Annyeonghaseyo?

I’ve never been to Korea and to be honest, it was not one in my go-to-list, which is probably why I’ve never been there. But then, my friend insisted that there are a lot of nice places to go to and it’s the best season to experience Autumn. We don’t have Autumn in the Philippines and I was thinking it’s high time Kyle gets to experience one. Autumn flies fast in a flash so I decided to book a trip.

Kyle will always get their attention. An airline crew carrying or sitting with him or playing with him has become a normal scene. He is fond of pretty girls, I think.

Since it’s my first time to Korea, my friend suggested that we book somewhere in Myeongdong. Because I love to shop, it’s the most strategic thing to do. I’ve been thinking in case Kyle would feel tired, we can easily bring him back to the hotel to sleep.

We arrived almost near evening so I said I wanted to check out the Myeongdong area so I can spot stuff to purchase before leaving. I’m an impulse buyer but I don’t just buy right away especially when I travel. I look for great deals. Since this is the most accessible area to go to and it’s just day 1, I intend not to buy anything just yet.

I love Korean masks and in fact, I already spotted one of my favorite brands. I couldn’t get enough pictures of the place but I’m so happy that this place is beyond just a shopping area that babies or kids may actually find boring. Kyle was busy following and meeting new friends with the mascots offering their promotions on the street.

I heard luxury brands offer great deals in Korea. I wanted to check them myself so that’s the first thing that came to my list the next day even though I don’t have any idea where to find them. I’m actually not so good at planning my trips but I’m good at searching for places I’m interested in. Not to mention, I’m so highly dependent to my friend who’s been in Korea the nth times.

So, I found out through my search that Gangnam’s trendy Apgujeong Rodeo Street is a popular spot for high-end fashion shopping. So I made sure it’s our 1st itinerary for the day.

I will never forget Korea being the first subway ride of Kyle all throughout his travel experience. I would usually rent a car when I’m with him or take Uber because I’m always wary of his safety. But I decided to bend those rules for Kyle to experience a subway ride.It was a good decision, he enjoyed it much and he was even imitating the sound of the train, he’s just too cute.

In one of the stops, a lady gave him a nicely sealed box of biscuit and he loved it. I felt weird about it but I was touched by the gesture.

Right after this ride, I didn’t choose to do subway anymore though, because we got so tired carrying all of Kyle’s stuff, and we weren’t even through with our day’s itinerary yet. This is one of the downsides of traveling with a baby or toddler. But for me, at least I tried to let him experience riding a train, we made one good memory of Korea being his first.

Next stop, GYEONGBUKGUNG PALACE.

 

Off we went to Bukchon Village, just 5-10 minutes’ walk from Gyeongbukgung Palace. Most of the traditional houses in Korea can be found here and the area is filled with restaurants and teahouses, providing tourists and visitors an opportunity to experience the Korean culture. If we’re given enough time, I wanted to experience wearing the traditional Korean costume. Yes you can too! They have it for rent.

I was able to capture few snaps while we’re having a walk until I got too tired.

We were also able to witness one of their street performances; indeed, it was a fun experience for my Kyle.

The very reason why I considered going to Korea was the Nami Island. It was a great decision, by the way. It’s famous for its beautiful tree-lined roads and I fell in love with it. I must say that Kyle and I had the best bonding moments spent here. I guess he fell in love with the place too.

There’s a lot of ways going to Nami Island, for more info, you may visit this site. Getting there, we rented a private car to bring us to Gapyeong Station. From there, you need to take a 10-minute ferry ride to Nami Island.

Now, here’s why I fell in love with the place and Kyle too. Pictures will speak for my feelings.

 

I never expected Korea has so many beautiful sceneries to offer I wonder why I didn’t this earlier. Now here’s another place I fell in love with and it’s without a doubt one of my top amusement parks, Everland. Like I said, I don’t really plan much and since I decided to go here the night before, we cannot find any car to send us to Everland the next day. We’re quite lucky that Everland actually provides a shuttle bus and that one of its pick up points is just less than 2 minutes away from our hotel. And it wasn’t a hassle at all, the 40-minute ride was smooth.

I wish I took as many pictures as I could the soonest we got there. The rain just ruined the entire plan since it started pouring from lunchtime until afternoon. On a brighter side, it gave me another reason to come back.

Everland had a Halloween theme going when we went there and it’s by far my loveliest Halloween experience. I will definitely be back here.

Reasons why I love and would definitely go back to Korea:

1. It’s a kid-friendly country. Everyone is so warm and nice to Kyle. People we met in every store we went to were just so fond of him. The hotel where we were staying gave him a complimentary cake for no reason. As a mom, it really warms my heart.
2. It’s great for shopping especially if you love makeups and skin care. Myeongdong is the key place for this.
3. They have a lot of must-see places and food was amazing too