Seoul IV - Ewha Women University

Two weeks Vacation in South Korea - Part XII

Part X: Two Weeks Vacation in South Korea - Part X 
Part XI:  Two Weeks Vacation in Seoul - Part XI
Part XII: Two Weeks Vacation in Seoul - Part XII

Itinerary to South Korea 

Day 11: Seoul

This morning, we had a breakfast at the 2nd Floor of Park Hyatt Seoul Hotel again. This was our last day at this hotel and we needed to move to Courtyard Seoul Times Square hotel. After we checked out, we took a subway from Samsoeng Station to Yeongdeungpo station. 

Direction: 
1. Take a Green line (Line 2) from Samsoeng station to Sindorim station
2. Transfer to Blue line (Line 1) from Sindorim station to Yeongdeungpo station

Myeongdong

We checked in and picked up our luggage that we stored here while we visited Busan and Jeju Island. Then, we headed out to Myeongdong to do some shopping. 

Direction: 
1. Take a Blue line (Line 2) from Yeongdeungpo station to Seoul station
2. Transfer to light blue (Line 4) from Seoul station to Myeongdong station Exit 5/6

We ate lunch here in a chinese restaurant at Myeongdong. The food was not very good in here.

Ewha Women University

After did some shopping, we went to Ewha Women University. We just looked around in the area and did the shopping at the evisu t-shirts for my brothers.


Direction: 
1. Take a Green line (Line 2) from Euljiro-3-ga station to Ewha Women University station

We had to pick up a rented car at Gimpo Airport so my dad and I went to pick it up and my mom and sister stayed at Ewha Women University. We reserved the car before I arrived in South Korea to request English GPS and cheaper rate with a promo code at AVIS website. The car we got was Nissan Altima 2014. Then, I drove the car back to the hotel. It was a pain to drive inside the city of Seoul since there is lots of traffic everywhere especially during the rush hour. By the time I got to the hotel, my mom and sister were also there already. 

We were planning to go to Gangwon-do area for 3 days 2 nights. We did not plan to take all the luggage. The luggage that we did not want to bring with us, we took them to the Renaissance hotel and store them there. We stayed at the Renaissance hotel last two nights in South Korea.

Chicken 678

We ate dinner at Chicken 678 by Kang Ho Dong and cake at Paris Baguette. You can find Paris Baguette everywhere in Seoul. You will not miss it.

From Renaissance hotel, we drove back to the hotel and slept.

Continue Part XII: Two Weeks Vacation in Seoul - Part XII

Paju Gyeonggi English Village - Seoul

Two Weeks Vacation in South Korea - Part II

Part I: Two Weeks Vacation in South Korea - Part I
Part II: Two Weeks Vacation in South Korea - Part II
Part III: Two weeks Vacation in South Korea - Part III   

Itinerary to South Korea

Day 2: Seoul

After eating breakfast at MoMo Cafe at Courtyard Seoul Times Square, we took a metro  from Yeongdeupo station to Hapjeong Station. We bought T-Money card at the convenience store in Yeongdeungpo metro station for 2,500 won. T-money card is a rechargeable card for metro and bus.

Link to How to Buy a Metro Station T-Money card: T-Money card

Seoul Metro Maps

Gyeonggi English Village

From Hapjeong station, we took a bus to our first stop, English Village at Paju. It took about 1.5 hours to get there. At first, we waited at the wrong side of the bus stop, then we moved after we asked one of the korean that waited for the bus if we waited at the right direction. Inside the bus, they use English language for couple stops where foreigner tends to go like Paju premium outlet and English Paju Village. 

TIPS: always ask people about direction so that you do not waste time getting a wrong direction. Some koreans speak English. During our trips, we had never had a hard time to communicate with Koreans except one time when we ate at a restaurant at Samcheok, Gangwon-do. Even that with a google translator, we ended up communicate well and could order what we want to eat.

Gyeonggi English Village (Copyright @ http://www.english-village.or.kr/eng/engintro/engoverview/engoverview.cms)

Direction: 

1. Take a metro to Hapjeong Station - Exit 1

2. Take Bus 2200 toward Paju (16 stops) - exit English Paju Village (파주영어마을)

Fee: 3,000 won (weekday) / 5,000 won (weekend)

Review: 
The village itself is beautiful but we saw no one there when we visited the location. I would not recommend this place if you have restricted time due to the distance of the location and not much to do here too. To visit this place, it took about 3 hrs including the wait time for the bus. The visit itself only about 30 minutes. Rate 3.5/5 

 

On the way home, we saw lots of military tanks on the way somewhere.  During the bus trip, you will see lots of fences between North and South Korea.

Shinsegae Times Square

We went back to the hotel since my sister want to change her shoes to sandals. We took couples picture at the garden roof of Times Square building. The running man episode 1 and Jekyll, Hyde, and me were filming at this shopping mall and the garden roof. 

Seoul Station

From the hotel, we went to Myeongdong so I can exchange money at money exchanger. On the way there, we stopped at Seoul Station so that I could reserve the KTX ticket to Busan. Do not forget to walk outside and toward the old Seoul Station. 

Direction: Take line 1 (blue line) a metro to Seoul Station - 6 stops exit 1

KTX ticket from Seoul Station to Busan

New Seoul Station

Old Seoul Station

Namsan Tower View from Seoul Station

Myeongdong-gu -Seoul 

 
Direction: Take line 4 (light blue line) from Seoul Station to Myeongdong - 2 stops exit 5,6, or 8
 

Myeongdong Theater

Tornado Potato

After walked around and change money at Myeongdong, we decided to go back to the hotel and rest for the night since we are still in jet-lag from the flight and did not want to get sick. We ate at the executive lounge at Courtyard hotel.

Free food at the Executive Lounge

 Continue to Part III: Two weeks Vacation in South Korea - Part III