Hey lovelies! ♥
I finally went back to Seoul after 6 years! Was looking forward to this trip ever since we booked the flight tickets 3 months before the trip! I planned the trip like it was my homework for close to a month! 😀 Does planning for trips count as a hobby? Lol
Here’s a layout of the Day 1 itinerary in Seoul:
As it was a 6 hour flight from KL to Seoul, by the time we arrived in Seoul, it was already around 5pm.
Colourful passport holders we customised in Hatyai! 😀
My in-flight meal, miso garlic chicken. It was fucking spicy for something that’s miso based :p
Arrived in Incheon airport without any delays, *phew*. My previous flights over the year via Airasia were delayed as long as an hour!
We took the option of taking the airport line train to Myeongdong (our accommodation for the trip) because it’s about 3 times cheaper than taking the airport limousine (spacious bus from airport to bus stations around Seoul)!
There’s two types of airport line trains: Express Train and All Stop Train. Express train is definitely pricier because of the speed it offers, but we are not in a rush anyway, so All Stop Train it is! All Stop Train ticket to Seoul Station costs 4,350 won.
Song Joong Ki is definitely the king of endorsement for year 2016! He’s everywhere!
Waiting for the airport train to depart! The journey to Seoul Station took more than an hour. The last stop of the airport train line is Seoul Station, so we transferred to Myeongdong station afterwards.
Remember to refund 500 won from Refund machines in any train stations! 🙂 Just inset the ticket into the machine to get the refund.
For our Seoul trip, we stayed at a newly opened hotel (mid 2015) called Hotel Creto! It’s just a few steps walk away from Myeongdong Station Exit 9 and 10.
The room is pretty spacious for a hotel right in the shopping streets of Myeongdong! It’s not exactly on the main road, but a walk further from all the hustle and bustle, which was perfect because I had a good night sleep without any noise disturbance! 🙂
This room is perfect for 3 people 🙂
Clean white interior of the bathroom! Love the electronic toilet! ♥_♥ That’s one of the stuff I missed when I came back to KL!
The hotel lobby is located right next to Nescafe cafe! 😀
Suzy (MISS A). In Korea, an unspoken standard way of saying “you’ve made it big in Korea” is if you have soju/beer/makgeolli/any Korean liquor or fried chicken endorsements under your name! 😀
Joong Ki oppa again!
Chanyeol oppa’s standee is always outside Nature Republic stores to pull in EXO-L customers in. Lololol
My GOT7 Jackson for It’s Skin !
It’s surprising that Jackson and Bam Bam are the main endorsers for this makeup brand because it’s known that Jackson suffered from acne throughout debut years! So glad his skin condition has improved tremendously thanks to green tea! Green tea is my bae too, seriously it’s the best skin saver ♥
Kkochi (skewers) everything!
Hotel SKYPARK Central right opposite Onedang Gamjatang (potato pork stew)
Walked to Onedang Gamjatang 원당감자탕 (potato pork stew). There are two branches in Myeongdong (refer to the two pinpoints below).
First store is the one along SPAO store, near Myeongdong Station Exit 6. Second store is along the Myeongdong Station Exit 8 road (exit then turn left and walk straight until you see Hotel SKYPARK Central on your right and Onedang Gamjatang is on your left). Both restaurants opens 24 hours!
This app is called Naver Map by the way! Highly recommended that download this app, but you’ll need to be able to read/type in Korean first. It’ll be worth it to spend a week to at least learn how to read! This app was a life saver because I was able to walk freely with the help of its accurate navigation.
Their speciality is gamjatang (pork bone stew) but they also have other dishes like bibimbap, bulgogi, samgyetang, naengmyeon (cold noodles), etc.
Gamjatang and sundobu (soft tofu) jjigae
Boiled down gamjatang! Contains pork, potatoes, glass noodles. The soup base is spicy and minty. Not sure what herb it is called thou.
Total bill came up to around 42,000 KRW.
After dinner, we went to Euljiro 1-ga station nearby to head to Dongdaemun History & Culture Park station to watch the LED roses light up at Dongdaemun Design Plaza and “Descendants of the Sun” special exhibition at Doota Duty Free (Only from May 20 2016 – November 20 2016).
I got off at Dongdaemun History & Culture Park station Exit 1 that leads to Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP).
Dongdaemun History & Culture Park station Exit 1 will take to the this entrance to Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP). You should be able to see two walkways, one leading straight and another to the right. I will explain further below 🙂
Every pane is of different size and shape! Unbelievable! ♥
See that yellow pinpoint? You will be there once you exit through Exit 1.
Walking straight will lead to along the main road (Doota, Migliore, Lotte Fittin, Hello aPM). Another way is by walking to the right, which will lead you to the beautiful 25,500 LED roses! ♥ You will also be able to walk towards Doota from there.
I was quite worried because DDP looks massive and I was eager to look for the LED roses! It’s actually quite hard not to miss the roses! My friend came last few months and missed it because she didn’t look for the roses as she thought they removed the LED roses…According to my knowledge, DDP keeps extending the LED roses exhibition, so I’m not sure how long left will it be there. Hope they keep it there all year long cause that’s the main attraction!
Tired from waking up at 3am to take the 6 hour flight to Seoul but managed to pull through it cause I don’t wanna miss out on DDP and DOTS special exhibition!
자짠!
LED roses behind me! See that triangular shaped building? That’s Doota and Doota Duty Free. Doota Duty Free is a newly opened building joined to Doota.
If you walk towards this direction, it will lead you back to the Dongdaemun History & Culture Park station Exit 1 🙂
I only came here during night time, but I bet DDP looks beautiful during daytime as well 🙂
The night is still young in Dongdaemun! It was around 10pm that time. Dongdaemun is livelier at night because that’s when the wholesalers open for business! They sell by bulk, so if you’re looking to buy clothes for your online fashion blog shops, this is the place to get clothes!
Joong Ki oppa everywhere…I’m not complaining thou :p
We head straight to D3 K-Wave floor for the exhibition.
Oppa ya, I came all the way to Seoul and all I got was a stone?! XD
Shameless hahahaha
Urk military base kitchen
In mood for wine? 🙂
Salute!
In Kang Mo Yeon’s house 😀
DOTS merchandises for sale
Pricey EXO hydrogel masks :p
Birthday ads for Chanyeol oppa’s birthday on the 27th November!
Joo Hyuk oppa ♥
EXO CBX, BTS, GOT7 ♥
There are two Kpop merchandise stores in Myeongdong Station Underground Shopping Centre. Both stores sells the newest albums, older ones, Kpop merchandises, calendars, name tags, mirrors, T-cards and lightsticks.
One is located nearby Myeongdong Station Exit 6. Just go down the stairs, turn left and you’ll see a store selling albums, Kpop calendars, posters, folders.
Another store is larger, nearby Myeongdong Station Exit 2, it has wider selection of Kpop merchandises. Price wise it’s almost the same as it’s competitively priced. It’s opposite a ddukbokki food stall, right beside the escalator to Exit 2.
There’s another well-known Kpop merchandise and album store called Buru’s Ddeurak (부루의 뜨락) down the road from SPAO. I compared the price of albums and merchandise and found their items wayyy pricier! Some items about 3,000 won pricier! Don’t go there if possible. Go to the two underground shops instead!
I got Tiffany and Jackson name tag 🙂
Jackson oppa is well-loved in Korea! ♥♥ Still can’t believe I saw GOT7 babies at JYP Entertainment! I’m still so hyped over the fact that I met them in flesh. Will update more on that in my Day 3 post! 🙂
xoxo
♥ Miss Tiffany H ♥ 