Taipei, Taiwan - 4 Days / 3 Nights Itinerary

Another one of my summer trips was the one in Taipei, Taiwan. I actually thought that I would not be able to go through with this one due to some unforeseen circumstances. However, with pure determination and a little bit of luck, I managed to go ahead with it anyway.

As I did not have much time to plan out this trip, my itinerary started out to be a list of places I wanted to visit. In any case, I survived throughout this trip with just that. Ticking out more places than I had expected – also, visiting some areas that are not even part of my list!

Seoul Day 5 – Enjoying the traditional houses at Bukchon Hanok Village

During my last day in Seoul, I decided to explore the area most close to where I was staying. I intentionally slid this to the back of my itinerary as it was just there.

It was really cold today as the wind coming from the mountains was quite strong. The surroundings felt gloomy as well since the sun didn’t show up from behind the clouds. Though that was the case, I still went on to walk around the narrow streets that wind about Bukchon Hanok Village.

narrow streets at Bukchon Hanok Village

Beijing, China - 5 Days / 4 Nights Itinerary

During the Labor Day holidays, some colleagues and I went to Beijing, China for a well-deserved vacation.

It was my first time to visit the city and I found so many interesting things to do here. The experience was very much enjoyable due to the spring weather. It was very easy to explore around with the cool atmosphere. The city was filled with beautiful colors as well thanks to the sprouting greens and blooming flowers everywhere.

Seoul Day 4 - Learning political history in Sarangchae at Cheongwadae President Museum

Continuing the morning tour, we headed on to Sarangchae at Cheongwadae. Here, you can learn so much about Korea’s modern history. With various exhibitions that showcase Korea’s past presidents and their corresponding political policies, this is the place to visit for all you folks who love to keep up with governments.

facade of Sarangchae
courtesy of http://www.english.president.go.kr 

Seoul Day 4 - Spotting high ranking officials at Cheongwadae (Blue House)

After my morning stroll within the Gyeongbokgung Palace grounds, I headed on straight to Cheongwadae. Commonly referred to as the Blue House, this structure has over 150,000 traditional Korean blue roof tiles. Known for their regal color and intense durability, these tiles will last for over 100 years without fading or cracking. Simply amazing!

view of Cheongwadae at the foot of Mt. Bugaksan

Hong Kong Day 1 – Bargain hunting at Mongkok

When you’re in Hong Kong, you better prepare some cash (or your credit card, if you like the more expensive stuff) for shopping. There are literally hundreds of stores selling almost anything that anyone would fancy here!

One such place to find good bargains is Mongkok. Located at the Kowloon side, this place has a wide array of selections to choose from – from high-end shopping malls to street markets. Simply pick a street to start from and explore the numerous possibilities!

the busy streets of Mongkok
courtesy of http://www.discoverhongkong.com/

Hong Kong Day 1 - Reminiscing Childhood at Hong Kong Disneyland

It was a perfect sunny day to be out and about today! Perfect that the weather cooperated since today is Hong Kong Disneyland day! Definitely, you don’t want to have it rain when visiting an outdoor theme park.

night view of the Hong Kong Disneyland arch

Mickey during the Flights of Fantasy Parade

Seoul Day 4 - Culture seeking at Gyeongbokgung Palace (Part 2)

The next area we went to was the Sajeongjeon. It was here where the king held early morning meetings to manage routine state affairs. Early is not an understatement! These meetings started at 3:00am in the morning! Imagine getting up at that hour to discuss political matters!

Next stop was the king’s living quarters, the Gangnyeongjeon. The structure was divided into 9 sections with the center being the king’s room. It is here where the king read books, rested, and attended to state affairs in private. 

at the front of Gangnyeongjeon

Seoul Day 4 - Culture seeking at Gyeongbokgung Palace (Part 1)

It was a fine morning during my fourth day at Seoul. Finally, the sun decided to shine bright today after hiding in the clouds for the past days! I really appreciated this blessing of good weather since this was the day designated for my Gyeongbokgung Palace tour.

a nice view of the main throne hall amidst the mountainous backdrop

Hong Kong - 5 Days / 4 Nights Itinerary

My family went to Hong Kong for a vacation last February.

Although I frequent this place, I seem to never get tired of it. Hong Kong always has something new to offer each time I visit. Such a dynamic city worth coming back to!

The weather was just right at that time – not too cold but not too warm. I actually got to wear clothes that I enjoy sporting when going around town.

As we wanted a more relaxed trip, I listed down just a few places to visit per day. With that, we can have a relaxed and unhurried pace.

Seoul Day 3 - Lunch at Flora by Chef Cho Woo Hyun

Between touring Changdeokgung Palace and Insadong, I came to Flora by Chef Cho Woo Hyun for lunch. Conveniently situated at the hilly neighbourhood of Samcheongdong, it was a great place to have a quiet and relaxed lunch.

Chelsea Market & Café at the Podium

While at the Podium, one restaurant immediately piqued our interest. This is the Chelsea Market & Café located on the ground floor. With both an al fresco and indoor dining space, the restaurant caters to various types of diners.

interiors

Seoul Day 3 - Experiencing the Seoul Lantern Festival 2012 at Cheonggyecheon

Earlier that day, I heard from my walking tour guide about the Seoul Lantern Festival. She said that it would be a nice experience for me to drop by the Cheonggyecheon area for this event.

I welcomed this suggestion and went there after having a hearty dinner. Since this was near Insadong, I simply walked over to the place. While on my way, I imagined the festival installations to be purely made of traditional themed lanterns. However, once I got there, I was pleasantly surprised. There were so many larger than life lantern installations – most of them depicting cultural or historical themes of Korea.  

Seoul Lantern Festival 2012

Seoul Day 3 - Finding hidden treasures at Insadong

Continuing the day with another cultural site, I went to visit Insadong in the afternoon. As I am staying at the Samcheongdong area, I reached my destination in only 15 minutes – simply by walking. No sweat to it!

map of Insadong
courtesy of http://english.visitkorea.or.kr

Seoul Day 3 – Discovering history at Changdeokgung Palace

The morning of my third day here at Seoul was reserved for a tour of the Changdeokgung Palace. As I wanted to get to know more about Korea’s history and culture, I signed-up for a walking tour of the place.  The registration was done online through this site: http://english.visitkorea.or.kr prior to my visit. Just fill out a form and you will get a confirmation e-mail afterwards. The best thing about this service is that it is absolutely free!

a close encounter with the throne hall

Seoul Day 2 – Viewing Seoul from N Seoul Tower

After completing my traditional hanok village experience, I was set on going to my next destination, the N Seoul Tower. Awhile back, I was actually thinking whether or not to proceed to the tower as it was raining that day. Fortunately, the skies cleared up late that afternoon which made for an easy decision to go on with the initial plan.

N Seoul Tower

Outback Steakhouse at Libis, Quezon City

Lately, we kept on eating at restaurants serving Asian cuisine. So, for a much needed change in taste, the family decided to eat at Outback Steakhouse for a more Western feel. We went to their branch at Libis – located along C5. It’s just within the proximity of the famed Eastwood district.

Seoul Day 2 – Exploring Namsangol Hanok Village

My second day at Seoul started out great! The sun was shining bright in the sky – a perfect day for walking and going around the city. After finishing my breakfast, I immediately set out to maximize the hours of this day.

I planned to explore the Namsan area on this day – starting from the cultural Namsangol Hanok Village.

Namsangol Hanok Village - Plaza