Korea Trip Day 4 : Myeongdong, Deoksugung Palace & Cheonggyecheon Stream

We checked out of our hotel in Seongnam and took a cab to Seoul which is a more touristy area. Our accommodation was ibis Styles Ambassador Seoul Myeongdong. Although the hotel room is small, the decor is modern and everything is sparkling new and clean. 

Korea Trip Day 3 : Jungang Park & Seohyeon-Dong

It was always nice to visit Korea in the autumn as we could enjoy the cool weather and at the same time view the beautiful autumn foliage. At this time of the year, we could see trees with colorful leaves everywhere in Seongnam. 

Korea Trip Day 2 : Namhansanseong Fortress

Namhansanseong Fortress was strategically built on top of a mountain to defend and protect Hanyang, the capital city of the Joseon Dynasty. The fortress walls encircled a vast area with four main gates and various facilities within the fortress. Namhansanseong Fortress was of great historical significance to South Korea and it was also designated as a UNESCO World Heritage.

Korea Trip Day 1 : Seongnam

Upon arrival at Incheon airport, we took a cab to our accommodation at Gallery Hotel in Seongnam. Seongnam is a city to the southeast of Seoul and it is well connected to Seoul via its extensive transportation network. The hotel is located near Seohyeon station with many restaurants, cafes and shops in the area. While the decor of the hotel room was dated, the room was well maintained with the necessary amenities provided.

Japan Trip Day 4 : Ichikawa, First Avenue Tokyo Station, Roppongi Hills, Tokyo Midtown

We took the railway to  I-Link Town observation deck at Ichikawa. On a clear day, we were supposedly able to see Mount Fuji and Tokyo Skytree side by side. However, this was just not the right season to come as the weather was cold and misty. While Mount Fuji was not visible, we could still see Tokyo Skytree shrouded in the mist.

Japan Trip Day 3 : Senso-ji Temple, Akihabara

This morning, we went to Asakusa to visit the Sensoji Temple. According to legend, two fishermen found a statue of Kannon Bodhisattva in the Sumida river and subsequently, the temple was built and dedicated to Kannon Bodhisattva. Sensoji Temple was completed in 645 and it became the oldest temple in Tokyo. Before going to the Sensoji Temple, we visited Asakusa Culture Tourist Information Center and took the lift up to the viewing deck on the eighth floor where we had a bird's eye view of the Sensoji Temple.

Japan Trip Day 2 : Meiji Shrine, Takeshita Dori, Icho Namiki

We would be exploring Harajuku district today. Our first stop was the Meiji Shrine which was a place dedicated to Emperor Meiji and his Empress Shoken. The shrine was built in the middle of a forest with graveled pathways leading to it from the entrance to the forest. Along the pathway, we came across barrels of sake piled neatly in rows and columns. These were offered by breweries to show respect for Emperor Meiji and Empress Shoken.

Japan Trip Day 1 : Ginza

We arrived at Haneda Airport and took a cab to our hotel Mercure Tokyo Ginza. Traffic was relatively smooth and we reached our destination in about fifteen minutes. The location of the hotel was great as it was conveniently located in the vicinity of Ginza with lots of boutique shops and restaurants. The room was simple and comfortable enough for our stay.

Korea Trip Day 8 : Yeouido, Noryangjin & Hongdae

At this time of the year, Yeouido was decked in pink due to the many cherry blossom trees in the area. To celebrate the occasion, street stalls were also set up along the street offering various food items. By noon time, the streets became very busy as the crowd started to come in.

Korea Trip Day 7 : Nami Island & N Seoul Tower

Nami Island became a popular destination due to the Korean drama Winter Sonata which was filmed on the island. We took the subway to Gapyeong Station, followed by a taxi ride to Gapyeong Wharf. After that we boarded the ferry which brought us to the island. The entire journey was about two hours. For more adventurous travelers, there was also the option of flying via the zip wire to reach the island.

Korea Trip Day 6 : Lotte World & Seokchon Lake

We went to Lotte World via the subway. Lotte World was a popular theme park located in the city area. The theme park comprised both indoor and outdoor areas with a wide range of activities and attractions for everyone. The indoor section had a pseudo hot air balloon where we could get a bird's eye view of the attractions. The more thrilling rides could be found in the outdoor section. 

Korea Trip Day 5 : Gyeongbokgung, Gwanghwamun & Dongdaemun

We got to see more of Cherry Blossom throughout our stay in Seoul. The pink flowers added a splash of vibrancy to the landscape and signified the arrival of spring in the city. Before heading out, we had a nice and filling breakfast at the hotel. There were a good selection of dishes to choose from. The good thing was that the dishes were rotated so we did not have to eat the same thing every morning.

Korea Trip Day 4 : Seoul Myeongdong

It was time to bid goodbye to Jeju as we got onto our flight to Seoul. We took the Airport Railway Express from Gimpo Airport to Hongik University station and after that traveled via the subway to Myeongdong.

Korea Trip Day 3 : Jeju Canola, Seongsan & Manjanggul

Our first stop for the day was Noksan-ro where we were able to view both Canola and Cherry Blossom side by side each other. It was indeed a remarkable sight with bright yellow and pink flowers dotted along the stretch of road. This was one of the rare moments where we could catch a glimpse of a beautiful masterpiece in nature as the flowers typically bloom for a short period of time in spring.

Korea Trip Day 2 : Jeju Cherry Blossom & Jeongbang Waterfall

Although spring had arrived on the island of Jeju, the weather was still quite chilly. The arrival of spring also meant that we could see cherry blossom which only bloomed for a short span of time during the season. We had a simple breakfast of bagels and cappuccino at Caffe Bene before heading out.

Korea Trip Day 1 : Jeju City

We took an early morning flight from Singapore to Seoul and arrived at Incheon Airport in about 6 hours. After that we traveled to Gimpo Airport to catch our connecting flight to Jeju. Although we had catered about 3 hours for the transit, it was still quite a rush as the immigration clearance at Incheon took longer time than expected.