One of my long-standing dream destinations was finally ticked off when I was sent over to Korea for a client presentation. It was a short visit so I jammed as much sightseeing into a weekend as I possibly could.

Myeondong
Walking across from The Westin Chosun, I stumbled into the shopping madness that was Myeondong. Women everywhere were clawing at skincare items on sale, grabbing jackets from the manicured hands of friends and sipping bubble-tea while they rang the bank to extend their credit card limit. It was a shopaholic’s dream, an entire area set up for all day all night spending. I was pushed aside by local girls who paid no attention to the foreigner trying to squeeze through the crowds. Surprisingly there weren’t too many sad looking boyfriends being dragged around, it appeared the preferred companions were best friends or mothers. Shopping aside, the cafes, coffee-shops, bars and little eateries found down the maze of alleyways meant that there was something for everyone here.

Gyeongbokgung Palace
If you’re in Korea, make sure to visit the Gyeongbokgung Palace. You’ll be proud you can even say the word to the taxi driver to get you there. I walked around the palace grounds for a few hours just trying to take in the majesty of the place, it’s truly epic. Immaculate green lawns and waterways encircle the historical palace buildings and temples, whilst the paths are flanked by beautiful trees that look like giant bonsais. I truly felt like royalty as I explored the grounds and started ordering nearby children to bow down before their leader. I was pelted with rocks by the ungrateful peasants and will definitely raise taxes.

Itaewon
To be honest Itaewon was probably the least impressive place I visited in Korea. The influence of a former US army base stationed nearby was evident, as Itaewon was the place to be if you needed to see a caucasian face for any reason. The main street had some nice bars and cafes, but it was the area behind the main street (IP Boutique side, important point I’ll explain soon) that held the best hidden gems. Some stylish bars featured a mix of locals and foreigners happily drinking together and thinking there would be even more on the other side of the main street, I crossed over and walked straight into a red light district. Realising my mistake I impressively moonwalked out without breaking stride. Stay on the left side if you choose to go here.

Hongdae
But really, why go to Itaewon at all when you’ve got Hongdae to visit. Known for it’s art, music and bars .. it delivered all three in droves. On the streets were local musicians rapping, adlibbing, playing indie rock and breakdancing to highly appreciative crowds. As in most places around Seoul, there are more places to eat and drink than you can poke a stick at, as well as plenty of coffee shops (coffee seems to be a national obsession in Korea, it’s everywhere). My evening took an interesting turn when in the middle of wandering around it started pouring with rain and I had to dash into the nearest bar, a small place called Bar BigMama PPippi and ordered a beer while a show with Cha Tae Hyun played on the tv. Four beers later I realised the rain wasn’t going to stop so I decided it was a dash-for-cash time and ran down towards the main road and took refuge in a line for the club NB2 Hiphop Club. Turned out to be the best decision I’d made all trip, once I got inside the place was absolutely pumping and packed to the rafters. No really, people were literally holding onto the rafters as the DJ played songs that every person seemed to know syncronised moves to. I forced my way to the crowd and tried to Melbourne shuffle in an area of clear space about the size of a matchbox while the entire club jumped up and down. When I finally left around 5am in the morning I thought … Korea knows how to party.

Sinsa-dong
Korea is a country designed to make you feel ugly. Everything is beautiful, the people, the places, even the products. You’ll immediately regret that decision to not wear your nice shoes or style your hair properly when you step outside. Nowhere will you feel this more than in the stylish hub of Sinsa-dong, where the fashionable locals are hanging out looking gorgeous in the charming cafes and restaurants, or shopping for the latest fashions in the clothing stores.

Namsan
No trip to Korea could be complete without a visit to the famous Seoul Tower at Namsan. You can take a cable-car if you fear exercise like myself, but I actually recommend walking up the mountain, the scenery and nature is stunning and the rubber treaded path is easy on the knees … especially if you have partied a bit too hard the previous day and your bones hurt. At the top of the mountain the Seoul Tower gives you a view of the entire city, but try to go around sunset/evening for the most spectacular view. The other famous attraction is are the ‘padlocks of love’ .. where couples symbolise their everlasting love by putting some intertwined locks onto the fence together with their names. Although the love I have for my macbook was deemed unnatural by the law, I placed a padlock for us there to mark the occasion.

My friend Emily Lee showed me a bunch of other amazing places in Seoul whose names I’ve have forgotten or never knew. But overall, it’s a stunning city that really should be on your list of places to visit in Asia. For those interested I stayed in The Westin Chosun and The Shilla Hotels, both were fantastic and highly recommended.

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