Hi, this is Loah’s dad.
how to make your trip to Korea a little better?
Today I’m going to talk about the best way to deal with rain while traveling in Korea.
first method.
Here are some tips from Korean families
how to make your trip to Korea more enjoyable.
As I said, right now Korea is in the midst of a strong rainy season.
If you’re traveling and it’s raining, you’ve got a lot on your mind.
Today, we’re going to give you the first option.
Go to the biggest and most famous mall in Korea!
It’s like a big indoor cultural complex.
Foreigners traveling to Korea don’t really think about visiting this place.
It’s very Korean-friendly, and it’s usually an area that few foreign tourists visit.
However, I highly recommend it.
I would say it’s like a comprehensive gift set of everything Korean.
Starfield is the most famous and largest multicultural mall in South Korea.
In fact, you can spend all day here.
There are rides and facilities for small children,
There is a water playground, a hypermarket, a game room, numerous restaurants, bookstores, and even cars such as Hyundai, Volvo, and BMW, as well as shopping for clothes and cosmetics, various cafes, a large movie theater, and more.
Maybe probably walk around all day and never see it all.
Unfortunately, there are only about four Starfields in the Seoul metropolitan area.
The most accessible for travelers is the one at Coex Mall in Gangnam, which is connected to the subway.
Today, however, I’d like to introduce you to Starfield in Goyang City, Gyeonggi-do.
Location – Northwest of Seoul’s outskirts
Address – 1955, Goyang-daero, Deokyang-gu, Goyang-si, Gyeonggi-do, Korea
Transportation – Car, taxi, bus
Travel time (from Myeongdong Station) – Public transportation (approx. 50 minutes), private car (approx. 35 minutes)
What to See – Modern Korean culture
Main attraction – The most modern cultural complex in Korea.
Key points for foreigners – It concentrates on what to see and eat in Korea.
Recommended for travelers – 1. When it rains while traveling.
- you can get a good idea of what real Koreans spend and where they go.
- when the weather is too hot, too cold, or too bad, you can feel Korea here.
- a great place to buy last minute souvenirs before heading back to the airport.
Daily 10:00 – 22:00
(Underground Mart is closed every 2nd and 4th Wednesday)
https://goo.gl/maps/sqVwy9fVVNAuqZ21A <—google map
As you can see on the map, it is located in the northwestern outskirts of Seoul.
Suppose you are starting from Myeongdong,
First, travel 1 stop to Chungmuro Station.
Then, at Chungmuro, take the Line 3 train toward Daehwa or Gupabal.
Get off at Gupabal Station (11 stops, about 23 minutes).
Take Exit 3 and follow the path upwards in the photo.
After about 4-5 minutes of walking, you will see a bus stop.
You can take buses 705, 703,773 going in the right direction where I am standing.
From here, it will take about 4 stops and 9 minutes to get off at Starfield Station.
Bus transfer OK!
This is too easy for Koreans, but for foreigners, it can be a bit difficult.
There are a few easier ways to do it, but they’re tricky to write about here.
Let me explain one of them.
You can get there in one trip by taking the 705 in front of the Shinsegae Department Store in Myeongdong.
However, it will take between 1 hour and 1 hour and 20 minutes to get there.
This is the simplest option, but it takes more time.
This route takes the bus from Myeongdong to the outskirts of Seoul via Seoul Station.
Therefore, people traveling from Seoul Station can also take bus 705.
You will get off at Starfield.
It’s actually quite large.
The second basement level is usually occupied by a Costco-like hypermarket and food court,
The first basement level also has value-for-money grocery stores, clothing stores, household goods stores, cafes, and restaurants.
The first floor has the most mainstream and expensive clothing stores, cafes, customer service centers, convenience stores, and restaurants.
The second floor has electronics stores, automobile stores, and clothing brands.
The third floor has many stores for children and babies, cafes, bookstores, arcades, and restaurants.
The fourth floor has a large movie theater, a screen golf course, and an aqua world.
There’s a touchscreen along the way to help you find your way around. English, Chinese, and Japanese are available
First, the fourth floor is divided into two main areas: the aqua field and a large movie theater.
In fact, the fourth floor is less accessible and there’s not much to do there.
I’m speaking as a tourist, hahaha.
There was nothing on the fourth floor to showcase to tourists, so we went down to the third floor.
We’re going with Loah again today!!!
On the third floor is a very large bookstore called Youngpung Bunko.
There are a variety of restaurants next to Youngpung Bookstore.
If you have small children, this might be a good place to go.
It’s a place where kids can play and adults can eat while watching the kids, as shown next door.
The children’s playground is, of course, free.
However, you’ll have to pay around 1,000 or 2,000 won for these rides.
The third floor has a lot of clothing and toy stores for kids.
There are also various cafes, nursing rooms, and more.
If you are visiting this place with small children, you will not be able to escape easily.
You’ll need to be prepared hahahahaha.
Go down from the third floor to the second floor.
If the third floor was for kids and families, the second floor is for grown men.
It’s easy to get in, get on, and try out some simple devices.
This is also a place where adult men cannot easily get out once they enter.
Please be careful before entering hahaha
From simple cameras and electric gadgets like iPads to drones and adult toys, there are plenty of options.
You can try them out and buy them.
Outside, there are shops selling golf equipment and clothing for men.
But if you walk straight to the other side, you’ll find a store selling household goods.
They sell very affordable items.
Korea is famous for its cosmetics.
There are even cosmetics general stores.
If Chinese tourists come here, I think the response will be good.
If my foreign friend were to visit Korea, I would want to bring her here.
And this is a dog-friendly mega-mall.
But there are some stores where you can come in
and some stores you can’t.
Each store has a sticker on the floor at the entrance.
There are small dogs and there are large dogs.
There seem to be more dog strollers than baby strollers here.
I came down to the first floor.
Daisos are probably a must for any tourist coming to Korea.
There are so many Daisos in Korea.
They sell useful and affordable products,
They’re the best place to go when you’re traveling and suddenly need something.
Daisos are so popular that you can find them even in the countryside.
Most products cost between 1,000 won and 5,000 won,
there are a lot of products with good price-performance ratio.
There are snacks, drinks, bowls, cleaning brushes, and so much more.
Nowadays, there are many places in Korea where you can pay by taking a self with a barcode.
If you see this while traveling in Korea, don’t panic, just follow the instructions on the screen.
English, Chinese, and Japanese are supported.
I will write more about this later.
I felt so embarrassed by the looks I got from people around me when I was taking pictures like this in a crowded place…
It’s a system that does its own calculations,
What if I didn’t sneak a few at first?
I was worried, but,
It’s almost never the case.
When you exit Daiso, you’ll find a variety of shops.
There are a variety of shops selling clothes and food.
One of them is a brand called NoBrand.
It is a brand operated directly by Starfield,
It is a value-for-money store that aims to sell unbranded and cheaply with no margin for the consumer.
Prices are lower here than elsewhere.
South Korea is one of the most expensive countries in the world.
A liter of milk usually costs between 3,000 and 4,000 Korean won.
It’s almost half the price here.
They don’t just sell groceries, they also sell general necessities.
😁Interestingly, the store right in front of it sells expensive organic products.
You sell organic and organic products.
A store of a different nature is right in front of you, but
but each one does a good business.
South Korea has the most expensive bread cost in the world.
And yet, all the bread is sold out…
This is the bakery in the organic store.
They sell a wide variety of products.
It’s also a great place to buy Korean souvenirs.
Many people only see, eat, and shop in Myeongdong, Hongdae, and Gangnam,
but I wanted to introduce these places as well.
Right next door is PK Kitchen, a collection of different restaurants.
Here too, there are many people lined up to eat.
At this point, Loah’s patience is wearing thin.
She’s had enough…
Further down is the second basement level.
This is a warehouse-type hypermarket.
It is similar to the American brand Costco.
It’s cheap here, but,
but they don’t sell them in small increments.
If you want to buy them, you’ll have to buy them in big boxes.
Korean sweets are not a bad idea to buy as gifts.
The box shape looks like a gift
The prices are cheaper than regular stores.
However… If you don’t have a car, it can be a nightmare to get there.
Especially if you use public transportation.
As I mentioned last time, you should avoid certain hours.
7am-10am, 5pm-7pm
Here, too, there are electronic self-checkout lanes.
Of course, there are also places where people check out by hand.
Most Koreans prefer self-checkout.
There are also English, Chinese, and Japanese services, and there is a guide next to you.
The second floor of the basement is connected to the parking lot.
The parking lot is huge.
I can’t see the end of it,
But what’s even more amazing is that there’s a parking garage on The first floor of the basement, a parking garage on the third floor, and a parking garage outside.
Today, we’ve explained a different way of sightseeing for foreigners visiting South Korea.
Especially if it’s raining or too cold,
I think Starfield is a good alternative.
Especially if you’re traveling with a small baby like we did, it could be a great place to go.
There are so many more facilities and equipment that I haven’t listed here.
I’m only here for a short time to make a purchase and to share it with you.
so you may see better places than I have mentioned.
Next time, we’ll visit the Hyundai Motor Studios with Loah.
See you in the next installment!
Bye!!!