Introducing My Unforgettable Travel Story - Asian On Air Program 2013

Buckle up for a really really long post, because I am finally going to blog about my memorable trip to Korea!

Don't fret cause it's a long one though.. I will do my best to keep you entertained with lots of pictures too and not just lines and lines of text  :)

The reason for my very hardworking post is this!

The Asian On-Air Program is back! A joint project by Korean Air SEA and Korea Tourism Organization, bloggers now can stand a chance to win a 5 day 4 night tour for an exciting Korean experience.

All you have to do is to just blog about your travel story, just like what I am doing now  :)

So let's get started! The real story starts here:

The brochure from our tour package 

Those of you who know me,will know how big of a Korean fan I am.  :P

It has literally been one of my life goals to at least travel to Korea once. So when my family suggested that we go for a trip to Korea, I desperately had to make sure that this suggestion became a reality. 

Despite facing problems such as cancelled tours, north-south Korean tension and passport issues, thank god that the trip was finally confirmed and we were scheduled to fly during May 2013! *throws confetti*

Flying by Korean Air! 

It was definitely super memorable for me cause it was my first flight experience!

Throughout the whole trip, I had the chance to board the planes four times, all via Korean Air.

First impression was really good! I knew that Korean Air is the leading air carrier for the country, so I was pleased to find that they had efficient service, friendly crew and really clean facilities. Afterwards I even found out that there were cosmetic stuff in the toilets like lotions and face mists by Jurlique! Definitely makes flying more convenient for us girls who may find the long flights drying on our skin  :P 

Thank you Korean Air for making my first flight feel so pampered!

On board the plane. It was a fuss-free, comfortable flight  :)

From the moment we got into the plane, the trip has begun!

It was very exciting for me since it was my first time. I didn't know in-flight services were so attentive haha we travelled by economy class, but it felt awesome cause they kept offering food and drinks and whatnot. 

Breakfast at 3am! First time having in-flight meal but it tastes good  :)

Anyhow, the sis and I were too hyped to even sleep in flight, so we spent the night watching movies.

Turns out that the decision to watch "A Werewolf Boy" on a night flight was not very smart...

It was too sad/touching and I had to cry silently cause the other passengers were asleep, cannot disturb lol.

Watching the changes in the sky throughout the night was pretty awesome :)

I also experienced watching the city lights of several countries at night when we flew over them!

When we flew over Taiwan, I remembered feeling awed, thinking that it was so awesome cause I could see the whole country (or just a big part of it) from the top. It felt..incredible. That is one of the moments that I realized how big the world really is, and how small and insignificant we can be.

Incheon Airport! 

Up-close plane shot. I think I love flights haha I cannot understand why people hate flying!

Hello Korea!

We arrived in the chilly Spring season, so it was really pleasant even though it rained a few times.

The sad thing about our timing was that we totally missed the cherry blossoms' blooming season!

By the time we got there they have already wilted  :(

Check out the unforgettable places from the Korean trip!

Because we went with a tour entourage, we mostly traveled by tour bus. During the day time, it was cool and they don't really turn on the air conds, so we had to let the wind blow in through the window. 

While it messed up my hair, it actually gave me more chances to look out and ~feel~ Korea, if you know what I mean. Haha

❤ Nami Island ❤

At the wharf waiting to board a small ship to the island!

Our very cute ride to the island ♥

I absolutely loved Nami Island, because it was so naturally beautiful! 

The island is known as the filming site for "Winter Sonata", but in my opinion the island itself should be famous for the breathtaking beauty of nature it showcases. I won't be able to forget this place in awhile.

When we reached the island, some tree was shedding tufts of white fibre-like stuff (it kinda looks like small bits of feathers floating down from the trees). So from a glance it looks like it was snowing! In sunny Spring weather some more. Haha #easilyfascinated

Greenery all around and nicely decorated spots for touristy picture-taking

Beautiful red maple leaves that we don't see in M'sia!  :D

Even the child playground area was artsy and fun 

Many of these "memory" spots where people left their mark on this island..

The family's touristy moments in Nami Island! :D 

We had an awesome time exploring the small island. The cool breezy weather plus the scenic setting made me want to grab a picnic basket and camp out there all day! Imagine sitting under the a tree, lazily reading a book and a red maple leaf floats down onto your lap. Trust me, Nami Island is the perfect place for such moment. It definitely is one of the top ten places I'd love to visit again.

❤ Jeongdongjin Station ❤

The highlight of this ordinary looking train station is that the train tracks run along a beautiful beach, but it is special to me for an entirely different reason! Haha. Can you guess what it is?

Spotted SNSD Seohyun and CNblue Yonghwa's autographs!

Ta-dah! I thought the train station looked familiar at first, but when I wandered into the ticketing area I saw these stuck onto the walls. So this was the place that Seohyun and Yonghwa (Goguma Couple) once came to during the filming of "We Got Married"! 

The k-pop fan in me was super excited at the discovery, and cause I actually watched that episode of WGM, I remembered what happened to them at this place and also on the MuGungHwa train.

Haha, to think that such an ordinary looking place will burn itself into my memory. Funny right?

Look at the view of the beach! If it wasn't so cold I would have dipped my feet in..

The last picture was kind of a fail hahaha. Wanted to leave my mark among the pile of stones in the train station, but I mis-spelled the words. If you can read hangul, then you will know that my writing skills suck.

Haha in future Koreans will pick up my stone and laugh, "Ha! This fool must be a tourist, cannot spell properly" zzz.

❤ Everland Theme Park ❤

Odd smiles and small eyes cause the sunlight was too bright! Haha luckily we got shades

I was especially looking forward to visiting Everland, for two reasons.

Partly because its a mega huge theme park with lots of different themes (almost like Universal Studios Singapore, but bigger) and also cause Runningman came here for filming, twice! (Once when Song Joong Ki was still part of the cast, and also the Animal Kingdom episode with Jessica and Eun Ji Won).

Four Seasons Garden in Everland! Look at all the flowers in bloom ^^

I fell in love with the pretty landscapes! Everland is heaven for tourists haha so many good spots for photos. We spent the day snapping away on Dad's new DSLR and even helped other tourists with their pictures.

Unfortunately, it was a Korean holiday, so the theme park was jam-packed with people!You could spend hours just waiting to queue for a few rides. So instead of playing, we walked about and explored a little :)

It's the first time that I've seen such a beautifully decorated theme park! Even though we didn't get a chance to play any of the rides, the surroundings make me feel so happy already. Mental checklist: Re-visit Everland if I can in future! :D

What we call "people mountain people sea".. The one holding the Korean Fan is our tour guide.. haha

This Korean oppa should be awarded "Most Appropriate OOTD" for a day in Everland! So cute  xD

This last picture still makes me laugh hahaha. I'll remember this oppa every time we go to a theme park. We were just walking around when we spotted this guy with his friends. Only he was decked out in a costume, but his friends dressed casually (maybe he lost a bet? lol). Then we kinda followed him about cause we wanted to sneak a picture.

After awhile meimei was like "Don't care already, I HAVE TO take a picture with him".

So with Daddy standing by with the camera ready, we went up to the guy and I said "Err..Annyeonghaseyo.. Picture?", motioning the "taking picture" gesture with my hands. Haha!

It was embarrassing though but he happily complied. So yay! Mission completed. Hahaha

❤ Hello Kitty Cafe (Sinchon Outlet) ❤

This is a must-go spot for all Hello Kitty fans out there, cause its super cute! :3

Once we reached the cafe, I took quite a few shots with my instant camera for pictures to keep in my wallet. Haha it was too adorable to be missed!

But to be honest, this stop is only worth it if you're a real Kitty lover. While the decor and cute paraphernalia makes it a good spot for selcas and camwhoring, the food and drinks there are just..so-so.

 Up in the second floor. First floor has cute Kitty-shaped chairs but it was too crowded.

Spotted T-ara and Dal-Shabet's autographs on the wall!

I wasn't expecting much excitement from the Hello Kity Cafe, but this corner of the cafe made me stop and stare. Another set of autographs! This time by T-ara and Dal Shabet  :)

These little K-pop moments made my family tour even more unforgettable, but I wish that I could see at least one celebrity/idol in the flesh the next time. THAT would make me ecstatic haha.

❤ MyeongDong (Women's Shopping Paradise!) ❤

There are not many pictures of MyeongDong, but then again, there shouldn't be!

Cause once you're on the streets of MyeongDong, stash away your cameras and reach for your wallet.

Shopping in this area is a treat for women cause there are so many cosmetic outlets here.

Surprisingly, some brands even had more than two shops in the area!

We had a great time shopping and though the prices were not dirt-cheap as rumoured, you can still get a lot of great deals and discounts in the shops. Mum gave us all a big shock when she declared she bought nearly 200 pieces of facial masks in A'pieu (endorsed by Beast)!  :O

While shopping,I was surprised that most of the staff there could speak mandarin once they identify you as a tourist. Even though it made communication easier, I would have preferred to stumble and mumble in Korean instead. Makes you feel more like you're in a foreign place. Haha. 

This picture shows my personal haul for the one-week trip, but all of the cosmetic stuff and the cute socks were from MyeongDong. One interesting thing I discovered after shopping in Korea is that they have this marketing tactic called "service". Once you enter the outlet, they hand you a small basket (to put your purchases in) with a "free item" inside. Usually it's mask samples or small things to motivate you to actually buy their stuff. If you do make a purchase, then the item is yours to keep.
I wonder if this tactic would work well in Malaysia?

❤ Jeju Do ❤

After another Korean Air flight from Gimpo Airport,we arrived at Jeju Island for the last few days of the trip.

Even though the airplane was smaller this time(for domestic flights), the trip to Jeju was still very comfortable.

I really really loved the Spring weather and scenery! Everything seems to have a nice bright feel to it  :)

I also regretted that we didn't buy more Jeju Chocolates back home. Later on I realized that they were really yummy!

The view from the back of our hotel. The airport is just behind the grassy fields.

In my opinion, Jeju felt more like the "Korea" that i imagined before really coming to the country. Perhaps it comes off as more laid back/homely and I can actually imagine regular people going on with their normal lives without all the commercial saturation. It kinda shows that Seoul city is very different from the more rural areas.  

The most unforgettable thing about Jeju is that we saw so much of the seaside/beaches! I simply love the sea and being in Jeju gives you lots of nice views of the clear blue ocean.

More touristy spots:

Went to the Teseum (Teddy Bear Museum) and took tons of pictures with Teddy Bear models

3D Art Museum where I shamelessly became SNSD's shortest member. Hyoyeon was missing!

So basically for touristy pictures and locations, that is about all of the highlights of this trip! :D

My fangirl needs were gratified, by small discoveries in the least expected places. 

Most importantly, I had fun and gained travel experience with my family. After this, we are already looking forward to more travelling, and hopefully I will be able to fund a trip for my parents someday  :)

❤ Unforgettable discoveries from this trip! ❤

#1 : Korean couples love their couple tees. Wherever we go, we see pairs in identical clothes, caps or even pants. While it's kinda common anywhere else, but it seemed to be a really hot thing among couples there.

#2 : All females make an effort to be pretty out in the streets. Even the fish-selling ahjummas.

At Daepohang Fish Market in Sokcho. The fish-selling ahjummas are all dolled up :P

#3 : It's actually pretty fun to raid the convenience stores around the hotels for food and drink.
Some of our late night adventures include going out in the dark, cold night and buying snacks from the shops nearby! Haha it felt good to be out in the night, and we felt safe cause of the low crime rate  :P

Reading the labels: Hersheys Chocolate Drink  is spelt "heo swi cho kol let deu ring keu"  xD

There were so many cute and different drinks that I've never tried before, so I ended up buying at least one drink to go with a snack whenever we pass by a convenience store lke C2U or 7-11. I still miss these now!

Some milky peach drink that I bought only because it looked pretty lol   #shallow

And this! The discovery of my love, CHEESE INSTANT NOODLES.
They were yummy haha cause I mad love cheese. It goes well with milk too lol but I guess that's enough fats for one meal. Too bad I didn't buy any more to take back.

#4 : Korean meals consist of lots of meat and Kimchi!

One thing that we realized about Korea was that the people cannot live without their Kimchi! Haha and there are also a lot of meat-based dishes throughout the week. We had meat prepared in so many ways; steamed, barbecued, stir fried and so on!

At one point I thought that Korean housewives are kinda pitiful, cause they have to wash so many dishes for one meal! Haha washing up must be tough since there are so many little plates and dishes. 

Street snacks! On the right: I finally got to try Bbopgi! The sugary snack I've seen on Korean programs  :3

We also made it a point to try out the street snacks in MyeongDong and DongDaeMun areas. After all, food is an important part of culture! Haha. 

I especially liked buying things, cause it meant I got chances to talk to the Koreans  :P

Koreans are seriously so kind and encouraging! Even with my basic knowledge of the language, they always exclaim "Oh, you speak Korean well! Are you a student here?". So touched haha even though I just said a few simple sentences like "how much is this?" and "it's okay I'll look around".

I shall end this travelogue with a picture of me and the sis in Hanboks :D :D

To sum it up, I really really loved being in Korea and while this interest was generated by my K-pop fangirling in the past, now I find that the people and its culture draws me in. I fell in love with the country as a whole, and not just the idol/celebrity aspect of it (which still excites me too! haha).

Also, being on a tour had its pros and cons. While we had a packed itinerary and we went to a lot of places, our activities were restricted and there was still so much more to be experienced!

So from now on, my goal is to work towards travelling more, and backpacking to Korea again and again in the future. I still want to pursue more, culturally and maybe even strike up a few friends in a foreign place  :)

Let's hope that through the Asian On Air Program by Korean Air and Korean Tourism Organisation, I can find more reasons to explore and experience Korea this October!  :D