The key reason why most people are hesitate about travelling independently in Korea is the potential language barrier. Could there be other reasons?
I plan to arrange my own trip to South Korea and many people have discouraged me from doing that largely because of the language barrier. Are there other difficulties which I may face?
Reply to this Assuming we talk about South Korea here (...) I can only give my warmest recommendation. It is true that the Koreans aren't very prone to communicate in English with you, but that doesn't stop people from going to Japan or China even though the situation is the same. Bear in mind that South Korea like Japan is a well off country compared to others in the region, so adjust your budget accordingly. Other than that, it offers tasty food, interesting history and a moderate climate. Seoul is a given, with loads to see and do.
Reply to this south korea yet i havent visited the place but still i believe the place is amezing bcoz
its in Japan well as if we all know that the Japan is a developed country....
u can have a look at the electronic fair at there
the technology is advanced like mobs trains. flight
and after all the poshness in there is utmost
it seems to be the city of glory and luxury i like south corea
Reply to this I actually wouldn't compare Korea to Japan too closely. Korea has been recently (as in the last 50 years) developed due to the Korean War, as well they were occupied by Japan for many years. With that said, Korea is advancing quickly in their technology, transportation, economic situation and the way they are learning English. There are 18,000 English teachers in Korea.
I live in Korea, and I do not think that people should skip Korea because they think that there is a language barrier. People are more than welcoming, and many can speak English. All touristy areas are going to have English Speakers, like train stations, tourist attractions and hotels. Restaurants usually have pictures or English on them.
I agree with grantcorp, COME TO KOREA!
Reply to this Would those who have visited Korea mind telling me if it is expensive there.
The language barrier does not put me off visiting countries but the money barrier often does. 😊
Mel
Reply to this hi Mel
I wouldn't say that Korea is expensive, but it isn't cheap like Thailand. Food is very cheap and so is transportation. Most touristy things are also inexpensive. I wouldn't let the cost worry you too much, it is way cheaper than Japan but slightly more expensive than China.
Reply to this Great! So it does confirmed my instinct that Korea IS A GREAT PLACE to visit. Can be expensive but worth it. Should I then choose to go Free & Easy, travel on my own or purchase a tour package? Which is wiser?
Reply to this Ha, yes I agree, Korea is a great place to check out. Let's say Moderately Priced, rather than expensive!
forget packages, but that is just how I prefer to travel, the lonely planet is fantastic and you'll have no problems!
Reply to this If you want to travel cheap in Korea, check out
CouchSurfing.com, look up my brother,
Mike, and tell him I sent you. Though it doesn't say he does, he should have an extra mattress under his bed that you can crash on for at least one night.
Korean Must Do's! - Eat sam-gyap-sal, and dak galbi. Visit Insadong in Seoul. There are tons of things to do, but these are must do's! If you do nothing else, or can only spend one day in Korea on a layover,
visit my brother and have him take you to our Dak Galbi (doc gahl-bee) Restaurant in Bundang (boon dong). Honestly, it is the best meal ever and this restaurant is the best in the entire country. If you knew me, you'd know I wasn't exaggerating, and you wouldn't even hesitate to take my advice.
Other than that, don't skip Korea. Read some of my
blog entries and you'll see...
Reply to this Hi travelin de/Kuno,
When is the best month to travel to South Korea? Is August the summer month?
Thanks in advance.
Reply to this Thanks Kuno. 😊
I will certainly look up Mike when I make it to Korea.
Does anyone ever travel in N. Korea? Excuse the questions but I have never picked up a Lonely Planet about Korea so am clueless.
Mel
Reply to this Dear Kuno,
good blog entries you have there regarding the toilet.... 😊
Reply to this Hey,
Mmmm, August, i would say might not be the best month to come to Korea! VERY hot and humid, and you should expect monsoons, I think September is beautiful, and June.
Well.. I believe that you can get into N. Korea, but it is very difficult to do. If you do purchase a ticket to Pyongyang (which would be super expensive) there is a fantastic chance that it will be canceled because they don't feel like letting people into the country that day. I think that you have to be on an organized tour when you do arrive since the country is communist! I could be mistaken on some of those details though!
I have only been to the DMZ, de-militarized zone, between N and S Korea. I think that is a very interesting peek at North Korea. Check out my blog "life in seoul" where I talk about the DMZ. Best to go with the American Organization the USO.
Denise
Reply to this Travelin De is dead on: August is a bit hot, while May, June, and September are ideal. If the summer is your time to go, I just remembered an amazing festival that we went to in 2007 (and I recommend this to Travelin De also). It's called the
Boryeong Mud Festival. The
official website in English is here.
Also, I found what looks like a good blog website for information about traveling to and around Korea called
Seoul Korea Travel. Other than the latest article being about the Boryeong Mud Festival, I liked that a couple articles down he listed
Dak Galbi as 3 of the top 10 best things about Seoul. Ha ha! I need to tell him about the restaurant in Bundang, because it's twice as good as the dak galbi in Seoul.
To those traveling to Korea, have a blast - it's the best underrated destination in Asia. Also, if you have any questions, or want a list of foods you should try, shoot me an e-mail.
Reply to this 
