FlyerTalk Forums - View Single Post - Jacob_m does 66 hours in C for a quick visit to APW (and reviews EK/FJ/KE/NZ/OZ/TK)

jacob_m · Jul 2, 09, 4:48 am

Images of Seoul

Before continuing with the flight reports, here are also a few photos from the South Korean capital of Seoul.

Seoul is quite a massive city with an impressive 10 million inhabitants within the city boundaries and a massive 24 million inhabitants within Greater Seoul.
Absolutely unbelievable!

The size means that distances are often large and although visitors tend to stick to a few selected areas of interest it is hard to get an overview of the city, at least that’s what I thought.
A good start is to make a visit to the Namsan Seoul Tower in central Seoul.
Getting up there is a hassle requiring a long steep walk from the underground station, a cable car ride, more steep walking, and a finally a lift to the observation deck.
The view is quite breathtaking though and there are a few cafes and casual restaurants up there that were surprisingly affordable.

Pics
Taking the cable car to the Namsan Seoul Tower
Very nice views of downtown Seoul from the tower
Good view of the Han river from Seoul Tower

Seoul has a very exciting mix between traditional Korean neighbourhoods and temples and modern architecture with skyscrapers and neon lighting.
A nice way to get a glimpse of old Korea is to make a visit to Gyeongbokgung in the northern part of central Seoul which was the governmental heart for many centuries.
I believe most of the buildings here were constructed in the 15th century in some very beautiful green and mountainous surroundings.
Within this rather sizeable area there is also the National Folk Museum, also worth a visit.

Pics
The very nice Gyeongbokgung palace in northern Seoul
Change of guards at the palace
Inside one of the beautiful temples
The National Folk Museum, also located inside the palace gates
Beautiful surroundings

Downtown Seoul is supposedly located around the city hall, Eujiro and Myeongdong districts where there is good modern shopping, enough to keep even the most demanding and discerning shoppers happy. There is certainly no lack of shopping centres and underground shopping arcades in this city.
The City Hall had a rather cool outdoor stage where they free evening performances, for example a show with a very talented magician one of the nights, great fun to watch (and free).

Pics
Busy evening in the Myeongdong shopping district
Another photo of modern Myeongdong with the Seoul Tower lit-up in the background
The famous Lotte hotel and department store
The City Hall square in downtown Seoul
Great performance at the City Hall stage
The underground station at Hoehyeon. Seoul has a very extensive and efficient underground network

And finally two photos from the rather cosy and traditional Korean neighbourhood just north of Jongno where the hotel was located.

Pics
The traditional Korean neighbourhood close to the hotel in Jongno
A side street in the cosy neighbourhood

Jul 2, 09, 4:48 am	#12
jacob_m Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: In the skies of the world Programs: SK *G Posts: 2,647	Seoul Images of Seoul Before continuing with the flight reports, here are also a few photos from the South Korean capital of Seoul. Seoul is quite a massive city with an impressive 10 million inhabitants within the city boundaries and a massive 24 million inhabitants within Greater Seoul. Absolutely unbelievable! The size means that distances are often large and although visitors tend to stick to a few selected areas of interest it is hard to get an overview of the city, at least that’s what I thought. A good start is to make a visit to the Namsan Seoul Tower in central Seoul. Getting up there is a hassle requiring a long steep walk from the underground station, a cable car ride, more steep walking, and a finally a lift to the observation deck. The view is quite breathtaking though and there are a few cafes and casual restaurants up there that were surprisingly affordable. Pics Taking the cable car to the Namsan Seoul Tower Very nice views of downtown Seoul from the tower Good view of the Han river from Seoul Tower Seoul has a very exciting mix between traditional Korean neighbourhoods and temples and modern architecture with skyscrapers and neon lighting. A nice way to get a glimpse of old Korea is to make a visit to Gyeongbokgung in the northern part of central Seoul which was the governmental heart for many centuries. I believe most of the buildings here were constructed in the 15th century in some very beautiful green and mountainous surroundings. Within this rather sizeable area there is also the National Folk Museum, also worth a visit. Pics The very nice Gyeongbokgung palace in northern Seoul Change of guards at the palace Inside one of the beautiful temples The National Folk Museum, also located inside the palace gates Beautiful surroundings Downtown Seoul is supposedly located around the city hall, Eujiro and Myeongdong districts where there is good modern shopping, enough to keep even the most demanding and discerning shoppers happy. There is certainly no lack of shopping centres and underground shopping arcades in this city. The City Hall had a rather cool outdoor stage where they free evening performances, for example a show with a very talented magician one of the nights, great fun to watch (and free). Pics Busy evening in the Myeongdong shopping district Another photo of modern Myeongdong with the Seoul Tower lit-up in the background The famous Lotte hotel and department store The City Hall square in downtown Seoul Great performance at the City Hall stage The underground station at Hoehyeon. Seoul has a very extensive and efficient underground network And finally two photos from the rather cosy and traditional Korean neighbourhood just north of Jongno where the hotel was located. Pics The traditional Korean neighbourhood close to the hotel in Jongno A side street in the cosy neighbourhood Last edited by jacob_m; Jul 2, 09 at 4:53 am.