My best friend and I were having dinner at Bonchon.
We were into our usual unending chitchat about the day and the future when she suddenly think out loud, "Punta kaya tayong Korea?"
And I was like, "Ok"
And right after meal, we immediately looked for a studio and had our visa photo taken. 📸 (yung akala mo joke lang, totoo na pala) #hugot
Some travels happen when unplanned.
The next day, she booked the airfare for the month of March and processed our visa application.
Waiting for the visa application result.
This is the part where we became crazy like idiots.
We had the apprehensions like what if we get denied?
What about the airfare that we have booked?
'Cause, those are non-transferrable.😣
But really, waiting for the visa application result was like forever to us. Though it only took two weeks, to me it felt worse than waiting for my board exam result. Ok, I exaggerated on that part, it wasn't worse than waiting for the board exam result but, it's still not a good feeling. #WaitingGame
And the result was released. We managed to check their portal every now and then (we did that for two weeks) so we're updated real-time on the status. Our applications were approved.
Relieved.
Thank You, Lord.
5- day Vacation leave filed. ✌
Here's the link to check the Korea Visa application status:
Korea visa portal
✈
Touch down, KR!
Airport. Jaw-dropped.
I personally believe that Airports give the first impression to arriving tourists. And I'm deeply impressed with Incheon International Airport. It's Korea, what do we expect? 😉
First thing while at the airport, we picked up the pocket wifi that we have rented online a day before our flight. ✔
Then we rode the AREX train from Incheon all the way to Seoul. Less than 60 minutes)
🚝
Conquering Seoul.
5 days are not enough. There's a lot to discover about Seoul- it's people, culture, food, places, and more. But we had to squeeze the time and visit the must-see places when in Seoul.
Number one on the list, Gyeongbokgung Palace. Just around the Palace, you can find stores that rent-out Hanbok (Traditional Korean dress) for as low as 10,000 KRW for 2 hours plus free hair braid service. When you rent a Hanbok, you can roam inside the Gyeongbokgung Palace for free. And roaming inside the Gyeobokgung Palace was my favorite part of our Korea Adventure. It was because, while wearing the Hanbok and the Palace as my background, I felt like I was part of the K-drama Jewel in the Palace - Jang Geum. What?! Jang Geum? What year was that? #TitaOfManila
Protip. You can wear the Hanbok anywhere, not just inside the Palace, as in roam anywhere. Just make sure to return the rented Hanbok within the given time.
Myeongdong Market. The go-to place to buy souvenirs. There's so much we can find here especially Korean beauty products. Innisfree, Tony Moly, Nature Republic, Etude House, name it! Yes, we get a haul of the Korean Face masks! Who wouldn't when they sell it with free packs? 😍 And oh the Korean snacks. Why do they have yummy snacks, they are just so good! My personal pick would be Murgerbon flavoured Almonds -red bean flavor, and honey flavor, and strawberry flavor, even the wasabi flavor and all the other flavors! I want them all! Also, Street-food was everywhere. We got to try the Octopus bbq. It's tasty. 🐙Before I forgot, we also bought nail-cutters, the best-seller souvenir from Korea. But of course, a niece requested for a sticker souvenir of BlackPink. It's very easy to find posters and stickers of Korean Icons in Myeongdong.
Naminara Republic (Nami Island). Insert 'Endless Love: Winter Sonata' Soundtrack 🎼. Right, this where most part of that KoreanDrama took place. Maybe because Nami Island is most lovely and romantic during winter season.💖 Winter was almost over when we visit so we only found few traces of snow in the waters but still, it's freezing cold at 4 degrees. Luckily, the sun was kind to us it kept us warm. Try renting a bike when in Nami Island. We rented bicycles to explore the island faster. It was genuinely fun. I can't remember, when was the last time I rode a bike.?
We also had some time to visit the following during our stay: Petite France, N Seoul Tower, Love Lock, CoEx Aquarium. Starfield Library and Cheonggyecheon Stream. 👌 💓
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| Petite France |
Since our hotel was located in Sinchon and very near the Train Station, exploring places in Seoul was very accessible to us. Plus, the transport system was very efficient. We also had a lot of walking, transferring from one station to another. Koreans love to walk I guess, even on heels. (I kenat) One whole day on boots and I had swollen feet.
Here's a video that sums up our 5-day Epic Korean Adventure in 1.5 minute. 😉😉
Oh the Korean food.. Maybe in another blog. 😁
For Korea Visa, Airfare and Accommodation, you may inquire at: riveoetravelcorporation@gmail.com
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