Seoul Trip *** Fall 2016 - Day 1

Mengabadikan kenangan trip ke Seoul sementara masih segar di ingatan. Kita mulakan dengan Day 1. Untuk membaca post berkenaan pre-vacation preparation and also total expenditure for this Seoul trip boleh baca di SINI.

The Flight

Trip to Seoul ini adalah selama 8D7N. Memang tak pernah terfikir nak bercuti ke Seoul. Just this one day I was googling the Air Asia website and found out they had their Chinese New Year promotion. Return flight ticket to Seoul for one person was only RM650 tak termasuk in-flight meal and checked luggage. Masa tu just ambil credit card from my wallet and booked the ticket to Seoul for 5 of us. We went there from 15 to 22 Nov 2016. Secure the tickets first, you can always add the meals and luggage later bila ada budget lebih. 

Our flight departed from KLIA2 at 1.00am on Nov 15 and reached Seoul International Airport at 8.20 am (local time) on the same date. The journey took about 6 hours and 20 minutes. Aduhhh sakit pinggang dok dalam Air Asia. Dah la TV tak dak. Dah tu, kata budget travelers. Kalau nak best travel dengan MAS la kan 👅

Arrival at Incheon International Airport

Finally, sampai juga Seoul. Weather hari tu ialah 5'C. Sejukkkk. Incheon International Airport ni besar. Bersih, masyaAllah. Toilet semua bersih dan wangi. Satu sampah pun tak da di lantai. Untuk ke arrival hall kena naik train. Just follow the crowd and you will be fine. Signage pun dalam English. Shouldn't cause any problem to find ways to the right place. Selepas imigration and customs check we proceeded to the public area to collect the pocket wifi (Known as Egg wifi) yang dibooking dari Malaysia lagi. We rented the Egg wifi from SK Telecom at a rate of KRW5,000 per day with unlimited data usage for 8 days. Collect station is at public area in between exit 6 and 7 and also in between exit 10 and 11. Prior to collection the egg, a deposit of KRW200,00 of which must be made via credit card (no cash) is required. The egg can be simultaneously connected to 3 devices at one time. The deposit in refundable upon return the egg in good condition.

Lepas siap collect egg wifi, we headed to the tourist information counter which is located on the same floor near exit 5 and exit 10 to collect subway map. Kebetulan masa kami di sana ada Halal Restaurant Week so we collect the coupon booklets that provide us with discount coupons for purchases at participating restaurants. Selalu check Korean Tourism Oranization (KTO) website for their lates events and promotion untuk dapatkan info berkenaan dengan discaounts for foreigners.

Di hadapan tourist information counter ni terdapat kedai GS25 iaitu convenience store macam 7E di Malaysia untuk top up T-money and juga beli banana uyu. Banana uyu ni mesti dicuba ya kalau ke Korea. Sedap sengoti! Harga sebotol uyu ini adalah KRW1,300. Selain perisa banana, ada juga perisa talgi (strawberry), melon, dan coffee. Saya sempat merasa semua perisa dan kesemuanya sedappppp!

Getting to the Guesthouse

Dah kenyang minum banana uyu, we headed menjelajah Incheon International Airpot mencari train ke Seoul. Untuk ke Seoul terdapat beberapa cara:

Pertama boleh menaiki all-stop train yang mengambil masa selama 58 minit dengan bayaran KRW4250 (adults). Yang ni boleh pakai T-money. 

Kedua, boleh menaiki express train (non-stop) to Seoul at a cost of KRW8,000. Kalau ada discount coupon dari KTO boleh dapat reduced fair of KRW6,900 and free a bottle of mineral water. Yang ni kena beli tiket kat kaunter express train. Kaunter ni ada ja kat tengah-tengah public area tu. You will easily spot this counter. The trip to Seoul via express train takes about 45 minutes. Not a big difference I guess. 

Cara ketiga ialah dengan menaiki bus yang dikenali sebagai Airport Limousine.  Tambang from Incheon ke Seoul ialah KRW15,000 per head. 

Dan cara keempat ialah dengan booking pickup service from the hotel we are staying as a cost of KRW70,000 to KRW80,000 per pickup. 

As for us, we chose to ride on the all-stop train as it offers the lowest cost hahah.. dekut betul!

We arrived at Seoul station at 11.00 am that day and the guesthouse host had been waiting for us already. Lucky us as the host offered free pick up service from the Seoul station to the guesthouse. By the way, we stayed at Namdaemun Guesthouse which is located one subway station away from Seoul station. To get to this guesthouse, we can take Subway Line 4 and get off at Hoehyeon Station, Exit #1 or Exit #3. The video from Youtube below guide you the GH from Hoehyeon Station Exit #1. Read HERE for more information regarding the GH.

Lunch at Muree Restaurant, Iteawon

Mission pertama selepas checked in at the GH ialah mencari food to feed our starving stomachs! Kami aim untuk makan Korean food di Muree Restaurant di Iteawon. Restaurant ni memang famous di kalangan Malaysian travelers. Food kat sini semuanya halal jadi boleh makan daging yahoooo. Masa kami sampai di sana semua meja di restaurant ini dipenuhi dengan Malaysian travelers. Tu diaaaa macam makan kat Malaysia 😆

We ordered Bulgogi, beef stew and rice. Saya perasan kedai makan di Korea menyediakan side dish yang terdiri dari Kimchee dan lain-lain for free. Air masak diberikan percuma. If you want different drink of course it will be provided upon request.

 Di hadapan Muree Restaurant

 Beef stew

 Free side dish for every main dish ordered: Kimchee, sambal bilis (LOL!) and fish slices.

 Laporrrr....let us ngap! Aummmm!

 Bulgogi. Sedap sangat!

 In the restaurant. Kecil je restaurantnya.

The menu.

To get to this Restaurant:

Take Subway Line 6 and get off at Iteawon Station, Exit #3. Sebelah kiri ada Hotel Hamilton. Jalan terus dengan Hotel Hamiltom di sebelah kiri sehingga sampai ke kedai Mr Kebab di sebelah kanan. Belok kanan di sini. Jalan terus sehingga jumpa simpang 3 dengan nama jalan Usadan Ro 1 gil (sila dongak atas untuk baca nama jalan 😉), then turn left. Jalan terus mendaki bukit, akan jumpa kedai Siti Sarah di sebelah kiri. Kedai ni juga halal dan menjual makan Indonesia. Terus sedikit lagi dan akan jumpa Muree Restaurant di sebelah kanan.

Planned but not Covered on Day 1 - Seoul Central Mosque

Cadangan asal dalam itinerary selepas lunch di Muree ialah nak ke Seoul Central Mosque yang juga terletak di Iteawon. Tetapi our boy Umar was sleeping sebab penat sangat travel since 1.00 am naik flight dan tak tidor lagi. We did not bring chidren stroller jadi hubby terpaksa carry dia (dah la berat hahaha) so we decided to end our Day 1 trip setakat ini sahaja and get back to the guesthouse, get a shower, solat dan tidor...ZZzzzzzz nyenyak sekali maklumlah malam sebelum nya tak boleh nak tido dalam flight sebab seat tegak dan teruja nak jumpa Seoul 😜😝

Also read:

South Korea Fall Trip - Pre-vacation Preparation and Total Expenditure
Seoul Trip *** Fall 2016 - Day 2
Seoul Trip ***Fall 2016 - Day 3