The Lemon Fool

I'm going to South Korea for a holiday and would welcome any comments/advice from people with experience of South Korea.

I'll be travelling in a week or so and staying 3 weeks.

I'll be in Seoul and Busan. I'm planning to visit the many palaces and the DMZ.

I always like to bring back a (significant) souvenir from a "new" country and was wondering about a lacquer box.

Thanks in advance.

Steve

I'd recommend the Furniture Museum in Seoul. Traditional Korean furniture displayed in a beautiful period house and attractive gardens. It's not a large house and you need to take a guided tour. They have them in English. If I recall correctly they have used the house for banquets for visiting dignitaries including a US President or two. The furniture is nice but the house and gardens are better. Gyeongbokgung Palace, much larger in scale, is also worth a visit. There are traditional costume shops close by so you can dress up and then tour. Not usually my thing but I did it and enjoyed it.

The Seoul City Wall Trail is worth doing if you like a hike. Good views of the city. Endless steps but nothing an averagely fit person can't handle.

For food and drink (South Koreans like to drink) I'd recommend going to small cheap inns usually clustered together down small alleys. Great atmosphere.

Pendrainllwyn

Have a visit to Itaewon Market in Seoul. I was last there in the 1990s, but I doubt that it has changed much. Prices seemed to be very reasonable. Plenty of fake brands to avoid. My carry on suitcase had disintegrated and I got a good replacement there.

TJH

I have been there a few times in the past ten years, but can't give much advice on what to see or do as I wasn't a tourist and didn't have much spare time. I would though avoid Itaewon to be honest, full of US troops and not very Korean. My Korean hosts often gave us gifts of Korean ceramics/pottery which I know they have a fine tradition of and it's usually very beautiful and simple. You might want to consider this type of thing as a souvenir.

Have a great trip.

MM

My wife and I have just come back from Seoul. This was our second visit, the first was when we attended our son's wedding in 2012 (we've now got two grandchildren!). When we were last there I visited the DMZ. Well worth doing. The Pub I occasionally go to locally went quiet when I recounted the visit to my friends.
This time we visited the Anglican and RC cathedrals in Seoul, both called St Marys, interesting history about both of them.
https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Attractio ... Seoul.html
https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Attractio ... Seoul.html

There is a very nice garden called the Martyrs' Garden which is next to a power station in Mapo - which is now being converted into their version of Tate modern - an interesting conversion. The Martyrs' garden is a place of pilgrimage for South Korean Christians.

https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Attractio ... 1&filter=7

For restaurants, bars and shopping Shinchon and neighbouring Hongdae are very good, both in Mapo.

The volcanic holiday Island of Jeju, just off the south coast of Korea, is also worth visiting. About 50 mins by air.
https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Tourism-g ... tions.html

As for bringing anything back I can't help you there, we brought back Ginseng. They swear by it Korea as a general tonic.
Good luck, hope you have a nice time.

I’ve just returned from a wonderful holiday in South Korea. I’d highly recommend it as a holiday destination if you like cities, palaces, temples, and a different culture. The people are charming, courteous and helpful. English (well, American) is widely spoken.

A few highlights: the Demilitarised Zone and the JSA, the UN Memorial Cemetery, palaces in Seoul, temples in Busan, good museums and a wonderful and easy metro system.

South Korea is a very clean place (no graffiti, no litter except cigarette ends). The street sculpture is really interesting and enjoyable as you walk around in Seoul. The furniture museum was, regrettably, fully booked.

I didn’t get to the beaches in Busan so can’t comment on these (not my scene). I found the food a bit beef dominated and indifferent but ok.

Many thanks.

Steve

I trust that you had a Korean Barbecue, with the charcoal burner in the centre of the table. You can toast your garlic cloves on it while your ribs are cooking.

tjh290633 wrote:I trust that you had a Korean Barbecue, with the charcoal burner in the centre of the table. You can toast your garlic cloves on it while your ribs are cooking.

I think you want to sit a bit further back

Scott.

swill453 wrote:

tjh290633 wrote:I trust that you had a Korean Barbecue, with the charcoal burner in the centre of the table. You can toast your garlic cloves on it while your ribs are cooking.

I think you want to sit a bit further back

Scott.

I was of course talking about the long strips of rib which the waiter brings, then cuts with scissors between the ribs. I don't know how many a cow has, but it looks like a horizontal slice through the ribs.

Then there is always soup, usually garlic with lumps of garlic in it.

No werewolves about.