DMZ Tour - Korea

During my stay in Korea, DMZ tour was probably one of the best things I've done. For those who have absolutely no interest in war history and your only purpose in visiting Korea is shopping, then sadly this tour is not for you~~

I've researched extensively online on the agencies that provides the tour and after some comparison, I recommend http://www.koridoor.co.kr/

2 simple reasons:
- Price (They are the cheapest)
- They are affiliated to USO (United Service Organizations)

And of course, they did not disappoint as well.. It was $$ well spent~~

Be sure to sign up the DMZ/JSA & 3rd Tunnel TOUR. It costs USD 80 or KRW 96,000.
They have another DMZ Tour which costs USD 36 but does not include the JSA. I would not recommend that since I enjoyed JSA the most.









Officially on the "North" side~~



Was told not to be funny with the soldiers or else face the consequences~~



North Korean Soldiers on the "other" side



The Bridge of No Return - Where POWs made the choice of settling in the North or the South and their decision is final...



A tree which was blocking the view of the North from the South, which resulted in the "Axe Murder" was chopped down at this spot... The North retaliated instantly by having the 2 US soldiers killed. This is in memory of the 2 slain soldiers



Rice planted and harvested within the DMZ, by the villagers living in one of the 2 South Korean villages

We couldn't take pictures of the 3rd Tunnel which apparently some of the tourists could not understand or do not want to.. I decided to respect the rules and so, did not take any pictures..

It's not as scary as what the tour guide said it would be before we went down.. But the climb up was seriously taxing~~ For someone like me who dislike exercising and of cos do not exercise, I do not like to go down again~~ But I did manage to climb up alive.. You are warned thou~~

The rest of the area you get to see this:



The Propaganda Village

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We also went to the Dorasan Station which was a gateway to North Korea from South Korea. Of cos, that did not happen.. The station is still there thou..

Some pictures and details of the tour is omitted so that you can experience it yourself.. But all in all, I would definitely recommend DMZ tour as one of your "must do" list in Korea~~

Korea - Travelling to and around Jeju

I had been to Korea twice and for the 2nd trip, I've stayed for approx 6 mths and there are so much things that I can blog and write about..

For a start, I will post on Jeju.. Someone told me that that place is a rip-off and I shouldnt go.. But how wrong that someone is.. In my opinion, Jeju is the best trip I've made in Korea..

Travelling to  Jeju

For a start, I recommend taking a plane to Jeju.. It's just an hour from Incheon by flight..
Besides Korean Air and Asiana Airlines, there are a few domestic airlines for you to choose..

1. Eastar Jet - www.eastarjet.com
2. Jinair - www.jinair.com
3. Jeju Air - www.jejuair.net
4. T-way - www.twayair.com

Depending on the timing and dates you've chosen, pricing may differ. You need to check all the websites to see which airline provides the best pricing..

We went Jeju late march and ticket cost was only S$90+ (return ticket with all tax, fuel surcharges, etc included)

Next, travelling around Jeju..

There's a shuttle bus within Jeju but I strongly strongly recommend renting your own vehicle.. It's more convenient, the roads are easy to access and price friendly..
There are a few car rental website like axis, hertz etc. But I really like KT Kumho (www.kumhorent.com). But pls sign on as their member, you will get about 50-70% off the rates publish on their website. Their membership is free.

I rented the cheapest car for about 2 days and with Full CDW (Car Damage Waiver) included, it cost only 68,000 won+ (about S$ 70). GPRS is provided free for Jeju car rental. Petrol was about S$50 and we did manage to drive around Jeju.





Staying in Jeju

I've used www.booking.com as shown in my website for my hotel booking.
It was really more than what we expect for the price that we paid.. The rooms are clean and huge..

- December Hotel Jeju
- Feliz Telcon Hotel Seogwipo

For the next part, I will show you the places that we've been to.. For a short preview,








                       

Brisbane Part 2

We travelled up Harbour Town to do some shopping.. Got a pair of Levi Jeans for less than SGD 17!! It’s the only pair left.. Didn’t manage to get much things, pretty much the same usual brands that we saw in DFO. In the end, bought the most items from Woolworths, food, food and more food.. We got quite a no. of their house brand prdts, it was pretty decent in terms of price savings and food quality..

Before I continue on to Sunshine Coast, The Big Pineapple and The Ginger Factory, I have to admit that I did not fully enjoy and explore the 3 places.. Not much photos taken as well..

All down to one reason: I was feeling like crap due to excessive drinking.. Before you jump into any conclusions, I need to explain myself.. Red wine is extremely cheap, or should I say, awful red wine is extremely cheap.. We played some card games during the night, and I was on a roll.. A losing roll.. I practically finish most of the wine.. Till now.. I can’t take any red wine.. -_-”

Anyway, continuing on the trip, we drove to Sunshine Coast and the beach was just amazing.. Clear cool waters and light sandy beach.. As mentioned, didn’t manage to get in the waters due to bad condition.. =( However, when we got to Sunshine Coast, I presume it was a surfing class taking place.. So.. Plenty of eye candy.. Made the trip just a little more worth it..

We also went to The Big Pineapple and The Ginger Factory, but we didn’t went in to play.. We just visited the retail stores and roamed around the places where admission ticket is not required..

Note:

- Buy the pineapple from The Big Pineapple, it’s juicy and extremely sweet..

- Just opposite The Big Pineapple is the Macadamia Nut Farm, definitely worth a visit to buy the Macadamia.. Nothing much to look but the Macadamia is delicious!!

Following The Big Pineapple, we went to The Ginger Factory.. I for one dislike Ginger.. So wasn’t very fond going, but my mum loves ginger, so was hoping to get some ginger candy for her.. There are other shows in the Factory, but of course, wasn’t in the mood to go.. Thankfully, there are a few stores inside the Factory, so we spent some time shopping and just looking around.. Honestly, other than the shows (I didn’t get to go, so unsure if it’s good), shopping and the tram ride, there pretty nothing much you can do..

We concluded our Brisbane trip with lots of shopping around the same places, casino time and losing our way.. Apologies for the very "undetailed" trip.. It's quite some time from now.. Still hope you've enjoyed reading..

Brisbane before the Flood ~~

I was lucky enough to travel with my friends to Brisbane on Etihad Airways paying only staff price for the plane ticket ..

Before we left for Brisbane, we decided to rent our own car and travel around Brisbane which we believe is a more cost effective and convenient way.. Of cos, GPRS is essential.. I don't remember which website we've booked our car but it was at a pretty reasonable rate compared to the other car renting company. We've also gotten some discount coupon from some blogs. You can try researching online and see if you can get the same deal!! You can try: http://www.vroomvroomvroom.com.au/, however it is best if you do more research.

When we arrived at Brisbane Airport, we walked out to take the free shuttle bus that brought us to the car renting company nearby, after all the paperwork was done, we took the car and drove off to our 1st destination, a shopping mall close to the airport!! The DFO Airport complex, with 120 brand outlet stores!!





After some small buys (we didn't want to spend so much on the 1st day, althou we did went back a few days later =D), its time to check in to our apartment.


Since it was a budget trip and there are 4 of us travelling, we decided to stay in Kangaroo Point Holiday Apartment (http://www.kangaroopoint.com).

It was not too bad, considering it cost only approx S$ 200 per night. The apartment consists of 2 bedrooms, a small Kitchen and one bathroom (with bathtub). It'll rate it 3.5/5 for a mid-budget stay in Brisbane..







We went to Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary on the 2nd day. A must if you're big fan of Koala! You can take photos with them! They have a extremely strong eucalyptus smell but definitely adorable! I was really happy and satisfied with the photo taking! After they took the photo for you, you will need wait for awhile before collecting your photo at the store beside the photo taking area. Since I love animals and there’s no Koala hugging session in Singapore, it’s a very good souvenir to bring home. I’ve forgotten the price, but I remember it’s not too steep.














Tips:

- Bring along your student card, the entrance fee will be cheaper*
- www.koala.net

We roam around the sanctuary after the koala hugs and came across the lorikeets feeding.. Be sure to bring along wet tissue since all 3 of my friends brought home the “souvenirs” the lorikeets gave.. It’s best not to walk below a tummy satisfied lorikeets..

We proceeded to watched the dog show (amazed at how smart the dogs are), got chased by sheeps, and saw the most adorable puppy at their small animal farm..

Basically, since it’s a Koala Sanctuary, so we didn’t expect it to be as big as a Zoo.. After a few hours, we left and continue our journey to St John's Cathedral.

We had a hard time locating St John's Cathedral, but in the end, we managed to find it and it was very much worth the trip. Once you stepped in, the peace you get is just priceless.. Of course, most Churches do… We lit some candles, said some prayers and carried on with our trip..

During the night, we visited Conrad Treasury Casino, it was a little messy, but still managed to survive the crowd and earn some quick bucks.. The big problem was the parking. We didn't want to park in the carpark as the fees was freaking ex, so we went around searching for street side parking, took a bit of time and gamble, found a space but still ended up walking a fairly long distance..

The following day, we had a quick visit to the Queensland Museum (entry is free, but there is entry charges for the Sciencentre and some special events and exhibitions) Due to the same reason mentioned above regarding parking, we parked our car along the street side near the museum and walk our way there. http://www.qm.qld.gov.au (Can pay a visit if you have some spare time)

Next Up: Brisbane Part 2 (Sunshine Coast, Harbour Town)