First solo trip to Korea
あやのん
4 days ago
This was my 6th time going to Korea!
My main goal was beauty treatments, so I thought it would be fine to go alone, and it became my first solo overseas trip!
I went for 2 nights and 3 days!
I can’t speak English or Korean, so I was nervous, but I managed somehow (^^)
I’ve always loved traveling, and I’ve been abroad quite a few times!
Every time I think, I really should’ve studied English, right… still, being able to speak is definitely better!!
So before we get into Korea, I want to start by introducing the must-have apps!
NAVER (maps) and Subway (subway directions) are absolutely worth having!
They’re insanely helpful!
If you rely on only Google Maps, some places won’t show up properly, so make sure to download these before you go!
Honestly, I can’t even get around in Korea without these two.
Also, I’m sure everyone already knows this, but buy an eSIM and set it up before you leave the country!
I think buying it through Trip.com is the cheapest!
I bought a total of 5GB for 3 days, and it was in the 400-yen range!
Wait, isn’t that way too cheap?
If you buy from other sites, I feel like it’ll cost at least 1,000 yen more.
There are other plans too, like “X GB per day.”
I used to buy mine on Rakuten, but I’ve decided I’ll get it here from now on.
But, I thought 5GB would be plenty because the hotel has Wi-Fi, and still, I was using my phone constantly, like checking recommended spots on TikTok while moving around, so it was pretty close (^^;;
On the last day I was scared I’d run out of data, so I used it while trying to save, so I recommend choosing a plan with some extra room, lol
Also, I arrived via Incheon Airport, and to get to Seoul Station, I recommend taking the express train called AREX!
You can buy tickets on Creatrip, and it ends up just a little cheaper than usual!
You can easily buy it on-site too, but if you want to save, definitely check it out!
You can also go by regular subway, but transferring is a hassle, and with AREX you can get straight to Seoul Station with no transfers, so it’s super easy!
Honestly, I’d rather head to Seoul from Gimpo Airport since it’s closer, but flights to Incheon Airport are cheaper, so this is where I save money.
For the subway, I used to use a T-money card (like Suica in Japan), but I heard there’s a new thing called the Climate Companion Card, so I bought one and tried it out right away!
It’s 10,000 won for 3 days of unlimited rides on city subways and buses!
There are plans for other numbers of days too!
So, so convenient!!
There are also ticket-style options, but you have to deal with a refund system where you pay a deposit each time, and the process is annoying!
And the lines at the ticket machines can be long with people topping up, which eats up time, so if you’re moving around a lot, you should definitely buy a T-money or the Climate Companion Card!
By the way, if you top up T-money, you can also use it normally for shopping at convenience stores and stuff!
And of course, a translation app, I’m sure anyone traveling overseas already has one on their phone, but don’t forget to download it!
It’s really handy to use the camera scan to read restaurant menus!
So yeah, I guess these are the basics you’ll need at first.
Feels like there are more things too, but…
Let’s move on to the beauty treatments! lol
The main reason for this Korea trip, lip tattooing!!
I’ve had very little pigment in my lips since forever, and when I was in high school I didn’t even wear makeup, so teachers would ask if I was feeling okay, even though I was totally fine, that’s how worried they got lol
My complexion really looks bad,
and when I wake up in the morning it’s always seriously bad lol
So anyway, I searched on Instagram for a good salon and found a reasonably priced place that had staff who could speak Japanese, so I went there!
It’s not a famous place, so I’ll keep the name private.
As soon as I arrived, they guided me straight to the bed and I lay down immediately. After a quick consultation, they put numbing cream on my lips, and I was like, wait, seriously?? and got worried, but after letting the numbing sit, there was another consultation, so it turned out to be okay.
I had seen reviews on TikTok from people who got it done at other places, so I was wondering a bit how it would be, and even though it said there would be Japanese-speaking staff, there were parts that didn’t get through and I had to use a translation app, so there were a few moments where I was like hmm… but,
in the end, I’m super satisfied!!
Apparently the skin starts peeling after about a week, so I don’t know the final result yet, but I’m excited⭐︎
By the way, the procedure itself hurt a lot.
When I started tearing up, they added more numbing!
It felt like I was being scraped with one of those electric tools like the kind used at the dentist or for nails.
I didn’t look because I was scared and kept my eyes shut! lol
After it was done, it swelled up and I looked like Allen-sama lol
I’m going to keep it super moisturized for a while!!
The place I went to lets you get a second session for about half price if you come back within six months!
I’ll watch how it goes and decide.
Next, I also wanted to do something for my face, but I didn’t know what I should do…
So I went to Desito Clinic, where they do a skin analysis first and then recommend treatments that fit you!
The machine they used for the skin analysis at the beginning was kind of amazing.
To put it simply, it said my skin is lacking moisture!
They showed me the analyzed results on a computer!
This is only a small part, it gets much more detailed.
Based on the results, they recommended treatments for me!
What I got was the Desito Booster!
It was an injection-type treatment, so… numbing again…
I’ve done things like Potenza before, so I was prepared, but even with numbing it still hurt (T_T)
After it was done, my face got all bumpy lol
I thought it would go down in a few hours, but it’s the kind of bumpiness that looks like it’ll last a few days lol
They gave me a mask when I was leaving, which really helped!
So that’s how day 1 went in a rough sense, in between I ate food and went to cafes too!
When you’re alone, the downside is that even if there’s a cute cafe, there’s no one to take photos for you (~_~;)
Day 2, I went to a clinic focused on dieting!!
It was Plan S, where if you book through Creatrip you get 10% back!
When I arrived, they first did a body measurement with a machine!
They gave me lots of detailed numbers, and I even got a printout of the results.
Then it was counseling.
We decided while talking through which areas I’m concerned about!
I checked the price list on Instagram beforehand and planned my budget around the fat-dissolving injection, but it ended up going way over what I expected. Like 5 times over lol
As I listened, the “one area” menu listed on the price list sounded like it wouldn’t really work for me (>_<)
So when I went with the plan they recommended, it got expensive!
It can’t be helped. It’s my fault for being chubby! lol
If it actually works, I hope it’ll be a good investment!
They also prescribed diet pills!
They look kind of sketchy and way too colorful lol
I got 6 weeks’ worth, so I’m going to take them and see how it goes.
Still, it hurt…
There was a sharp sting from the injection, and then it felt like it was being injected in, and it was like gyuin-gyuin lol
Honestly, “gyuin-gyuin” is the best way to describe it.
It came in waves, like, ah, it’s going in! the pressure is insane! it hurts!! and that happened a few times!
Is it really okay for the body to go through this?!
I was like, does everyone just endure this?!
I really can’t believe I endured it.
The areas where I got the High Fat injection swelled up a lot!
I recommend wearing loose, roomy clothes.
And that’s about how it ended!
A Japanese-speaking staff member stayed with me the whole time, so there was nothing I struggled with!
Okay, so I’m writing this because apparently if you write 3,000 characters you get coin rewards, but it’s way too long!!
I checked what I wrote earlier, and it was still only like 400 characters. This is so long, it’s taking way more time than I imagined lol
Maybe I should introduce some food and cafes too to boost the character count??
As a recommendation, if you go to Plan S, you should go eat at the Egoma Max restaurant in Gangnam! It was my first time trying it, and it was seriously delicious.
If you search TikTok for “Gangnam” and “Egoma Max,” I think you’ll see tons of posts right away, so check it out!
When I went around lunchtime, there was a bit of a line!
It was easy to go in even alone!
I also ordered a small size of Bossam, and it was still a pretty big portion.
So happy I got to eat something delicious!!
Also, I wanted to go to an Instagrammable cafe, so I went to the Dasique cafe in Seongsu!
Everything was cute, from the pink exterior to the inside!
The desserts are also super cute, so look it up!
But it is pretty sweet!
I have a sweet tooth so it was easy for me, but depending on the cake, it might be hard to finish??
In Seongsu, Betong is also famous for salt bread!
I heard the main store has a huge line…
I went to the Cheongdam branch on day 3 right at opening time and was able to buy it right away!
It felt like a hidden gem, which was great!
I got it to go, and it was honestly so, so delicious!!!
This was the first time I realized salt bread could be this good.
I did a bunch of other things too, but it feels like I’m close to 3,000 characters, so I’ll wrap it up!
Thank you so much if you read all the way to here!!
I’d be happy if even a little of this helps, have an amazing trip to Korea!
