Family Vacation: A Week in South Korea for Php 60,000 ( 1,200 USD)

Last year, we were able to finally mark this country off our bucket list. We went to South Korea for a week-long vacation: staying 3 days in Jeju and the remaining 4 days in Seoul, and spending around Php 60,000 ($1,200) all in (good for 2 adults and 1 child). Here’s how we did it:

Ansan Starlight Village’s Light Festival

A day before we left Seoul, we decided to have a quick side trip to Ansan Star Village which is located in Gyeonggi-do Province. It is an hour and a half subway ride from the city and best visited when night falls. This attraction features many of Van Gogh’s masterpieces which you can marvel at during the day as well as plenty of photo zones for your selfies and family pictures.

Teseum Seoul: A Day with Teddy Bears

The Teddy Bear Museum – or Teseum – is a must visit attraction in Jeju. If you’ve seen the Korean drama Goong (Princess Hours), some scenes were filmed here. However, due to time constraints during our tour in Jeju, we decided to skip this museum. Luckily, we found out that there is Teseum in Seoul so we paid a visit.

Myeongdong Kyoja: Home of Kalguksu and Korean Dumplings

Perhaps one of the things one shouldn’t miss when in Myeongdong (except shopping, of course) is dining at Myeongdong Kyoja.

Gyeongbokgung Palace Walk: Royalty for a day

Hello! I just dyed my hair with the lightest color I have ever dared to use (which I will post about some other time), as a celebration of me turning 30. Aaand while waiting for my hair dye to settle, I’m continuing our #theabellastraveltoSouthKorea.

New Travel Series + Cheonggyecheon Stream

First, let me tell you how my week was so far: I was so sick these past few days. I had a terrible headache, I’m feeling nauseous, and I’m having stomach cramps. Before you start thinking these are probably signs of being pregnant, let me just say that my period came today (as scheduled). So yeah, I’m feeling a little better now.

Kid-friendly Jeju Itinerary Day 2

Photo taken from Jeju Weekly: Top view of Sunrise Peak

Your adventure in Jeju is not complete without climbing the famous Seongsan Ilchulbong or what is known as Sunrise Peak. This is our last day in the island so we started very early (4:30am to be exact), hoping to catch the sunrise.

Kid-friendly Jeju Itinerary Day 1

We only had a week to explore South Korea as much as we can so we decided to book a quick 2-day trip to the country’s most popular honeymoon destination – Jeju Island. With a toddler in tow, we were especially careful on choosing attractions we should visit and how to get there.

Travel Apps You Should Download for Your South Korea Trip

Booked a flight to South Korea? Have you planned your itinerary yet? Check out these smartphone apps you should download before flying over to the world of Kpop.

A Guide on Answering the South Korean Visa Application Form

As of August 2015, the embassy of the Republic of Korea released a new visa application form. Unlike the previous form, this one does not come with detailed guidelines on how to answer it.