info updated 2023

For years I had only seen Seoul inside Incheon Airport on my stop-overs. Modern, easy to navigate, and with lots of shopping and cultural activities to occupy your time, the airport made a rather positive impression. So I was excited when I headed to Seoul for a week. From Singapore, it’s about a six-hour flight.

Capital of South Korea, Seoul is a massive city, a blend of the new and the old. Contemporary architecture. Buddhist temples, traditional homes, and palaces. A week was far too short to properly see this very interesting place.

Park Hyatt, Seoul

The Park Hyatt is a beautiful modern hotel in the Gangnam area of Seoul. Close to a train station, even though it’s located in a business centre, I could easily reach the tourist sights, food markets, and shopping. The floor-to-ceiling windows in the room gave excellent views. Photographing the streets below yielded interesting geometry and light play.

The reception and lobby are located on the 24th floor. From arrival to departure, the hotel service and hospitality was nothing less than you’d expect. As Seoul is full of food options, the only meals I had at the hotel were the delicious breakfast buffet, a dinner, and a whiskey tasting at the dark smokey cigar bar.

Park Hyatt Seoul 606, Teheran-ro, Gangnam-gu Seoul

Ssamzigil

This concrete four-storey complex is located at the centre of Insa-dong (인사동) and houses independent and trendy shops. You can find clothing and accessories, traditional crafts, and food. I love all things handcrafted and was happy to find porcelain and pottery in some of the shops.

I also love the architecture, spiraling up, with the open courtyard. I’m not a big fan of shopping malls because it feels claustrophobic and devoid of natural light. Being outdoors while window shopping and hopping in whenever something piqued my interest was an enjoyable and leisurely experience. Be sure to walk up to the roof garden. I went near sundown and the beautiful light was perfect for golden hour images.

Judging from the most recent reviews, this is still a must-go if you are looking for something different and ready to bump into interesting souvenirs. It seems like it’s standing the tide of time.

Insa-dong is in the heart of the city and where both locals and tourists go for cultural events, antique shops, galleries, tea shops, and cafés. Winding alleyways lead from the main street which is closed to cars on the weekend.

Ssamzigil 44, Insadong-gil, Jongno-gu. Anguk Station (Line 3) Exit 6 Seoul

Changgyeonggung 창경궁

There are five palaces in Seoul. For a short trip, visiting all five would have been too much so I chose Changgyeonggung. Some people may prefer Gyeongbokgung, the main palace or Changdeokgung, which has a Secret Garden.

Many palace buildings are reconstructions. Even while most at the East Palace complex (Changgyeonggung and Changdeokgung Palace) date from 1600s to 1800s, they still aren’t original. Those were destroyed in the 1500s. These two palaces are connected and can be entered through a gate in the garden.

This palace was built in 1484 during the Joseon Dynasty by King Seongjong. Expanded for his grandmother, mother, and aunt, the palace’s name was changed from that of the old palace there, Suganggug, to its current name. During the Japanese colonial period, Changgyeonggung Palace was made into a park. In 1983, its designation as a palace resumed and restoration work began.

Against the grey skies, the beautiful cherry blossoms were a stunning and surprising display.

Go dressed in the traditional hanbok and get free entrance to the palaces in Seoul. That would have been an interesting walk back in time. Next time.

Changgyeonggung 185 Changgyeonggung-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul

Bukchon Hanok Village 

The next stop after the palace visit was the 600-year-old Bukchon Hanok Village. This might have been my favourite part of the city. The traditional houses, or the hanok, of these narrow streets date back to the Joseon Dynasty, where nobility resided on large plots of land. It was later divided into smaller lots, with houses built close together, in the arrangement found today. While most remain private homes, many have been converted to cafés, restaurants, guest houses, artisan workshops, and shops. The juxtaposition of natural and man-made materials and of ancient and modern designs was pure eye candy.

Food Markets

When you walk around in Seoul, there is an abundance of food vendors, markets, and shops. Seoul’s oldest and perhaps most well-known is Namdaemun Market. Dating back to the 1400s, parts of this market go 24/7. There sure was a lot of food to sample, even if your tastebuds don’t tolerate spiciness, like mine.

For me, the default Korean food order is vegetarian bibimbap. This is a bowl of warm rice mixed with seasoned vegetables. The meat version comes with beef and an egg.

I also dip into the banchan, Korean tapas or the small dishes that come before the main dish.

What else? Rice rolls with sesame seeds and vegetables, fishcakes, chewy rice cakes, and seafood or mung bean pancakes. Plenty to eat.

For the meat-eater or more adventurous foodie, you can try soondae, a sausage plate with perilla leaf and lung, the famous Ginseng Chicken soup, bulgogi, handmade dumplings, fried chicken, and a variety of meat-on-a-stick. There is no shortage of meat options.

Then there are all kinds of desserts and drinks. Red-bean or custard filled fish-shaped pastry. Candied strawberries. All kinds of ice-cream.

Seoul By Night

The dark transforms Seoul, like most Asian cities, into a light show. Laneways are lit by neon signs advertising all kinds of food and services. Long into the night, food vendors continue dishing out to long lines.

One night I headed down to Cheonggyecheon, a 10+ km stretch of public space downtown Seoul. An urban renewal and beautification project, this recreation space includes a stream to invite more nature and eco-friendly design into this busy part of the city. You can cross on the two bridges, Narae and Gwanggyo or literally hop across on the stepping stones.

That night, the walls alongside the stream were a curation of artwork. Strolling by the water, visitors were treated to a light show. Friends, lovers, and families had the same idea for a relaxing night. If you visit in November, you’ll be treated to lantern designs to celebrate the Korean Lantern Festival.

Getting to Cheonggyecheon is easy by subway. You can take Subway Line 5 to Gwanghwamun Station (Exit 5), Seoul Subway Line 1 or 2 to City Hall Station (Exit 4). Both will situate you near Cheonggye Plaza, at the start of the stream.

Taepyeong-ro 1-ga, Jung-gu, Seoul

All photos taken with a Canon 5D MKII