My list of Kdrama locations got shorter during my recent Korea travels. Maybe it's because I am done with most of the dramas on my list, and kokonti nalang din recent dramas I've watched compared to the last years. I don't want to go to locations just because setting sya sa isang Kdrama if it has no significance to me--like hindi naman nakakaiyak yung scene na shinoot don, or di ko naman naalala kung anong nanyari sa lugar na yun. This time, I also try to focus more on other things when I go to Korea.
I go there for the different seasons, to discover and learn about a new city, to shop, to try cute cafes or new museums, etc. But of course, my itinerary wouldn't be fully complete without a little Korean pop culture on the side--whether it is Kdrama or Kpop related. For my recent one last Spring of 2019, I decided to go on a little Cha Eun Woo Pilgrimage.
Travel Dates: April 24-25, 2019
This trip started early this year when I decided to celebrate my blog's 10th anniversary in Korea. As per usual, I wanted to explore another city outside of Seoul.
I remember posting a survey on Instagram, and the cities that were suggested include Gwangju, Jeongno, Pyeongchang, and of course, Jeonju. I searched these cities on the internet, and what little information I got while planning for my Daegu and Jeju trips--let's say around 1/4 lang nito ang lumabas for Gwangju, Jeongno, Jeonju, etc!
In short, kung first choice ang Seoul, and 2nd to 4th choices ang Daegu, Busan, and Jeju, asa pang 5th to 10th na halos ang Jeonju. I think this lack of information made me even more ecstatic to plan and push for this new solo travel adventure in Korea!
Your tropical girl here used to think that snow is only during December (because Christmas = Snow lols), but now I realized that winter in Korea stretches till February. In short, pwede pa humabol ngayon din! Hehe!
I experienced some of the best winter moments in my life during my Korea birthday trip last January 2018 (my first snow though was in 2013 in the US with my family). Beautiful snowfall in Seoul, sliding in ice, warm facial and massage while it's cold outside, and even tried skiing for the very first time!
If you have flights booked this month or next, or itching to go spontaneous and book tickets right about now, here are some winter activities you should check out on your Great Winter in Korea Trip!
Sobrang minsan lang ako mapalakpak sa isang Kdrama, and I did this so many times while watching While You Were Sleeping. 👏 The plot is sooo good, yung pag bagsak palang ng dramatic background music sobrang perfect timing, plus backed with great actors--I can't help but put this drama on my top Kdrama favorites!
For this post, I am sharing to you my While You Were Sleeping shooting locations, but as a Kdrama tour itinerary. I think you can accomplish this in a day or two. I still have a lot on my Korea bucket list, and might follow this when I have the chance to go back again in Seoul soon!
Where to go, where to eat, and what to do???
Let's follow Jung Jae-chan (Lee Jong Suk) and Nam Hong-joo (Suzy Bae)'s journey!
I cannot imagine going to Korea without shopping! 💸
They have the best selection of sneakers and beauty products, plus my family is super addicted to their snack called honey almonds.
During my recent trip, I only had 3 days in Seoul. The second day is already fully dedicated to work (Mimi Shop), and the last day is already my flight back to Manila. But bilang #teamavail, I made sure to maximize the few hours I had during our FIRST day kahit na mga 3pm na kami naka check in sa hotels. I just rested a bit, then ravan agad!
The most unexpected thing happened to me last week.
It's not even a "once in a lifetime" moment, but a NEVER EVEN POSSIBLE chance for someone like me! The whole time I was thinking,
what did I do to deserve this? I am not worthy! Haha! I felt sooo grateful to Viu Philippines, JTBC, and Mimi Shop for proving to me that dreams really do come true. And if it can happen to me... It can happen to you too!
I think I've been to so many parks in Korea, especially for this spring trip since my agenda is to collect as much cherry blossoms experience as I can.
Besides, it's such a waste to stay indoors on a beautiful spring day!!
Filed Under: Alternative Things To Do When In Seoul.
In all my Korea trips, I've never once set foot in Itaewon. I've heard a lot about it as a cool party place, and the perfect area to grab a bottle of beer (or soju) to loosen up and have fun with friends. It's funny that my first time in Itaewon is for something cutesy and wholesome--haha!
BT21 is Kpop boy band BTS and LINE Friends' collaboration and I am in love with it! The Bangtan boys created their own cute characters, which LINE Friends produced into merch (clothes, key chains, stickers, etc) and even food in their own cafe. You can see all these in Line Friends' flagship store located in Itaewon, so after
Yongma Land abandoned theme park adventure, I asked Jari if we can have our coffee or dessert here kahit medyo malayo instead of just going to a random cafe (team tuhog, hehe). Thank God she's up for it! Woohoo!
Like most Line Stores in Korea, they have the HUGE Brown stuffed toy in the middle of the store, where guests take turns to have their photos with!
My fascination for abandoned theme parks started when I saw an Instagram post around 2 years ago of a Pinay who went up the railings of a roller coaster in an abandoned amusement park in Japan. I forgot who the girl is and where the theme park is exactly located, but I found it cool and interesting to visit something that long before was a happy place. Pwede pala yun noh? Once a smash hit is now napabayaan na, or that you can still visit these places and still find them interesting. Sabi nga nila "full of stories"!
Anyway, when I got back from Seoul after my main mission of
chasing spring in Daegu, hala I had no more plans. I still have TWO FULL DAYS, so naisip ko maybe it's time to visit that abandoned theme park in Seoul?! MABUTI NALANG TALAGA, my new friend Jari messaged me to let her know lang if I am back in Seoul and kailangan ko ng kasama, haha! I know I can do it by myself, but I think a trip to an abandoned theme park is more fun (and less scary!) with a friend!
As usual and as with any other goodbyes, leaving my Seoul guesthouse gave me a certain weird tingling feeling on my tummy:
I've said this a million times in my former blog posts, but if you're a new reader, here's how I fix my most recent Korea itineraries!
I do TRY to plan them on-the-dot, day-by-day, even BY THE HOUR just so I won't waste a day. But for Kdrama locations, I simply just make a LIST of locations I want to go to or I haven't been to and not be OC on the dates.
I will write down the place, then research the nearest train line either by Google or by checking out Google Maps. And after all these important information (nearest subway, nearest exit, name of the place in real life so I can navigate them through Google Maps), I will arrange all of them by train line so I can go to the closer ones in one day and hindi yung patalon talon ako sa malalayo at magkakalayong locations!
I love the outdoor train stations of Seoul during spring! It's not so cold, and the air is really nice and fresh!
I am a big commuter during travels.
If I have all the money, then I would taxi my way to all my destinations to avoid the back pains from carrying my huge maleta--but I am still far from that level HAHA! One thing that I truly appreciate though when commuting is you really soak yourself to a bit of the Korean's everyday lives. Seoul is a popular tourist destination already, so you will encounter not only huge flocks of locals, but also tourists, like you, manouvering their way around Seoul's vast public transportation system. Pulling a huge maleta? You are not alone!
The variety of people you encounter is endless, and as with anything, everyone and everything seems to have a story to tell.
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