South Korea, I’m Glad to Be Back

Hello Korea, I'm Glad to Be Back

I’ve been working as a journalist for about 8 years and in that period I have never been working overseas. Yes, I traveled a lot to different places in Indonesia, but other countries? Well, nope. So I was so surprised when I got an invitation from Korean Tourism Organization through my email. They asked me if I can join them on FamTrip to South Korea for 7 days. It was a business trip for a media company and tourism agency across the globe to promote the Winter Olympics in Pyeong Chang 2018.

I went there with three of my crew. We were the only TV crew from Indonesia, and the rest of them are journalists from print media and social media influencers. So it was a great chance for me to expand my network with another fellow journalist. 

Our flight is Korean Air and took off from Soekarno–Hatta International Airport at 22.05 and expectedly landed at Incheon Airport at 07.05 (local time).  We checked in around three hours before and the flight was full. So my crew and I have to seat separately. I got an economy class and was seated in the front row right in the middle. On my right side, there is a Korean lady and her baby while on my left side is surprisingly one of our group members. Turns out he is a photographer and quite famous on Instagram, well he has 422K followers. 

It was a 7 hours flight, not too long but still quite tiring. Not to mention that there is a baby next to me, so It was twice harder to get a good night's sleep. But well no complaining, I’m sure the mother is way more stressed and tired than me, and the baby herself. 

After watching several movies, having meals, long talk with my new social media influencer friend, and taking a nap, we arrived at Incheon International Airport in South Korea. Incheon, was just like I remember it. It is a big, clean, and quiet airport. I remember when I got there for the first time in 2014 I was so surprised by the ambiance. I think it is too quiet for an international airport, well if you compare it with Soekarno-Hatta Airport. But anyway, I’m glad to be back! 

After taking our luggage we were welcomed by a Korean guy named Dodo, he spoke Indonesia. He took us upstairs to have some breakfast before heading to our hotel in Seoul. Our bus is great, it was big, and the seat is very comfortable and warm. I think it is way more comfortable than inside the plane.  It means I can take a nap for a while before arriving at the hotel. I was so sleepy. 

I love traveling but the thing is I don’t really enjoy traveling on group tours. The schedule is so packed that we can’t really enjoy the moment. No time for quite-slow sightseeing, everything has to be right on time. Like at 08.30 am breakfast at the hotel, 09.30 am move to Pyeong Chang, 12.30 pm lunch at Jjeongganggwon, 2 pm stadium venue tour, 4 pm move to Alpensia Resort, 5 pm visiting Ski Museum Tour and 7.30 pm dinner then 9 pm have some rest. That is just for a day, the next day we keep continuing that. 

It was harder for me and my crew to do a video shoot because we have to do it fast. The thing is we usually need 1 - 2 hours in one place, depending on how many segments we will use it. I guess we have no choice but to adapt to it. We worked twice faster and did it efficiently, but still managed time to enjoy it. Work hard, play hard. 

The Itinerary 

Well as I mentioned before the schedule is packed. In six days we visited five different districts. We only spent one night in each district. On the first day in South Korea, we stayed in Seoul. We visited       K-Style Hub, which is an attraction with many information about South Korea. It has five floors including Tourist Information Center, Korean Food Exhibition Hall, Korean Food Experience Hall, and Cultural Product Hall. 

We can learn about the culture and the food. You can also try to wear a Korean traditional outfit Hanbok for free, and wear it the entire time in K-Style Hub. You can also learn about the various ingredients of Korean food, and participate in cooking class. For a first-time tourist, I think this place is just perfect. 

Experiencing Korean Culture

Next, we went to Dongdaemun market, which is the major market of wholesale clothing in South Korea. It has 20 shopping malls that are crowded with retailers, foreigners, customers, and tourists. I am personally not a fan of this market, I think it is overpriced. All the goods are unique and made in Korea labels but it’s too pricey for me. It is like Mangga Dua shopping malls in Jakarta but way more expensive. 

I like Myeongdong more, I think it is the best shopping street in Seoul especially if you’re looking for Korean cosmetic products. This is heaven! I wear makeup for everyday life, but just a tiny bit for making my face fresher. Heavy make-up only for weddings. But seriously any woman will get makeup stuck in this place. All those Korean beauty brands from crazy expensive to very affordable price are here. Brands like Etude, Innisfree, Laneige, The Face Shop, Missha, Tony Moly, and tons of others are easy to find. I mean I can find 5 stores for one brand, so if you forgot to buy some cosmetics, no worry you’ll find them in the next store.  

Prizes for this cosmetic are very affordable, at least if I compare it with makeup in Indonesia. It’s twice cheaper and full of variety. I bought a lip liner, an eyebrow liner, and a face mask although I have never used it before. I bought it because it is cheap, cute and just trying something new. So, for all makeup lovers don’t hesitate to shop till you drop in Myeongdong. 

On our second day, we went to Pyeong Chang city where the Winter Olympics will be held in 2018. The first stop is Jjeonggangwon (Korea Traditional Food Culture Experience Center). Here we were taught how to cook traditional Korean food. All ladies in Hanbok also demonstrated how to cook Bibimbap for us in a giant bowl. It is like a “Nasi Campur” in Indonesia but healthier I think.

At Jjeonggangwon Korean Traditional Food Culture Experience

The next day we went to Woljeongsa temple stay. It is a quiet and relaxing place that is fitting for people who wants to search his/for their soul and peacefulness. You can stay there for several days, weeks, or even months and live like a monk. The scenery is so beautiful, and if you are a fan of K-Drama Goblin you’ll recognize this place. It was once the filming location of that hit drama.

Living Like a Monk in Woljeongsa Temple Stay

One of the places that I’ve been looking for from this trip is Ganggenung Gyeongpo Cherry Blossom Festival. I want to see for myself the beautiful cherry blossom. All this time I’d only seen it on TV, so I was really excited. How adorable those pinky flowers blossom. It is a beautiful springtime. Love it! Later that night we had a gala dinner with KTO CEO.

My First Cherry Blossom

Beautiful Cherry Blossom

On our fourth day, we went to watch a hockey game in the Netherlands versus South Korea and visited several tourist attractions like Seongyojang, Ojukhon, etc. I was amazed at how much the Korean Government really prepared for the Winter Olympics. I mean the event will be held in 2018 but one year before almost all of the venues are 90% ready, also hotels, public transportation, tourist attractions, etc. That is all better compared to Indonesia. In 2018 we will be hosting an International sports event  Asian Games but until now all of the venues are still in progress about 50 – 60% I think, also MRT and LRT.

Go Crazy at One of The Winter Olympic Venue In Pyeong Chang

On our fifth day, we went to several tourist attractions like Icheon Cerapia, Termeden, and Korean Folk Village. We were having lunch in Korean Folk Village, it is a traditional Korean village from the late dynasty Joseon. It has traditional shows, cultural classes experience, a Korean food stall, and a playground for children. The scenery is beautiful and the ambiance is really calm. This place has been taken as a shooting location for several historical K-Dramas like Dae Jang Geum or known as Jewel in The Palace.  

The Hotels 

During our 6 days on tour, we have been staying in 5 different hotels and my favorite hotel is Shilla Stay Gwanghwamun in Seoul City. Why? simply because I can have a really good night's sleep. It was our first hotel when we arrived in South Korea. Shilla Stay is a four stars hotel, with a not too big room but really comfortable. It was warm, it has a great city view, the bed is really nice, the bathroom is good and the best part of it is the toilet seat has a bidet on it. I love it! I think I should have it back home. 

Shilla Stay Gwanghwamun Hotel Room, Small Yet So Comfortable

My second favorite hotel is Hotel Prumir in Hwaseong. We were staying there on our last night in South Korea. It is a 26 m² room with a flat-screen TV - satellite channels, nice bathroom and I can have a good night's sleep before heading to a 7 hours flight to Jakarta. 

A Comfortable Room at HoteL Prumir

My third favorite hotel is Haslla Art Hotel It is actually a very unique room, and is very artsy. The hotel room is really big for just one person. It has a bathroom, shower, a little kitchenette, a really really weird bed, and surprisingly a little tiny Jacuzzi (or something like that). 

Mmhh…I don’t know exactly what I feel when I entered the room. When I opened the door I think I said “Wow it’s a huge room!” to myself. Then I checked out the bathroom, and I was a little uncomfortable because the toilet and the shower are in different rooms. I just do not get used to it.  I have to pass the kitchenette from the toilet to the shower. Then after entering the room further I found the bed. It was shocking, I can’t think of anything that “What he h***?!” I felt like I’m sleeping inside a giant bowl. Yup, the bed is round and it has a low mid-wall surrounding it. Exactly like a bowl, I feel like a meatball.  

More surprised further when I entered the last part of the room, which is some kind of Jacuzzi but I’m not so sure. I think it is more like a pond for fish. I am honestly a little bit afraid. Maybe because the room is too huge for just one person like me or because of this weird, artistic design and furniture, I have no idea. 

Around 10 pm my friend called me and she said she can’t sleep, and she asked me If she can stay in my room. What? Yes of course she can. Honestly, I was so relieved that I have company that night. At least I can have a really nice sleep. 

 It Feels Like Sleeping In A Giant Bowl

My fourth favorite hotel is Intercontinental Hotel in Pyeong Chang Alpensia Resort. It is a five stars hotel with a 39 m² room size. I think it is twice bigger that our first hotel in Shilla Stay Seoul. It has a nice big bathroom with a bathtub and shower, a king-size bed, a big work desk, a sofa, and a balcony. Pretty sweet huh? 

It was supposed to be a beautiful dream-making room and a really nice sleep. But nope, I was awake until 5 am in the morning. I have no idea what’s wrong with me? I mean this is probably one of the nicest hotel rooms I’ve ever been but I just can’t sleep. 

Luxurious Intercontinental Alpensia Resort Hotel Room 

My fifth favorite hotel or least is Sun Valley Hotel in Yeoju. It is a four-star hotel with a 32 m² room size and twin beds.  Don’t get me wrong, this hotel is actually really good. It is a big building, new, modern and has a great facility. But somehow I can’t have a good sleep. I only slept for three hours. I just don’t feel comfortable enough, I was a little bit afraid and no matter how much I put an effort to shut my eyes it’s just not worked. So I ended up awake almost the whole night in my bed. 

Stay Awake Until 5 AM In This Big Hotel Room 

The People 

Traveling It Makes You Lonely, Then Gives You Friend

One of the coolest things about traveling is meeting people around the world, with different backgrounds, cultures, languages, and jobs. As I mentioned before my group tour is full of journalists, travel agencies, and social media influencers. Before I don’t have a friend who worked as an influencer, I just knew them from Instagram and others. Now I get a chance to meet them and ask how they can become so famous and has many followers. How to create great content for their social media account that attracts people. I also get to know other journalists from print media that are so well-known in Indonesia like Kompas, The Jakarta Post, and others. That was so cool.

There is also Dodo a Korean guy who happened to be our tour guide for 6 days in Korea. Turns out he was living and working in Indonesia for about a year. That’s why he’s able to speak Indonesia. Although he still can’t shake off his Korean accent. It makes him funny, we used to prank him with jokes in Indonesian that he’s not 100 % understand then we laughed together. It made our days on the bus so much fun and memorable. 

A fun fact about Indonesia and Korean culture is the time punctuality. Well, we are Indonesian and are famous for being late and laid back. On the other hand, Korean is not. So can you imagine how much patience Dodo and the bus driver have to have while waiting for us late every time we get on the bus? We are really sincerely apologized.

Overall my trip to South Korea this time is great. Tiring but amazing. Love it every minute of it, except this happens to be a business trip. So…yeah…

See You at Winter Olympic Pyeong Chang 2018!

Thank you Korean Tourism Organization for your invitation, we hope you will be a great host for Pyeong Chang 2018 Winter Olympics. Passion, Connected.