Korea Travel Packages from Malaysia

Back in the day, Korea was popular only because of the Winter Sonata but over the years, much has changed where Korean dramas and the KPOP music scene took the world over.

In 2012, when Korean superstar Psy shook the world with his Gangnam Style, Korea became one of the most popular places to visit. 

However, the capital of Samsung is definitely one of the must-visit places of north Asia if you have not been there before. Below is my personal experience visiting Seoul in early 2013.

Many agents in Kuala Lumpur have been promoting Korea Tour Packages for ages and have now embarked on more interesting creations to their packages. 

However, the food and overall culture is something that everyone should experience. I stayed at one of the most popular areas in Seoul called Myeongdong, which is a massive shopping district.

Access via subway is hassle free as everything is in dual language so moving around Seoul for me was not an issue. 

The best time to visit Korea would be in Spring or Autumn when the weather is just nice, not too hot or not too cold.

Unless of course you love the cold, January and February would be a nice time to explore. Get those winter jackets ready!

If you are a city lover, Seoul and Busan is highly recommended as there are unlimited choices for shopping, food and entertainment.

Korea is well known for their fashion therefore there are areas dedicated to this like Dongdaemun, Myeongdong and Namdaemun.

In these three places alone, there are over a hundred shopping centers and malls that do latest Korean fashion in retail or even wholesale.

There are even underground shopping malls that link the subway stations so it is shop till you drop here. You should be pleased to know that it is the Korea Grand Sale 2013 this year too and sales are just about everywhere. 

You have these in almost every corner of the city including in the subways. Top brands like Misha, Nature Republic, Skin Food, Face Shop and Tony Moly dominate the skin care industry here.

There are also BB Cream for men only too. Face masks are one of the top sellers here so check these out. One of the popular places for these products are at the Myeongdong Shopping District. 

So do not expect another city there. This place is more suited for the nature and adventure lover. Getting here requires either ferry or flights so one need to plan well, unless of course you are taking a tour package.

Only if you have that free time, then go an visit this place. As for me, I was on a tight schedule therefore I missed the chance.

I kid you not when I make this statement, even speaking to a Korean lady who has been working in Kuala Lumpur, she too acknowledged that the Korean food in Malaysia, even run by Koreans is simply not the same as back home. 

The Korean BBQ’s are a must try and as for me, I picked one of the smaller restaurants located on the first floor of a building only to rediscover the real Korean food.

The bottom line, when you visit Korea, try the food and you be the judge.You will be surprised. Note that the food is not cheap though.

It is slightly on the high side too. (For the Malaysians – Think of it this way, eating Nasi Lemak in America will not be the same as back home right?)

A walk there took me about 15 minutes and then a cable car ride up to the hill. From the hill, the view of Seoul was spectacular while there is the Namsan Tower where you can go even higher for a view.

Teddy Bear Museum in Seoul

There is also the Teddy Bear Museum located here with a collection of hundreds of classic teddy bears, only if you are into cute teddy bears. 

An interesting twist, you see the strong resemblance to the Chinese styled palaces. But since it was winter, snow covered most of the area which was rather nice.

A small stream by the palace was also frozen and for me, my first time seeing this so it was an eye opener.

Psy promoting the Gangnam area at one of the restaurants

So what was Gangnam? On the last and final day of my stay, a 30 minute train ride to the district answered all my questions.

Sorry but you will have to go there on your own to experience it as I will not disclose what I saw here. Let the mystery remain.  One tip – The coffee cafes here are not too bad. 

What used to cost RM7000 those days now only cost half the price per person and this includes some decent travel deals which includes four to five star hotel stays.

Tours and meals are included with English speaking guides so you will not have to buy that Korean dictionary.  

For the independent or adventurous traveler, there are always promotional flight tickets from AirAsia where you can explore Korea on your own.

As I mentioned above, moving around the country is simple as there are English notices and signs available.

It is not difficult to move around while basic accommodations can be found from around RM100-RM150 a night.

My February trip, I stayed a a guesthouse with air-condition and heater with attached bathroom and TV in the heart of Myeongdong for RM140 a night and for two persons!

Also don’t forget the Matta Fair Korea packages as there may be special packages on sale during the
travel fair where you can get some interesting Korea travel packages in Malaysia.