Birthday Trip to Korea
Ka Ying Heung
a year ago
October is my birthday month, and this year I decided to spend my birthday traveling. My mom watched a lot of Korean food shows and really wanted to go to Korea. It also happens to be one of the best months for traveling in Korea, so we decided to travel to Seoul, Korea to celebrate my birthday.
The last time I went to Seoul was already nine years ago, so I did a lot of research before the trip.
I ordered the Korean Won exchange service on the Creatrip website. As soon as I arrived at the airport, I was contacted by the staff, reminding me of the pick-up location. The whole process was very quick, taking less than 3 minutes, and I also received two cute BELLYGOM co-branded transportation cards.
On the first day after arriving, we went to eat soy sauce crab. I had read an article on Creatrip about recommended soy sauce crab restaurants and chose a restaurant in Ahyeon-dong near our hotel. The prices were very reasonable, and the staff was friendly and polite. I stayed near Hongdae, so even at 9 PM, the area around the hotel was still very lively, with many trendy brand stores.
Soy sauce crab set for two, with rice wine, only 58,000 KRW
On the way back to the hotel, I also bought egg cakes
The next day was my birthday, so we decided to celebrate with grilled Korean beef. Around noon, we went to the ribeye steakhouse that we had previously reserved through Creatrip. We ordered the recommended set. The restaurant environment was clean, and they provided grilling services. The staff was kind and courteous, and during our conversation, they learned it was my birthday and wished me a happy birthday. Later, we went shopping at the largest Olive Young flagship store in Myeongdong. After that, we went to the Lotte Mart at Seoul Station and returned with a full load.
The roasted meat will be beautifully arranged on the plate
Staff Grilling
The meat display at the store entrance is super eye-catching
On the third day, we set off in the morning because we had signed up for a one-day tour to Nami Island + Petite France + Italian Village + The Garden of Morning Calm through Creatrip. Since the above attractions are not in Seoul, it would take at least over an hour by bus and require transfers if we went by ourselves. Moreover, I was traveling with elders, so signing up for a day tour was a more convenient arrangement. The first stop was The Garden of Morning Calm, which is also a filming location for many Korean dramas, such as Love in the Moonlight. That day, the weather was clear with blue skies and many tourists. We successfully saw the most famous ancient tree in the park—the Millennium Gingko. It truly lived up to its reputation. After that, we moved on to Nami Island, which is also a filming location for the classic Korean drama—Winter Sonata. The scenery on the island is beautiful, and there are many unique attractions. Finally, we went to the Italian Village and Petite France. The scenes often seen in variety shows could finally be experienced in person. We climbed the observation deck to take in the entire view of the valley.
Famous Millennium Ancient Tree - Millennium Fragrance
Park Scenery
Filming location of First Kiss
The Tree-Lined Avenue of Nami Island
Little Italy Village + Little France Village
On the last day, we went to Gwangjang Market, had authentic kimbap and mung bean pancakes for breakfast, and visited the famous bedding and hanbok shops in the market. Afterwards, we went to Dongdaemun and Myeongdong, bought quite a few clothes, and spent a leisurely afternoon in a coffee shop.
Mung Bean Pancake + Seaweed Rice Roll
This trip, there are still many places we didn't have time to visit or experience, such as Lotte Tower, Lotte World, and the aquarium. We also didn't have time to eat ginseng chicken soup or experience a jjimjilbang. However, this was my first time traveling independently to Seoul and accompanying elders, so I didn't want to arrange the itinerary too densely. Looking forward to the next trip to visit places we haven't been to and try new experiences.
