Confessions of a Hotel Insider

So, this morning I saw this article my friend posted on Facebook. I work in a hotel and I've been in the hospitality industry (both studying & working) for about 6 years now. I understand and go through all those shit the article talks about. If you want complimentary stuff, or if you need favours, there's no need to scream and shout, all the more you won't get it. Be nice and make someone's day, and you'll get whatever you want. Trust me.

Confessions of a Hotel Insider

" I've worked in hotels for more than a decade. I've checked you in, checked you out, oriented you to the property, served you a beverage, separated your white panties from the white bed sheets, parked your car, tasted your room service (before and, sadly, after), cleaned your toilet, denied you a late checkout, given you a wake-up call, eaten M&M's out of your minibar, laughed at your jokes, and taken your money. From New Orleans to New York, I've played by hotel rules and, in the process, learned every aspect of the industry. Due to the fact that I just don't care anymore, I will now offer easy and never-publicized tips and tricks.

Want a late checkout? An upgrade? Guess what! There are simple ways (and most of them are legal!) to get what you need from a hotel without any hassle whatsoever. But first, let me warn you about a few things that drive hotel staffers crazy. 

Things a guest should never say

"My credit card declined? That's impossible. Run it again."
Man, don't make me run it again. If your CC declines once, it will, without question, decline again. Your card is not a crumpled old dollar, and the banking system is not a stubborn vending machine. That's not how the banking system works. You need to call your bank. And, no, you can't use my phone.

"They told me I should ask for an upgrade."
Who the f—- is they? Oh, they. Well, they told me to remind you to tip the doorman.

"Don't you remember me?"
Let me think about this…average of 500 guest interactions a day…it's been two years since you stayed with us. So that's a clean quarter of a million separate interactions since your last stay. Wait…Wait! No. No, I don't remember you.

Things a guest should never do

Do not continue your phone conversation during the entire check-in.
Can you imagine how it feels, as a human, to be part of someone else's effort to multitask? While you say to the phone, "Uh-huh. Yeah. Yeah, well, I told her they wouldn't go for it. I know these people," I get the lift of an eyebrow, side glances, brief and uninterested head nods thrown in my direction indicating your main focus remains on your call, perhaps a moment where you hold the phone slightly away from your ear to benevolently allow me 5 percent of your attention. That call will end in five minutes. But because you treated me like an automatic check-in machine, this room I'm giving you will plague your whole stay.

Do not snap the credit card down on my desk.
You know this one, where you press the card down with your thumb and use your index finger to bend the front corner of the card up and then release it so it snaps authoritatively and loudly on my desk? You just made me hate you!

Do not hold out your hand for the change you're waiting on.
You know, when I am still counting it out but your hand is there, in front of me, floating in the air, waiting while I count, empty, implying impatience, and uselessly reasserting the fact that the money I am counting belongs to you. Relax, buddy. It's coming. You look like a 5-year-old with your hand out like that.

Do not threaten a front desk agent—ever.
I have taken rooms from people who were even pre-registered into a gorgeous room just because their attitude was off. They never even knew they were originally set to see Central Park in one of the corner rooms with the big bathroom. I took it from them just because they yelled at their wives or manhandled their wives' elbows in a way I didn't appreciate. At the front desk, I am a god of instant karma, and one of my other weapons is the "key bomb": When I check you in, I program a single "initial key," then start over and cut a second "initial key." Either one of them will work when you get to the room. Slide one in; you get the green light, and as long as you keep using the very first key you slipped in, all will be well. But chances are you'll pop in the second key at some point, and then the first key you used will be considered, as far as the dumb-ass lock is concerned, invalid. At some point after that, you will be locked outside your room, jamming your first key into the slot, fighting that damn red light.

I also happen to know the electronic curtains are not functioning in room 3217, and it gets loads of morning sun in there. Good luck sleeping in. If I put you in room 1212 in New York City, your phone will not stop ringing with wrong numbers. Why? Well, a surprising number of guests never seem to learn that you have to dial 9 to make an outside call. So all day and, believe me, all night, idiots dispersed throughout the building will pick up their phones and try to straight dial a local number, starting with 1-212. Whatever they press after that matters not because they have already dialed room 1212, and 1212's guest will constantly pick up the 3:00 a.m. call and hear the loud mashing of other numbers or some drunk guest saying, "Hello? Hello? Who is this?"

Things every guest must know

You never have to pay for using the minibar.
Minibar charges are, without question, the most disputed charges on any bill. Why? Because it's done by people. The traditional minibar, before they invented the sensored variety, is checked (maybe) once a day by a slow-moving gentleman or lady pushing a cartful of snacks. Keystroke errors, delays in restocking, double stocking, and hundreds of other missteps make minibar charges the most voided item. Even before guests can manage to get through half of the "I never had these items" sentence, I have already removed the charges.

You don't have to pay for the in-room movies either!
Here's how, in three easy steps: 1. Watch and enjoy any movie. 2. Call down and say you accidentally clicked on it. Or it cut off in the middle. Or it froze near the end. Or it never even started. Would you like them to restart the movie for you? No thanks. You need to go to bed/leave now. Just remove the charge, please. 3. Order another movie.

And you can easily avoid a same-day cancellation penalty.
This little move will not work with online prepaid reservations—only what we call "natural" reservations, booked through any channel as long as it's not prepaid. Call the property directly and ask for the front desk.

"Good evening, thank you for calling the front desk, my name is Doesn't Matter, how can I assist you?"

"Excuse me, are you the manager?"

If the person says yes, hang up and call back. What we want here is certainly not the manager.

"No, I am not. Would you like to speak to the manager?"

"No, actually, I just have a quick request. I think you can help me. Well, I was supposed to fly in late tonight, but my 12-year-old daughter is sick - "

Let me stop you right there, dear guest. Sure, you need a reason, but what you don't need is a 45-minute story. Try again.

"No, actually, I just have a quick request. I think you can help me. I've had a personal emergency and won't be able to check in tonight. However, I have already rescheduled my meeting for next week. Do you think you could just shift tonight's reservation to next Friday without a penalty?"

"Sure. Next Friday, the 24th, all set. Same confirmation number. See you then."

"Thank you."

Done. Now you have a reservation all set for next Friday! Why is that good? Well, tomorrow, whenever you get around to it, call the hotel back (this time no need to inquire about a manager), and just tell the front desk you want to cancel your reservation for next Friday, as you are well within your rights to do. No problem.

If you are going to complain, if you must complain, then, please, eat a mint.
Self-explanatory. You catch more bees with honey than with garbage. Well, bees love garbage. Damn. Whatever…just eat a mint.

I don't want to hear your tragic airline-delay story.
I don't. At all.

You should never feel comfortable enough to actually call us by the names on our name tags.
Gluing a name tag to anyone's chest makes him or her subordinate. Using it without permission implies that you are aware of this fact and, s—-, don't mind rudely pointing it out. To pick the name off a tag and use it, whatever your intention, makes employees acutely feel they have lost their personal worth, that they themselves are included in the price. Their mothers use that name on a birthday to ask, "Personal Name, did you get everything you wanted, baby?" What right do you have to use it? Just because you walked into the lobby? My advice is to ask for permission. "Jake…may I call you Jake?" Yes, you may. And thank you.

Finding your agent

What are we looking for in our agent? Someone who is efficient and not at all nervous, almost bored. If the agent is overly zealous or nervous, he or she might have just begun working at the property. Not only does the agent have to be comfortable playing the game; the agent must know the property and the system well enough to play it properly.

Tip up front: Let the agent know you are serious immediately. Here's how I do it: I walk up, smile without showing teeth, give the agent my CC, drop a 20 on the desk, and say, "This is for you. Whatever you can do for me, I'd appreciate it." Boom. If I am after something specific, I will include that as well: "This is for you. Whatever you can do for me, I'd appreciate a room upgrade, late checkout, wine, whatever."

Finally, if you happen to have a successful experience, then make a point to memorize the agent's name.

Standard front desk lies

1. All the rooms are basically the same size.

2. Of course I remember you! Welcome back!

3. There is nothing I can do.

4. I appreciate your feedback.

5. I'm sorry the bellman made you uncomfortable. I will certainly alert management.

6. I didn't mean to sound insulting.

7. I will mail this immediately.

8. My pleasure.

9. I would like to offer my deepest apologies.

10. We hope to see you again!

From the book Heads in Beds, by Jacob Tomsky. ©2012 by Jacob Tomsky. Published by arrangement with Doubleday, an imprint of the Knopf/Doubleday Publishing Group, a division of Random House Inc. "

TIPS: Travelling in Korea

Here are some tips and recommendations about travelling in Korea! You may or may not follow my advice, but I believe this will make your planning and travelling easier!

Booking through 3rd party websites

I am sure some of us may book through 3rd party websites like booking.com or hotels.com. Always email the hotel/hostel with confirmations prior to your departure to ensure they have received your reservations.

Sign up as a member

When booking airfare or making a car rental reservation, sign up as a member first before purchasing your ticket as they offer discounts to members! I received 75% discount for my car rental in Jeju!

Renting of car

I would recommend renting a car in Jeju. There are no trains in Jeju and walking from bus stop to the attraction's entrance will be a very long distance (like 20 mins long). We rented a car for about $160+ for about 36 hours. It is affordable in Jeju, so if you have a driver with you, RENT A CAR! It really saved us a lot of time from waiting for buses and energy. 

International Driving Licences 

If you're renting a car in Jeju, please bring along your International Driving Licences. They will not rent it to you unless you have it. Making one in Singapore is easy, you just have to apply and pay for it online and send in the confirmation together with a passport sized photo.

Ask for English navigation

If you're renting a car, email the company to provide you with English navigation/GPS. It is based on first come first serve basis so you have to reserve it in advance. Most navigation comes complimentary with the car rental.

Bring a light jacket/windbreak along

If you happen to go during the shoulder period when Spring transits into Summer, please bring a light jacket/windbreaker along. Temperatures drop like crazy at night and you want to be prepared.

Language
Most Koreans in Seoul are able to speak a little bit of English, so do not worry. We only faced difficulty in Busan and Jeju and so, we just ordered what we knew like Ramyeon or Jajangmeyon or point at pictures.

Medicine & Hydration

This really shouldn't be a tip, but a necessity for all travelers around the world. I fell terribly sick in Jeju after several nights of Korean BBQ (sore throat) and when I climbed Mt. Hallasan, the cold wind blew against my shirt (drenched in sweat) and I caught a terrible cold! I had very bad flu and fever that evening.

iPhone Subway App

For iPhone users, there's a Korean Subway App for you to download. It has a white train logo with blue background and it's just called Subway. It is really good because it helps you plan your travel route and tells you the fastest or cheapest route to take, what time the train arrives and what time you will arrive at your destination. It has subway maps of the major cities in Korea like Seoul, Busan, Daegu, etc.

 

 

One Night In Shanghai!

Date of Travel: 18 May 2013

We stayed in Shanghai, China for 1 night as a stopover before heading to South Korea! My boyfriend interned in Shuzhou, China for 6 months the previous year and often visited Shanghai. He knew the city well, and since I've never been to any part of China, we decided to stay in Shanghai for 1 night to just have a look see!

Dock Bund Hostel Shanghai

Dock Bund Hostel

Address: No.55 Hongkong Road 200001, Shanghai, China
Tel: +86 21-53500077
Email: dockbundhostel@gmail.com
Website: http://www.bmhostel.com/en/gyls-dock.html

This hostel is about 10-15 mins walk from the metro, and about another 5-10 mins walk to the bund. Location wise, it is relatively close to the bund, but if you're coming from the metro with lots of luggage, it might be a little hassle. You have to cross a number of roads and junctions to get to the hostel. Gilbert was carrying a backpack and I only had 1 small luggage with me, so we managed.

We stayed in the Standard Double Ensuite right at the top floor. The floors and tabletops were quite dusty, but I couldn't complain more! We had a clean toilet of our own, and the bedsheets were clean!

Shanghai Bund (外滩)

Shanghai Bund

We arrived at the hostel at about 8.30am (we landed at 5am, had breakfast and took the train out). Obviously the room that we booked at the hostel isn't ready yet, as the previous guest has not checked out. So we dumped out bags in the storage room and headed out to the bund!

It was drizzling when we reached the bund which was a little mood killer as it was cold, wet, and foggy! Luckily we had our splash proof windbreaker. Along the way, we saw plenty of old buildings! I looooooove old buildings and architecture!

Shanghai Old Town (上海老街) 

Old streets

Nearest Subway: Metro Line 10, Yuyuan Garden Station  (轨道交通10号线,豫园站)

Next we went to this place where the architecture and buildings were built to replicate the olden Shanghai/China. This is a tourist hotspot/trap and sells all things touristy from postcards to bags to REALLY AWESOME FOOD.

We had two things there, smelly tofu and bbq squid. I still feel that the smelly tofu I had in Hong Kong was nicer and more salty (which is how I like my smelly tofu).

Smelly Tofu!

 The BBQ squid on the other hand..... The auntie took a whole piece of squid on a stick, cut it up and fried it on a hot plate with some onions and garlic. She then sprinkles some oil, sauce and sesame seeds. Just thinking about it is making my mouth water!

BBQ Squid

Hui Lau Shan (許留山)

Mango-licious!

Now, they don't have this in Singapore, and the only time I had this excessively was in Hong Kong about 2 years ago. I loveeeeee all things Mango, and Hui Lau Shan serves not only all things Mango, but other fruit desserts too!

We ordered the big bowl of 'Glutinous Rice Balls in Mango Juice with Extra Mango' (as per menu). But I think the appropriate name of this dessert would be 'Glutinous Rice Balls in Mango Syrup with Chunks of Mango and Mango Ice Cream'. It costs RMB38 (SG$7.80/ US$6.20). It's quite expensive for a regular dessert (especially in China) but it is worth every penny!

The Grandma's Restaurant  (外婆家)

Grandma's Restaurant Entrance 

In Mandarin, the name of the restaurant means Grandma's House. Gilbert has this when he was in Suzhou, and he loved this restaurant a lot! He hunted down a brunch in Shanghai and we went there for dinner!

So, he told me that last year in Suzhou, they queued for 4 hours waiting for their table. They only open during dinner time at about 4pm. They took turns waiting in line or with the queue number for 4 hours! That was madness! We decided to try our luck here in Shanghai.

We arrived and there was massive number of people waiting. We took a queue number, waited a while (10-15 mins) and the numbers did not move at all. So, that was when we decided to go out for a walk, and we had our mango dessert (yes I know, before dinner?) at Hui Lau Shan. When we returned, we were surprised that the number has passed ours by over 20! We immediatly approached the hostess stand and they gave us another number which was just 3 diners away! *Whew*

Grandma's Restaurant!

We ordered:

• Braised Goose Liver in Sake - 19RMB
• Grandma's Special BBQ Meat - 29RMB
• Grandma's Special Pork Liver - 19RMB
• Spinach with Century Egg and Salted Egg - 16RMB
• Stir Fried Straw Mushrooms with Chili - 25RMB
• 2 Cups of Green Tea - 8RMB each

We spent a total of 124RMB (SG$25.40 / US$20.20) for 2 persons!!!

It is affordable, service is very fast and efficient, and the food is fantastic. I understand now why the Chinese are willing to queue for 4 hours just for a 1-2 hours meal!

Nanjing Road (南京步行街)

City lights along Nanjing Road

Bright city lights can be seen along the whole stretch of Nanjing Road. It really is very beautiful in the evening when all the lights are on, shoppers coming in and out of the retail stores, and cute chubby children running around. We basically just walked through the streets are I wasn't in the mood for shopping (think.. Korea!).

CoCo Bubble Tea

Coco Bubble Tea

If you live in an Asian country like Taiwan, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore or even China, I'm sure you've heard of the fad, Bubble Tea. It's usually just Milk Tea with 'Pearls' or rather chewy, starchy (fat inducing) balls. Even though I know it's full of sugar, the 'pearls' are nothing but empty calories, I just love drinking bubble tea!

And according to Gilbert, CoCo is one of the best in Shanghai (or China?). We literally walked out of the way just to find this stall, and it was indeed refreshing after such a strenuous long walk. I like how some brands of bubble tea has the tea taste like Koi (SG) or 50 Ban (TW) and mostly, other brands just has the milk taste.

Discovering South Korea: Seoul Part 2

Dates of Travel: 23-28 May 2013

So, I shall split the post to two parts: Traditional Korea (23-25 May) & Modern Korea (25-28 May). Although we were in the same city, but because of the places we stayed at and visited was the old traditional houses of Korea and the modern one was, well, modern.

Click the link if you want my planned itinerary. Or if you're interested to know my estimated costs. Remember, we did not follow the exact route planned as the trip should be open to new ideas and developments!

Lee & No Guesthouse

Lee & No Guesthouse

Address: 561-29 Yeonnam-Dong, Mapo-Gu, SEOUL, KOREA

Tel: +82 70 4401 0041

Website: www.lnguesthouse.com

Nearest Subway: Hongik Uni Station

Lee & No Guesthouse is the coziest hostel I have ever stayed! Heather, the Manager only comes in between 8.30am-3pm, so we're pretty much on our own. Her job makes me want to look for a hostel for myself to run. Heather emailed me the pin-code for the main door a few days before my arrival so when I arrived at 6.30am, it wasn't a problem getting in. Even if you arrived after Heather left for the day, she will tape a letter with instructions addressed to you on the post box outside the guesthouse.

It is not really a hostel, maybe more like a guesthouse or homestay, because the owner or boss of the guesthouse lives right above us with his family. They have a seperate stairway which is only accessible to them. Sometimes you'll see Mr. Lee wandering about the property. He's pretty nice guy, though we did not talk much to him. 

What I really liked about Lee & No is that Heather will put up the names and country of everyone who will be staying at Lee & No for that night, so we pretty much knew everyone's name when they all appeared for breakfast in the morning. 

Everything just felt like my home, it was so cozy and warm. No wonder they won an award from TripAdvisor!

The location is just right, with about 15mins by foot away from the Hongdae night scene and the university area. The first time, we arrived in a taxi at about 6.30am, it was quite difficult to find the place, because it was hidden in a quiet corner. We managed though, with the specific instructions and map given by Heather. I still feel they should have a bigger sign or attach some lightings to the sign, because at night, it was quite hard to see. Maybe that's the whole point, in keeping it as homely as possible.

There are altogether 4 rooms in Lee & No. We stayed in Spring, which was a family room with a Queen bed and a double-decker bed. I believe Summer & Autum were rooms with 2 double-decker beds and Winter room is for single occupancy. 

We were very fortunate that we stayed through on Sunday, because every Sunday, Heather will cook something for breakfast and that particular Sunday, Heather cooked us Kimchi Fried Rice with Tuna. YUMMILICIOUS!!!!

Demilitarized Zone (DMZ)

DMZ Tour

My dearest boyfriend, Gilbert's ONLY intention to visit South Korea was for this DMZ Tour. He was so excited, he couldn't contain himself sometimes. Like a very big boy. We took the DMZ + JSA package, so it was one whole day. Although it was a lot of expensive, it was really worth it, as the JSA tour brought us to the Blue Meeting Room/House where the North & South would meet.

DMZ

To prevent any 'accidental' fighting between the North & the South, the United Nations came up with this Demeliterized Zone where, no militeray personnel or anyone actually, could come inside the 4km wide zone. So it's 2km from the North and another 2km from the South.

Basically, they brought us to various spots near the DMZ line, if not into the DMZ area. For the first half, we went to the tunnels. The North tried to dig tunnels to the South (copying the style and techniques from the Vietnamese) most probably for invasion or attacks. From what the guide said, one of the tunnel was big enough that North Korean Troops could reach Seoul within an hour! Of cos, when the tunnels were found out, the North denied everything and said that it was coal mines (by smearing coal on the tunnel walls), not tunnels dug by them. Whatever the reason or excuse, I don't really care nor want to start any debate.

We also went to the observatory, where we were able to use binoculars and view North Korean terrain and buildings. According to the guide, the buildings and houses built along the border were dummy buildings and houses as they were 'for show' to the South as those buildings had no windows nor door, which obviously meant no one lives there.

The next stop was Dorasan Station. It is a train station built to link the North & South one day. A lot of Koreans dream of unification and I could really feel a lot of emotion at this train station, even though it was abandoned. If North Korea opened up, and Dorasan Station were to be utilized, it could link South Korea to Europe. South Koreans could travel to London within a week!

JSA

After lunch, we visited the Freedom Bridge & JSA (Joint Security Area). In the JSA, we went to the (in)famous blue building - Freedom House, where the North & South would meet for talks. The blue meeting rooms were located equally over North & South Korean soil. So when we walked to the far end of the room, we were technically on North Korean soil. It was pretty interesting and intense at the same time. While waiting for the other tour members to come out, we saw North Korean soldiers taking photos of us from the entrance of their building over at the North Korean side. Yes, we were being monitored.

After that, we hopped on the bus, for a tour around the JSA compound. One of the site we stopped at was at a tree stump (or more like a memorial stone) where The Axe Murder Incident took place. Long story short, two UN soldiers were killed because they wanted to chop down a tree, which the North disagreed with. 

Hongdae Area

Jamming at the playground

After returning to Seoul, we went to the Hongdae area for some happening scene. From what I've heard, the Hongdae neighbourhood was built for the Hongik University. There are a lot of cafes, shops and restaurants around and mostly are at affordable prices! Mostly the young crowd hangs around there, and we passed by this playground where there were two bands jamming and a guy spinning music. That's so cool!

later on in the evening, we even went clubbing! We arrive at about 10-10.30pm, thinking it was a little too early, but, boy were we wrong! We went to NB2 (Noise Basement),  which is a Hip-Hop club, and it was super packed! They played a lot of hip-hop songs and a row of dancers will dance in a line with the same actions to the song. It kind of reminds me of Mambo Nights in Zouk Singapore. The entrance fee is only 10,000 Won! 

We left the club at about 11.30-11.45pm, and outside felt like it was only 8pm! I felt like everyone was out on the streets having a good time! None of the shops or restaurants were closed!

Cat Cafe

The following night, we visited a cat cafe in Hongdae area too. They had like about 20+ cats in the cafe roaming about doing their thang. They were so adorable, and they had all sorts of breeds, even a Grumpy Cat and a Surprise Cat look-a-like (you'll know if you follow 9gag). We had to pay entrance fee of 8,000 Won and it includes a free drink! I was in heaven petting and playing with all the cats!

Yuldong Park Bungee Jump

Yuldong Park

We wanted to Bungee Jump really badly, and so I researched and found this Bungee Jump! They only open from 10-12pm, and 1.30pm-5pm. They also only allow 50 jumpers per day and do not take reservations via phone or online either. It's based purely on first come first served basis. We arrived at 12.30pm and not knowing their opening times, we just went for a walk, as we realized that they were on lunch break. There was a sign that said 'Sold Out', but we assumed that they didn't mean it, and that it might be a wrong translation of something like 'Closed'. 

Yes, they were really sold out when we went back at 1.30pm. We were really disappointed because we really traveled quite far to this location. Maybe next time in Australia or New Zealand!

Two Two Fried Chicken

Before heading up to the N Seoul Tower, we had Two Two Fried Chicken for lunch! I can't quite remember how much it costs, but it seemed pretty cheap at that point in time. & yes, everything was fried.. This chain of restaurant seemed pretty popular among the Koreans. I've see this outlet a few times throughout my trip.

N Seoul Tower

N Seoul Tower

We took a cable car up N Seoul Tower. There's no way in hell you're making me climb all the way up the mountain to visit the Tower! We paid 8,000 Won for the two-way ticket, and the cable car moved pretty fast surprisingly! We also bought a 11,000 Won lock to lock our love and throw away the key. Cheesy as it may sound, there were over a million locks, and I am not exaggerating!

Highest post office in Seoul

We finally went up the tower, but because Seoul is rather hazy/dusty, we didn't manage to see far. Perhaps the view might be a little nicer in the evening with all the city lights on. Maybe it will be advisable to go in the evening and wait till after sunset and you can enjoy both scenery! There's also a small 'post office' in the tower where you'll able to purchase postcards and send them back home. I sent one back for my fatty sister!


Myeon-Dong

Myeon Dong

This area has so many beauty shops, my head started to spin. It's like every street had a FaceShop and Skin Food. I basically went crazy buying all my facial products. If you need to get a lot of facial and skin care products, I would suggest coming to Myeon Dong, because every Korean Skincare brand you can think of, will be in Myeon Dong, if not more. I think there were at least 10 Faceshop there. 


Lotte World

Lotte World

On our last day in Seoul, we wanted to visit Everland, but it started raining and it became really cold! Everyone dissuaded us from visiting Everland! Even the owner, Mr, Lee. He advised us to visit Lotte World instead! The weather forecast in Korea is super accurate! Unlike the predictable ones in Singapore. Sometimes, it rain, sometimes it doesn't and sometimes the sky can't decide if it wants to rain or not. For Lotte World, they have an outdoor and indoor theme park. Sadly, we only stayed in the indoors one because of the sucky weather. I am super sad about this.

The indoor theme park can be quite stuffy at certain areas, and like Disneyland, there are tickets in which you can take for your 'Express Queue'. You take the ticket and come back at a certain hour (sometimes it's an hour or 2 later) and you get to skip the queue. Some rides, you have to pay an additional 3,000 Won!

Boyband: Impact 

There was a free concert by a debuting boyband called Impact. We said that our trip wouldn't be complete if we didn't see a boyband (or a girlband), and we did! We obviously didn't understand a single word they said, but cheered nonetheless.

Korean BBQ

Pork Collar

After Lotte World, my friend, Kenneth invited his Korean friend for dinner! She brought us to her favourite Korean BBQ restaurant for dinner. She ordered Pork Collar for us. I swear, it's like the best part of pork! We're been eating and ordering Pork Belly, which was just plain fatty and oily. Pork collar is well marbled and super yummy and juicy! If you have the chance, please do try Pork Collar!

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Check out my posts to other parts of South Korea here:

• Busan

• Jeju Part 1

• Jeju Part 2

• Seoul Part 1 

Discovering South Korea: Seoul Part 1

Date of Travel: 23-28 May 2013

So, I shall split the post to two parts: Traditional Korea (23-25 May) & Modern Korea (25-28 May). Although we were in the same city, but because of the places we stayed at and visited was the old traditional houses of Korea and the modern one was, well, modern.

Click the link if you want my planned itinerary. Or if you're interested to know my estimated costs. Remember, we did not follow the exact route planned as the trip should be open to new ideas and developments!

Doo Guesthouse

Traditional Hanok Houses

Address: 15-6 Gye-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, Korea

Tel: + 82-2-3672-1977

Email: webmaster@dooguesthouse.com

Website: http://www.dooguesthouse.com/main.html

Nearest Subway: Anguk Station

Doo Guesthouse

I wanted to stay in a Hanok house to experience how the Koreans in the old days lived. It is a nice and cozy traditional Hanok style guesthouse and we got the Family room for 4 pax! It's a little squeezy because once you lay out the tatami (not sure what Koreans call them), you only have a little space in front of the TV area for your luggages and bags. There are only 2 bathrooms which everyone has to share, so during peak hours like in the mornings and evenings, everyone is rushing to have a shower, and you may have to wait quite some time for your turn.

The floor was heated as well, which surprised me. The weather was not that cold (it was just nice), yet the floor heating was on. We wanted to turn it off as it got a little too hot in the night when we were sleeping, but we could not figure out how. 

The owner even has a pet puppy which loved to play tug of war with his toys!

Lunch

It is quite a distance from Anguk Subway Station, though it is just a straight road down. I think we had to walk about 500m from the station to our guesthouse. Along the straight road, there were plenty of Cafes and small restaurants. As I was sick, I only had dumpling soup. 

There's this rameyon dish which is served with ice. I can't quite remember the name of that bowl of noodles, but it's a summer dish and it's so refreshing!

Gyeongbokgung Palace

Gyeongbokgung Palace

Address: 22, Sajik-ro 9-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul

서울특별시 종로구 사직로9길 22 (필운동)

Website: www.royalpalace.go.kr

Opening Hours: 09:00-18:00

Admission: 3,000 won

Doo Guesthouse is located in between two palaces, after lunch, we visited one. It is walking distance from Doo guesthouse, and we arrived at about 5pm. They stopped selling tickets 1 hour before closing time at 6pm. But over 5 days, the palace will open after 6.30pm. So, we went out and walked around, visited the museum below this entry, and came back at about 7pm. 

We got the shock of our lives! There were long queues (some proper, some not) snaking from the ticketing office! We really didn't expect so many people to visit the palace after sunset! In the picture below, the top picture is when we arrived at 5pm, and there's not much people. The bottom picture is at about 7pm, where suddenly, hordes of people just started pouring into the palace! This was still alright, as at about 8.30pm, when we were leaving, the crowd in the bottom picture, multiplied by about 4 times!

Difference between day and night

We didn't manage to get much photos nor read any informative signs because it was just too crowded! One of our friends, Sock got separated from us here as well. To get out the palace, you have to squeeze with 1000 people through the exit. What's more, another 1000 people are coming in the opposite direction and trying to squeeze INTO the palace. I was so afraid that if I fell, people are not going to care and just stomp on me! I could not move, but to just let the crowd push me towards the exit and out of the palace. If you've been to Singapore's IT fair, it's about 10 times worst!

Beef Satay/kebab

Outside the palace, there were many mobile street stalls selling all sorts of things. From corn, to sausages, to this beef satay/kebab thingy. The beef was so tender and soft, it just peeled away from the stick! It was fantastic! 

Museum 

How Korean alphabets came about

Opposite the palace, there's actually an underground museum about how one of the emperors created the Korean Alphabet. It was super educational! There were even some puzzles and games for everyone to play! One of the game was a paddling oar, and you have to paddle and steer your ship away from oncoming ships and boats. 

We also tried our hand at writing the Korean Language. We were given some quotes and phrases, and we tried copying it down using the traditional brush and ink. 

What's more, this museum is FREE! 

Insa-Dong

Baseball Batting Cage

We went to Insa-Dong after the horrifying experience in the Palace to have dinner and take a walk around. We were able to walk to Insa-dong as it is about 10-15 mins away by foot. By night time, the weather became very pleasant to walk... Anywhere! We found this baseball batting cage where the ball travels at different speed like 90&100 km/h! All you have to do is insert two 500 Won into the machine, pick up the baseball bat and start hitting!

I tried this before in Japan, and I missed every single shot! This time round, I managed to hit about 3 out of 10 tries.

Street Food - TwistyPotato

Insa-Dong is supposedly filled with cafes and galleries, but by the time I reached there, only the cafes were open, there wasn't must to see or buy, just FOOD FOOD FOOD! One of my favorite Korean snacks I could get in Singapore was the Twisty potato, where they slice the potato into rings, skewer it on a stick, lather it with batter, and deep fry it! The doughnut shop in Kallang Leisure Park sells fantastic Twisty Potato and Chicken Thigh!

When I saw this stand, I didn't care if I had a sore throat, I wanted one stick! It was SUUUUUUUUUPER yummy! 

Changdeokgung Palace + Gardens

Changdeokgung Palace & Gardens

Address: 99, Yulgok-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul

서울특별시 종로구 율곡로 99 (권농동)

Website: http://eng.cdg.go.kr/main/main.htm

Opening Hours: 09:00-18:30

Admission: W 5, 000

The next day we visited the Changdeokgung Palace. There are free tours in which the palace provides and in various languages like English, Mandarin, Japanese, Etc. We joined the 10.30am English tour and the 11.30am tour for the Secret Garden. If we went without any guidance, we would be taking photos without any meaning! The guide was really informative and knowledgeable. 

If you're unable to catch the tours, there're guide books provided at the entrance with all sort of information! you could use that as a guide and walk around yourself. For me, I would rather someone told me all the information than reading it. 

Jongmyo Shrine

Jongmyo Shrine

Address: 157, Jongno, Jongno-gu, Seoul-si

서울 종로구 종로 157

Website: http://jikimi.cha.go.kr

Opening Hours: 09:00-18:00

Admission: W1, 000

After the palace, we walked to Jongmyo Shrine, which is about 10mins away by foot. This shrine is the place where the King come and worship their ancestors (previous Kings) of the Josen Dynasty. We arrived just in time for the free English tour as well! I felt that the shrine tour was more interesting than the Palace history.

Kwangjang Market

Kwangjang Market

Address: 6-1 Yeji-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, South Korea

Tel: +82 2-2267-0291

Website: http://www.kwangjangmarket.co.kr/

Opening Hours: 09:00-18:00

After that, we walked over to Kwangjang Market which is about 10-15mins away by foot. It is similar to a wet market here in Singapore, and the stalls sells all sorts of fresh produce and even textile things. There's also an area where they sold food like fried pancakes, kimchi, noodles, etc. So, if you're around the area, I would advice you to visit this market for some really good and authentic food and snacks!

Dongdaemuns Shopping District

Dongdaemun

Dongdaemun is actually a shopping distric with about 26 malls, not inclusive of the many underground shops and outdoor stalls. It's similar to Orchard Road in Singapore, where along the whole stretch of shopping district, there's ION orchard, Taka, etc. So, Dongdaemun is a whole area of shops! 

I had the misconception that Dongdaemun was like Platinum Fashion Mall of Thailand. Just a big building with many levels of wholesale stuff! Boy, was I wrong. At first we walking to DDM and found ourselves in a building that had levels and levels of... TEXTILES. I don't want cloths! I want ready made clothes! We got quite lost until we asked around and searched on the net through our mobile phones (WiFi is everywhere!), the places or malls to go. We started with Doota! mall which was wayyyyy to pricy for me. 

I only visited one shop which was on sale, and I was a little disappointed with the shopping. Then, we went to the basement and found an underground link to another mall, which was the best decision I made, because the next mall was about half the price of whatever I found in Doota!

So, if you don't know where to start, you could start with Doota, and from there, walk around to the other malls. Obviously, I didn't finish all the malls in DDM, I only covered three malls before I waved the white flag! My legs could not carry me any further!

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Check out my posts to other parts of South Korea here:

• Busan

• Jeju Part 1

• Jeju Part 2

• Seoul Part 2 

Discovering South Korea: Jeju Part 2

Date of Travel: 20-23 May 2013

This is the second part to my trip to Jeju Island! Click here for part one!

Click the link if you want my planned itinerary. Or if you're interested to know my estimated costs. Remember, we did not follow the exact route planned as the trip should be open to new ideas and developments!

Mysterious Road

Mysterious Road

Address: Jeju Special Self-Governing Province Jeju-si Nohyeong-dong 289-15

제주특별자치도 제주시 1100로 2894-63 (노형동)

Tel: +82-64-710-3314 (info)

Website: http://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/SI/SI_EN_3_1_1_1.jsp?cid=1373714

We set off early in the morning towards Mt. Hallasan and stopped midway at this mysterious road somewhere between our hostel and Mt. Hallasan. The Jeju Mysterious Road, also known as Dokkaebi Road, lies on a hill at the foot of a mountain, and connects two major highways on Jeju-do Island. It has earned its name, as objects and liquid appear to roll and flow up the hill instead of down, when, in fact, such image of gravity defiance is an optical illusion rendered by the seemingly high surroundings.

We parked aside and we literally saw public buses and tour buses rolling up the hill with their engine off and once they reached the peak of the slope, the engine roars to life, and got me standing there with my mouth wide open. We decided to try it ourselves! We put our car into neutral, offed the engine and let it roll itself up the slope! I personally don't think it's anything mysterious, but just an optical illusion (or not..?). It was fun nonetheless to visit this road.

Mt. Hallasan

Mt. Hallasan Yeongsil Trail

We went to Mt. Hallasan, which is said to be the highest Mountain in South Korea. We took Yeongsil Trail which is said to be fairly easy to climb and according to the National Park's website:

"Yeongsil Trail consists of a 2.4km road starting from Yeongsil Management Office (altitude 1,000m) that goes up to Yeongsil Resting Area (altitude 1,280m) and a 3.7km foot trail from Yeongsil Resting Area to Witsae-oreum Shelter (altitude 1,700m). A one-way trip starting at Yeongsil Control Station takes 2 hours and 15 minutes, and it takes 1 hour and 30 minutes from Yeongsil Resting Area. With the exception of the steep Yeongsil Crater Ridge (altitude 1,300~1,550m), most of the course is very even and easy to hike."

Part of the trail goes through forests/trees and it's very shady, and the other half are plains (no shelter). Part of the terrain is built on wooden steps, planks, and bridges. The other part would be natural terrain with dirt, rocks, stones and grass.

Remember to wear proper shoes (no sandals or slippers please!) because of the rocks and stones. I wore my regular Puma Shoes and when I land on the rocks, I could feel them poking my feet. So it wasn't very pleasant. You'll perspire when you start to climb, it will be hot as the sun is scorching down on you, so remember to bring enough water and a towel. However, when you get to the top, the wind is cooling and when it blows against your soaking wet shirt.... & that, Ladies and Gentleman, was how I caught a cold and fell terribly sick! If you can, bring a light jacket or a windbreaker! It's not very heavy at all!

There were a lot of aunties and uncles who were climbing and they climbed faster than I did! That totally put me to sham with how unfit I was am!

Teddy Bear Museum

Teddy Bear Museum 

Address: 31, Jungmungwangwang-ro 110beon-gil, Seogwipo-si, Jeju-do

제주특별자치도 서귀포시 중문관광로110번길 31 (색달동)

Tel: +82-64-738-7600

Website: http://www.teddybearmuseum.com/Etc/English.asp

Opening hours: 9am – 8pm

Admission Fee: W7, 000

After our hike and a short break down from Hallasan, we visited the Teddy Bear Museum! Inside the two galleries you can view the teddy bears from various countries. You can also enjoy yourself at the museum shop, café, restaurant or the outdoor park where you can view the spectacular Jungmun Sea. The gallery is grouped into three sections: the History Hall, the Art Hall and the Project Exhibition Hall.

When we went, there were a lot of screaming school girls who I presume were exclaiming how adorable the bears are. It was very crowded when I went (I think it was the Korean School Holidays or something) and I didn't get to enjoy very much. If you enjoy and appreciate museums and bears, you should go here. I've heard that Jeju's Teddy Bear Museum is better than Seoul's. Well, I've never went to Seoul's so I can't really compare! If you've please do let me know!

Cheonjeyeon Falls & Seonimgyo Bridge

Cheonjeyeon Falls & Seonimgyo Bridge

Address: Jeju Special Self-Governing Province Seogwipo-si Saekdal-dong 3381-1
제주특별자치도 서귀포시 색달로189번길 27 (색달동)
Tel: +82-64-738-1529
Website: http://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/SI/SI_EN_3_1_1_1.jsp?cid=264176
Opening Hours: 8am – 6.30pm
Admission Fee: W2, 500

Be prepared to climb! After climbing Mt. Hallasan, I was totally GONE!

There are 3 falls altogether. The first fall only takes place after a heavy rainfall (so if it's bright and sunny, there's no waterfall at all), the 2nd is always there, and the 3rd's rather short. If you're tired, just go to the 2nd waterfall and that's that.

For us fools, we went to the 3rd first. Realized it was a short one, we proceeded to the first, and there's no waterfall, though the scenery was beautiful nonetheless. & after all that climbing and walking, we finally ended up at the 2nd waterfall. Please don't be a fool like us, read the signage before proceeding! My friends were all fit and healthy, and my legs were on the brink of collapsing.

Seogwipo Olle Market

Seogwipo Olle Market

Address: 22, Jungjeong-ro73beon-gil, Seogwipo-si, Jeju-do

제주특별자치도 서귀포시 중정로73번길 22 (서귀동)

Tel: +82-64-762-1949

Website: http://www.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/SI/SI_EN_3_1_1_1.jsp?cid=1023956

http://sgp.market.jeju.kr (Korean only)

Opening Hours: 7am – 9pm

Admission: Free

It seems similar to the wet markets in Singapore. Vendors sells fresh fruits, vegetables (a stall was selling lettuce as big as my head!) and meat. As you walk along the market, there're random food stalls selling rice cakes and Kimchi! 

We sat outside one and bought Rice Cakes and pork innards which consists of Korean Sausage (I think it's pork intestines stuffed with rice noodles and other spices), pork liver and stomach. The Ajumma was so nice and friendly, even though we could not speak the same language. She let us try the Korean sausage first before we bought it, and when she realized Sock doesn't eat anything we've ordered, she chopped up some pork knuckle for her to try! 


There wasn't anything after this place (or the next day), because I fell terribly ill and I didn't do anything except go back and shower, sleep and wait for my afternoon flight to Seoul.

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Check out my posts to other parts of South Korea here:

• Busan

• Jeju Part 1

• Seoul Part 1

• Seoul Part 2