Korea Winter Trip 2016 (2-10 Dec) Part 1
It's been awhile since I lasted posted here. Really wanted to blog on my Korea trip last winter but didn't really had the time to do so because of the hectic month of competition and training. But I finally have the time to do so now, so here it goes...
My friends and I went to Korea for about 7 days (excluding 2 days worth of flight back and fro). Overall, I spent about $1,000 for both flight and accommodation, including the 1-day KORAIL PASS and the SIM Card. And the rest of your daily expenses (meals) & shopping is up to your own discretion. In this post, I will just mention on a few important points to take note of.
1. If you wish to have your own mobile data, it is best to apply for the EG SIM card online before you fly to Korea, at least 3-4 days in advance. All SIM cards have to be pre-ordered online so 1 point to take note. It's not very cheap, about $40 for 1 GB worth of data plus calling & msging. If you're planning to use SnapChat or even Instagram story while on your trip, I would highly recommend the 2 GB package. I almost died using the 1GB package because I was constantly updating photos and videos onto these social media platforms.
2. For flight, please try not to scrimp and save if you can, especially for long distance flights. We took Vietnam Airlines and Asiana Airlines so we had a transit in Vietnam for 3 hours. However, the flights were booked independently so there was no direct transit in the transit hall, which was a big mistake because, we exit Vietnam airport and re-entered back to Vietnam airport on the same day for our flight to Korea. Technically, you need a VISA to leave Korea if you enter from Vietnam, so we were "detained" in the airport for awhile, almost missing our morning flight back to Singapore. Luckily, the receptionist was understanding of our situation and managed to get us an emergency transit in vietnam even though we didn't really had one.
BUT, moral of the story is to either to stick to one airline if you're booking directly at the airline's website, or otherwise, 3rd party travel agents are pretty fine too. And always remember to check up on the visa requirements for whichever country you're planning to travel to next time.
3. So, how much clothes to bring during winter?
If you've not been to any winter country before, this might help. Try not to save on heat tech and winter coat and get really good ones because it can also save you from having to wear excessive layers of clothes. Since we went during early Dec, there wasn't any snow but the temperature was as cold as 4-7 degrees celsius in the day (that's in Seoul), and it can drop to 0 degrees celsius at night. My friend saved on heat tech and winter coat so she perpetually ended up freezing throughout and having to wear 5-6 layers at one point in time just to keep warm, while I survived with just 3-4 layers. Just 1 layer of heat tech, 1 normal wear and 1 winter coat/jacket is sufficient, with an optional windbreaker depending on the coldness. However, this also varies amongst different people. Depending on the number of days you'll be going and the period, 2-3 is enough. And I got my heat tech from UNIQLO at only $9.90 because they so happened to be on sale at the time when I was looking for heat techs. Otherwise, usual price is at $19.90. However, if you're really kiasu, then they do have the EXTRA WARM heat techs that cost $24.90. And mittens would be a good investment because the heat pads for hands actually got our fingers really dirty after awhile, so I stopped using the heat pads after awhile.
Got to go off now because of a friend's concert so Part 2 of the blog post will touch on the attractions and places we visited, but on another day! :) Will be back!
My friends and I went to Korea for about 7 days (excluding 2 days worth of flight back and fro). Overall, I spent about $1,000 for both flight and accommodation, including the 1-day KORAIL PASS and the SIM Card. And the rest of your daily expenses (meals) & shopping is up to your own discretion. In this post, I will just mention on a few important points to take note of.
1. If you wish to have your own mobile data, it is best to apply for the EG SIM card online before you fly to Korea, at least 3-4 days in advance. All SIM cards have to be pre-ordered online so 1 point to take note. It's not very cheap, about $40 for 1 GB worth of data plus calling & msging. If you're planning to use SnapChat or even Instagram story while on your trip, I would highly recommend the 2 GB package. I almost died using the 1GB package because I was constantly updating photos and videos onto these social media platforms.
2. For flight, please try not to scrimp and save if you can, especially for long distance flights. We took Vietnam Airlines and Asiana Airlines so we had a transit in Vietnam for 3 hours. However, the flights were booked independently so there was no direct transit in the transit hall, which was a big mistake because, we exit Vietnam airport and re-entered back to Vietnam airport on the same day for our flight to Korea. Technically, you need a VISA to leave Korea if you enter from Vietnam, so we were "detained" in the airport for awhile, almost missing our morning flight back to Singapore. Luckily, the receptionist was understanding of our situation and managed to get us an emergency transit in vietnam even though we didn't really had one.
BUT, moral of the story is to either to stick to one airline if you're booking directly at the airline's website, or otherwise, 3rd party travel agents are pretty fine too. And always remember to check up on the visa requirements for whichever country you're planning to travel to next time.
3. So, how much clothes to bring during winter?
If you've not been to any winter country before, this might help. Try not to save on heat tech and winter coat and get really good ones because it can also save you from having to wear excessive layers of clothes. Since we went during early Dec, there wasn't any snow but the temperature was as cold as 4-7 degrees celsius in the day (that's in Seoul), and it can drop to 0 degrees celsius at night. My friend saved on heat tech and winter coat so she perpetually ended up freezing throughout and having to wear 5-6 layers at one point in time just to keep warm, while I survived with just 3-4 layers. Just 1 layer of heat tech, 1 normal wear and 1 winter coat/jacket is sufficient, with an optional windbreaker depending on the coldness. However, this also varies amongst different people. Depending on the number of days you'll be going and the period, 2-3 is enough. And I got my heat tech from UNIQLO at only $9.90 because they so happened to be on sale at the time when I was looking for heat techs. Otherwise, usual price is at $19.90. However, if you're really kiasu, then they do have the EXTRA WARM heat techs that cost $24.90. And mittens would be a good investment because the heat pads for hands actually got our fingers really dirty after awhile, so I stopped using the heat pads after awhile.
Got to go off now because of a friend's concert so Part 2 of the blog post will touch on the attractions and places we visited, but on another day! :) Will be back!
Comments
Post a Comment