Seoul, Korea: Insadong & Bukchon Hanok Village

We were starving after exploring Gyeongbokgung Palace, so we had lunch first at Insadong. We wanted to eat Korean BBQ so we just tried the first restaurant we saw which was this one:

bbq time!

side dishes

happy tummy

After we had our fill, we then decided to go to Bukchon Hanok Village. Based on what I read online, it was just walking distance from Insadong. Well, we had a map but we were still pretty confused where to go. And again with the steep streets! Anyway, I guess I really wasn't sure what to expect from the village. Like I didn't know if there was an admission fee or anything so at first we were looking for like the main entrance.

But the thing was, Bukchon Hanok Village is a residential neighborhood where people actually live. So we were walking around not realizing that we were already there gets? To be honest, I didn't really find it that interesting. We took a couple of pics but all the streets with hanoks, or traditional Korean houses, pretty much looked the same anyway... I read some reviews where people were raving about the place saying they spent hours exploring the village. But I guess this just isn't my cup of tea. 

We started to walk back to Insadong and passed by this beautiful church in the neighborhood. We went inside to pray and decided to check out the top floor which had a beautiful view of the village.

We got back to Insadong where we went souvenir shopping... The main street is Insadong-gil which has alleys on each side filled with art galleries, shops, cafes, and restaurants. We actually went inside some art galleries which was pretty interesting. Anyway, this is where we bought our pasalubongs, like t-shirts, magnets, and other trinkets.

the main road, Insadong-gil

some guy doing a bubble show on the corner of the street

the super popular ice cream snack in a tube cone

lots of street food everywhere

a free concert around the area

Anyway. this is the last of my Korean travel diary and I have to say, I'm missing Seoul so much! I definitely have to plan another trip here during the spring or autumn season so I can experience another side to this beautiful country. :)

Seoul, Korea: Gyeongbokgung Palace & Changing of the Guards

There are five grand palaces in Seoul built during the Joseon Dynasty, but we just chose to visit just one, which was Gyeongbokgung Palace. To be honest, I personally think they all kinda look the same anyway so why not just go to the biggest and regarded as the most beautiful, right? ;p

We took the train to Gyeongbokgung station and the first thing we saw when we exited the subway was the National Palace Museum of Korea. Too bad it was closed though, we would have loved to take a look inside (admission is free btw).

National Palace Museum of Korea

Right in front of the museum was the palace and we just had to walk a bit to finally reach the entrance.

We also made sure to arrive before 10am which was perfect since we were able to catch the Changing of the Guards ceremony, which happens outside the palace (I believe this takes place every hour until 3pm).

There were a lot of people, so make sure to position yourself in the front to be able to have a good view. But there's lots of space anyway, since the grounds are so huge. This is definitely a must-see since it's a great opportunity to experience a traditional ceremony which is reenacted exactly as in the olden times.

We went there on a Monday since it said online that the palace was closed on Tuesdays. There is an entrance fee of 3,000 won but it was apparently a holiday when we went (Autumn Harvest Festival) so entrance was FREE! But the downside was that there were no free guided tours that day. 

Heungnyemun or second inner gate. This was also the main entrance to the palace grounds.

Ready to do some serious walking... ;p

Gyeongbokgung was the main royal palace of the Joseon Dynasty. It was the first of the five palaces to be built and you can see the former offices of the state government, living quarters of past kings and queens, and historic artifacts inside.

The first building we saw was Geunjeongjeon which was the main hall of the palace. I believe this building was used for the king's affairs of state, including meetings and receptions with foreign guests.

Geunjeongjeon

this was the inside of the hall

After that, we just kinda wandered off wherever. I was just looking for nice spots (and there were a lot!) and making kulit hubby to take my pics haha!

Everything kinda looks the same for me though haha! But I loved taking pics of all the intricate details especially the rooftops. So pretty and colorful!

Saw a lot of people taking pics by this giant poster of Jewel in the Palace, which I guess was shot here.

 a map of the palace grounds

The whole palace grounds is really huge and sprawling, but I guess we didn't realize just how big it was until we reached this part. You couldn't even see any houses, just land and trees (and mountains in the background). And it was quite a long walk to get to the other compounds. I can imagine back in the olden days when you wanted to visit someone or even give an urgent message. You really need horses to get to one place to the next!

I definitely want to come back in spring or fall so see all the pretty flowers`and autumn colors :)

more day-off pics lol! ;p

fermented pastes and sauces in clay pots in one part of the palace

Hyangwonjeong, a two story hexagonal pavilion built on a small island in the middle of a lake

Gyeonghoeru, an open two story pavilion on a surrounding man-made pond, used for banquets and entertainment of foreign guests

We probably spent a little over 2 hours exploring the palace. We were already exhausted from all the walking (I guess because the weather was also a bit hot) and I think there were a lot we still didn't get to see. Hubby was the one who wanted to check out more places, but I was already happy with all our pictures and was already dying from hunger haha! ;p

We exited through the Gwanghwamun Gate which is the main gate of Gyeongbokgung. We left at about 12 noon so we were able to catch the hourly Changing of the Guards ceremony again, although it was now concentrated in this front area. 

Right across the Gwanghwamun Gate is Gwanghwamun Square, where you can see the statues of King Sejong and Admiral Yi-Sun-Shin. There is another exit from the train (Gwanghwamun Station, Subway Line 5) which I believe lets you walk out right here in the square itself. So maybe if you like, you can choose to exit here instead of where we did, so you can take pics with the statues before entering the palace. 

In our case, I was already soooo hungry that we decided to just skip going here and head straight to Insadong for lunch.

I'll be posting about Insadong and Bukchon Hanok Village next so stay tuned! :)

Seoul, Korea: Shopping at Myeongdong

After visiting the N Seoul Tower, we then headed to Myeongdong for some retail therapy!

cute graffiti wall in the area

Myeongdong is located in central Seoul and is a really a shopping paradise featuring a mix of local and international brands.

Here you'll find all the Korean cosmetic brands side by side, and in practically every corner! Plus, everything was on sale, with lots of buy 1 take 1 deals. I have to admit, it was really overwhelming for me since I was so confused what was the best product, brand, shade to get. I think I must have stepped inside each make-up store at least 2-3 times, just scoping out and comparing stuff. But what's nice is that if I suddenly decided that I finally wanted something, I was sure to find that store again because they're really everywhere! ;p

Ended up buying a little something from these beauty shops. I got some lipsticks, nail polish, facial wash, concealer and of course BB cream! So much cheaper than in Manila, plus love the free samples they give too. :)

All the high-street brands are also here like Forever 21, Uniqlo, Mango, Zara, etc. I couldn't help myself and ended up doing most of my shopping at H&M where I got some good stuff on sale. :)

And of course, lots and lots of street food! It was so fun just trying out different things whenever we got hungry from all the walking and shopping.

Hubby and I found this giant meatball so yummy! It was our favorite among all the street food we tried on this trip.

There were so many restaurants to choose from, but we ended up eating here since it was full of people (so we figured it must be good). Turns out Yoogane is a really popular resto in the area. :p

We ordered their Chicken Galbi fried rice, which they cooked right in the middle of our table. It was just ok for me, not something I'd want to eat again hehe. But at least I can say I've already tried it. :)

Myeongdong was pretty crowded though, especially in the narrower streets where it was hard to even stop to look at stuff. I personally think it would be quite challenging to bring small children here with you, especially if they're in strollers.

But as a shopaholic, I certainly loved the vibe of this area. If given a choice next time, I would want to book a hotel near here so I can just walk around whenever I wanted. But I'm sure, ubos ang pera lol. Hope to be back here soon! :)