Seoul, South Korea City Travel Information
Seoul is a very modern city full of many shops, restaurants and bars.
City Description:
Seoul is the capital of South Korea, its largest city and a financial power house in the Asian market and world. Being the capital of South Korea since the 14th century, it boasts a great deal of history, yet at the same time, has modernized quite rapidly with a great infrastructure as well as a strong Western Influence.
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City Highlights:
If possible, try to meet a local or someone familiar with Seoul who can take you around the city to one of its many traditional Korean restaurants. Korean food is fantastic, but most of the restaurants have menus only in Korean so hopefully you have a friend there to show you the ropes.
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City Lowlights:
Seoul's great infrastructure and safety comes at a price, so a visit there may hit your wallet harder than other areas of Asia.
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Restaurants:
There are restaurants a plenty in Seoul. You can find plenty of traditional Korean restaurants that serve up delicious food, however usually they have menus only in Korean and the servers will also only speak Korean, so hopefully you speak Korean as well or bring someone with you that does otherwise it might be a difficult go. Seoul also has a ton of Western restaurants that can help satiate any desire for food from back home.
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Nightlife:
Being the Metropolis that it is, Seoul has a great deal of bars and clubs to spend your nights at. Whether you want to hang out at a late night eatery with the locals drinking beer and Soju (the hard liquor of choice in Korea), at a pub drinking the night away or dancing your butt off at one of the many clubs, Seoul will have something for you. A lot of bars are centered around the college area of "Sinchon", and there you can find a TON of pubs and eateries.
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Public Transport:
Seoul has a very extensive and efficient public transport system. Seoul has a well setup Metro system, an extensive bus network and if those don't do the trick you can always take a cab.
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The People:
Koreans are a very proud people. They love their own history and culture, and sometime so much so that they may not know as much about the outside world as you would expect from such a modern society. They are also very hospitable and somewhat conservative (so make sure to keep your shirt on while walking around your hostel). They are very proud of their traditions, and one of them centers around drinking, so you can always be sure to have a great time out on the town with any Koreans you may meet. Many of the older ones don't speak much English, however the younger generations seem to be changing that.
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Sights:
Being the capital of Korea since the 14th century, Seoul has a respectable amount of sights to visit. Gyeongbok-gung was the sight of the throne of Korea for centuries, and now houses a restored palace on very nice park grounds. There are also plenty of other temples, parks and shrines to visit while you are there.
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My Thoughts on this City:
I thought Seoul was a great city. In some ways, it is a bit too conservative for me, but besides that, it has everything you could ever ask for. Fantastic food, a time honored drinking culture replete with tons of bars and clubs, an extensive subway system and plenty of budget accommodations.
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