Seoul Searching Questions ;-)

Old Feb 6th, 2016, 09:55 PM
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Seoul Searching Questions ;-)

I’ll be going to Seoul for business – arriving March 17th. I’ll be there solo for two-and-a-half weeks and I will have two full days off before I begin work -- and two or three full days off when I'm through working before I return to the U.S.

I’ve traveled extensively through Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Hawaii, and the Caribbean. But this will be my first trip to Asia and I have a few questions and concerns.

I don’t eat fish or anything spicy. Will it be easy for me to find fresh vegetables, salads, and “non-adventurous” foods? Is it safe to eat food from street vendors?

Is enough English spoken to be able to communicate? (I was surprised at how widely English is spoken in the major European cities – especially London. Hahaha)

Is Seoul an expensive destination? (i.e., I found Scandinavia to be very expensive. But right now, with the dollar being so strong against the Euro and pound, my upcoming trip to the U.K. in a few weeks seems like a great bargain.) How do the costs compare to other major cities?

I enjoyed kja's trip report, but I’m not nearly as adventurous in a place where I don’t speak the language and am unable to read street (and other) signs. I will probably want to take guided tours (i.e. Viator) on my days off. My interests lean toward unique architecture (i.e., palaces, temples…), natural beauty, marketplaces, etc. I’m not big on museums or art.

Any suggestions re: places I should be sure to include in tours?

I’ll be staying at the Aloft Hotel at 131 Chungdam-dong Gangnam-gu, Seoul. Are there tourist attractions in that area?

I love exploring a city on foot. Is Seoul readily walkable?

I'm sure I'll have more questions. But this should get me started. Thanks so much for your help!
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Old Feb 6th, 2016, 11:22 PM
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FOOD - Korean food is generally quite spicy (especially the Kimchi that seems to be served with every meal) non spicy western type food is readily available. We enjoyed the dumpling shops that served giant sized dim sum.

LANGUAGE - English is not widely spoken. Probably less is spoken in Korea than any other country I have visited other than Japan. However, we were there for a couple of weeks and got by OK. Although when we first arrived and got lost on our way to the hotel it did take around 10 attempts before we found someone who spoke English and could help us!


GETTING AROUND - Seoul is a massive city and whilst some of the attractions are grouped within walking distance you will doubtless need to use the subway. One tip I found especially useful was to find out in advance ( from your hotel or guide book) not only which station you need but also which EXIT. Many stations have a lot!

PLACES TO VISIT

If there is such a thing as a "must see" I would say it is Gyeongjokbong Palace which is close to the centre and has a number of other palaces and gardens within walking distance. Also Buckchon Hanok Village is worth wandering around for a couple of hours.

We found our day out to the DMZ to be particularly interesting and thought provoking.

For more info and photos see our blog http://accidentalnomads.com/category/south-korea/
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Old Feb 6th, 2016, 11:43 PM
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"Will it be easy for me to find fresh vegetables, salads, and “non-adventurous” foods?"

Korean restaurants don't typically serve fresh vegetables -- they are more likely to serve cooked or preserved ones. But you can certainly find loads of fresh vegetables in markets. I would guess that restaurants in hotels that cater to Westerners would offer salads, etc. -- I didn't patronize any of them and so can't speak to that with any authority.

"Is it safe to eat food from street vendors?"

I can't offer any guarantees, but I would think that street vendors in Seoul would generally be safe -- certainly as much or more so than in many other Asian countries. As a rule, I think that being able to see one's food being cooked is a good thing when buying from street vendors.

"Is enough English spoken to be able to communicate?"

In Seoul, certainly.

"Is Seoul an expensive destination?"

It can be, but by no means does it have to be, and it should not be as expensive as Scandinavia or Switzerland. I found South Korea quite inexpensive, but it will depend on the type of hotel and restaurants you choose, and if you do decide to take tours, that will definitely add to the cost.

"I enjoyed kja's trip report, but I’m not nearly as adventurous in a place where I don’t speak the language and am unable to read street (and other) signs. I will probably want to take guided tours (i.e. Viator) on my days off. "

Seriously, Seoul is EXTREMELY easy to visit on one's own. There is extensive English signage throughout much of the city. (The problem I had with street signs was not language -- I was reading English signs -- its that I didn't understand that they referred to districts, not specific streets. Once you know the convention, it's not that difficult to follow.)

And most sites in Seoul, including the palaces, have free English guides that you can sign up for in advance, so I'm not sure why you think a Viator (or other) tour would be necessary. But it's your trip, your call.

"My interests lean toward unique architecture (i.e., palaces, temples…), natural beauty, marketplaces, etc. I’m not big on museums or art... Any suggestions re: places I should be sure to include in tours?"

You've read my report and so know what I saw and what I thought of those places. Most of the "traditional" buildings in Seoul show the decided influence of Chinese architectural styles, but since this is your first trip to Asia, I'm sure you will find them interesting and different than what you have already seen. Of the palaces, you might want to consider Gyeongbokgung, a classic palace with a unique dining pavilion, and Changdeokgung, with its garden, Biwon. For a shrine, you might consider Jongmyo; for a temple, Bonguensa. You might also want to consider spending a half-day or more roaming Bukchon, a "traditional" neighborhood, though I readily admit that I was disappointed by it.

Seoul itself is too vast and dense to really offer experiences of "natural beauty," although you can get a few tiny tastes of that in some of the larger temples, shrines, palaces, and parks. You might want to try to visit Samneung Park -- burial tumuli are by no means unique to this area, but they aren't exactly pervasive, either. You might find the tombs, their guardian statues, and the various buildings there of interest, and the grounds were, IMO, a pleasant place to roam for an hour or two.

My favorite market in Seoul was Dongdaemun Yangnueong -- the medicine / herbs market. Well worth a long stroll, IMO!

And even if you don't generally like museums, you might consider spending a little time at the National Museum in Seoul, if for nothing else than to take a quick look at the exhibit of gold artifacts (crowns, belts, jewelry) from the ancient cultures of the Korean peninsula -- awesome!

"the Aloft Hotel at 131 Chungdam-dong Gangnam-gu, Seoul. Are there tourist attractions in that area?"

From what I can tell, none of the things I chose to visit while in Seoul are near that hotel -- the closest thing I visited was Bonguensa, which looks to be a bit under a mile way -- just a guess. It looks to be about a 10-minute walk to the nearest metro.

You might consider trying to find a different place to stay before and / or after the business part of your stay.

"Is Seoul readily walkable? "

The area near the palaces and Insadong -- the area where I stayed -- is readily walkable. There is a great metro system, so you can easily get around, and then walk in the areas to which you go. But of course, Seoul is an immense city.

Hope that helps!
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Old Feb 6th, 2016, 11:57 PM
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I was writing my response while crellston was posting! And now that I see that post, I'm intrigued by some differences....

While I found SOME Korean foods -- and SOME kimchi -- to be quite spicy, I also found many dishes to be only mildly spiced, if at all. I had learned, but have since forgotten, how to say "not too spicy" in Korean, but I don't think that's the issue -- my experience was that there are regional dishes that vary tremendously in their spiciness.

As I noted, my experience (in 2014) was that English was widely spoken in Seoul -- but then, I stayed in, and spent most of my time in, the areas that are most likely to be visited by Westerners, so that could be a factor.
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Old Feb 7th, 2016, 12:19 AM
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Kja, I visited last year but maybe it was the places we frequented where English wasn't widely spoken. Interesting to hear your experiences of the language issue. I would say that around 80% of the places we ate at and stayed in, spoke no English at all.

As for the food, I love spicy food so maybe I didn't look hard enough for non spicy food. The Kimchi, which I love, seemed to vary from not spicy at all to very spicy indeed! I found it difficult to identify which was which. Likewise the red pepper paste that seemed to be served with everything - delicious, but varying in strength from mild to atomic!
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Old Feb 7th, 2016, 12:28 AM
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crellston wrote: "80% of the places we ate at and stayed in, spoke no English at all" -- in Seoul??? I visited some places in South Korea where little or no English was spoken, but I didn't have any troubles in Seoul. How interesting!

I agree about the variation in spiciness, and if there was a way to predict it, I never found it! ;-)
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Old Feb 7th, 2016, 12:53 AM
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Sorry not in Seoul, in Korea generally.
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Old Feb 7th, 2016, 06:55 AM
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There's not a lot on Korea on this board, so you may find my TR helpful, too:

http://www.fodors.com/community/asia...omment-6749828

I did not encounter much English in Korea, but I didn't spend a lot of time in Seoul. Since I like spicy food I didn't try to find non-spicy food, but it wasn't all hot. If it is a real requirement I would get your hotel to write down your request and show it to your waiters.

If this is your first visit to Asia, do you know not to drink the tap water? Also, avoid ice unless you know it has been made from purified water. Fresh fruit juice is also potentially dangerous. Often you should also avoid raw fruit and vegetables, unless you peel the fruit yourself, but I don't remember whether that is the case for Korea.
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Old Feb 7th, 2016, 09:52 AM
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I really appreciate all the comments. I'm rushing out for a long day and will respond later or tomorrow.

Thank you all SO much!
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Old Feb 7th, 2016, 10:09 AM
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I only visited Seoul briefly last year - 3 nights. On the site visitseoul.net you can sign up for free guided tours of various places. I took two of those tours of different palaces. One was a family of four and me, and the other was just me and the guide - really great, I highly recommend if your schedule allows.

I found that signage was excellent - all that I saw had English and I never got lost during my short visit....

English language skills so-so.....
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Old Feb 7th, 2016, 08:00 PM
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Seoul is very much an international city with many different types of restaurants representing many cuisines, so you should not have trouble on that score. If oyu want to avoid Korean food, you can in Seoul.

Korean cuisine is generally one of the most challenging for a picky eater, doubly so if you are seafood averse.

But there are exceptions, though even those exceptions might have flavors you are not used to:

Go to Gwangjang Market, the oldest and most traditional market in Seoul, where you will see bindatteok (mung bean pancakes) being made from beans they grind right there. Neither spicy nor seafood.

Find a place that specializes in mandu (dumplings). You know, like ravioli. some are pork or pork and vegetables.

Korean bbq: meat grilled over charcoal.

Fried chicken. Korean fried chicken can be exceptional. There is more than one type. There si the type with garlic sauce near Daelim station (you'd have to make a special trip as it is not near the business/tourism centers of Seoul) or the type like Bon Chon chicken, where the sauce is fried into the breading to give a glossy appearance but is dry to the touch.

Noodles. Kalguksu are knife-cut noodles. Often they are with seafood, but not always.

Fresh fruit and vegetables can be very expensive in Korea, so you will not see them a lot.
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Old Feb 7th, 2016, 09:56 PM
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These responses have been very helpful.

I LOVE dumplings!!! It sounds like there will be many things I will not eat – but plenty of things that I’ll enjoy.

Crellston – your photos are superb!

Looking at the color-coded metro map and hearing that the city is easy to navigate, I felt a lot more confident.

I’m disappointed to learn that my hotel is not in a location convenient to tourist attractions. It’s walking distance to where I’ll be working and I won’t have the option of switching to a different hotel for the days when I’m not working. But it sounds like I should be able to get places on the metro.

Thank you for the reminder about the tap water and fruit.

It’ll be an adventure!
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Old Feb 8th, 2016, 07:35 AM
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I spent a few days in Seoul with my husband last year on his work trip and wandered around a lot by myself or with other spouses on the trip. I haven't read this whole thread, so please forgive repetition.

Answers to your Qs:

Spice factor -- I love spicy food, but there is plenty to be found that is not spicy. For an Eastern/Western foodfest (including killer dumplings) check out the very upscale Shinsegae food court in the Shensegae department store. An amazing array of EVERYTHING, including Western gourmet items from Harrods and Dean and Deluca. Closes fairly early.

http://blog.aclipse.net/teach-in-Kor...gae-Food-Court

Street vendors -- Go for it! We took the usual precautions but ate often on the street. Go to crowded places.

English -- surprisingly very little. Make sure you carry a business card from your hotel. Translator apps are fantastic and so is pointing to photos in guidebook.

Expensive -- not particularly, somewhere in the middle for Asia. Comparable to LA or NYC.

Tours -- do not miss the DMZ. We had no idea what to expect, but it was utterly fascinating and a must do. You have to arrange this in advance and provide your passport info. We used Veltra, which is a third party tour organizer like Viator. Included shopping at the UN store, a stop for a authentic bulgogi (non spicy) meal at the Bridge of Freedom park, and a decent peek at the surrounding countryside. If you sign up for another tour, be sure to include the JSA area.

http://www.veltra.com/en/asia/korea/seoul/a/104912

On my own -- I had a lot of fun exploring Insadong, a slightly touristy art gallery/tea shop/design district. Some cool shopping if you like cutting edge Asian design. Also visited Dongdaemun Yangnueong, the herb market. Very photogenic.

Walkability -- I found Seoul to be very walkable, but it was chilly when we were there in March, so I also used the metro and cabs (reasonable). The metro was very user friendly and easy to navigate. Just have your stop written out in Korean before you start your journey.

Have a wonderful trip.


I
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Old Feb 9th, 2016, 05:52 PM
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Hi Songdoc,

I have been to Seoul a couple of times as my son and his Korean born wife live there. I believe the area you are staying in, Gangnam, is very nice, my son compared it to Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills. Made popular by PSY's "Gangnam Style" video a few years ago. Things in that area may be more pricey but in general we found Seoul to be like a lot of cities, high priced in the big hotels and fancy restaurants but really reasonable in the smaller places where the regular folks hang out. We stayed at a Marriott Courtyard and the price for food in their restaurant was ridiculous.

My husband has bad knees so we took cabs most of the time rather than the subway and I thought cab fare was a good deal. Have your hotel write the name and address of where you want to go because the cab drivers don't all speak English even though some of the cabs show the have English translation. Also carry a card from your hotel with the return info.

We had the luxury of being with people who spoke Korean most of the time but I did find it was hit or miss finding someone who spoke English when I was out on my own. Younger people were better or at least more willing than older people. I tried really hard to learn a few phrases in Korean but for some reason I could not remember more than Thank You!

Chicken places are really popular as well as pizza places. You can find many places that serve western style food that isn't spicy. A few times we bought food in the department store food section which was fun and gave us lots to choose from. I am not big on really spicy food and I was able to avoid any big melt downs! They serve lots of pickled vegetables and not all of them are spicy. we ate quite a bit of street food and didn't suffer any ill results. There are more coffee shops in Seoul than there are in most American cities. If you need to charge your phone, stop in a coffee shop and chances are they will have a charger available for your use. Usually there are several different chargers somewhere and you can safely leave your phone charging while you enjoy your beverage.

We enjoyed taking a night river cruise on the Han River, it was a relaxing way to see the city lights and skyline from the river. You can also rent a bike and ride on the path along the river if you are so inclined.

I enjoyed walking around at the Bukchon Hanok Village. So much of Seoul has uninteresting modern architecture so being able to see a neighborhood of traditional buidings was enjoyable.

We enjoyed walking around Dongdaemun Design Plaza one early evening. It is a cool space age looking building designed by Zaha Hadid. It looks like a spaceship, covered in shiny silver panels. It is nicely lit at night and we had fun taking pictures. Afterwards we went to the Hongdae area which is near Hongik University, an area that appeals to students and other young people as it is home to street art festivals, live music venues, street performers and lots of shops and restaurants. There is a playground area that transforms itself into a flea market at night.

I did write a trip report but it is way too long so I lifted the highlights here. If you have insomnia here is the link: http://www.fodors.com/community/asia...le-of-that.cfm

Enjoy you time is Seoul and please write a little trip report. I have enjoyed reading your Hawaii reports!
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Old Feb 10th, 2016, 11:38 AM
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I do not share enthusiasm for department store food, and it is not representative of really good Korean food. It is easy to find eating recommendations on the internet for really good mandu or kalguksu... a little searching can make a big difference.
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Old Feb 10th, 2016, 09:25 PM
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SeeHag -- thanks so much for the info and for the nice comments about my Hawaii trip reports. I'm there right now!

You have all given me GREAT information. Thanks so much!

I should explain ...
under normal circumstances, if I were planning a trip like this I'd be obsessively spending hours online, researching attractions, restaurants, studying maps and more, as well as studying Korean language phrases.

But this came up as an unplanned work opportunity and I have no time to plan or research. I'm currently working on Kauai. From here, I'll go work in N. Ireland and vacation in Scotland. I'll get back to Nashville (home base), work one day then leave for Korea two days later. AGGHH! (Being a hopeless traveloholic, I actually love my crazy life.)
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