Arrival at Incheon International Airport during the Covid19 Pandemic

Why I panicked at Arrivals?

I arrived in South Korea today with a D-4-1 visa (language training visa). And I wanted to write about the process that I went through in detail while it is still very much fresh in my head. Hopefully, this helps at least one more of you so that you don't panic like I did (will come explain why in a bit). Please also note that procedures are due to change even within short notice depending on the situation so please take my experience as a reference/guide.

Before my departure date, some digging on the internet told me that I would need a working Korean number. For long term visas, like mine, quarantine in a temporary apartment like airbnb is allowed (probably more on this in a different post for next time). However, you will need a Korean number for them to reach you at, otherwise they will send you to the Government Quarantine Facility, which is by far much more expensive than an airbnb for the same period. While I have come across some people mentioned that they've managed to get by with just a Kakaotalk ID, it wasn't the case for me.

So rewind back to before my departure date, with that acquired knowledge, I ordered a SIM card on Trazy.com which I can collect from within the quarantine inspection area in the airport. So technically, I can pick up my SIM card just before I go through the officers so before I reach the counter, I should already have a working Korean number. Trazy already sent an image on where the KT booth is located within the quarantine inspection area as shown below.

Looks easy so I didn't doubt that I would fail to find it.

But I was wrong.

I made the mistake of not asking the very first officer/staff I encountered about the booth. I got swept along with the rest of the passengers from my flight into the lane where an officer/staff would ask that you download the quarantine application. Once you stepped into that lane, it would be difficult to divert from the subsequent processes to find the KT booth. Because they would lead you to one counter after another. I tried asking a couple of officers/staff in the middle of the procedures but one told me she doesn't know and the other told me it is outside, meaning past the arrival gate. When I finally reached the last officer for this process chain, she acknowledged that there is indeed a KT booth within that area but since I am already right before the arrival gate, she told me to get my card outside.

Due to this mistake, I believe I almost got sent to the Government Quarantine Facility. The guy that looked through my documents wasn't very good with English, so much that he had to either ask the other guy beside him or use a translator to communicate with me. So it could possibly also be due to a communication error that I was almost sent to the Quarantine Facility.

When he first looked through my forms, I only had my Kakaotalk ID written on it. But to be fair, the field in English asked for a Korean number but the same field in Chinese (beside the English) asked for a Korean number, followed by in brackets, or another means to communicate in the country. Hence, I thought Kakaotalk would suffice but the guy asked for a Korean number and when I told him I don't have one yet as I have yet to collect my SIM card, he looked confused. I wasn't exactly sure if he actually understood what I had just said. Regardless, he insisted that I write down a Korean Number so I told him I have a friend here and he asked if my friend is Korean. I said yes, so he told me to put my friend's number down. And so I did. Then he proceeded to call my friend to verify that it is a legit, working number.

Huge thanks to my friend, I am now able to quarantine in the airbnb that I have arranged for myself, comfortably typing out this post.

So that was my experience. And I hope you don't have to go through the same panicky situation as I did.

Lessons learned.

Lesson learned. If you would like to order the same SIM card via Trazy as I did, then make sure to ask every officer until someone points you in the direction of the KT booth. Do not join the queue nor follow the flow until you have gotten your card.

You can order your SIM card here.*

To entirely avoid this issue, Trazy also can ship the SIM card internationally. This was what I planned to get actually, but messed up on noting the shipping timeframe. So another lesson learned.

Get your SIM card delivered to your doorstep here.*

Breakdown of the different stations

So SIM card issue aside, below are the different stations you would go through after you have landed in Incheon International Airport.

1) First lane/queue - they will make you download the quarantine application and guide you through on the setup

2) First (sit-down) station - they will go through your documents (I suggest you just hand them everything ,including your passport, and let them pick out what they need). This is the station where they will check your temperature and verify your address and contact number. After everything, they will tell you how and when you need to update your health status in the application and the hotline to reach when you need help, all within the application itself.

3) First (stand-up) counter - they will need your passport again and your documents. Again, best to just hand them all and let them pick out what they need. Then they will make you sign on some forms. To be honest, I didn't actually read through what they made me sign on, but pretty sure you have to sign it to proceed into the country nevertheless.

4) Second (stand-up) counter - the lady officer here in my case just told me to hand her everything and she picked out what she needed from the pile. Fingerprint records are done at this counter.

You will be cleared to go through the arrivals gate and you may proceed to pick up your checked-in baggage(s).

Once you have all your stuff with you and ready to exit, there will be a small box station where the declaration form is being collected. From here, the officer will decide if you need to undergo baggage check or not. If you don't then you can continue on to exit into the arrival hall.

It was the first time that I had to get checked, probably because I had so much luggage this time around. The check was very quick for me, there is no need to remove electronics and what not, everything stays inside the bag and they just scanned my large bag pack and baggages. My small sling purse was spared.

Exiting into the arrival hall, you will come to realise that the hall has been segregated more or less into two, so you would have no choice but to swim along the lane and not wander around. Before you reach the next officer/staff, you will pass by a convenience store (called C U). I would suggest you grab whatever you think you would need, food, drinks, etc, because you won't pass by nor be able to drop by another convenience store on your way to your quarantine venue.

Further down the lane, there will be officers/staff asking which city/province is your quarantine place in. Then they will put a sticker on you and inform you which counter you should head to. As i am doing my quarantine in Seoul, I was directed to counter number 7.

[If you forgot to grab something from the convenience store earlier, just let the officer know you need to head back to the convenience store. They will ask you to leave your baggages near them then you can go ahead and return to the convenience store to grab whatever else you need. Also, if for any reason, you need to deviate from the lane, like me, I had to pick up my SIM card since I failed to do so in the quarantine inspection area, just let the officer know where and what. Similarly, they will ask that you leave your stuff near them and direct you to wherever you need be.]

At counter number 7, I was informed that I would need to make a trip to the testing center the next day as they would have closed by the time I reach. They close at 5pm kst. The lady gave me a pamphlet (all in Korean...) with contact information on the testing centers in each district, she did circle the number for my district. Then, I was presented four transport options - Standard taxi, Large taxi, Limo taxi and Bus. Not sure if I remembered the taxi options correctly but I remember there were three options for taxis. Prices differ for the different taxis due to the size of the vehicle and also the district that you will be heading to (possibly due to the distance from the airport). If you choose any of the taxi options, you can go right away, as the drivers are usually already on standby. If you choose the bus option, the bus has fixed departure timings so you would have to wait.

I chose the standard taxi option as I would have to wait for two hours if I were to take the bus. As the driver and I depart from counter 7, I was told to swing by this other counter to let the lady at the counter know which neighbourhood my place would be. There, she also asked me to fill in this sheet on her clipboard with my name and Korean number (which by then I have it up and running, phew). She passed me another pamphlet on how to call for a taxi that would take me from my place to the testing center and then back.

Albeit going with the bus option would be way cheaper, but I believe the bus only drops off at certain bus stops, so you may have to switch to another transport mode. Not exactly sure about this. That aside, you would also have to give thought about how tired you would be by that stage. Also, don't forget the bus most likely would have other passengers on board, so you may not be the first to be dropped off.

Finally, that was the last of all the procedures.

Final thoughts.

Super lengthy, I know. But I hope that by giving every single little detail of my experience today can help at least one person go through the process smoother.

If you have read through each and every word, I hope this would be helpful if you are coming over any time soon. If not, I hope it would at least be insightful!

* Affiliate Disclosure *

Sometimes I use affiliate links.

What does that mean? It means that if I’ve used a product or service and liked it, and that product or service has an affiliate program, I sign up for it. Then, when I mention that product or service in one of my blog posts, I link to it using my affiliate link.

How does that translate for you? Should you end up buying something as a result of one of those links, I might get a little pocket money from the program. There will be no additional charges to you.

My Airbnb Quarantine Experience in South Korea

 

Accommodation

For people with short term visa (less than 90 days) would have no choice but to quarantine in the Government quarantine facilities, which are essentially hotels. And I read online about other people's experience is that you don't get to choose the hotel, so you are just assigned to one when your flight lands. For those with long term visa (more than 90 days), like myself, have the option of the Government quarantine facility or our own residence. So for a foreigner like me, or even Koreans returning from overseas who do not have their own residence yet, can rent an airbnb. However, make sure to check with the host if they are okay with you serving your quarantine in their place. Some hosts may not allow for different reasons, like for example, the other residents in the same building are not comfortable with the idea.

Costs

To stay in the Government quarantine facility, last time I checked, it was 2,100,000 KRW for 14 days, inclusive of 3 meals per day. It started out at 1,400,000 KRW but then it increased, so always check with the Korean embassy in your own country or check online for others' experiences which they may share in vlogs or forums. I saw in someone's vlog that the price actually changes a little depending on the hotel that you are assigned to but 2,100,000 KRW is the maximum. And every room is the same price! So if you are lucky, you can get a junior suite or perhaps even a suite! As for an airbnb, the price differs depending on the location. So places in the Gangnam district would be more expensive as compared to, say, Gwanak district. But of course, generally meals are not included in an airbnb apartment stay.

Entertainment

Well, it might be tough for some people to stay indoors for 24 hours 14 days straight. It wasn't a problem for me! Since there is wifi in my airbnb, there are so many things I could do! Watch my dramas, lurk around in online forums, start researching for places I want to go when my quarantine ends, so on and so forth. When I get tired from using my laptop for a long time, I just take a nap. If there is sufficient space in the airbnb, you can also exercise, do some yoga or even meditate. Honestly, I thought I would do yoga everyday during quarantine but I ended up being on my laptop most of the time. The only exercise I did was laughing out loud while watching variety shows, training the non-existent muscles in my cheeks and abdomen.

Food and Beverages

Upon arrival at Incheon International Airport, after everything checks out at immigration, there is a convenience store that you can stop by before hoping onto your mode of transport to your quarantine place. Since I landed in the late afternoon, I bought my dinner from the convenience store and a 2L bottle of water. Most of my food and water was bought online at Trazy.com because they take foreign (non-korean) credit cards. To avoid interaction with the delivery person while serving quarantine, you are not allowed to order and then pay by cash upon delivery. Hence, it is important to find sites and apps that take foreign cards if you don't have a domestic one.

Instant Meal Packages*

Simple Groceries*

I saw that Gmarket Global also accepts foreign credit cards, so you can also order groceries from there.

http://global.gmarket.co.kr/Home/Main

On a couple of days, I would order a fresh meal using the Shuttle app. There are many delivery apps in Korea however, not all of them accept foreign credit cards. Shuttle is one of the few that I know does so I used it. The food of course, is not very cheap, not to mention that on top of your order there is a delivery fee. However, depending on the restaurant, sometimes the delivery can be free if you order a certain amount minimally!

https://www.shuttledelivery.co.kr/blog/download-app/

One thing I noticed that perhaps stemmed from quarantine is that there are meal packs are being sold now on websites and apps. Meal packs are packs where the ingredients have been prepared for you. So for example, you would like to make carbonara for yourself, the meal pack would contain all the ingredients you would need and the amount would be meant to be enough for one serving. So all you need to do is to follow the instructions to cook yourself that carbonara.

EDIT: Alternatively, if you would like to get your groceries and/or necessities from Korean sites/apps that don't accept international cards (eg. Coupang, Baemin, etc), I could help you at a flat fee of 5,000krw (so your grocery bill+delivery fee+5,000krw). Interested parties please leave a comment to this post.

Trash

I was told not to throw my trash out. All my trash should go into the orange bag that the health officer gave me. There is no need to sort the recyclables in the trash, the only thing I was told to separate from everything else is food waste. I would put my food waste in a small plastic bag and tie it up tightly, then put the bag into the refrigerator to slow down the decomposition process. You can also put it in the freezer. At the end of the 14 days, I just put that bag into the orange bag with everything else. Then put the bag outside of your place and someone would come to collect it. My quarantine ended on a Saturday. Not sure if it was because they don't work on weekends, but the person only came to collect my trash on Monday. You can also throw your trash at the testing center. Since I needed to go for a PCR test at the start of the quarantine and once more before the end of the quarantine, on both days, I would carry some trash with to throw at the facility. The officer told me I was allowed to do that because they clear the trash there everyday. Similarly, no need to sort the trash even if you throw them there. Because all these trash are being treated as a hazard hence will not be recycled.

There is a shorter version of this post here:

https://www.korea.net/TalkTalkKorea/English/community/community/CMN0000007496

Hopefully this pandemic goes away soon but before that, stay safe and mask on!

* Affiliate Disclosure *

Sometimes I use affiliate links.

What does that mean? It means that if I’ve used a product or service and liked it, and that product or service has an affiliate program, I sign up for it. Then, when I mention that product or service in one of my blog posts, I link to it using my affiliate link.

How does that translate for you? Should you end up buying something as a result of one of those links, I might get a little pocket money from the program. There will be no additional charges to you.

Things You Need to Know About Renting a Place in Seoul, South Korea

 

Types of Lease

In general, the common two types of lease are Wolse (월세) and Jeonse (전세). The difference between the two is that you need to pay a monthly rent on top of a refundable security deposit for Wolse, whereas no additional rental needs to be paid for Jeonse. Another option that is commonly seen is called Mae Mae (매매), which essentially is to outright buy the property.

Payables During the Leasing Period

Security Deposit - Both Wolse and Jeonse requires that you pay a lump sum to the landlord at the start of your contract. This amount will be fully refunded to you at the end of your lease. However, should you damage anything during your stay, the repair cost will be deducted from the deposit. What the landlord does with this sum of money, is that they will put it into their bank account and earn the interest given by their bank. With this said, the security deposit amount is way higher for Jeonse as compared to Wolse hence the interest earned in a way offsets the monthly rental. As a result, no monthly payment is required for Jeonse. The security deposit for Jeonse is in the hundred thousands range minimally, whereas common security deposit amounts for Wolse are 5,000,000krw and 10,000,000krw.

Monthly Rental - None for Jeonse, as explained above. For Wolse, the monthly rental amount is determined by a couple of factors. Of course, the number one factor would be the location of the building, is it near the subway, easily accessible just by the main street, so on and so forth. Surely this factor applies to Jeonse as well in terms of security deposit amount, but this is a factor that affects all real estate properties not just in South Korea. On top of this, within the same building itself, different units could have different rental amount. This is because between the different units, there could be slight differences in the space, for example, a corner unit could be slightly bigger than a unit that is along the corridor. In South Korea, perhaps due to the how packed the buildings are in metropolitan Seoul, everyone seems to be wanting a south facing unit (남향 namhyang) because a south facing unit gets all, if not, most of the sunlight during the day. Another factor, not applicable to all, would be the floor that the unit is on. Units that are higher up tends to not be blocked by another building, hence there would be a better view from the window. Which in turns, becomes a selling point. One important thing to note about Wolse is that, the rental is negotiable. There is an inverse relationship between the security deposit amount and the monthly rental amount. Which means that if you negotiate for a lower rental, you need to pay more for the security deposit, and vice-versa. Currently, the rate seems to be 10,000,000krw of security deposit to 50,000krw of rental (i.e. lowering the monthly rent by 50,000krw will mean you need to pay 10,000,000krw more for the security deposit). But of course, this is just a general rate, different places could have different rate so make sure to ask the realtor! At the end of the day, if the landlord is nice enough, they could also drop the rental amount by a little without asking for more security deposit.

Maintenance Fees (관리비 gwanlibi) - This needs to be paid monthly on top of rental. Maintenance fees are paid to cover several things, like the electricity for the lights in common corridors in the building, lifts, security guard, garbage collection, so and so forth. The amount quoted by real estate agents are often an average, the actual amount could fluctuate month on month but generally will not deviate by a lot from the average amount quoted. For some rentals, this fee could already be included in your monthly rental amount, so make sure to check!

Utilities - Utilities are separate from the maintenance fees. While maintenance fees are paid for common facilities, utilities are paid for your own individual consumption of electricity, water and gas. If you have an induction stove, you might thinking why would you need to pay for gas? Well, you still need to pay for gas if you use the boiler for hot water consumption during showers or floor heating during winter. Utilities can be paid via automated teller machines or at convenience stores. There is a chance that your monthly rental covers utilities, so make sure to confirm with the landlord or real estate agent!

[Update] After having lived here for quite a few months, and seen more places with my friends who were also looking for an apartment, most places now seem to include utilities with the maintenance fees. By include, I mean that it comes out in one bill together with your maintenance fees so it reduces the hassle of having to make payment for multiple bills. The utility consumption is calculated on individual basis. My electricity and water consumption comes with my maintenance fees bill, while gas is separate, so every month I have two bills to take care of. On the other hand, there are places where you have might have to deal with every fee individually, so it comes up to four bills a month. All in all, make sure to ask in detail when viewing apartments here!

Brokerage Fees

If you found the apartment via a real estate agent, then be prepared to pay a fee. The amount of the fee depends on your type of housing, for example, a one room in a villa or a one room in an officetel. It also depends on your security deposit and monthly rental. For more details on the calculation and percentage, you can download the housing guide here. You can also find a list of English speaking agencies here, their realtors would be able to explain to you on how the fees are calculated if you ask them to give you a breakdown. Note that fees are only paid if you actually sign a leasing contract, there are no fees to pay to the realtor if you are merely viewing the place.

Cat-fishing Listings Online

There are many websites and mobile apps that realtors use to post their "available" listings. Some listings are on the sites to attract potential customers into contacting them. For me, there was one listing which I would like to view the place in person, upon contacting the agent, they told me that the place is no longer available, instead there is another place that is similar to the listing that I enquired about. In my case, I could just reject, or go ahead and arrange a time and date to view that listing. I read about other people's experience, whereby they were only told that the place was no longer available when they were physically at the real estate office.

Other than putting up listings for places that are no longer available, the photographs shown in the listings may not be updated, whether it is on purpose or not. In this case, some places may look like they are brand new through the photographs but in reality, they may be run down. So always check any other details provided in the listing. Best if you make the trip to view the place in person to check the current condition of the place before making any decision to lease.

What To Do After Signing

So everything checks out, you've signed a contract and you are happy with your new place. Don't get too comfortable yet! To play on the safe side, you should register your contract with your neighbourhood community center. The process is called "hwak jeong eul ja (확정일자)". Essentially, going through this process is to secure your security deposit. In case your landlord defaults or declare bankruptcy, you can recover your security deposit. Note that to do this, you need to bring along your contract and your Alien Resident Card (ARC). In my case, I signed the contract with my passport, since my ARC wasn't ready yet. Once my ARC is ready, I need to return to my real estate agent for them to update the contract with my ARC identification number in the system. Then I can head over to the community center to register my contract to secure my security deposit.

Useful Links

http://www.gwanak.go.kr/site/eng/02/10206000000002017022302.jsp

https://www.expatkidskorea.com/article/26-dos-and-donts-when-finding-housing-in-korea.html

Getting My Hair Done at CCA Hair Salon, Hongdae Branch In Seoul

 

Let me first give you the deeds before sharing my experience.

Name of salon: CCA Hair Salon (까헤어)

Location: Seoul, Mapo-gu, Seogyo-dong, 334 1 2nd floor, Hongdae

Contact: https://www.instagram.com/ccahair/?hl=en

Directions on getting there: Nearest subway station is Hongik Univ. Station then take exit 6 or 7. I would recommend exit 7. Pluck the address from above and paste into whatever map application you use. The salon is not that far from the station. Perhaps, a 5 minutes walk? Or 7 minutes, if you have radish legs like mine. I use Naver Map here in South Korea, so if you do too, you can either type Kka Hair or 까헤어 as an alternative to the address and the application will direct you to the salon.

Now time for the tea. I'm spilling it, I'm spilling it. Okay actually there isn't tea, just me and my experience. Hahaha.

So the greatest reason in choosing this salon over the many other salons in South Korea is because of my friend's budget. Not that my wallet is bottomless, but I usually don't mind spending a little bit more on my hair since I don't do my hair often. So I make sure to do everything (cut - dye - treatment) all at once and then it will last me at least 6 months. Usually in most salons, they charge extra depending on the length of your hair. So prices are always a range but not this salon! This salon does not charge extra even if your hair is sweeping the floor. My friend has long hair so the price of a single dye (69,500 krw) is definitely worth for her length.

Full price list here: https://m.blog.naver.com/cca_hongdae/221236281704

For my hair length, I suppose it is still considered cheap. In my case, I did a two tone hair dye so the price is 89,500 krw but my stylist asked his boss if it was okay to charge me at the price for single dye and the boss kindly agreed. On account that my hair is not long and also since I am bleaching my hair plus doing a hair treatment there. So take it as goodwill discount. Honestly, I feel that the service in general is quite good but I have had better service in other salons in South Korea.

The assistant, as I heard has only been working there for a month when we visited. She is really very cute and nice. What I couldn't really stand was that the two stylists who were working on my friend's hair and mine, doesn't seem to be very friendly towards her. At one point when she was applying the bleach on my hair, the lady stylist working on my friend's hair told her to grab more hair dye. The poor assistant had to drop what she was doing on my hair, apologised to me, and ran off to get whatever that stylist needed. That female stylist even told her to hurry up. Like seriously? I couldn't stand the sight of it. She was working on my hair, not like she was slacking away in a corner.

No matter how skilled a stylist is, if he or she comes with such a personality, I wouldn't want them to be working on my hair.

As for my stylist, initially I thought he was better than the female stylist. But it feels like his words to the assistant carried a lot of sarcasm. When he was cutting my hair, I think, there were a couple of times that he stretched in the midst of it. I didn't think that was professional at all. Yes, I understand that being a hair stylist is a very tiring occupation but this is the first time I am encountering this in South Korea, even when I do my hair back in Singapore or even Malaysia (before covid), I have not encountered this. And note that I am making a comparison to my experiences before covid happened, where salons were way busier than that late afternoon - evening when we visited.

Another surprise I got was when towards the end of the process, the boss came to say that if we pay by foreign credit/debit card, there is an 8% surcharge. No surcharge if we pay using a Korean card or cash. Well, I would have appreciated that he told me this earlier in our Instagram chat when I was arranging the appointment for my friend and I. It was obvious that we were foreigners? There is an ATM nearby of the salon if we want to withdraw cash. Gentle reminder that drawing cash in a foreign country subjects your cash to be converted at a bank rate and depending on your bank, there may be a withdrawal fee, which in my case, there is.

By the time I was done, I think it was close to 7pm or past 7pm? My math brain wasn't exactly working anymore so I just decided to pay that 8% surcharge, after calculating how much that surcharge would be, of course, to ensure it wasn't ridiculously high. My total bill came up to 314,000 krw, 339,120 krw including the 8% surcharge. I don't even remember exactly how was the breakdown anymore, but the 314,000 krw consists of haircut, hair dye, bleach and treatment. Which I feel that in my case, if I were to pay this price at the end of the day, I would have went to this other salon also in Hongdae that I have frequented I think twice or thrice before covid, when I came to South Korea on a holiday. But as mentioned earlier, the price is very much worth it for my friend.

In summary, I think that this salon is very worth it if you have long hair, price wise. But for me, sometimes it is more than just the price, the attitude and personality of the stylists matters as well. It kinda reflects on the salon, I feel, since they work there after all, they are part of the salon's image. Then again, these are only two stylists out of like maybe four or five of them there? I am not saying that their service is bad, just saying that it could be better! If I were to do a single hair dye then I might just return, but if otherwise, probably not. Things that irk me may be things that you can overlook so...to each their own!

P.S. I really want to tell the lady assistant to hang in there! She said that being a stylist is her dream.

Amusement Park : Lotte World (롯데월드)

 

Lotte World is an amusement themed park that has both an indoor and outdoor section. And its indoor component alone already gives Lotte World its reputation as the biggest indoor amusement themed park in Seoul. It is probably also, if not the most, one of the most convenient amusement parks that one can easily travel to via public transport.

How to get there:

Take the subway to Jamsil Station, which is on line no. 2 (green) and line no. 8 (pink) then proceed with either Exit 3 or 4.

You can also take a bus with the full list of buses here.

If you are travelling by car, parking information can be found here.

Ticket prices:

Ticket info taken from: https://adventure.lotteworld.com/eng/price/ticket/contentsid/471/index.do

As the ticket price is cheaper if you enter the park after 4pm, so the park can actually get very crowded after that time, especially with families. So you might want to weigh the cost savings on the ticket versus the time spent on queueing for the rides.

Alternatively, you can also get cheaper tickets here!* Which was where my friends and I got ours, and we thoroughly enjoyed the park from opening till closing!

Opening hours: Generally 10am - 9pm daily

But to be sure, please check the timings here and from the site you can also check which attraction is closed for that day, probably due to maintenance or technical difficulties.

* Affiliate Disclosure *

Sometimes I use affiliate links.

What does that mean? It means that if I’ve used a product or service and liked it, and that product or service has an affiliate program, I sign up for it. Then, when I mention that product or service in one of my blog posts, I link to it using my affiliate link.

How does that translate for you? Should you end up buying something as a result of one of those links, I might get a little pocket money from the program. There will be no additional charges to you.

Seoul Forest (서울숲) : A Place for all Things Recreational and to Hide from the Sun in Summer

 

Seoul Forest is a huge park that is tagged as an eco-friendly zone and it consists of five parks, or sections per say - Culture & Art Park, Eco Forest, Experiential Learning Park, Marsh Plants Garden and Hangang Riverside Park. There are so many views to see, even animals, and facilities opened for all to use. And the best part, they are all free! Which makes Seoul Forest one of the most popular recreational places amongst the people here. You can also get to see young people putting up performances and find a shady spot to sit down and enjoy. (Although currently, you won't get to see this now due to covid.)

How to get there:

Take the subway to Seoul Forest Station, which is on the Bundang line (yellow) then proceed with Exit 3. The park will be about 5 minutes away by walking. There will be signs around to point you in the right direction.

Alternatively, you can also take the subway to Ttukseom Station, which is on Line no. 2 (green) and then proceed to Exit 8. The park will be a 15 minutes walk from the station.

You can also take a bus with the full list of buses here.

If you are travelling by car, for enquiries, please call 02-461-2916.

What to do here:

There are just so many things to list down!

The video embed above does not cover the entire park. I believe there are walk-with-me videos uploaded on Youtube that are over an hour or two hours long in which you might probably be able to see the entire park. However, nothing beats seeing the place in person, if you can. Below, I will list some stuff that I did not manage to cover in my video.

There is a open field for people to gather and picnic (although sadly, yes it's covid again, that causes this area to be blocked out, for now.) But once we get through this pandemic, start gearing up with your picnic mats and baskets!

One thing that I found fascinating (and adorable) is that the people here all knew the best spots during summer to lay their mats. The peak of Summer in South Korea is hot (coming from someone whose country is hot all year round), but it is tolerable if you hide from the sun's rays. Occasionally when there is breeze, it could even feel cooling. Hence, on my trip here, I saw that many locals, especially families, found the best spots in the park. They were all lined up along this small stream where the adults would dip their bare feet into the cooling water while their children just splashed around in it.

There are basketball courts and tennis courts, which I think the tennis court might be more of a multi-purpose court where you can switch it up if you want to play badminton instead. Dress up in your sports attire and sweat it out! If cycling is more of your thing, there are also rental kiosks for you to rent the bicycles and you can cycle in the park.

When you get tired, there are convenience stores with sitting areas for you to take a break. There are also water dispensers around the park for you to help you stay hydrated. Also in the park, there is a cafe if you need more than just snacks.

To help you navigate around the place better, you can download a map of the park in English here.

Opening hours: Opens 24/7 all year round

But do note that certain facilities may be closed on Mondays and would only operate during certain hours.

[Ecological Forest] 05:30-21:30

[Insect Garden] 11:00-16:00 (Closed Mondays & Tuesdays)

[Butterfly Garden] 11:00-16:00 (Closed Mondays & Tuesdays; Operates at the Insect Garden 2F November-April)

[Water Fountain] May, June, September 13:00, 14:00, 15:00, 16:00 / July-August 12:00, 13:00, 14:00, 15:00, 16:00 (30 min show / No operation on Mondays)

[Visitor Center] March-October 10:00-18:00 / November-February 10:00-17:00

Information taken from here.

Affordable Massages in Seoul

 Whether you are in Seoul for a holiday or staying here for the long term, one's muscles would experience fatigue from constant movement, or non-movement in my case. It is common to feel sore and aches all over, hence I scoured the internet for massage places that are hopefully, really as pleasant as other articles described.

1. Karahill Beauty Spa

Located on the 3rd floor of a part office, part apartment looking building is Karahill. They offer Thai massages and aroma massages, with 60 minutes of Thai massage priced at 39,000 krw. When I was there, I recall seeing that they also offer services such as eyebrow tattooing for very cheap, less than 100,000 krw for two people.

My friend and I booked a 90 minutes Thai massage that costs 50,000 krw because 60 minutes is always never enough for me. The masseuses here all seems to be native Thai, and that name of my masseuse is Kob and my friend's is Mon.

Kob uses a lot of strength, which I like, because I get ticklish easily so her strength suits me although I believe she can exert less strength if it is too painful, and she was always checking in with me if I am okay. They can speak and understand enough Korean and English to make sure that you are comfortable throughout the massage, like if it too painful, etc.

It was like Kob knew where all my knots were and she paid more attention to those areas. At the end of the massage, I told my friend about it and my friend agreed, saying the same for hers. I have been stretched in every possible way that I didn't even know it was possible until now. Which is a good thing, because you can never stretch in those positions by yourself.

I wouldn't call this a downside but Karahill is no top notch facility. Instead, it seems like an office space turned into a spa, but the place was clean enough. The room only has a mattress, no bed. But then again, maybe has to do with us doing a Thai massage? But the mattress was thick enough and clean. The massage was very good and the service is very hospitable, from the masseuses and I suppose the owner of the place. So the price is actually very worth it. They also have a locker that you can use for free to put your clothes and belongings. At the end of the massage, you also get a free drink, which you can choose one from either canned less sweet coffee, canned corn tea or bottled water.

I would definitely highly recommend this place if you need a good massage that doesn't burn a hole in your wallet.

[Naver Map]

Jamsil Karahil Spa

서울 송파구 백제고분로7길 3 은성빌딩 3층

http://naver.me/FcjRZEqt

2. Sangam Bone Healing Massage

Located in the Digital Media City area where all the major broadcasting and news stations are. Seems like they take up the entire building.

The reception is on the second floor. When I first went in, I kept hearing some low growling sound, only to find out that they keep a bulldog there! So for those who are afraid of furry friends, beware. It was just sleeping peacefully at one side anyway, so I don't suppose it would attempt to approach any customers.

I was brought to another floor above after the receptionist confirmed my booking. As compared to Karahill, instead of lying on a mattress, you get a proper massage bed. The price is also slightly higher too. So I suppose, you get what you pay for. They have a section (back/leg/feet) massage starting from 29,900 krw that lasts 40 minutes, and 60 minutes full body massage starting from 50,000 krw.

The lady who did my massage was an older lady who has more than 30 years of experience in being a massage therapist. I think she goes by No Seon Saeng (where Seon Saeng is like teacher, and along those lines) or was it Do Seon Saeng? Hahaha I forgot. Oops. But I do remember that she doesn't work there everyday, she's only on shift there on Mondays and Saturdays.

My pain points have consistently been my shoulders and back, especially my shoulder blades area, and now even my neck too. All from bad posture while sitting and standing. Bad circulation in general from sitting in the same spot for too long. I wanted immediate relieve of those sore spots but she went for my legs first and ask me if my legs hurt frequently. To which the answer was no. I know my blood circulation is bad, which would extend to my legs as well, but I definitely don't feel pain, at all. Not even soreness. That was what I thought, until she started massaging on them.

So previously, I've learned from my Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) massage therapist that if you don't feel soreness but feels it once you pressed on the spot, it means that it is on it's way to becoming bad. And if you feel soreness from the get go without having to press on it, means it is bad. Hahahaha. Sorry for the bad explanation but I hope you get what I mean. Basically, your body is giving you signs on its current state to which degree.

With that said, my legs are on its way to becoming as bad as my upper body. I really wanted to relieve the soreness on my back like how the session at Karahill went. She also asked me where I feel pain, to which I pointed out, so she did massage those areas. I did a 90 minutes session, and in that entire 90 minutes, it felt like she spread it out over my entire body. Literally from the tip of my head to my toes, front and back. Although I don't feel much relief on my upper body at the end of the session, I have to say, my legs felt very light. Not to say I don't feel any better on my upper body, I just don't feel the magic on my back unlike in my legs.

I would still recommend this place if you need a good massage. This is only one massage therapist out of, I don't know, how many therapists they have. But she's good if you need an overall relief throughout rather than pinpoint on a certain area.

[Naver Map]

Bon Healing

서울 마포구 월드컵북로 352-16

http://naver.me/xzFtU7qv

3. Seoul Seorae Village Spa [will be back to update in detail once I have experienced this myself]

They have a 60 minutes D-Muscle Pain Spa Therapy and 60 minutes V-Fit Tightening Facial Therapy starting at 55,000 krw each if booked via the WAUG platform.

[Naver Map]

Spa Hyurijae

서울 서초구 동광로 92 스파 휴리재

http://naver.me/xot8vuf0