Heading to Seoul and Korea for a month... any advice on sights to see/avoid? Would like to go party a bit in Seoul, but also want to avoid the seedy part of town once the sun goes down.
Heading to Seoul and Korea for a month... any advice on sights to see/avoid? Would like to go party a bit in Seoul, but also want to avoid the seedy part of town once the sun goes down.
Hello,
I am an expat living in Seoul and you are in for quite a treat. Many people love to hate on Korean culture however if you are a naturally patient and curious person you will have ball.
Some quick things to know... Korean food is delicious and cheap... we are talking 4 dollars for a meal that includes soup, panchan (small dishes that go with the meal) and a main dish.
Sight-seeing is ok here, however I would argue that the most interesting experiences can be garnered just walking around alot. Head to the art museum and some of the palaces throughout the city.
In terms of going out the three big areas are Itaewon, Apgujeong and Hongdae. Here is a rough breakdown.
Itaewon: Anything goes in this place. Come here and eat any cuisine in the world from traditional korean to mexican. You will see people from all over the place here. There are as many n. africans and westerners as asian people walking around. Itaewon has a semi-well deserved reputation as being seedy as hell. It can be if you get close to hooker hill. It is also a blast for partying however. Don't be a moron and nothing bad will happen to you.
Apgujeong: My favorite place to go out... it can get pricey depending on where you go but there is an excellent mixture of clubs and bars. The girls are by far the hottest in the city. You will see BMWs and Bentleys cruising the streets. Head to monkey beach for a pregame. Great crowd and staff. It is freaking cheap and it is hard to not walk out of there with at least 1 free bottle of booze. Shots are 2,000 won (2 dolla)...
Hongdae: I like it but it is far from me so I don't go that much. Lots of hiphop clubs and stuff if thats your thing but also good jazz clubs and stuff. Hot girls and can get a little pricey.
Now for the best part... the running.
The air quality might suck but look for trails that run along the river. The paths are all weather!!!! miles and miles of synthetic surface. This may sound like it will kill your legs but it is really soft and I have not had any problems though my bones seem to be as thick as a whales backbone.
Korean people are great, friendly and outgoing... they are however xenophobic. This is in some ways expected considering the army base and the many incidents of GIs doing pretty disrespectful stuff to the local population. Don't be rude dont yell in public and people will be really nice to you. Hope this helps, if you want to go out for a run or anything just tell me and ill post my info... Peace
How do you find out about races?
I live and work down in Anjung Eup, near Pyeongtaek, about 1.5 hours south of Seoul.
Ghost