Shopping, Eating & Exchanging Money in Seoul – Sungshin Women’s University and Myeongdong (Day 5)

It is said that any subway stop in Seoul that has the word ‘university’ in it would usually be a haven for shopping. I believe this is true!

After taking a short breather at our hotel, we ventured out to the shopping area near Sungshin Women’s University. Besides shopping, our other main purpose for coming here was to visit Capi Capi Loom Loom (카피카피룸룸 카페) Café aka Seoul’s only Rilakkuma themed café.

Unfortunately, we came all the way here only to realise that the café has CLOSED DOWN. *SOB SOB SOB* Super devastated!

Sigh.

To get over our bout of disappointment, we sought refuge in retail therapy.

This area surprisingly has great shopping! The ‘feel’ of the place is much like Hongdae or Edae. Many of the shops cater to the young and cash strapped, with trendy fashion at very affordable price points. We bought two very gorgeous long sleeved silk blouses for 20,000 won each. What a steal!

After our brief stop at Sungshin, we made our way to Myeongdong in the evening.

crowded streets of Myeongdong

Hotel Rian - Review of our Seoul Hotel stay

After four wonderful days in Busan, it's time to return back to Seoul! Our "home" for the next five nights is a small boutique hotel called Hotel Rian, located in the Jongno district.

We booked a Standard Twin room and typical of Korean room sizes, it was small-ish but manageable for two persons with huge pieces of luggage (size is about 23 sqm). Our rooms were exactly the same as the pictures on the hotel's website! Average price per night was $95.

Photo Credit: Hotel Rian website 

Photo Credit: Hotel Rian website

Nampo-dong, Busan (Day 4)

Nampo-dong is one of my favourite shopping areas in Busan – I like it even more than Seomyeon! While Seomyeon is much larger in scale, I find that its size makes it rather confusing to navigate the streets properly. On the other hand, Nampo-dong is much easier to walk around, with just a main street (Gwangbok Street), and some smaller lanes alongside.

Photo Credit: KTO

We had the bestest Budae jjigae or army stew in Nampo-dong at a shop called King Kong Budae (킹콩부대찌개). It is so cheap and good! Only 7,000 KRW per person!! There are over 90 outlets across Korea, and I think you can probably find it at most places. Just look out for its instantly recognizable mascot!

Photo Credit: King Kong Budae Facebook page

Gyochon Traditional Village, Gyeongju (Day 4)

Just like the Yangdong Folk village, the Gyeongju Gyochon Village is another traditional village of old hanok houses that offers visitors a glimpse into life during the Joseon period. One of the famous sites here is the Gyeongju Hyanggyo, a Confucian academy and shrine, where Korea’s first state-operated educational institute “Gukhak” was established in 682.

Yangdong Folk Village, Gyeongju (Day 4)

After two whole days of sightseeing in the urban city of Busan, we’re moving on to a day of culture with our immersive tour to Gyeongju. Gyeongju can be easily done as a day trip from Busan – by KTX, it is only less than 30 minutes away!

What attracted us to the city of Gyeongju was its reputation as a "museum without walls." Gyeongju has a rich and important history, having served as the capital of the Silla Dynasty (57 BC – 935 AD) which ruled about two-thirds of the Korean Peninsula between the 7th and 9th centuries. Till today, a large number of archaeological sites and cultural properties from this period remain in the city. These ancient relics are such an integral part of the landscape that the whole city has been designated a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site (known collectively as the "Gyeongju Historic Area").