After taking a couple months off to hang with family and friends in the States we decided to hit the road again, this time to Southeast Asia! We visited Thailand and Cambodia in fall of 2014 and were anxious to get back to this amazing corner of the backpacker world. We had a travel buddy in tow too with my sister, Becca! (She’s always down for an adventure and went on the Thailand / Cambodia trip too!)
We started our long journey east in Atlanta where we flew direct to Seoul. We had a short 30 hour layover before heading to Manila and finally our first destination, El Nido. We love to explore a new city (and in this case country!) so we couldn’t wait to pack our layover full of fun. Here’s the breakdown.
How to Spend a Layover in Seoul, South Korea
1. Eat Korean BBQ
Because…duh! We had dabbled a bit in KBBQ in San Diego and San Francisco, but this was the real deal. First stop once we landed, Korean Barbeque at Owooga. I don’t recall why we choose this one of many KBBQ restaurants, probably its’ proximity to our crashpad, Hotel Venue G, located in Myeongdong.
2. Visit Gyeongbokgung Palace
After a bit of sleep we hit the ground running to make the most out of our “full day” before our redeye to Manila. We headed straight to Gyeongbokgung Palace. This place was awesome! We loved walking admiring the architecture and had fun with some locals!
3. Stroll the Streets of Insadong and Avenue of Youth
Afterward we strolled the Insadong District and had tea time at Tteuran. We wrapped up our day with some beers at Avenue of Youth. This area has a busy vibe and tons of shops.
What we didn’t do in Seoul: Sing Karaoke
I would have loved to participate in this trendy tradition but it’s more of a nightlife scene and we did most of our exploring by day. Guess we’ll have to come back!
See ya later Seoul,
-Ray
Note: We visited Seoul in March 2019.