magazine

Luxury at Seoul’s Dragon Hill Spa… hip or hype?

Filed under * Korea tips & stays, Accommodations by Christine Ka'aloa on February 10, 2012 at 9:15 am {11 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…)

Are there Apple stores in Korea ?

Filed under * Korea tips & stays, Korea by Christine Ka'aloa on March 14, 2011 at 12:46 am {4 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 {2 comments}

Food samples anyone?

Okay, Korea expat newbies- this is my Welcome to Korea gift to you; Korea expat oldies– this might give you a good laugh!

Ever taken an American road trip? You’re passing through unfamiliar terrain and you’re hungry. You want food, supplies… maybe even, a last-minute bikini! Not a familiar store in sight– just a joint selling deep-fried chicken wings, a 24-hour gas station convenience store and a biker bar. Then down the stretch you see it– a giant glowing… Target! Angels sing; there’s a halo over the neon red bulls-eye… and it’s right next to a big blue and yellow sign (gasp!) …a Best Buy! Now as a traveler, you don’t want your exotic destinations littered with a bunch of Kmarts, Walmarts and Targets. They spoil your dreamy getaway and snap you back to the ugly U.S. of A. But when you live abroad for a year or so, it’s damn hard not to feel a slight whoop! when you see a one-stop shop chain store resemblance. 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, Jeju Island by Christine Ka'aloa on February 17, 2011 at 8:36 am {7 comments}

Korea’s hit drama series, Secret Garden. Some scenes filmed at Seeas Hotel on Jeju Island.

Koreans seem to own the formula on great drama. In fact, K-dramas are becoming a rapid addiction around the world. Popular in Asia, in parts such as Japan, Thailand and India; the rage has even been making itself known in the U.S. (just ask Hawaii!)

My mother has watched 92 dramas (probably more than any Korean) this past year! Her friends, bitten by the drama-fever bug years earlier, surpass her ranking. Hard to imagine, right?

Korean tourism: the popularizing of K-drama filming locations

K-drama clubs and film tours are beginning to spring up, with sightseeing itineraries to feed drama-hungry fanatics. Winter Sonata, for instance is a popular drama, especially with Japanese and has a couple of tours dedicated to it.

Thanks to the Korean Tourism Organization and its publishing drama locations on its tourism site, fans don’t have to waddle up steep cash for a (more…)

Written by Christine Ka'aloa * Korea tips & stays

4 Essential iPhone Apps for Korea

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

February 10, 2011 11

Written by Christine Ka'aloa * Korea tips & stays

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

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

November 7, 2010 1

Written by Christine Ka'aloa * Korea tips & stays

Korean Love Motels: Suncheon & Korean Porn

So it was another weekend romp in Korea with my travel BFF, Chance, my new (but used) Canon 550D and part 2 of the Korean Love Motel Tour. Again. Why? Why not?! On our way back from a misty day at Boesang Tea Fields and a relaxing green tea saltwater spa treatment at Yulpo, we decided to stopover in Suncheon for the nite. I had read there’d be many accommodations to choose from in Suncheon– from [More...] hostels, to jjimjilbangs, hotels and love motels. Of course, if you’re like me, you gravitate towards the more marginal experiences…

October 4, 2010 8

Written by Christine Ka'aloa * Korea tips & stays

Korean Love Motels: Jeonju to Gunsan (Digs & Dives )

Without further ado, I’ll introduce some of the digs and dives from our Korean Love Motel Tour. Apologies in advance for the shoddy photos. Much of my instances were low-lit/dark and I wanted to be quick in taking them (guess the only real shady thing about the love motels was me!). Here’s a brief look at some gems we found: