10 places must visit in Jeju, Korea

10 Places Must-Visit in Jeju Island, South Korea

Jeju Island is one of the 7 new wonders! The reasons that why you should visit Jeju Island in South Korea. Jeju, one of the 7 wonders...

10 places must visit in Busan, Korea

10 Places Must-Visit in Busan, South Korea

Second largest city in South Korea. Busan, which is the relaxing city for all kind of traveller, no matter you are on purpose of Business travel, Vacation Travel, Honeymoon Travel, Conference Travel, world travel, student travel or Full time Travel. Busan, the dynamic Busan...

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5 places must-go for ski and winter sports in South Korea!

People from other part of the world especially tropical countries or none 4 seasons countries, they somehow think about how actually the White Christmas look like in their own eyes with snow fall from the sky. Spend your winter in Korea near to Seoul!...

free to do in Busan, Seoul, jeju, Korea

10 free things to do in South Korea!

South Korea is one of the developed countries in the world and I am no doubt about its living expenses are much higher by comparing to developing countries, but in Seoul, Busan and Jeju ....

10 places must visit in Seoul, Korea

10 Places Must-Visit in Seoul, South Korea

There are many type of travel, Business Travel, Vacation Travel, Honeymoon Travel, Conference Travel, world travel and Full time Travel. Somehow, not all type of travel are long, never miss Seoul!...

Sunday, July 24, 2011

10 Places Must-Visit in Seoul, South Korea

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There are many types of travel, Business Travel, Vacation Travel, Honeymoon Travel, Conference Travel, world travel and Full time Travel. Somehow, not all types of travel have very much time to visit every single corner of the city or town. So, today I am going to share with you that " 10 Places Must-Visit in Seoul, South Korea " where you can to pack this 10 places to your desired time as you wish. 10 places that you must-visit in the ‘Soul of Asia’ with limited period. These 10 places cover sightseeing, shopping, enjoy nightlife, learn the cultures and history of Korean and try different kinds of delectable dishes and drinks. Make out of this information and plan a short trip to Korea!

1. Seoul Tower
Seoul tower / Namsan Tower
Seoul Tower is the best place to enjoy night view. You can either take bus, cable car or by walking to get to the bottom of Seoul Tower. Among three of them, I recommend the cable car since you can take a lot of cool photos while sitting in the cable car and enjoy the night scene of Seoul city. There are usually a lot of couples who visit Seoul Tower during night time to enjoy a romantic and peaceful night. In order to avoid the crowd of people, you can visit at daytime, but the night view at the Seoul Tower is the best. At the top of the tower, there is a Digital Observatory, a high-powered telescope, which provide you a 360° of view of Seoul by just putting 500won one time. Besides, you can take a glance of mesmerizing Seoul city by looking out through the windows.
Love Lockers
Have you heard “Locks of Love”?  Locks of love in Seoul Tower symbolize the everlasting love between the lover’s promise that they will never separate. Besides locks, there is another attraction for couples at Seoul Tower are “Love Message Tile” corner for you to write the message or stick a photo with your lover on the tile and then stick it in the provided corner which located on the first floor of the tower. 

Recommended stay near Seoul Tower: Agrina Guesthouse & Vestin Residence


2. Hongdae
The Street of Art, Hongdae, Seoul
The streets of Hongik University are the place where you can experience the energy of the Korea youthful nightlife. It’s a perfect place for those who love dancing and the arts. At there, you can watch rock concerts, drink in the live music bars, and immerse yourself in jazz and dance clubs until dawn. This area is also full of arty boutiques, galleries, studios, craft shops and accessories shops.


HongDae Clubs, Seoul
Every last Friday of each month is “Club Day”. So, high-spirited clubbers can visit many different clubs in the area with just a single purchased ticket. Hongik streets not only the places for young people to express their passion in the rhythm of music and dance, but it also famous for its artwork. They call this area as “Streets of Art” and this has made the Hongdae area as Seoul’s No.1 art district. Moreover, you must not miss Hongdae shopping, hunting for the latest trend of Korean style if you love Korean fashion.

Recommended stay near Hongdae: Closest Hostel & Family and Friends House


3. Gyeongbok Palace
GyeongBok Palace, Seoul, Korea
There are five main palaces mainly located in Seoul: Gyeongbok Palace, Changgyeong Palace, Changdeok Palace, Doksu Palace, and Kyonghi Palace. These palaces are also known as “Five Grand Palaces” built by the Joseon Dynasty. Among Five Grand Palaces in Seoul, Gyeongbok Palace is the largest and the most well-known royal palace which have been undergoing reconstructed to return to its original number of the palaces due to the destruction by the Japanese government in the early 20th century. The name of the Gyeongbok palace is believed to have the meaning “Palace of Shining Happiness.” in English.

Hexagonal Pavilion, Gyeongbok palace, Seoul
In the northern part of the Gyeongbok Palace, you can see Hyangwonjeong, an attractive hexagonal pavilion surrounded by a lotus pond, trees, and flowers. The name of the Hyangwonjeong has the meaning the Pavilion of Far-Reaching Fragrance” while the bridge across the pond was named as Chwihyanggyo, means "Bridge intoxicated with the fragrance." It’s a stunning place where you can enjoy the serene and the beauty of nature at the same time.

Recommended stay near Gyeongbok Palace: Insa Hostel


4. CoeX Mall
CoeX Mall, Seoul
COEX Mall is known as the biggest underground shopping mall in Asia. COEX Mall not only offers you various local brands of Korean fashion, but also includes national brands such as ZARA and NIKE as well. COEX itself is also renowned for its restaurants, Megabox, Aquarium, Kimchi Museum, Millennium Plaza, Event Court and so forth. Besides shopping, you can watch movies in the Megabox, which consists of the 16 movie theatres with the outstanding interior designs.
CoeX Aquarium, Seoul
And for those people who like marine life, you can visit the “Ocean Theme Park” in the COEX Mall with 40,000 creatures of marine wildlife. You can spend your peaceful time with your friends or families at the aquarium after a rush shopping.  

Recommended stay near CoeX Mall: 24 Guesthouse


5. Namdaemun, Dongdaemun, Insadong
NamDaemun Market, Seoul
Are you looking for some souvenirs for your families, friends and cousins? You are on the right place! At Namdaemun market, a Korean style traditional market where you can shop for your favorite fashion items from head to toe with low prices.  Namdaemum market is always crowded with tourists and regular customers who follow the latest trend of Korean fashion.
Dongdaemun Market,Seoul
Most of the tourists come to Dongdaemun to find some Korean food to bring back to their home countries or as a present for elder such as Kimchi, different tastes of Korean seaweeds, ginseng and Soju.
Insadong Complex, Seoul
At Insadong, you can find everything related to the culture of Korean such as Hanbok (Korean Traditional Wear), hand-made ceramics, and antique shops. And for tea-lovers, you can visit a Korean traditional tea houses along the streets of Insadong and enjoy the taste of different Korean teas as much as you wish.

Recommended stay near Insadong: Fortune Jongno


6. Daehangno- Seoul's Lively Theater District
Daehangno, The Theater District, Seoul
Daehangno is a street for youths and theatres. In this area, there are medium-small theaters like Hakjeon Blue Theater, Dongsoong Art Center, Comedy Art Hall, Batangol Art Center, and large theaters like Munye Theatre.  Besides, it is also an exciting place where you can enjoy exclusive performances all year round. Many people call this area ‘College Street’ since many universities are located in this area that includes Korea National Open University, Sungkyunkwan University, Catholic University of Korea, and Seoul National University College of Medicine. And later, Seoul National University moved its campus to other area in 1975. Nevertheless, you can still see many young college students hang out in this area after their classes or during their spare time. There are also many stunning restaurants for you to savor the taste of yummy food throughout the Daehangno area (Marronier). You can choose any kind dishes such as Korean, Chinese, Western or even fusion-style food as you wish. For those who would like to try American food, TGI Fridays and Bennigan's are just the prefect famous restaurants for you. 

Recommended stay near Daehangno: Fully Guesthouse & Backparker Mr. Sea


7. Cheonggyecheon
Cheonggyecheon River
Cheonggyecheon is a small stream which flowing through the downtown of Seoul and then connecting to the Hangang River. A series of unique bridges, stepping stone crossings, and waterfalls have been built which made the whole stream looks spectacular at night. It’s an ideal place for you to have a walk to forget everything about work and completely relax yourself after a tiring work day. You can sit by the stream and enjoy the melody of waterfalls with your feet inside the water. The water of the stream is clean and sparkling under the shinning of sunlight and you could see many fishes in the water in the daytime. At night, many couples choose this place as their dating venue because of its beautiful scenery. 

Recommended stay near Cheonggyecheon RiverMmmio House 


Entrance of Dragon Hill Spa
Tired of finding a hotel or motel when travel? Instead of luxurious 5 star hotels, there is an ideal place for you to stay overnight with a more affordable price that is called Jjimjilbang (Korean Spa). You may wonder where and which Jjimjilbang should you go. I would like to recommend the Dragon Hill Spa. This Jjimjilbang also been recommended by CNN Go, The New York Times, as the best place to experience full Korean style spa. It’s a seven floor building consists of various facilities such as restaurants, hot tubes and internet room, cinema and so on. The fee is around 10,000won to 12,000won.
Best Jimjilbang in Seoul, Dragon hill spa
Foreigners might find it hard to communicate with Korean native speaker, but if you go to Dragon Hill Spa, you may have chances to receive a warm greeting by the manager who likes to speak English with foreigners. Don’t feel shy as you have to be naked as its Korean style spa. Try to enjoy the feeling of being naked. There are different temperatures of heated rooms where you can feel the steaming hot air surrounded you and make friends with Koreans while you are unwinding yourself.


9. Theme Park
Everland T-Express
If your kids feel monotonous or disobedient during the travel, you can bring them to Everland and Lotte World. Both Everland and Lotte World are well-known theme parks which can be found in South Korea. Your kids would definitely be amazed by the Four Seasons Garden of Everland and fabulous fairy-tale castle in Lotte World. The night view of Lottle World’s castle is extremely beautiful as all the buildings are decorated with colorful lights. When you go inside the castle, you feel yourself like a princess or prince living in the luxurious castle. Besides the stunning view of both theme parks, it also offers varieties of heart-pounding rides include Everland T-Express with 360-degree rotations and Gyro Drop in Lotte World are able to make you feel like flying in the sky without any limitation. It is worth to give a try! Moreover, the landscape of both Everland and Lotte World become more eye-catching as many festival themes such as the Halloween festival with scary or funny pumpkin appearance’s designs can be seen here.
Lotte World, Seoul
Due to different seasons and events available in Lotte World, there are people who claim “Even you go to Lotte World for more than 10 times, you won’t feel bored!” since there are numerous exciting performances are being held around the year. During winter season, you usually see many families and couples enjoy their lovely time by skating together in the indoor Lotte World and outdoor Everland. So, you must not miss the chances to skate with the ones you love. Don’t forget that you can also buy some souvenirs in both theme parks as a memorable memory or presents for your friends before leaving.  You can easily express your love by simply bringing them to Seoul theme parks! Let’s have fun together!    

Recommended stay near Lotte WorldPhil Guesthouse


10. Itaewon Street- Shopping & Food Paradise
Shopping street in Itaewon
Itaewon Street gains most popularity among the foreigners. Most foreigners choose Itaewon Street as their shopping location, hunting for high-quality goods and super large sizes of items which hardly find in anywhere else in Korea. You not only can shop, but also can go to the bars, clubs, and restaurants for relaxing located along the street after shopping for hours.
Korea Foreign Restaurant
Don’t you think that living without eating delicious food is meaningless? Feel headache and hesitate about what to eat? Don’t worry. By going to Itaewon Street, you will be able to satisfy your appetite wholly but trying any kind of food you like from all around the world. From Korean food to international restaurants such as Japanese, Chinese, Mexican, Indian, and Pakistani restaurants can be found on this street. There are also a few restaurants which prepare ‘Halal’ dishes for Muslims as well. Even though you don’t know how to speak Korean, that’s alright since many workers of the restaurants are English speaking. Therefore, you are carefree to order anything you want and they are happy to serve you too!

Recommended stay near ItaewonJin's Paradise & IS@K Guesthouse


The Map of the 10 places must-visit in Seoul, South Korea

 10 Places Must-Visit In Seoul 

Feel excited about travelling now? Go ahead and visit Seoul now. You have my 10 places must-visit in Seoul on your hands now. Make out of this 10 places with on schedule and make our life more memorable by visiting Seoul, the Soul of Asia. If you have any question, don’t feel hesitate to leave a comment.

Thank you!


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Wednesday, July 6, 2011

14 Round Trip Tickets to Korea to Win with KTO

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Hi Guys! 

Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) is organizing a travel contest for anyone that plan to take a trip to Korea within July 2011 and October 2011. This contest is special for people from Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, India, Thailand, The Philippines, Vietnam, Australia, New Zealand, UAE, Iran, Turkey, Israel, Kazakhstan, and Saudi Arabia. 

Contest Instruction , 

Firstly, register yourself in KTO then choose 3 places that you most wanted to visit in Korea and tell them why! 

This contest have 8 days leave to go from the date this article posted! 

Do not wait and participate this contest to win flight tickets to South Korea now! 

Do not hesitate to ask, if you have any questions. :)

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Muslim Traveler to South Korea

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Any travelers no matter who’s the traveler is, Chinese Traveler, American Traveler, European Traveler or African Traveler somehow they might worry about the foods, place of worship, cultural different in those countries that they intended to visit especially for 1st time travelers. How about Muslim Traveler?

South Korea is a non-Islamic country somehow Muslim Traveler might have some concern about especially for the 1st time Muslim Traveler to South Korea. So, today I am going to end the worries for Muslim Traveler to Visit Korea. ^_^

But why they so worry about it?

In Islam, pork, meat of carnivorous animals, the blood of dead animals, and meat not properly slaughtered or slaughtered in any name other than Allah are prohibited for them to consume. Even among herbivorous animals and birds, only halal meat is allowed. A part from that, every Muslim Male is recommended to do worship in mosque on Friday weekly. Yeah! That’s why ^_^  

Muslim Food in South Korea
Beside, in South Korea, many dishes are made with pork and it is very common in Korea to drink alcohol during or after a meal and this may be offensive to Muslim Traveler. So, Muslim Traveler usually brought packaged instant food with them on their trip to Korea, it is kind of inconvenience for them to do this if they come for more than 3 days.  

In fact, actually there are about 100,000 of local Muslim community in Korea and also Islamic countries and Korea have had ties for more than a thousand years through cultural exchange! Believe it or not? So, this is why I said there will be no worry for Muslim Traveler to South Korea! Alright! Below are the list of Halal Restaurants and mosque in South Korea, You can check it out!



IF, you need some halal instant foods in your trip, you still can easily get it in Muslim Grocery shops near any Masjids or the Islamic centers.  

Well, that's all from me! If you have something to add, some suggestions or correction, please do not hesitate to leave comments! 

Thanks and always stay tune with LeX Paradise! Muslim Traveler to South Korea!

Tuesday, May 3, 2011

LeX Paradise in Lonely Planet Travel Bloggers Ebook

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Lonely Planet Travel Blogger Photo EBook
Proudly present "Around the World with 40 Lonely Planet Bloggers" Press Release
 

Today, 40 Lonely Planet travel bloggers come together as a group to release their first free photo ebook. "Around the World with 40 Lonely Planet Bloggers" takes readers on a world tour featuring almost 70 countries, and introduces the world of professional travel blogging. Within it, each blogger, hand picked by Lonely Planet, shares a collection of stunning photos that capture the essence of their travel.  


The gathering of this eclectic group of travel experts was born out of Lonely Planet’s effort to broaden content for their audience. 

“The concept was simple – get the best 10% of travel bloggers out there to share their thoughts and ideas…shining a light on the very best travel writing and photography on the planet,” tells Matthew Cashmore, former Innovation Ecosystem Manager at Lonely Planet on the creation of the BlogSherpa Program.
Uniting from across the globe, the BlogSherpas, as they are called, share their adventures and travel lifestyles through the photo ebook. 

“Managing 40 bloggers perpetually traveling in and out of jungles, cafes, monuments and ruins, and internet free zones (gasp!) was not an easy task” says Todd Wassel, the blogger who headed up the project. 

In addition to an eye-popping collection of photographs, the book is a rich resource for anyone with a passion for travel who wants to learn from the experts. 

“The 40 BlogSherpas showcased in the ebook specialize in travel modes ranging from solo to couples to family travel, road trips, budget travel, expat living, voluntourism and even perpetually traveling digital nomads,” explains Karen Catchpole, one of the featured bloggers. 

An accomplished group, the BlogSherpas have reached beyond their own blogs, having been published in the likes of National Geographic Traveler, Huffington Post, Travel + Leisure, AFAR and more.


Lonely Planet BlogSherpas

Myself, as one of the Lonely Planet Travel Blogger in this community! I am proud and excited about it! After a long year of Effort by 40 of them especially Todd Wassel! Our effort finally pay off with this tremendous Photo Ebook! I believe this is the good motivation for all of the World travelers. There will be more to come from Lonely Planet Travel Bloggers. 

Front Cover of " Around the World with 40 Lonely Planet Bloggers "
  Subscribe here  and get " Around the World with 40 Lonely Planet Bloggers " free Ebook now!   

Monday, May 2, 2011

Trip to Korea by Vago, LeX Paradise Contest Winner

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A guest post share by Vago, LeX Paradise Contest winner with his experience about journey to South Korea.


Getting My Kimchi On

When I signed up for Lex Paradise contest, I didn't expect to win. That's why I was so surprised when I did. Still, what a cool thing to win a free flight from Malaysia to South Korea. Never mind that I was in Turkey...

So, I bought a flight on Malaysia Airlines to Kuala Lumpur and booked my ticket from KL to Seoul and back. I've been writing about many of the places I saw on my mini-Asia trip on http://www.vagobond.com/ but I wanted to just write a short guest post for Lex Paradise about my flight with Air Asia X and my impressions of South Korea as a whole.

First of all, Air Asia X. Without a doubt those flight attendants are the sexiest flight attendants I've ever come across. Those tight mini skirt uniforms and the bright red color. Wow. I've often regretted living in an age when flight attendants all seem to be over 50, gay, or appearance challenged – Air Asia X has said “Never mind the complaints about equality” and done something wonderful. They've made flight attendants glamorous again. This alone makes air travel more bearable.

On board, the flight attendants were courteous, friendly, and even flirty. The service was great and the onboard meals were actually tasty and regionally oriented. The airport in KL is the LCCT or Low Cost Carrier Terminal and a bus can get you there from KL Sentral for about 10 Ringgits. Inside the terminal were plenty of places to have coffee or lunch and the check-in process was easy and enjoyable to the eye, thanks to the very cute employees they also have working at the desks.My only complaint with Air Asia X was that I wasn't in business class since the seats looked incredibly comfortable but that's my own fault for not upgrading.

Korea Beach
Arriving in South Korea, I was astounded by how beautiful and filled with activities the airport at Incheon was. As I said in my video, I wanted to eat Kimchi, so I decided to go straight to it by booking a room at the Kimchi Hostel in the party center of the city, Hongdae. The Kimchi Hostel is quiet but well connected with the Hong Guesthouse and the owner invited me to go out, drink shoju, and party with the guests and staff within minutes of my arrival. First though, I asked where a good Korean BBQ place was and I sat down with an Italian guest to have a feast of Korean deliciousness. BBQ beef (kelbi), three types of kimchi (pickled cabbage and vegetables), a miso soup, salad, and a bunch of things I didn't know. It was sooo delicious.

Korean Palace
Over the next few days in Seoul, I toured palaces, visited museums, and seriously explored the underground world that is connected by subterranean shopping centers, the metro, and even underground museums. Seoul is vibrant both above and below the surface. In the nearby traditional village (reachable by the subway) I watched farmers dance and learned how to weave a straw rug.

Vago and Korean Friends
I wanted to see more of South Korea so I headed out of Seoul to visit the town of Sokcho and take a short trip up to the DeMilitarized Zone (DMZ). With two new Korean friends, I gazed out at desolate North Korea and toured the DMZ Museum. One thing I found for certain is that Korean people are polite, kind, and generous. They are almost always in a hurry though so don't get offended if they shove you out of the way.

Korean Traditional Dance
From Sokcho, I headed south to Samceok (you can read about the Penis Park at Vagobond since it might be a little much for Lex Paradise). From there a visit to Andong and then on to the coastal city of Busan where I had a lovely walk on the beach, ate more and more and more Kimchi, and finally took the bullet train back to Seoul. Back in Seoul I did some amazing shopping and of course, I ate more Kimchi with my friends at the Kimchi hostel. I was sad when my time was up, but happy that the ride to Incheon was as simple as a subway ride. To be honest, I scheduled a whole day to explore Incheon International Airport with its shopping, starlight gardens, bars, pubs, and massage.

Back in Kuala Lumpur, I was unable to find the time to go meet Lex in person in Penang, but to be sure, I am grateful for the opportunity to visit South Korea and hope to go back again sometime in the future. 


Thanks Lex! You Rock!

If you have any though to share, please do not hesitate to share it here! 


Cheer!


Monday, March 14, 2011

The Central of Entertainment for traveler: South Korean

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Entertainment
South Korea is becoming an increasingly popular destination for tourists, with Seoul the arrival point for most vacationers. South Korea provides plenty of modern conveniences (including numerous free activities as well as world-class hotels, restaurants, and shopping) and easy access to historical palaces and temples, natural parks, animal sanctuaries, other popular sightseeing stops and the central of entertainment. Travel tours are available for those looking for a guided experience but it's also easy to chart your own path as you explore South Korea.


When talk about entertainment, there are sorts of ideas and illusions will be appeared in our mind. For example, people tend to think about singing, dancing and playing songs when mention about entertainment. So, South Korea is a paradise which you can enjoy not only physically, but also mentally unwinds yourself from the stress of bustle cities and tiredness. Therefore, the fields of entertainment in South Korea will be listed below: 

Concerts
Asia Song Festival
In South Korea, many concert hold annually and the most popular are the Dream Concert and Asia Song Festival which are performed by well-known singers (2pm, 2NE1, Super Junior, Girl’s Generation, etc) not only from South Korea but also singers from Asia such as China, Japan, Thailand, Malaysia and so forth. Besides, different entertainment companies organize different kind of concert, like as well like SM Town Concert by SM Entertainment, YG Family Concert by YG Entertainment and JYP Nation Concert by JYP Entertainment. So, do make this in your travel itinerary!

Live Stage Performance
 
NanTa
Have you ever heard about “NANTA” and “JUMP”? Both of it are the most popular non-verbal comedy stage drama performances in South Korea! “NANTA” perform about the story of four crazy chefs who have been set the impossible task of making wedding banquet in just one hour! As for “JUMP”, it is a Comic Martial Art Performance that tells the story of a family of martial arts specialists who defending their house from robbers with many amazing stuns and a mixture of an ancient Korean Taekwondo and Acrobatics act. Attend these two live stage performances, you not going to stop laughing.

T-Express, Everland
Theme Parks
In California, they have Disneyland. So does South Korea, Everland is a biggest theme park where we can spend our time with the ones we love and create our lifetime childhood memories. Besides that, you can experience the fantasy of being thrown up on the air when riding roller coaster. Don’t feel hesitate to try ‘T Express’ roller coaster which has the slanted 77 degree. Get prepared before you try it!



Night Clubs
Clubbing in HongDae
Moreover, South Korea is also noted for Night Club. For example, the most renowned night club is at Hongdae. Therefore, for those who like night life in South Korea, don’t miss it. Hongdae area is one of the most popular night life spots for Koreans and foreigners to hang out at night. This area has a disco underground music, many clubs showcasing live bands on weekends. Well, there are also many pool halls, Noraebangs for singing, and movie rooms for those who prefer singing, playing pools and watching movies.

Casino
Casino in Korea
If you're looking for a little more fast-paced action, casinos are plentiful in South Korea, with most based in and around Seoul. Kangwon Land Resort and Casino is currently the largest casino in South Korea, with nearly 1,000 slot machines and over 100 table games which located at Gangwon-do. You can have free beverages as much as you wish. In addition, the casino also provides a buffer restaurant and VIP lounge in order to give the most pleasant stay for the visitors. If you prefer more peaceful atmosphere and to avoid the hassle altogether, you could play blackjack online, as well as all other favourite casino games with high speed internet connection in South Korea.

So, do include all these in your travel itinerary and please feel free to leave any thought here!

Thanks!


Friday, January 14, 2011

Support KTO Buzz Korea!

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Korea winter will end soon and spring is coming soon! let's enjoy the winter and anticipating the spring! Since last month LeX Paradise is feature in Buzz Korea, "For the Tired and Weary traveller: The South Korean Jim-jil-bang" is selected as the one of the best post in the Buzz Korea site. If you yet to read the post, please kindly take a look and vote for it in Buzz Korea site. In the mean time, LeX Paradise also supporting Buzz Korea Campaign.

Below is the promotional video of the campaign starring David Choi :



Hope you enjoy! Happy 2011!

Wednesday, January 5, 2011

For the Tired and Weary traveller: The South Korean Jim-jil-bang

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Is selected as one of the best content in Buzz Korea website, please kindly vote for LeX Paradise.

When travelling anywhere abroad, many travellers look to stuff their itinerary with as many sightseeing activities as possible.  Events, festivals, attractions, and local food stands out as a focus among many travellers, with relaxation often overlooked entirely.  While it is easy to adhere to a schedule and get quite a bit done, when things don’t go as planned, tensions run high, and bodies get tired, it can be difficult to adhere to this schedule comfortably.  For the tired and weary traveller, the South Korean Jim-jil-bang is an excellent stop to relax before heading to sleep.

What is a Jim-jil-bang?

Jim-jil bang
First and foremost, it is important to understand that Jim-jil-bang refers to a specific type of facility, rather than a single attraction.  A Jim-jil-bang is a large, gender-segregated South Korean public bathhouse.  These locations come complete with showers, hot tubs, Finnish-style saunas, as well as massage tables in certain locations.  In most locations, the Jim-jil-bang refers to this specific room (or “bang” in Korean), with several other rooms attached.  These areas typically have snack bars, ondol-heated floor, lounges for relaxation or sleeping, as well as other rooms for either viewing movies, playing games (known as a PC Bang or PC room), and karaoke rooms called Noraebang.  These locations are typically open 24 hours, and offer a relaxing experience, as well an inexpensive alternative to traditional hotel rooms.

Selecting a Jim-jil-bang

While many of these facilities offer similar services, they are not entirely alike.  Many focus on similar aspects, but offer different food and drink menus, different bathing facilities, and may have other rooms omitted entirely.  When selecting a Jim-jil-bang, it’s important for travellers to consider which features are most important to them, as well as what locations are close to the next day’s destination.


The Key to a Relaxing Stay :) 



Jim-jil bang
While it is safe to say that few travellers visit South Korea specifically to spend time at a Jim-jil-bang, along with excellent planning, a Jim-jil-bang can make any trip much more enjoyable and relaxing.  While there’s no need to book a stay at a Jim-jil-bang in advance, it’s still an excellent idea to plan your other travel activities well in advance.

Those interested in a more complete, more customized trip to South Korea, such as travellers searching for Asia honeymoons, should make sure that they research the area carefully and choose well known travel agents specialising in Asia Tours.  Be sure to specifically mention Jim-jil-bangs as your preferred lodging method, and their agents will be sure to find a good match.

All in all, picking your flight and planning your trip well may be frustrating at first, but preparation truly is the key to a relaxing trip for those who fly to South Korea.  Combine planning with a relaxing evening at a Jim-jil-bang, and no traveller can go wrong. So, do not miss Jim-jil-bang in your South Korea trip and include it in your travel list.

Please feel free to leave any your thought here! Thanks! :)