fruit and its products. This festival takes place in Maehwa, a village in South Jeolla region and Maehwa in Korean translates to apricot due to the popularity. The scenery is beautiful and with the Baegunsan Mountain located near the acres of apricots, creates a romantic view!! 

Visit this Website for more information!

Yeouido Spring Flower Festival

Dates for 2020: Usually April 7 on wards, but depends on cherry blossom blooming 

Every April at this festival you will experience cultural street performances and be able to enjoy a stroll through the Cherry Blossom tunnel!! Also the Hangang River is there too so you may want to enjoy a picnic there and do the classical thing of eating chicken and beer or ramen and enjoying the view. 

Visit this Website for more information!

Seokchonhosu Lake Cherry Blossom Festival 

Dates for 2020: 04.5 - mid-April

Another great place for Cherry Blossom is Seokchon lake as there are trees lined up around the entire lake! Besides of taking your pictures and enjoying the view, you can also enjoy many activities, exhibitions and cultural performances as well. 

Visit this Website for more information!


Jeju Cherry Blossom Festival 

Dates for 2020: Average March 24 TBD 

Want to go to the great island? There are plenty of beautiful Cherry Blossoms in Jeju!! At the Jeju the cherry blossoms there are considered the King Cherry Tree Blossoms since they are the largest and most luxurious among all cherry blossoms. Keep in mind tho that the full blooming of these trees only last for about 2 to 3 days!! All the other trees will continue to blossom from late March to the second week of April. 

Visit this Website for more information!

Jinhae Gunhangje Festival

Dates for 2020: Average first week of April TBD 

This festival is held in the area of Jungwon Rotary and Downtown Jinhae with the blooming of cherry blossoms!! There are various programs such as a pre-event, cultural performances, military performances and more!!   

Visit this Website for more information!


Icheon's Baeksa Village Festival

Dates for 2020: Average first week of April TBD 

The Icheon's Baeksa Village is home to a number of "sansuyu" (cornus fruit) trees which have been growing there over 100 years!! Through each season the trees change colors but in early Spring they change to bright Yellow and in Autumn to vivid red fruits. Because of these amazing trees the festival is hosted to bring visitors and experience the gorgeous trees through Korean traditional folk games and a Sansuyu Flower Parade. We believe is one of the places you won't want to miss out!!  

Visit this Website for more information!

Cheongpungho Cherry Blossom Festival

Dates for 2020: Average first week of April TBD 

Another great place to experience the gorgeous Cherry Blossoms is at the Cheongpungho Cherry Blossom Festival!! The event is held at the Cheongpung lake area of Jecheon where you can experience various flowers besides the cherry blossoms such as the white cherry trees, forysthia and azalea. Also there will be exhibitions, performances, bungee jumping by the lake, and many water sports!! Great way to enjoy your spring vacation!! 

Visit this Website for more information!

Taean Tulip Festival

Dates for 2020: Average second week of April 'till March TBD 

Want to see other kind of flowers besides Cherry Blossoms!? well check out this great event where is located at the Korea Flower Park in thhe Chungcheongnam-do Province. The Park is purposely designed for this festival and is considered in the TOP 5 by the World Tulip Summit!! There will also be ceremonies, singers and cultural art performances, animal feeding experiences and a firework show!! A lot more too!! 

Visit this Website for more information!

Learn more about Culture and Arts!!

If you want to learn more about South Korean culture and the history of arts in this great country, you will want to schedule to experience one of these amazing festivals ONLY during Spring!!

Jeju Fire Festival

Dates for 2020: Average Beginning of March TBD 

Yes FIRE!!! this festival is held in order to pray for a good harvest and good health in the new year in accordance to the lunar calendar. At the event visitors will be able to experience various folk games, hands-on programs and a beautiful natural environment of Jeju Island!! Don't worry the festival is completely safe and monitored.

Visit their Official Website for more information!

Yeongam Wangin Culture Festival

Dates for 2020: Average Early April TBD 

The history behind this festival is that it celebrates the greatest achievements of Korea's Dr. Wangin who travelled to Japan over 1,600 years ago to spread cultural and art knowledge. Dr. Wangin's teachings includes the Thousand-Character Text (a primer of Chinese Characters) and the Analects (Discourses) of Confucius. The festival takes place at the Historical Site of Dr. Wangin and Sangdaepo Historic Park. There will be various performances and cultural exhibitions!!! 

Visit this Website for more information!

Goryeong Daegaya Experience Festival

Dates for 2020: Average Second week of April TBD 

Daegaya (AD 42-562) was a nation that inhabited the Korean Peninsula around the 4th Century. Daegaya nation was sophisticated and held extremely high standards of culture. They created the Gayageum (the twelve-stringed traditional Korean harp) which became a large role of establishing the culture of music. Therefore the nation is thought to be a powerful force in the area (now gyeongsangnam-do) and to have influence on the wider world. At the festival you will be immersed into the ancient history of Korea's Daegaya since there are interactive programs with relic exhibitions, wooden boat-making "mokseons" (which were used to trade with other societies) and much more!! Nearby the festival there is a Farming Village where you can go pick strawberries and experience the Korean Farming Lifestyle!! 

Visit this Website for more information!

Mungyeong Traditional Chasabal Festival

Dates for 2020: Average last week of April to May TBD

Do you enjoy Ceramics!? Come to the Mungyeong Traditional Chasabal Festival which takes place at Mungyeongsaejae Open Set in Gyeongsangbuk-do an area famous for traditional ceramics!! The event has been occurring since 1999 and has become a premier festival recognized by the Ministry of Culture, Sports & Tourism! If you come you will be able to join in a traditional tea ceremony and pottery-making programs which are operated by local artisans and won't mind to help you out! 

Visit this Website for more information!


Daegu Yangnyeongsi Herb Medicine Culture Festival

Dates for 2020: Average beginning of May TBD

Interested in Herbs!? This event is a tradition that goes back to 350 years ago since it was an international market where herbal medicines from China, Russia, Europe, and many other regions were sold! The festival displays medicinal herbs found in Korea's mountains and offers visitors an opportunity to experience a wide range of relaxing and curative traditional medicinal procedures. This is great for those who are really interested in Korea's medicinal herbs as well as the sciences and traditions of Asia. 

Visit their Official Website for more information!

We hope that you find this information useful and be able to visit any of these events in Korea!! Remember to check out our other blog posts about living in Korea!!