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.

Seoul survival tips for a DIY tourist like you

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. 

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. 

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. 

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. 

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.

Till our next laag*!

1. Travelling by group allows you to split the bill (hotel, taxi, even food)
2. Eat on a budget. Street food in Seoul are really delectable yet affordable. You cannot NOT try them! Food trip should be part of the itinerary. 
3. Reserve tickets online (I did for Everland Resort); most websites offer big discounts 
4. Check or search for cheaper deals (esp. for hotels and shopping places); should be done before the trip. Use the internet. 
5. Take advantage of sales/discounts in purchasing souvenir items. 

Travelling on a budget makes you think twice of spending more for food. It might be the last thing on your budget list but it's quite impossible not to try local delicacies especially when you saunter at the  night market of Myeongdong.

It's cheat day! You can't say no to the mouthwatering street food of Seoul. While all these are found in Myeongdong market, most of these are also found in some other parts of Seoul.



Here are the toothsome Korean delicacies yet most affordable for the hungry traveler on a budget.

Kimbap or Gimbap
₩5,000 - 8,000 (depends on the quantity)


It's a Korean trademark, something you can't miss even if you're not a rice-eater. This is an all in-one food pack that could include meat and vegetables aside from rice. It's neatly rolled in laver that's going to spice up your taste buds.



Fishcake (odeng / eumok)
₩1,000 - 2,000 per stick/serving


This is the ultimate Korean street food. It's everywhere and it's one of the most budget-friendly food that can surely satisfy the growling stomach. It's served in a stick soaked in a hot brew.



Korean-style Fried Chicken
₩5,000 - 6,000 per serving

Fried chicken has never been the same with this sweet and spicy treat, the Korean way! Sometimes it comes with rice cake (topokki) so it's as good as one full meal!





Rice cake (topokki)
₩3,000 - 4,000 per serving

It can be taken a la carte or as sidekick for any dish like chicken or your favorite ramen.



Seafood Ramen
₩6,000 - 7,000 per serving


This is perfect for the nippy weather. If you've been eating the packed instant ramen, this authentic Korean noodle topped up with a variety of seafood would make you think about eating instant noodles again.


Bibimbap
₩5,000 - 7,000 per serving

Hot rice bowl mixed with assorted greens and spicy sauce - perfect for a budget lunch!




Egg bread
₩3,000 per piece

Snack bites on-the-go? Grab an egg bread! It's protein and carb in one. Perfect when hot!

Cheese Corn Dog
₩3,000 per piece



The all-time fave hotdog is wrapped in a dough with melted cheese inside. Since it's fried,some versions could get a little greasy but the cheese and hotdog could very well compensate the taste.


Seaweed
₩1,000 - 3, 000 per pack






Crispy Tempura
₩6,000

This breaded shrimp delight is an ultimate treat for the seafood lover.

Dumplings
₩5,000 - 6,000 per serving

Whether it's meat or vegie dumpling, it's the steamed ones that are truly delectable.






Nutella Banana/Strawberry Crepe
₩6,000 - 7,000

Not only that it looks good, it definitely is a rewarding treat for a sweet tooth! There is nothing better than chocolate taste and the sourish strawberries or the sweet banana filling colliding in your mouth.



Strawberry Mochi
₩2,000

It's not just strawberry but chocolate layer inside the chewy mochi.

Samgyeopsal



There are a lot of restaurants in Seoul that serve the all-time Korean fave, samgyeopsal. It's grilled pork belly that should be wrapped with lettuce and all other side dishes such as kimchi along with other spices and greens.


Galbi



The best tasting grilled ribs should be part of your food trip in Seoul. It's juicy and perfectly tender! If you are in a budget yet salivating for Korean taste, you should try the unlimited galbi. Buffet restaurants in Seoul are not gonna rip you off. They could definitely offer something more than what you paid for so trying at least one buffet meal would be worth it.

Kimchi

Kimchi is a classic in every Korean meal. It's more popular as a side dish but you can surely munch on them without the main dish.



Pork Stew
₩7,000 - 9, 000 per serving


It's not the tastiest dish there is but it is surely satisfying especially on rainy days or the cold spring nights of Seoul. It would make a good combo with any rice meal.


Triangle Kimbap
₩3,000-4,000

It's basically a to-go kimbap which you can usually get from convenience stores. When you're in a rush to go see some tourist spots and you're not sure if there would be food stalls in there, this should be your best buddy. What's special about this is how it's wrapped that you had to make sure you perform steps 1 to 3 in peeling the plastic pack so the laver won't shatter. Also, it comes in different flavors and spices. The red one is the tastiest.


Banana Milk
₩1,000 - 1,400


Literally, it's a kind of drink unlike the foodies mentioned above. As the name suggests, it does sound like it's full of nutrients so aside from the fact that it's a trademark drink of Korea, you definitely would need this to power up.



Fruit Juices 
₩5,000 - 6,000



After all the carb loading and greasy street food binging, try detoxifying with these freshly squeezed juice in different fruity flavors like orange, pomegranate, cherry, mango, blackberry and a whole lot more!



Noodle Snack
₩1,000


Bonus! This snack food shouldn't really be part of the list but because munching it is uniquely enjoyable, I've included it here. It's a personal fave and I hope it's worth-sharing. You'd know once you try it. Somehow, it brings me a bit of nostalgia of my childhood years when I used to sneak out uncooked instant noodles just before my grandma would cook them and munch them secretly. But the taste of this snack is not even close to the instant noodles you know, trust me! *wink


Myeong-dong night market is overwhelming! It has a wide variety of street food along with beauty shops and boutiques. Your feet might numb before you could explore every nook and cranny of Myeong-dong.

Here are some other food stalls in Myeong-dong night market:










Disclaimer: I'm not a food blogger (that's why my photos are not that great) but I just thought that food would always be part of travelling especially when it's a strange land and culture you're exploring. Even if you're on a tight budget, never deprive yourself from trying out something delicious and indigenous. Eat some, travel more!

Taking that dream vacation in a foreign country is more than just a breather but a learning experience. Emerging oneself in a totally strange culture makes one learn beyond the pages of the book because some of the people's mores are not explicitly written on books especially those that reflect the modern lifestyle of the society. 

they sell this in vending machines

Despite how familiar the Korean pop culture is, especially for an Asian like me, there are just a lot of surprising facts I learned during my short vacay to South Korea. I stayed in Seoul most of the time so most of these interesting stories are based on my experience while sojourning in this city. It's worth the read if you're planning a trip to SoKor for the first time. 

Street food is everywhere in Seoul. 

Most of the Korean delicacy is readily available as street food especially in Myeong-dong night market. There might be Korean food in your local supermarket or in restaurants near your place but the taste of authentic Korean goodies served right in front of you is distinctly delectable. Some of the most common and affordable street delights are the fishcake (odeng/eomuk), rice cake (topokki), gimbap, dumplings, uniquely prepared seafood and chicken, freshly squeezed juice, and a whole lot more. One blog post would be too long to enumerate all Korean street food in the market.

at Myeong-dong night market

sweet and healthy strawberries with choco syrup

freshly squeezed

Korean beauty products are cheaper.

The most reliable beauty products are found among Korean brands. It's quite costly when sold overseas but it's quite cheaper in Seoul. Doing our own conversions, we reckoned that the ones sold in Seoul are 20 to 30 percent cheaper than the ones we have back home. They also offer big discounts and freebies in whatever purchases you have.

there were a lot of these shops, couldn't fit in my lens

Only a few speaks English. 

This is purely based on our encounters during our short stay in Seoul and while commuting through the subways. We often asked for directions since we were on a DIY travel itinerary and we had no tour guide nor internet connection. Asking locals was our last resort. Most of the locals we asked became hesitant when asked in straight English so we had to ask in broken sentences to make it more comprehensible to them. We noticed that the younger generation is  mostly exposed to the language yet they are still uncomfortable and they get teased by their friends when they speak in English. Perhaps they were teased in a good way, like speaking a foreign language is something you can be proud of.

 Koreans are extremely helpful.

A tour without a guide is quite challenging in a foreign land. Asking locals directions would be vital and sometimes inevitable. Although most Koreans (we bumped into during our stay) could not speak fluent English, they were very willing to stop, get directions through their phone app, and converse despite the language barrier.

Some of them called our attention and even walked with us after noticing we went into a wrong way (for not comprehending the directions well). We were amazed by their genuine concern.

Public display of affection is common. 

Asians are more conservative than the Western people especially in terms of showing romantic gestures in public. However, the times have changed and PDA seems to be an acceptable thing already in South Korea. Contrary to what is always being portrayed in Korean dramas, young couples are no longer shy to hug, kiss, or make out in public. Although this cannot be generalized as there are still a lot who does not do PDA but the locals do not seem annoyed with proud romantic couples around. It's as if it's a pretty normal sight.

that look when you see romantic couples all over the place

Vending machines sell condoms.

Unlike in other countries where condoms are only sold in pharmacies and convenience stores, vending machines make condoms available along with mints, gummies, tissue, plasters, and mouthwash. It's not everywhere though but there were a few in subway stations near the toilet areas.



It could rain the whole day. 

It was quite sunny on our first day there so we thought it's gonna be like that for the rest of our stay.  However, when we checked on the forecast, it says it would rain the next day but we didn't expect that it would rain the whole day. It somewhat affected our schedules that day so we had to buy transparent umbrellas so we could go on with our itinerary. Umbrellas in different sizes and designs are available in convenience stores.

umbrella saves the day!

Expect subway stations to have long steps!

Some stations have escalators or elevators but most stations we went to had no other option in going up  or down except going through the long staircase. It was exhausting at some point especially after walking quite a distance that we had to take our shoes off; otherwise we would pass out in exhaustion. Maybe it wasn't so pleasing to look at but it was the best option we had to have that temporary relief. We felt even more comfortable when most commuters did not even bother or notice at all.

for encouragement, this staircase tells you the equivalent calories burnt for every step

we almost quit but noooo!

Teens get drunk on weekdays. 

This was the first impression I had upon arriving in our guest house. The place was near Sungkyunkwan University and a lot of night clubs or disco bars are situated there. During the night, along the streets, drunk teenagers make up the crowd especially during weekdays. Weekends are quieter and less crowded.

not sure if these guys were really drunk but they intentionally photobombed

It's a safe city!

You'd feel secured when walking along the streets of Seoul. It's quite impossible to get robbed here. It seems that even if you leave your belongings somewhere no one would have the intention to steal or pick it up. Even the stores display stuff outside without an attendant. This is probably because CCTVs are installed everywhere.




Those were just a few of the things that made me totally a stranger in South Korea. Most of which I have never read on blogs so I was pretty surprised but always in a good way! I may entirely have a different culture and my beliefs differ from theirs but I totally respect and appreciate their way of life. Finally, what was really remarkable for me was how they treat tourists. I never felt discriminated in all my encounters with the locals. Despite the language barrier, they were always polite and ready to help.

Till our next laag!