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[aandsdean]

Colleagues,

I'm likely to have a weekend knocking around Seoul in the near future, and I'm wondering if y'all have recommendations for interesting things to do/see?

I've never been there, but am comfortable navigating big cities, so if there's even a little English signage I should be OK.

Anyone had clothes made there? 

Tips for getting downtown from Incheon airport?  It doesn't look all that happy a trip!

Thanks, aands

[scotia]

I was there for a week in January 2008. I traveled from the airport to my hotel on what they call the 'airport limousine bus', which to me looked like a regular bus. I struggled to get on because I had a large suitcase and although several buses that passed could take me, they could not get my case into the luggage compartment. If I was going again I would inquire about the cost of a car to meet me. After an overnight flight, standing in a queue as the sun went down and the temperature dropped well below zero was an experience I would gladly have avoided.

On my first free morning I caught the lift to the top of Seoul Tower so I could get my bearings, and in the afternoon visited the Gyeongbokgung (or something approximating to this spelling) Palace. There are several other palaces, but I got lucky with this one and saw the traditional changing of the guard.

On my other free day I caught the subway to one of the outer areas and walked in the hills among the more traditional villages (the villages are close to the modern suburbs so this is possible). There were temples and traditional houses still standing. I also caught the subway - which was mostly above ground once we were out of the city center - and then a bus and walked around the walls of the Suwon Fortress, which is a World Heritage Site.

In the evenings I wandered around the city and just enjoyed the atmosphere. I mostly ate in an upmarket department store near my hotel, where I could get a perfectly acceptable meal for about $6. I acquired a taste for dolsot bibimbap and Korean barbecue while I was there. My students gave me a card showing some 'safe' dishes, but mostly I relied on pointing and pictures when no-one spoke English. Mostly there was sufficient English signage for me to get by.

I did not try to get clothing made - I have traveled to other places in the Far East where getting clothes made is not uncommon, but was not aware of this as part of what Seoul is known for.

I hope to go again some time. Although several of my colleagues had moaned about it being boring, I found it an interesting city and there are several places I would like to see on my next visit.

[aandsdean]

Scotia, this is great, thanks for the help.

On the clothes, I have traveled to Singapore quite a bit, and have had a lot of shirts, and some suits and sportcoats, made there.  They're great--the suits, in particular, are wonderful, and for no more $$$ than a lower-mid-range department store suit, so that's cool.  I love the shirts, and again, they cost about as much as decent dress shirts from department stores, even on sale, so why not?

The Seoul clothing question comes from the fact that I have a former colleague who had some suits made there for about half (around $200) what I've paid in Singapore, and they looked great.  Heck, think I, if I could get two good ones for the cost of one in Singapore, why not?  Thus the question.

Your other suggestions are great.

Since I'm on the company dime, I may just take a cab in from the airport.  I think it's about $50.  It's worth the extra $35 not to deal with the hassles you note.

Thanks again!

[firecracker]

Check out this previous thread for some more advice:

http://chronicle.com/forums/index.php/topic,50923.0.html

Have fun!

[sciencephd]

When I was there I had multiple "handlers" who arranged everything.  They also arranged some half day tours with English-speaking guides.  I cannot imagine going around Seoul on my own (but part of the issue was needing to go places that required driving).  Not much of a shopper, but the prices in a few that I looked into were incredibly expensive.  In addition, there are many many US shops, such as Gap, and similar mall stores...I gave all of that a miss.

There were some nice temples and such, including one in the mountains, which required a car.  Don't expect to be able to get much narrative info if you go to such a place, unless you have a personal English speaking guide.

[sandrino]

I was in Seoul for a week in May, and spent about 3 days at two unis, and then poked around for about 4 days.

The DMZ tour was great and you actually step into N. Korea (well, in the shared DMZ building, anyway) - you can go with USO and it was the highlight of a recent trip to Seoul. For shopping (street shopping and regular retail) the Myeong Dong neighborhood is pretty cool.
I had no problem using the airport shuttle to get to my hotel in Myeong Dong. I'm not sure what the problem would be - it wasn't that difficult, but of course a taxi would do the trip, but traffic can be brutal. Myeong Dong has lots of accessible restaurants that are pretty easy to manage, but the street food is less understandable to western palates.

 Lonely Planet's guide to Korea is worth buying.

But think about doing the DMZ tour - it's one of the most memorable Asian travel experiences I've ever had.

[embitteredhistorian]

I live in Seoul. There is a lot to see here, but make sure to go to:

DMZ
Myeong-dong (very lively, full of clothes vendors)
Gwanghwamun and Kyeongbokgum Palace (a day's worth of sightseeing--the palace is enormous and gives an interesting sense of Korea's Sino-Korean roots; the surrounding area is very modern, making it a fun anachronism)
City Hall and Cheongye stream area (beautiful modern architecture)
Coex (one of the largest malls in the world--it's over 750m wide)
Yongsan red light district (not for the service, but it is an interesting cultural experience and worth comparing to Amsterdam's much more dignified version)
Samchong-dong (very trendy cafes and a rather pretty area)
Yeoido park (beautiful and peaceful in the middle of a very hectic city)
Hongdae (by day if you want to see contemporary abstract--usually bad--Korean art and by night if you're interested in nightclubs)
Don't go out of your way to see the Han river or the foreigner area around the U.S. army called "Itaewon". Both are a waste of time.

To get to Seoul from Incheon, you have three options:

1. Taxi (don't pay more than 100,000 won. It's the most expensive option and not really worth it. You'll also have to pay for a toll.)
2. Airport limousine (a misuse of English--it's just a bus. It's 9,000 won and relatively fast, but uncomfortable since it is a bus)
3. The new Incheon subway airport line will get you to Seoul station. Depending on where your hotel is, this might be the best way to go. It takes about 40-45 minutes and is very peaceful. Seoul has the cleanest, nicest subways I've seen in my life (the worst being London).

As for food: make sure to have ssamgyeupsal unless you have a heart condition. It is very fatty meat served with Korean fermented side dishes, lettuce, garlic, and a delicious soybean paste called ssamjang. It's one of the best things about Korea. Also, I would recommend seolleongtang--a kind of beef soup that is delicious. There's also bulgogi, kimchi mandu, and pajeon. Korean cuisine is very odd--it ranges from the absolutely delicious and unhealthy to the completely vile and healthy. Much like Korea, in my experience--a place of intense extremes with little moderation. Don't pay more than 10,000 won per person in a restaurant--anything over that is highway robbery.

Some people recommend certain restaurants, but they all taste the same to me. I've had Korean food in Los Angeles and Seoul, and they taste exactly the same to me.

If you need more help or want to meet for a quick drink while you're here, feel free to send me a private message.

[aandsdean]

Embittered, thank you very much.

I'll PM you.

Best, aands

PS:  Would this be at least the temporary winner of the most remote and unusual forum meetup?

[gerogal]

Went to Seoul with 4 grad students in may 2008. It was a very easy city to travel in. Many people speak English. Taxis were reasonable (compared to NYC) . Students went to DMZ ( while i worked with colleague at Hanyang) and said it was great. We went to the Olympic park and had a good meal at restaurant.