Hello my rusty old blog. It’s been five years since my last overseas adventure and
the last time I poured my heart out here. Five. Whole. Years. A lot has
happened—not just in my life, but in the world. I mean, we lived through a
pandemic, for goodness' sake.
This little corner of the internet has always been my space
to share stories from the farther corners of the world. If I were to write
about all my trips to nearby places in Malaysia or around Asia, this blog would
be bursting at the seams! Haha.
I started this blog after my very first trip to Korea back in 2017 (yes, that long ago!). But as the years rolled by, people kind of stopped blogging. Now it’s all Instagram reels, Facebook posts, and urggggghhhh TikToks.
So, cik mimi stopped “tulis-tulis” too.
Fast forward through the pandemic and all that fear of
traveling, I decided enough is enough—it’s time to spread my wings again. This
time, the destination was drumroll... Seoul, Korea! Yep, round two! But this
trip was extra special because I brought my six-year-old daughter along for her
very first overseas adventure.
Why Seoul again? Well, it felt like a lighter destination
for a kid—plus, I missed it! And let me tell you, it was the best decision
ever. So much has changed since I last went. It was better, cleaner, and more
convenient this time around.
The tech has leveled up (as always—it’s Korea), and there’s
a huge difference in how welcoming it is for halal travelers. More people speak
English now, and the locals were so helpful. Oh, and don’t get me started on
how squeaky clean everything was! I think the pandemic made all of us
appreciate good hygiene a lot more, don’t you think?
So, let me take you through my second Seoul adventure and everything that made it special. Buckle up, this is going to be fun!
Day 1 – Night Flight, New Beginnings, and Korean Street Vibes
Last-minute decisions always have a way of testing your
wallet’s resilience. Our flight to South Korea on Malaysia Airlines didn’t come
cheap, but hey, it was school holidays and Deepavali, so why not trade in my
“mom emergency” leave for an actual holiday? Expensive ticket = justified (sort
of).
We boarded an 11 PM flight, which meant showing up at KLIA around 8 PM. MAS allows 35 kg baggage per pax, and yet I still managed to stress about overpacking. Now, here's my confession—I love night flights. There’s just something magical about the quiet hum of the cabin, dimmed lights, and people trying to find a comfy sleeping position. Orked? Out like a light. It’s her bedtime ngam ngam, so she snoozed through the whole flight.
Plane food? Yes, please.
I mintak nasi lemak with chicken rendang. Sedap la lagi dari Pak Nasser punya. hihihi
While many people swear plane food is questionable at best,
I’ve been a fan since forever. The chicken rendang rice on board was omg. And oh, the tuna sandwich they served as a snack? A simple joy for a
half-asleep traveler. Between nibbling and flipping through inflight movies, I
drifted in and out of sleep, which honestly made the 6-hour flight zoom by.
We touched down at Incheon Airport bright and early,
prepared to face the legendary 2-hour immigration queue (thank you, TikTok
reviews, for setting the bar low). Luckily, we were through in just over an
hour—swift and painless!
 |
| Seronok dia buka mata je dah sampai Korea dah.. cheyt! |
First stop? Portable WiFi and caffeine.
We picked up our pre-booked portable WiFi from KLOOK
because, let’s be honest, getting lost is a level of adventure I’m not ready
for. Then, it was time for the viral Korean iced coffee experience. I’m talking
about mart coffee paired with whatever breakfast junk food we could grab.
Energy levels: restored.
Next, we hopped on a bus to Myeongdong Station, just a short
walk from our home for the next 8 days—Starria Hostel. We picked this place
because TikTokers swore by its location (hello, Myeongdong Street Market!) and
the glowing reviews didn’t disappoint. Since check-in wasn’t until 3 PM, the
lovely owners let us stash our luggage while we explored.
The bus ride from Incheon Airport to Myeongdong took about 40 minutes. We felt it was better than taking the subway because barang banyak nak angkut leceh.
Dalam bus ternampak kedai beg ni. Terbeliak sikit mata sis nampak beg TOYI orizainal hahahah..
Lunch at Kampungku
When in Myeongdong, go Halal hunting. We hit up Kampungku, and let me tell you, the fried chicken is heavenly. The restaurant was crawling with Malaysians—it was like a mini KL reunion.
Yes if you look carefully in the picture you'll find that Malaysian famous Youtuber... a.k.a Gwenchana guy internationally haha..
After lunch, we strolled around the area, got our CLIMATE Card (best for unlimited subway rides!) and a TMoney card for flexibility. Travel pro tip: these cards are lifesavers if you plan to Seoul-search by train.
Finally, we checked into our room. Small, sweet, and oh-so-cozy. I immediately started unpacking and nesting because, hey, this is home for the next 8 days now. After a quick nap, it was suddenly 6 PM, and pitch black outside—Korean winters don’t play-play.
It's small but sufficient and extremely cosy...
Price per night is actually not that cheap, it's OK-OK la. RM2,610 for 7 nights. It has all the basics, the toilet and shower is great and they also have pantry and laundry. The best part is that it's close to Myeondong subway (like 3 minutes walk) if you brisk walk lagi sekejepppp je dah sampai. Myeondong street market tu boleh cross jalan je nak pergi. Location hotel ni memang win sangat sebab tu we decided to stay here. Oh yeah.. even nearby tu ada airport bus stop. And halal food abundant.
Myeongdong Street Market
For dinner, we hit the bustling market, and wow, my taste buds were spoiled. I had a Dubai chocolate croissant that was to die for, tanghulu (a sweet fruit candy skewer), and some cheesy coin bread thing that I still dream about. I also managed to tick off my mom’s Korean skincare shopping list—everything is splendidly cheap here!
Dubai chocolate croffle dia sedap gila weyh!
So happy dapat bawa my little girl to travel with me
Back at the hostel, we kept dinner light with chicken Maggi noodles whipped up in their spotless, inviting pantry. Perfect end to a long day. By 10 PM, we were out cold, recharging for the next day’s adventures.
Stay tuned—this trip’s just getting started!
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