* Korea Tips & Stays | GRRRL TRAVELER

Is Siloam Sauna the best jjimjilbang in Seoul?

Filed under * Korea tips & stays, Accommodations by Christine Ka'aloa on March 12, 2012 at 7:04 am {18 comments}

: Siloam Spa at night

So, I’ve promised some of you the inside tip on the best jjimjilbang in Seoul…

After the disappointment of Seoul’s much hyped Dragon Hill Spa, I was reluctant to return for another night of overnight non-thrill on a hard wood floor. However, I still wanted to stay at a jjimjilbang and enjoy the Korean bathing culture. Fortunately, a friend offered me an alternative suggestion…

From the outside, Siloam Sauna may not look like much. In fact, you may think you’re walking into a shady neighborhood jjimjilbang dive or a love motel. But step inside and explore its five floors of therapeutic health, bathhouse washing and 24 hour sleeping rooms and you’ll feel like you’ve hit the hidden jackpot of luxurious j-bang finds!

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Vaginal facials: Hip or hype at Seoul’s Dragon Hill Spa?

Filed under * Korea tips & stays, Accommodations by Christine Ka'aloa on February 10, 2012 at 9:15 am {12 comments}

: Why does my face look like it’s going to explode? You don’t really want to know, but keep reading to find out …

One of the things I occasionally enjoy are the jjimjilbangs and bathhouses. It’s not that I enjoy being naked in front of others, but I do love the pampering of a good soak and scrub, whilst relaxing with the Asian bathing community. In fact, being naked in a bathhouse is actually more comfortable than wearing a bikini on a beach! Seeing bodies of all shapes, sags and sizes, parade around non-chalantly and matter-of-fact, I get to feeling less judgmental in general, about a pinch of fat here, cellulite there…

On my return to Seoul, there was one “luxury” jjimjilbang I’d heard hype about. Dragon Hill Spa has been raved about by CNN.com, The New York Times and bloggers being one of the deluxe spas in Seoul, where celebrities frequent and TV broadcasts like Yoo Jae Suk‘s show, Happy Together (I think), occasionally film. It was a spot I’d been dying to try. (more…)

Kimbap restaurants: the healthy fast food joints in Korea

Filed under * Korea tips & stays, Korea by Christine Ka'aloa on September 12, 2011 at 11:47 am {17 comments}

In Korea, it often feels like there are never any really fat Koreans (…okay, they are exceptions; but it’s rare)! Obesity is not a chronic problem in Korea, as it is in the west. One theory is owned to how Koreans eat healthy. Korea may have restaurant chains like McDonalds and Burger King, but they aren’t a ‘fast food’ kind of country.

Frozen or microwave foods ? Koreans like their food fresh.

Preservatives? The keyword is fermented.

Koreans do however, occasionally like their meals served simple, cheap and pali! pali (fast)!

Kimbap restaurants chains are the healthy equivalent to fast food joints.

The meals they sell are often thought of as “simple home foods”, which are made quickly and sold cheaply. Most of the dishes on the menu is under 5,000 won. Kimbap (sushi rolls), jigae (stews), ramen or udon (noodles dishes) and rice meals such as bibimbap are all standard platter of most kimbap shops (photo examples here). Order it as takeout or dine in; either way, your dish comes with a small plate of panjan (or side dishes).

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Are there Apple stores in Korea ?

Filed under * Korea tips & stays, Korea by Christine Ka'aloa on March 14, 2011 at 12:46 am {6 comments}

: Photo: Hightouch.kr

Attention all Mac and Apple fans, you can get your Apple fix in Korea too!

When I first arrived to Korea and realized I needed a converter plug for my Apple Powerbook, I was given an apologetic look and an explanation that there weren’t many Apple stores here. I was told there was one store in Seoul called Frisbee.

How can Korea not have tons of Apple stores?

Well, maybe you should ask Samsung, LG and the like… But in fact, there are more stores than I was led to believe…

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Top 7 Things to Do in Seoul

Filed under * Korea tips & stays, Seoul by Christine Ka'aloa on March 9, 2011 at 2:27 am {12 comments}

Seoul makes my blood race. Sometimes there’s an ongoing list of things of events taking place or sometimes, I just have to create my own ways of having fun.

1. Seoul City Bus Tour

For a first timer to Seoul, this is the #1 recommend. As simple as it sounds, Korea’s city bus tours make (across the land) make a budget vacation possible. It’s easy to get around and see the main sights within a day with this tour. And above-ground travel is a perfect springboard for getting your perspective of how the city spans!

The Seoul City Bus Tour is cheap, quick and the fastest way to see the city’s highlights. A hop-on/hop-off course (city, palace or night) tours, it hits almost every tourist area you’ll want to see from your guidebook. Best of all, it costs only 10,000W ($9 USD), which is cheaper than a cab and less annoying than figuring out subway routes; not to mention, it’s foot-friendly. I threw my family on it– knowing my parents are old and don’t like walking much, the tour made their getting around more efficient and easy.
The entire course (without getting off) takes 2 hours. Buses run every 40 min and there are headsets aboard if you’d like a short summary (very short) of each place as you pass by. The tour is smartly offered by the Korea Tourism Organization (more…)

6 Western-friendly stores in Korea

Filed under * Korea tips & stays, Korea by Christine Ka'aloa on February 24, 2011 at 9:19 am {4 comments}

Korea has one-stop shopping giants, similar to Target and Kmart…
with one major difference– Korea knows how to make shopping an experience!

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How to make your own K-drama film tour

Filed under * Korea tips & stays, Crazy Korea by Christine Ka'aloa on February 17, 2011 at 8:36 am {8 comments}

Fortunately for avid K-drama fans, you don’t have to waddle up the steep cash for a tour guide. The Korean Tourism Organization helps Korean drama addicts connect to the film locations of their favorite show.

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4 Essential iPhone Apps for Korea

Filed under * Korea tips & stays, Freebies & Apps by Christine Ka'aloa on February 10, 2011 at 11:34 am {11 comments}

Here are four great iPod and iPhone apps to get if you’re in or traveling around korea.

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Review: Naked in a Mineral Bath (Chocksan Spa, Mt Seoraksan)

Filed under * Korea tips & stays, Accommodations by Christine Ka'aloa on November 7, 2010 at 1:57 am {one comment}

We arrived in Sochko at Chocksan Spa around 11PM. The spa had already closed, so we checked into our room. A small room, there was no traditional bed (well no, let me take that back)…there was a traditional yo (a Korean floor bed, where comforters are put down for padding), and just enough floorspace for a five-person squeeze. The room was well-sized for either the standard four-person Korean family or a midget. We got a coffee table with a hotpot, some cups and a hotel refrigerator stocked with items “for purchase”. While the latter is common to hotels in the