Seoul Search

Spring time has already started in some parts of the world. And as we speak of spring season, cherry blossoms probably come first to your mind. 

In April 2014, I was lucky to be able to have had a quick hibernation in Seoul, South Korea. Yes, it was during spring time, but the country was not just a place where beautiful flowers bloom. It has so much more to offer. Here below were just some of the places we visited: 

Gangnam - widely known for its heavily concentrated wealth and high standard of living

Gyeongbokgung Palace - main royal palace of the Joseon dynasty

Changdeokgung Palace - one of the "Five Grand Palaces" built by the kings of the Joseon Dynasty. Here you can try to wear hanbok or traditional Korean dress.

Insadong - a district of modern galleries and tea shops

Cheonggyecheon Stream - modern public recreation space in downtown Seoul, South Korea. The place is really nice at night, when it is illuminated. 

Lotte World - indoor amusement park

Ellui Bar - nightclub

Nami Island - scenic island, popular because of the Korean tv series, Winter Sonata

N Seoul Tower - marks the highest point in Seoul

Myeongdong - shopping haven in South Korea

There are so much more places to visit, to do, to eat, and to try in Seoul, South Korea. Hopefully, more of 'Seoul searching' in the future and I'm crossing my fingers, I could be back and explore the other sides and attractions of South Korea!

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Eats in Baguio

From classic restaurants to newest haunts, there's something for a foodie in Baguio City. 

A lot of local restos around the city just popped up and each of them has plenty of items on their menus that are worth trying. Here are just some of which we tried during our short stay:

Platter in Rumah Sate, good for 3-5 people.

 

As seen in the movie, "That Thing Called Tadhana" we gave it a try to eat at Café by the Ruins. The Kalinga coffee and everything we ordered were just perfect!

Highly recommended by my officemate, we made sure to dine at Pizza Volante.

This restaurant was another hit for us! 

To combat the dropping temperature, we made a quick stop at Vizco's Café. I ordered Benguet coffee paired with their specialty, a slice of Strawberry Shortcake. Aaah, perfect match on earth!

And because a slice was not enough for a cake-lover, I brought a whole medium-sized cake in our hotel.

Dinner first before desserts! I had these vegies and strawberries all to myself!

Goodness gracious, nothing beats having the freshest local food on the table!

Then to cap off the night, we had Strawberry Wines.

For our last day, we spent a few remaining hours in Burnham Park, where we had strawberry taho and ice cream.  No visit to Baguio is complete without having these two!

 

Finally, before we headed home, we had burgers from 50's Diner to manage our huge burger cravings. 

And for pasalubongs, before leaving the highlands, make sure to buy these:

Baguio City’s gastronomic offerings cater to all tastes and budgets. I promise to be back and try other equally-delicious restos/food, or may be dine again to these very same restaurants.

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