Getting on a DIY tour in a country you would be visiting for the first time is pretty much a risk and a challenge! The bonus part is when most people don't speak your language. Although some people in South Korea, especially in Seoul, are already learning to speak English, conversing with them is still as challenging as trying to figure out their subway map. I still find Singapore's subway less complicated - just a personal preference. Well, good luck to your DIY trip but fret not because here are some survival tips you need on your SoKor adventure. These are all based on my experience while sojourning in the city.
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| Seoul survival tips for a DIY tourist like you |
1. Download a phone app for Seoul subway.
This one's really a time-saver. I downloaded Kakao Metro - Subway and I found it really efficient. I'm not endorsing it in anyway. lol. It gives you route options, stations you should disembark or transfer, estimated travel time, and exit points. You don't even have to ask anyone for help. The only bottleneck I and my friends had was the labels in each train station. For me, Seoul subway isn't as systematic as you would expect it to be. There could be two trains headed to different locations in one line. Even if you got the right line, you can't just hop in to whatever train that arrives. You have to read which way it goes. You might be heading to the opposite direction which happened to us. We took a round-trip which was a waste of time but a learning experience anyway.
2. Rent the wifi egg.
It's an essential tool whenever you're strolling around the city. Well, internet is life. In Seoul, you need to buy a simcard to get connected to their public wifi but we opt for the wifi egg simply because it was economical. I was with four other friends and we all wanted to get connected when we are outside our hotel. The wifi egg (like a pocket wifi) allows multiple users to connect. It was affordable and a wiser choice for a travelling group. We just had to keep it charged though as it easily ran out of power. You may get it at the airport or at your hotel. Most guesthouses and hotels offer wifi egg rental.
3. Learn the basics of the language.
You can try but it's not a guarantee that you will still be understood. Trying to learn some terms can be cool but when you actually speak these words, sometimes the locals still don't get it. Accent and pronunciation may still differ. Learning the most common expressions like 'hello' and 'thank you' may build rapport to them especially when shopping or inquiring but learning only these may not necessarily help you survive. Translation apps could work at times only with very simple sentence structures and must be used at a minimum because sometimes they yield incorrect translations. It might turn out funny. I've experienced this many times and locals would often laugh but I still felt they appreciated my attempt of conversing with them in their language.
4. Exchange your money at Myeongdong.
The first thing we thought of was to exchange all our pocket money for this trip to Korean Won (₩) at the airport. Then, someone in the group also suggested to have it exchanged to US dollars first then have it exchanged to ₩ as soon as we get there but we may encounter problems like currency loss. As we researched (or googled. lol) further, we found out that we'll get more out from the local currency if we exchange it in Myeongdong. They got good exchange rate which is incomparably better than the airport exchange rates.
5. Know the weather.
This was a bit unexpected. We didn't realize it would rain for one whole day and it's not fun getting around the city soaking wet. It was a good thing that they had umbrellas sold in every convenience store we went to. Yes! Umbrellas saved the day. Although there were some moments when bringing an umbrella could be an inconvenience like holding a camera on one hand but we always find ways. We found ways. lol and umbrellas could be a prop for that instagrammable shot.
6. Research the exact location of the tourist spots.
Reading blogs or watching vlogs before taking that DIY trip are really helpful. These could save you and your group from wasting time and energy. This requires time and effort but it's going to be worth it as you proceed to your trip.Time is of the essence and getting lost is not as adventurous as it sounds but personally, I have a different take on this. It may not be desirable but it's surely an experience of a lifetime. It could shape your mindset and teach you patience.
Needless to say, reading or researching is a prerequisite before you embark on a travel but the chances of getting lost along the way is still inevitable. You can't just spoil your day just because it didn't work out as planned. I had my share of frustrations because I felt I wasted so much time just looking for a place and ended up not really finding it. You have to bite into bright side - a classic, but true. The real gem is the experience and the values you'd learn from it.
Kamsahamnida.
Till our next laag*!
*wander, saunter
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