Singapore 3d 2n budget trip

I often went to Singapore because of business arrangements since last time. You can say that every weekend I'll be at Singapore to collect MonaVie stocks and deliver it back to Kuala Lumpur. So more or less I can knew a lil bit here and there about Singapore which I can share with you guys who are interested to visit on a very low budget.

Entering Woodlands Custom

The best way to enter Singapore is by bus. There’re a lot of options to go but my recommendation will be Konsortium busses from Puduraya. Konsortium busses have many fleets under their brand so don’t worry, it won’t always be the dark red bus that you will get. Another cozy options will be Transtar which is slightly cheaper compare to Aeroline.

You can enter Singapore straight and depart at Queens Street (RM40 per way) or another options will be departing at Larkin station (RM30 per way) and then hop on any local feeder bus (RM1.60) which mentioned Kranji MRT and depart there.

Don’t forget to buy their local travelling card but for me I prefer to go on one way ticket purchase as I will be doing a lot of walking around town and I mean A LOT. Unless you’re doing a hop-on-hop-off type of travelling between major stations, than it is worth it to get the travelling card. Can’t remember the exact price but for a 1 day pass, you can check it at the station.

dormitory at 98sg

Going around on MRT in Singapore is easy. The map is not as large as Seoul or Tokyo MRT and you can easily familiar with the transfers. Similar to Seoul Metro, once you arrived, don’t forget to deposit back your one way ticket to the vending machine and collect SGD1 for eachticket. So meaning that from Al Junied and you’re heading to Changi Airport will be SGD3.60, you’re actually paying SGD2.60. So you can plan your budget more from there.

My favorite place to stay is at 98sg which is located at Geylang and it is very near to Al Junied MRT Station, less than 5 minutes walk. The caretaker was very friendly (you can refer to Kay), and she’ll take care of your stay. The room was shared dormitory type as 1 room will be having 2 double decker beds and also private rooms. The prices for dormitory beds are ranged SGD22-35 (estimated around RM50) and private rooms SGD80-200 (estimated around RM150 to 300). The best thing is you can leave a deposit of your own currency, but make sure it is not less than RM50.

Slide @ t3, an attraction at Terminal 3

I took a ride to Changi Airport to checkout their Hard Rock Café but the actual location was at the Terminal 3 Transit Area. So it is hard for normal guess to enter unless you are on transit for another flight. Don’t worry about that, the staff are friendly enough to assist you even they don’t even receive any tips!!! So I bought myself a shot glass which has a T3 picture on it rather than a Classic Singapore type which I already bought it long time ago.

I then proceed to Bugis Station for a dinner which I will be having Nasi Ayam Penyet (Squashed Chicken Rice) at a mamak restaurant across Bugis Junction. This is the place where I will definitely come if I come to Singapore. My normal menu will be Nasi Ayam Penyet with iced Milo worth SGD6. Most of the foods here are quite reasonable so don’t worry about getting more food in your tummy. Most of them are definitely delicious as it is recommended.

christmas tree at Bugis Junction

Bugis Junction is a shopping mall where you can find various designer brands and also a cinema. Don’t forget to cross the road where you can find a night market which sells souvenirs and different type of clothing. The prices are definitely affordable and cheap.

The next day I went to Sentosa Island, where this is also a place where I’ll surely go whenever my visit to Singapore. This time I didn’t enter Universal Studios yet because the closure of 1 of the main roller coaster, Battlestar Galactica. So I just covered the outside area of Universal Studios. Don’t forget to dropby the all new Hard Rock Café Sentosa, where I completed my Singapore collection after bought 1 there.

this is the "cursed" signboard

You need to book the ticket online to enter Universal Studios (http://www.rwsentosa.com/language/en-US/Attractions/UniversalStudiosSingapore) way early as the tickets are always SOLD OUT. Even the signboard that says the tickets were sold out seems like a permanent signboard. Hehe~ Not much to cover here besides taking pictures at the surroundings and also the famous “UNIVERSAL earth”. I then hopped on the monorail and proceed to Imbiah Lookout Station where I would like to get around the island.

me in front of Merlion at Merlion Park

Once depart from the Monorail, you can see the Sentosa tower view and also the 4D Magix. During my visit it was still the Extreme Log ride. You can walk straight to the Merlion Park and take a picture with the biggest Merlion statue in Singapore. You can get a bus and head straight to Siloso beach where ZoukOut Sentosa location is.

ZoukOut signboard at Siloso Beach

The beach was full of sands and you can even swim at the seaside. There are lifeguards who are in charge of the visitors who swim to make sure that nothing bad happens. From Siloso Beach, head straight to Palawan Beach and make sure to cross the suspension bridge and head to Southern Most Point of of Continental Asia. Yes you’re at the most southern part. Enjoy the view!!!

chicken rice & sirap bandung on lunch

At Palawan Beach you can find a foodcourt if you are planning to take a rest and grab some food. There are various of foods that you can try where the price are not as expensive as you think.

the big wave at Wave House

During your walk to Palawan Beach, don’t forget to stop over at Wave House, a combination of restaurant, bar and also beachwear boutique. It is also the place where you can try the artificial surfboarding. There are two types of surfboarding, the smaller wave which can accommodate 2 person and the big wave which is similar to the one at Maui, Hawaii!!! What a spectacular view as you can see the surfers are getting their hands on the big wave. You can refer on any activities such as parties or how much you need to pay to try surfing.

Songs of the Sea show times

It was a splendid walk around the area, once you’re done, don’t forget to catch the Songs of the Sea show and also try the Segway. Songs of the Sea showtimes are at 7.40pm and 8.40pm everyday.

Jazz @ The Esplanade

I then made a move and proceed to The Esplanade to catch a free jazz show. The location of the stage show is opposite of The Merlion statue at Clarke Quay. You can catch it every Friday and Saturday starting at 6.00pm until 8.00pm. They will start their sound test from 5.30pm onwards. Just grab a popcorn or chips, sit back, relax and enjoy the music while viewing the tremendous atmosphere facing the lake.

view of The Marina Bay Sands from The Esplanade

Once you’re at the area, do checkout the new attraction, The Marina Bay Sands, a 3 tower hotel, shopping mall and also a Skypark where you can view the whole Singapore city on a deck which resembles an ark. You need to go to Tower 1, head down by using the escalator and head up straight on a lift to the Skypark. Entrance for an adult will be SGD20 and SGD14 for children aged 2-12 years old)

checkout those tracks!!!

Besides Universal Studios, there is another theme park which is located at Pasir Ris. It is called Escape theme park where it is smaller and the 1^st theme park in Singapore. To reach here, use the MRT and depart at Pasir Ris Station, walk about 20 minutes across the park until you reach a shopping mall, White Sands. Escape theme park is just behind of the shopping mall. You can choose to buy per entry ticket which includes all attraction rides or you can pay a single ticket based on any ride you prefer. You can refer to Escape theme park website (http://www.escapethemepark.com.sg/details.aspx?id=6906) for more details on the pay per ride prices. 1 of my favorite rides where I arrived here is the Daytona Advanced Go Kart Track. Make sure you don’t miss a chance to try, you’ll sure love it.

There are so many things to do at Singapore depending on your itinerary. Whether you would like to visit the Night Safari or go clubbing, you still can save a lot if you know how to budget yourself in this metropolitan city. The main thing is to keep on your expenditure low so that you can enjoy more on other things especially the food!!!

for more pictures on this trip, kindly refer to my Facebook photo album: 

Singapore 2010:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2100559&id=1372841986&l=1db012bb90

Weekend outing @ Singapore:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2014063&id=1372841986&l=957a201cf7

Winter Seoul 2011 Part V

Final day starts early as I checked out from Banana Backpackers as early as 6.30am. We're heading to Gangnam Station as the bus to Everland will take around 45 minutes to 1 hour. It was Wednesday, people are rushing to work. You can see this Metropolitan city really makes as the people moves fast to catch each train.

Seocho @ Gangnam

It is a normal scenario in major cities all over the world. It is actually a very unique experience to see as we can learn and adapt to the local activities. Probably there are some point that differentiate us compare to theirs. 

Touch you T Money or pay cash

Busses to Everland departs from Gangnam every 15 minutes. You need to take bus no. 5002 which costs you around KRW1,600. To those who still have their T Money, just tap it on the sensor and you're good to go. I just noticed that my balance was low so I pay cash. Not a problem thou, they'll still give you change for sure. For more info on the transportation ways to Everland, you can visit the link provided above. You should inform the bus driver that you're going to Everland so that he can give you the exact fare. Don't worry if you don't know where to get off as the bus will have an announcement if you're reaching the station. So sit back, relax and enjoy the ride.

I've covered my sleep time during the journey as it was a heavy traffic at Gangnam so I can't really enjoy the snowy view outside. 

view of the Everland shuttle bus stop

Once arrived, you can see there's another bus stop across from where the bus stop where you got off. You need to cross the road and look for a bus stop which you can see Everland shuttle bus is waiting for you.

On your right will be another station which various feeder busses are. There are busses that heading back to Gangnam, Incheon, Yocchan and other various places. Hop on the shuttle bus, it's free and it'll take you straight to Everland entrance as the journey will take you around 10 minutes.

Ticket price

Everland is open everyday. Kindly check on the schedule for the park operating hours. Tickets price is KRW37,000 for adults and KRW28,000. Details on ticket prices can be seen here. Don’t forget to check on their websites often if you’re planning to visit Everland as sometimes they even offer a discount voucher only for foreigners.

Fancy buildings once enter Everland

From outside Everland, you can see buildings with designs as you’re in a cartoon. From the map you can refer and plan your way through this theme park. I left my red backpack at the locker room, surprisingly there’s a big locker space for tourists who bring large bags. Very convenient indeed.

The Hurricane

We then proceed to checkout on the buildings in Everland and I proceed straight to 1 of the rides called The Hurricane. Just imagine my 1^st time riding a ride during winter. Shivering cold~ It was definitely a fun ride, can’t find it in Malaysia. My next ride will be The Rodeo.

getting ready for the ride

We then walked past a beautiful garden and found ourselves in front of a kiddy roller coaster called Racing Coaster. This is similar to Buffalo Bill Coaster at Sunway Lagoon theme park. Looks like Adam loves it as this is his 1^st time riding a roller coaster.

Rolling X Train tracks

We then split as I will cover the main attraction, the roller coasters!!! Looking at the view, there are 2 main rollercoasters, Rolling X Train and T Express. Some of the rides were closed during winter seasons and that includes T Express as well. Too bad thou~ I straight went to find Rolling X Train which was located at the New York side. Here you can find Let’s Twist and Rock n Roll. Let’s Twist opened quite late around 11pm so I proceed to have 2 rounds of Rolling X Train and then Rock n Roll. Rock n Roll was quite similar as Tornado at Dunia Fantasi, Jakarta. It’s just that this ride is smaller, and the turns are not as crazy as Tornado.

View of 4 Seasons Square from Festival Train

I then walked downwards to the 4 Seasons Square where you can see the winter decorations are taken place. This 4 Seasons Square changes with the season as well. From here you can ride the Festival Train that will bring you around the square.

Right after I covered the square, we meetup again and proceed to the centre square where there are Welcoming Parade starts. (apologies for the video quality)

We don’t missed a chance to take pictures with the characters and dancers. They are dressed up and the characters were like Disney characters. Its just that they have their own mascot and characters as a trademark of the park.

I'm C, scored 6,400 points :D

When Nazlee and family decided to take a break for a light snack, I then proceed to the Mysterious Mansion. At first I thought it was a ghost house but I was wrong. It’s a shooting ride where the rider sits on a moving vehicle while shooting at a green light. This will activate some movements from the mechanic ghosts. Try your best to shoot as many as you can, there will be a score for you at the end of the ride. My score that time was 6,400. See if you can pass my score. Hehe~

Chicken Popcorn with mustard

The next ride will be The Rotating House. Kind of odd but let’s give it a try. It’s a house where the rider sits on a platform, and it feels like the whole house is rotating 360 degrees!!! This is definitely one of the new experience I had at Everland. I proceed to the place where my friends are having lunch, just grab a simple chicken popcorn worth KRW3,800. I can’t really eat much as the excitement at a theme park really makes me forget about my lil tummy.

watching the introduction scene in Zootopia 4D

Me, Nazlee and Adam then tried the Zootopia 4D Motion Master. It was definitely entertaining with the storyline about the Zootopia characters are given a responsibility to protect a crystals from the evil. Can’t enjoy much as there are no subtitle so you can just enjoy the cinematic 4D experience.

my 1st time watching a Liger LIVE!!!

We then head to the rabbit performance where they showed a rabbit race through obstacles. Just enjoying the performance as then we proceed to the Safari. You will be riding a bus and the bus will take you inside the cage where you can see various of animals inside the cages. During our visit, there are tigers, lions, bears and even liger (lion + tiger breed) and white tiger!!! It was so close that you can even see the bears are just next to you!!! The driver then gave some information about the animals while giving the bears some food so you can see those grizzly bears just stand and wait for us to come.

Sea Lion Stadium show about to start

Once done, we walked through a various of animals that was kept in a cage. This the same setup as Wildlife Park at Sunway Lagoon. Once we covered most of the animals, we then head to Sea Lion Stadium where the sea lion show will starts soon. It was definitely entertaining as the animals were trained and performed based on a storyline which in the Musketeer’s era. The show was around 20 minutes.

u can't miss this!!!

Next we headed to the Alpine Village where the next attraction, Snow Buster awaits!!! This is definitely an experience that one must never forget. You grab a tube from the counter, head straight along the elevator uphill and slide down a snowy hill. How cool is that!!! We can’t get enough of this as we were going up and down for a few times.

Let's Twist!!!

As the time reaches 4.30pm, I need to start moving as I have to catch a bus back to Gangnam Station, and then the Airport Limousin straight to Incheon Airport. Just afraid that I’ll be stuck in the jam as calculated, I’ll be arriving airport around 8.30-9.00pm and my flight back to Kuala Lumpur is 11.20pm. Still got much time but I can’t hesitate. It’s time to make a move but before that, 1 last round of the Rolling X Train and finally, Let’s Twist!!!

Boy it was such an incredible experience at Everland. I managed to catch a bus back to Gangnam and waited for the Airport Limousin. It was quite confusing as I don’t know where to take the bus. Since the signboard was at the roadside, there’s also bus stops in the middle of the road. Right after a bus arrived, I straight asked the driver on how to go to Incheon Airport but sadly he didn’t understand me. Luckily there’s a lady who really speaks English very well, assisted me that the bus was from airport and I need to cross the road and wait at the bus stop opposite of where I’m waiting currently.

The system for the busses at Seoul was definitely amazed me. They’re using GPS tracking system as you can see a LCD display showing the bus number and how long will it takes to arrive at the station. When I arrived at the bus stop, bus no 6011 will be arriving another 9 minutes and from what I seen on the massive traffic jam, the bus really arrived 9 minutes later!!!

Lotteria Beeper card

The fare was KRW12,000 and I was managed to arrived at Incheon Airport around 9.00pm. I then had a light dinner at Lotteria and waited for my flight home. The best thing about Lotteria is they are using a waiting system which I haven't seen anything like it here in Malaysia. If you need to wait for your food to be served, they will give you a beeper card which then will beep and vibrate to inform you that your food is ready. This will make it convenient for both you and the staff itself rather than to find who is the person who is waiting for the food.

As a conclusion, Seoul was definitely a MUST place to visit. Since you don’t require a visa, it’s very convenience as most of the signboards are in English as well. So there will be no issue on going around without keep on relying on the locals. Hope the tips and guides for Seoul will assist you on your next budget trip to Seoul!!!

for more pictures on this trip, kindly refer to my Facebook photo album: 

Winter Seoul 2011 Part 1

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2108578&id=1372841986&l=5ed3f7da79

Winter Seoul 2011 Part 2  

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2108690&id=1372841986&l=4da372f265
Winter Seoul 2011 Part 3

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2108697&id=1372841986&l=9062e7ae64
Winter Seoul 2011 Part 4

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2108700&id=1372841986&l=bfa5efec98
Winter Seoul 2011 Part 5

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2108704&id=1372841986&l=09db5937c3

Winter Seoul 2011 Part IV

Day 4 starts quite late for me as we're taking a break after 3 days in a row had an early start. Don't worry thou, Seoul have lots to offer to it's visitors and I mean LOTS!!! So we're heading to our own destination first before meetup and starts our day 4 Seoul adventure.

King Sejong's Museum entrance

Since I've gotten the directions to King Sejong's Square from Jaja, I head straight to the destination since it's only around 20-30mins of walking distance from Anguk. The museum only opens at 10.30am and the admission is FREE. But it closed on Mondays so lucky I went there on Tuesday and got the chance to see what's inside. I'm not really a fan of visiting a museum thou but visiting King Sejong's Museum really opened my eyes especially the introduction video on the wall.

hundreds of notes which I need to browse through

I then proceed deep inside the museum when I found hundreds of notes posted on the wall. Well this is the main reason I'm here thou. I'm not so sure from when and until when these notes will be here but at least my "Amazing Race" challenge will be completed. So now I need to search from hundreds of notes and reply her message. It was quite tough at the moment to browse through each 1 of the notes but I managed to get the previous picture which she sent and try to figure out the location. 

chain notes from Malaysia, what a view~

Not much of a problem when I saw her note and reply back. There were empty notes, pen and tapes for you to leave your messages. Can't sure what type of message but I think its to wish happiness and a prosperity new year for all people (I think). Then its time to leave a message to another colleague which he plans to go around June. Wish him good luck to find this note, IF they were still there thou. hehe~

I then proceed on looking around what does this museum offers. There were a lot of history stuff, on how their astronomer can read stars and the devices they used during war. Not much on other things besides the full story of King Sejong on animation which they showed it on TV there.

countries who have supported South Korea

progress of the Korean war

picture taken from satellite during night

Once settled at the museum, I then walked out of the museum and head straight to Gyeongbukgung Palace where I saw a row of display pictures. I then approached across the road and saw a display about South Korea war with North Korea. This was to remember those countries who have contributed to the growth of South Korea (Republic of Korea). I was really into it when I would like to find what are the reason these two countries would like to have war on each other. So I found out that they were influenced by the Soviets and communists from China at that time. What amaze me was a picture by satellite at night that shows the difference of North and South Korea where the northern country was totally in darkness where other countries surrounded were full of lights.

I then proceed to Gwanghwamun Station and continue my journey to Dongdaemun History and Culture Park where I meet my friend and we continue back our journey. We're planning to go Namdaemun again to browse through the market during day time and see if there are any differences compare to night time. At least I can still find the "wolf snowcap" that I've always wanted~

bear and wolf. ain't we cute? :D

We arrived and our expectations was true, it was totally crowded and full of stalls. I even got myself the "wolf snowcap" with just KRW10,000. The best part is it comes with a long stretch of paw, which you can use it to cover your ears and cover your and if it's get too freezing.

Looks like this lil kid doesn't want to be left behind so his parents gets him a very very very cheap bear snowcap for only KRW2,000!!! Well look at that, who said that you need to pay more when shop at Seoul? We've prove it to you that if you know where to shop at the right place, you can get the best deal.

We then continue our walk through the market and bought a fresh, big strawberry for only KRW4,000. It was sold inside a plastic container with 15-20 big strawberries inside.

checkout those strawberries!!!

After we done for our final shopping at Namdaemun, we then catch a train to Yongdeongpo to find Seoul's Time Square. I think most of the tourists doesn't know that Seoul have a Time Square and we're about to find out.

We arrived at the Yongdeongpo Station, not much here to do but the station was quite big. This is actually 1 of the Korean Train Express (KTX) station, Seoul's bullet train like The Shinkansen from Japan. KTX connects from Incheon airport straight to Seoul city stations. You can buy the tickets by online at KTX website or proceed straight to their counter at arrival hall.

Seoul Time Square

Times Square located 15 minutes walk from Yongdeongpo Station. Just like normal shopping mall, the building was combined with Shinsegae. Most of the decoration was on Valentines Day since during the day we visited is nearly reaching Valentines Day.

Just like normal shopping mall, at least we've covered Seoul's Times Square. We then proceed to find some good local food. Most of the foods here are seafood and Korean BBQ. It's been a while since I would like to try on their local BBQ especially Bulgogi (beef). We walked into alleys and surveyed each of the shops to find some good menus and affordable price.

cheap Korean BBQ place

the set itself

very cute girl serving us

Our search stops at 1 of the BBQ restaurant, which I'm not really sure what's the meaning (since it's in Korean). So we sat down and the menu was all written in Korean so we sat down and order. Since the owner was very friendly to help us to order, so we proceed on having bulgogi set which worth only KRW17,000 for 3 pax. At first we're quite confuse since the only thing on the menu that we know is 17,000 and 3. So we thought that the set contains 3 stuff and the price will be KRW17,000 each. What the heck!!! Just eat and let's see the result. If it's good then definitely worth but if it's isn't, then at least we've tried right?

Then came this 1 cute girl and served us. that's not the only thing that amazed us, it's the food as well. The beef was juicy and was perfectly done. (eventhough it's only medium cooked, still nice indeed). So we set to order extra rice since the set came non stop (i.e kimchi, salad, coleslow) and the beef portions are A LOT!!! so we ate like nobody's business and finish up anything that was on the table, forgetting about how much we need to pay for each 1 of us.

When it's time to pay, we're definitely shocked because the amount stated was only KRW20,000!!! With all those portions, it was absolutely worth paying. To those who would like to try, I can't really remember the exact location but when u walked out from Yongdeongpo Station, head straight to Daiso on the right, keep walk straight and you'll see an alley on your right. Turn right and start your search based on my picture of the shop signboard as above. Good luck on your food hunting at Yongdeongpo!!!

We then head back straight where tomorrow will be my last day at Seoul. We'll be covering Everland which 1 of the biggest theme park in Seoul besides Lotte World.

for more pictures on this trip, kindly refer to my Facebook photo album: 

Winter Seoul 2011 Part 1

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2108578&id=1372841986&l=5ed3f7da79

Winter Seoul 2011 Part 2  

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2108690&id=1372841986&l=4da372f265
Winter Seoul 2011 Part 3

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2108697&id=1372841986&l=9062e7ae64
Winter Seoul 2011 Part 4

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2108700&id=1372841986&l=bfa5efec98
Winter Seoul 2011 Part 5

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2108704&id=1372841986&l=09db5937c3

Winter Seoul 2011 Part III

Day 3 starts quite early as I woke up around 5.30pm for our Nami Island adventure. As usual I took a warm shower and get ready for a new day discovering Winter Seoul.

direct shuttle to Nami Island

Packages available to Nami Island are inclusive of return shuttle from Insa-Dong, ferry from the wharf and also admission ticket. The fare is KRW23,000 for adult and KRW17,000 for children. You can refer Nami Island website for more details on the island. The bus leaves at 9.20am and you should make a reservation 1st. Preferably to make reservation once you arrive there for easier arrangements or else you can call directly using international lines.

people are queuing to get on board

You can pay the fare once onboard the bus as the driver will then give you return bus ticket, ferry ticket and also admission ticket. The bus journey will be around 1 hour depending on traffic conditions. Once you arrive at the ferry wharf, you need to wait for the ferry which the schedule is between 15 minutes.

Kindly take note that the return bus to Insa-Dong will be at 4pm so please set your alarm so that you won't be left behind. Ferry journey from the wharf to the island only takes around 5-10mins. You can opt to go out on the deck to view the scenery around the river or just stay inside the boat if you would like to keep yourself warm.

view during winter

Once you arrive, there'll be a WELCOME signage in various languages. Then you can proceed to go around the island based on the map given. The island can be during any climate but the best to visit is during winter. If you refer to the map, there will be a few "hearts" which is the location where Winter Sonata drama was shot. We took a walk straight to see General Nami's tomb and then proceed straight to Central White Pine Tree Lane where all the trees are aligned along the walkway. This is also a scene in the drama where they ride a bike together along the lane.

Straight ahead is all the attractions such as UNICEF Hall, Sonata Convenient Store and also Winter Sonata Photo Gallery. You can find lots of souvenirs in the convenient store and view some pictures during their drama shoot in the photo gallery.

We proceed southwards of the island and reached Metasequoia Lane. Once you arrived there, you can see on your right is the bicycle they used in the drama. We then proceed along the walkway until we reached Sequoia Family Garden and Meta Wharf. Not much things to do here besides admiring the view across the river. We proceed along the Bungalow Row White Pine Tree Lane until we saw a few bungalows for rent.

shake shake the rice with omelet pancake

Lover's Woods is our next destination. Most of the trees here are dried up so you can just see plain white snow everywhere. Based on the map, there are a few food place where you can choose to eat. Our target is the "Shake Kimchi Rice" which is quite unique. Don't worry, there's logo HALAL in front of the shop. To get here you need to walk back to the island central where this shop is only located in front of the UNICEF Hall.

The price for the rice is KRW4,000 and the omelet pancake is KRW6,000. Once you ordered, just sit down and wait for the food to be served. Once arrived, they'll give you a glove where you need to shake the metal box which consists of rice, kimchi and some sauce. Shake it well and you can see the results yourself~ :)

1st kiss scene

Then we proceed to the Winter Sonata First Kiss area where the shot the 1st kiss scene in the drama. You need to cross a bridge to get here and you can see a picnic table with 2 snowman's on top of the table. This resembles the snowman which those 2 couples did during the shot.

I'm not watching Winter Sonata so I don't really know what these actors do in the drama. So there are a few signage where they show scenes from the drama so that a non-watcher like me can related it to the drama. Cool enough thou, so you better watch the drama before or after visiting Nami Island!!!

We catch the ferry back to the bus station around 3.30pm where our bus leaves Nami Island ferry wharf around 4pm. Once arrived back at Insa-Dong, we browsed a few shops where there are souvenirs that is really cheap for tourists to shop around. I bought for my siblings a pair of Korea T-Shirts each which only costs me around KRW3,000 each.

We then proceed to Anguk Station and again to Myung Dong to continue our look-look see-see activities. Well I thought I can get myself a "wolf snowcap" thou so it's time to get 1 souvenir for myself as well~ :)

Angry Bird soft toy

Once arrived at Myung Dong market, not much to see as we just browsed through some stuff, which I saw this Angry Bird soft toys worth KRW10,000. Well the size is not that big thou. There's another size which is bigger, if I'm not mistaken its worth KRW20,000. So I just got myself this red bird, which is the main "hero" of the game, at least I can make a few peeps back in KL jealous. hahah~

Another best part is the winter clothing prices are very very cheap. If you would like to visit winter countries, do buy some winter clothings here. You can get a very cheap price for a snow cap, ear warmer, some nice jacket and boots for only KRW10,000!!! Let's try to convert it to RM which during my visit was KRW10,000 equals to RM28.00. Still can't believe me do you?

That wraps up my visit on the 3rd day. More stories will be continued on Part IV for my "love note" challenge at King Sejong's Museum and our journey to Namdaemun market for my 4th day adventure of Seoul~

for more pictures on this trip, kindly refer to my Facebook photo album: 

Winter Seoul 2011 Part 1

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2108578&id=1372841986&l=5ed3f7da79

Winter Seoul 2011 Part 2  

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2108690&id=1372841986&l=4da372f265
Winter Seoul 2011 Part 3

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2108697&id=1372841986&l=9062e7ae64
Winter Seoul 2011 Part 4

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2108700&id=1372841986&l=bfa5efec98
Winter Seoul 2011 Part 5

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2108704&id=1372841986&l=09db5937c3