Best Western Premier Incheon: A Stopover Rather Than A Destination

 

How to Claim Shopping Tax Refund in South Korea

Traveling through South Korea, a visit to Myeongdong has become mandatory, thanks to its popularity as a shopping destination. Shopping in Myeongdong is not exactly cheap but as we hop from one store to another, we learned something new that might be useful for a lot of juanderers. Shoppers in South Korea can claim refund on Value Added Tax paid for shopping items before leaving the country. 

To enjoy the 10% tax refund, shoppers must purchase at least KRW30,000 worth of items at participating stores. To know if a store is participating, it should have a "Tax Free" store sign or a "Tax Free" print on the receipts. Additionally, shoppers must be foreign visitors who are staying less than 6 months in South Korea or overseas Koreans living over 2 years in a foreign country. Lastly, the purchase must have been made within 3 months of the departure date in South Korea.

Logos of companies offering tax refund service

Seeing from Above the N Seoul Tower

Seoul boasts some seriously beautiful scenery, unique landmarks, and fascinating culture that when planning a trip to this world city, it can be hard to narrow down on the must-visit tourist attractions. But something that tourists and locals agree on is that the N Seoul Tower is pretty hard to miss.  

Towering over Seoul from atop Mt. Namsan, N Seoul Tower is one of the most iconic and striking landmarks of the city. Like the Eiffel Tower in Paris and the Tokyo Skytree in Tokyo, it is a structure that symbolizes Seoul.

8.4M visitors every year agree that N Seoul Tower
is a must-visit place

We decided that first thing on our list to visit should be N Seoul Tower. First thing we considered - getting there. The tower can be reached by taking the Namsan Sunwhan Shuttle Bus, Seoul City Tour Bus, or the Cable Car. Many people take the bus, however, we would recommend hiking to the top of Mt. Namsan instead. Our decision to walk up was influenced by the fact that we had the entire afternoon of our day one for a lengthier excursion and we were feeling in shape for some hiking. Besides, the view going up is pretty spectacular and it is a great way to start a trip in Seoul.

Spectacular views going up the Namsan Trail

Yangban For A Day: Suiting Up A Hanbok

Renting a hanbok and walking around Seoul in it has become a cool activity for both tourists and locals alike. The popular area where you can see people strolling and sightseeing in hanboks is Jongno-gu, home to four of the five grand palaces of Seoul and the traditional neighborhood of Insadong and Bukchon. 

Since planning our trip to South Korea, suiting up a hanbok was already part of our to-do list. We wanted to visit the palaces and capture the historic feels by wearing such traditional clothing. We also wanted to look good and take lots of photos for social media sharing. Lastly, we wanted to take advantage of the free admission to the palaces when wearing a hanbok.

A beautiful wangseja hanbok

The great news is there are a lot of hanbok rental shops all over central Seoul. We were able to research several shops before choosing Hanbok Girls due to its proximity to Gyeongbokgung Palace and the positive reviews on Google. We tried making a reservation via email but Hanbok Girls only accept reservations for groups of 10 or more. Although there are no guarantees that there'll be no queue and we'll be getting our preferred hanboks, we still decided to try our luck walking in. 

Experiencing Palatial Grandeur Inside Gyeongbokgung Palace

When we visited Seoul last month, Gyeongbokgung Palace was one of our top places to visit. We've seen the palace countless times in various sageuk or Korean historical dramas and we wanted to have the opportunity to walk through its walls and experience moments to revel in its historical legacy.

Gyeongbokgung Palace, arguably Seoul's grandest and most beautiful palace

Eager and full of energy, we set off early that day for our first stop - Hanbok Girls, one of the many hanbok rental shops within the neighborhoods near the royal palaces. After all, wearing these traditional clothes gives visitors free access to any of the five grand palaces of Seoul. We also wanted to experience what would it have been like visiting the palace during the ancient Joseon Dynasty.

Gyeongbokgung Palace which means "Greatly Blessed by Heaven" was constructed in 1395, during the early days of the Joseon Dynasty. As it was the main palace of the capital city, Gyeongbokgung was extraordinary in size. It spans an area of 41 hectares with 5,792 rooms and surrounded by walls reaching 2,404 meters in length. At its height, the palace was a self-functioning unit comparable to China's Forbidden City. 

After donning our beautiful and surprisingly comfortable hanboks, we made our way inside the palace to begin our exploration. 

Beyond Seoul: Being Inspired at Petite France

"It would be very useful to them if they were to travel some day. Sometimes there's no harm in putting off a piece of work until another day."

This is probably one of the most inspiring lines found in the classic book, "Le Petite Prince"  or "The Little Prince" by Antoine de Saint-Exupery. And it rings particularly true for those of us who are caught in an endlessly busy work life. Work will be there but time is fleeting. This line inspires us to go take a vacation, to give ourselves a chance to experience the wonderful things the world has to offer, and that we will never regret it. 

Petite France is a place that will surely remind people of such inspiring words by the author. It is a small theme park that centers on the concept of a hillside French village and the book "Le Petite Prince", thus the name Petite France. 

A statue of the Little Prince make a picture perfect spot in Petite France 

Located along the lakeside road of Cheongpyeong Lake, Petite France opened its doors in 2008 and is the only French theme park in South Korea. It has more than 30 attractions and exhibits inspired by the French culture and the tale of the young prince. There is a memorial hall dedicated to Saint-Exupery, the author of Little Prince; a gallery displaying sculptures and paintings of the Gallic rooster; a 200-year old traditional French house brought from France and reassembled in the park; a collection of orgels or music boxes from all over Europe; an antique flea market; a theatre where classic stories are reproduced as puppet plays; marionette dance performances; and many other sites where the French culture can be experienced.

The Antiques Flea Market "Antika"

The Exhibition of Antique Porcelain

Beyond Seoul: Visiting the Garden of Morning Calm

The Moonlight Garden was made after the beauty
of moonlight and is surrounded by white flowers
to give it a bright and delicate atmosphere

For those looking to escape Seoul in search of wide expanses of manicured green grass, stunning trees, blooming flowers, and scenic walkways, the Garden of Morning Calm is the perfect place to have that nature fix. 

The 3,000 square meter garden was inspired by "The Land of the Morning Calm", a nickname coined by the Indian poet Rabindranath Tagore to describe Korea during the Joseon Dynasty. 

Over the years, the garden has become more popular as a result of making frequent appearances in Korean TV shows including the recent hits Love in the Moonlight and Ruler: Master of the Mask. It now attracts more than 600,000 visitors annually.

Most tourists like to visit the garden during the Spring Flower Festival where they can walk among thousands of spring flowers in full bloom like tulips, rhododendron, and daffodils. But even during summer, autumn, or winter, a trip to the Garden of Morning Calm will not be unremarkable as there are annual events to look out for. There is the Hydrangea Exhibition during summer, the Maple Festival and Chrysanthemum Exhibition during autumn, and the Starlight Garden Festival during the snowy winter months. 

We made a visit to the Garden of Morning Calm towards the end of Spring and we loved wandering through the beautiful gardens and indulging in some photo opportunities.

So skip along with us as we take a look at the vibrant colors of spring in this garden.

How to Get to Nami Island, Petite France, and the Garden of Morning Calm

Nami Island, Petite France, and the Garden of Morning Calm are three of the most popular day-trip destinations outside of Seoul. Because of their close proximity to each other, it's worth to bundle the three sites in a single full-day itinerary.

However, a lot of travelers don't know it's possible because they don't have enough information of local transportation. As a result, many end up visiting only one or two of these beautiful places. 

So here's a guide on how we went to Nami Island, Petite France, and the Garden of Morning Calm and back to Seoul via commuting. 

The Garden of Morning Calm

Take the Subway to Yongsan Station 
We left Yellow Brick Hostel at 5:00AM to be able to catch the 5:23AM trip of the Subway Line 1 from Jongno-3 Station to Yongsan Station. 

Yongsan Station is one of the biggest stations in Seoul. Aside from serving Line 1, the station also serves as the terminus for high speed and long distance trains including the regional ITX or the Intercity Train eXpress. 

Train ride from Jongno-3 to Yongsan costs KRW1,250 using the T-Money Card.

Take the ITX to Gapyeong Station
The ITX-Cheongchun line is the fastest rail service to Gapyeong Station, the jump off point to Nami Island, Petite France, and the Garden of Morning Calm. The train has top speeds of 180 kph. It departs from Yongsan Station on every hour starting at 6:00AM. The train stops at two other stations - Cheongnyangni and Pyeongnaehopyeong, before arriving at Gapyeong Station. 

The comfortable seats of the ITX-Cheongchun Line

We purchased our ITX tickets in advance via the Korail website. This ensured we had reserved seats and avoided standing for the entire 56-minute ride. After arriving at Yongsan Station, we went straight to the ITX platform and boarded the train. The correct step, however, is to get the actual tickets at the counter by presenting the printed confirmation letter and passport. It was a good thing we were not questioned by the conductor when we only showed the confirmation letter during the ride.

The ITX ticket costs KRW5,200. To purchase in advance, visit the booking site here.

The ITX schedules as seen in the booking page of Korail

Beyond Seoul: Exploring Nami Island

No visit to South Korea can really be complete without seeing the beauty of Nami Island. And yes, it's photogenic regardless of the season. Though it has become very touristy, thanks to Winter Sonata and social media, Nami Island remains a great place to visit. 

Nami Island during late spring/early summer

As it is only 1.5 hours away, it's ideal for those visiting Seoul. From there, you can take the regional train to Gapyeong Station, walk to the Gapyeong Wharf, and hop on a 5-minute ferry ride.

All of its attractions are not far away from where you'll land, owing to the fact that this half-moon shaped island is only 43 hectares in size. There are two options for going over the stretch of the island. One is by the central lane, following a trail that runs from north to south and starts right by the entrance to Nami Island. And the other option is by the riverside paths, where you can enjoy a pleasant walk along the banks of the Han River. 

If you opt for the central route, you'll see the most popular attractions of the island. First you'll see the tomb of General Nami, after whom the island is named. You will then continue along the Central Korean Pine Tree Lane, pass by the First Kiss Glass Sequoia Bridge to the left and the Pitowon Garden to the right, and reach the Joongangwangjang or Central Plaza. 

The tomb of General Nami

First Kiss Glass Sequoia Bridge

Pitowon Garden

Naminara train tracks

Various wildlife including ostriches live in the island

How to Apply for a South Korea Tourist Visa for Filipinos

Hitting the land of the kimchi and taekwondo? Well, you'll need a visa. 

If you're holding a Philippine passport, chances are you'll have more travel restrictions when flying around the world. In fact, the Philippine passport is considered moderately weak and ranks 70th in the list of most powerful passports. That being said, there are a lot of countries Juans need to get a visa for including South Korea. However, getting a visa for a legitimate tour isn't too much of a problem. 

Actual Korean visa

Here's a guide to scoring a South Korean visa for Juans.  

Basic Requirements
Here are the five basic requirements that all Juans must submit:
1. Duly accomplished application form. The form must be completely filled out with no blank fields. Download the form here. 

2. One (1) passport size colored picture. The photo should be taken within the last 6 months with full front view face against a plain white or off-white background. Paste in the first page of the application form. 
3. Original Philippine passport. Only passports valid for at least 6 months will be accepted. 
4. Photocopy of passport bio-page. The bio-page is the passport's second page with the owner's biographical data, picture, and a machine readable zone. 
5. Original and photocopy of valid visas and arrival stamps to OECD member countries for the past 5 years, if applicable. As South Korea is a member of OECD, submitting these documents give you an advantage as its co-member countries are known to be the strictest in issuing visas. Click here for the full list of OECD countries.
6. IF invited by a Korean citizen, submit an invitation letter and photocopy of inviter's passport or identification card. 
7. IF invited by a company in South Korea, submit an invitation letter and photocopy of the Korean Company's Business Permit.

Passport must be valid for 6 months

Seoul: A Budget Travel Guide for Juans

Seoul is on almost everyone's preferred travel destinations. However, budget travel in South Korea's capital is not common. Rightly so because the city consistently makes it into the list of the ten most expensive places in the world. As such, Seoul may seem like a pricey destination to get lost into for a lot of Juans. 

The beautiful and grand Gyeongbokgung Palace

But whether you want to experience its rich history, indulge in its fascinating food culture, see its futuristic structures, or visit the beautiful filming locations of popular K-dramas, there is a way to see Seoul on a budget of less than PHP25,000. Here's our guide to doing it. 

Note: Exchange rate used is PHP1 for every KRW20.83.

Flights
Airfare is nearly always one of the biggest expenses when traveling. So for us, it's really important to get the cheapest flights we possibly can. By taking advantage of lower airfares, we were able to drastically reduce many of our trips' total costs. 

For our trip to Seoul, we booked our tickets back in January during Jeju Air's Super Sale Event. At that time, one way fare from Manila to Incheon were offered from as low as PHP800 before taxes. Although we were not able to book the lowest fares, we still managed to score a pretty good deal on our flights. We each paid PHP6,262.65 for discounted round trip flight tickets to Incheon. 

Passport and Jeju Air boarding passes

Tip: To book cheap flights, you must first be able to recognize a good fare. Do some research to establish the going rate for flights to your destination. When you find seat sales, be ready to make an immediate purchase as these low fares sell out really fast. Lastly, be flexible. In a lot of cases, adjustments of a day or two in your travel dates can make a big difference in the price.  

Airfare: PHP6,262.65 total per person 
Travel Tax: PHP1,620.00 total per person

Waking Up to Good Things at Yellow Brick Hostel Seoul

For first timers, figuring out where to stay in Seoul is difficult as it's such a big city with many diverse neighborhoods and districts. Chances are you'll be overwhelmed with all the choices and information out there. Ideally, you should pick an area in Seoul that fits your traveling style and needs. 

Jongno District is a great home base for those who want to experience the historical and cultural side of the city. It is conveniently located near several subway stations making many of the Seoul's attractions accessible from it. 

One of the hostels tucked in between the alleys of Jongo is Yellow Brick Hostel. This is where we stayed when we went to Seoul. We absolutely loved our stay here and we highly recommend it. 

Entrance to Yellow Brick Hostel

Here's our review of this charming property. 
  

Location
If there's one thing that Yellow Brick Hostel can boast about, that would be its excellent location. It is within Jongno District, the city center for the last 600 years and considered as the face and heart not only of Seoul but of the entire country. The hostel is within walking distance to many points of interest like Insadong, Changdeokgung Palace, Gyeongbokgung Palace, and Cheonggyecheon Stream, and a few minutes drive to Myeongdong and Gwangjang. 

Although the hostel is located in a busy part of the city, you could hardly hear anything from the room, allowing us to wind down and catch some much needed shut eye. To reach Yellow Brick Hostel, you can take the subway to Jongno 3-ga Station or take the bus to Changdeokgung Bus Stop and walk to the hostel.

Reservation
Yellow Brick Hostel has its own website for reservation of rooms. It is also listed in online travel agencies like Booking.com and Hotels.com. Since the rooms are offered at lower rates plus an additional 10% Genius travel discount, we decided to book through Booking.com. With free breakfast and WiFi, we only paid PHP1,730.00 per night - an excellent value for money. 

Sign up for a Booking.com account and become a Genius member by completing any 2 stays. For more information, visit the website here. 

Check-in
We arrived at the hostel at around 8:00AM which was way too early to check in. Upon arrival, we asked the front desk attendant Pyo if we can leave our bags in the property and just return in the afternoon to check in. We also asked if we can use the toilet to refresh before our first activity in Seoul. He gladly approved and directed us to the luggage area and the common toilet. 

By 9:00AM, we were ready to go but Pyo told us that a room was already available and he went ahead with the check in. That totally changed the course of our first day in Seoul, letting us nap and shower after a red-eye flight. Thanks Pyo!

Yellow Brick's Front Desk

Seoul: A Travel Guide for First Timers

South Korea has become one of the top travel picks for Juans, thanks to the Korean wave that has swept across Asia in the past few years. Korean mobile phones, beauty products, pop music, movies, and television dramas have become so popular that travelling to this country is now a hip thing. 

Seoul, being the capital city, is probably the easiest and most ideal destination for first time travelers to South Korea. So if you are planning to visit Seoul, it's best to know a few of the basics. Here's our beginner's guide for travelers to this vibrant city. 

Seoul as seen from the top of N Seoul Tower,
distance to Manila is printed on the glass 

The City
Seoul has long been the political and economic capital of South Korea. It has a history of two thousand years through the period of the Three Kingdoms, Goryeo, and Joseon. As an ancient city, Seoul is where history and traditions live on. 

Today, Seoul is the country's world city and one of East Asia's financial and cultural centers. As a modern city, it offers cutting-edge technology, vast nightlife districts, trendsetting culture, and extraordinary architecture. 

Seoul is truly a fascinating blend of the old and the new. 

A fascinating blend of the old and the new

Travel Requirements
Any foreign visitor in South Korea must have a valid passport and a visa. There are two types of entry visas - single entry visa that allows one-time entry and multiple entry visa that allows entry to Korea two or more times. Only citizens of a country under the visa exemption agreement with Korea are permitted to enter without a visa. Unfortunately, Filipinos are still required to get a valid visa prior to entering the country.

Read our guide: How to Apply for a South Korea Tourist Visa for Filipinos

For more details, visit the website of the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in the Philippines here.

Time Zone
Korea Standard Time is nine hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT +9). This means that the time in Seoul is 1 hour ahead of the time in the Philippines. Make sure to adjust your watch to ensure you do not miss your scheduled tours and return flight.

Fly For Free? Not!

Do you remember the Sign Up Now and Fly for Free raffle promo?

It was GetGo's biggest promotion in 2015. It gave members the chance to easily enjoy free flights to international destinations.

For twelve weeks from July to October last year, GetGo drew five weekly winners of two round-trip tickets to Cebu Pacific international destinations namely Singapore, Beijing, Dubai, Siam Reap, Nagoya, Jakarta, Xiamen, Taipei, Kota Kinabalu, Sydney, Bali, and Phuket.

Well, we were one of the lucky guys who won but when we were informed, we were equal parts surprised and skeptical. We couldn't believe it at first as we signed up for the GetGo membership without giving too much thought on the raffle promo.

We won round trip flight certificates for two from Manila, Philippines to Xiamen, China. The certificates were valid for exchange to a confirmed itinerary for six months and another six months for the actual flight dates. 

Our flight certificates

We were really excited to have this chance of discovering the rewarding experience of flying for free. We already made a draft itinerary for five days in Xiamen which includes seeing the romantic Gulangyo Island, visiting the Nanputuo Temple, and exploring the Hakka villages near the city.

Sadly, we had to forgo this long awaited plan due to some pressing matters at work that left us no choice but to cancel. To say that we were upset is an understatement. You see, the thought of flying for free, sans the miscellaneous charges of course, makes working so hard worthwhile. We also fear that we are making a mistake for prioritizing work. But as they say, we can't have everything at once. We had to make a choice. We take comfort from the fact that we still have other travel plans this year, and if anything, we can still go to Xiamen another time.

So what if we've wasted the free Cebu Pacific flights? We can still earn GetGo points, enjoy the membership rewards, and who knows, we might win another free flight in the future.

Now, if you'd also like to get going, earn points and start flying for free, sign up for a GetGo Lifestyle Rewards Card. For more information, visit the GetGo website or call +63 2 71-GetGo (43846).