KampungboyCitygal’s 7 Days Seoul & Busan Itinerary – click here.

Previous: Seoul Itinerary Day 1: Cheonggyecheon Stream & Deoksugung (The Royal Changing of Guards Ceremony)

We always put a supermarket visit on our travel list – Big C at Bangkok, Cosco at Taipei and City Super at Hong Kong. Don’t get me wrong, we do enjoy prowling wet markets with shouting butchers and fish mongers. But there’s nothing better than an hour spent pushing a cart at an air conditioned space, puzzling over unfamiliar junk food.

Lotte Mart Seoul Station is conveniently located within the subway building. If you go by subway, alight at Seoul Station and come out at Exit 1. Since our service apartment is just a stone’s throw away from Lotte Mart, we dropped by for a quick bite. There’s a food court within and  a simple meal ranges from 5000-8000 won.  Towards the tail end of our trip, we even went back to grab some souvenirs for families and friends.

Koreans pickle just about everything

Lotte Mart Seoul Station has got every household related stuff that you can think of parked under one roof. If you are wondering how does a normal Korean meal looks like in most families here (they can’t be having BBQ every day), then this is the best place to be.

pre packed seafood, jumbo size pork chop, bacon rolls

korean strawberries, live abalones, jumbo size tonkatsu, jumbo size ebi tempura

what are these boxes for?

Upon checking out, we have to pack our groceries into these (given out for free) boxes. No plastic bags are provided so remember to bring along your recycle bags.

One can find all kinds of snacks, instant noodles, gingseng tea, soju, liqours and food stuff here. I would have grab everything if not because of limited baggage allowance. Our hauls:

Scorched Rice Candy. This sounds intriguing and it tastes exactly like burnt rice. If you are someone who digs deep into your claypot chicken rice, then you will like this!

We bought like more than a dozen of these tteokbokki (spicy rice cake) snacks. Sweet, sticky and spicy; this is so addictive!

Beef broth powder and seafood broth powder. Koreans uses it on soup, porridge and even fried rice. It is very delicious with intense meat flavour.

Market O Real Brownie by Orion (a famous snack manufacturer in Korea). My Korean friends told me that it’s made of organic ingredients so they feed their toddlers with this! We like it a lot too - so chocolatey and dense.

Yuzu Tea

Seaweed snacks populate entire sections of shelf space at Lotte Mart so we were spoilt for choice!

Korean Strawberries and Melons

My Korean friends told me that Binggrae’s Banana Flavored Milk is like one of the ‘traditional’ Korean drink and its popularity has been going strong even after 38 years. They tend to have it after a relaxing session of jimjilbang (korean hot bath) too. I can understand why; it is sweet, creamy with a mild banana flavour.

Lotte Mart provides tax refund service for 30,000 won purchase for tourists too. Remember to bring your receipt to tax refund counter at level 1.

Lotte Mart Seoul Station
122, 2-ka Bongrae-dong, Seoul, South Korea
Opens from 10am to 12am daily

Next Up: SA Seoul Apartment – Bongchu Jjimdak @ Myeongdong (our favourite!)

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Full Itinerary “6D5N @ Bangkok + Hua Hin – Purely R&R, Food & Shopping!”, click here!

Previous: Coffee Bean by Dao @ Central World

Apart from Siam Square, Platinum Fashin Mall is our favourite shopping destination in Bangkok. This massive wholesale mall is a source for retail shops all around Bangkok, from Khao San Road to Chatuchak Weekend Market.

Tips for Shopper at Platinum Fashion Mall:

1) Platinum Fashion Mall caters especially to wholesale clothing, so most shops would require you to purchase a minimum of two pieces in order to have the “wholesale” price. No problems for us because we can always mix the designs. Wholesale price is always 50-100 baht cheaper compared to retail price.

2) Cash payment ONLY.

3) The mall has six floors which are filled with small outlets – most of them specialising in women’s clothing and fashion accessories. So if you find something that you like, get it straightaway or jot down the shop’s lot number or else you will never be able to find it again.

4) Platinum Fashion Mall is divided into two buildings. Zone 1 & 2 is at the older building while Zone 3 which specialises in bags and shoes is located at the new wing.

5) The best time to hit Platinum is in the morning on a weekday, right after the mall opens at 9 a.m. Otherwise, get ready to fight with the weekend crowds. Most stalls close before 8 p.m.

It’s also not surprising to see shoppers pulling huge trolley bags around the mall. They are mostly fashion business owners stocking up latest fashion apparels here.

Fashion Paradise!

T shirts designed by aspiring young Thai designers.

Left: Cute hand made knick knacks/Right: key chains, phone straps, etc

There’s also a food court located at the sixth floor of Platinum Fashion Mall with 28 stalls serving hot, fresh and cheap Thai food.

Platinum Fashion Mall
Address: Petchaburi Road, Pratunam
Opens daily from 9am to 8pm
Website: http://www.platinumfashionmall.com/pfront8/
Getting Here: BTS Siam, BTS Chitlom, BTS Ratchatewi – 10-15 minute walk to the mall.

Just across Platinum Fashion Mall one can find the best Thai chicken rice in town.

Affectionately known as the pink shirt chicken rice, Kaiton Kao Mun is a 40 years old eating establishment which draws huge crowd every single day and night. There’s also a green shirt chicken rice situated less than 50 metres away from them.

chopped chicken clotted blood anyone?

We were totally clueless when it comes to order; as everyone looked so busy. Fortunately for us, a Thai uncle seated next to us helped us to order by just mumbling a short string of Thai words. The chicken was juicy and tender, the rice was fragrant and everything taste better when we put a little bit of the sweet soy sauce on the rice. It was a good plate of chicken rice but for most Malaysians and Singaporeans, it is no fight compared to our version of Hainanese chicken rice.

He also got us a bowl of soup with chicken bone. It may looked scary but the soup packed a powerful punch of flavours.

refreshing cup of Chinese tea

Guess how much our total bill was? 60 baht inclusive of 2 plates of chicken rice, chinese tea and soup! The chicken rice was not remarkable, but it was a good experience to blend in with the locals.

Kaiton Kao Mun Kai Pratunam
on the corner of Petchburi Soi 30, Petchburi Road
Tel. +66 (0)2 252 6325
Opens daily 5:30am-3:30pm, 5pm-3am.

We found this Chinese map and translated it for our dear readers perusal. Hope it helps!

Next Up: Sirocco Sky Bar @ Lebua State Tower – Best Sky Bar in Bangkok

KAMPUNGBOYCITYGAL/KAMPUNGBOYCITYGAL - A MALAYSIAN FOOD & TRAVEL BLOG

KampungboyCitygal’s 7 Days Seoul & Busan Itinerary – click here.

Previous: Seoul Itinerary Day 1 – Cheonggyecheon Stream & Deoksugung Palace

Our first two nights we stayed in S.A. Seoul Station, an service apartment located just right across Seoul Station. Owned by a Hong Konger, S.A. Seoul’s clientele are mainly Hong Konger, Taiwanese and sometimes Singaporean. We decided to stay here after reading numerous glowing reviews from bkkz forum. It’s location is unbeatable:

2 minutes walk to Seoul Station (subway line 1 & 4), AREX Seoul Station, KTX station & Lotte Mart
2 stations away from Myeongdong (subway line 4)
1 station away from City Hall (subway line 1)
4 stations away from Dongdaemun (subway line 1 & 4)

We took Airport Bus 6050 (15000 won) which stopped just across from S.A. Seoul Station. AREX to Seoul Station would be a cheaper option (3700 won). One just need to take the staircase down and walk across the road. Check in was done swiftly at room 406. The receptionists passed us a security card as the building main door will be close after 10 pm. In return, we have to surrender our ID card as collateral. We were also given a pass code to gain access to our unit – 1507. S.A. Seoul owns more than 10 units at the same building; while the other units are being occupied by Korean families.

entrance – toilet door on the left and (camouflaged ) wardrobe & fridge on the right.

The loft unit is tastefully decorated with MUJI furnitures, espousing a minimalist eco lifestyle.

A top down view from the attic.

High tech looking air conditioner and heater.

The main bedroom is located upstairs. Our sleeping arrangement for four was two at the attic while another two slept at tatami style bed at the living hall. The wooden floor is heated so we felt pretty comfortable.

A cozy corner but remember to watch out your head when you wake up in the morning.

There’s also a very well equipped kitchen in the loft unit.

We got to prepare our breakfast every morning.

Microwave Oven

There’s also a complete set of utensils.

The toilet was small but clean with basic facilities such as water heater and Japanese bidets. What irritated us was the water drain really slow. The shower area will be flooded with water whenever someone took a shower.

towel, toiletries, etc

S.A. Seoul provides ginseng health patch & BB Cream for their guests. They can purchase on behalf if their guests like it.

Guide Book. It was a considerate touch as the guide book provides detail instructions on how to operate the washing machine, air conditioner, floor heater, wifi, TV, etc.

What we like about S.A. Seoul:
Great location
Minimalist interior with MUJI furnishing
Nice view of Seoul city
Reasonable price
Feels like home

Our complains:
Small toilet with bad drainage system. Was told it is a common problem at level 15 rooms as it is the top floor. Try asking for other rooms.
Unsightly mildew stain on toilet tiles.

We paid a peak period rate of USD 150 per night for our unit which fits 4. Payment is remitted via PayPal with an additional 5% charge. Full payment is required before arrival. S.A. Seoul is also offering bridal packages, day tours and booking services. Email them at saseoul1@gmail.com to enquire.

S.A. Seoul
首爾特別市 龍山區 西界洞219-17 番地 首爾火車站楓琳 I-One
Poong-Lim I-One ,Seoul Station 219-17 Segea Dong,Young-San Gu ,Seoul
서울시 용산구 서계동219-17번지 서울역풍림아이원
Website: http://www.saseoul.com/rooms/index.html
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/SA-Seoul-SA-Tour/139234639478740

Next Up: Bongchu Jjiamdak @ Myeongdong – very addictive chicken stew!

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Full Itinerary “6D5N @ Bangkok + Hua Hin – Purely R&R, Food & Shopping!”, click here!

Previous: MBK Food Court, Bangkok

With over 800,000 square meters in all and 550,000 square meters of retail space, Central World Plaza is the biggest shopping mall at Thailand and comprises two department stores, Zen and Isetan, and the main shopping mall.

There’s also Red Sky bar @ Centara Grande at Central World. Located at Level 55, the view is inferior to Vertigo or Sirocco (most famous sky bar at Bangkok) but it offers a convenient location.

Central World houses quite a number of foreign and local flagship stores and one of them is Naraya. With beautiful fabrics, unique designs and quality materials, the NaRaYa brand has gained international acceptance. A medium size bag costs only about 250 – 600 baht, so expect to see throngs of tourists inside the store.

Apart from shopping, food is also our main priority. So we tried out Coffee Beans by Dao, one of the more popular cafes in Bangkok. They are in no way related to Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, if you are wondering.

Coffee Beans by Dao serves an extensive selection of Thai food, but it’s not the food they’re famous for – it’s the desserts.

Coffee Beans by Dao has 5 outlets across Bangkok but all 5 branches look completely different. The one at Central World has been designed to resemble a tea room with large cushy chairs and Victorian style fittings.

Desserts make Coffee Bean by Dao popular. We saw most patrons who walk in solely for the dessert and coffee.

Vanilla Crepe Cake (110 baht). The cake was delicious, and the many-layered texture is so divine! We can literally feel how it melts in our mouth.

White Chocolate Cheesecake (120 baht). This white chocolate cheesecake has a soft, smooth and creamy consistency. It was rich but not too sweet. We enjoyed it a lot!

Coffee Beans by Dao is a great spot to sit and have a coffee. Another good place to rest your weary feet after a long day of shopping.

Coffee Beans by Dao
Second Floor, Central World Tower
Rajadamri Road, Lumpini,
Pathumwan, Bangkok 10330
Website: http://www.coffeebeans.co.th/menu.html

Next Up: Platinum Fashion Mall & Pink Shirt Chicken Rice @ Pratunam

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KampungboyCitygal’s 7 Days Seoul & Busan Itinerary – click here.

Previous: Seoul Transportation Guide

seoul map 1.1 – Cheongyecheong to Deoksugung

Since we flew in with Air Asia, we get to start our day early. Our flight arrived at 615 am, it took us a while to clear the immigration and an hour to get to the city. It was around 830 am right after we drop our luggage at the hotel. With T Money card on one hand and guide book on another, we went off on our language-handicapped romp through the city.

South Korea has really gone great lengths to spruce the place up for tourist arrivals. Tourist information kiosks are everywhere, and one can easily find friendly staffs well versed in Mandarin, English and Japanese language stationed at most tourist hot spots.

We were at the beginning of Cheonggyecheong Stream,  just look out for Chongye Plaza or an upside down ice cream cone sculpture.

Getting Here:

City Hall Station (Seoul Subway Line 1, 2), Exit 4. Walk 250 m north to Cheonggye Plaza.

Cheonggyecheon Stream used to exist merely as an overpass neglected in 1970 until it was restored in 2005, becoming a beautiful recreational area amidst downtown Seoul.

seoul map 1.2 – Cheonggyecheon Stream

As you can see from the map (which we seized somewhere), the stream is surrounded by various attractions. The 8.4 km long stream passes through Deoksugung Palace, Seoul Plaza, the Sejong Center, Insa-dong Street, the Changdeokgung Palace, and the Changgyeonggung Palace.

high rise window cleaning – so cool!

From Cheonggyecheon, we took a leisure stroll to Deoksugung to witness the Royal Guards Changing Ceremony. It is a re-enactment of the ceremony from the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910). This ceremony takes place three times a day in front of Daehanmun, the main gate of Deoksugung (palace) at 10:30 a.m., 2 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. (except for on Mondays).

Getting Here:

City Hall Station (Seoul Subway Line 1, 2), Exit 2. Go straight 100m to arrive at Daehanmun Gate on the right.
or
5 minutes walk from Cheongyecheon Stream.

It is a tradition similar to the Changing of the Guards at Buckingham Palace and offers a rare opportunity to experience royal culture.

One can also take photographs with the gatekeepers after the ceremony is over, which we gladly did!

Next Up: SA Seoul Apartment – MUJI style service apartment near Seoul Station

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KAMPUNGBOYCITYGAL/KAMPUNGBOYCITYGAL - A MALAYSIAN FOOD & TRAVEL BLOG

KampungboyCitygal’s 7 Days Seoul & Busan Itinerary – click here.

From Incheon Airport to downtown Seoul – AREX, Bus, & Taxi

#1 AREX

The AREX is comprised of two lines: an express line that goes non-stop from the Incheon Aiport to Seoul Station (a 43-min ride) and a commuter line, which runs parallel and makes stops at major subway stations (Digital Media City, Hongdae, Gongduk, Seoul Station) in the downtown area.

Fare:
Incheon International Airport -> Seoul station
Express train: Adult 13,300won (Children 6,600won)
Commuter train: 3,700won
* An additional 100won will be charged for single-use traffic cards.
* Deposit charge for single-use traffic cards (500won) is reimbursed via the card return machines in each subway station.

AREX Free Shuttle Bus:
For AREX passengers taking the express line, free shuttle bus services are available from Seoul Station to Myeongdong, Dongdaemun (starting Oct. 15, 2011) and major hotels in the Seoul area. Passengers must present their AREX express train ticket stub/receipt when boarding the bus

Shuttle bus info:
Hours: 09:00-18:00 (09:00/10:00/11:00/12:00/14:00/15:00/16:00/17:00/18:00)
Boarding: shuttle bus stop on the ground floor (1F)
Bus route: Seoul Station -> Myeong-dong area (Pacific Hotel, Prince Hotel, & Sejong Hotel) Dongdaemun area (Ramada Hotel, CO-OP Residence, & East Gate Hotel)

#2 Taxi

Taking a taxi from the airport is usually a bit costly, but may be worthwhile if you have heavy baggage or are traveling in a group. Depending on your destination, the fare for a standard taxi from Incheon International Airport to downtown Seoul can be anywhere from 60,000 to 100,000 won. The 7,500 won toll for the Incheon International Airport Expressway is the responsibility of the passenger, not the driver.

#3 Bus

Airport limousine buses are still the most preferred transportation option for those with heavy bags and those traveling from the Incheon International Airport to areas in downtown Seoul not directly served by the AREX.  Airport bus ticket booths are located on the Arrivals Floor (1F) of the Passenger Terminal next to Gates 4 & 9 inside the terminal and Gates 4, 6, 7, 8, 11, 13 and 9C outside the terminal along the curb. Detailed inquiries on bus routes and bus stops can be made at the Airport Information Desk, also conveniently located on the first floor.

There are two types of airport buses: deluxe and standard. Deluxe buses are KAL limousines that go straight to major hotels in Seoul. These buses make less stops (making for a faster travel time) and have comfortable, more spacious seats. Standard limousine buses stop at more locations along their route, so you may be able to get closer to your final destination. Airport limousine buses are much more comfortable than standard city buses and you are almost always guaranteed a seat.

Bus fare:
Deluxe limousine bus: Travel to Gimpo Airport is around 7,000 won, while the fare for most routes to downtown Seoul is 14,000-15,000 won.
Standard limousine bus: Travel to Gimpo Airport & Songjeong Station costs around 5,000 won, while the fare for most routes to downtown Seoul is 9,000-10,000 won.

Bus Discount Coupon:

Print this out to enjoy 1000 won discount on Standard Limousine Bus. Each coupon is valid for one time use only. You’ll need to print it out and show it to the bus driver to be entitled for the discount.

Airport Limousine Bus Search & Details:

Click on the link below, enter your destination, and press ‘Search.’ Under the search bar you will see a short list of bus numbers, bus stops, and more. Click on the gray ‘Detail’ button of your preferred route for information on the first bus, last bus, fares, and other important information.

We took bus 6050 as it stops right in front of our service apartment – S.A. Seoul. A one way ticket costs 15,000 won.

The deluxe limousine bus was spacious with good sized comfortable seats with plenty of legroom. We got a decent shut eye and within an hour, we reached our destination.

Getting Around Seoul

#1 Subway

Subway systems offer a convenient way of exploring metropolitan cities in Korea. A single journey ticket within 10 km distance costs 1150 won but if you are using the T Money card, it is 1050 won.

Single Journey Tickets can be purchased using the Ticket Vending and Card Reload Devices located inside subway stations. The Devices are operated in Korean, English, Japanese and Chinese. Single journey cards can be used only on the subway.

T-money Cards are rechargeable transportation cards, which can be used on subways, buses and taxis. The cards offer at least 10% discount on the basic fare.

T-money Cards can be purchased for 2,500 won each using T-money Vending Devices (limited availability) or convenient stores, and recharged with amounts ranging from 1,000 won to 90,000 won using the Ticket Vending and Card Reload Devices located inside subway stations. The Cards can also be purchased and recharged at convenience stores and vendor kiosks with the “T-money” signboard.

To recharge T Money Card:

1. Select your preferred languge.
2. Touch the ‘T-money Card’ box on the right side of the screen.
3. Place your T-money Card on the recharging pad.
4. Select the amount of money you wish to recharge.
5. Pay the total recharge amount. The Device takes 1,000/5,000/10,000-won bills and 50/100/500-won coins.
6. Wait briefly while the Device recharges your T-money Card. Once the card is recharged, check its pre-/post-recharge balance.

There are a total of 12 subway lines in Seoul alone. The route map looks as complicated as a spider cob web; just download Jihachul app onto your smart phones/tablets and you are ready to go!

#2 Bus

In Seoul, buses are one of the most convenient and readily available forms of transportation. For more information on Seoul buses, click here.

#3 Taxi

Regular Taxis (silver): The fare system is based on both distance and time. Fares begin at ￦2,400 for the first 2 kilometers and go up incrementally ￦100 every 144 meters beyond that. If the taxi is going less than 15 kilometers per hour, an additional charge of ￦100 per 35 seconds is added to the fare.

Deluxe Taxis (black): Deluxe taxis called “mobeom” taxi in Korean, are black with a yellow sign on the top and the words “Deluxe Taxi” written on the sides. They offer more passenger space and a much higher standard of service. Fares are ￦4,500 for the first 3 kilometers and ￦200 for each additional 164 meters or each 39 seconds if the speed drops below 15 kilometers per hour.

International Taxis (orange): Korea launched a special “international taxi” service, where the taxi drivers are able to speak English or Japanese.  These taxis operate on a 100% reservations basis, and taxi fees can be calculated by meter, by destination, or by time.  For example, if you chose to hire a regular taxi for three hours it will cost 50,000 won, and you can even hire it for a day for 120,000won. The fees for these new international taxis can be paid in cash or with international credit cards (VISA, MASTER, AMEX, JCB).

For more information on taxis, click here.

Next Up: Seoul Itinerary Day 1: Cheongyecheon Stream & Deoksugung 

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Full Itinerary “6D5N @ Bangkok + Hua Hin – Purely R&R, Food & Shopping!”, click here!

Previous: Victory Monument Market – Cheap Shopping, Cheap Food

Thailand’s cuisine is regarded by many people as one of the best in the world. Thais take pride in their national cuisine as Thai food is always made with a clever use of spices and fresh ingredients. So when in Rome, one shall do as the Romans do. We rolled our sleeves up and made some amazingly delicious dishes at a cooking class organized by Hansar Bangkok.

Meet our handsome coach, the sous chef at Eve, Hansar Bangkok’s starlet restauant. He was doing a demo while we looked and listened attentively.

We started off with Tom Yum Kung, the optimal representative of Thai gourmet.

Ingredients:

Fresh Giant Water Prawn – 5 pcs
Straw Mushrooms – 70 g
Hot Chilies (lightly crushed) – 3 pcs
Sliced of matured galangal – 6 slices
Lemon Grass – 6 stems
Lime Juice – 0.25 cup
Coriander – 2 stems
Kaffir Lime Leaf – 3 g
Fish Sauce – 3 tbsp
Chicken Stock – 3 cups
Chili Paste – 5 g
Carnation Cream – 10 g

Instructions:

Wash and devein the prans, remove the head but keep the tail intact. Bring a pot of chicken stock to the boil, add herbs for a few minutes until fragrant, add prawn, mushroom. Boiled until cooked.

Season with lime juice, chilies, fish sauce, sprinkle of kaffir lime leaves and coriander.

KampungBoy – serious at work

Guess which one is done by the chef and which one is our masterpiece?

It was an easy dish to prepare;  just chuck everything in and bring it to boil. We both breathe a sigh of relief. However, we were told that that was just the beginning! We will be playing level up!

Bring it on! Second dish was my favourite Green Curry with Chicken (Gaeng Keaw Wan Kai).

Ingredients:

Chicken – 80 g
Green Curry Paste – 15 g
Palm Heart – 30 g
Sliced Red Chili – 10 g
Thai Sweet Basil – 5 g
Palm Sugar – 10 g
Coconut Milk – 150 g
Kaffir Lime Leave – 2 g
Fish Sauce – 10 g

Instructions:

Sautee green curry paste with cooking oil over a medium to high heat. Stir regularly to prevent the paste burning.

Add chicken and continue to cook until the paste is fragrant. Seaso with fish sauce, palm sugar, salt and add coconut milk and stock.

Bring boil with reduce heat, add palm heart and simmer until cooked. Add garnish.

It was a difficult dish to prepare. I almost burned the green curry paste while attempting to sautee it till fragrant. Our coach had to intervene and lend a helping hand to salvage our green curry chicken.

Not too shabby huh?

Here comes our last dish – pad thai goong, playing on difficulty level 10.

Ingredients:

Rice Noodle – 70 g
White Prawn – 4 pcs
Egg – 1 pcs
Tamarind Juice – 10 g
Palm Sugar – 10 g
Fish Sauce – 20 g
Lime Juice – 10 g
Shallot – 10 g
Yellow Bean Curd – 20 g
Dried Shrimps – 5 g
Flat Chive – 10 g
Bean Sprout – 50 g
Grounded Peanut – 10 g
Chili Flakes – 10 g
Cooking Oil – 50 g
Turnip Pickle – 5 g
Peanut – 5 g
Tomato Paste – 5 g
Chicken Stock
Banana Flower – for garnish

Instructions:

Heat the oil with medium heat, add prawn and stir until cooked, add fresh egg and stir until cooked. Add dried shrimp, bean curd, turnip pickle, shallot and rice noodle. Stir until the noodles are cooked and tender.

Add fish sauce, white sugar, tamarind juice, chives and bean sprout then stir to mix well.

I’ll never underestimate an average looking plate of pad thai anymore. First, we had to make sure that the rice noodles were cooked al dente. Then it is not easy to pan fry a thin layer of egg crepe. The most difficult part was to stir fry everything in a small pan, while mixing everything well. Glad to say that we overcome these obstacles and achieve success

KampungBoy fits very well onto the kitchen scene; with his chef uniform, glaring smile and hands holding a plate of pad thai.

It looks as good as it tastes.

Though the work is hard, we got to take time to enjoy the fruits of our labour. It was probably one of the best Thai meals I’ve had. Everything had the perfect amount of spices, tickling our taste buds.

Towards the end of the cooking class. we were presented with a certificate of excellence as well as a folder filled with Thai recipes. Hansar Bangkok does host cooking class for their hotel guests from time to time, just email them to check for availability.

There’s something about active participation in a cooking class at foreign land. It was fun, interactive and exciting! I’ve decided to sign up for another cooking class at Bangkok this coming June!

Next Up: MBK Mall Food Court

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KAMPUNGBOYCITYGAL/KAMPUNGBOYCITYGAL - A MALAYSIAN FOOD & TRAVEL BLOG

Full Itinerary “6D5N @ Bangkok + Hua Hin – Purely R&R, Food & Shopping!”, click here!

Previous: Cooking Class @ Hansar Bangkok

MBK Mall is probably one of the worst place to shop in Bangkok. And that was mainly because we are not a gadget person (mostly grey sets) or someone who would pay for a “I LOVE BANGKOK” t shirt and fridge magnet.

However, everyone in ‘the know’ in Bangkok knows MBK food court is the best in Thailand (so we heard). MBK houses two food courts – MBK fifth avenue and MBK Food Centre. MBK fifth avenue is a higher end version with more varieties while MBK food centre on the sixth floor is much cheaper.

We opted to dine at MBK Food Centre which is more localised and cheaper.

One will have to buy coupons to get his/her food here. Unused coupons can be refunded within the day.

Google results reveal that stew pork rice, beef noodles and sticky mango rice are amongst some of the “must try” items here.

Our khao kha moo (stew pork rice, 50 baht) came in a generous portion. The stew pork was tender and I loved how the ribbons of fat around the pork slices had a soft, gelatinous texture. However, the gravy was lacking in taste. It was an OK dish overall.

We hopped over to the food stall after having our main meals.

The mango sticky rice (80-100 baht) at MBK Food Centre was really good! The mango was extremely sweet and juicy while the glurinous rice was warm and sauce. The coconut cream drizzle added a lot of flavors it. So if you happened to be around MBK mall, give it a try!

Next Up: Coffee Bean by Dao @ Central World

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#1 Pay a Visit to the Korea Plaza by Korea Tourism Organization @ Menara Hap Seng

Are you planning a visit to Korea soon? Head to Korea Plaza at Menara Hap Seng to collect guide books, brochures, maps, discount coupons, as well as to receive consultation about travelling to Korea. I got a whole lot of information there; and my favourite guide book is Seoul’s Best 100. We referred to it a lot as we move around Seoul.

Operating Hours:
Monday-Friday : 9am to 6pm
Every second & forth Saturday : 10am-5pm
In March and September, Korea Plaza is open on the third Saturday, from 10am-5pm.

#2 FREE Hanbok Experience @ M Plaza, Myeongdong

Located on the fifth floor of M Plaza, the center offers tourist information on the city of Seoul in addition to various Korean cultural programs. For free hanbok (traditional costume) experience, just register yourself at the counter (English/Chinese/Japanese language options available) and wait for your time slot. The staff members also offer information on lodging, tourism, shopping, festivals, and performances. Amenities include free internet and coin-operated lockers.

#3 Print Discount Vouchers

It’s great to be a foreign traveler in Korea. As part of the Visit Korea Year campaign, Korea is offering a wealth of discounts exclusively to foreigners throughout 2012. Coupons are offered on everything from skin care, cafes, multi shops to theatre performances and short-term rental phone services. We printed out a huge stack of skin care/cosmetic brand coupons to enjoy 5-10% discounts on total bill. Skin Food, The Face Shop, Innis Free, Tony Moly, Etude House, etc. You name it, they have got it.

If you plan to do some shopping at Doota Mall, print this out! We got to redeem this goodie bag stuffed with bb cream, book mark, key chain, Doota Mall discount voucher book, etc. Redeem it at the customer service counter at Doota 1F. Just show them the voucher together with passport. Promotion valid till 31/12/2012, no purchases is required!

#4 KTX Pass & Free Shuttle Buses to Jeonju & Busan

Dynamic Busan

Two shuttle bus routes are provided for foreigners, free of charge, until the end of 2012. The first route is from Seoul to Jeonju, while the second route is from Seoul to Busan, Korea’s second largest city after Seoul, located on the southeast coast.

Boarding locations and times are available on the website. However, reservations must be made in advance and confirmed via email. There is only one bus running per day for each routes, so seats are really limited. If the number of applicants exceed the number of seats, successful applicants will be notified via email after a balloting process. We failed to secure a seat, so KTX 3 day pass is the next best option. At 58,200 for 1 day pass and 84,600 won for 3 day pass, the KTX pass costs so much lesser than a two way ticket to Busan (~100,000 won).

KTX counter

For online/offline purchase of the KTX pass, you’ll need to make a payment. However, your E-ticket is automatically cancelled and the amount is not charged if you do not change it into Korea Rail Pass after your entrance into Korea. It is charged only after your exchange at rail station in Korea. Print out the payment receipt and exchange it to a KTX pass at Seoul Station. Remember to purchase your KTX ticket using the KTX pass.

#5 Tax Refund

If you’re a visitor to Korea (non-resident) and are buying goods above 30,000 won at a tax refund eligible outlet, you may claim for tax refund upon your departure. There are two companies who handle tax refund in Korea; namely Global Blue (blue) and Tax Free Korea (red). Look out for the blue/red signs at the store front before you shop.

Most skin care/cosmetic brand stores are entitled for tax refund. Some even allow me to claim for tax refund even after I use the discount coupons. Remember to ask beforehand!

Here’s a complete guide on how to do tax refund at the airport: http://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/SH/SH_EN_7_1_4.jsp

#6 Money Changer in Seoul

Well, this is complicated. Rates are generally better in South Korea as most banks and Foreign Exchange Bureaus mark to market their exchange rates. You may exchange your money at the Seoul airport, but exchange rates may not be the best. So what we did is to change RM into USD at Malaysia, and keep about RM 500 worth of wons to be used on the first day. Then, we head to Myeongdong upon arrival and to look for a Foreign Exchange Bureau to get our wons. Remember to compare the rates, and sometimes we manage to negotiate for a better rate.

A simple illustration (based on the rates which we got when we were in Korea):

RM to USD : RM 3.03 = USD 1

USD to Won: USD 1 = 1128 won

which means that RM 3.03 will get you 1128 won in Seoul.

At a rate of RM 2.80 (Malaysia’s money changer rates) per 1000 won, RM 3.03 can only fetch us 1082 won.

That’s a whopping 4% savings! We managed to save a few hundred bucks from here.

#7 It’s Cheaper to Take Cab Sometimes

Orange Taxi = taxi with foreign languages service

If you are traveling in a group of 3-4 person, that’s it. If you are using a T-Money card, the basic fare within 10 km is 1050 won, regardless of the number of stations. So if you are travelling in a group of 4 and you are heading to somewhere within 3-5 stations away, it is cheaper to take cab. Regular taxis start at 2400 won for the first two kilometers and are metered at 100 won every 159 meters. For example, to get to Myeongdong from Seoul Station, a standard cab fare is about 3000 – 3500 won. If we use the subway, it would have cost us 4200 won.

That’s about it! I think I’m beginning to sound like an ajjuma (aunty in Korean) – saved 5%, taking cab is cheaper by 1000 won, bla bla bla. But every penny counts no?

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KAMPUNGBOYCITYGAL/KAMPUNGBOYCITYGAL - A MALAYSIAN FOOD & TRAVEL BLOG

We’re back from our trip finally! It was a very fruitful and challenging trip. We did a lot more research beforehand as KampungBoy’s parents were tagging along. We can neither make the elderlies walk too much nor to have a hectic schedule. There were also some minor changes to our planned itinerary due to the “adverse” weather condition in South Korea. It snowed in Seoul two days before we were there (yes, in April!) so the cherry blossom schedule was delayed by a week. We also canceled our trip to Jinhae (supposingly the BEST place to go for cherry blossom in South Korea) as it was raining heavily that particular morning.

Nonetheless, we had great fun exploring Seoul and Busan. Koreans are generally nice and friendly; they have been very helpful in giving us directions using a combination of Korean words and sign languages. iPhone apps like i Tour Seoul & Jihachul have proven to be very useful (must download!). We have also tried most of the restaurants which falls under a “Best Eats” list provided by my Korean business partner at The Patbingsu, an online retail shop selling made in Korean fashion. Do email us if you would like to have a copy of that makan list.

Day 1

From the airport, we took bus 6050 as it stops right in front of our service apartment at Seoul Station (fare: 15000 won per person). There are two types of airport buses: deluxe and standard. Deluxe buses are KAL limousines that go straight to major hotels in Seoul. These buses make less stops and have more spacious seats. Standard limousine buses stop at more locations along their route. We’ll be elaborating more in our subsequent posts. There’s also a 1000 won discount voucher for airport buses.

Our first meal in Seoul – Lotteria Burgers

T-Money Card : 2500 won deposit (non refundable). You may buy a T-Money Card at any of the following convenience stores (GS 25, Family Mart, Mini Stop, Buy The Way) or subway stations.

Cheongyecheon Stream

Getting Here:

City Hall Station (Seoul Subway Line 1, 2), Exit 4. Walk 250 m north to Cheonggye Plaza.

Cheongyecheon has been restored from a road into a 5.8 km stream flowing in the heart of Seoul. We were only at the beginning of the stream, just look out for Chongye Plaza or an upside down ice cream cone sculpture.

Deoksugung. The Royal Guard-Changing Ceremony is a highly recommended event for tourists. It is held three times a day (11:00 / 14:00 / 15:30) in front of Daehanmun Gate at Deoksugung Palace.

Getting Here:

City Hall Station (Seoul Subway Line 1, 2), Exit 2. Go straight 100m to arrive at Daehanmun Gate on the right.
or
5 minutes walk from Cheongyecheon Stream.

Lunch at Lotte Mart’s Food Court.

We also did some groceries shopping at Lotte Mart as our service apartment does not provide breakfast. Korean strawberries is <3!

Getting Here:

Seoul Station (Seoul Subway Line 1, 4), Exit 1.

Our loft unit for the first two nights. It costs us about USD 150 per night (4 pax, peak season rate). It has great location, MUJI style interior but we are not very happy with the toilet. Will elaborate more in our subsequent reviews.

S.A. Seoul Station
Poong-Lim I-One ,Seoul Station 219-17 Segea Dong,Young-San Gu ,Seoul
서울시 용산구 서계동219-17번지 서울역풍림아이원
Facebook Page

Getting Here:

Seoul Station (Seoul Subway Line 1,4), Exit 1. Directly opposite Lotte Mart Seoul Station.

Myeongdong for shopping & street food! From top left, clock wise: bun with egg on top (2000 won), flat bread (1000 won), tteokboki (3000 won), sausages and ham with rice cake (2000 won).

Getting Here:

Myeongdong Station (Seoul Subway Line 4), Exit 6.

First things first – change for won as we were running low on cash. There are many such kinds of money changer in Myeongdong area, just look out for the logo above. The rates here were so much better as these bureaus usually mark to market their rates instead of earning a wider spread. However, they’ll only accept major currencies such as RMB, USD, Yen but not RM. So we changed for USD in Malaysia and when in Seoul, we traded in USD for won. All in all, we saved about 5%.

Dinner at my favourite restaurant – Bongchu Jjimdak.

Bongchu Jjimdak, Myeongdong
Address: 25-2, 2-ga Myeong-dong, Chung-gu, Seoul, South Korea
Tel: 02-318-6891
Website: http://www.bongchu.co.kr
Operating Hours: opens daily from 1100 to 2300

Getting Here:

Myeongdong Station (Seoul Subway Line 4), Exit 8. Walk the one-way road on the left side, go for 150meters and you will see it on your left.

Cookin’ Nanta Show – ticket price from 40,000 – 60,000 won. It was a great show; hilarious with a lot of action! Ticket booking – http://www.nanta.co.kr/

Myeongdong Theatre

Getting Here:

Euljiro 1 Ga Station (Seoul Subway Line 4). Go out exit 6 and walk for about 10 min.
or
Myeongdong Station (Seoul Subway Line 4). Go out exit 6 and walk for about 10 min.

Day 2:

Breakfast at S.A. Seoul Station – my favourite Korean strawberries and banana milk (must try!)

Gyeongbukgung Palace
Admission Fee:
Adults (ages 19-64) 3,000 won / Youths (ages 7-18) 1,500 won
Operating Hours:
March to October 09:00-18:00 / November to February 09:00-17:00, closed on Tuesday
Interpretation Services (1 hour):
* English: 11:00, 13:30, 15:30
* Japanese: 10:00, 12:30, 14:30
* Chinese: 10:30, 13:00, 15:00

Getting Here:

Gyeongbokgung Station (Subway Line 3), exit 5.
or
Ganghwamun Station (Subway Line 5), exit 2 and walk 400 meters.

Samgyetang (chicken ginseng soup) @ Tosokchon. It is a very popular restaurant amongst the locals and tourists; so be prepare to queue.

Tosokchon
Address: 85-1 Chebu-dong, Jongro-gu, Seoul, South Korea.
Tel: 02-737-7444
Operating Hours: opens daily from 1000 to 2200.

Getting Here:

Gyeongbokgung Station (Seoul Subway Line 3), exit 2/from Gyeongbokgung Yeongchumun Gate
Go 120 meters towards Hyoja-dong direction. You will past “popoyes”, then look for GS25 convenience store, turn into the small lane at the corner of this store. Turn left onto Jihamun-ro 5-gil and go straight for 10m.

Cheongwadae (Blue House). The signature markings of the Presidential Residence of Cheong Wa Dae are these blue tiles.

Getting Here:

Gyeongbokgung Palace Subway Station (Seoul Subway Line 3), exit 5 and walk 10 minutes.
or
Exit from the back door of Gyeongbukgong.

From Cheongwadae, we walked to Bukchon Hanok Village. Bukchon Hanok Village is home to hundreds of traditional houses called ‘hanok’ that date back to the Joseon Dynasty. Today, these hanoks operate as cultural centers, guesthouses, restaurants and tea houses.

Getting Here:

Anguk Station (Seoul Subway Line 3), exit 2. Go straight for about 300m to arrive at Bukchon Hanok Village.
s
Look out for these photo spots at Bukchon Hanok Village. There’s 8 in total!

The downhill of Bukchon Hanok Village is Samcheongdong; a very artsy area with a lot of unique cafes and boutiques. If you realise, day 2 is all about walking. We walked from Gyeongbokgung to Tosokchon to Cheongwadae to Bukchon to Samcheongdong!

Getting Here:

Anguk Station (Subway Line 3), exit 2. Walk straight for approx. 700 m.
or
Gyeongbokgung Palace Station (Seoul Subway Line 3), exit 5. Walk 10-15 min along the stone wall of Gyeongbokgung Palace to the starting point of Samcheongdong Walkway.

Waffle and coffee at some random cafe in Samcheongdong. It was so delicious!

Dinner was galbi at Wangbijib, Myeongdong. It is a very popular restaurant amongst the local.

Wangbijib
Address: 26-2, 8-ga Myeong-dong, Chung-gu, Seoul, South Korea.
Tel: 02-3789-1945
Website: http://www.wangbijib.com/

Getting Here:

Myeongdong Station (Subway Line #4), exit #8.

my lovely Korean friends

Patbingsu (Korean Red Bean Ice Dessert) at Cafe Bene, everywhere in Korea.

After dinner drinks at a beautiful tea house in Insadong.

Day 3:

Tapgol Park. The park is of great historical value and national spirit as it was the starting point of the March 1, 1919 Independence Protest.

Getting Here:

Jongno 3(sam)-ga Station (Subway Line 1, 3, 5), Exit 1. Walk 5 minutes toward Jonggak.
Shuttle Bus to Nami Island (23.000 won per person, inclusive of return bus ticket, entry visa and ferry ticket)

Getting Here:

Shuttle Bus (From Seoul to Namiseom Island)
* Bus Stop
1) Insa-dong (Jonggak Station, Subway Line 1, Exit 3): Next to Tapgol Park
2) Jamsil Station (Subway Line 2, Exit 4): In front of Lotte Mart

* Shuttle Bus Schedule:
Insa-dong, Jamsil Station → Namiseom Island: 09:30
Namiseom Island → Insa-dong, Jamsil Station: 16:00
※ Advanced reservation required. (Inquiries +82-2-753-1247)

It is a perfect tourist spot for Winter Sonata fanatics.

One of the most important photo spot here; though not as beautiful as winter and autumn.

Ssamziegil Mall, Insadong. Just walk along those spiral-like stairway and do some window shopping.

Getting Here:

Anguk Station (Seoul Subway line 3),  Exit 6 (towards Jongno Police Station). Enter the Insa-dong one-way street of Crown Bakery & GS25, and go staright 100m
or
Jonggak Station (Seoul Subway line 1), Exit 3. Go towards Jogyesagil (pass 2 signals) and enter the alley next to the 7th Day Sabbath Church

Gwangjang Market, where the local have their daily dose of bindaettok (mung bean pancake), sundae (pork blood sausage) and kimbap (korean sushi).

Getting Here:

Jongno 5(oh)-ga Station (Subway Line 1), Exit 10. Make a U-turn and enter through the North 2nd Gate.
or
Euljiro 4(sa)-ga Station (Subway Line 2, 5)– take a bus and get off at Euljiro 5(oh)-ga Station

Mid night shopping at Dongdaemun, stocking up for The Patbingsu. There’s Doota Mall (most expensive), Hello APM (cheapest) , Migliore (medium pricing) and many other malls which open till wee hours.

Getting Here:

Dongdaemun Station (Seoul Subway Line 4), Exit 8. Cross the street, and walk 130m forward to arrive at Doota.

Toyoko Inn Dongdaemun, where we stayed for the next three nights. It is a no frills Japanese chain hotel (~RM200 per night with member card). Will highly recommend it to anyone who’s heading to Seoul.

Toyoko Inn Dongdaemun
Address: 73, 2Ga Gwanghui-dong, Jung-gu, Seoul, 100-412 South Korea
Tel: +82-(0)2-2267-1045 FAX: +82-(0)2-2267-1046
Website: http://www.toyoko-inn.com/e_hotel/00208/index.html

Getting Here:

1 minute walk from exit No.3 or 4 of Dongdaemun History & Culture Park (formally known as Dongdaemun Stadium Station) on the No.2,4 or 5 Subway Lines.
or
No. 6001 airport limousine bus stops right in front of the lobby too.

Day 4:

Changdeokgung Palace
Admission Fee:
Regular Tour (Changdeokgung Palace)-Adults 3,000 won/Children 1,500 won
Huwon Tour (Secret Garden area)-Adults 5,000 won/Children 2,500 won
Interpretation Services-Changdeokgung Palace:
Korean: 09:30, 11:30, 13:30, 15:30, 17:30
English: 10:30, 14:30/Japanese: 12:30/Chinese: 16:00
Interpretation Services-Huwon:
Korean: 10:00, 11:00, 12:00, 13:00, 14:00, 15:00, 15:30, 16:00, 16:30
English: 11:30, 14:30/Japanese: 10:30, 13:30/Chinese: 12:30

Getting Here:

Anguk Station (Subway Line 3), Exit 3. Go straight for 5min.
or
Jongno 3(sam)-ga Station (Subway Line 1, 3 or 5), Exit 7. Go straight along Donhwamun-ro Street for 10min.

It’s spring time!

Lunch @ Myeongdong Gyoza. There’s only three items available in the menu: mandu dumplings, bibimguksu, and kongguksu.

Myeongdong Gyoza
Address: 25-2, 2-ga Myoung-dong, Chung-gu, Seoul, South Korea
Tel: 02-776-5348
Operating Hours: opens daily from 1030 to 2130

Getting Here:

Myeong-dong Station (Seoul Subway Line 4), Exit 7. It is located near Watson.

Shopping @ Myeongdong

FREE hanbok experience @ Korea Tourism Info Center in M Plaza, Myeongdong. M Plaza houses Forever 21, Zara and Kosney so it’s hard to miss it. Take a lift to level 5, registered yourself at the counter (English/Chinese/Japanese language options available) and wait for your time slot. Awesome right? There’s also FREE wifi and locker services available.

Superb bibimbap at Jeonju Jungang Hoekwan, a very old and traditional restaurant with long history.

Jeonju Jungang Hoekwan
Address: 24-11 Chungmuro 1-ga, Jung-gu, Seoul

Getting Here:

Myeong-dong Station (Seoul Subway Line 4), Exit 6. Look for Uniqlo, there’s a smoothie king next to it. Walk into the alley.

Day 5:

Ewha Women University

Getting Here:

Ewha Woman’s Univ. Station (Subway Line 2), Exit 2 or 3.

Ewha Shopping Area

Authentic chuncheon dak galbi at Sinchon area. So much better compared to Uncle Jang’s!

Chuncheonjip
Address: 57-8 Changcheon-dong, Seodaemun-gu Seoul South Korea.
Operating hours: Opens from 10am to 6am the next day.

Getting Here:

Sinchon Station (Subway Line 2), Exit 1. Turn right onto the first side street (Hyundai Department Store). Go straight for 130m and cross the street. The restaurant is next to Changcheon Children’s Park.

Hongik University

Hongik Shopping Area

Getting here:

Hongik Station (Subway Line 2), Exit 5.

N Seoul Tower
N Seoul Tower Observatory Admission fee:

Children (Ages 4-12): 3,000 won/ Teens and Adults (Ages 13-64): 8,000 won / Senior (Ages 65+): 5,000 won

Getting Here:

(1) By Cable Car
Subway Line 4, Myeongdong Station, Exit 3. Take road to right of Pacific Hotel and walk 10 minutes.
Fare: Round-trip: 6,300 won, One-way: 4,800 won
Hours: 10:00~22:30
At hoehyeon intersectiom between Myeongdong and Hoehyeon stations on subway line 4, walk towards Namsan Tunnel #3 and take the Namsan Oreumi.

(2) By Bus
“Take Subway Line 3 or 4 at Chungmuro Station, and go out of Exit 2 to the right of Daehan Multiplex entrance -Take the yellow bus 2 at the bus stop in front of the subway station- Get off at the N Seoul Tower bus stop

Day View

Night View

Dinner @ Bonjuk, everywhere in Seoul.

Day 6:

Took KTX to Busan, South Korea’s second largest metropolis after Seoul (journey 2 hour 45 minutes, fare ~RM200 return)

Busan station and our hotel Toyoko Inn Busan I is located right next to it.

Breakfast @ Paris Baguette, everywhere in South Korea.

Taejongdae, a natural park with magnificent cliffs facing the open sea on the southernmost tip of island of Yeongdo-gu.

Getting Here:

From Busan Station, take city bus # 88 or 101 and get off at Taejongdae Park (10 min interval / 40 min ride).

Jagalchi Fish Market

Getting Here:

Jagalchi Station (Busan subway line 1), Exit 10. Turn right onto Jagalchi 3(sam)-gil Street. Walk for 5min, then turn left to arrive at Jagalchi Market.

We had nakji (dancing octopus), jeonbok (abalone), gwangor (some flat fish) and some other seafood here.

Cherry Blossom @ Dalmaji Hills. It boasts beautiful cherry blossoms and pine trees, which are located just beyond Haeundae Beach, on the slope of Mt.Wausan.

Getting Here:

From Busan Station, take city bus No. 139 or 140 / city experss bus (jwaseok bus) No. 239 or 240 and get off at Mido Apt. Then walk 10-15 min along the sign (totally takes 1 hour).
or
In front of exit 1 of Haeundae station (Busan Subway Line 2), take city bus No. 100 and get of at Yeongnam Apt. Then walk 10-15 min along the sign (totally takes 50 min).

So beautiful!

Afternoon tea @ Angel in Us Cafe, everywhere in South Korea.

Haeunde Beach, probably the most famous beach in the country.

Getting Here:

From Busan station walk 172m straight and take bus(# 1003) (31 min travel time). Get off at Haeundae Beach stop and walk 169m to Haeundae Beach

Dinner @ Gukbap Alley, near Haeunde Beach.

Gwangali Beach and Diamond Bridge view.

Getting Here:

From Busan Station, take city bus No. 41, 42, 140, 239, 240, 139 and get off at Gwanganlli Beach (runs frequently)
or
From Express Bus Terminal, take city bus No. 131, 131-1
or
Take subway line no. 1 from Busan Subway Station and transfer from subway line no. 1 to Seomyeon Station. Get off at Gwangan Station(subway line no. 2, exit 3 or 5) and walk 5 minutes.

Nampodong (shopping area) & PIFF Square

Getting Here:

Nampo-dong Station (Busan Subway Line 1).

Day 7:

Haedong Yonggungsa Temple

Getting Here:

Take bus 181 from exit 7 of Haeundae Station. Get off at the Yonggungsa Temple stop.

So beautiful!

KTX Bento (10,000 won)

Back to Seoul, just in time for Hangang Yeouido Cherry Blossom Festival’s opening ceremony!

Getting Here:

National Assembly Station Exit 1
or
Yeouido Station Exit 4
or
Yeouinaru Station exit 2/3

A perfect ending to our trip!

KAMPUNGBOYCITYGAL/KAMPUNGBOYCITYGAL - A MALAYSIAN FOOD & TRAVEL BLOG

It’s no easy feat to go through 11 GB worth of pictures. Spare us some time as we sort out the pictures. We can’t wait to share our travel stories too! Meanwhile, feast your eyes with these pictures

Cheongyecheon Stream

Changing of Guards Ceremny @ Deoksugung

Bukchon Hanok Village

with my Korean friends

Nami Island

Locks of Love @ N Seoul Tower

N Seoul Tower

Dalmaji Hills, Busan

Cherry Blossom around Busan

Haedong Yonggungsa Temple, Busan

Fireworks @ Hangang Yeouido Spring Flower Festival

KAMPUNGBOYCITYGAL/KAMPUNGBOYCITYGAL - A MALAYSIAN FOOD & TRAVEL BLOG

Full Itinerary “6D5N @ Bangkok + Hua Hin – Purely R&R, Food & Shopping!”, click here!

Previous: Marukathaiyawan Palace/Palace of Love & Hope @ Hua Hin

From Hua Hin, we took the same mini van back to Victory Monument. The mini van alighted at a local market near Victory Monument instead of Century Shopping Mall where we boarded the van.

Since it was nearing lunch time, we explored the market a bit looking for something to cure our hunger pangs.

We found a lot of nice stalls selling women’s clothing, accessories and knick knacks at an incredibly low price here! Sunglasses for 39 bahts, hair bands for 20 bahts and make up pouches for 20 bahts?! KampungBoy pulled me away before I go insane!

We chose to dine in at this small, hole in the wall noodles house.

2 bowls of fish ball noodles + Pepsi

All these for only 70 baht! Life is great in Bangkok!

If you have some time to spare, why not make a visit to this local market? This market is less touristy, but with the same varieties as other markets.

Next Up: Cooking Class @ Hansar Bangkok

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KAMPUNGBOYCITYGAL/KAMPUNGBOYCITYGAL - A MALAYSIAN FOOD & TRAVEL BLOG

Full Itinerary “6D5N @ Bangkok + Hua Hin – Purely R&R, Food & Shopping!”, click here!

Previous: Plearn Wan Eco Vintage Village

Palace of Love & Hope was built in 1923 as a summer palace of His Majesty King Vajiravudh, Rama VI. King Rama VI made the first designs of the palace himself. He assured good ventilation with high ceilings and fretwork on all walls. Building the entire structure on stilts ensured the ground could be kept clean. Ants were controlled by niches for water around each concrete pillar and along the plaster walls that connect to the ground. Bringing all his ideas together, His Majesty chose an Italian architect, Ercole Manfredi, who worked in the Civil Works Department to make the final architectural drawings.

The palace consists of three groups of building. All buildings are one story high, built of golden teak, and stand on a total of 1,080 concrete pillars. Covered wooden corridors connect all the buildings.

King Vajiravudh was able to spend only 2 summers, in 1924 and 1925 in this Palace. Then he passed away on November 25, 1925.

Information source here: Hua Hin Travel

There are no public cab services available in Hua Hin. Our hotel concierge gave us this private charter (Toyota Vios) contact instead. Our driver is a very kind lady and she charged us 600 baht (RM 60) for a round trip to Marukathaiyawan Palace from Hua Hin. We were given about 1.5 hours to roam the compound while she waited for us.

Admission is baht 30 for ground level visit and another baht 30 for level one visit. It is recommended to purchase both tickets as there are so much to see at both levels! It’s also a quiet place to spend a few hours and to take some pictures (except for level one, strictly no photograph is allowed).

One can also rent a bike to tour the park and the mangrove swamps area.

Decent clothing is required to visit the site and we came totally unprepared. Hence, the workers at the entrance area wrapped us up. :p

The palace compound is very well maintained. We enjoyed the surrounding scenery and the building architecture so much! Elevated teak walkways and airy rooms provide a beautiful view of the beach and Gulf of Thailand. Let’s enjoy the pictures shall we?

Palace of Love & Hope
In Rama VI Camp,
Petchakasem Road,
Huei Sai Nua,
Cha-Am District,
Phetchaburi Province, Thailand.

OPENING HOURS:
Monday- Friday from 8.30 a.m. – 4.00 p.m.
Weekend and Public Holidays from 8.30 a.m. – 5.00 p.m.

Next Up: Back to Bangkok! Victory Monument Market

KAMPUNGBOYCITYGAL/KAMPUNGBOYCITYGAL - A MALAYSIAN FOOD & TRAVEL BLOG

Full Itinerary “6D5N @ Bangkok + Hua Hin – Purely R&R, Food & Shopping!”, click here!

Previous: Hua Hin Hills Vineyard – Wine Tasting & Vineyard Tour

Plearnwan Hua Hin is Thailand’s first eco vintage village. It was built in late 2009 to recapture to recapture the classic charm of old Hua Hin. Plearn means enjoy and wan refers to yesteryear in Thai language. It is described as a “Center of joy and happiness … stop the past in order to tell the various tales of Hua Hin in the past … toward present” on its website.

We had some time to kill after a visit to Hua Hin Hills Vineyard. So why not dropping by Plearnwan, since entrance is FOC.

Hua Hin Hills Vineyard’s shuttle bus dropped us at Hua Hin Market Village. From there, we hailed a tuk tuk to Plearnwan for a fee of baht 100. Plearnwan is highly popular with the local tourists due to the numerous photo opportunities here. We got to witness their intense passion for cam-whoring and posing too. Totally no fight!

wooden robot made out of recycled materials

We walked through this little corner here, which gives us the feeling of Hua Hin’s old time. There is a mural of the historic Hua Hin railway station.

Plearnwan is an open lawn area with a two storey wooden building around. It offers visitors about everything you can imagine the kind of store you might wish to see, including boutiques selling clothes, a beauty salon, food stalls, a massage centre, a jewellery outlet, as well as record stores and restaurants.

There is an outdoor cinema showing vintage movies at night, and a ferris wheel lit with neon lights.

It is an environmental premise so most vendors use recycled paper wrap and containers.

cute toilet signs

We had so much fun hanging out at this outlet outlet that sell snacks and plastic toys of old days.

vintage postcards

Another shop selling various framed photographs of the highly respected and well loved Thai King.

I’m loving these cute little trinkets!

We took the opportunity to try as much food as we could here!

This little dessert served in aeramic saucer plate is sweet and rich, just like most Thai dessert.

Crispy Pancakes or Khanom bueng. These bite sized crispy pancake is served with thick coconut milk cream and grated coconut with small shrimps as topping.

sweets from yesteryear?

In Plearnwan, visitors can find great food offerings in a clean and well-maintained dining place.

The menus were all in Thai language, but we were very fortunate to have a very nice Thai school girl  who took the liberty to order for us.

Pork Satay (15 baht for 10), Pad Thai (40 baht) and soft drinks (15 baht). The satays were so tender and juicy while the pad thai was nothing to shout about.

Grilled Pork Ribs (60 baht)

Too bad that it turned out a bit tough and ornery.

Grilled banana slices with drenched with a mixture of condensed milk and palm sugar. SO delicious!

Thai style croquettes with various fillings – green curry, black pepper chicken, tomyam, etc.

Plearnwan Eco Vintage Village
Located between Hua Hin soi 38 and 40, opposite Klai Klangwon Palace
Monday – Thursday from 10 am – 10 pm
Friday from 10 am – midnight
Saturdays from 9 am – noon
Sundays from 9 am – 10 pm

Next Up: Marukhathaiyawan Palace (Palace of Love and Hope)

KAMPUNGBOYCITYGAL/KAMPUNGBOYCITYGAL - A MALAYSIAN FOOD & TRAVEL BLOG

Full Itinerary “6D5N @ Bangkok + Hua Hin – Purely R&R, Food & Shopping!”, click here!

Previous: Hua Hin Hills Vineyard: Getting There

We alighted at The Sala, Hua Hin Hills Vineyard’s very own bistro cum restaurant.

It was lovely to be sit by the open balcony above the vineyard. Just look at the picturesque view! We were there during October, the weather was perfect as the cool season runs from November until the end of February.

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complimentary grape juice

Ala-carte activities includes elephant rides, vineyard tour, bottle painting or petangue. One can also select from the available packages, which introduces you to all the great offerings from Hua Hin Hills Vineyard.

We decided not to splurge on those packages (starting from THB 1200 per person) hence the best way to kill time is just to chill and cam-whore!

Unlike Australia’s vineyard, we have to pay for our wine tasting here. Our wine tasting set came with 3 glasses of wines with 3 choices of accompanying food – a crab timbale, goats cheese and a smoked duck concoction (THB 480).

It was one of our best lunch experience as the view overlooking the vinyard was superb!

Right next to the restaurant is the retail store offering wines and grapes by products such as grape seed oil, raisins, grape leaf tea, etc.

I really like this piece here but unfortunately it’s not for sale!

wall of fame

The weather was so perfect that day, so we took a walk around the vineyard.

elephant station

Meet Freddie and Honey, the elephants. Or buy a fruit basket (THB 100) from the mahout to feed them.

The elephant ride is one of the highlighted activities here. The tour around the vineyard took about 15 minutes and the high riding position offers one a good view of the vineyard.

Hua Hin Hills Vineyard is a beautiful place to visit. We could just sit here whole afternoon overlooking the valley while sipping a nice glass of wine and enjoying a great meal. The Sala restaurant is fabulous with great food, great atmosphere and excellent wines though pricing is on the higher side.

Hua Hin Hills Vineyard
204 Moo 9, Baan Khork Chang Patana Nong Plup, Hua Hin, Thailand
Tel: + 66 (0)81 701 0222
Email: info@huahinhillsvineyard.com
Website: http://www.huahinhillsvineyard.com/ (tour booking can be done here)

Next Up: Plearnwan, an Eco Vintage Village in Hua Hin

KAMPUNGBOYCITYGAL/KAMPUNGBOYCITYGAL - A MALAYSIAN FOOD & TRAVEL BLOG