Cool Neighborhoods in Seoul, South Korea

Seoul is an exciting city with so much to see and do, I doubt you can ever get bored here.  One of the many fun things to do is check out the city's wide array of diverse neighborhoods, each offering something to cater to different interests. These are some of the neighborhoods that we explored:

Myeongdong - great for shopping and here is where you will find all the beauty products you can think of. We got an amazing facial here then proceeded to stock up on a bunch of skincare products since Korea is well known for it's beauty products, we really were spoilt for choice with the variety of products.

Itaewon - great for clubbing, bar hopping and sampling some local and international restaurants.

Dongdaemun - great for shopping as well and it's home to Dongdaemun Design Plaza designed by Zaha Hadid who was a world renowned architect. The Plaza houses museums and galleries (can't believe I didn't take a photo of it). We actually stayed at this neighborhood during our trip and really liked it, we stayed in a traditional house (hanok) and we were surrounded by locals who were nice to us. By the end of our trip even the next door neighbor said good bye to us.

Insadong- great for local souvenirs found in the many shops that sell a variety of Korean goodies.

Gangnam - great for a taste of high-end malls, restaurants and cafes. The COEX Mall is also found here, it's the largest underground shopping center in Asia.

Hongdae - great for the young college crowd as it's near several universities. Here you can find live street performances, cute cafes, street art and a vibrant club scene.

Samcheong dong - great for checking out traditional Korean houses called Hanoks and learn more about Korean traditional culture.

Jamsil - great for sports lovers especially baseball, which you can check out at the Jamsil Baseball Stadium. This neighborhood is also home to Lotte World Tower which is the 6th tallest building in the world, Lotte World where you can find an amusement park, ice rink, stores, restaurants etc.

Seongsu Dong - trendy neighborhood that includes local brand stores, cute themed cafes and restaurants.

That's it folks! we enjoyed exploring these neighborhoods and seeing what each has to offer. Totally random but years ago I was planning to move to South Korea but unfortunately, my plans didn't work out as I wanted and I was really disappointed. What this trip gave me was a glimpse into what could have been and honestly, I think I really would have loved living in South Korea..........Ooh! well, life still took me on an interesting path so I can't complain.

Busan, South Korea

Busan is the second largest city in South Korea after Seoul, and is located in the southern part of the country. After opening the country's first international port, it became the number one trading hub in  South Korea and also happens to be a popular tourist destination. Historically, it served as the capital city during the Korean war and many people from the north sort refuge in the city. 

You can get to Busan from Seoul using various means of transportation, but the fastest and most convenient way to get to the city is by the high speed KTX Train which takes less than 3 hours. It's advisable to buy tickets in advance as they can sell out especially during high season when there is so much demand.

My friend and I decided to visit for a weekend and by the end of our trip we wished we could have extended the trip by an additional day because we really had a good time and wanted to explore more of the city. Since we were both first time visitors, we wanted to maximize our stay by taking a tour that would take us to all the city's highlight's and give us an introduction to what it has to offer. These are some of the spots that we visited, there was so much more but I'll settle for these:

Haedong Yonggungsa Temple - This is a beautiful Buddhist temple located by the seaside and was first built in 1376 (there have been reconstructions over the years). 

Blueline Park Sky Capsule - We took a cable car so we could could see and aerial view of the city, the other alternative was a train.

Daritdol Observatory - Get to walk above the sea at this observatory that's 66 feet (20 meters) above sea level and 238 feet (73 meters) long toward the sea. 

Gamcheon Culture Village - It was formed by refugees of the Korean War and with its rows of colorful terraced houses along the mountainside, it's referred to as the "Santorini"of South Korea. 

UN Memorial Cemetery - This is the sole UN cemetery globally, established to inter soldiers from the Korean War. Soldiers from 11 countries have been laid to rest here. 

That's is folks! we really enjoyed Busan and had a good time. Aside from visiting different sites around the city, we also got to enjoy the food and I can honestly say that Korean food has now become one of my faves! I had never eaten Korean food till I visited the country and I can't believe what I was missing out on!