Seoul, Why I Would Like To Visit

I have travelled a lot but one of the places I would like to see and I haven't been yet, is Asia. China, Korea and Japan are top of my must see places for next year. My ideal tour would be a couple of months travelling through Shanghai, Seoul and Osaka. I would like to spend at least a few weeks in each of them soaking in the culture and enjoying a whole new world of traditions and modernity.

Seoul:

Ever since the Olympic Games in 1988 and the football World Cup in 2002 both held in Seoul, I have been intrigued by this city that mixes ancient palaces with high tech buildings and traditional herbal medicines with the newest technologies. What's more, I have heard that Seoul is a very safe city, where travelers can enjoy themselves freely without worrying about personal security -a bonus if you are a girl travelling on your own!

• The Changdeokgung Palace & SecretGarden, a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site since 1997. This is one of the five grand Palaces in Seoul.
• Suwon Hwaseong Fortress wall. And the Hwaseong Temporary Palace, where the king sought refuge during times of war and relaxed in times of peace.
• Seoul Tower, which is one of the best points to overlook the whole city.
• The World Cup Stadium
• The Gyeong-dong Herbal Medicine Market, one of the most famous traditional markets in Seoul.
• The Korean Folk Village, located 41km south of Seoul. This is a living museum of the customs and cultures of the 19th century Joseon Dynasty. A place to see a traditional Farmer's House, a Nobleman's House, an Oriental hospital and a traditional Market.
• The Yangjaedong Wholesale Flower Plaza
• The National Museum of Korea.
• The Blue House where the Korean president resides.
• Jongmyo Royal Shrine
• Hanok Village, where you can see Korean original style houses and gardens.
• The Jogyesa temple, which will show you the essence of Korean Buddhism.
• Icheon Pottery Village, the centre of Korean traditional ceramic works also famous for its amazing water and soil from which the best quality of rice and hot spring water has been produced.
• Lotte World, an attraction park with fun rides for all ages located in the heart of the city.
• Mt. Bukhansan National Park and go rock climbing on the granite cliffs overlooking the city.
• The Nanta, a non-verbal performance which is the combination of Korean traditional performance called ‘Samullnori’ and a western form of performance. The performers use pans, knives, and objects that you can find in a kitchen as their instruments.

Ok. I admit shopping is one of my weaknesses and that is one of the reasons why I would like to experience a shopping day in Seoul’s most popular shopping districts.

• To get used to shopping in Seoul I would like to start spending an afternoon in the Samcheong-dong Walkway, known for its famous art galleries, coffee shops, restaurants, wine bars and craft shops. I’ve been told that this is a calm shopping district where every shop is a delight to visit due to its uniqueness and beautiful decorations. The perfect place to find vintage and trendy items. To finish the day I would like to eat in one of those hanok-style restaurants.

• Once I have trained myself on shopping in SeoulI would like to wander in Myeong-dong district as it is thetrendiest and crowded shopping/entertainment district popular among local and foreign shopaholics and fashionistas.
  

• Maybe an unusual option but one I would not give a miss is a visit to the Gyeong-dong Herbal Medicine Market. I am sure this would be a luxurious experience for the senses. Anything from Ginseng treats to take back home as souvenirs to dead centipedes to cure obscure diseases. It is not that I would go there to buy dead centipedes, but I would like to see, smell and probably taste some of the odd herbs and traditional medicine used in Asia. There are reportedly more than 1,000 stalls, stores and clinics to view in an area five times the size of Seoul’s World Cup Stadium.