Morning Calm

Itaewon District
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This is the second time I've stepped out of the (lovely) confines of Incheon Airport, but this was the first time we did it as a family and the first time to venture out on our own into the heart of South Korea.  It was a truly wonderful experience, despite not really knowing the Korean language...

We frequently fly on Korean Airlines to get from the US to the Philippines, because of their low fares and awesome service, and that we've grown to love the food they serve aboard their planes!  More on the food angle later... but anyway, since we started frequently flying on Korean Airlines, Incheon Airport had become somewhat of a fixture in our frequent journeys to the homeland.  In 2005, intrigued by those little glimpses of Korea, I decided to take the next step.  My family was already there, and I was flying over to join them... so I booked a KAL itinerary that had a full day's layover in Incheon.

You'll easily love the Land of Morning Calm

View from Seoul Tower
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I took part in one of the "transit tours" offered by the Incheon Airport, which went to Cheongwadae (The Presidential "Blue House"), Gyeongbokgung Palace, and the National Folk Museum.  I regaled my family with stories, photos, and video of my little adventure, and, of course, they demanded that their/our next trip to the Philippines should be preceded with a day's layover in Korea so that they could see, experience, and perhaps taste what I was talking about.

So...

We booked our next trip to the Philippines in 2006 with Korea on our minds.  With the family, on our own this time without the benefit of a guided tour, we purchased round trip tickets and got on a Korean Airlines Limousine bus from Incheon Airport to Seoul, which took about 45 minutes.  Getting through customs is a breeze, especially if you don't have to worry about checked luggage, and don't fret if you're just spending the day in Korea and don't have any address to write in the customs form.  In Seoul, from the Koreana Hotel we walked to the Dongwha Duty Free building, where the Seoul City Tour bus stop was located.  We hurried onto a bus, paid a total of 30,000 Korean Won for a full-day's hop on/off privilege for two adults and two kids, and we were on our way!

Gyeongbokgung Palace
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Our family's day of fun in Seoul consisted of the Itaewon market district, the Seoul Tower on Mount Namsan, Gyeongbokgung Palace, and the National Folk Museum.  We ended our Seoul adventure where it started, at the Dongwha Duty Free and Koreana Hotel, where we boarded the next KAL limousine bus bound for Incheon Airport, as we were scheduled to fly to Manila at about 8PM that day.

The kids loved the National Folk Museum and Gyeongbokgung Palace.  They also loved riding the Seoul City Tour bus and the KAL Limousine bus, which was an experience they're normally not exposed to.  It was refreshing for us to know that our kids enjoyed Seoul despite us not taking them to any kid-oriented places.  We might have to make it up next time for them... perhaps with a visit to Lotte World?

Some of the exhibits at the National Folk Museum of Korea
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We all love Korean food, at least the mainstream food and most popular dishes such as bulgogi, galbi, and especially bibimbap (in particular, the way it's served on Korean Airlines).  So, you can imagine how psyched we were when we were let loose into the heart of Korea!  The first time I was in Seoul, the tour guide took us to a traditional Korean restaurant in downtown Seoul.  Unfortunately, I can't remember the name of the restaurant, much less how to get there without a tour guide.  This trip into Seoul wasn't quite as productive as the first one in terms of food, as we were at the Seoul Tower cafe at lunchtime.  Unless you're willing to shell out upwards of 80000 won at the Seoul Tower, you have to settle for the "western" style cafe there.  We did get to have a significant amount of Korean food at Incheon Airport for breakfast and dinner on that day, though.

I perfectly mixed this bowl of bibimbap, aboard a Korean Airlines flight!
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It's easy to get around the city, with a bit of preparation you can easily get over the internet, and in spite not knowing much, if any of the Korean language.  Seoul's infrastructure is pretty english-friendly, with signs having both Korean and English translations.  It's a pretty clean, safe city as well.  The people are extremely friendly, and easy to talk to.  Although most Koreans don't seem to speak english very well, that same proportion of Koreans can understand what an english-speaking tourist is asking about.  And if you feel that you really need to do a tour with a guide... from my experience the guides in Seoul and Incheon are great.

I'd highly recommend Seoul to anyone who wants to experience the Asian culture without the crowds, heat, and language barrier you'd find at most other popular cities in Asia.