Category: Adventure
-
SEOUL DIARIES 018: SAMCHEONGDONG 삼청동
At the peak of Bukchon Hanok Village overlooking Samcheongdong, I couldn’t wait to get to its bustling streets! Samcheongdong is geographically the lane right next to Bukchon Hanok Village. It is the trendy mash-up neighbourhood with hipster cafes, luxury goods, private art galleries alongside traditional Korean diners. Not a showroom for cars but an art gallery. In Seoul, many motor…
-
SEOUL DIARIES 014: CHEONGYECHEON STREAM 청계천
For serenity and peace in Seoul’s busy boulevard, Cheongyecheon’s mini waterfalls, crystal clear stream and quiet walking lanes is where I found clarity for my thoughts. Honestly this 8.4 km / 5.2 miles long stream wasn’t as grand as what I had in mind, but still a picturesque sight in the city! Many couples were seen holding hands, strolling leisurely as…
-
SEOUL DIARIES 013: BUKCHON HANOK VILLAGE 북촌한옥마을
For history buffs who wish to experience a well-preserved slice of Korean history, Bukchon Hanok Village is where you need to be! The residential district of Bukchon (literally meaning north village) housed high-ranking government officials / nobility during the Joseon Dynasty. Here, traditional Korean houses known as Hanok (or Joseonhouses) were re-built or re-furnished from the olden days. Tourist information centers are tactfully located in all…
-
SEOUL DIARIES 011: SOONDAE 순대
Introducing Korea’s traditional blood sausage: What it is: pig’s intestines stuffed with fermented soybean paste, glutinous rice, kimchi, cellophane noodles and pork blood. To this date, I can’t believe I had eaten this!! It’s pig intestines and I actually finished this whole plate of SOONDAE without knowing what it is!! Having walked across Han River…
-
SEOUL DIARIES 007: ITAEWON
March 23, 2014: DAY FOUR Itinerary [10:00 AM] Breakfast @ Thanks Nature Cafe 양카페 – Hongdae [10:59 AM] Grabbed Kyeran Bang 계란 빵 from a street stall! My favorite street food from Korea! [11:00 AM] Travel to Itaewon! [11:20 AM] Sat down for a strawberry latte at Glamorous Penguin. Also to leech onto their WiFi for Google Maps. [12:00 PM]…
-
SEOUL DIARIES OO6: SHOPPING @ IFC MALL & LOTTE OUTLETS
MARCH 22, 2014: DAY THREE Despite my frequent travels, I don’t do a lot of shopping overseas. Seoul is probably the only place where there’s never enough space in my luggages for my shopping loot! Hongdae’s open-till-late vintage and indie stores are just about my favourite places to go. Right up there on my favourite…
-
SEOUL DIARIES OO5: HANGANG PARK
March 22, 2014: DAY THREE I picked the perfect day with a gorgeous weather to explore the Yeouido Park! The trail cuts off at an intersection before leading to Yeouido Hangang Park (여의도 한강공원), which faces the Han River. Following this park trail, you can choose to jog along Han River or cross over to…
-
SEOUL DIARIES OO4: YEOUIDO PARK
March 22, 2014: DAY THREE Bright and early, I was up and headed for Yeoinaru Subway Station. When I found Yeouido Park (a short walk away), the place was already filled with morning joggers, cycling couples and the brisk-walking elderly! The park is divided into theme-based sections: the Traditional Korean Forest, Grass Square, Culture Square, and Nature’s Ecosystem Forest.…
-
SEOUL DIARIES OO3: CAFE-HOPPING in GANGNAM
Gangnam is, altogether, a fantastic spot for cafe-hopping. I spent the entire day here from morning till early evening, until I headed to KYOBO BOOKSTORE at Sinnonhyeon Station. The area is close to the Jamwon section of Hangang River Park, so take a walk to the famous South Korean river if you feel up to…
-
Travel Cafe Hongdae | 트래블 카페 @ 홍대
비행기 타기를 즐기십니까? Do you love plane rides and travelling?Personally I’m a huge fan of the Travel Cafe in Hapjeong/Hongik University district. Amongst an abundance of travel inspirations and books on various attractive destinations, this is the perfect place to plan for your next trip, or simply to relive the excitement of a plane ride. When you order something to…
-
This is HELLO and GOODBYE
Bidding farewell to the room and bed @ BLU Home Guesthouse that has kept me warm and well-rested for the past 6 nights. And this is me saying: HELLO JEJU ISLAND! Embracing the next part of my adventure with KRISPY in Jeju!! Will meet her at Gimpo airport before our flight, and since I’m checking…
-
Day One: BLU Home Guesthouse
7:45am – Touched down at Incheon International Airport 8:30am – Claimed all baggage and cleared customs 8:45am – Bought T-Money (Bus, Train, All-In-One Fare Card) and WiBro (incredibly fast and useful portable WiFi egg gadget) 8:50am – Boarded Airport Railroad (AREX) Commuter Line towards Hongik University Station 9:40am – Reached Hongik University Station (Hongdae!) Then…
-
Biking the Golden Gate Bridge | Part (I)
In life sometimes it pays to be a little wild and adventurous. On check-out day, we took an early tram to Fishermen’s Wharf @ Pier 39, rented a pair of bikes and helmets, then peddled for a good half-day from San Francisco to Sausalito via the Golden Gate! This is where Part 1 begins, from…
-
Guylian Belgian Chocolate Cafè
Sydney is home to this restaurant slash patisserie bearing the name of a famed household chocolate brand. Guylian Cafè didn’t disappoint, probably as the tarts we ordered came at a time where we were too hungry to be picky. The glazed strawberries didn’t taste as fresh as I’d imagined. But for a quick spike of…
-
[THAILAND] o10.Lamai Beach Samui
![[THAILAND] o10.Lamai Beach Samui](https://viktoriajean.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/dscn4612.jpg?w=1024)
Ever taken a day from work to stroll all morning along the calmest beach on Koh Samui? I love how my traveling job makes it all easy to find myself on an entirely different city from day to day. Yet it makes me appreciative of nature’s beauty on a minuscule scale. I’m all excitement and…
-
[THAILAND] oo9.Leaving on a Jet-Ski
![[THAILAND] oo9.Leaving on a Jet-Ski](https://viktoriajean.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/dscn4728.jpg?w=1024)
Eight of us embarked on 4-hour jet-ski safari that took us on a tour of 7 of Thailand’s offshore islands. While Josephine maneuvered the ride for the journey to the snorkeling island, I drove both of us back to Koh Samui. We had aching arms for days after the ride. Jet-skiing is such amazing fun…
-
[THAILAND] oo7.Black Moon Party
![[THAILAND] oo7.Black Moon Party](https://viktoriajean.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/dscn4516.jpg?w=1024)
This is Koh Samui’s very own Black Moon Party at Chaweng Stadium on a Friday Night. Thailand’s offshore islands of Koh Phangan and Koh Samui are best known for their Full Moon, Half-Moon and Black Moon parties. Us party-goers were a good mix of Caucasians, Chinese and Japanese tourists, as well as the local Thais,…
-
Muay Thai Addicts
Kicking ass in the boxing ring…perhaps soon enough! We’re still learning to bust the basic moves, whilst watching the pros slam each other around in the ring. Loads of girls are taking up muay thai as a form of fitness and I can see why, because the adrenaline rush is truly addictive. The place where…
-
[THAILAND] oo2.Island Lovin’
![[THAILAND] oo2.Island Lovin’](https://viktoriajean.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/dscn1000.jpg?w=1024)
Headed for Thailand’s Koh Samui with my favourite travel pals in exactly 3 days’!! ❤ So stoked about scuba-diving, and living the island life in my friends’ resort. Also can’t wait to start partying at the local hotspots on Chaweng Beach. On our last trip to Koh Samet, another offshore party island in the Gulf of Thailand,…
Viktoria Jean 