Korean Travel Online - Halloween Theme at Lotte World

In honor of Halloween, there are Halloween decorations everywhere, a Halloween parade, and Halloween performances at Lotte World. 

The good thing about Lotte World is that the theme park has an indoor area. So if the weather is cold or raining, you can opt to stay indoors. However, the more exciting and scarier rides are at the outside area. It quite cold that day, but we still went out to ride the Gyro Drop. Fortunately, the line didn't take forever. Remember to scream on the way up because no sound will come out once the drop starts.

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Official site: www.visitkorea.or.kr

Korean Travel Online - Soyeon: Guksu, Mandu, Bossam

Ordering the set meal (정식) gives you a porridge, seasoned jelly, pancakes, the anchovy noodle soup, and a dessert (cinnamon punch and apple slices)

묵무침 Seasoned jelly

감자전 potato pancake

전유어 fish and vegetable pancake

소연 멸치국수 anchovy noodles

Soyeon 소연
강남구 삼성1동 149-10번지
149-10 Samseong 1-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul
http://soyon.co.kr/index.html

From Samseong Station (exit 5), go straight and turn right immediately after Hyundae Department Store. Walk along this street until you reach Seven Luck Casino and cross the street from there.

Korean Travel Online - Fan Photos – Fall Foliage Photo Challenge

We are delighted to present our first-ever Fan Photos – Photo Challenge on the KTO Facebook Page.

We started doing the Fan Photos album in April 2013, and every week, we have been receiving a lot of really great photos from fans. So in order to show our appreciation, we’re giving away gifts to the best photos this November. 

We’ll upload fall foliage photos all month long in November. Don’t have photos? Don’t worry, you also have a chance to win prizes by simply voting for your favorite photos.

Photo Submission Period:

October 30 to November 28, 2013

Submission Guidelines:

1.   Submit photos showing PLACES IN KOREA with eye-catching foliage.  

2.   The photo should be taken IN KOREA during AUTUMN 2012 or 2013.

3.   Making adjustments to the look of your photo / post production is okay, but please do not add any   word art, overlays, frames, or other embellishments.

4.   There is no limit to the number of photos you can submit.

5.   Send your photos via a Facebook Message. The first line in your message should read “Fall Foliage Fan Photos”

6.   Include the following in your message 1) your name, 2) where the photo was taken, 3) link to the info about the place (preferably the page on visitkorea.or.kr) 4) date the picture was taken

Please follow this format: 

John Doe

Deoksugung Palace

http://www.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/SI/SI_EN_3_1_1_1.jsp?cid=264316

November 1, 2013

Selection:

A panel will perform a preliminary screening for conformity to the rules. Depending upon the number of entries received, the pre-selection panel may also perform the first round selection of entries. This will determine which photos will be uploaded in the Facebook album.

Winners will be decided based on the following:

50% Fan votes

50% from a select group of travel photographers and travel writers

Voters also have a chance to win by simply voting. We will randomly select 10 voters to receive a prize.

Prizes for voters:

Korean souvenirs (10 winners)

Prizes for winning photos:

3^rdPrize: : O’sulloc Tea gift set (10 winners)

2nd Prize: Digital picture frame (5 winners)

1st Prize: Smart phone pocket printer (1 winner)

Announcement of Winners:

The prize winners will be announced through a blog post at koreatravelnotes.blogspot.com on Dec 02, 2013. The decision shall be final and binding and no further correspondence would be entertained.

Photo contests winners will be notified through a Facebook Message.

Voters should check the list of winners and send us a Facebook Message.

All prize claim messages should be received within 3 days of the announcement.

Failure to send the required information shall mean that the winner forfeits the prize. KTO reserves the right to select another winner without any liability to the original winner for doing so.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS:

1.  By participating in this competition, you completely release Facebook of any liabilities, acknowledge that the promotion is no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook and acknowledge that you are providing information to KTO and not to Facebook.

2.  Sending the Facebook Message is not proof that we have received your entry. No responsibility can be accepted for entries that are lost or delayed, or which are not received for any reason.

3.  Entrant must be the photographer and must have written permission from any people depicted in the submission, and the images must not contain any copyright, trademarked or other material that violates the rights of any third party. 

4.  Copyright in all images submitted for this competition remains with the respective entrants. However, in consideration of their providing the competition, each entrant grants a worldwide, irrevocable, perpetual license to KTO to feature any or all of the submitted images in any of their publications, their websites and/or in any promotional material connected to this competition.

5.  Entry into the competition will be taken as confirmation that the entrant has all the necessary permissions from the creator(s) of any content submitted and from any persons contained in such content.

6.  The announcement of the winning entrant is final and no correspondence will be entered into.

7.  Winners may not request substitutions of prize winnings. All winners are solely responsible for any and all taxes and/or fees, and all such additional costs relating to the prizes.

8.  By entering this prize draw, entrants agree to be bound by these terms and conditions.

Korean Travel Online - The Increasing Number of Bubble Tea Stores in Seoul

When you've been in Taiwan, China, Hongkong, Singapore, or the Philippines, you probably have tried some bubble tea at least once.

Korea is slowly catching up on the bubble tea craze. There are shops around Seoul that sell bubble tea. One of the first ones I tried was a small cafe near Sookmyung Women's University. Dunkin' Donuts also has the milk tea with pearls on their menu. Some of the franchise stores like Quickly, and Gongcha are increasing in numbers. Recently I also found Cha Time in Hapjeong

I've seen Quickly shops in Gangnam, Myeongdong, and Hongdae. When I visited D-Cube City Mall this weekend, I also found a new GongCha store where Jesters Pies used to be. For more on D-Cube, read my previous post. You can also find GongCha in Hongdae and Myeongdong.

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Official site: www.visitkorea.or.kr

Korean Travel Online - Why I Love D-Cube City

Myeongdong might still be the most visited shopping district in Seoul. However, it can get too crowded sometimes and all that walking can be exhausting. When you want to explore all your options first before deciding what to buy, walking from Uniqlo, to Zara, to Forever 21, to H&M, and then deciding you want to buy the item you saw at Uniqlo could take time, and a lot of walking. So instead of going to Myeongdong, I go to my favorite mall at Sindorim instead, D-Cube City. On rainy days, being indoors in a mall is better than carrying an umbrella and getting wet at Myeongdong.

The reason why I love this place is it has all but one of my favorite shops in one building:
Muji
Uniqlo
Zara
H&M
Pull and Bear (owned by Inditex Group, which also owns Zara)
Bershka (owned by Inditex Group, which also owns Zara)
Gongcha, for milk tea lovers (this is where Jesters was previously)
Starbucks, 2 of them
Eight Seconds
Codes Combine
ABC Mart
Taco Bell
Guess

The only thing that's missing is Forever21. I guess it's a good thing too, otherwise I would have spent more money and bought more clothes had Forever 21 been there.

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Korean Travel Online - Canoeing at Chuncheon's Mullegil

Chuncheon is great for a day trip if you want to get out of Seoul. It's known for Nami Island, Dakgalbi (spicy marinated chicken), and Makguksu (chilled buckwheat noodle soup). If a stroll down the romantic tree path at Nami Island is not your thing, Mullegil (which literally means water trail) in Chuncheon is the perfect place to go to for some outdoor adventure.

To go to Chuncheon, you can either take the subway on the JungAng line, or take the ITX (Intecity Train Express). The latter is faster and more convenient. You get nice comfortable seats and a nice view. We met at Yongsan station at 8.40am to get on the 9am train. It takes 1hour and 13minutes to get to ChunCheon station (Note: NamChunCheon station is not the same with ChunCheon station). Tickets cost 6,900 won

To get to Mullegil, take the bus 75 at ChunCheon station and get off at SongAm Sports Town (approx 15 mintues)

One you get to there, you'll be greeted by this beautiful view.

There's a coffee shop where you can chill out while waiting. Then you'll be taken to the orientation where they'll give you pointers and tips on how to navigate a canoe. But since they spoke in Korean, I only understood like 30%. But armed with common sense and a basic knowledge, you can paddle away with ease. Really, it's not that hard. If it's your first time and you're unsure, you might want to watch this youtube clip on how paddle efficiently. After about a 20minute orientation, put on those lifevests and head out. Canoe rental is 30,000 won an hour.

You would surely want to take pictures while canoeing. It would be easier to have a camera around your neck. Just to be on the safe side, you might want to put the your phone in a ziplock bag or if you're using a camera, get a waterproof case for it such as Dicapac.
If you haven't had enough fun yet after canoeing, there's also a go-kart track right beside it. You can also read more about Mullegil and its history from this excellent article on the VisitKorea website: Canoeing ChunCheon's Mullegil

All that paddling can make you hungry. So go and find a Dakgalbi place for lunch. Besides, you can't leave ChunCheon without eating Dakgalbi.

After lunch, we went to Soyang Dam and Soyang Lake and headed for CheongPyeong Temple in the mountains.The view of the Dam is so magnificent. Too bad I wasn't able to take pictures because we were in such a hurry. You will have to take a ferry from the lake to the mountain where the temple is located and it takes about 30 minutes to hike up. I'm not a fan of hiking but it's not so bad if you're surrounded by this beautiful scenery on the way up.

A little out of breath, but finally reached the temple.

We were a little out of time because we wanted to catch the 5:00 train back to Seoul. But if you had more time, it would be great to explore the temple more.

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Korean Travel Online - Festivals and Events: Oct/Nov 2013

FESTIVALS:

Suncheon Haneulbit (Sky Light) Festival	2013.06.08 – 2013.10.27	Jeollanam-do
2013 World Traditional Medicine Fair & Festival	2013.09.06 – 2013.10.20	Gyeongsangnam-do
Sea Art Festival	2013.09.14 – 2013.10.13	Busan
Bukcheon Cosmos and Buckwheat Festival	2013.09.21 – 2013.10.06	Gyeongsangnam-do
Andong Maskdance Festival	2013.09.27 – 2013.10.06	Gyeongsangbuk-do
Millennial Anniversary of the Tripitaka Koreana	2013.09.27 – 2013.11.10	Gyeongsangnam-do
Anmyeondo Beach Shrimp Festival	2013.09.27 – 2013.10.27	Chungcheongnam-do
Baekje Cultural Festival	2013.09.28 – 2013.10.06	Chungcheongnam-do
Hongwon Port Jeoneo (Gizzard Shad) & Crab Festival	2013.09.28 – 2013.10.13	Chungcheongnam-do
Yeoju Ceramic Festival	2013.09.28 – 2013.10.20	Gyeonggi-do
Icheon Ceramic Festival	2013.09.28 – 2013.10.20	Gyeonggi-do
Gwangju Royal Ceramic Festival	2013.09.28 – 2013.10.20	Gyeonggi-do
Gyeonggi International CeraMIX Biennale	2013.09.28 – 2013.11.17	Gyeonggi-do
Jinju Namgang Lantern Festival	2013.10.01 – 2013.10.13	Gyeongsangnam-do
Korea Drama Festival	2013.10.01 – 2013.10.13	Gyeongsangnam-do
Cheonan World Dance Festival	2013.10.01 – 2013.10.06	Chungcheongnam-do
Geumgang Nature Art Biennale	2013.10.01 – 2013.11.15	Chungcheongnam-do
Jeongseon Arirang Festival	2013.10.02 – 2013.10.05	Gangwon-do
Yangyang Songi (pine mushroom) Festival	2013.10.02 – 2013.10.06	Gangwon-do
Hi Seoul Festival	2013.10.02 – 2013.10.06	Seoul
Jeonju International Sori Festival	2013.10.02 – 2013.10.06	Jeollabuk-do
Gimje Horizon Festival	2013.10.02 – 2013.10.06	Jeollabuk-do
Gyeryong Military Culture Festival	2013.10.02 – 2013.10.06	Chungcheongnam-do
Hoengseong Hanu Festival	2013.10.02 – 2013.10.06	Gangwon-do
Seoul Performing Arts Festival	2013.10.02 – 2013.10.26	Seoul
Seoul Drum Festival	2013.10.03 – 2013.10.04	Seoul
Korean Folk Art Festival	2013.10.03 – 2013.10.06	Jeollanam-do
International Food & Wine Festival in Daejeon	2013.10.03 – 2013.10.06	Daejeon
Jarasum International Jazz Festival	2013.10.03 – 2013.10.06	Gyeonggi-do
Gangneung Coffee Festival	2013.10.03 – 2013.10.06	Gangwon-do
Gangnam Festival	2013.10.03 – 2013.10.06	Seoul
Korea Wine Festival	2013.10.03 – 2013.10.07	Chungcheongbuk-do
Yeongdong Nan-Gye Korean Traditional Music Festival	2013.10.03 – 2013.10.07	Chungcheongbuk-do
Yeongju Punggi Insam Festival	2013.10.03 – 2013.10.09	Gyeongsangbuk-do
Busan International Film Festival	2013.10.03 – 2013.10.12	Busan
Sancheong Medicinal Herb Festival	2013.10.04 – 2013.10.11	Gyeongsangnam-do
Daegu International Opera Festival	2013.10.04 – 2013.11.02	Daegu
Seoul International Fireworks Festival	2013.10.05	Seoul
Hallyu Dream Festival	2013.10.05 – 2013.10.06	Gyeongsangbuk-do
Gwangju World Kimchi Culture Festival	2013.10.05 – 2013.10.09	Gwangju
Seoul International Dance Festival	2013.10.07 – 2013.10.27	Seoul
Busan Jagalchi Festival	2013.10.09 – 2013.10.10	Busan
7080 Chungjang Recollection Festival	2013.10.09 – 2013.10.13	Gwangju
Gochang Moyang Fortress Festival	2013.10.10 – 2013.10.13	Jeollabuk-do
Seoul Yangnyeongsi Herb Medicine Culture Festival	2013.10.11 – 2013.10.12	Seoul
Hyo Culture Ppuri Festival	2013.10.11 – 2013.10.13	Daejeon
Namdo Food Festival	2013.10.11 – 2013.10.13	Jeollanam-do
Family Culture Festival in Daejeon	2013.10.11 – 2013.10.13	Daejeon
Samcheok King’s Cosmos Festival	2013.10.11 – 2013.10.20	Gangwon-do
Itaewon Global Village Festival	2013.10.12 – 2013.10.13	Seoul
Odaesan Buddhist Culture Festival	2013.10.12 – 2013.10.20	Gangwon-do
Gyeongju Rice Cake and Korean Traditional Drink Festival	2013.10.13 – 2013.10.17	Gyeongsangbuk-do
World Trade Center Chrysanthemum Festival	2013.10.14 – 2013.11.15	Seoul
Ganggyeong Fermented Seafood Festival	2013.10.16 – 2013.10.20	Chungcheongnam-do
Seoul International NewMedia Festival	2013.10.16 – 2013.10.25	Seoul
DMZ Korean International Documentary Festival	2013.10.17 – 2013.10.23	Gyeonggi-do
Incheon Bupyeong Pungmul Festival	2013.10.18 – 2013.10.20	Incheon
Incheon Soraepogu Festival	2013.10.18 – 2013.10.20	Incheon
Salmon Festival in Yangyang	2013.10.18 – 2013.10.20	Gangwon-do
Seoul Eulalia Festival	2013.10.18 – 2013.10.27	Seoul
Grand Mint Festival	2013.10.19 – 2013.10.20	Seoul
Jeonju Bibimbap Festival	2013.10.24 – 2013.10.27	Jeollabuk-do
Busan Fireworks Festival	2013.10.25 – 2013.10.26	Busan
Gimhae Buncheong Ceramics Festival	2013.10.22 – 2013.10.27	Gyeongsangnam-do
Goseong Pollack and Sea Festival	2013.10.24 – 2013.10.27	Gangwon-do
Suncheon Bay Reeds Festival	2013.10.25 – 2013.10.27	Jeollanam-do
Changwon Gagopa Chrysanthemum Festival	2013.10.25 – 2013.11.03	Gyeongsangnam-do
Hampyeong Grand Chrysanthemum Festival	2013.10.25 – 2013.11.10	Jeollanam-do
Icheon Rice Cultural Festival	2013.10.30 – 2013.11.03	Gyeonggi-do
Jeju Olle Walking Festival	2013.10.31 – 2013.11.02	Jeju-do
Jeongeup National Bullfighting Festival	2013.10.31 – 2013.11.04	Jeollabuk-do
Sunchang Fermented Soybean Festival	2013.10.31 – 2013.11.03	Jeollabuk-do
Seosan Chrysanthemum Festival	2013.11.01 – 2013.11.10	Chungcheongnam-do
Seoul Lantern Festival	2013.11.01 – 2013.11.17	Seoul
Bangeo Festival	2013.11.07 – 2013.11.10	Jeju
Asiana International Short Film Festival	2013.11.07 – 2013.11.12	Seoul
Cheongsong Apple Festival	2013.11.08 – 2013.11.11	Gyeongsangbuk-do
Busan Port Lighting Festival	2013.11.08 – 2013.11.17	Busan
Jinyeong Sweet Persimmon Festival	2013.11.01 – 2013.11.03	Gyeongsangnam-do
Seoul Photo Festival	2013.11.01 – 2013.12.01	Seoul
Paju Jangdan Soybean Festival	2013.11.22 – 2013.11.24	Gyeonggi-do
Seoul Independent Film Festival	2013.11.28 – 2013.12.06	Seoul

OTHER EVENTS:

How to Make a Book with Steidl	2013.04.11 – 2013.10.06	Seoul
Suncheon Bay Garden Expo 2013	2013.04.20 – 2013.10.20	Jeollanam-do
Art from The Islamic Civilization - From the al-Sabah Collection, Kuwait	2013.07.02 – 2013.10.13	Seoul
Korea Dongchun Circus Jeju	2013.07.15 – 2013.12.31	Jeju-do
Robert Capa Centenary Photo Exhibition	2013.08.02 – 2013.10.28	Seoul
Unhyeongung Sunday Performances for Fall	2013.09.01 – 2013.10.27	Seoul
Namsangol Hanok Village Cultural Performances	2013.09.01 – 2013.10.27	Seoul
Pungnyu Sanbang Gugak Performance Series	2013.09.04 – 2013.12.04	Seoul
Gwangju Design Biennale	2013.09.06 – 2013.11.03	Gwangju
Cheongju International Craft Biennale	2013.09.11 – 2013.10.20	Chungcheongbuk-do
National Museum of Korea Cultural Artists Festival	2013.09.19 – 2013.10.12	Seoul
Global Gathering Korea	2013.10.12 – 2013.10.12	Gyeonggi-do
Changdeokgung Moonlight Tour	2013.10.16 – 2013.10.17	Seoul
World Korean Business Convention	2013.10.29 – 2013.10.31	Gyeonggi-do
Daejong Film Awards	2013.11.01 – 2013.11.01	Seoul
Makgeolli Expo	2013.11.06 – 2013.11.09	Seoul
Gyeonggi International Travel Mart	2013.11.08 – 2013.11.10	Gyeonggi-do
Global Game Exhibition G-STAR	2013.11.14 – 2013.11.17	Busan
Seoul International Café Show	2013.11.21 – 2013.11.24	Seoul
Traditional Music & Dance	Saturdays 2013	Busan
Jungmun Golf Club Moonlight Walks	Fridays until Dec 2013	Jeju-do