Travel Guide South Korea

A few weeks back I received notification via SMS from Malaysia Airlines Korea that my flight from Kuala Lumpur to Seoul on 29th December was rescheduled to 28th December.

Ain't I'm going on 27th September?

Well..to cut the story short. I bought a one way ticket from Kuala Lumpur to Seoul for 27th September's flight. Later, I bought another return ticket from Seoul to Kuala Lumpur going on 26th December and return on 29th December.

After receiving the SMS, I was a bit alarmed . I could only spend one day with my family!!! No way. Yeah..if in case I decided to go back to Seoul again. If ONLY the whole thing worked out, the return ticket would be worth it.

So, I called the Malaysia Airlines call center and requested for a re-schedule. The guy, Nik was very pleasant and informed me that if the re-schedule was done by the airline, I have the right to request for another re-schedule but only either one day ahead or later than the post-re-schedule date.

Initially, mine was on 29th December, so Malaysia Airlines rescheduled to 28th December. However, I refused to accept and requested for another re-schedule. Luckily there was an available flight on 29th December having a stop over in Kota Kinabalu. The flight duration is longer which is from 2115hrs from Kuala Lumpur and reaching Seoul at 0710hrs.

I can bear with that! ^__^

The verdict?

Will be going to Seoul on 27th September, return to Kuala Lumpur on 26th December.
If I decide to go back to Seoul, it would be on 29th December.

I know, I'm crazy..hehehe

Finally, my 2 other friends have decided to join me for the Korea madness!! Hehe..One of the best way to get cheaper flight tickets would be to sign up for the carrier newsletter.

I have signed up for :
1) Malaysia Airlines
2) Air Asia
3) Cathay Pacific
4) Singapore Airlines

I recommended those because they have plenty of promotions from time to time and they never fail to inform me via e-mail. They are really fast!

Since I just received promotional newsletter from Malaysia Airlines , decided to check the price for flight from Kuala Lumpur to Seoul for return ticket dated from 30th Oct (Friday) until 8th November (Sunday) - this is the date for us to enjoy the autumn season. Arghh..I really love autumn; the yellow, red, orange, brown leaves..awaiting for winter.

Below is step by step guide from Malaysia Airlines how I managed to purchase a return ticket for MYR1,013 approximately USD290. Normal price ticket to Seoul would be around MYR2,000:

Promotional price is only for travel period between 25th June until 30th November 2009.

Please click on the picture for bigger version.

Step 1.

Step 2.

Step 3.

Finally..



Tips: Please ensure to click 'Next' button after Step 2. The lowest/cheapest airfare will only be shown after that. This is somewhat misleading because the price before clicking 'Next' is MYR 1,979 but price after is MYR 1,013. A whopping difference of MYR966 which I would rather spend it on shopping in Seoul. Hehehe..

Korean keyboard is really confusing when you are not native. I tried to configure mine today, but in the end the whole process irked me so much that I gave up.

This how my keyboard looks like. Mine is using Dubeolshik (두벌식) which is the most common Hangul keyboard layout in use in South Korea. Confusing? Hehhe..I will try again tomorrow to get familiarize. Aja..aja fighting!


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Another important sentence for me. This time would be:

I don't have
I don't have money.
I don't have time.

= Opso yo = I don't have/There isn't/ There aren't/Do you not have..

eg. Dun opso yo. = I don't have money
If you put question mark; Dun opso yo? = Don't you have money?

eg Shigan opso yo = I don't have time
If you put question mark; Shigan opso yo? = Don't you have time?

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I'm going to learn just the survival phrases before I'm going to Seoul. This would be one of them.
Some of the questions that I need to ask in Korean language would be like this:

Do you have money?
Do you have time?
Do you have ?

The sentence would be like this:

1) Informal way:
isso ?
<item>있 어?

2) Formal way:
isso yo?
<item>있 어요?

eg. Dun isso yo? = Do you have money?
Dun = money

eg. shigan isso yo? = Do you have time?
shigan = time

PS: If you realize..just by adding 'yo' at the back of the sentence, it would be changed to formal way. Warning: However it is just a general rule. Not to be adapted to all situation though.

PSS: I would say, learning the korean alphabet before going to Korea is really beneficial. This has happened to my trip to Japan which learning the hiragana and katakana has helped me a lot finding my way. *I lost my way a lot..hahaha*

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I was about to drive to work this evening when suddenly I imagine myself taking my backpack and strut myself to the airport. A rush of adrenaline hit me and my heart was beating so fast! My heart just wants to burst and shout. "I can't wait to go to Korea!!".That day will arrive..I said to myself.

Solo backpacking..going through immigration, breathing Seoul's air, walking through the throngs in Dongdaemun, meeting my couch and WWOOF hosts, KTX to Busan, taking loads of autumn pictures, trembling so bad during winter (will I catch the cold flu, I really hate winter!) and watching Big Bang perform LIVE (*this one if I'm really lucky*). My imagination just runs wild.

Do I need to bring my laptop? I thought so many times, I like to travel light. Hmmm...

Surfing? not that usual surfing..with that hunk body and delicious tanned muscles..yummy*Sorry for getting your mind strayed..hahah.*

Well, since budget traveling is my number one priority, God must have listened to my pray lately..^^
I stumbled upon this awesome website where the idea is just so marvelous! I heart this one..really. I might take this one up for weekend stay in Seoul. Got to know new people, new culture, new ideas and be humble in the process. We are staying in the same 'Earth' anyway.

Why?
Their idea is sharing a couch/mattress/futon (japanese bed) if they have in their house for a traveler with limited budget. There is no payment given to the host but a wise traveler should know the ethics and moral. Like, maybe treat a dinner to your host to appreciate them.

Neat? What do you think?
Wooo..isn't that dangerous? A perfect stranger in your house? You're meeting them for the first time and you share your bed?? That's so risky man! That was what I think before but...you better go to the site to really grasp the idea and principal of sharing.

Risk? As I said..risk is everywhere, anywhere, anytime. Go and register your couch, fast!!

Muslim = no pork, no alcohol but that's like a whole cultural thingy for Korean!! Majority of my Muslim friends will quiver when they heard me saying "I want to eat Tteokbokgi when I'm in Seoul!" Isn't it HALAL? A very sensitive issue where I almost refuse to discuss with my Muslim friends but avoiding it is almost sounds like a sin. Hehehe.

Of course finding a HALAL certificate is almost impossible in a non-Muslim country in Korea but recently Korea has taken amazing effort to boost their tourism to focus on Muslim visitors.

For a proof, come and visit Tour2Korea official website here. They have prepared a special section : Muslim Food Guide.

Other than that, let's just believe that I will survive with instant noodle and serunding! Chance to get slim the natural way. Hahaha... another amazing race in the making.

These 2 questions has been asked zillions of time even though I don't know how zillions looks like. (I told you, I failed Maths..haha). Well, traveling solo seems always pretty dangerous for ladies but mate, you have to count your risk like 1,2,3..bla bla..before you even start thinking about it. Like Zati said, you take calculative risk not simply "You jump, I jump" Dicaprio style.

A lot of times during my traveling solo, I depend on my gut,hunch,6th sense,psychic..whatever you call it. But what I really want to make a point home is that..please use your COMMON SENSE, that 7 inches between your two ears aka your brain. ^__^ You gonna be safe if not the other way round.

I'm not gonna say that there isn't any risk. There IS risk! We encounter risk anywhere, everywhere and anytime. We just don't realize it.. yet. Hehehe. But traveling solo has been always a SWEET risk. Only those who experienced it will know that gushy mushy feeling. Shweeeet..

I'm way out of topic! Sorry guys, that's why I always got whacked by my language teacher while doing essay. I always get to pluto and refused to return. Hehe..

Solo almost..almost feel like FREEDOM. You determine all decision by yourself. There's no one to bicker backer with, no one to nag at you when you are in "I told you so" situation and all the TIME is yours to enjoy and get pampered.

Get the xyz of my point? FREEDOM = TIME = no one nagging at you.

Wow..another Nobel prize for creating another silly formula!

Lately, I have been procrastinating my korean language learning. I just had a viral fever which I will get once in a blue moon and now my system is picking its usual pace of "workaholic" mode. I sound like a robot. Hehehe..

Many thanks to KoreanClass101 team, I think learning korean with their tutorial and podcast is much easier. I just plug my ipod and wallah!! I could listen while I'm driving, eating my lunch and even when I am about to doze in my bed. I have around 129 days left before my trip to Korea. Hopefully by then I would be able to speak decent Korean.

What I really like about their system is that theirs are very structured and simplified learning. Easy and no fuss. They have podcast, video vocabulary, notes in pdf form, dialogues, forum and even lesson discussion 1 on 1 as if in real class!

Until then, I hope I can impress G-Dragon if I get the chance to meet him. *Arrhh..in my dream. Hehe*

A few weeks back I wrote a post about How to buy cheaper flight ticket?
But what really sweet is I stumbled upon a really precious insider information compiled by the people inside airline himself. It's called : Secrets of Cheap Airfare from a Fired Airline Travel Agent.


I can't emphasize no more on how important that 'we' the common people to know the tips and tricks by airlines, how we could dodge their bogus marketing and not to burn our pocket.

This book is really a gem. I recommend those budget traveler or even luxurious one to get hold of it. The book not only covers on how to bargain on dirt-cheap priced ticket but it also covers the jargon in airlines in very simple and user-friendly explanation.

Rather than splurge it on the ticket, maybe you can use the extra money on that new high heel shoes or one piece? Hehehe..

I am utterly speechless!! What happened to airlines nowadays??
Gawd..I know that the economy is bad if not worse currently but my flight to Seoul was rescheduled without prior notice.

I am suppose to fly on 29th of September 2009 but this morning I received an SMS from MAS airlines that it was rescheduled from 28th to 27th!! Wait a minute..I didn't receive any notification when they rescheduled it once! This sms was the second time that they had it rescheduled. I'm going bonker, for sure.

Dialing the semi-toll free number was hopeless with annoying voice message "The number is inactive". What?!! What happened to once a reliable and many awards in their favours??

After how many attempts, I finally get to speak with one of the agents. She confirmed that my flight was rescheduled to 27th September 2009 at 2335hrs, touching down Seoul on 28th September 2009 0710hrs.

Wait!! Will I overstay my visa maximum-day stay? Malaysian is allowed to enter South Korea maximum 90 days. After countless calculation (I failed Maths..hehe) : 28th September until 26th December = 90 days. Yikes!! I am saved by the bell!!

You can save some won if you use airport express + subway to go to downtown Seoul from Incheon Airport.

Case Study: From Incheon to Downtown Seoul (For Adult rate)

1. Via AREX - Airport Express

Route : Incheon International Airport -> Gimpo Airport -> Myeong-dong
Estimated Total travel time : 91 minutes
Fare :
Incheon International Airport -> Gimpo Airport : 3,100 won
Gimpo Airport -> Myeong-dong : 1,200 won
Total Fare: 4,300won

Where to take : Incheon International Airport Transportation Center

2. Via Airport Bus

Route : Incheon International Airport -> Myeong-dong
Estimated total travel time : 70 minutes
Fare : 8,000 won (Standard limousine)

Where to take: Bus Stops 5B or 12A outside the arrival floor of Incheon International Airport


Savings: 8,000 - 4,300 = 3,700 Won
Difference in Travel time: 91 - 70 = 21 minutes

However, the cons is that you can't bring too much baggage when you travel using AREX/Commuter compared to Airport Bus. I suppose when you travel as a backpacker, traveling light is always your utmost priority.^^

Info Sources: Tour2Korea



*Pictures courtesy of Woo Man Fai

It is very important to be able to say thank you to everyone you meet while in Korea.

The romanization may varies but there are 2 polite ways to say it:-

First:

gahm-sa-hahm-ni-da ---->


Second:

goh-mahp-seum-ni-da ----->


You can learn more from:
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These are the list of things/activities that I want to do while in Seoul:

1) Go to Namsan tower



2) Shopping at Insadong/Myeongdong/Dongdaemun

3) Watch Big Bang show/concert live (G-Dragon is second from right..ain't he gorgeous? Hehe)



4) Eat tokkpokgi



5) Jog at olympic park (hahaha..this one if I have lost my pounds before going to Seoul)

6) Loitering at Apgujeong for a chance of meeting G-Dragon (in my dream...hahaha)

7) Take thousands and thousands of picture

8) Again..loitering near Han River at night

9) Jjimjilbang (if I dare enough to walk around naked in front of strangers..fighting!!)

10) Everland..It's my turn on that wooden rollercoaster!!

I will reach Seoul on 29th Sept 2009 which is Tuesday at 0830hrs. My plan would be to stay 2 days in Seoul and then head to either Gwangju or Gangwon-do.

Where should I stay in Seoul?

I'm going to be a solo-traveler. These are among the lists of places that I think I want to stay based on the reviews and their reputation.

1) Banana Backpackers - they are near to Insadong; 5 minutes walking distance and just 20,000 KRW/night for dorm around RM60 (as per current rate)



2) Kims Guesthouse - Dorm bed around 15,000 KRW and single room around 28,000 KRW.
This is a bit far from central Seoul but you can't beat the price.



3) Golden pond guest house - Dongdaemun Market is just two stops away via the subway. Dorm bed around 15,000 / 17,000 KRW and single room around 27,000 KRW.




4) Beewon Guesthouse - It is 8 minutes walk from Insadong and Dorm bed around 19,000 KRW/night.

Blame it to the korean drama hype in Malaysia, we are subconsciously learning korean language everytime we watch it. As of now, boys before flowers starring Goo Hye Sun is very famous in Korea.

I believe the most essential word that all of us should know would be:

Anyong ha se yo -

This is a multi-usage word. A very useful indeed. It could mean good morning, good afternoon, good evening, good night, hello (when greeting someone) and bye bye.

The word like worm above? Ahh..that is korean character. It is so simple, it only took me a few hours to memorize it. It is soooooo easy.

Go here if you want to learn more.

KoreanClass101.com - Learn Korean with Free Daily Podcasts

Here's the website for WWOOF Korea.

You can choose in English or Korean. As usual I will choose English and it will show the landing page as below.


Here's the deal. You have to work around 4-6 hours/day in exchange of accommodation and food. If you don't want this arrangement, then this is not your kind of travel. But...it works for me cause my aim in travelling is to mingle with natives and learn their culture. ^__^

Single membership is around 32,500won/ USD40 (amount may differs). You may either register at their office at Seoul or you can pay via paypal if you're from overseas.

Once payment done, assuming you are from overseas, you will receive the WWOOF book which contains a directory of around 30 host farms in Korea. You are also required to provide basic personal details as well as a copy of your passport via e-mail or by fax.

It takes about two weeks to receive the book. After you receive the book, contact the farms where you are interested. Host arrangements can be done by yourself or through WWOOF Korea. WWOOF Korea provides placement service for the first three times upon your request. Please reserve a place before your arrival and check with hosts if you have special needs such as diet or if you are interested in bringing children or pets.

WWOOF-KOREA membership is valid for one year. The WWOOF Korea book serves as a membership card so that you must show it to the hosts upon your arrival with your ID.

If you have any questions or problems applying for a membership, please e-mail at wwoofkorea@yahoo.co.kr.

I will be doing WWOOFing Korea from October to December 2009. It spans from autumn to winter. Due to the registration and host arrangement will take time, I would allow myself 2 months to do the whole process. I will register in August and hopefully by end of September, I will confirm my host placement.

A lot of my time wasted on getting the cheapest flight ticket on the net. But this wasted time have taught and given me loads of priceless knowledge. Most of the time, this cheaper ticket will come with terms and conditions. All these jargon are incomprehensible by layman standard. So here goes the jargon that I have referred frequently. Hope it helps.

Baggage allowance – the weight of the luggage the airline allows the traveler to check-in. Economy ticket holders are usually allowed 20kg whilst business and first class passengers able to take between 30-40kg depending on the airline. Hand luggage is fairly standard between the airlines: one piece per passenger and up to 8kg in weight though the dimensions of baggage that is allowed can vary between carriers.

Blackout periods – specific days or periods of time when special rates are not available due to high demand for flights.

Boarding pass – a card given to the passenger after check-in which allocates a seat number or indicates a boarding pattern. The stub of the card should be retained after going through the boarding gate to show to the flight crew once reaching the aircraft.

Budget / Low-cost airlines – these are short-haul flights at bargain prices but with occasional drawbacks. Usually the flights are from secondary airports which could be miles from your ultimate destination. Food and drink is often not included in the price. Fares are usually non-flexible and can incur a hefty charge for changing travel plans. On the plus side, low-cost carriers continue to add to their already impressive list of destinations which can offer real savings for travelers.

Cancellation charges – penalties that you will incur if you cancel your flights. Most fares have this clause in them so travel insurance is advisable if your plans are likely to change.

Carry-on – hand-baggage or luggage that has not been checked-in. See restrictions under Baggage allowance.

Check-in – the time before departure when your luggage goes onto the airline and boarding cards are issued. For long-haul this is 2 hours whilst short-haul is approximately 1 hour. Be aware that in these times of occasional heightened airport security, the check-in time can vary. To get up-to-date information it is best to confirm timings with the airline.

Connecting flights – a journey where the passenger must change planes to reach their final destination.

Direct flights – a flight where the passenger does not need to change planes but the aircraft may stop en-route.

ETA – Estimated Time of Arrival

EST – Eastern Standard Time (GMT -5 hrs)

Excess baggage – checked-in luggage which exceeds the weight of the Baggage allowance. If you are only just over then you might be lucky but be warned that payments on excess weight can be very expensive.

Non-transferable – a ticket which is specifically for just one passenger and cannot be used by anyone else.

No-shows – the term relating to passengers or either arrive late or do not arrive at all to travel on their booked flight.

Penalty fare – the amount the passenger has to pay in order to make a change to the travel arrangements or cancel the ticket once it has been issued

Stopover – an overnight stay (or possibly longer) at a location en-route to your final destination. This is usually done to break up a very long journey eg. London to Sydney with a stopover in Hong Kong.

Ticket issuance – purchasing tickets that have previously been reserve

If you want more, please check more jargon in here.

Budget:
Flight Ticket - RM2,000
Accommodation, on-land Transportation and Food - RM3,000
Emergency - RM1,000

Plan A:
October - Gwangju
November - Seoul and Gyeonggi-do (My friends Hanim and Tutie will join for Seoul-Tour)
December - Gangwon-do

Plan B:
October - Gangwon-do
November - Seoul and Gyeonggi-do (My friends Hanim and Tutie will join for Seoul-Tour)
December - Gwangju and Daegu/Busan

Why I skipped Jeju-do?

I don't want to sound snobbish and proud here.
This is purely my own opinion, even though I am well aware of the infamous Jeju-do.
I love Malaysia's islands better such as Redang, Tioman, Pangkor and Langkawi.
However, I am not going to restrict myself, if the time allow and the budget too, I will someday visit Jeju-do. Fair enough?

Inside my budget travel plan, learning the language of the country that I want to visit is a must. I have always love to challenge myself at some point.

Prior to this, one of my buddies has visited South Korea around December 2008. I have relentlessly advised her to study and practise Korean language; at least the Korean survival phrases. She claimed that it would be alright. I told her that it would be different if she travelled in English-speaking countries.

She regretted it..really. Not only she lost her way once she reached Incheon airport. All the hassle she went through to find her hotel has etched sour memories. Of course sour or sad memories if you think again it will become sweet as well, but all the troubles and waste of time?
Heheh..impossible to replace time though.

My advise: If you are in Rome, do what the Roman do.

*If not all, the least is to learn the language a bit, to show your interest. Little things go a long way*

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Flight ticket is the first "migraine" that you will get when you want to do your solo-travel, budget travel or when you decide NOT to take that group/package option.

Basically it amounts to almost 30-40% of your budget. In my case, it is approximately RM2000.

How do I get it cheap?

1) Always..always subscribe to Airlines newsletter

The reason that this is important because different airlines have different promotions and each of them cater to different regions or countries. Take advantage of these through their newsletters.

2) Get familiarize with the airlines website (if they have online ticketing)

If you realize, these carriers have an option to select which country you are from or basically your origin. When I play around with that option, it gave me a surprise finding!

A case study, using MAS (Malaysia Airlines):

When I choose country = Korea; my return ticket from Seoul to Kuala Lumpur only cost me RM1,200 (price will differ based on promotions)

When I choose country = Malaysia; my return ticket from Kuala Lumpur to Seoul cost me a whopping RM2,000 (price will differ based on promotions).

The amount I saved was RM800!! I would have used that RM800 for something else, right? ^^

3) Be a best buddy with your local travel-agent

Sometimes when you have to travel last minute, it is difficult to get cheaper flight ticket. Luckily, you can always rely on your local travel-agent. They have this system which enable them to check all flights available on your desired date and compare the prices. However, if you have solid relationship with your travel-agent, they could give you priceless advice and discounts. Nice..

4) Buy a return ticket NOT a single journey ticket

A single journey ticket generally will be more expensive than a return ticket. In my case,
my single journey ticket from Kuala Lumpur to Seoul cost me RM900. However, my return ticket from Seoul to Kuala Lumpur is RM1,200. If you divide by two, each journey would be only RM600 one way. See the difference?

Ka-ching!! You save again. ^^

5) Buy a transit return ticket

If you transit, the flight ticket will be cheaper but you will lose out on TIME if you stop over / transit. If time is not an issue, by all means buy a transit and stop over.

6) Ensure that departure/arrival date fall on Tuesday or Wednesday

This rule always..always works for me. No matter what airlines I choose. Rationally because who wants to fly during weekdays. Not many right? Hence, the cheaper price. Save your $$$ by planning your departure/arrival date.


7) Always compare prices from online and your local travel agent

It seems that you have to do loads of analytical stuff, aren't you? This is because somehow the prices that your travel agent offer could be more due to the commision they gain but you can save time on searching for the cheapest price when they can do the work for you.

8) Buy ticket during off-season

Off-season. Yes..everyone love to travel during summer. Hmm..summer is the season to travel but the price will hike and that means budgeting will go down the drain. Less people on off-season, you can enjoy more places with less crowd and cheaper.

9) Buy ticket at least 6-months before departure date

This is true because you book your flight early. The airlines would give better price for those who plan early but the time span to wait for that flight to materialize is killing you. (What I mean is hehe..killing me)

10) Go last minute

I love to do this. When you see an offer from the airlines, you do a 5-minute decision and without you knowing it you will travel next month or even next week!! What? Am I insane?? Hehe..
This however means that you have put aside some money for it.

11) Use your airline miles

Those who stay loyal and true to only one airline (Bravo!) they will accumulate the airline miles and this means free ticket/half-price ticket! Saving again!! Yahoo!!

My family members and friends always wonder why I waste so much money or $$$ for travelling. Hmmm..How shall I put it? I work hard for the money and I should enjoy it, rite?
But it is not easy. Need loads of perseverance because your desire to buy unnecessary things is just so great. Being a woman^_*..you know. Women and "MEGASALE" is twins. Hehehe

Here are lists of how I gain my extra income:

1) Have a proper job - your sole income for saving

2) Do extra hour/over time

3) Give tuitions to primary school students

4) Sell your unwanted items on Ebay.com.my/Lelong.com.my

5) Write article and get paid for it

6) Open up a blog and monetize it

7) Only buy what you NEED not what you WANT

8) Open a separate saving account so you will not splurge on the extra $$$

9) Upload your travel photos and get paid

10) Be a referral/affiliate for travel websites

See..having only one job to travel is a big NO NO..hehe

My first experience with WWOOF was when I did my first solo-travel to Japan. WWOOF stands for willing worker of organic farm. You may exchange a few hours (ranging from 4 to 6 hours) of working at organic farms for accommodation and food.

It came to me by accident. Japan; being among the most expensive country to visit or travel normally just prevent a middle income person like me and everyone else to go. Some people said that it was just not worth it. WWOOF is the cheapest option that I had.

I was really crazy on japanese culture, language and JPop at that time and I am still now. I decided long time ago to study the language and promised myself that I would go to Japan, no matter how.

I have created an exclusive blog just for my WWOOF experience here.

Since WWOOF is almost applicable to all countries; South Korea also have their own circle of organic farmers registered under WWOOF. The idea is excellent and once again I would opt for it.

My plan would be to WWOOF either in Gwangju, Gangwon-do or Gyeonggi-do. For Seoul, it would be just purely fun, fun and fun!

I will be flying from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia to Incheon, South Korea - direct flight by MAS (Malaysia Airlines) on 29th September 2009 at 0100hrs. Look at the date - 290909.
Haha..Excellent! This one is a one way ticket.

Return, it will also via MAS (Malaysia Airlines) but this time it is a return ticket. Returning to Malaysia on 26th December 2009 and return to South Korea on 29th December 2009. Surprisingly the return ticket is cheap!

Both tickets was bought during air travel promotion with MAS (Malaysia Airlines). Please bear in mind, I'm a budget travel freak!!

Initially I plan to do a few airport transits and feel that way would allow me to experience culture of different countries. However, the urge to really travel South Korea extensively defer my intention to do the transits.

I intend to stop in Bangkok, Thailand a few days and also Taiwan a few days. Hmm..it will be too tiring. Furthermore, my budget just not allow me to do so.

I plan to use RM5,000 max which is approximately USD1,400 for the whole 90 days travel.

Can it be done? I hope it will. Pray for me^^

Of course, I am not a big spender. Most of my saving will go for my budget travel, almost every year.

My plan is to stay on the maximum days allowed for Malaysians which is 90 days, but I'm gonna stay only 89th days. Hehe..another day would be for the return flight from Seoul.

The expenses would be:

Flight
Transportation in Korea (Subway, KTX, Bus)
Accommodation (Hostel/Motel)
Food
Souvenirs/Shopping
Emergency (if any)

I love kimchi.

I love Big Bang especially G-Dragon (He's a genius!! to me at least..)

I love oriental culture.

I love autumn.

I love scenic scene.

I love nature, natural living.

I love volunteering for WWOOF.

Hi everyone, just started to write on my plan to backpack for Seoul or South Korea in shoestring budget.

This day to day diary is meant for friends and family to keep track of me when I will be there during my 3-months awayyyyy from them.^^

I don't know about others but I just feel that travelling with package/ by group is just not my forte. Hehe..I feel that only when you mingle with natives and travelling on your own or at most 2 people that I feel you can submerged yourself into that particular country's culture.

So, why South Korea?

Hmm..maybe because of the Hallyu wave, the Korean drama popularity around the world, the KPop?? , the various type of kimchi that I just adore so much and I don't know..I just love oriental culture (Japan, China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Korea).

Cheers! Enjoy my journey!