Journey To The Hawaii of The East!
DirectAsia.com’s Jenny Chiam gives us a snapshot of her holiday in Korea.
Where.
Jeju Island (also known as Hawaii of the East), Yongpyong Resort, Nami Island & Seoul
When.
Late November. Temperatures were 2 to 8 degrees. Cold!
Why Korea?
There has been much talk about the venue and of course the current Kpop craze!
Who went?
Me and my sisters.
What to wear?
We were well prepared with lots of winter clothes. And you can keep warm by layering.
Snow.
Unfortunately, we didn’t get to see the real snow falling as it snowed the night before we arrived. However there was some snow on the ground and the experience was lovely.
Skiing.
No chance to try because of our hectic schedule. We packed a lot in!
Accommodation.
5 stars accommodation throughout like Yongpyong Resort, Hanwah Hotspring Resort, Grande Sheraton Walker Hill
Getting there.
Seven hours journey on Korean Air, ample leg space. It was a comfortable and pleasant flight.
Food.
Had too much BBQ stuff. Gingseng Chicken soup was the best!
Cost.
Package tour with Hong Thai Travel, paid about $ 1800 for 8 days “All In” Korea Deluxe Tour
Best bit.
Playing with the snow and enjoying the cold weather. World’s apart from Singapore!
Would you go back?
Actually I did it 10 years ago but back then was during Autumn. So, yes I would go back again.
Recommend it?
The Trick Art Museum in Jeju was very interesting and entertaining. First in Korea to show optical illusion art & 3D exhibits. Its magic magnifies when seen from camera lenses. You can play around with fun poses. It was a truly memorable holiday with my sisters. Yes I would definitely recommend it.
Complaints.
Schedules are very tight, there are places where you want to spend more time in but unable to.
Do anything differently?
Spend 1-2 days just shopping in Seoul in Dongdaemun and Namdaemum. Dongdaemum is a 24-hour shopping paradise which consists of 26 shopping malls.