Touchdown Seoul! Getting Around and Budget ideas

Oh the thrills of budget airlines!

Cebu Pacific Air, the 1st budget airline in the Philippines, has frequent promo fares (heard of their frequent PISO fare? [Php1.00 fare]). I booked my roundtrip plane ticket for only about Php 6,000 (roughly $USD 137).

Travel time is only about 4 hours. But when you get to Incheon airport, there is a time difference of Seoul being 1 hour ahead of the Philippines. I left Manila at around 3:45PM (Manila time) and arrived in Incheon around 8:45PM (Seoul time).

There are several ways of getting to Seoul from the airport: 

(1) Subway. For ease of travel, download the Subway app from the Android google store or App store. 

You will find this helpful when going around the city. I chose not to take this option since I had to make 2 transfers to reach the guesthouse. I also had a big luggage so I didn't want to go through the hassle of lifting my luggage up and down the stairs and worry if it'll fit in the turnpike. 

(2) Airport limo bus. This is the most convenient since it'll take you straight to Seoul, and depending on where you stay, you get dropped off near your hotel. The Airport limo bus has several routes and bus stops so it should not be a problem. Just make sure that when you book a hotel, it's close to the Airport limo drop off/pick up, and a subway station for ease of getting around.

For more info on the bus routes, check this link: http://www.airport.kr/airport/traffic/bus/busList.iia?flag=E

Before you leave the arrival hall, ask the concierge (you'll find it with a big "?" on the booth, after you pass customs but before you exit the airport), where you can buy T-money and where to have it loaded. The T-money is like an EZ link card pass for the MRT and bus in Singapore.

The concierge may also offer other options such as a Seoul City pass suitable for those just doing a short-stay. It was easier for me since Anya lent me her T-money and I just load it at the Subway.

T-Money. This comes in various shapes and designs. The locals attach their T-money as a decorative on their mobile phones for convenience, and they just tap it when entering/exiting the stations

Also, don't forget to have your USD exchanged for kr₩. The airport does not offer the best rates, but if you think you need money, just have a small amount of your USD exchanged (when I went there last October 22, the exchange rate was $1 - kr₩1,020). I had only $50 exchanged (equivalent to kr₩ 51,000) just in case since I arrived really late in the evening and the banks were closed. In my later posts, I will tell you where to have your money exchanged at a good exchange rate.

If you're planning to take the Airport Limo Bus, the ticket is purchased separately (though if your T-money is already pre-loaded, you can pay using your T-money).

The Airport Limo Bus ticket booth is located outside the airport when you exit the Arrival hall. You will see they have different bus numbers travelling to different routes within Seoul. Since I was staying at Korea Central Backpackers (see my next post) at Jongno-gu, Seoul in Hyehwa, I booked my ticket for bus number 6011. A one-way ticket costs kr₩10,000 (about $USD 10.00). The ticket booth lady wasn't really friendly and all-business. So I had a mini panic attack since she could not understand English. Thankfully, Anya already instructed me to board the 6011 bus so that's the only thing I had to tell the lady to purchase the ticket.

After getting the ticket, find the designated "bus station" for the 6011. 

The 6011 designated bus terminal

The friendly staff will be happy to assist you. They are the men who will help you tag and load your luggage on the bus compartment. One of the staff was very friendly. I asked him when the bus will arrive since I got worried (so now writing this blog made me realize parati pala ako nagpapanic!). Siyempre tanga ko I kept looking at my watch which I forgot to adjust to Seoul time! So I was looking at the wrong schedule! Then the staff showed me the time on his mobile phone and laughed at me. He chatted with me for a bit so that was how I got my 1st Korean hospitality.

It takes about 1 hour and 20 minutes from the airport to Hyehwa (about 1 hour from Incheon airport to Seoul). When everyone on board took their seats and all luggages loaded (the staff will tag and load your luggage and he will give you the reference tag that you need to give to the driver when you get off your stop), the bus driver said: okay, please fasten your seatbelts! Siyempre ako with my puzzled and frightened look. Diyos ko, mga race car drivers din ba sila like Macau at kelangan may seatbelt? Gaano ba ito kabilis??

Now I know. Since it's the highway from the airport to Seoul, there is no traffic. Thus, we were running the slowest I think at 140km/hr. But you wouldn't feel the speed because the bus was so comfy and their roads are so smooth, you won't feel any road bumps.

When I arrived at my stop, I walked all the way to the guesthouse. It was pretty cool since even arriving a little close to 10PM, the streets leading to the guesthouse were still alive. Shops, beauty bars, restaurants and cafes were still open and a lot of people were still walking in the well-lit streets.

Daytime shot: One of the streets leading to the guesthouse. Streets are lined with retail shops, coffee houses, restaurants and convenience stores.

It was pretty damn cold! The temperature during my entire stay was somewhere between 5C -10C. 

So while walking to the guesthouse, I got hungry and decided to try some authentic Korean food.

I found a small shop (equivalent to a karinderya in the Phils. but waayyy cleaner and hygienic) because I saw "picture menus". 

This restaurant is at the corner of the main street from the bus stop. And once you turn the corner to the left side of the resto, you'll see Korea Central Backpackers.

Glorious picture menus!

Everything was written in Korean so I had to rely on the food pictures. Since it was so cold, I decided to have this seafood/clam soup with pasta.

Unfortunately, the old lady running the shop (and also the cook) asked me something in Korean, and she pointed to which option I preferred. I don't know how to read Korean so I was silently praying that I didn't choose the Spicy option.

The food was sooo delicious, but good God! It was hella spicy!! Parang ayaw magpakain! In a matter of minutes, tanggal ang sipon at lamig sa katawan ko! I was forced to eat the kimchi sidedish. That was when I had begun to like the famous Korean staple. Sa sobrang anghang ng soup, ang lamig na sa dila ko ang Kimchi (the soup was so spicy that the kimchi felt cold in my tongue and I used that to "cool" my mouth).

Koreans love all things spicy! So I had to get used to the level of spiciness that is normal to them. Kung above tolerance na ang level of spiciness ng Cheetos crunchy flamin' hot sa akin, wala pa sa kanila yun.