Guidelines for planning your own Korea trip

Thanks to Air Asia, many Malaysians can now visit the land of K-Pop at reasonable fares. Here are some guidelines or tips for those who are planning a trip there on your own. Other than leave availability and budget, do consider your objectives when deciding your travel schedule:

Weather/ Season - Generally spring is a nice season to travel for four season countries, including Korea. When it comes to summer, sceneries will be almost the same as Malaysia. Busan, which is rich with mountains, cliffs and beaches, will be a nice place to visit. You’ll get to see ladies in bikinis and topless muscular men in Haundae and other beaches. If you look forward to experiencing snow or skiing, Seoul and its surroundings will be ideal. Most ski resorts operate from December to February each year. Contrary to what many will assume, Busan does not have snow for most winters! So think twice if you planning a trip to Busan around December-February. It will be very lucky if you see snow in Busan.

Skiing – The best time for skiing will be December and January. If you go in November, ski resorts may not be operating yet or there’s not enough snow.

Shopping – If your objectively is shopping then any season will do. There are many malls, department stores and street stalls in major cities like Seoul and Busan. Youngsters would prefer going to Myeongdong – a compact area with everything you want. For street stalls, Dongdaemun and Namdaemun are the places to go. There are also malls operating almost 24 hours in Dongdaemun e.g Migliore Mall. A haven for ladies! For Busan I would recommend shopping in Seomyeom and Nampo-dong. If you have a tight budget or looking for cheap goods, explore the local market at Nampo-dong. It’s a bit off from the main streets in Nampo-dong, normally visited by the locals only. P/s: Bargaining is not an issue in tourist areas as most of them speak fluent Mandarin.

How many days in Korea?
If you’re planning to stay in one city, one week is more than enough. If you’re planning to cover Seoul/Busan and Jeju Island, at least one week is recommended. 5 days in Jeju Island and 5 days in Seoul/Busan. As of now there are no direct flights to Jeju Island from Malaysia. Travellers will need to take a flight to Seoul/Busan first. So you’ll be spending around one day’s time in total for the international flights, domestic flights, travelling and waiting time. Geographically Busan is much nearer to Jeju Island, and thus cheaper flight tickets and duration to Jeju Island.

Getting around
Getting around within Seoul and Busan is very convenient and cheap with train. Just get yourself a transportation card such as T-Money, Cashbee. The card can be purchased at around 2,000 won (around RM6). T-Money is widely use in most cities and the card value can be reloaded in convenient stores like 7-11. You can also use your T-Money to purchase goods in convenient stores and selected vending machines.

Tip: If you plan to explore out, it’s recommended to do some homework as language can be a barrier in non-tourist areas. Do mark down names of places in English and also the writing in Hangul. It helps a lot when asking for directions and info.

For those travelling to Jeju Island, it is recommended that you rent a car for groups of 3 pax and above. Car rental is relatively cheap upon sharing and travelling by bus in Jeju Island is not that convenient (low frequency and some places does not have direct bus).

Must experience
Your Korea trip will not be complete without experiencing Jjimjilbang (Korea bath houses). They have many pools and sauna with different temperature and features. The bathing section is normally separated between male and female. Toiletries such as shampoo are available for purchase if not provided. After bathing there is a common area for relaxation and chit-chat. You can purchase drinks, snacks and food etc from the counters in the common area.

Tip: Try what the locals do - bring your own mask and relax while watching TV in the common area.

What to buy from Korea?
Locally produced goods are cheap in Korea:
- Local cosmetic/skincare brands (e.g. The Face Shop, Skin Food)
- Clothings – Winter/ Thick jackets, socks, stockings, hats, scarfs, hair accessories.
- Food – Kimchi (make sure it’s properly packed to avoid spill over), ginseng products, local specialties.

Payment
Credit cards are widely accepted in Korea e.g. convenient stores, malls. However for street stalls and many local shops only cash is accepted.