a) Jeju Island
1) Teddy Bear Museum
A 5-15minutes walk
from Lotte Hotel stands one of the more popular tourist attraction among female
tourists – the Teddy Bear Museum. This museum is further made famous with the
Korean drama “Goong”, which features a particular teddy bear (which can still
be found inside the museum!). The South Koreans seems to have a strong love for
teddy bear and this can be seen in the diverse range of teddy bears for sale as
souvenirs within the premises.
As
for the exhibits, there are numerous teddy bear versions of luminaries such as
Mohatma Ghandhi, Genghis Khan and the likes. Some movements have been
introduced in the exhibits, such as moving trains and blinking lights
which make the attractive Teddy Bear even more alluring. It will take
quite a while before one is able to finish touring the premises.
However, to appreciate the full range of teddy bears, it will be
great if you are able to make a personal trip down to the museum.
WEDDING COUPLE & MILITARY COUPLE
FASHIONABLE COUPLE
& TEDDY BEAR KOREAN DRAMA ‘GOONG’
2) Pony-riding
One beautiful
aspect of Jeju is its tranquil landscape that will put anyone at ease
once one sets foot on the island. However, the view is not complete
without the mention of ponies that live on the island. Although they are reared
by stable boys, the ponies are a group of interesting animals. We will be
given a vest, a cowboy hat, plus a free ride when we were there. The ponies
seem to be mentally conditioned to move around a certain route within the
vicinity, and the ride was interesting. However, the more memorable ride is the
last round, where the ponies will gallap at a faster speed and it was a
somewhat thrilling ride. Photos will be taken at the premises and at a price,
you are able to purchase photos of your family members or loved ones who have
travelled with you on the trip – on ponies! But you are free to snap
photos of your own as well, as there does not seem to be any restrictions on
photo-taking. So, pack a camera for the trip should you come for pony-riding on
Jeju Island!
Songsan Sunrise
Peak lies in the middle of Jeju island, and it’s one of the popular tourist
attraction sites as well. For Korean drama fans, it might be interesting to
note that this is the filming venue for the last episode of “Da4 Chang3
Jing1″ (Jewels in the Palace) where the female lead is
carrying somebody at the mountains. The climb to the peak of the mountain will
take some effort but I believe that none in my tour group did complete the
climb (not because we are lazy but rather, the views are simply fascinating!).
Valley Of The Mountain
SONGSAN SUNRISE PEAK
Korean Native
Village is an interesting aspect of this village is that while the place is
catered for tourist visits, the original tools used by the villagers are still
on display. For Korean drama fans, it will be interesting to note that this is
also one of the primary filming sites for “Da4 Chang3 Jing1″ (Jewel in the
Palace). I understand from the village elders that most filming cast
for the villager roles are offered to the original residents of Jeju
Island. If you have watched this popular and long-running series, I
believe that you would have enjoyed this visit more. Korean native honey
is on sale in this place. What’s interesting about the honey is that it
sticks to the bottom of any utensil, even if the honey is rinsed with water
(after which texture of the bee hive can bee seen, amazing!). You are also
able to get the tea of “wu2 zi3 wei4″, which is believed to be able to whiten
your teeth if you drink the tea for a period of time. This is also an
interesting place for photography, for both portraiture or landscape.
Korean Native Village &
Filming Site of Jewel In The Palace
b) Daegu
Daegu is another popular tourist
destination. Unlike Seoul which is more cosmopolitan, Daegu can be
considered to be a rural-urban area. I would like tosuggested that if we search
for fashion we should search fashion in Daegu rather than Seoul as while the
retail outlet is in Seoul, most factory outlets are in Daegu. Majority of
fashion models comes from Daegu, not Seoul (a fact which is not known to many).
1) Food Delicacies (Yang
2 Tai1 Yu3)
YANG2 TAI4 YU2
is the restaurant that provide a traditional meal consisting of fishes of this
name. It was the fish in its dried state.
2) Goo-Am Farm
Goo-Am farm is a place for an apple-plucking session. The weather is very cold
but the farm provides a brief respite from this since there are much to see.
The tour is to be conducted on a tractor-like vehicle. Tourist need to stand at
the storage compartment at the back of the vehicle, akin to the back
compartment of a lorry. Besides a top cover to shelter us from the impending
rain, the sides of the storage compartment are fully open for us to appreciate
the view and for photo-taking as well. But there is a flipside to this: the
cool air will blow in from all directions when the vehicle is moving, a
realisation that came too late as the vehicle picked up speed.
Tourists are
allowed to pluck three apples and we are not allowed to reject any apples that
we have picked. We have been advised to pluck the apples at the top as they are
sweeter (probably due to the increased exposure to sunlight? I don’t
know). On the whole, it’s an enjoyable trip, especially if you love
fruits! I understand that there is no pesticide used in this farm when it comes
to apples.
A BIG ENTRANCE TO
WELCOME VISITOR
3) Spa Valley
The place is huge but we are only
coming here for spa and “gua1 sha1″, a form of natural remedic treatment where
toxic from our bodies are removed through a continuous scrubbing of our
external skin with a brush.
4)
Dongseongro Shopping Street
This is another popular shopping area within Daegu. What makes this place
memorable is the coolness of autumn and the vibrancy of the shoppers in the
area. The lighting in the late evening is also beautiful. Another interesting
aspects of South Korea is in the advertising gimmicks of the retail outlets,
which is refreshing and interesting. Dongseongro should be a place that
you should not miss while you are in Daegu – especially if you love shopping
c) Seoul
1) Myeungdong & Namdaemun
Myeong-dong is a place where people Lenovo since a great shopping
city. Here, a wide variety of brand stores, department stores, duty-free shops
densely together. Here is called the center and fashion, you can buy leading
apparel, footwear, accessories, and so on. Here is different from the Namdaemun
and Dongdaemun, focused on quality brand feature here. In addition, there are a
variety of stores gathered at Central Avenue and on both sides of the alley. In
Myeongdong, in addition to shopping, there are many delicious cuisine and fun
things to do. Eating, restaurant, fast food shops, as well as Korean, Western,
Japanese, and other kinds of restaurants, including Myeongdong pork cutlet, are
the most famous.
Our next stop
is Myeungdong & Namdamun, both of which are famous shopping districts. The
environment is akin to Tokyo’s Ginza district, with numerous retail outlets
selling fashion wear. People of all ages can be seen walking along the streets
in the early evening, while the sun is still setting.
What a sight!
STREET SCENE & HISTORIC STATUES
