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Korea in April/May (1 Viewer)

Ari

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The family will be doing a trip in late April/early May (I know it's early--but that's how I plan trips) and we have Korea as a stopover so I thought of spending around four days there. I'll be travelling with my wife and our kid who'll be 16 months old by then.

None of us have ever been there so I'd like to get recommendations on everything:
1. Itinerary
2. Hotels - convenient, clean & safe
3. Food - probably the most important part of the trip...we love Korean food!!
4. Shopping - what can be bought cheaply and where??

Any tips will be appreciated!!
 

Lew Crippen

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What is your hotel budget Ari?

I'm sure that you have checked this out already, but so you are aware, Seoul is a fair way from the airport. I've not been there for a few years, so there might be other options, but a bus to a hotel is probably the cheapest way to get to the city.

I'll think of some suggestions.
 

ChristopherDAC

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One caveat: as you will notice from a map, Korea is nestled up against Siberia. As she gets less benefit from the Kuroshiwo [Japan Current] than does Japan, the winters are long and bitter. You will need to be prepared for the weather.
 

Ari

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I don't really have my finger on hotel prices in Seoul and I don't know what chains have a presence in Korea. Let's say that when I travel in the US, I usually end up staying in a Marriot or a Courtyard...I try to avoid Holiday Inns and I can't afford the Four Seasons.
 

Dennis Nicholls

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I spent late March through early May in Korea back in 1982...it's by far the best time of the year in the country.
 

Mark Romero

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The JW Marriott in Seoul is very nice and not too expensive. Around $200 a night. The bus from Inchon airport to the Marriott takes about 50 minutes. Food in the hotel is expensive of course. There is a department store in the hotel complex that is nice but pretty expensive. I've heard Itaewon is the place to shop but I've never been there. I usually did my shopping in Songtan outside of Osan Air Base.
 

Amy Mormino

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I've spent about a year and a half in Seoul teaching and doing research. For shopping, I personally found Itaewon a bit overrated and overpriced, though it is the most accessible. You should check out a place called TechnoMart, which not only have floors of fine technological good at nice prices but lots of other types of stores and wonderful food markets.

You might also want to take your child to one of the theme parks. There's Lotte World, Seoul Land and Ever Land. Seoul Land has a zoo, rides and some beautiful mountain scenery. In spite of its pollution and traffic, Seoul has some wonderful, if rather rocky, mountains and many of them have Buddhist temples on the trails.

If you're lucky, you might catch the cherry blossom season. The area near the Yoido courtyard has some of the best cherry blossoms.

As for food, check out some of the Korean barbeque restaurants where you have a little grill on the table. They're great for groups, though bring a dictionary as few of them have English menus.
 

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