Spending less than S$2,000 for a 12 day trip to South Korea!

I am compiling a guide on how to experience South Korea on a budget. In May 2013, I visited Shanghai, Busan, Jeju, and Seoul for a total of 12 days on the road. I spent a total of about S$2,000. The only reason why I spent so much is because we ate luxuriously and shopped for make-up like CRAZY! If I were truly on a budget, I would have spent a total of only $1,500. But that is not me, I am pampered and spoilt & I needed my Black Pork Korean BBQ!!

Check out my elaborate blog posts about South Korea & Shanghai here:

• China: Shanghai
• South Korea: Busan
• South Korea: Jeju Part 1
• South Korea: Jeju Part 2
• South Korea: Seoul Part 1
• South Korea: Seoul Part 2

For further information regarding my itinerary, please click here:

• Discovering South Korea Itinerary!

I spent about $1088 for flights, housing, car rentals, major attractions like going to the DMZ and Lotte World and this is how I did it.

South Korea Costs

International Flights

Airfare is always one of the biggest bulk in your expenditure. I always check Zuji & Skyscanner for good deals first and than try to book directly. My dates are always flexible and I will always try to fly a mid-night flight if the flight will take 7 hours or more. As you know, I work shifts and in the hotel industry, and it is really difficult for me to take leave and I want to maximize it to the fullest. We booked multi-city tickets (it may add on extra charges, but for $460, we didn't really care) and flew to Busan straight, after transiting in Shanghai for 1 night, and than flew out from Seoul to Singapore.

Food served on China Eastern, not too shabby right?

Furthermore, flying at night not only save you 1 Annual Leave, it also saves you 1 night of accommodation and 1 whole day to explore the city. We flew at about 1am, and landed in Shanghai at about 5.30am. We had breakfast and than we took the first train out to the city! I know it sounds tiring, but if you're young and on a budget, this is the way to go!

Sunrise!

Also, we didn't fly with any budget airlines because it is about the same price, NOT including meals, baggage allowance, and the entertainment system (I was too tired after my shift and so knocked out all the way though). China Eastern is fine, the only problem I had was some China Auntie pretending that she was booked for my window seat. We had that sorted out in no time after my dear gung-ho of a boyfriend confronted her. Hahaha.

Domestic Flights

Now, I visited 3 cities in South Korea and the cities are not exactly near where you can just take an hour's train and you're there (like Japan). From Busan to Jeju, I flew with Busan Air and from Jeju to Seoul I flew with Eastar Jet. Do your research properly! There are plenty of affordable Korean domestic airlines that can get you to places! Sign up for their free membership and you also get additional discounts! Always use trial and error to find those flights!

Accommodation

My friends and I always stayed in a hostel/motel/guesthouse. You'd be surprised at how beautiful and cosy the hostels are! Of course we splurged a little and got the 4 pax bunk with ensuite for our stay in Jeju. To be honest, I felt the accommodation could be cheaper, but I just wanted a nice little house/room to go back to after a long day. I never regretted it!

Rainbow in Jeju Hostel!

Look at how beautiful those hostels are! They even provide basic groceries for you to cook your own breakfast every morning. Look out for hostels with laundry facilities, because if you only brought a limited set of underwear, you're gonna have a bad time if you don't wash it.

Doo Guesthouse (traditional housing)

Always look out for past reviews from other guests who have stayed there previously, location, and of course the pricing. It is always cheaper to get a family room of four, as compared to a room for 2. Of course if you don't mind, you can always bunk in with other (random) people to lower the cost.

Lee & No Guesthouse (MY FAVORITE OF ALL)

Like I said, I am spoilt, I wanted my own room. Besides, there were four of us, and we saved a lot when we got the family rooms.

Car Rental in Jeju

I always advice my friends who are visiting Jeju, has a SG licence, and above 21 to ALWAYS rent a car in Jeju. There are no trains in Jeju, only taxis and buses. We rented the Hyundai Sonata for about 3 days with full insurance, and each of us paid only S$42! (Total is about $165.)

Of course if you have people to split it with, that's good for you, if not, rent a smaller car with partial immunity, that will lower down the costs for you.

Our ride: Hyundai Sonata

By the way, I loved the boot space of the Sonata! I can fit 3 dead bodies inside. HAHAHA.

I've read and heard of people who was lost and didn't have any transport back after sunset, and how they had to beg/hitchhike the locals to drive them out to the main road where they waited for 30mins for a taxi. Or how people have walked so much and spent so much time trying to get to the attraction, they were tired already before they even reached the attraction.

Every rental car comes with a GPS system

If you can't rent a car due to the legal age limit, try searching for taxi drivers who are willing to drive you around for the whole day! I am not sure how much it will cost, but it is def better than walking 45 mins to the museume.

To me, time is money. I hate wasting time walking to places. Ok, I hate walking.

Every rental car comes with a GPS system. I rented the car through KT Kumho Car Rental (of course after signing up as a member and getting 70% off), and requested for an English GPS system. Bear in mind the local addresses are still in Korean, so you need to keep the telephone numbers of the attractions you want to go to and you can just punch in the telephone number into the GPS system.

WiFi

THERE IS FREE WIFI EVERYWHERE!

I can't stress this enough. Do not buy/rent those egg Wifi thing you see at Changi Airport. It will be a waste of money! You walk into the shopping mall, there's Wifi, you walk into the cafe, there's Wifi, you take the TRAIN, there's also Wifi. It is everywhere and it's free! Even at the airport!

Besides, I can't stress this enough. You're on a holiday! Turn off your Facebook, Instagram & Twitter! You can brag about the places you've been when you rest at the nearby cafe...

Food & Shopping

I will not and do not want to touch on food and shopping because i'm embarrassed by how much we ate. It was almost Korean BBQ almost every night until I fell terribly ill with high fever. I had no budget when it came to food. My BF and I splurged on it and ate luxuriously. So it really depends on how you eat and shop as that's something we're all different.

My only tip is to go for all the street food! There's plenty of yummy street food that can fill you up, and even Korean BBQ along the streets in Seoul. Jeju was more or less restaurants and it was more expensive than in Seoul.

By the way, I did not shop too much for clothes, but I went crazy with make up stuff.

Getting Around

Taking the buses and trains are of course the cheapest way to get around. Not only do you save, you get to experience what the locals experience. Download this app "Jihachul". It is an app for the Korean Subway system and it is available in Korean, Japanese and English!

Awesome Korean Subway App

This app has the train system of all the major cities in South Korea like Seoul, Busan, Daegu, etc. It tells you the rough time estimate it takes from your current train station to your destination, the time the next train arrives & even which exit to take to change lines. What is so awesome about this app is that it doesn't require any internet connection because the trains run on a strict schedule (very much like Japan) which is also available on their Subway website.

Of course, planning your route and attractions plays a big part, you want to visit all the attractions in the East, for example, before visiting the West. It saves on time and transport fees!

Weather

I know you must be thinking, "What does the weather got to do with budget?". Well it does! You're saving S$2,000 for your Korea trip to pay for all the expenses, but have you forgotten the budget you're forking out to prepare for your trip?

Rainy & cold in Shanghai!

I visited in May, and the weather was JUST NICE. Nice and chilly when I was in Busan & Jeju, yet I didn't need more than my sweater and windbreaker! I did my research and after weeks of monitoring the weather and temperature, I decided to bring along 2 pair of jeans and 2 pairs of leggings. I wore the 2 pair of jeans when I was in Shanghai & Busan (because it was Mother cold), and the leggings with shorts when I was in Jeju (when it was NOT foggy, and it was nice and sunny). I learnt my mistake when I went to USA in 2012 thinking it was summer (all shorts and tank tops) and upon arriving in LA, it was 12-15C. I nearly died.

Foggy & cold in Busan, as it is a port city

Now, if I went in WINTER. I had to buy heatec leggings and inner wear, boots, wool socks, heat packets, jackets, the list goes on! We live in Sunny Singapore, where the weather is always HOT or RAINY. We do not have winter clothes, and travelling to winter countries means spending about a good $300 on all these items.

In a lava cave in Jeju where it was cold & Kenneth was all garang.

IF you intend to invest in such items as you travel to winter countries every year, than yes, good for you. If not... Beg, Steal or Borrow. The only way to save on such items.

Winter Wonderland in Hokkaido, Japan!

Trust me, you'd want to invest in a good pair of socks and boots (even a hat or a scarf) because you're gonna be so miserable you cannot enjoy your vacation thoroughly. I've been to Hokkaido dead in their winter. I know what it is like when you wear 2 pairs of heatec under your jeans in -20C weather, AND it doesn't work.

Remember to always do your research and be prepared for the worst! Hope you'll enjoy Korea as much as I did!

Taken on beautiful U-do Island!

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!

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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

• Busan

• Jeju Part 1

• Jeju Part 2

• Seoul Part 1