South by Southeast: Welcome to Seoul

by Jeremy Kressmann on

Seoul is not in Southeast Asia. But for a budget traveler like myself headed on to Southeast Asia, this South Korean capital has provided a perfect introduction to my trip. First-time Asian visitors “headed Southeast” often start in Tokyo, the neon Asian mega-capital of food, shopping and nightlife. Yet Seoul matches the urban amenities of Japan’s uber-city pound-for-pound, all at a fraction of the price. When you add in Seoul’s welcoming and friendly locals, surprising natural beauty and top-notch culinary scene, you’ve got the makings of a emerging traveler’s hotspot.

So if you’re planning a visit to Southeast Asia, skip that Tokyo layover and arrange a stopover in Seoul. Not only does South Korean carrier Korean Air offer convenient Asia connections from Chicago, New York, Dallas, Washington DC and Atlanta, it’s also a great place to get over your jetlag and pickup last-minute travel supplies before heading onwards. Whether you’re just passing through or end up hanging out stay a few days, you’ll find yourself surprised and delighted with just how much Seoul has to offer.

Over the past few days here in Seoul, I’ve found plenty of reasons to justify sticking around. Ready to investigate this tourist-friendly, bustling Korean capital? Let’s take a closer look at Seoul and review the basics of your visit? Click below for more.

Getting Around

Most travelers arrive in Seoul through Incheon International Airport, located an hour west of the city. Getting downtown is easy enough. Budget-minded travelers should grab an “Aiport Limousine” bus ($10) or the Airport Railroad Express (also about $10), both of which connect to Seoul’s excellent metro system. In a little over an hour you’ll arive in Seoul.

To get around, you’re going to want to use Seoul’s fantastic metro system. As one of the largest in the world it will take you just about anywhere in the city and prices are reasonable, costing around $1-2 per ride. Signage is in both Korean and English to aid with navigation.

City Layout

Seoul itself is divided into two distinct sections, located north and south of the Han River. On the north is Seoul’s historic Jongno-gu neighborhood, home to many royal palaces, along with nearby Insadong, ground zero for the Seoul art galleries and antiques. To the west of Jongno-Gu is Hongdae, Seoul’s happening student district, bursting with cafes, bars and eateries. Nearby Itaewon is known as the home of Seoul’s expats, including large numbers of U.S. Military personnel and loads of restaurants and bars. On the south side of the Han River is ritzy Gangnam-gu, a more upscale area full of high-end hotels and plenty of shopping.

Where to Sleep

Seoul has numerous lodging options, ranging from the luxurious to the thrifty. If you’re looking to make your dollar stretch the furthest, check out some of Seoul’s many clean, modern guesthouses. In addition to NAMU Guesthouse is well-located near Seoul’s trendy Hongdae student area. Other good options include anHouse and Bebop Guesthouse, both located not far from Hongdae in Mapo-Gu. Expect to pay between $10-$30/night for a guesthouse and much more than that for a nice high-end hotel.

What to Do

Seoul has a surprising amount to offer for budget travelers. With exchange rate currently trading at 1150 Won to the Dollar, you’ll find attractions, food, drinks and souvenirs are amazingly cheap compared to wallet-hungry Asian cities like Tokyo. Some top attractions include:

  • Gyeongbokgung – one of Seoul’s biggest royal palaces, Gyeongbokgung was first contstructed in 1394. Though the original was heavily damaged during the Japanese occupation of Korea from 1910 to 1945, it’s been immaculately restored. For about $3, visitors can spend their time strolling the beautiful grounds and investigating the palace’s lavish living quarters. The National Folk Museum of Korea is also nearby.
  • Bukhansan National Park – the greater Seoul metropolitan area boasts surprising natural beauty. About an hour north on the metro is Bukhansan National Park, a popular hiking spot and home to a number of serene Buddhist temples. During autumn Korean hikers flock to Bukhansan to experience beautiful fall colors, have a picnic and toast their ascent of the park’s three peaks with Soju, a Korean rice liquor. Entrance is free.
  • Seoul Markets – though frequently overshadowed by Japanese and Chinese cuisine, the spicy flavors of Korean food will have any traveler’s mouth watering. Perhaps the best way to experience Seoul’s food scene is through its many food markets. Spots like the Noryangin Fish Market, Gwangjang Market and Gyeongdong Herbal Market offer a good sampling of all that Korean cuisine has to offer.
  • Korean DMZ – many visitors to Seoul take a daytrip to the demilitarized zone, or DMZ, the buffer zone that runs between North and South Korea. Visitors can stop at the Joint Security Area at Panmunjeom, where North Korean border guards stand sentry, as well as several incursion tunnels where North Korean forces tried to sneak into South Korea. Cost varies from $50-$100 depending on what sights are included.

Gadling writer Jeremy Kressmann is spending the next few months in Southeast Asia. You can read other posts on his adventures “South by Southeast” HERE.

Family Guy in a corn maze at 105-year-old farm

by Jamie Rhein on

In Utah, Edward and Jacob, the two guy hotties in Twilight, have found corn maze fame. At Connors Farm in Danvers, Massachusetts, Brian and Stewie from Family Guy are representing pop culture in an elaboratelyy, mowed cornstalk design.

The presence of both of these mazes is an indication of how many family-owned farms have stayed in business over the years. To stay afloat, keeping up with the times through ingenuity, multi-tasking and hard work is a must. Connors Farm is a perfect example of how many farms have changed.

Back in 1904, when the farm was established, the family took the produce by truck to Boston to sell the goods wholesale. This worked out fine until the price of sweet corn fell in the 1950s. Opening a small, roadside stand became the best option for making money. That move has developed into a family-fun, farm produce fresh gold mine.

Over the years, the stand has expanded to include fresh baked goods, gourmet pastas, jars of jams, jellies and sauces and the farm’s own products. The farm also partially operates as a U-pick establishment where visitors pick what’s in season. The annual Strawberry Festival, pony rides, hay rides, and autumn corn maze have made Connors Farm a multi-purpose, multi-age destination most of the year.

The Family Guy corn maze has turned out to be a brilliant choice. It’s attracted serious, media attention, for one thing. The video after the jump is a fun trip through the maze blended with Family Guy footage from FOX25NEWS in Boston.

There are two weeks left for this corn maze. The last night is October 31.

Weekend Drive: Retrace the steps of John Brown and the beginning of the Civil War

by Jamie Rhein on

Friday, October 16, in drizzling rain and cool temperatures, 300 people or so, many clad in pre-Civil War attire, at least four of them dressed like abolitionist John Brown, set out on foot for Harpers Ferry National Historical Park.

The beginning of their five-mile walk, the log farmhouse in western Maryland, is the very spot where Brown and his raiders left for the Federal Arsenal in Harpers Ferry. Their aim? To seize the weapons necessary for establishing a colony for runaway slaves.

As a result of the raid, Brown, zealous about his cause, was wounded and captured in a stand off with townspeople and the militia. Brown’s bold move is credited with starting the Civil War.

It also found him swinging at the end of a hangman’s noose six weeks later after he was found guilty of treason for his efforts. Although Brown wasn’t successful, his actions, along with those of his men, did put the nation’s attention firmly on the issue of slavery.

The original march, also on October 16, was 150 years ago. The march that led to the raid on Harpers Ferry, isn’t the only event being held to commemorate Brown’s important place in American history. There are several more happening this month and into November.

With fall foliage still showing it’s glory, these are perfect days for taking a drive to trace Brown’s journey, both on that night years ago and at other parts of his life. Here are suggestions for a do-it-yourself John Brown sesquicentennial celebration that takes in parts of Pennsylvania, Maryland, West Virginia and Virginia.

Chambersburg, Pennsylvania

  • John Brown House, 225 East King Street. On the second floor of this once boarding house, Brown planned the raid on Harper’s Ferry. Also, Chambersburg is where Brown had a meeting with Fredrick Douglass who tried to talk Brown out of his plan. The plan took a long while to hatch so Brown became part of the Chambersburg community, but under the name of Isaac Smith. The Franklin County Historical Society is responsible for the house.

Sharpsburg, Maryland

  • Kennedy Farmhouse (John Brown’s Headquarters) Chestnut Grove Road. This is the farmhouse where Brown and his men practiced for the raid. Brown, along with his two sons, Owen and Oliver, and eventually 20 followers, lived in the house from July 29, 1859 until the night of October 16. The restored house is a National Historic Landmark.

Harpers Ferry, West Virginia (Harpers Ferry National Historical Park) The park’s land is also in Maryland and Virginia.

  • Harpers Ferry Armory Engine House (John Brown’s Fort) After John Brown and his raiders snagged the weapons and captured 60 hostages, they were forced to take cover here by townspeople and the local militia. The next day, U.S. marines came, broke down the door and captured Brown.
  • On October 25, a park ranger will lead participants past 30 buildings significant to Brown’s raid. The two hour walking tour of Harper’s Ferry titled “In the Footsteps of John Brown” begins at 11 a.m. and will include the significant people as well as the places.

Charles Town, West Virginia.

  • Jefferson County Courthouse. Beginning on October 25, 1859, John Brown was tried in this courthouse built in 1836. You can go in the courthouse on weekdays.
  • Jefferson County Historical Society Museum in Charles Town, Here you can find the wagon that Brown road in to the place he was hanged, the weapons he carried the night of the raid and his personal copy of the constitution he wrote for a provisional government.
  • John Blessing House: John Fredrick Blessing became friends with John Brown when he was in prison. Before he was excuted, Brown gave Blessing his jailhouse Bible. The house is currently not open for public tours but occassionally is open for special events. On October 24th and November 28, there is a tour at 10 a.m. The house is located at 303 East North Street.
  • Historical Marker outside the Gibson-Todd House, 515 S. Samuel Street. This marker indicates the site of the gallows where John Brown was hung. He was brought here in the furniture wagon that is now housed at the historical society. The house was built in 1891 by John Thomas Gibson who helped lead the effort to stop John Brown’s raid.

On October 25th or November 22th, leave your car for a couple of hours to take a guided walking tour of Charles Town. The walking tour, sponsored by the Jefferson County Black History Preservation Society, will highlight the town’s buildings significant to John Brown.

Winchester, Virginia.

  • The Hollingsworth Mill-Winchester-Frederick County Historical Society, 1360 S. Pleasant Valley Road. Through October 30th, “From the First Shot to the Gallows.” An exhibition that highlights Winchester’s involvement with the John Brown Raid. Winchester is only 30 miles away from Harpers Ferry.

For a road map of this tour thanks to the Maryland Office of Tourism , click here. As I was working on researching John Brown travel, their website was a huge help. For more John Brown events, click here.

Climb aboard one of Christopher Columbus’s ships

by Jamie Rhein on

Whether or not one thinks that Christopher Columbus’s voyage across the Atlantic to the Americas is a day to celebrate, the 1492 journey of the Niña, the Pinta and the Santa Maria was an amazing feat.

Although Columbus and his men made it to the Bahamas on October 12– more then 500 years ago, it’s still possible to see what it would have been like to travel on one of these ships during the 15th century.

These days, life-size replicas of the Santa Maria, the Niña and the Pinta serve as floating museums. Although the Santa Maria is permanently located on the Scioto River in downtown Columbus, Ohio, the Niña–and most recently the Pinta, travel to various ports.

The Niña, built to commemorate 500 years of Columbus’s voyage, has been to 425 ports since its beginning. The Pinta, larger than the original version, was built in 2006 and also serves as a dockside charter that can be rented out for parties whenever it is docked.

Both of those ships are owned by the Columbus Foundation in the British Virgin Islands.

Tomorrow is the last day that the Pinta and the Niña will be in Huntington, West Virginia. On the 16th to the 20th, they’ll be in Marietta, Ohio and will finish off October in Steubenville, another Ohio river town.

For the schedule that includes the rest of the year, click here. The two ships will finish off the 2009 season in Pensacola, Florida.

As a note: The Santa Maria will be open until October 25th when it will close until April 2010.

Start the new year in China for $888

by Brenda Yun on

In the year that I’ve been writing for Gadling I’ve not once promoted a package tour — until now. China Spree, an agency that offers affordable trips to China, has a new 10-day Golden Triangle Tour starting at just $888, a lucky number in China, that’s a bit too hard to pass up. China Spree has been known as a first-class travel agency that offers trips at bargain prices. While the Golden Triangle may be the lowest-priced tour on the market, it’s also the best-quality, with more included features than any other.

The lucky $888 price includes round-trip non-stop Air China flights from San Francisco to Beijing, all intra-China transfers and transportation, eight nights accommodation with private bath in 4-star hotels, eight American buffet breakfasts, five Chinese lunches, comprehensive private sightseeing tours, entrance fees and professional guides in each city.
While you may be sacrificing all-important independent travel, you’ll have the advantage of having a native guide to show you around for 10 days. The trip begins in Beijing, where participants will discover China’s timeless imperial treasures: the Forbidden City, Summer Palace and Great Wall. Then take an overnight train ride with comfortable soft-sleeper accommodations to Xian to see the fabled First Emperor’s life-sized Army of Terracotta Warriors. Finally, a the group will fly to Shanghai for great shopping and memorable dining in China’s most modern metropolis.

The $888 price is for departures in January and February; thereafter the cost is somewhat higher. For additional information and reservations, visit China Spree’s website and click “China Tours,” then “Super Value” or call the company’s toll-free telephone number #866-652-5656.