AstroBanana's First Winter Holiday!

After a long stressful year at work, AstroBanana decided that they needed a good break. While they traditionally clear leave during the last two weeks of December every year, they would stay within the confines of Singapore as year-end travel can be cutthroat expensive. Well, AstroBanana were determined to take an overseas holiday in 2010. After some discussion, they agreed on the destination - Korea! Eric Banana had never been to Korea while Astro Girl went there in 2005, but during the autumn season. Both of them had never seen snow before so it was to be their first winter holiday.

Eric Banana left the planning work to Astro Girl, who scouted around for a good tour package since free and easy travel was impossibly expensive in December. Her research led her to SingExpress Travel, where they signed up for the "8 Days Korea Ski Discovery + Jeju" itinerary, which includes 6-star accommodation and covers all meals except three. They also managed to extend their trip for an additional three days at a nominal charge.


Day 1: Monday 27 December 2010

"Day 1" of the tour package was mostly non-existent. The flight out of Singapore was scheduled at 10:50 p.m. *zzz*. AstroBanana spent a large part of their day packing their luggage. Astro Girl was the cool one - she packed quickly and efficiently. In contrast, Eric Banana took forever to pack and had to rely on a packing list. Shame on him - between the two of them, he is the more frequent traveller.

AstroBanana reached the airport more than two hours ahead of the flight departure time but realised that the flight was delayed by almost an hour *even more zzz*. It was close to midnight when they finally boarded the plane. So much for the so-called "Day 1" *bleah*.


Day 2: Tuesday 28 December 2010

It was AstroBanana's first time taking a Korean Air flight. To their surprise, it was actually quite good. Service was okay, except that some of the flight attendants were not exactly fluent in English. The entertainment system was great and the movies available for viewing were fairly recent. As always, Eric Banana struggled to fall asleep aboard the plane - this is a perennial problem for him when he is stuck in Economy Class during flights.

Six hours later, the plane landed at Incheon International Airport. And Day 2 began officially. They were given one hour to wash up and "suit on" - put on their thermal wear and get ready their jackets, beanies, scarves, etc - a.k.a. becoming a rice dumpling. AstroBanana's thermal wear of choice was Uniqlo's Heatech, which Eric Banana felt was rather thin.

The first stop was supposed to be Namiseom Island but the tour guide changed it to Everland - South Korea's largest theme park - instead. Based on the original itinerary, they were scheduled to go to Everland on Day 4, which was expected to be more crowded as it was approaching New Year's Eve.

Many of the outdoor rides were not available due to the snow, not that Eric Banana minded - he's not the biggest fan of theme park rides. Still, Astro Girl got him to try the Snowbuster, which is basically a form of sledding. Eric Banana was initially hesistant, but after he tried it, he wanted to go again. Unfortunately the long queues started and they decided to head elsewhere.

There are many parks in Everland but AstroBanana did not have time to cover all of them. Eric Banana doesn't know how some of these parks look like during other seasons, but they looked great during winter. And Astro Girl was a pretty sight in her winter gear against the white backdrop.

AstroBanana somehow spent a lot of time in the Four Seasons Garden, where they saw lots of Christmas trees and snowmen:

AstroBanana joined a queue to take a safari bus ride to see some animals, and it was a very long queue. The highlight turned out to be this little girl in front of them. She whined and cried throughout the entire wait. Surely, it was a new Guinness world record or something -_-" The bus ride itself was swift, during which AstroBanana got to see tigers and bears.

After Everland, the next stop was Yeoju, where they visited the Chelsea Premium Factory Outlets. This was supposed to be on Day 6, but was brought forward as it was along the way to the ski resort. AstroBanana did not have much to buy here, especially Eric Banana, who has been way too spoiled by the super-low prices at the factory outlets in the U.S.

Dinner was smoky BBQ pork, which caused their clothes to stink big-time after that *bleah*. Eric Banana has something against stinky food smells that linger on and on and on...

The tour bus brought them to Daemyung Vivaldi Park, which has four blocks of accommodation - Oak, Pine, Maple, and the newest addition Cherry. Apparently, the tour group got an upgrade and landed rooms in the Cherry block. The stated rate in AstroBanana's room was a staggering 450,000 wons per night! AstroBanana's room comprises a living room with a balcony, a master bedroom with a bed, a smaller bedroom where sleeping mats can be placed on the floor, a small kitchenette and two bathrooms. There was heated flooring throughout. It was a great place to crash after a whole day of fun.

Day 3: Wednesday 29 December 2010

AstroBanana woke up and checked out the view from their balcony:

The first thing on the programme was a gondola ride up to the mountain where the skiing slope for the pros starts. Up they go!

It was super cold at the top, but the scenery was worth it:

Next up was the actual skiing. They spent some time collecting their rental ski equipment which were super heavy. Astro Girl looked fabulous with her ski goggles:

Eric Banana did not enjoy skiing as he has the "left-hand, left-leg; right-hand, right-leg" syndrome. He gave up after falling down a few times. Astro Girl fared much better and enjoyed herself.

After resting for a while, they went to the spa resort. At first, they tried the indoor pool and jacuzzi but decided to venture outdoors to soak in the mineral hot spring pools. It was super cold outside - they started out walking but soon broke into a run. However, once they soaked themselves in the hot spring pool, the feeling was heavenly. Their heads were exposed to the chill but their bodies were kept warm by the heat of the pool water. It was a very relaxing experience.


Day 4: Thursday 30 December 2010

After checking out from the ski resort, the tour group made a stop at Namiseon Island, where several scenes in the famous Korean drama Winter Sonata was filmed. Eric Banana could not relate to them because he has not watched it... yet. Nevertheless the scenery was breathtaking.

A photo with the tour group at the jetty:

After leaving Namiseon Island, the tour group made their way to Gimpo International Airport to catch a flight to Jeju Island. Eric Banana took a sunset photo at the departure gate:

After a bumpy, puke-inducing flight, AstroBanana finally reached Jeju Island. Apparently, many flights into the island were cancelled due to the turbulent weather.

The hotel - Ocean Suites Hotel Jeju - was a reasonably good one although the hotel room was, of course, nothing compared to the one at Daemyung Vivaldi Park.


Day 5: Friday 31 December 2010

AstroBanana woke up to see a storm brewing outside their hotel room, which was a bad sign as they had to spend the day outdoors:

The first stop was to a yellow canola flower farm. Well, it was supposed to be yellow canola but with heaps of snow on them, they ended up more looking like "white" canola:

Following that was Seongsan Illchulong Peak or Sunrise Peak, a land mass that rose from under the sea as a result of a volcanic eruption about 100,000 years ago. The weather was quite okay in the beginning...

... but soon took a nasty turn. It was snowing so heavily that ascending the peak was impossible. Even taking photos was a difficult task.

After escaping the snowstorm, the tour group proceeded to a tangerine farm, where each of them got to pick two tangerines.

It started to snow quite heavily which made the next activity - horse riding - a bit challenging. The horses were reluctant to leave the stable initially but eventually the weather cleared.

Eric Banana sympathised with the horse that had to bear his weight. At first, he thought the horses would be led by someone. Before he knew it, he was galloping away on his horse and hanging on for his dear life.

The weather cleared for a while but became bad again when the tour group attempted to ride all-terrain vehicles (ATVs). Now, Eric Banana is a non-driver, but operating an ATV is fairly simple - just accelerate and brake. Astro Girl's ATV gave her problems halfway while Eric Banana went for a little joyride. The weather became so bad - Astro Girl called it a snow blizzard - that it was practically raining ice pellets which attacked Eric Banana's exposed face like angry ants. Guess the latter has no need for exfoliation this month.

After all the outdoor activities, the tour group proceeded to the Teddy Bear Museum, where there are many, many cute teddy bears on display.

After dinner, they caught Nanta (Cookin'), a very popular musical in South Korea. It is a non-verbal performance that integrates samulnori (Korea's traditional rhythm) with comedy and drama in a kitchen setting. AstroBanana thoroughly enjoyed the performance.

By the time AstroBanana got back to the hotel, they were dead tired. As it was New Year's Eve, the hotel was holding a countdown party at 11:30 p.m. AstroBanana both fell asleep before 12 midnight and slept through the countdown. Eric Banana was somehow not feeling too good.


Day 6: Saturday 1 January 2011

AstroBanana had to wake up early to catch a 9:05 a.m. flight back to Seoul. When they reached the airport, they realised that their flight was cancelled. Thankfully, the tour guide and tour escort managed to get the tour group on the next flight out, which was 9:30 a.m.

After arriving in Seoul, they headed to Lotte World Adventure Park. The tour group were supposed to have Best 5 tickets but those got upgraded to all-day passes. Well, Eric Banana did not remember much about Lotte World. He had fallen sick and taken some medicine which made him drowsy. Eventually, AstroBanana left the super-crowded Lotte World and found a cafe to chill out. Eric Banana literally slept there for three hours. Thanks to his beloved wife who kept him company and made sure he was comfortable.

The tour agency managed to secure hotel rooms in JW Marriott for the tour group. Yay!


Day 7: Sunday 2 January 2011

This day was dedicated to shopping! The first stop was a Korea ginseng monopoly showroom. Well, despite the supposed benefits, not many people ended up buying anything, mainly 'cos the prices were eye-popping.

The action really started when the tour group proceeded next to a Korean cosmetics shop. The women started asking questions, and their shopping baskets became full quickly. Credit cards were swiped without anyone batting an eyelid. To be fair, the prices were really low as compared to Singapore.

Due to popular demand, the tour group made an unscheduled stop at yet another Korean cosmetics shop. Like everyone else, Astro Girl also displayed her shopping instincts. Eric Banana witnessed for the first time how Astro Girl can really spend when it comes to certain things if the prices are right and if they are not readily available in Singapore. He estimated that some tour members must have spent thousands of dollars on facial products.

The subsequent visit to an amethyst factory did not garner too much attention from the tour group. Someone commented that at those kind of prices, she could buy diamonds in Singapore. AstroBanana are not a big fan of amethyst either. Eric Banana personally prefers sapphire. Purple reminds him of *eee* Barney.

After lunch, they went to Shinchon Fashion Street, which is located near a female university Ewha Women University. Things were relatively cheap but quality did not seem fantastic.

The next stop was Kyongbok Palace. which was originally built in 1395 by King Taejo, founder of the Chosun Dynasty. Most of the original infrastructure had already been destroyed due to invasion. What remains today are predominantly reconstructed buildings.

Next, the tour bus drove past the Presidential Blue House. The tour group made a short stop at Cheongwadae Sarangchae, a Korean presidential exhibition center which opened in January 2010.

After dinner, the last stop for the day was Dongdaemun Market, a major shopping area in Seoul. The tour group was given only one hour to shop. Most of them remained within Doota (Doosan Tower), one of the shopping malls. After that, AstroBanana opted to go back to the hotel to rest as they had all the time to shop during their extended stay. Some members of the tour group probably went back to Dongdaemun Market to shop as it was their last night in Seoul.


Day 8: Monday 3 January 2011

AstroBanana checked out from JW Marriott around noon and took a cab to Sejong Hotel, where they were picked up by the owner of their accommodation for the next three days - Seoul Tower Ville.

The apartment was not exactly big or new but the rates were affordable and the location was very accessible - it was a 5-minute walk away from Myeong-dong.

AstroBanana spent the day wandering around Myeong-dong and walking over to Namdaemun Market. The latter was a bore for Eric Banana, so they walked back to Myeong-dong for dinner. After having Korean food for many days, AstroBanana decided to have some western food and walked into a burger outlet - Kraze Burger. Eric Banana was only too happy to sink his teeth into a good ol' burger. According to Astro Girl who has very high standards when it comes to burgers, the burger was pretty good. As it turned out, Kraze Burger has opened an outlet in Singapore at Marina Bay Sands.

Day 9: Tuesday 4 January 2011

AstroBanana decided to venture to some outlet malls today. At first, the train network (Seoul Metropolitan Subway) seemed intimidating:

After a while, AstroBanana managed to figure out their way. Signage and instructions were available in English. They took the train along Line 4 from Myeong-dong to Seoul Station, which they switched to Line 1 to get to Gasan Digital Complex Station. After they alighted, they couldn't figure out where the outlet malls were, so they decided to hop into a restaurant for lunch first. This was when Astro Girl's Korean language skills came into play. She knows how to speak and read basic Korean words, but when the other party speaks too fast, she is sometimes unable to comprehend. Most Koreans do not speak English, so communication can be challenging. The restaurant menu was in Korean. Eric Banana could not understand a single word *bleah*. Astro Girl was able to order a kimbap (seaweed rice roll), ddeokbokki (spicy rice cake) and dumpling ramyeon (Korean ramen or instant noodles) for them. Only the ramyeon survived the speed at which AstroBanana attacked the food:

During lunch, Eric Banana managed to log on to a nearby cafe's Wi-Fi network and google directions to the mall. The power of the Internet never fails to amaze him. After lunch, AstroBanana reorientated their location and managed to find their way to the various malls - Fashion Island, Mario Outlets 1, 2 and 3, and W-Mall. It was a shopping haven but the season was not quite right. The clothes were designed for winter wear and not suitable to be worn in Singapore's hot weather.

After shopping, AstroBanana stopped at a cafe - Tom N Toms Coffee - for their tea break. Eric Banana noticed that after ordering, customers did not have to wait to collect their drinks at a pick-up counter. Instead, they were given a device that will buzz when their drinks or food are ready. Eric Banana felt that this is a great idea and hope it will get adopted in Singapore.

Dinner was at Myeong-dong again - where they had pasta and pizza at Rimini Pasta and Pizza. There seemed to be no lack of dining options in Myeong-dong.


Day 10: Wednesday 5 January 2011

Breakfast came in a white box with green polka dots:

Yes, AstroBanana found Krispy Kreme in Seoul! Previously they were attacking Dunkin' Donuts like nobody's business. Yup, even Astro Girl too, whom Eric Banana has never seen eat a single doughnut in Singapore before. It was Astro Girl's first time eating Krispy Kreme doughnuts and she's lovin' it!

After breakfast, AstroBanana headed for the "arty" Insadong area to get a feel of the traditional culture of Korea. They took the train along Line 4 from Myeong-dong to Seoul Station, switched to Line 1 to get to Jongno 3(sam)-ga, before transferring to Line 3 where they got out at Anguk station. The main street was lined with shops selling artwork and traditional craft, and inside the alleys were traditional tea houses and restaurants.

It was freezing cold that day and Eric Banana developed a ramyeon craving. Astro Girl mentioned that she read from a blog about this restaurant that serves very nice ramyeon in the Samcheongdong area. The directions were as follows: "Direction: Exit 1 from Anguk Station. After you come out of the station, walk straight and then turn right on the second junction. You would see a school on your right hand side. Walk straight and keep a look out at the small alleys on your right. If you see a queue, that should be it. It can't go wrong." As AstroBanana followed the instructions, they were semi-skeptical about locating the restaurant. And *voila* the queue was REALLY there. The food didn't survive AstroBanana's fast attack for photographic evidence, but it was definitely good!

After lunch, they headed for Samcheongdong-gil street, which is lined with hanok (traditional Korean houses) that have been converted to eclectic shops and snazzy cafes:

It was very hard to survive more than one hour in the Korean winter, so AstroBanana were freezing their donkeys off literally. And Eric Banana said it best... "Heatech? Heatech my arse!" But to be fair, the Heatech thermal wear worked pretty well. AstroBanana struggled with keeping their hands and feet warm. AstroBanana had enough coffee so they ventured back to Insadong in search of a nice tea place. They found a quaint teahouse, where they had some warm tea. The complimentary rice crackers were very tasty!

AstroBanana decided to go back to Dongdaemun Market for more shopping. They took a train along Line 3 to Jongno 3(sam)-ga and switched to Line 1 to get to Dongdaemun station. This time, they skipped Doota and shopped around two other major shopping malls - Hello apM and Migliore. Some of these shopping malls are open until 5:00 a.m. - talk about hardcore shopping! AstroBanana did not buy anything much. and headed back to Myeong-dong for dinner. Astro Girl had enough of western food, so they had traditional kimchi stew. After dinner, dessert was at Beans Bin:

Day 11: Thursday 6 January 2011

AstroBanana spent most of the morning packing and left for the airport at noon. The Korea tax refund system was very confusing, and hopefully it was not designed to be confusing to deter tourists from claiming their tax refund. Their flight was 4 p.m. Six hours later, AstroBanana landed in Singapore and ended their Korea holiday :(

AstroBanana really enjoyed their first winter holiday and were glad that their tour package turned out to be great. The tour guide (Jeff Zhang) and tour escort (Steven Pang) were really helpful and entertained the tour group with their sense of humour. AstroBanana also met a nice couple - Vincent and Joanna - with whom they got along well within the tour group. It was funny witnessing them squabbling and teasing each other. And from some angles, Joanna bears some resemblance to Bae Yong-joon, the actor in Winter Sonata.

For Eric Banana, his benchmark is Astro Girl's Happiness Index. And from these photos, she sure looked happy:

Astro Girl is already thinking about their next holiday. Eric Banana is not sure he wants to go to a cold country anytime soon *brrr*.

P.S. For those planning to go to South Korea, you can obtain a Tourist Map of Korea & Seoul and Korea Travel Guide from the Korea Tourism Organization for free. You just need to go to the website, register and submit a request form. AstroBanana found the Korea Travel Guide very useful.