If You Only Have One Day in Seoul

I hope it's not too late to wish Selamat Hari Raya!! I know that Ramadhan is finally over and we could gorge as much festival food as we can but do mind your waist line okay? This is a reminder for myself as I need to put off some weight before November as winter will come pretty soon and I hate to be bulky. Yikes! *I have to compete with Lee Hyori's S line, no?*



Alright, done with that..and back to the topic.



If you only have one day in Seoul..say a layover or transit, where you want to go? what you want to do? who you want to meet?



This was the same question  I asked myself when I travelled Tokyo for only one day.



If you say, "I just want to shop or window-shopping!" I will spank your a** for sure ^^. Kidding! hehe..Shopping will not justify the richness of Korean culture and the warmth of the people.



Me?



Hmmm...because 24 hours or less, is pretty damning short a time to kill and savour Seoul. Given the opportunity, time and again I will always always settle for Cheonggyecheon as my first spot. No doubt about it.



Why?



I'm a sentimentalist. Period.

I hate crowd.

I love spending a slow mo ala The Matrix sequel.^^ That's too exaggerating..



Ironically Cheonggyecheon; if not always is considered not a priority in the itinerary list of travellers of South Korea. "It is just a stream, what's so great about it?" You might think that way, aye? But mind you, this stream has so many stories to tell. The past, the now and the future are all erected alongside the stream. I could imagine smelling the cool autumn breeze while strolling the stream, brushing my fingers against Cheonggyecheon's wall. Smile, breath deeply and enjoy the moment. The stream is such a poignant and familiar place and made me miss home so much!

보고 싶다..

Now, if only Klang river can be like Cheonggyecheon..*sigh*

More info on Cheongyecheon is here.



My friends, where you want to spend your one day worth in Korea?

I would love to hear your stories. ^^

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7 days itinerary in Korea : Part 2

This November 2011 will mark my third time going to South Korea as I love autumn and you should know this fact by now ^^, right? Ohh..and I have recently been enlightened that Malaysia also has the 90 days visa exception for North Korea. :O..hmm..going to North Korea might be a distant but yummy idea right?

I will be going with another two friends. They will arrive a day ahead of me while I will be travelling to Korea the next day. The goal is to explore places that I have not been before, however one of them is a first timer to Korea so I have to include those MUST visit places in the itinerary.

A sample itinerary 

Day 1
9.45pm- arrived at Incheon Airport by Air Asia
10.30pm - ride AREX + subway to Seoul
11.30pm - check in guesthouse, explore Myeongdong by foot

Day 2
7.00am - breakfast, check out guesthouse, leave the luggage at guesthouse
8.00am - Namdaemun
10.30am - Chandeok palace
12.30pm - Insadong and lunch
2.00pm - Cheongyecheon stream
4.00pm- Namsan tower, teddy bear museum
7.00pm- Myeongdong , dinner
10.00pm - my friends will go to Incheon Airport or they can opt for another night stay at the guesthouse and leave early morning the next day to Gimpo Airport but I will stay at Incheon Airport and take the earliest train to Gimpo Airport the next day.

Day 3
8.30am - flight to Jeju Island from Gimpo Airport *susceptible to the weather and flight delay*
10.00am -arrived at Jeju Island-tour the airport, breakfast
11.00am -check in Guesthouse
11.30am-rent scooter and check out Jeju Island until night

Day 4
7.00am-checkout guesthouse
9.00am - 6.00pm-tour Jeju Island
8.00pm-fly to Busan
9.00pm-arrived at Busan and check out the city
11.00pm-check in jjimjilbang at Gwangalli/Haeundae 

Day 5
7.00am-breakfast, checkout from jjimjilbang
8.00am- Yonggungsa
11.00am-Busan Mosque - lunch at Busan Mosque-Busan Tower-Jagalchi Market-40 Gyedan-Gwangalli Beach
4.00pm - if decide to take free shuttle bus from Busan to Seoul; free bus from Paradise Hotel, Haeundae Beach 16.00hrs arrived at Seoul 20:00 hours
12.00pm-if decide to take midnight train to Seoul

Day 6
6.00am -arrive at Seoul Station, leave the luggage at the station
8.00am - Nami Island by subway and train
2.00pm-check in guesthouse, ewha,sinchon,hongdae, shopping
6.00pm-Sindangdong tteokpokki  and Dongdaemun

Day 7
7.00am-Itaewon-Itaewon Mosque-Namsangol Hanok Village
12.00 noon-DMZ
6.00pm-Yeoido Park,63 building, shopping at Myeongdong

Day 8
5.30am - take the first subway to Incheon Airport ; checkout Seoul subway schedule here.
8.25am - fly back to Malaysia

Estimated budget ~ RM1,800 / 600,000 won excluding flight ticket and shopping

Note:

1. Total actual days in Korea are 6 days
2. This itinerary might not be suitable for those with children or elders.
3. Time may not be accurate and just for estimation.
4. Jjimjilbang is optional; the cheapest stay for about 12,000 won per night but may not be the most comfortable.
5. Always have Plan B if your flight or scheduled get delayed or changed.
6. Bring muscle pain reliever as the schedule is harsh, definitely if you're traveling with me. Hehehe. 

Anyone has better ideas to reduce the budget and any unbeaten paths to explore with this kinda time limit?

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How to budget for 7 days in Korea?

I would say you could make do with RM1,200 (~400,000 won) for ground arrangement - lodging, food, transportation in Seoul and admission tickets.

Warning: 

1. This budget is without flight ticket and shopping budget. 
2. Flight fare will depend on which airline and the date you choose to fly ; season or off season.
3. This itinerary does not cover for places out of Seoul except for Nami Island. 
4. For Busan, Gyeongju, Jeju Island and ski or snowboarding trip, you may need more expenses. 
5. Price may change. 

7 days budget (for one person)

Day 1 -  Subway from Incheon Airport to Seoul = 4,800 won 

             (Optional: Limousine bus 14,000 won )

             Guest house stay 6 nights, dormitory style - 20,000 x 6 = 120,000

             T-Money for 7 days - 20,000 won + 3,000 won (deposit) = 23,000

             Jjimjilbang - 12,000 won

             Breakfast/lunch/dinner - 15,000 won

             Tips: You can get a fulfilling decent meal for 5,000 won and rest your 

             bones at jjimjilbang for a change. ^^

Day 2 -  Gyeongbok palace / Chandeok palace - 3,000 won

             Insadong

             Jongno

             Cheongye Stream

             Gwanghamun

             Breakfast/lunch/dinner - 15,000 won

             Tips: If you visit Chandeok palace, you can just walk to Insadong, 

             Jongno, Cheongye Stream and Gwanghamun

Day 3 -  Namdaemun

             Myeongdong

             Namsan Tower and Cable car - 15,000 won

             Breakfast/lunch/dinner - 15,000 won

             Tips: Visit Namdaemun first early morning and try to go in weekday, 

             then go to Myeongdong and after that walk up the hill to Namsan Cable 

             Car Station

Day 4 -  Everland / Lotte World - 35,000 won

             Breakfast/lunch/dinner - 15,000 won

             Tips: Lotte World is in Seoul while Everland is in Yongin. So, you have 

             to take a shuttle bus to Everland and prepare to go out early from 

             your guesthouse.

Day 5 -  Nami Island - 15,000 won

             Itaewon

             Dongdaemun

             Breakfast/lunch/dinner - 15,000 won

             Tips: Go early in the morning to Nami Island because you need to take 

             an hour and a half train to Gapyeong Station. You could visit Seoul 

             Mosque in Itaewon and after that go to Dongdaemun in late evening 

             because shopping in Dongdaemun preferably be done at night.

Day 6 -  DMZ - 50,000 - 70,000 won (depends on package)

             Yeoido park

             Hangang Cruise - 9,000 won / 63 Building (Sky Art, Sea World, IMAX 

             theater, Wax Museum)

             KBS/MBC tour (walking distance from Yeoido Park)

             Breakfast/lunch/dinner - 15,000 won

             Tips: DMZ is the border between South Korea and North Korea. 

Day 7 -  Final shopping day

             Breakfast/lunch/dinner - 15,000 won

             Subway from Seoul to Incheon Airport  = 4,800 won 

             (Optional: Limousine bus 14,000 won )

Estimated total: RM1,200 ~ 400,000 won

 (You can even lower your budget to less than RM1,000 if you exclude DMZ / 63 building)

Check out walking tour budget by KNTO here. 

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3 Months Itinerary in South Korea

3 Months Itinerary in South Korea from September 29th until December 26th 2009

I received an email from a reader of my blog for my 3 months itinerary in South Korea. FOR MALAYSIAN: There is a 90 days tourist visa agreement between Malaysia and South Korea and for those who want to do backpacking and stay longer in South Korea, this is a good news.

This is also one of the reason why I decided to visit Korea rather than Japan; because of VISA. Japan lost me on this one..hehe.

Initially my aim is to use only RM 5,000 for the whole journey but it busted around RM 1,000 extra.

Places that I've been to in the order below within 90 days :
Seoul - 5 days
Bonghwa - 2 weeks
Busan - 4 days
Geoje Island - 5 days
Tongyeong - 3 days
Jinju -  1 day
Gwangju - 5 days
Seoul - 1 week
Gwangcheon - 2 weeks
Jinbu - 3 weeks
Busan - 5 days
Gyeongju - 1 day
Seoul - 5 days

I excluded Jeju island eventhough I have heard many raved reviews about it solely because the timing was not right at that time and so many warm and kind people urging me to stay longer with them. No worries, I could come again for Jeju island in future, right?

RM 2,000 - I bought the ticket from Malaysia Airlines (You could actually reduce this flight fare significantly by using Air Asia to Manila and CebuPacific to Incheon - around RM 1,000 return ticket)

RM 3,000 + 1,000(extra) - food, transportation, lodging
I used couchsurfing.com extensively which offers free lodging and did WWOOF for free food and lodging. Hence, the reason why I was able to travel in Korea with that budget.

Click the link for my How-To explanation about Couchsurfing and WWOOF in South Korea.

Please be reminded that I am not a shopaholic so this budget might not be agreeable to those who are. ^^

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7 days itinerary in Korea

I have been asked by many, what if they only have a week to spend in Korea, where should they go or what should they do?

Assuming that the whole 7 days you are in Korea and excluding the flight arrival/departure.
This suggestion is not necessary to be done in the order below. It is all up to you and the weather. ^^

1.Myeongdong - Namsan tower - Namdaemun

This three places are in the same location. You can do within one day. From Myeongdong subway station, you could walk around 15 minutes up the hill to Namsan tower cable station. Myeongdong is a great place to shop for younger generation and I like the energy there. If you want to watch Nanta show you could opt for Myeongdong theather. Namdaemun is just across the road after you complete the whole stretch of Myeongdong street and a few shopping complex are around the are - Shinsegae, Lotte and Avenue. I love eating at the basement food court in Lotte but most of the time it's crowded.

2. Insadong - Jongno - Cheongyecheon - Gyeongbok/Chandeok palace - Dongdaemun

If you walk along the Cheongyecheon stream, you could choose the exits to Jongno, Insadong or Dongdaemun. They are just very closed to each other. If you love antiques and arts galleries take the opportunity to savour the beauty of Insadong. There are so many korean traditional restaurant to choose around this area. At the end of the Insadong street you could visit the infamous Gyeongbok/Chandeok palace. Gyeongbok is the masculine type of palace while Chandeok is the feminine counterpart. I love both palace. Try to visit both if you have the time. Dongdaemun is better visited at night because the place is heated up in between 10PM to 5AM.

3.Nami island

The place is a bit further out from Seoul. You may need to take 1 hour and a half train from Cheongyanni Station and stopped at Gapyeong Station. From there, take a taxi to the jetty and a ferry to the island. If you love the Winter Sonata hit drama by Bae Yong Jun and Choi Ji Woo, don't miss this spot. I prefer
this place in autumn and winter.

4. Yeoido/Yeoinaru - Hangang River - 63 Building - Aquaria

If you want to visit the broadcasting stations like KBS and MBC, you should go to Yeoido/Yeoinaru and then visit the 63 building where they have an aquarium attached. Complete your day with Hangang River cruise at night. This place is pretty in spring.

5. Lotte World/Everland

Choose one of the theme parks. Lotte world is just in Seoul near Jamsil but you need to take a 1 hour bus to Everland. The entry price is about the same but Everland is much bigger. Avoid school holidays or public holidays because the queue for the games will be never ending story. One whole day is needed for theme park.

6. DMZ - Demilitarized Zone

Stretched further out from Seoul. This is a place worth visiting cause it is a place like no other in South Korea. DMZ is the border between South Korea and North Korea

7. Apgujeong for K-pop lovers / National Museum for historical lovers/ Shopping 

You might meet your K-pop idols in Apgujeong but this is not a guarantee. Try walking into any of the post salons there and you might bumped into them. Final day should be left for free tour. You could choose the suggested one or just do some shopping before you leave Korea.

There are so many places to visit in Korea which are left out:
Hongik/Hongdae or Ewha/Sinchon - students flock this area because a few universities
are here.
Gwanghamun - King Sejong and General Lee Sun Shin statue and their memorial
Gyeongju - If you have another 2-3 days extra, a MUST visit historical site.
Jeju island - If you have another 2-3 days extra, the infamous island with an inactive volcano mount Halla.

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Now I'm in Jangheung

I'm sorry for the delayed post. Currently I'm in Jangheung, about 1 hour from Gwangju. I stayed alone for 5 days here in an empty alternative school. Scary? Hmm.. a bit. The school is so silent at night and no TV, no radio, no internet. I'm lucky I have my LapT to kill the time. If not..aigoo..hehee.

Cause I'm pretty busy helping my host to harvest his yellow, green and red rice (yeap..this is my first time seeing it), raising cow, harvesting garlic and onion too ; I really don't have the time to upload any picture now.

I came here on 26th October. Ollergi sent me off from Tongyeong bus terminal. I set off for Jinju in hope that there's a direct bus to Jangheung but OMG..haha Ollergi and Mr Han were wrong! Ngehehe..After visiting the famous Nongae shrine in Jinju for a good 1 hour, I bought a ticket to Sunchon (1 hour) and then to Jangheung (1 hour and a half).

Geoje to Tongyeong - Ollergi sent me by car (30 minutes)
Tongyeong to Jinju - 4,400 won by bus (1 hour )
Parked my 2 heavy bags at Courier center - 4,000 won
Nongae shrine - 1,000 won
Jinju to Sunchon - 6,100 won by bus ( 1 hour )
Sunchon to Jangheung - 7,700 won by bus ( 1 hour and a half)

Total - 23,200 won

P/S I can't promise on the pictures. Will upload it when I have longer time to use my host's PC

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My next plan until end of October

October
--------
16th - Last day in Joy's Farm
17th - 19th - in Busan meeting Changkyu
19th - 22nd - in Busan meeting Danielle and Bun Sok's friend (Allegio)
22nd - 30th - WWOOF in Onsum (Jangheung)
30th - Meeting Yeonju and Seong-ung in Gwangju
31st - Back in Seoul

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The D-Day!

It's finally here. I couldn't sleep the whole night. Packing and repacking my bag 5 to 6 times. Haha..Super excited but worried about H1N1. Even my parents couldn't sleep hahaha. Just paid some of the bills online before going.

My wish - to be healthy during the whole journey and have fun no matter what!

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Autumn will appear in early October

Picture courtesy of KoreaTimes. (Psst..that's gonna be Tut, Hanim and me hiking Seoraksan..ngehehe)

As per Korea Meteorological Administration said the autumnal tint this year will appear 1~8 days later than usual.

Yatta!!

20% of the mountain is dressed with autumnal tint, we call it "the first foliage", at 80% it is called "the peak foliage time".

2009 Autumn Foliage Schedule

Mountains, First Foliage, Peak Time

Seoraksan (설악산), 1st Oct, 20th Oct
Jirisan (지리산), 13th Oct, 24th Oct
Hallasan (한라산), 19th Oct, 4th Nov

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Why is September a good month to visit South Korea?

My good friend went to MATTA Fair yesterday which is held from 4-6 September 2009 in PWTC, Kuala Lumpur. The crowd is lesser compared to last March according to him. Probably because of H1N1. I try not to go this time. Simply because it is so tempting to see others crazily seeking for good bargain of travel packages and flight fare. I don't want to be tempted. It's a sin. Hehehe.

Right now the Tourism Korea booth is promoting the autumn season travel. From the excerpt of The Travel Times on Why is September a good month to visit South Korea? "It's a good time to visit South Korea in September , as it is the autumn season. The weather which ranges between 18 to 23 degree Celcius, is gentle. "

Autumn is my favourite season after I watched the drama 'Autumn in My Heart'- super duper heartbreaking story line, which I don't prefer that much but attracted by the autumn sights. The colors is simply breathtaking and it's cool. Just the way I like it.

According to the Travel Times "There are 10 mosques and 50 temporary musala in South Korea, especially since the local Muslim community numbers to around 100,000. " This fact, I need to know so it would be easier for other fellow Muslims to pray while visiting the awesome sights in South Korea.

Some of the mosques (source: www.islamicfinder.org) :

1. Al-Madina Mosque
Near to cheonan bus terminal,
Cheonan, SOUTH KOREA

2. Ansan Mosque
kyungido ansan city danwon-ku wonkuk dong,
An-san, kyungido 741-5, SOUTH KOREA

500 to 600 meters far from Ansan subway station (ask any one about muslim mosque( muslim sawon ) in korean language

3. Anyang Masjid
Kyongi-do Anyang-Si Anyang 5 dong 618-132.

It's very close to Anyang University. Just Go left street from main gate of University. From Myeonghak train station (line 1) just take a taxi (about 3000 won - august year 2008 rate) to Anyang university.

4.Aqsa Daegu Islamic Center
882-5 Bisan Dong, Seo-gu
Daegu.

In front of Bukbu Bus Terminal

5. Bilal Islamic Centre
Kongdan Sangga 402HO, 456-16 Naedong - Changwon,
Masan, Changwon

In front of Changwon Hospital, go by taxi from Changwon Terminal or Changwon Station.

6. Busan Al-Fatah Masjid
30-1 Namsan-dong Keumjeong-ku, Pusan, Korea.

Nearby Dusil subway station (Line 1)

PUMITA - Persaudaraan Umat Muslim Indonesia Al-Fatah

7. Changwon Mosque and Islamic Centre
Changwon city, Palyong dong 17-13
Masan

Opposite Changwon bus terminal

8.Daejeon Mosque - Islamic Center of Daejeon
Yuseong-Gu Kung-Dong, 404-9 (2nd Floor), Daejeon


View David Hasenick's collection of autumn gorgeous colors in South Korea here.

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Another 77 days to go! Fighting!

Bong! I'm coming to Seoul! Goshh..I felt like a teenager already. Aigoo..aigoo..at this ahjumma age. Hahah..Anyway, the countdown is nearer. My heart can't handle it anymore. Everyday looking at July calendar with Bong's picture like that waiting for me in Seoul. Haha..Wake up, girl!

Today I have sent WWOOF Korea's membership details to jade and made USD50 payment via Paypal. Within 2 weeks the document will arrive and Jade will seek the appropriate farms for me in another 2 weeks. By middle of august I would confirm with the hosts.

Middle of august, will tender my resignation. End of August or early September, will book the hostel and confirm on couch surfers location.

27th September -- The D Day!!

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3 months in Korea: My Goal

Most of my friends just wonder why do I want to go for a trip that long and even sacrifice a job that very laidback and easy. Typically, they would just take a 1 or 2 week trip in a group, take annual leave off and later return to work as usual. But why am I doing this?

I don't know...Can I say that?

Hehehe..I wish I could say I don't know the reason but there are a few reasons why I want to do it.

1. WWOOFing at least 4 area - Gwangju, Gyeongju, Busan and Gangwondo
2. Learn conversational Korean with natives
3. Take at least 5,000 pictures of Korea for my travel journal
4. Survey Korean language school
5. Finding job opportunity
6. Meeting G-Dragon (I wish this to be true..)
7. Experience autumn (my favourite season) and winter (my least favourite season..I hate cold)

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3 months in Korea: Comments?

3 months in Korea..not a big deal for a seasoned traveler though.
3 months in Korea for RM5,000 ~ USD1400..are you insane??

After notifying my circle of friends about this trip to Korea; I received not only few positive support but not to mention numerous negative remarks. Those who know me better will not give it a day..but those who just starting to know me would be quick to generalize me as a weird, quirky and out of this world lady. The reason being:

1. I'm a muslim and wearing a scarf which amplified me as being a muslim (constant annoying stare if I'm in a non-muslim country)
2. I'm a lady
3. I'm a lady in very early 30's
4. I travel alone
5. I love to travel to countries with language barrier
6. I travel with shoestring budget
7. I hate to be wired (handphone, laptop, basically mobile device)
8. I love to be different
9. I hate 9 to 5 jobs
10. I hate to follow the crowd, I just wouldn't

Most common remarks I received:
1. Crazy
2. Don't you have anything better to do?
3. You are very rich
4. How to be like you?!!
5. I'm jealous, I wish I can just go and travel like you
6. Aren't you thinking about your future?
7. What happen after the trip ends?
8. What is your plan after the trip?
9. ...(utterly speechless..hehe)
10. You really live your life, don't you?

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Budget: 10 days itinerary sample in South Korea

Both of my friends have confirmed coming to Seoul from 30th Oct - 8 Nov for T, and 30th Oct - 21st Nov for H. The three of us will be painting the Seoul town red from 30th Oct till 8th Nov; approximately 10 days. After that H, will go WWOOFing with me for the remaining days.

Here's the tentative itinerary and budget:

30th Oct
Flight from Kuala Lumpur - 2330 hours

31st Oct
Arrive at Incheon airport - 0710 hours
Meet H and T at Myeongdong Station -0900 hours
Check in Namsan guest house
Namsangol Hanok Village
Lunch & Itaewon
Seoul tour bus
Namsan tower
Dinner & Cheonggyecheon Stream

1st Nov
Yeouido Park and Seoul Park
Insadong
Namdaemun
Dongdaemun

2nd Nov
Everland (1 whole day)

3rd Nov
Nami Island

4th Nov
Mount Seorak

5th Nov
Return to Seoul (Morning)
Seoul Coex Mall + Kimchi museum (Evening)

6th Nov
Hands-on Traditional Culture Programs at Korea House
Visit the Palaces + Coffee Prince
NANTA show

7th Nov
Final shopping

8th Nov
Flight to Kuala Lumpur 1100 hours

Budget : Flight - MYR 1000, Seoul -10 days MYR1,300, Shopping - MYR700
Total: MYR3,000 ~ approximately 1 million won.

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Re-scheduling my flight

A few weeks back I received notification via SMS from Malaysia Airlines Korea that my flight from Kuala Lumpur to Seoul on 29th December was rescheduled to 28th December.

Ain't I'm going on 27th September?

Well..to cut the story short. I bought a one way ticket from Kuala Lumpur to Seoul for 27th September's flight. Later, I bought another return ticket from Seoul to Kuala Lumpur going on 26th December and return on 29th December.

After receiving the SMS, I was a bit alarmed . I could only spend one day with my family!!! No way. Yeah..if in case I decided to go back to Seoul again. If ONLY the whole thing worked out, the return ticket would be worth it.

So, I called the Malaysia Airlines call center and requested for a re-schedule. The guy, Nik was very pleasant and informed me that if the re-schedule was done by the airline, I have the right to request for another re-schedule but only either one day ahead or later than the post-re-schedule date.

Initially, mine was on 29th December, so Malaysia Airlines rescheduled to 28th December. However, I refused to accept and requested for another re-schedule. Luckily there was an available flight on 29th December having a stop over in Kota Kinabalu. The flight duration is longer which is from 2115hrs from Kuala Lumpur and reaching Seoul at 0710hrs.

I can bear with that! ^__^

The verdict?

Will be going to Seoul on 27th September, return to Kuala Lumpur on 26th December.
If I decide to go back to Seoul, it would be on 29th December.

I know, I'm crazy..hehehe

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My heart is bursting! Another 114 days to go..

I was about to drive to work this evening when suddenly I imagine myself taking my backpack and strut myself to the airport. A rush of adrenaline hit me and my heart was beating so fast! My heart just wants to burst and shout. "I can't wait to go to Korea!!".That day will arrive..I said to myself.

Solo backpacking..going through immigration, breathing Seoul's air, walking through the throngs in Dongdaemun, meeting my couch and WWOOF hosts, KTX to Busan, taking loads of autumn pictures, trembling so bad during winter (will I catch the cold flu, I really hate winter!) and watching Big Bang perform LIVE (*this one if I'm really lucky*). My imagination just runs wild.

Do I need to bring my laptop? I thought so many times, I like to travel light. Hmmm...

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What I want to do in Seoul?

These are the list of things/activities that I want to do while in Seoul:

1) Go to Namsan tower



2) Shopping at Insadong/Myeongdong/Dongdaemun

3) Watch Big Bang show/concert live (G-Dragon is second from right..ain't he gorgeous? Hehe)



4) Eat tokkpokgi



5) Jog at olympic park (hahaha..this one if I have lost my pounds before going to Seoul)

6) Loitering at Apgujeong for a chance of meeting G-Dragon (in my dream...hahaha)

7) Take thousands and thousands of picture

8) Again..loitering near Han River at night

9) Jjimjilbang (if I dare enough to walk around naked in front of strangers..fighting!!)

10) Everland..It's my turn on that wooden rollercoaster!!

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Planner

Budget:
Flight Ticket - RM2,000
Accommodation, on-land Transportation and Food - RM3,000
Emergency - RM1,000

Plan A:
October - Gwangju
November - Seoul and Gyeonggi-do (My friends Hanim and Tutie will join for Seoul-Tour)
December - Gangwon-do

Plan B:
October - Gangwon-do
November - Seoul and Gyeonggi-do (My friends Hanim and Tutie will join for Seoul-Tour)
December - Gwangju and Daegu/Busan

Why I skipped Jeju-do?

I don't want to sound snobbish and proud here.
This is purely my own opinion, even though I am well aware of the infamous Jeju-do.
I love Malaysia's islands better such as Redang, Tioman, Pangkor and Langkawi.
However, I am not going to restrict myself, if the time allow and the budget too, I will someday visit Jeju-do. Fair enough?

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My travel dates

I will be flying from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia to Incheon, South Korea - direct flight by MAS (Malaysia Airlines) on 29th September 2009 at 0100hrs. Look at the date - 290909.
Haha..Excellent! This one is a one way ticket.

Return, it will also via MAS (Malaysia Airlines) but this time it is a return ticket. Returning to Malaysia on 26th December 2009 and return to South Korea on 29th December 2009. Surprisingly the return ticket is cheap!

Both tickets was bought during air travel promotion with MAS (Malaysia Airlines). Please bear in mind, I'm a budget travel freak!!

Initially I plan to do a few airport transits and feel that way would allow me to experience culture of different countries. However, the urge to really travel South Korea extensively defer my intention to do the transits.

I intend to stop in Bangkok, Thailand a few days and also Taiwan a few days. Hmm..it will be too tiring. Furthermore, my budget just not allow me to do so.

I plan to use RM5,000 max which is approximately USD1,400 for the whole 90 days travel.

Can it be done? I hope it will. Pray for me^^

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My budget travel plan

Of course, I am not a big spender. Most of my saving will go for my budget travel, almost every year.

My plan is to stay on the maximum days allowed for Malaysians which is 90 days, but I'm gonna stay only 89th days. Hehe..another day would be for the return flight from Seoul.

The expenses would be:

Flight
Transportation in Korea (Subway, KTX, Bus)
Accommodation (Hostel/Motel)
Food
Souvenirs/Shopping
Emergency (if any)

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