NUS Gang in Korea Day 4 (31 March 2015)

A ha! Finally the day that we 2  girls were looking forward to!  DMZ tour was the perfect distraction for the guys, which allowed us to enjoy the whole day of shopping! mwahahaha 

After dating me for a couple of years, Mister knew me well enough (at least about my tendency to go a bit overboard while on shopping spree) that he lent me his cabin luggage to bring on our shopping day!  My friends were shocked and surprised but we both utilized it so well! I was thinking we couldn't fill it up and yet, we did! 

Ewha Women University (Edae)

A busy day for us started with shopping at Edae.  Being located in the university area means clothes here are trendy and in style for the youth and are relatively cheaper. Trust me, clothes on offer here are more fashionable than those found in other shopping zones (which could be tacky sometimes).  Except for Dongdaemun, I guess.  Clothes in Dongdaemun are chic and stylish but they are on the pricey side.  Remember to explore the narrow side alleys of Edae which are littered with pretty boutiques!

Hongdae, Sinchon & Edae are 3 neighboring university towns, bustling with youthful energy of college crowd.  Hongdae is known for busking, bars, clubs and nightlife in general while Edae is famous for shopping and beauty treatment at hair saloons and nail spas.  Ewha is a university for women afterall ^_~ I might be slightly biased but to me, Sinchon has the best food among these 3 university areas.

Best to shop for: 
1) Cute, customized, handmade items
2) Shoes for ladies
3) Accessories
3) Fashionable, feminine clothing at affordable prices

Must-try snacks:
1) Egg muffins (not the ones with egg on top of the bread, try the ones with egg inside the bread)
2) Spicy fried chicken with rice cake & hash brown (Cup Dak)

How to get there: Ewha Women University Station, Line 2, Exit 2 or 3

At beautiful Ewha Campus

( I'm being biased but I still think my alma-mater Korea University is still more beautiful :D )

NUS Gang in Korea Day 3 (30 March 2015)

Noryangjin Fish Market

We headed out around 1030 am towards Noryangjin Fish Market.  This vibrant market is connected to Noryangjin Subway Station via an overhead bridge.  It was a bit smelly but it was pretty intriguing to observe the happenings at this traditional fish market. We felt a bit bad having to pick out seafood (they were still alive) for our lunch.  But we figured its just one meal?  

We purchased salmon, one big crab, mini octopus and spoon worm (or more commonly known as 'penis fish') for 65, 000 Won. Bargain okay?  Its perfectly fine to check the prices at various stores first before finally negotiating with the sellers. There were usually ushers from restaurants who would lead you to their restaurants. These restaurants in the market can prepare your purchases into fresh seafood sashimi or stew or fried dishes.  Again, check prices first before following the ushers.

One of the restaurants helped us prepare our food into salmon sashimi and crab stew.  The octopus and spoon worms were cut into tiny pieces to be eaten raw with salt and sesame oil.  Lunch service including rice, makgeolli and side dishes for 6 of us set us back another 45,000 Won.  While it was definitely one of the most expensive meals we had in Korea (around 18,500 Won per pax), we thought it was pretty good deal considering fresh seafood would cost us at least 3 times more in Singapore.

How to get there: Noryangjin Station, Line 1, Exit 1 
                      (cross the overhead bridge & follow that fishy smell!)

Opening Hours: 01:30 am - 10:00 pm

The largest selection of fresh seafood in Korea - be prepared to face a full-on assault of your senses (smell, sight, taste, and touch if you are particularly feeling brave)

Our spread of fresh salmon sashimi, spoon worm and baby octopus (which were still squirming even after they were chopped up!)

The highlight of our meal: Korean-styled fresh crab stew

NUS Gang in Korea Day 2 (29 March 2015)

Day 2 was spent exploring the Gapyeong area. It is located outside Seoul city area and is most known for Nami Island, filming location of the drama Winter Sonata which started South Korea's soft power - Hallyu Wave. Both I and Mister had been there (3 times for me) and our companions didn't feel like there is much to see at Nami Island, so we visited Petite France and Garden of the Morning Calm instead. 

Petite France

What is it: a French cultural village set in the Korean countryside, which is dedicated to the Little Prince story. The village consists of 16 French-style buildings where visitors can lodge and enjoy French food, try on clothing and experience household culture (Credit: Visit Korea Website)

Why is it famous: Its picturesque surrounding paves way for it to be featured in numerous Korean variety shows and drama.  Most famous were Running Man (with guests from 2PM  - Nichkhun & Teacyeon), Beethoven Virus, Secret Garden & My Love from Another Star (where Do Min Jon & Cheon Song Yi shared a kiss).

How to get there:  
From Seoul: Take subway to Gapyeong Station or Cheongpyeong Station then take Gapyeong Circular Tour Bus (5,000 Won for one-day unlimited ride) or taxi.

Opening Hours: 9am - 6pm

NUS Gang in Korea Day 1 (28 March 2015)

Wow back to Korea for the 4th time and many people kept asking me why I go there so many times! Trust me, I wonder about it too :D  The land of K-Pop, cosmetics, fashion and of course, some of the best tasting and healthiest food around!

As I have blogged before about my Korea trips, I requested Mister to be my guest writer, for a change in tone & perception. So here we go!

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

We departed Singapore at 9pm the night before and reached Incehon Int'l Airport at 730am with a short transit in between at Ho Chi Minh City.  

At Changi Airport, just before our departure

The moment we stepped out from the plane, we already started feeling cold! The end of March usually signals the beginning of Spring but it definitely felt more like winter!

After passing through customs, we had a driver waiting for us to take us to our AirBnb accommodation which was just fantastic. It was so cozy with a living room and a full kitchen!

Our cozy little place in Yeongdeungpo

Phnom Penh Days (19, 20, 21, 22 Dec 2014)

Day 3 - 19 Dec

We only reached Phnom Penh around 2pm and were joined by a new tour guide.  I guess he heard the rumbling noises from our tummies as he immediately brought us to enjoy a late lunch at 230pm :D After a quick lunch, we started our Palace tour. At 330pm, it was pretty warm to be walking around. Fortunately for us, there were several shady places for us to seek shelter.  Its superb location on the bank of Tonle Sap River & Mekong river also ensured constant breeze to cool us down. 

Throne Hall (primary audience hall of the King, used for coronations & other official state functions) was the highlight as we could get a glimpse inside to witness the grandeur - trademark of any royal events.  Other notable buildings include pavilion to hold banquets, waiting room for the King before he mounts an elephant, repository to house royal regalia & presents from other heads of state.

Angkor City served as the capital of Cambodia till the 15th century.  Only after the defeat by Siam / Thailand, Phnom Penh became the new capital for Khmer Kingdom.  This current royal palace was constructed over a century ago to serve as an official residence of the royal family. 

Cambodia's Cultural Captial Siem Reap (17, 18, 19 Dec 2014)

Day 1 - Dec 17

Although we left Yangon around 10am on 17 Dec, we still had to transit in Bangkok and finally landed in Siem Reap only around 3pm.  Our tour company picked us up from the airport and dropped us off at the Angkor Paradise Hotel.  We decided to take a rest till 530pm or so to then head out for dinner and a bit of souvenir shopping at Pub Street.  As my mom was taking a nap, I chose to soak in the pool while reading up on all the attractions that Siem Reap has to offer.  We were all pleasantly surprised by a very cooling climate of Siem Reap! 

Tuk-tuk transported us from hotel to the lively Pub Street for 1 USD per person.  As "Amok" - curry cooked using thick coconut gravy, lemongrass, turmeric root, shallots, ginger and served on banana leaf- was considered national dish, we decided to have dinner at a restaurant aptly named Amok and ordered chicken Amok. Oh dear, we were not a fan, sadly.  Coconut milk was just too overwhelming for our taste-buds. I also ordered this platter called "Taste of Siem" to try a bit of everything.

First Visit to Cambodia with Mom

In Dec 2014, a few of my friends from the Junior College days were visiting me in Myanmar for 4 days 14-17 Dec.  Only after their trip was planned, I learnt of a trip to Cambodia from 17-22 Dec.  I had to accompany my mom and a few of her clients to attend a training course in Phnom Penh. Fortunately for my friends, the overlap between 2 trips was just 1 day! Nonetheless, I couldn’t help but feel bad to leave them alone on their own.  Like a mother hen, I was quite worried if they could find their way around, if they got cheated, if they managed to get to the airport on time for their flight and so on :D I can share more about Mister's Myanmar trips and my friends' trip in the future if you guys are interested. I also went on the most epic trip of my life in Sep & Oct 2014 to the States but as it was a month-long trip, there will be many posts and let me share about it at a later date too. For now, let us focus on Cambodia.

Angkor Wat - 8th Wonder of the World