Lingo in Transit

Travel, Languages and Life

recent posts

  • South Korean Life Update- 9 months

    South Korean Life Update- 9 months

    I’m currently in the calm before the storm. I’ve decided not to renew my contract (I hadn’t planned to but there is a joke here that many people plan to stay 1 year only and then end up staying longer) and have notified my school making it official official.

    I have mixed feelings. I have loved living and working here and being an English teacher. I haven’t missed home one bit but my brain keeps thinking about having a better pay check and maybe buying a home. Both of which I cannot do here so easily. I guess we will see how it plays out and I can always come back if that is what my heart desires.

    But also, sometimes the good times don’t have to last and cannot last and maybe it’s better to end the Korean chapter on a good note.

    So with 3 months to go, this is what life is looking like here:

    • My last semester of teaching is going to be insane
      We are currently down a foreign teacher at school so we will be covering some elementary school classes next semester on top of our current middle school classes. It’s going to be different as both departments run differently and having to adapt and adjust to both might be a challenge. The energy level required to work with elementary aged students is going to be a change from middle school students in a good or bad way, I’m not sure! Since I was told, my sleep hasn’t been that great because I’m thinking and worrying too much about it. Argh!
    • My closest friends will be leaving
      I don’t have THAT many friends but the close ones that I have made, are also coming to the end of their time in Korea so there will be some goodbyes coming up too. We’re from all different countries so it will be bittersweet saying goodbye but also knowing that we have shared memories here in Korea. I guess we can always meet up back here one day again.
    • Last travel trips
      My list of things to do and places to see feels like it’s still never ending. I’m probably not going to get around to doing everything that I have wanted but I will try! I’m prioritising and also trying to stagger my trips so that I will have enough energy to work, rest and then see these places on the weekend.
    • Using up and selling items
      I’m going to need to leave with what I came with so home appliances will need to be sold or given away. I’m trying to consciously use up everything now and not to buy anything more so that I can have an easier time in the coming months. Same for food and my plant babies will need a new home.
    • Admin
      There is going to be some admin coming up too with ending phone and internet contracts, getting paperwork for home and also sorting out banking which I’m dreading. Banking here is linked to your resident card and phone number so once I leave, I need to make sure I’ll still be able to access my bank account somehow to make those last transfers. I currently have the app on my phone albeit it is all in Korean and I need to screenshot everything to translate it (#koreanexpatlife). I hate anything that I have to do over an app so hopefully I can sort out being able to do transfers over internet banking (which I have unsuccessfully done so far as it requires computer program downloads and a digital certificates to access etc).
    • Taking it all in
      I feel like since I have arrived, I have been on the go trying to make the most of my time here and working. I can barely even remember what my early months were like and even autumn felt like a lifetime ago now. I have days where I still can’t believe I’m in Korea and thought that I would have gotten use to it by now as it has been my reality for a better half of a year already. But I still have days where I can’t believe it. I’m also going to need to quiet all my inner questions.

    I’m sure my last time left will be amazing with plenty to still smile about and adventures to be had. Time to plan what skincare products to leave with.

  • Things I Wished I Knew Before Coming to Korea

    Things I Wished I Knew Before Coming to Korea

    Before I came to Korea, I did extensive research on what to bring and what to expect. I read blogs, searched on google and watched youtube videos on what people were bringing and packing and tips. But, looking back now, whilst my research did help alot, there were still some things that I didn’t know about and wished I knew before coming.

    1. You can buy toothpaste here

    Hear me out here. I’m one of those really picky toothpaste people. Back home, I would always stick to the same toothpaste because I loved the taste. I love the minty taste and anything that veers to anything but, I don’t like. I had already read advice online of people recommending to bring toothpaste from home because western brand toothpaste is hard to find, everything in sweet in Korea and how there is less fluoride in local toothpaste. Well, believe it or not, South Korea is a modern country and your Colgate is easy to find here. So here I was, bringing my tubes of toothpaste from home when I really didn’t need to! But, considering it’s an everyday item, it wasn’t hard to get through my supplies.

    2. How hard it is to find black tea here

    Something I didn’t expect and something my research failed to mention, black tea is hard to find here! Coffee reigns supreme here and the tea aisles here are mostly stocked with herbal teas. Corn tea and barley tea are everywhere here, but black tea…..you will be needing to search alittle harder. As a regular morning breakfast tea drinker back home, I was frantically searching for my daily elixir and found some online that was way more expensive than what I was use to. Thankfully, I had family visiting me who were able to bring tea from back home (for a quarter of the price).

    3. Foreign cards can be a hit or miss

    I’ve met a few people who have said that their foreign cards haven’t been easily accepted in many stores. The entire country and their online shopping and eftpos is set up for Korean cards. Furthermore, everything online is also linked to a mobile phone number here. So, when you visit, be sure to have cash on you. It cannot be guaranteed that your card will work 100% of the time. Whilst I didn’t have my card rejected at any point, I’ve heard many stories. You can also forget about buying anything online here as a short term visitor without a Korean card.

    4. How much walking you will be doing

    It is pretty obvious that when you travel, you will be walking all day. It is no exception here. Add to that the public transport system (which is great by the way) and the underground city that you will be walking across to either connect to another line or mode of transport, you better be wearing some good shoes! So in saying that, I wished I didn’t bring my summer sandals. I wore sneakers for most of summer due to how much walking plus if you’re out sightseeing in different places, sneakers are just more comfortable.

    5. Not to bring over so much tech

    By tech I mean mostly chargers and cords. I brought over a few usbc cords, 2 adapters and even an Australian extension cord. But South Korea is a tech haven and with the Daiso stores here, you can pick up a charger/usbc cord for $5. The only thing I really needed was the adapter for my laptop charger and maybe 1 charging set!

    6. To pack a carry bag with a zip

    I frequently travel to and from Seoul by bus. Sometimes, I stay in the Seoul for the weekend or long weekend to be able to do more things and at times a backpack is enough but I also sometimes like to pack my small carry on wheelie bag. But, these intercity buses don’t have any luggage space and is a great source of anxiety for me as there are basically only 2 areas of the bus that the wheelie bag can fit infront of my legs. These buses are usually quite full and I’m sometimes just annoyed that I didn’t bring my carry bag so that I could just carry 2 bags instead of having a wheelie.

    7. To come with more space in my luggage

    I had some idea when I was packing that I should make sure I have space because I would probably buy some things. But in hindsight, I need more space. I thought I packed well in terms of clothing with just the right amount. I could’ve done with 1 or 2 shoes less, 1 jacket less, a smaller jewellery box, 1 sunscreen tube less and 1 extension cord less.

    8. How good the insect repellent is

    Mosquitoes seem to love me so I always make sure if I’m going anyway in summer, I bring some insect repellent. Australia has very good and strong smelling ones and there’s not many to choose from. I brought over a small spray bottle of the trusty Aeroguard. It’s not very small so it is bulky to bring out with you. In the summer, I was in Seoul and forgot to bring my Aeroguard and ducked into the trusty Daiso store to pick up a small roll on. This had to be one of my best purchases. It didn’t smell, it’s small like a deodorant and convenient to bring everywhere. If I knew it was going to be this easy to find and this good, I wouldn’t have brought mine from home!

    I hope this gave you abit of a laugh. Was there something that you wished you knew about a destination before you arrived?

  • Hwacheon Sancheoneo Ice Fishing Festival, January 2023 South Korea

    Hwacheon Sancheoneo Ice Fishing Festival, January 2023 South Korea

    Ice fishing? Sign me up! As someone who had only fished once during a school camp and not catch anything despite sitting out in the sun for what felt like hours, I was game to try again. When I saw this annual festival, I thought it was the perfect time to try again. Only available in January every year, the Hwacheon Ice Fishing Festival attracts many visitors from around Korea.

    It is located about 1.5-2 hours east of Seoul and as you know my favourite way to travel sometimes, is joining an organised tour. On this tour, they give you a pass to put onto your jacket so that you can get entry and rent equipment for free. There is a large foreigner section with plenty of English signage at the food stalls and English speaking staff. I think they really tried to cater for a range of tourists.

    I went on the last weekend of the festival which was unfortunate timing as there was so much traffic getting here. By the time we arrived, it was almost lunch time and my stomach was already grumbling. But first, ice fishing. There were holes already bored into the ice so you just had to find one and put your rod in and then wait while moving your rod up and down. I had no success at catching anything but could see a few people around me catching fish. With my stomach getting louder and louder, I thought it was time to get some food.

    Our tour included a 5,000 won food/drink voucher and also a free grilled sancheoneo (Korean Salmon). I also bought some rice cakes, 1 sausage and a beer (because why not) to have for lunch as well. The grilled sancheoneo was delicious! There was an area with many of these charcoal bbq stands which was our eating table to keep the fish hot. Not quite the salmon that we are probably use to, it wasn’t as salty as mackerel so somewhere in between.

    Now it was time to complete all the included activities. First was ice sledding which was sitting on this wooden board and then using 2 wooden sticks with picks on the end to move around. It is more fun than it sounds. I had made some friends on my tour so we had some races across the ice and also went to admire this snow sculpture on the other side. There were people of all ages on the ice. It was great fun.

    Next, we lined up for snow sledding which was sitting in these plastic tubes and then going downhill. This was so popular, we had to line up for almost 1 hr before we were able to do it. Our tour included a pass which let us go down 3 times. Coming from a nanny state, I was wondering how safe this was as going downhill was soooooo fast. It was quite sturdy though and I didn’t see anyone fall off. That was enough thrill seeking for the year.

    • Terra beer bottle made from ice

    Our last stop of the day was to see the ice sculptures which wasn’t on the ice but it was in town not far although we all got onto the bus to get there. We were given about 1 hour to go through the ice sculpture area.

    There was a big replica of a palace at the very end which was impressive. They had managed to put lights into all the ice blocks in most of the sculptures making it a semi indoor neon party too. They even had small slides in some of the buildings which you could sit and go down.

    If you are ever in Korea in January and looking for a day trip out, try the Hwacheon Sancheoneo Ice Fishing Festival! Here is a video I had put together from the day.

    Looking for more day trips from Seoul? Here are more ideas:
    – Nami Island & Petite France
    – Snow trips from Seoul

  • Easy Winter Snow Day Trips From Seoul

    Easy Winter Snow Day Trips From Seoul

    Winter is my favourite season by far and a snowing winter? PERFECT. Skiing and snowboarding are easily accessible here in South Korea, even for foreigners! The easiest way is to book day trips with tour companies. Most have ski clothing and equipment rental included, transport to and from and optional lessons and lift passes. I would say it is cheaper to go on a tour comparing to the actual cost of lift pass/rental etc. I’ve linked the tours that I went with here and would recommend them all.

    Recently over Lunar New Year, I went to 3 different ski resorts to enjoy some time outdoors (and on my butt). Here is how it went.

    1. Elysian Ski Resort

    One of the closest ski fields from Seoul, Elysian is only 1.5 hours away. You can get here using the metro from Seoul and ski resort shuttle. This ski resort is best suited for beginners. There are 3 beginner slopes, 3 intermediate and 1 advanced slope. The area is quite wide and the intermediate and advanced are separated from the beginner area. I have previously skied before but took a beginner ski lesson as it has been a few years.

    After our lesson it was lunch time. There is a cafeteria onsite which had self order kiosks and numbers to indicate when your dish was ready for pick up. It was more expensive than your average city restaurant but we were at a ski resort after all. You can of course pack your own!

    Ski chairs here were manned at both the bottom and top so they could stop the lift if anyone fell and there was staff to help you get on and off. Just to note, boarders had to take off their snowboard to get on the chair lift.

    Beginner slope looking up to the intermediate slope
    Trying the intermediate slope and immediately regretting it. At least the view was nice.

    2. Vivaldi Ski Resort

    The next day, I joined a different tour and went to Vivaldi. It is also about 1.5hrs away from Seoul. Vivaldi has 12 slopes to cater for beginners all the way to expert. For me, I thought Vivaldi was the most fun and was my favourite of the ones I went to. With that being said, it was also the most busy. At times, the wait for the chair lift was about 20 minutes!

    I recommend coming here with a tour as there is a separate section for ski groups to rent equipment which was far less busy than the normal section for the public.

    There are more food options here, a huge cafeteria, a food court, a cafe, a Korean restaurant and plenty of snack stands. I thought that it was funny that despite having ski locks located outside the eating areas, a lot of people just left their skis/poles on the snow near the exits. I actually thought that the snack and drink prices were reasonable (hot drinks were cheaper here than in Seoul!).

    After being scarred from the intermediate slope the day before at Elysian, I decided to stick with the beginner slopes to practice turning better.

    3. Oak Valley Ski Resort

    My last day was a learn to snowboard day. This time I went to Oak Valley which was a little further south than the 2 previous places. On this particular day, it was the coldest winter day of the season with tops of -16C. It was great that this meant it was far less busy but it was also so so cold! I was in all my thickest layers, had a heat pack stuck on each leg and another heat pack in my pocket but I could still feel the wind through my layers.

    Oak Valley has only 3 slopes making it a great place to learn how to ski or snowboard because there are just less people. I thought the beginner slope’s incline was not as steep as the other ski resorts and it was longer so you could get use to being upright and sliding for longer than stopping yourself because you were going too fast. There is a cafeteria and a small food court plus snack places at the top of the slopes.

    All in all, I had a great 3 days out on the snow. Each of these resorts also has accommodation onsite and I believe Vivaldi also has night skiing (which would have been awesome!). It adds up to be quite pricey and for me, doing a day trip with all inclusive rental of clothing and equipment just made more sense than staying overnight.

    Let me know if you recommend other ski resorts in Korea!

    This post contains affiliate links where I will earn a small commission if you make a purchase through these links and will not cost you anything extra.

  • What To Wear In The Korean Winter

    What To Wear In The Korean Winter

    From December to February, it is time to bring out the thick winter coats. The winter average day top temperatures are about 1C with lows of about -10C. If there are any winds, you can bet that those Siberian winds will make it feel colder. In late January, it got down to day top temperatures of -12C in Seoul and a little colder in the north and east. Here is the list of items that will you help you in a Korean Winter.

    1. Layers
    At the beginning of winter, public transport and stores crank up the heating so you will feel the need to take off your coat. During winter however, the heating gets toned down alittle and the metro stations are quite cold so it is likely that you will still be wearing your coat then. It’s best to dress in layers so you can remove them as needed. Plus, if you’re going to kbbq, it’s going to get quite warm! Uniqlo stores are plentiful here stocking usual western sizes so if you ever need a top up or more layers, it is easy to get. I am wearing double bottom layers most days in the winter.

    Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash

    2. Accessories
    Something that surprises me here is the lack of headwear and even scarves that people don’t wear! I’m still shocked to see locals walking around with just jackets on and no beanies/hats, gloves or scarfs (except the elderly, they are all rugged up and me) whilst it’s 1C. It seems like a no-brainer- protect your extremities. Ear muffs are quite big here particularly for men. If you are in need of any, Daiso and the markets will have plenty as well as stores in the metro underground. Visit Namdaemun market in Seoul for all your accessory needs!

    3. Heat packs
    I initially thought that this was so wasteful but if you’re going to be outdoors alot of the day, these are the best! You can buy them basically everywhere (Daiso, pharmacies and convenience stores) for between 1000-3000won ($1-$3), shake them and they start heating up. There are ones to carry, stick on ones and even shoe soles. It is actually widely used here and even many of the school students have one of these of them in winter. If you’re going for some snow adventures, these are great to pack to warm up your hands and feet.

    4. A thick cream
    Winter is ordinarily bad enough but when it’s also dry and heating is on, skin just looses its moisture quicker. You’ll want to be lathering cream on to protect your skin from getting dry and cracked. Ceramide cream here is the recommendation from many people. I think most of the body creams sold here are quite nourishing. There are Olive Young stores everywhere here so you can easily find skincare products for your needs.

    5. Shoes
    It doesn’t snow heavily here so most of the time, so I usually wear normal leather winter boots. You can still get away with wearing sneakers if you pair it with some thicker socks. If you are venturing outside of city areas though, it might be good to bring a pair of sturdy winter shoes. I did buy a pair of “winter boots” which are lined with faux fur here as I did hear that there is the occasional blizzard (yet to be experienced) and didn’t want to be left empty handed coming back home from work late at night in said blizzard.

    I hope you found this post informative on what the Korean winter is like and what would be useful and helpful to have. Let me know if there is anything else you would add.

  • The Local Grocery Store

    The Local Grocery Store

    I found a local grocery store nearby many months ago where I now usually buy my vegetable and fruits from. This store is not the flashy supermarket stores but run by some eldery ladies (or ajummas). The prices are a lot cheaper than the supermarket and the produce is always so fresh. At the front of this store, there is a big tent walking in with fruits lined on each side.

    Fresh block of tofu for 2000won

    I find that vegetables go off more quickly here than back home and wonder if it’s the lack of pesticides used or weather conditions. In the summer, I had to cook my mushrooms asap or they started growing white mould on them quickly.

    Back home, sometimes I would just buy 3 apples or 3 bananas so that I could get more of a variety of fruit and be able to select smaller amounts if I was doing a top up shop. However here, a lot of the times, you have to buy a pack of 5 large apples or a bunch of bananas containing 7 bananas. It took some getting use to but at least it made me more conscious of making sure I finished my fruits.

    Spring onion and Korea radish

    I have recently become obsessed with pickled radish. I can’t say I have actively gone out to buy radish back home but here, I carried one of these beautiful radishes back home (1 for 1,500won!). Pickled radish is a common side dish here and something that will be served if you eat fried chicken. There’s something about this crunchy, vinegary side dish that cuts through oil that feels so good. I followed this Maangchi recipe to make my pickled radish.

    One vegetable that I do miss is red onion (of all things) but I haven’t seen in Korea at all. I’ve had to change the way I cook as I don’t have an oven in my apartment and I realised that I use to bake so much back home. My fridge is also a mini bar sized fridge so I cannot do huge shops. I now just try to buy my fruit and vegetables here. I order my meats online so they are delivered to me which I then divide up and freeze some portions. I love seafood but I need to go to a supermarket to get some. There is an abundance of fish (a lot of mackerel, some salmon and other fish which I have no idea), octopus, sometimes crabs, abalone, clams, mussels and scallops. All at very reasonable prices.

    Burdock
    Lotus root
    Fresh seaweed
  • Visiting Nami Island & Petite France, South Korea

    Visiting Nami Island & Petite France, South Korea

    If you’re searching for a day trip to do from Seoul, visiting Nami Island is sure to come up in your search. Located about 1.5hours to the east of Seoul, this small island has declared cultural independence from Korea, calling itself the Naminara Republic. This island is actually man made when a dam inundated the surrounding land in 1944.

    On this particular day, we joined a day tour from Seoul which is great at taking away all the fuss with public transport. Upon arriving at the Nami Island Wharf, we had time to get lunch first. Our guide recommended a place which was chicken galbi- a chicken and cabbage grilled dish.

    After lunch, we boarded the frequent ferry that runs between the wharf and Nami island. There were little seats inside and more of a standing ship. The trip was only about 5 minutes.

    Nami Island is really just a day out in nature. Walking through the tall pines that lined the middle of the island, I could just imagine what it would be like in fall with the autumn leaves and ginkgo trees. Nami Island featured in a k-drama called Winter Sonata and has become one of those places to visit.

    In winter, there were campfires dotted around to warm yourself up. On this particular day, it was about -9C so these camp fires were very welcome. There were restaurants, souvenirs stores and even a hotel on the Island. It is a nice day out and away from city life. We had about 2 hours on the island which was enough (particularly with the cold) but we didn’t stop to eat at any of the restaurants, just a snack.

    Our next stop after Nami Island was Petite France, which as it is named, is a French themed cultural village. We had 1.5hrs here to walk and look around. The part I liked most was the sunset and area that Petite France is located, near a lake and mountains!

    There were small museums to look into on puppets, miniature town, an old French residence and 2 or 3 cafes. There is some weird fascination with Le Petit Prince here (here and in Busan particularly). There was also an exhibit on Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. Does it look like France? Hmmm not really.

    Nevertheless, it was very pretty with the Christmas lights and winding streets. To my surprise, there was no actual place selling the book The Little Prince. A lost opportunity, I thought!

    There is an Italian Village next door but this was not included on this particular tour (I haven’t seen it included on any day tour actually!).

    Our next stop was to see the Lights Festival at the Garden of Morning Calm which you can read about here.

    Verdict: I think Nami Island would be nice if you made a day of it and had time to eat there and enjoy the outdoors in Spring and Autumn particularly. Petite France would be a miss for me unless you had kids, in which case it might be fun for them. Most of the people on our tour came back to the bus early at Petite France. On tours, these are often coupled together as they are in close proximity of each other. I would definitely recommend the Garden of Morning Calm though.

  • 10 Things That I Have Come To Love In Korea

    10 Things That I Have Come To Love In Korea

    After 7 months living here, I’ve rounded out the top 10 things that I was first not amused by or unaware of, that I have come to love and are now part of everyday life.

    1. Bathrooms
    I’m going to just call it a water closer from here on in. Showers are not really separated here (unless you’re rich or in a newer styled apartment) so your bathroom turns into a shower. At first, I thought it was odd but it’s just normal now. It’s easier to clean and everything is within an arm’s length reach.

    2. Small towels
    Given that there is not much space within apartments and water closets, small towels are big here. Even at many hostels and hotels, they will give you a handful of small towels. They’re the size of what some of us would call hand towels. I was given some for my apartment and have come to like them. Easy to dry, easy to wash and the perfect size to dry my hair.

    3. Bathroom slippers
    Because of the water closet situation, it’s all wet after you shower. So bathroom slippers are also big here. Most accommodation will have a pair for you to slip on to enter your water closet. Plus, your feet stay warm and also you don’t have to walk over cold wet floor which initially gave me flashbacks to the times playing at the local swimming pool.

    4. Cutlery drawer
    At many restaurants, there is a cutlery drawer under the table. Less clutter on the table, easier for the restaurants to clean the table and the cutlery is stored away nicely away from germs and what not. So simple but I love it!

    5. Side dishes
    Speaking of restaurants and food. Side dishes. Most Korean restaurants will have some side dishes. Providing you with your additional vegetables, some nibbles to break up the taste and texture of your food and also it’s just all delicious, the side dishes can be refilled (free of charge!). There’s usually kimchi or picked radish somewhere and there’s nothing wrong with adding more probiotics into your daily diet.

    6. Buzzers on tables
    At some restaurants, there is a buzzer on the table. You won’t miss it. It’s usually located at one end of the table and is a square-ish black of brown block with a button in the middle. If you’re looking around wondering why there is no waiter or waitress eagerly hovering waiting for your order, have a look at your table to see if there is a buzzer. Press when you’re ready to order or if you need anything from the staff and they will be over in no time. A great alternative over trying to find a free staff and waving your hand in the air.

    7. Toilets everywhere
    Luckily for those that always seem to need to go, toilets are plentiful here. Each metro station has plenty of toilets should you need to go which is great when you’re out and about and then need to go. Just head into the metro station. There are usually toilets before you tap in and at some stations, there are toilets in the area after you have tapped your card to enter. The big department stores have toilets everywhere and even in the commercial buildings, there is usually an easily accessible public toilet (try the 2nd floor). Parks here also have clean public toilets. No spiders to report. Best of all, unlike your European countries, it’s all free here to use!

    8. Heated Bus Stop Benches
    I obviously didn’t know this until it started getting cold and I was sitting on a warm bench. A lot of bus benches are warmed in winter! Great for those cold mornings and nights and if you have to wait a little while. But this is Korea, you usually don’t have to wait too long until the next bus arrives (unless you’re in the countryside, then that’s different). If it’s a big station, not all benches will be warmed though,

    9. Water filters everywhere
    Water is usually served free at restaurants. At most cafe’s there is also a water filter should you feel extra thirsty. In the big department stores and even very large stores, there is often a water filter usually near the bathrooms with paper cups for you to hydrate. Most museums will also have some near the bathrooms too. I’ve seen some water bubblers in some metro stations but most were not functional due to COVID. If you ever feel like some water, these are the places to find it. Or you can buy some water from a convenience store too. Stay hydrated everyone.

    10. Seoul Metro Sounds
    If you’ve taken the metro in Seoul, the arrival sounds played before the metro arrives will play in your head when you’re trying to get to sleep, randomly throughout the day and I’m sure will be sweet tunes of nostalgia once you leave.

    BONUS: 11. Not having to carry keys
    All apartments have a keypad + code to enter with which means you don’t have to carry any keys! (Although I do know someone who carries an extra battery as their keypad once locked them out).

    These are the 10 things I’ve come to love. What did/do you love about Korea?

  • Garden of Morning Calm Light Festival, South Korea

    Garden of Morning Calm Light Festival, South Korea

    Over winter, the Garden of Morning Calm hosts a light festival. In mid December, I joined a whole day tour that included the gardens as part of it. I have honestly not seen anything on this scale before. There was snow just a day or 2 before so we were greeted with a white cover to complement the lights and features.

    The Garden of Morning Calm is a private garden open to the public with an entry ticket of about 8,000won. The garden, I’ve been told, is beautiful all year around however I imagine Spring would be particularly nice.

    Apologies in advance for some blurry photos (all part of the travel experience). It was about -12C by night and my gloved hands were staying gloved!

    There were different areas whose names all escape me as I was more concerned about making it around in the time we were allocated and also trying to get pictures. Korea is big on the ‘instagrammable pictures’ so there were plenty of instalments to pose inside or infront of. My favourite area was the one below with lights and these glass looking sculptures suspended in the trees.

    It was a great place to visit in winter but if you’re making your own way there, I would advise that you also see something else nearby to make your trip worthwhile. If you are like me and would rather a tour take care of it all, check out Trazy or Klook for possible tours.

    This post contains affiliate links where I will earn a small commission if you make a purchase through these links and will not cost you anything extra.

  • 4 Authentic Traditional Teahouses To Visit in Seoul

    4 Authentic Traditional Teahouses To Visit in Seoul

    When looking for a break and not really wanting coffee or to be in a cafe, there is the option of teahouses in Korea. Offering a different vibe, more traditional, less instagram focused and a place where all demographics can be found, a teahouse in Korea is the perfect place to take a breather or a place to seek refuge for rest or from the cold.

    Most teahouses offer the usual coffee menu too but why not try some traditional Korean tea’s and snacks while you are here? Most teahouses will offer a section to be seated on the floor. You will need to take your shoes off and in winter, the underfloor (ondol) heating will be on which makes it a great table to get!

    • Hanok Tea House

    Located in my favourite area of Insadong, Hanok Tea House is the biggest teahouse that I have been to so far. There was a mix of tourists and locals and there were many rooms and seating areas. We grabbed the last table in this retro looking room. There is a long list of teas on the menu which took us a while to pick from. I settled for the quince tea which was sweeter than anticipated and contained a lot of shaved skin to add to the unique cup! We decided to try the traditional yugwa sweet which is made of pounded glutinous rice which is then deep fried and covered with honey, sesame seeds and puffed rice. Delicious!

    Hanok Tea House (한옥찻집): 9 Insadong 12-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul

    • Hanok Tea House
    • Sinyet chatjip

    Also located in Insadong is Sinyet chatjip. A smaller teahouse than the Hanok Tea House, there is only table seating here. It is mostly outdoor but undercover table seating here around a courtyard. Here we decided to try the Pear Tea and Omija Tea. Omija tea is a Korean tea made from dried magnolia berries. The omija tea was described on the menu as a drink containing sour, bitter, salty, sweet and spicy (from ginger) flavours. It was definitely interesting but I preferred the pear tea. We paired our teas with some sweet rice cakes known as Injeolmi, which is covered in soybean powder. They were so soft and a great pairing with our teas. It’s worth pointing out that despite being a ‘sweet’ rice cake, some asian desserts don’t tend to be as sweet as western desserts.

    Sinyet chatjip (신옛찻집): 47-8 Insadong-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul

    • Cha-teul

    I have heard that Cha-teul is so popular there are lines outside usually on the weekends so it made sense to go later in the day after dinner here. We were promptly greeted and our shoes were taken as we were seated inside on the last floor table. Here, most of the teas are leaf teas served in small teapots with a strainer and tea cups. Hot water is delivered to your table and you make the tea yourself (after getting an explanation for your tea on how to best brew it). I must add that the service here was amazing. There were some Korean desserts on the menu but on this visit, we skipped them. The atmosphere here was something different. With it all being floor seating inside, it felt calmer for some reason or perhaps it was the time of the day.

    Cha-teul: 26 Bukchon-ro 11na-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul

    • Tteuran Tea House

    Located in Iksadong (not to be confused with Insadong), is the Tteuran Tea House. It is a small teahouse with a combination of table and floor seating and looks into a courtyard which you enter through to get inside. I liked that sun was able to come into the teahouse. I decided to try the traditional Ssanghwa tea which has a bitter herbal tea but is suppose to be really good for your body. It came with a mixture of nuts in it and small pieces of candied ginger which you nibble on as your drink. I decided to try the dried persimmon stuffed with walnut. It was a great combination and despite the bitter taste of the Ssanghwa tea, I would still drink it again!

    Tteuran Tea House (뜰안): 17-35 Supyo-ro 28-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul