One of the coolest things I experienced during my trip to Korea was attending my very first Stage Greeting, a unique tradition in the Korean movie scene that lets fans meet the cast and crew of a film up close, right inside the cinema!

If you had told Summer 2024 me, during the absolute peak of my Popmart obsession, that I’d be staying in a hotel right above Popmart Myeongdong, I probably would’ve been so thrilled. 😆 This stay felt like a field trip for that era of my life, even if my collection craze has cooled down a bit since then.

That's the door to the hotel, just right next to Pop Mart's!

If you're a K-pop or K-drama fan heading to Korea, here's a travel tip you need to try at least once: watch a live award show! 

If you’ve ever visited Seoul, chances are you’ve heard of Ikseondong, the charming hanok village tucked away in the heart of the city. Most people explore it during the day, wandering its photogenic alleyways, sipping matcha in tiny cafés, and popping into local boutiques. But here's a little secret: Ikseondong at night hits different.  

Some things have changed, some things remain the same.

Here's my take on the poem remix trend, inspired by Jennae Cecelia’s I Met My Younger Self for Coffee.  ❤ Hindi na ako marunong mag sulat lol, but just like the writer, I also loved looking back on my younger self and how she was so brave, happy, and true.

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I’m so excited! In just a week, I’ll be flying to Korea again! This trip was completely unexpected, but when I managed to secure a ticket to J-Hope’s Hope On Stage concert in Seoul, I knew I had to book a flight and turn it into a full winter adventure.

Winter is such a dreamy time to visit Japan and Korea, where you can enjoy snow-covered landscapes (a treat for us tropical girlies), winter festivals, and unique seasonal experiences. Whether you're into cultural traditions, outdoor activities, or the warmth of local cuisine, these two destinations have plenty to offer during the colder months. Here are some of the best things to do in Japan and Korea during winter!

My first skiing experience was in Korea's Elysian Gangchon Ski Resort! It was so hard, I decided to just lie on my back and take pics haha.

If you’re looking for an off-the-beaten-path destination in South Korea that is rich in culture, history, and scenic beauty, Andong is the place to go. I visited this charming province in autumn 2023, and it was truly an unforgettable experience. Here’s a list of things you shouldn’t miss when exploring Andong!

Last autumn, I had the chance to revisit Jeonju, a city that perfectly blends tradition, culture, and delicious food. Known for its beautiful hanok village and mouthwatering bibimbap, Jeonju turned out to be one of my favorite travel destinations in Korea. If you're planning a trip, here are some must-do activities based on my own experience!

Finally back in Jeonju to fulfill some unfinished business: Rent a room in a traditional hanok house!

Nov 12-13, 2023

During autumn last year, I fulfilled one item on my ever-growing bucket list, which was to go to Andong. Andong is a traditional, provincial area in South Korea, known for preserving its heritage. When I first entered the UNESCO World Heritage Andong Hahoe Village, it felt like stepping onto a movie set for a Joseon dynasty drama.  

I have a lot to share about last year's adventure, and hopefully, it will also inspire you to plan an itinerary outside the city. Let's start with my transit story.

Your Korean Dream Team: W Express & KVAC – Say Goodbye to Visa Hassles! 

Backed by W Express’ nationwide network of over 100 branches, experience a simplified Korean Tourist Visa (C 3-9) processing, from application to delivery 

(L-R) W Express Executive Vice President Emelita Alcid, W Express Chairman and President Dawn Feliciano, KVAC Managing Director Ahn Kyu Suk, KVAC General Manager Choi Yong Won

Instead of buying skincare in Olive Young, I decided to make my own during my short visit in Seoul. It's the perfect activity while in this city that loves beauty!

Have you heard of the trending Korean makeup brand FWEE? I chanced upon it while in Seongsu, waiting for my slot for the J-Hope Pop-Up. 

Fwee's cute pop-up in Seongsu, Seoul, South Korea

Another class I joined while in Seoul was Perfume-Making.

Actually, there are a lot of studios offering this kind of class, but I chose the one easily booked through Klook called the GN Perfume in Seocho. I later found out that GN stood for GOOD NOSE!

→ Seoul Self Perfume-Making Activity in Seoul by GN Perfume Studio

What's your favorite scent?

I joined a Korean Full-Course Meal Cooking Class at a Local Home during my recent Seoul trip! 

During the HUGE Taylor Swift craze due to her Singapore concert, I watched my peers' adventures on social media as they traveled to SG to watch her in her one and only Southeast Asian stop. 

My Day 0 for the Korea trip:

One interesting experience for me was of Kim Chiu's (the actress) which she posted on her Youtube. She showed how she traveled, changed her clothes, went to the concert, and then went back to the airport all in a day to watch her fave live. She even shopped for makeup in between!! Kim had no luggages with her, just a backpack, her concert outfit, and a few hours to get to the venue on time = The perfect recipe for an adventure. It looked so much fun and exciting! BUT I also thought that it's something that I will never ever do! Iba ang rush and stress! It was nice though to live vicariously and just experience it second hand through her vlog.

You can watch this Kim Chiu Taylor Swift Vlog here:

Even during the AgustD's DDAY tour, we really planned everything to the T, making sure we have AT LEAST TWO DAYS allowance before concert day in case something comes up. True enough, we had boo-boos during our hotel check-in which made us even more decided that we will never ever book a trip on the same day of a concert we're going to. It's super risky!

One of my ultimate fan girling core memory: Suga's DDAY Tour!

But as you might have known by now from my IG or Tiktok posts, I ate everything I said for the recent Seventeen Follow Again Tour in Incheon. 

I was all set for my spring trip, making sure it will not fall during Holy Week since my family goes to recollections during those dates, when Seventeen suddenly announced their concert dates and it was during Black Saturday and Easter Sunday! I said to myself, if maka bili ako ng ticket for their second day, which is same day as my flight to Korea, i-go ko tong concert nato. Bahala na. True enough, I was able to buy a ticket!! And so off we go to Korea for a same-day con!

 One of my favorite views <3

It was a 2:40am to 7:55am flight, so I was hoping I get some sleep!

Lights were switched off for most of the flight, and I had the row to myself. But I was twisting and turning the whole time. I think I only had a MAX of an hour of straight sleep!

Anyway, looking back, it was my very own Kim Chiu moment, haha! I flew early morning from Manila to Incheon. Prayed there will be no delays and mistakes coz I couldn't afford it with my time constraints. 

After the usual immigration and claiming of checked in luggage, I went to my usual airport errands for my travel essentials. Sharing some tips here in case you will also find yourself in a same-day flight and concert situation someday!

1) Everything's on the same floor, so don't forget these Korea travel essentials:

💰 Withdraw some cash (Or have your money exchanged if you prefer it that way). Cards are generally accepted everywhere, but in case of emergency it's best to still have on hand cash. There are international banks and ATM machines everywhere at the Arrival. I prefer just withdrawing KRW coz it's convenient, and charge is only about PHP 200. I use my BDO Debit Mastercard and it works every time.

🚆 There's a CU right across the money changers and ATM where you can buy your transportation card. It can be T-Money or Cashbee. You can reload your card at the train station. 

📱 And lastly, before the trip, make sure to pre-purchase a local sim card via Klook so you will have internet connection while traveling in Korea (use my promo code KLOOKANAGON for discounts!). I have yet to try the E-SIM which I am sure is more convenient since no need to claim it, but I used to have a locked sim card phone with SMART. I only got a new phone now, but as usual, even my physical sim card experience in Korea was hassle-free.

2) Prepare for Battle! Grab something to eat. Freshen up and change into clothes you'll wear to the concert while you have the time and logistics to do so.

I had my lunch in Starbucks that I passed by heading for the SPA ON AIR or the airport jjimjilbang. There are other food choices in that area, but in case your flight is red eye and most of the shops are closed, there is always CU convenience store (where you can also buy your T-Money or Cashbee card)

Had a quick bath at the airport jjimjilbang. Felt so nice to take a hot bath and change into clean clothes!! The space is perfect for quick freshening up, and I only paid PHP 500.

Had to EAT for more ener-energy, lol:

3) Decide on Logistics. Where will you leave your bags? Will you still have time for check-in?

I took the airport train to get to my first hotel for this trip. Very convenient, since the hotel I picked is just 2 stops from the airport. You can also take a cab.

Super convenient train system since it's their airport railway, there are a lot of elevators and escalators.

Ang tagal ko din pinag isipan to during planning: 

➡ Should I just book for a night at the airport (iwan muna bags sa luggage storage services), 

➡ Do I risk and book a hotel na agad in Seoul? (Kaso ang layo pa ng Seoul, e nasa Incheon nadin ako)

➡ I also almost booked an Airbnb very near the concert venue (since there were no walking distance hotels so bnb nalang). 

But later on I CANCELLED it when I realized that Airbnbs have late check-ins, and have no concierge that can help me with bags storage in case I don't want to wait for check-in time. May napala din ang pagiging over-thinker!!

My first whiff of Korean air for this trip while on my way to my first hotel:

With these factors, I realized that a TRANSIT HOTEL is the best option for me. One that is either near the airport or near the concert venue, or saktong asa gitna lang nila. Must be near a train station too, para iwas taxi and long walks while still carrying all my luggages.

I stayed in Incheon Airport Hotel Zeumes. Booked a room via Agoda for PHP 3,124.49 / one night. It's a bit pricey compared to my usual hotel room budget, but sulit talaga for the convenience and the hotel room itself--very spacious and comfortable.

Clean toilet and bath, and super spacious din for a Korean accommodation:

Great location, 2 stations away from Incheon Airport, and just across and a block away from the Unseo subway station. Travel time from airport to the hotel according to Google Maps is only about 13 minutes.

Anyway, the transit hotel I picked was perfect. I can go anytime to leave my luggage at the concierge. They have 24/7 staff in front so I can check in anytime at night after the concert. It was super hassle free and highly recommended!

More tips from my personal experience that might be useful for you someday!!

💥 Bring an EXTRA POWERBANK. Since I've been traveling since the night before (check-in was around 11pm, flight was at around 2:40am) I didn't realize that I have been consuming my powerbank the whole time that few hours before the concert, palowbatt na phone ko and wala nading power yung powerbank ko! My friend came to the rescue with her extra powerbank, but imagine going to a concert with just 35% battery waaa!

🍕 BUY FOOD on your way to the venue. In case. Yung nanyari sa akin, wala na palang food halls near the venue, which is a long walk pa from the train station. It was my first time there, so hindi ako familiar sa area. I was starving but also lazy to walk back to the train station, but I met up with a friend who had an extra powerbank AND samgak kimbap in her bag! Ahhh thanks T!

My lifesaver, T! Hahaha! I can't imagine, in all my "strong independent female solo traveler" facade, that I will face these minor travel boo-boos hahaha. So thank God for FRIENDS! :)

How I bought my Kpop concert ticket: 

I always get this question on my Insta! So here are some tips.

General tip: Stay updated with your favorite Kpop groups' activities by following and joining Facebook and Twitter groups that post anything and everything going on about your idols. I also have a Weverse account with my notifications ON so I am on top of everything. 

Another important thing I did was getting an Official Membership for Seventeen, also available on Weverse via the Weverse Shop tab. You will really get higher chances to buy a ticket during their official fan club members pre-selling vs when selling is already open to all.

Set an alarm for everything so it won't slip your mind. Make reading a habit, and plot everything on your calendar. From registering your membership to the site (They sold the tickets on Interpark, announcements were made via Weverse), to actual ticket purchasing. Be online an hour before the schedule para naka open na yung tabs.

Be DECIDED nadin on what ticket tier you're getting (and your plan B, C, D in case soldout na your first choice...) hindi pwedeng doon palang mag iisip. Walang time for that na talaga. Ready your online payment options, I used my BDO Mastercard for this, but I have a Maya card as back up.

Pray, and good luck!!!

Ending this post with this photo, my first cherry blossoms (?) or cherry blossoms ish sighting for this spring trip! A sign of the great week I'll be having back in my second home. ♥

All the food we had for this very short trip! There were so many vegetarian options, and we loved being able to try out numerous local restaurants during our stay! 

Sometimes, I tell myself that I go to Boracay for the eats, lol. I used to diet (huhu) prior to a Boracay trip back in my youth, because our agenda was to take pics and party. Gone were those days! I am actually looking forward to the Boracay trip to actually swim and fill up my belly, haha!  

Here's our food list for the 3-day trip; it may seem simple, but the Ginataang Gulay from Two Seasons was actually my (and dad’s) favorite. 😅🫶🏼 We had a free breakfast buffet in our hotel, so that's minus one meal to think about in a day. Yet, my sister and I agreed that we haven't eaten this much in our day-to-day lives! It's like we're having five meals a day during this vacation, haha!

Los Indios Bravos

@losindiosbravosboracay 

samosas and chicken goujon

First stop in the island! I like the food, but the service made this visit worthwhile. Servers were friendly, we chatted with them and asked them about what's new in Boracay. Resto has an air conditioned / indoor area perfect for my senior parents. Mom said the chicken fingers were good. Also enjoyed the falafel (not in photo) with refillable hummus.

Mango Mama

@mangomamaboracay 

mixed mango-coco & black rice

The fam LOVED this! It's mango sticky rice with a twist. Perfect for the hot weather, but we wished they have comfortable dining area so we can enjoy the dessert more.

Two Seasons 

@twoseasonsphilippines 

four cheese pizza, oyster sisig, lechon kawali, ginataang gulay

The classic! THE OG when you visit Boracay! We were supposed to eat here when we arrived, but as always, the resto was jam-packed. We arrived early for dinner at around 6pm, and were seated right away. WORTH IT. Hindi padin nag bago the taste, super sarap padin. I also ordered ginataang gulay for a change, and it was also so so good!

Sunny Side Boracay

@thesunnysideboracay 

vegan chori burger, champorado

My Ate's fave! That's why we made sure to dine here during this trip. We had drinks and champorado first, then chilled and ordered lunch nadin. As always, food is GREAT! View is also beautiful. This is at their new Station 1 branch.

Ice Flakes Boracay

@iceflakes_boracay 

Mango Coconut, most recommended on my IG story survey

The most recommended food when I asked for recommendations on my Instagram Story! True enough, this bingsoo is goood! A bit on the pricey side, but worth it naman ang lasa.

True Home Bistro

@truehomehotelandbistro 

perfect ambiance for dad’s birthday

After having really good food the past meals, food here is just okay. Nothing mind-blowing. Love the ambiance though, it was quiet and homey. Perfect place to unwind for our last night, also dad' birthday dinner.

Nonie's

@noniesrestaurants 

tempeh kare-kare, vegan sisig, beetroot strawberry smoothie (sarap), fresh buko tart

Hours before our transportation for the airport arrived, we took the e-tric to Station X. Dined here because they have so much healthy options. The Tempeh Kare-Kare is an interesting and healthy alternative to the usual that we know. They even served it with vegetarian bagoong. We also had vegan sisig, which is made of mushrooms and tofu. Also yummy, and super bagay with the black rice. Their smoothies are must-try, too!

Before the pandemic, it took me six trips to Korea before I was finally granted my first Multiple Entry Korean visa--so all my travels from 2016 to early 2018 I was applying for a visa every single time. I was really grateful when I got the Multiple Entry Korean Visa, 2018-2020 was really the season in my life when I kept going back to Korea. And with the Multiple Entry Korean Visa,  I was able to travel to countless opportunities, including the Mimi Ship Korea variety show guesting wherein they invited me just a day before the flight!

A favorite day in this trip was when I had the chance to explore Hong Kong on my own. Cea slept over her friends' hotel, and they had a day of itinerary together, so I decided to grab my list of "to dos" for my own solo Hong Kong exploration! 

I finally had the chance to go back to Macau, and have a real itinerary. The last time I went there about a decade ago, my friends and I just took pictures and shopped at The Venetian. 😅 I was also finally able to try traveling from Hong Kong to Macau by bus! This trip was short, but packed with new experiences. Sharing here our Macau day trip from Hong Kong by bus, and our itinerary!

Macau, often referred to as the "Las Vegas of Asia," is a vibrant and culturally diverse region located on the southern coast of China. A day trip to Macau can be a fantastic experience, as this special administrative region of China is known for its blend of Portuguese and Chinese cultures, historic architecture, vibrant casinos, and delicious cuisine.