Inspiring Korea ~ Seoul! So fun!

 What would you do when your dream comes true? When I exited the Incheon Airport, I could feel the excitement with my heart screaming: "Here I am, Korea!! Here I am, Seoul! I am not seeing you in the TV or Drama!!!". The feeling was so cool!

The enthusiasm and anticipation were apparent from the moment we stepped out of the aircraft. This was the moment to be remembered. I stepped on one of my dreamland on 1.8.2012 at 7.29am. "Welcome to Korea", the display read. They even greeted us with Malay, that was warm. ^.^ The weather was humid, with temperature of 23ºC. How would it be like to travel in Korea during summer? Let's find out! 

The immigration and customs waiting area is spacious and clean. It was well prepared to welcome the tourists during this peak season. It didn't take us long to clear the immigration. 

 After clearing the immigration and customs, we took the escalator down and looked for the baggage claim information. So our luggage would be available at carousel number 6. The information will be displayed in four different language: English,  Mandarin, Korean and Japanese alternately.

While we were searching for the bus information at the arrival hall, this pretty angel offers her help. Yes! She could speak fluent English. She did us a big favour by providing us the bus number that we should ride to our destination. 

Should you have any inquiries about transportation, you can also proceed to the transportation information counter to seek advice.

There is a KTX ticket counter in Incheon Airport.  KTX (Korea Train Express)
is a high speed express train that enable people to travel around Korea with shorter time. We took KTX from Seoul to Busan on our 3rd day in Korea. Stay tuned for the fantastic Busan trip ")

From the airport, we took airport bus number 6011 to the Hanok Guest House in Anguk. The bus station is on the right side of the main exit. No worries, english signboards are found everywhere :)

There was something to take note of. When you pass your luggage to the worker, they will provide you with a ticket. You need to keep this ticket in order to claim back your luggage upon arrival. 

On the way to Seoul, I spotted a traditional Hanbuk shop. I was attracted by the beautiful costumes and wished I have one. They looks so elegant on the model.

This was the airport bus stations we alighted.

Close up view of the details in English:

Based on the printed information, I managed to find our way to  WWOOF Hanok Guest house in Bukchon without Yee Pei's helps. A great start for me! Victory! V^^V

For our first two days in Seoul, we experienced the culture by staying overnight in the ancient village of Bukhon Hanok. Bukhon Hanok village is the best preserved living traditional village. Hanok is the Korean traditional houses that are decades to hundred years old built with environmental-friendly materials. Today, many traditional houses have been converted into bed-and-breakfast guest house. I was so grateful that I could experience a stay in this unique lodging, Hanok. 

Let's explore our hanok guest house!!!

WWOOF Hanok guest house  is made of tiled roofs, wooden beams and stone blocks. It looks so charming! 

A nostalgic courtyard. 

The sliding doors and windows were made of Hanji (Korean traditional paper) and woods. Simple yet elegant. 

The living room with wooden floor. 

I think this cupboard is an antique.

See what I spotted on the shoe rack? It's a pair of Korean straw shoes (Jipsin) that they wore in ancient time. Wonder if they were in use or just as a decoration. 

Everything looks ancient here except the kitchen. :D 

Guests are allowed to cook and store their food here, which is ideal for backpackers. 

Here comes our super comfy bed for two nights! The room ain't big, but slept in a wooden house made me felt so good. 

A unique hanok stay was a marvelous experience for this trip. I strongly recommend you to have at least one night stay in The Korean traditional house, Hanok :)

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Guest house Review:

 If you were looking for a hanok stay experience, you should have a try on WWOOF hanok guest house. The owner is very friendly and can speak fluent English, Japanese, Korean and simple Mandarin. Besides, the location is strategically located in the Bukchon Hanok Village (most beautiful residential districts in Korea) and within walking distance from Insadong (10 minutes) and Gyeongbukgung Palace (20minutes). There are a lot of historical area and cultural heritage sites, galleries, restaurants and cafes along the small alleys. 

Value: ****

Cleanliness: ****

rooms: ***

location: *****

Service: ****

Website: koreawwoof.com

p/s: Search for me and yee pei in this informative blog : WWOOF blog *^.^* 

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