There has been a lot of Korea in our lives lately. I’ve personally been watching many Korean shows on OTT, and have been quite impressed by what I’ve seen. The younger generation, of course, is obsessed with K-Pop. In Gurgaon, where I live, there are many Koreans — quite a few in my apartment complex itself. Most of them can be spotted lugging golf sets around on weekends.

Korea was the chosen destination for a five-day holiday. A direct flight, easy visa process, and pleasant weather in October were the deciding factors. The flight to Incheon is fairly long — almost eight hours. We’ve always enjoyed Southeast and Far East Asia, because that hustle-bustle in the air is infectious.

I had booked a hotel in the Myeong-dong area, which is supposed to be lively — and it certainly lived up to its promise. The hotel L7 Myeongdong Lotte hotel was nice and very well located. Lotte is a large group in Korea which owns hotels, shopping malls, food brands and they have a big presence there.

We reached around lunchtime, leaving us with half a day to ourselves. Day 1 is best spent acclimatising. My definition of acclimatising was simply to walk through the lanes and by-lanes, absorb the vibe, and talk to the hotel staff about how to go about things. The Naver Maps app was downloaded (Google Maps doesn’t work there). It’s great for navigation and the metro. Then came the Kakao Taxi app, since Uber isn’t very reliable. I popped into a convenience store, bought two T-Money cards, and loaded them with credit. Each traveller needs their own card on the metro.

We decided to visit a palace, boarded the train… and discovered on Naver that the palace was closed that day. Classic travel moment. So instead, we headed to Bukchon Hanok Village — a charming neighbourhood of traditional Korean houses. We got a feel of the area and understood how efficiently the metro works. It was spotless, easy to use, and thankfully had English signages.

For sunset, we headed to the N Seoul Tower on Namsan Mountain. The breeze was cool, and the aerial view of the sprawling city was spectacular. As darkness fell, the entire skyline lit up. After dinner, we decided to call it a night — plenty awaited us.

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DMZ Visit

Day 2 was reserved for the famous DMZ — the de-militarised zone between South and North Korea. One always hears about North Korea, Kim Jong-un, Pyongyang, and the words that usually come to mind are “cruel”, “missiles” and “torture.” And suddenly, there it was — right in front of us. We could actually see North Korea. Its flag fluttered just a little ahead.

We were taken to various sites of historical importance: the Bridge of No Return, the Freedom Bridge, Gamaksan Suspension Bridge, and observation points.

Then came the infiltration tunnel — one of four tunnels discovered quite by accident. North Korea had secretly dug them in the 1970s to send troops south. The history of these two nations is heartbreakingly similar to that of India and Pakistan. Germany was divided too. So was Vietnam. Koreans still talk passionately about unification. Going down 73 meters, then walking bent down till the end of the tunnel touching North Korea, and finally climbing up all the way – it turned out to be a fascinating workout.

Throughout the tour, we heard stories, facts, and anecdotes. The entire region is fortified with heavy military presence. Our passports were checked at multiple points. Our guide repeatedly warned us not to run off toward North Korea because there were landmines along the border. She must have thought we were crazy enough to try!

Getting Out of Seoul

Just staying in the capital doesn’t give you the flavour of a country. The plan was to travel to Busan for an overnight stay, but the festival of Chuseok (their biggest holiday) ensured that all KTX trains were booked weeks in advance. So, on a hunch, I booked tickets to the east coast — the city of Gangneung. (Best way to book train tickets is through korail website and app).

It turned out to be a good decision. The KTX was fast, smooth and comfortable; we reached in two hours. Our hotel (Pineart Label) overlooked the sea, and the town had a relaxed, seaside charm. We took a cab to Jungang Market, walked through its traditional lanes, browsed local snacks and knick-knacks, and then treated ourselves to a lavish buffet lunch. The advantage of buffet was that I could try out a lot of Korean dishes which I would not have otherwise.

By evening, we headed to Anmok Coffee Street, walking distance from the hotel. I have never seen so many cafés crammed into one stretch. We walked a lot, sipped some excellent coffee, and admired the sea from afar — I refused to step inside because the water felt like liquid ice. Compared to Seoul, Gangneung was quieter, slower, and perfect for a 24-hour reset.

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Gangnam Style

In 2012, this song broke the internet, became a chart-buster in the USA, and taught the world how to ride an invisible horse. Today, there’s a Gangnam Style statue outside COEX Mall near Bongunsa Station — a great selfie spot, of course.

Gangnam is a plush district, and a visit here is worthwhile for the serene Bongeunsa Buddhist Temple and the sprawling COEX Mall. Its Starfield Library is a major attraction — a towering cathedral of books. You can pick up a coffee, find a corner, and just sit watching walls of books stretch upwards.

A short walk away is Garosu-gil, a boutique shopping street full of art stores, and Cheongdam Fashion Street for high-end brands. You can easily spend a couple of days shopping, café-hopping, clicking photos with brightly coloured K-Pop bears on K-Star Road, and if the mood strikes, signing up for a K-beauty treatment at one of the many clinics in the block.

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The Street Food of Seoul

Korea can be tough for Indian vegetarians. Devicka isn’t even vegetarian, and still she struggled to find familiar flavours. One evening she set out in search of Indian food… and returned defeated after getting lost in the maze of markets.

I, on the other hand, was thrilled. Every evening, rows and rows of food stalls appeared in Myeong-dong like magic. Corn dogs, tteokbokki, bibimbap, knife-cut noodles, dumplings, fried chicken, seafood pancakes, lobsters — it was heaven. And despite thousands eating on the street, the roads remained spotless. No litter, no chaos. That discipline was impressive.

Just a stone’s throw away was Myeongdong Kyoja, a Michelin-star restaurant that serves barely five dishes and closes by 8:30 PM. It was packed at all hours. Korea clearly believes in quality over quantity — unless it’s coffee shops!

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Last Day in Seoul

On the final day, we visited the magnificent Gyeongbokgung Palace and then walked to the charming Insadong Cultural Street. The history was palpable — layers of royalty, art, culture, and the scars of being ruled by Japan twice. Insadong was perfect for easy shopping, slow strolls, quirky souvenirs, and café breaks.

And finally, no trip to Korea ends without skin-care shopping. Myeng-dong is a paradise for lotions, moisturisers, serums, foot creams, hand creams… and the legendary snail cream. We returned with enough beauty products to open a small salon.