The moment I stepped onto the metro in Seoul, I guess you could say I knew I wasn’t in Kansas anymore. Judging by how incredibly stylish and good looking everyone was, I literally felt like I’d been transported into a Korean music video. I arrived in Seoul later in the day and I got to my Airbnb by Seodaemun station in the evening. When I finally got up to my fifteenth floor shared apartment, I was welcomed to this magical view right outside my bedroom window (pictured above). I stared wide-eyed as all the lights from Seoul’s beautiful skyline shined right back at me. That’s the moment I knew I was going to like this place. After getting ready for my first night in Seoul, I jumped onto the metro and made my way to the well-known nightlife district of Itaewon. There, I was welcomed to lively bustling streets with endless Korean BBQ restaurants, street food, bars and the most fashionable people I’ve ever seen in one place. Needless to say, I was in love with Seoul.

 

After spending the night people-watching in Itaewon, I woke up ready to take on Seoul. The first place on my list to visit was Insa-dong district. It was a bit confusing finding this area at first; I remember walking through tiny winding alleyways for some time before somehow, ending up on the main street. I was also without data for my 5-day stay, which made this trip real interesting. When I finally did find it, I saw it was a pedestrian-only street filled with a variety of modern and traditional stores. The streets were lined with tea shops, antiques, art galleries, cafes, and shopping. I walked up and down the main street a couple times, making sure I didn’t miss anything. Unlike in Shanghai, I could feel a sense a calmness when walking through these streets. There were no scooters in sight and I could feel a shift in how much friendlier everyone was.

 

I’m not going to lie, I’ve never been a big fan of Korean food. It’s probably been my least favourite out of all cuisines considering how spicy most dishes are. That was one of my biggest concerns before coming to Seoul – what the hell will I eat there? However, when I had this bibimbap (pictured above), which is basically white rice mixed with meat and vegetables, I started to change my tune. It was lightly raining out one day and I just ran into the first restaurant I saw. I’m not even sure if I’ve ever had bibimbap in my life but as I was enjoying this, I wondered why in the world I didn’t try this earlier. From the looks of it, bibimbap looks and is very simple in concept but when you mix all the ingredients together with soy sauce, it’s actually quite delicious. Safe to say, I had a newfound appreciation for Korean food and I was excited to try more.

 

After being fully satisfied with my meal, I made my way over to Bukchon Hanok Village – a historical village in Seoul. Since arriving in Seoul, I came to realize it’s a city filled with slopey streets, which was no different in Bukchon. It was full of narrow winding alleys, eventually leading to the centermost point at the top of the hill. The village itself was a perfect way to marvel between old and new. Once at the top, you could see the modern skyscrapers of the city against the 600-year preserved traditional architecture of Bukchon Village.

 

I loved exploring the alleys of Bukchon. I walked up and down the multiple narrow pathways while admiring the traditional Korean houses with their tiled roofing and wooden double doors. There were also many people, especially women, dressed in a Hanbok (a South Korean traditional dress) that can be rented from shops nearby. I considered renting one for myself but seeing as I was alone, I didn’t see the point. Wearing a traditional Hanbok is definitely the thing to do when visiting Seoul for both men and women. You’ll see it in all historical sites where couples dress up together to enjoy cultural neighbourhoods such as Bukchon.

 

My favourite part of being in Bukchon Village was when I stumbled upon this tea museum once I reached the top (pictured above). For a small admission fee, I received a complimentary tea and access to the observatory over the village. I remember just sitting on the patio while enjoying the view and thinking how peaceful it was. Unlike most tourist attractions, Bukchon was mostly quiet and not overly crowded. I actually got to enjoy this outdoor patio by myself and I couldn’t have asked for anything better. I loved having time to myself while in Seoul but shortly after leaving the tea museum, I made friends with two other tourists offering to take my photo. When I say I love Seoul, it’s mainly because of the amount of people I met on this trip. It’s nice traveling solo for this reason – you meet so many more people that you never would’ve with someone else.

 

That same night, I met up with my new friends who ended up introducing me to a bunch of other people. It was especially nice meeting a bigger group of people because prior to that, I was wondering who I’d be partying or eating Korean BBQ with (two of the must-dos in Seoul). Luckily for me, my prayers had been answered and I made some friends right as my Korean BBQ cravings peaked. Needless to say, we had Korean BBQ that night and I can confirm that I have officially had legit Korean BBQ now. One thing you should know about Seoul is that they literally have Korean BBQ restaurants everywhere (more than the amount of Tim Hortons we have in Toronto). You can’t walk down any of the nightlife districts without being tempted to go into one – especially the ones on the patio or with windows opening up to the street.

 

Pictured above is the view outside my bedroom window during sunrise. The only reason I was able to witness this glorious view at 5 am in the morning was because I literally stayed out until the sun came out one night. If you haven’t guessed already, the thing that made Seoul so special for me was the nightlife. The amount of energy that filled the nightlife districts of Itaewon, Hongdae and Gangnam was incomparable to any other city I’ve ever been. Before meeting my new friends, I debated checking out the clubs in Seoul by myself for fear of missing out while I was there. I’m glad it didn’t have to resort to that because truthfully, who really wants to go clubbing alone? We ended up going to a club called Loveholic two nights in a row. Aside from it being a really amazing hip-hop club, it was also the only place in Hongdae district that was the most accepting of foreigners. In terms of partying, I found that Hongdae is more for locals, Itaewon is mainly for foreigners and Gangnam is where the upscale clubs are.

 

Of course, no trip to Seoul would be complete without reserving at least half a day for shopping. And if you know anything about Korea, you’ll know that it’s a nation obsessed with beauty. In a big city like Seoul, especially, it’s no wonder how undergoing plastic surgery tends to be the norm. Hence, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that they have an entire district dedicated to makeup and skincare products. Walking around Myeongdong district (pictured above), you can spend the day being offered multiple face masks as you pass shop after shop. It was the biggest crowd I’d seen since coming to Seoul, with so many different beauty brands that it made my head spin. Mixed in with the makeup stores were multiple street vendors and food stands serving yummy street food while you shopped. It was nice to experience the cultural obsession with beauty as well as to feed my own fixation with makeup itself. I walked away with a few makeup products in hand that day, wanting to come back for more.

 

When one goes to Seoul, it’s inevitable that the N Seoul Tower will be on your to-do list. The truth is it’s not the most aesthetically pleasing tower I’ve ever seen. However, the fact that it sits on a mountaintop made the experience different from the rest of the observation towers I’ve been to. There are a few ways up the mountain but I decided to take a cable car up. When I finally arrived at the top of the mountain and looked up at the tower, I decided not to pay the extra admission to go up after all. One, there was already a beautiful view of Seoul at the base of the tower and two, I didn’t want to take more pictures through a fingerprinted glass window (like in Shanghai). In fact, the view right outside the Seoul Tower was quite spectacular, with nothing obstructing my view but open air.

 

I was lucky enough to reach the top of Namsan Mountain just after sunset and got to witness Seoul at its finest hour. The view was absolutely perfect; nothing beats looking at the city from on top of a mountain. Seoul was by far my favourite stop on my Asia trip but it definitely wasn’t all smooth sailing. One of the biggest problems I encountered was not having data during my 5-day stay. I figured I could purchase a WiFi card in the city but that turned out to be impossible to find. For those coming to Seoul, make sure to purchase a WiFi Egg at the airport. I had to survive off the wifi provided in restaurants and cafes wherever I went. Luckily, Seoul has the easiest access to WiFi out of everywhere I’ve been but it definitely would’ve been handier to have data on my phone. That was really evident the day I went to the N Seoul Tower as I had made plans to meet up with my friends there. However, living off of spotty wifi, we didn’t end up finding each other in this major tourist area. Lesson learned: never be without data while traveling!

 

On my last day in Seoul, I made sure to visit the Gyeongbokgung Palace before it was time to go. Located closely to Bukchon Village, I was once again able to experience the history of traditional Korean culture alongside the city landscape. Once I entered the palace doors, I was taken to a beautiful open space leading to multiple complexes within the palace. Everyone was once again dressed in beautiful Hanbok clothing, which I hear will allow you free entry into the palace. The space itself was massive, with entrances leading to different parts of the historical site. I intended to spend my last day solo but coincidentally, right as I stepped inside, I bumped into two friends I’d met a few nights earlier (what are the chances of that?).

 

It worked out pretty well because as much as I do love wandering alone – let’s be real – it’s always nice to have someone to take your photo when traveling. In such a beautiful setting as Gyeongbokgung Palace, I felt blessed that I found familiar faces to share this moment with. Again, unlike most tourist spots, the palace wasn’t overly crowded which allowed you to take your photos without millions of people around. We spent a good two hours in there exploring the different pathways and taking in the traditional Korean architecture. I had a really peaceful time walking around the palace, which was composed of multiple buildings in an outdoor space. It was one of those days where I didn’t feel rushed at all and could just take my time to enjoy.

 

I ended my last night in true Seoul fashion with some good old Korean BBQ and drinks in Gangnam with new friends. My time in Seoul was far from perfect with the no data situation and being rejected from various cab rides (life without Uber). However, I’m not lying when I say Seoul really got my soul (no cheesiness whatsoever). From the spirited vibes of each cultural district to the eclectic energy of the nightlife scene, I never would’ve expected to love Seoul quite this much. It was such an exciting city – I could feel it from the moment I arrived. Pictured above in the palace, you can see me in my polka-dotted romper that I couldn’t stop wearing my entire time in Seoul. It was such an easy piece to throw on as I spent my days traveling from one place to the next. I was sad to say goodbye to Seoul but I was excited to see my sister next – in the beautiful city of Singapore. Stay tuned for the rest of my adventures in Asia!

 

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Seoul Photo Gallery