THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE VISITING SOUTH KOREA

south korea is a unique but overlooked destination in asia with so much to offer all types of travelers this is katie from creative travel guide and today we are sharing the things that you need to know before visiting south korea [Music] looking for more travel tips make sure you hit subscribe and ring that notification bell firstly let's talk about how to get around south korea the public transport system is easy and cheap to use get yourself a t-money card to use on buses and subways across the different cities in the country download the seoul metro app to help you navigate yourself around the city taxis are also everywhere and affordable to use but avoid the black and luxury taxis who charge a premium also when getting a taxi especially to your hotel make sure you have it written in korean to help the driver if you are starting to write your packing list there's a few things that you need to remember to include firstly an umbrella is essential it does rain a lot in korea but it is also common to use an umbrella to shade yourself when walking in the hot sun you will also need to bring some decent trainers or sneakers you will be doing a lot of walking in the major cities but there are also some great hikes to choose from near seoul you may also want to bring some deodorant you can find this in some drugstores but it is expensive and rare to find ladies i recommend carrying some tissue around with you most restrooms are western but you will find squat toilets in smaller villages one more thing to pack is slippers water shoes or a spare pair of flip-flops most hotel rooms will not have a bath or enclosed shower so it's worth having a pair of slippers just for the bathroom to avoid wet feet before arriving you should download the google translate app and a currency converter not all restaurants cafes and taxi drivers can speak english so having a translate app with you will help a lot the currency in south korea is one so use a currency converter to check prices especially when purchasing souvenirs or food in the touristy areas [Music] seoul is the capital of south korea and many people's first choice when heading to the country there are a lot of historic sites and interesting experiences to be had here but don't spend your whole visit in the city be prepared for the crowds and congestions seoul is home to over 25 million residents half of the country's total it is also a great place for shopping with endless malls but a massive variety of fashion accessories and beauty stores [Music] whilst you're in korea you will also want to try the cafes when in seoul you have to head to at least one of the amazing cafes in the city with themed unique modern and instagram-worthy drinks to try plan a visit during your trip now let's talk about food in korea when you are in a restaurant it is common for service to avoid interrupting you whilst you are eating this means if you need anything else perhaps another drink or serving of something else you will need to wave or press the call button on your table another thing to note in restaurants is the chopsticks koreans use metal chopsticks which can be a little harder to use than wooden ones however you can use a spoon to eat rice and make sure you place your chopsticks back down on the table when you are finished do not leave them sticking up vertically out of your bowl some other important table manners to be aware of in south korea make sure that you pour your elder drinks before your own do not blow your nose while sitting at a table don't pick up your bowl to eat and drink your soup before trying any of the other [Music] dishes something else to be aware of in south korea is that you do not have to tip it is not expected but cab drivers hairdressers porters and bell boys do appreciate the tips another tip for eating in korea is to try this street food vendors are all over the country and can be found in seoul all hours of the day and night now let's talk about safety south korea is a safe country with very low crime rates use common sense and make sensible choices and you'll be perfectly fine also if you are looking for the wi-fi in korea it is everywhere it is especially available on the metro system stores cafes and restaurants however if you always want to have access to the internet you can pick up a prepaid card with very cheap rates on arrival now i love coffee but when you're in korea you need to make sure that you ask for milk if you like coffee with milk make sure you ask for it when ordering drinks koreans often drink black coffee so milk is very uncommon now my last tip before visiting south korea is to check the weather before you go some visitors presume that because the country is in asia it is always warm but it is not december is below freezing whilst the summer is hot and humid check the weather before you book and pack accordingly we recommend heading to south korea from april to june or september and october this is when the weather is warm and pleasant and the crowds are still fairly quiet we hope you have an amazing time in south korea let us know your travel plans in the comments below thank you so much for watching all the way to the end of the video and make sure you hit subscribe to help this channel grow and until next time stay creative [Music] [Music] you

Channel: Creative Travel Guide

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Keywords: things to know before visiting south korea, visiting south korea for the first time, tips for visiting south korea, visiting south korea, south korea vacation travel guide, south korea travel itinerary, getting around south korea, seoul korea travel tips, korea packing list, things to know before you go to south korea, south korea travel, south korea travel guide, south korea essential tips, south korea travel tips, visiting south korea as an american, south korea travel vlog

Id: XtBBFe_E7lc

Length: 6min 24sec (384 seconds)

Published: Wed Jul 15 2020