I would have to say the Bibimbap wasn't the best for an F meal, but the ability to add both western dessert and caviar into the meal made it a good F meal!

I forgot to add that they did offer two types of gift from the flight, the first being an iPhone 4/4S case and the second being a CD. Since I use an iPhone 5, i picked the CD instead. I would have much preferred a second set of pyjamas though...

Yup the SAS lounge is just second-rate compared to the amazing F cabin!

Thanks but you might have to wait a while since it will be next month until I embark on the trip to the Maldives.

Thank you rajsh and djjaguar64!

Please go ahead

Don't be the old Asiana F actually is still very good, and the service should still be terrific! In fact I found the older style seats to be more comfortable in lounging mode.

Thank you, the porchetta panini should be on my list of things to order the next time I am there then!

OZ8939 GMP-CJU
Airbus A321-100 HL7594
STD-STA: 15:25-16:30
Actual: 16:42-17:36
Seat 5A

Heavy snow in Seoul nearly made me miss this flight as there was difficulty for the hotel bellman in searching a taxi for me. However this experience showed me how the service in Korea truly stood out. The team at Sheraton D-Cube was really amazing in trying to help me find a taxi by going out of the hotel to the streets. On reaching the airport, I was also fortunate in that the flight to Jeju is also delayed with many cancellations taking place due to the heavy snowfall. The check-in lady even apologized, even though I was nearly late, arriving just 20 minutes before departure. And I thought only the Japanese acted this way.


Asiana Check-in Desk


Flight Information Display

After the check-in I figured I still had some time to spare due to the delay and sat down at one of the canteen to get some lunch. I ordered Galbi-tang, or short ribs in soup, which was great for the cold snowy day. The meal came with rice and there was a generous serving of beef short ribs as well to make me full.


Galbitang

For the domestic journey, security was easy, bottled water is even allowed and there was no queue, a whole world of difference to the security in the States. Security was quick, probably only taking 5 minutes, and I then entered a clean though somewhat spartan terminal. There were some shops selling duty free souvenirs and foodstuff. An all economy flight and no status at all with Star Alliance meant no lounge access for me in Gimpo. I doubt there is any good lounges here anyway in the relatively spartan terminal compared to Incheon.


Asiana Airline A321 in the Snow

There was ample seating in the waiting area, and as usual there was pre-boarding for families and elderly, along with Star Gold and other elites. Common boarding was very orderly though and there was ample staff to even barricade the area as there was an arriving flight next gate to direct passengers to the right direction upon arrival.


Legroom on Asiana Economy

I managed to get a window seat with the middle seat left empty since I picked seats on the front. So for the price of Economy I essentially got Euro-style Business class on the Asiana flight to Jeju. The back seats seems to be occupied with tour groups so it can be somewhat more packed, which means should travellers book these tickets via Asiana's website, do choose a seat upfront. Boarding was completed quite fast and there was that bow in unison from the crew members which has become somewhat of a signature amongst Korean and Japanese carriers.


Jin Air on the Tarmac


Safety Video onboard Asiana

I think this is my first flight departing on snowy conditions or when the Tarmac is full of snow. I don't remember recalling any de-icing for the plane though. Living in snow-less Vancouver, and mainly visiting areas that doesn't snow, this was a new experience, but take off was just like any other and there wasn't that long of a queue for clearance. So I surmised that maybe the crew was also late or some preparation was required on the runway which delayed flights a bit. There was no longer any snow when we boarded and the lack of queues that afternoon meant that very soon after pullback we were up above the clouds.


Inflight Entertainment and Beverage

This flight counts amongst one of my shortest flights, and there was just time for a beverage service by the crew. There was a choice of water or the tangerine juice (a specialty of Jeju). No snacks or anything else, neither was there airplane models that I wanted to buy on the domestic flight. The iPad kept me entertained for a short while, and I probably had enough time for a short TV show episode before descent started and passengers had to switch off all electronic devices.


Sunset along the Flight to Jeju

Dusk has fallen by the time we descended into Jeju, and lights have filled the streets of downtown Jeju. It was a short but nice flight in Asiana economy. For the 54 minutes ride, the service was flawless and having a middle seat empty is akin to having a business class seating in Europe flights, so it was a nice enjoyable flight.


Descent into Jeju Island

The plane landed on a remote spot though and we had to take the bus, but as I was seated upfront, I got a spot on the first bus. I guess the delay from Gimpo meant some crowding in Jeju as many airlines offer the GMP-CJU flights. Return flights was relatively cheap in winter and the savings from the cheaper hotel rates in CJU could have just paid for the flights itself!

Arriving at Jeju International Airport at around 6pm, there was a huge crowd of visitors gathering at the baggage claim and it seems that many Koreans still regard the island as a resort and getaway location. After all the weather is milder in winter with no snow but rain on the evening I arrived. Baggage claim was fast and efficient and I was able to catch an airport limousine bus to the Seogwipo Resort Area on the southern part of the island, where the big resorts are all located at. The bus ride took around 70 minutes, which is worth noting that the bus journey would actually be longer than the flight time from Seoul to Jeju.


The Atrium of Hyatt Regency Jeju

Another point worth noting is that the city centre of Jeju is located close to the airport, and there exists lodging within the city centre, though most visitors would be better off staying in the larger resorts in the south part of the island which has views of the ocean and closer to some of the natural beauty the island is known for. The airport limousine bus dropped passengers on the doorstep of the lobby and the bell desk helped with the luggage immediately. Checking in the Hyatt Jeju was fast with its staff being very proficient in English, and one of the concierge used to work and study in Vancouver as well! The agent did not recognize the diamond status as enthusiastically as the Hyatt in O'Hare, but I was given their best room available with an ocean facing room. I was also informed of the use of the club lounge and the opening hours of the lounge.


Regency Club Lounge

The room itself is old though it was clean and comfortable. Once the bellboy arrived, he showed me the features of the room and how to open the door to the balcony and made sure to point out the features of the door knob to prevent myself from being locked out in the balcony. The room was also very warm when I came in, thus I opened up the balcony a bit and it was nice to hear the sound of waves crashing upon the rocks! I was also able to get tourist information from the bellboy on tours around the island.


Balcony View at Night

Since it was around dinner time by the time I reached the hotel, I wanted to have dinner but the relatively remote location and cold, rainy weather made me pick to have dinner at the hotel. Eventually I settled for dinner at the Regency Lounge, and there was enough hot food, various appetizers and snacks for a light dinner. However, due to the relatively small size, the lounge can get crowded and noisy. One might even need to wait for a spot to be seated. For other visitors, there is a small casino in the hotel itself which mainly caters to guests from China, though it does also have a small self-serve buffet counter that serves Chinese food.


Club King Bedroom

This was the second time I tried the Diamond status in Jeju and the upgrade to an ocean view room on a high floor and the included access to the lounge was adequate since I didn't really need the extra space. The bathroom in the toilet is also spacious enough in the best room available and the toilet was fitted with the Japanese auto spray system with dryer mechanism. The ocean view rooms are well worth it in my opinion, as otherwise one gets the view in the Regency Club Lounge which faces the mountains.


Bathroom at the Hyatt in Jeju

In addition to the ocean views, the gardens around Hyatt Regency Jeju is also great to walk around in. Fans of Korean drama will remember the gardens from the scene where some moments of the movie 'All In' were shot at. Around the resort are also some hiking trails that leads to beautiful spots like the Black Sand Beach. I am pretty sure this is a great family resort spot in summer time since the Hyatt also has a great outdoor pool. If there was one fault during my stay here, it would have been the day on check out when I have already requested for an airport shuttle but when the airport bus arrived, the bell boy who was waiting at the entrance failed to stop the bus to wait for me, and he seems to be quite flustered to even apologize... Luckily for me, the next bus arrived and I still had adequate time to check-in for the flight to Seoul as I had planned for extra time in the event of delays like this.


Hyatt Regency Jeju

Now, with regards to Jeju island, it is a popular tourist destination amongst Koreans, and many couples frequently visit this island for their honeymoon. Summer is usually the best time to capture the natural beauty of Jeju but it wasn't too bad in early December since the weather is much milder than Seoul. The concierge at Hyatt booked me on a day tour for the next morning departing directly from the hotel early at around 8am, and the day tours are operated by Yeha Tour, with it being conducted in English. Generally it would take 2 days to cover the major sights in the island as the day tours operate alternately on an eastern and western route. I was booked on the eastern route since it was a Thursday, and according to the concierge it visits the more popular sights in Jeju.


Seogwipo Coastline

I was the only tourist from Hyatt to sign up for the tour and the bus continued to pick up passengers from the neighbouring resorts in the Seogwipo area, including the Lotte Resort just beside the Hyatt. From the Seogwipo resort area, the bus brought the passengers to the first stop which is the Trick Art Museum. As the name suggests, it creates duplicates of famous scenes and paintings and uses visual illusions to 'trick' viewers. Visitors can also pose with the paintings and murals on the wall to create interesting illusions! Naturally it is a location best visited with two or more people so that you can have someone helping you to take the photo. We spent around one hour to view the exhibits but mostly to take photos. From there, it was off to the Seongeup Folk Village, where one can still find Koreans living in traditional thatched huts. The main highlight is perhaps the classical courtyard architecture of a Confucian school in the village which was built in the Chinese style. Lunch was also served in the village where we were given a choice of Bibimbap or Black Pork BBQ, and I really enjoyed the tasty pork BBQ.


Confucius School in Jeju

After lunch, it was time to sweat it off as the tour bus drove us to the Seongsan Sunrise Peak, a volcanic crater surrounded by the ocean. Be prepared for a half hour trek up to the peak, though the view from the top is probably one of the best and the highlight of the tour in my opinion. I am pretty sure the view might be better in sunrise, but I would have to leave that to the next time... On the descent from the top of Seongsan, it was time for a show and this came in the form of the women divers in Jeju. Apparently due to men looking down on the menial jobs of fishing, women had to dive to supplement the family's income and this resulted in the tradition of women diving in the sea for prized seafood like abalone and conch which tourists could purchase fresh to be cooked on the spot. There are two show times daily at 1:20pm and 3:00pm and each takes about 30-40 minutes where the women divers all in their 50s and 60s start with a dance and song ritual before entering the water to catch a variety of seafood. During the time I was there, the sky cleared up somehow providing the chance for me to capture the beauty of the landscape around Jeju Island. At the base of Seongsan, tourists could also find numerous shops selling local snacks and souvenirs since this is one of the top tourist attraction in Jeju.


Seongsan Sunrise Peak

The final stop in the tour is the Manjang Caves which we reached by going through the Jongdalri Shore Road, a winding coastal road passing through some of the best sceneries in Jeju. The drive takes us to the northern end of the island. Touted as the longest lava tube in the world, this is one of the natural attractions of Jeju though it should be mentioned that only around 1.5 km of the cave is open to visitors, and even then it will take more than an hour to walk along the whole length and back. Most of the cave is lit along the pathways and some of them are also paved with wooden blocks, though most of the caves can be tricky to walk through if you are not wearing comfortable walking shoes. Also do make sure you have hiking boots if the grounds are wet since it can be slippery.


Walkway at Manjang Caves

After the tour the bus drops all other tourists around the hotels in Jeju City which is at the northern end of the island. Since me and some other tour participants are staying at the large resorts in the southern end of the island at Seogwipo, we were dropped off at the airport where they gave us vouchers to take the airport shuttle bus back to the hotel. The other 2 participants chose instead to explore and have dinner at the city before heading back to the hotel, so it can be scheduled to have dinner around the city before returning to the resort.

Great trip report! Just curious, do you have pics of Asiana's Y class on their new 777-200ER?

I do not have any since it was pretty busy in the Economy cabin and too dark to take any good photos. However, the cabin is in a 3-3-3 configuration with AVOD (or what I believe to be) on every seat. Seat-wise it should be the same as the one onboard SQ's A380 and CX's latest 2012 seats on the 777-300ERs. So it should still be pretty comfortable.

The return trip to Seoul wasn't that much different from the experience of my flight to Jeju. Thus I will not write extensively about it. Something to note would be that the flight was delayed as well and that left me time to wander around some of the shops selling souvenirs and local Jeju produce in the airport, which is clean though a bit crowded. Just points to how much tourists visit this island resort. As in the previous flight out to Jeju, I was seated in the first 10 rows and was seated by the window with an empty seat in the middle, making for another pleasant trip back to Seoul. Service standards were similar to my other flights and this just made me forget about the delay or the fact we needed to board by the stairs!


Asiana Airline Check-In


Asiana Airline A321 at Jeju


Asiana Domestic Economy


Economy Seat


Flying Asiana back to Seoul


Arrival at Gimpo

Arriving at Gimpo, I took the airport limousine bus to Gangnam, as that is the best bus to take that will take me all the way to the COEX mall and I was told I could walk over to the Park Hyatt from there. Apparently if you do take this airport bus, it is best to drop off at COEX and take the taxi from COEX to Park Hyatt, as the bell desk will take care of the taxi fare for you. However, I forgot about this and instead dropped off along COEX and walked over through the underground passage way. It wasn't too much of a hassle since I just had a rollerboard and a duffel bag. However, the icy conditions on the pathway and the snow does make things a bit tricky.


Park Hyatt Seoul

Upon arrival at the Park Hyatt Seoul, the bell boy assisted me with the luggage and directed me to the lobby which is located on the 23rd floor. Prior to this, I had used one of the suite upgrade vouchers courtesy of the Hyatt Gold Passport Diamond membership to upgrade my room to a suite. However upon reaching the hotel, where I wanted to take a rest after the flight and head out for lunch, the front desk had to have an IT system breakdown and thus they could not process me for check-in. To mitigate the problem, they directed guests to the small lounge on the side where they provides beverages and cookies until they rectify the problem. It must have been a 40-50 minute wait before the backlog of guests were processed and it was my turn to be checked-in. I wondered what would have happened if someone was in a hurry to check-out.


Reception Area


Lobby Lounge

Anyway the front desk agent acknowledged my suite upgrade and apologized profusely for the delay and their system breakdown. I was escorted to the suite on the 13th floor initially, and from the floor plan, each floor has 2 suites, one on the middle section and another at the end of the corridor. Both suites have different floor plans due to the irregular shape of the building. The first suite I was provided had a rectangular shape with a larger bedroom and triangular shaped living area. The living room had a very comfortable couch and I loved the simple wood and earth tones in the decor as well as the huge windows providing an amazing view over the traffic intersection. I enquired the front desk for a suite on the higher floors and they came back to me indicating that they do have another suite on the 15th floor. This time it was the corner suite which is squarish in layout, with a larger living room but smaller bedroom. While I like this layout better for lounging, it should be noted that there is a recliner and massage chair on the first suite I was provided with. The corner suites however provides more views due to its corner location. The layout of the bathroom is more or less similar and the space is separated by a wardrobe that opens on both sides from the bedroom and the bathroom. What was fascinating about the bathroom was its huge tub and shower area which is in a separate glass-enclosed cubicle with curtains that drop at the touch of a button. This shower cubicle also opens out to the views of the COEX Mall. Inside the room, Aesop amenities are provided and they were amazingly nice to use. With the turndown service where they replenished amenities, I was able to get extra bottles for my travels in Japan!


Living Room with View of Gangnam


Suite Bedroom


Suite Bathroom

What separates the Park Hyatt Seoul to any other hotel I have stayed in was the level of service provided by the hotel. Just how many times have people ventured into an unknown city and not knowing where to find good food outside the restaurant. The front desk and concierge was so helpful in this regards by printing out restaurant choices on a slip of paper with directions, type of dishes served and the opening hours. In one instance when I wanted Korean BBQ, the bell boy on duty on the ground floor even personally escorted me on a 5 minute walk in freezing cold weather to the restaurant via the alleyway. I've never met a bunch of hotel staff that are as ready to please as this, even in resorts like the Ayana or Conrad Bali. Even for a Park Hyatt (comparing it to Melbourne and Shanghai), this is by far the best in terms of service.


Seoul COEX View from Room


Corner Suite Living Room

Another example of how the hotel trains its staff well is how consistent they are during my 3 days of stay with them. On my last day, I asked for a taxi to bring me to the Leeum Museum of Art and the concierge did the same thing in printing out the leaflet of the museum along with directions and opening hours and when I boarded the taxi, they made sure the driver knew the location and handed me a card with the license plate of the taxi. This was not new since the St Regis in Singapore does that as well, but they do not do it consistently and at the Park Hyatt Seoul over my 3 days with them, the staff were the best amongst any hospitality establishment.

In addition to the service was how the Park Hyatt Seoul felt more like a residence especially with the large suite, since there are 3 jars of snacks inside the suites. One jar contained chocolate coated coffee candies which was great to snack on during my walkabout in Seoul. Another jar contained classic Korean rice snacks which comes in 3 flavours and they were interesting but I found some of them too sweet. The last jar contained the sweetest snack which is caramel filled chocolate with sea salt. Housekeeping will replenish these jars daily so it is akin to having a complimentary snack bar while staying here. The welcome amenity consisted of a bottle of Soju, fruits and a box of cookies which was fantastic!


Welcome Amenity

I was provided breakfast at the second floor of the hotel in the Italian restaurant called Cornerstone. While the breakfast wasn't the best I had in Korea, I would say it is pretty good in quality. There was an ample mix of Korean and western breakfast choices as well as made to order dishes. They were even able to create customized smoothies depending on the availability of their fruits that day. Even though it can get quite busy at times, the staff were willing to accommodate and extend the breakfast duration slightly, though it can be noisy around 11am as the staff prepares for the changeover from breakfast to lunch.


Bar Counter during Breakfast

During my stay in the Park Hyatt, I did use their gym which is located on the top most floor with an amazing view while one is on the treadmill. In addition, they have a nice soaking tub similar to an onsen in the changing rooms with relaxing loungers. There is also an indoor swimming pool just one floor below. However the drawback is that the swimming pool is on the same floor as the lobby and the small lounge and with the clear windows, there is a lack of privacy while swimming especially in the periods where there is crowds checking in and out. The small size of the hotel also means the pool is pretty small and there was not much restaurants in the hotel itself. Other than that the hotel is located in a pretty nice location with direct access to a subway and the COEX mall just opposite. The location in Gangnam is also great to explore this neighbourhood, which was cast into the spotlight by the viral hit 'Gangnam Style'.


Indoor Swimming Pool

This stay further solidifies the standing of the Park Hyatt chain in my opinion, and I have to say they made the Hyatt Diamond status well worth it! Thus far all the 3 stays at Park Hyatt have ranked amongst the most memorable hotel stays I had and this stay at Park Hyatt Seoul is probably the best hotel stay in 2012.

Great report and great pics, ESP the pica ice from your room.

Due to the need for me to bring my snowboard, I had scheduled my first night in Seoul over at Sheraton D-Cube, which is located on top of the Sindorim subway station. This is a convenient hotel to stay in due to it being a direct stop for the limousine bus to and from Incheon Airport, however, they do not have any airport bus to Gimpo Airport. For my first night in Seoul, I picked this hotel to overnight in and took the opportunity to store my luggage with them until my return for the last night in Seoul. During my first stay there, I was given a nice King bed with a room on the upper floors overlooking Seoul. The standard best available room was pretty good as it was a new hotel. Feels more like an upmarket Westin than a Sheraton. The concierge and bell desk is on the side of the office tower in the D-Cube City complex which also houses a shopping mall. Arriving at around 7pm, I was immediately helped with the luggage and escorted to the 40th storey for check-in. It felt weird to have a female carrying all the heavy bags for me, but her friendliness and eagerness in ensuring the guest is taken care of was a total world of difference from my experience with the bell desk at Hyatt Regency O'Hare.


Sheraton D-Cube Lobby


Deluxe Club King Room


Sunrise in Seoul from the Room

Upon check-in, the receptionist informed me of all the Platinum benefits including my access to the club lounge with the possibility of having breakfast at the Feast, located on the same floor as the check-in lobby. For my first stay, I went to refresh myself first after the ultra-long flight and thus skipped on visiting the club lounge as I had breakfast at the Feast restaurant. While I enjoy breakfasts at club lounges most of the time as I like the ambience better, the breakfast at the Feast is the most comprehensive I've seen in any hotel. The large space with huge windows offer diners a bird's eye view of Seoul and I would encourage everyone to have breakfast here once. The buffet spread is also amazing with a whole section dedicated to Korean cuisine and also offers Japanese and Chinese choices in addition to a wide variety of western options like an egg station.


Breakfast at Feast


Feast Restaurant

On my first stay, as I mentioned earlier I was given a nice room with the bathroom having a separate tub and shower cubicle. The bathtub also has a large window overlooking the bedroom. A lounge chair with an ottoman is placed at the end. The room was also spacious enough and there was already a bottle of wine with fruits placed on the small side table as a welcome amenity. For my second stay, I was upgraded to a nice suite after checking in at the club lounge. The suite upgrade was definitely the highlight in this hotel as it is a real suite with a large living space equipped with a living area and powder room. The bedroom is in a separate space with a chaise lounge by the window. The bathroom is also much larger with curved windows overlooking Seoul. Furthermore due to the high location of the rooms towering over the other skyscrapers nearby, there is a sense of space and a nice view all around. In the suites just like in the rooms, one gets the Nespresso machine, which is one of my favourite features in hotel rooms! Finally the suites also come with upgraded L'Occitane branded bathroom amenities.


Living Room of the Executive Suite


Bathroom of the Suite

For both stays in the hotel, the concierge service was also exceptional and the service in Korean hotels seems to be such that they will print out a list of locations for you on piece of papers complete with opening hours as well. They were able to provide good recommendations for dining options outside the hotel which I really appreciated. In addition, the bell desk was very helpful in finding a taxi for me to Gimpo airport on the afternoon when traffic was chaotic due to heavy snowfall. Compared to the Park Hyatt Seoul, I would still rate the Sheraton Seoul D-Cube highly for the impressive service and the fabulous breakfast at the Feast. For SPG members, the Sheraton D-Cube is definitely a great choice in Seoul as it offers convenience and easy access to both airports while still being conveniently located for sightseeing. This is especially so if one is venturing into Yeouido which is the political centre of the country.

OP, this is one of the best TR's that I've read in a while. The pictures are amazing and the way you wrote the report, I'm very very impressed.

I've been to Jeju multiple times and I've enjoyed my stays at the HR. I wish they had a better pool like the Lotte, but the rooms are fantastic along with the club lounge. I've been to the Lotte and was underwhelmed with the service and room when comparing the hotels.

Looking forward to the rest of this TR along with any future TR's that you decide to write

What an excellent report and nice looking pictures! Looking forward to see the rest ^

Very nice pics!

I've stayed at Park Hyatt Seoul before and liked it, but I think I'll try out Sheraton next time now that I've seen your pictures.

The first time I visited Korea was right during the Asian financial crisis in 1998. At that time tickets and prices of stuff in Seoul was cheap and I remembered having a great time in Seoul, being satisfied by the amazing dishes of ginseng chicken soup and bulgogi. However with a guided tour during that time, there was not adequate time for me to explore the city proper. This time round, I had the freedom to plan my own itinerary and on the first day, I visited Yeouido where i was able to visit the National Assembly and its adjoining library. Two other attractions can also be found in the area including the 63 City, one of the tallest skyscrapers in the city which also houses an observatory and an aquarium, and the second attraction being the Yeouido Park which is a large park bisecting the island of Yeouido. I was only able to visit Yeouido briefly before the snow cut my sightseeing short as I headed back to the hotel for my trip to Jeju Island.


63 Building at Yeouido

On my return from Jeju, I stayed at Gangnam, which is a financial district that also houses some of the wealthiest residents in the city. This area houses some luxury car dealerships as well as the huge COEX mall. Recently it is also famous after being the title of the hit online YouTube MTV 'Gangnam Style'. This area definitely showcases a modern side to the city compared to the Sindorim district where I stayed on arrival in Seoul. Everything here seems so polished with glass-enclosed skyscrapers and wide boulevards. However these wide boulevards are not enough to handle the traffic that Seoul experiences and this is why the subway is perhaps the best way to traverse around the city.


Gangnam in the Morning

As I say by the lounge chair watching the sun set over the city with the bright lights taking over, the city remains as lively as it was in the evening. By this time of the day it is best to explore the district of Dongdaemun which translates to the Great East Gate, referring to the ancient eastern city gate which still stands. Though the area is now more famous for the late-night shopping in the numerous clothing markets. This area is famous for being a market where wholesalers buy products from to sell in other parts of the country, thus it is also the place where Seoul's young and trendy shop! Tourists from all around Asia visit this area for bargain shopping and as it remains crowded till late night, there is also a night market selling traditional street-side snacks and food.


Dongdaemun at Night

The next morning I started the day exploring Insadong with a friend, with the area being the place to buy Korean art and antiquities, but today it is also a tourist shopping area since it is very close to the city centre. There are also many Korean restaurants around the area which provides some tasty food. Thus this place is also suitable for a lunch break before continuing onwards to explore other places of interest including the Bosingak Belfry which houses a large bell pavilion that is rung every New Year's eve as Koreans congregate in that area to welcome in the New Year.


Bosingak 普信閣

One of the main attractions in the city is the well-restored palaces with Gyeongbokgung being the largest of them all. The place to start exploring this palace would be from Gwanghwamun. The large public plaza is frequently used for many activities including political rallies during election season and can be described as the centre of Seoul. A large monument dedicated to Admiral Yi Sun Shin, a respected figure in Korea for being the one who repelled Japan during its naval incursion into the country. Another statue pays homage to King Sejong, considered the founder of the Korean alphabet. Underneath these 2 monuments, visitors could find out more about their accomplishments and gain insight into the tumultous history of Korea and how this small country manage to overcome difficulties and challenges posed by its larger neighbours. They will provide a much clearer picture of imperial Korea and thus allow one to appreciate better the palace itself.


Statue of Admiral Yi Sun Shin 李舜臣

Gwanghwamun also serves as the backdrop for the changing of the guards ceremony which occurs periodically throughout the day and especially performed for tourists. It also serves as the main entrance to Seoul's largest palace complex. The palace itself is built in the Chinese architectural style and feels like a smaller replica of the Forbidden City Palace Complex in Beijing. Upon passing the Gwanghwamun, visitors can purchase tickets before going through the Geunjeongmun to reach Geunjeongjeon or the main throne hall. This was the main building where the king held meetings with his ministers and formal events are held. The various other main halls line up in the same axis as the Geunjeongjeon and a small hill is also located at the back of the palace to create an imperial aura of longevity and strength.


View of Geunjeongjeon 勤政殿

Visiting the palace in winter has its drawbacks, one of which is the freezing temperature making it unbearable walking around the palace complex. However the snowfall cast a white blanket over the palace courtyard and rooftops, creating a mystical atmosphere over the palace. While in the palace, be sure to take a peek into the main buildings which includes the Geunjeongjeon, Gangnyeongjeon which is the King's residence and Gyotaejeon which is the queen's chambers. Beyond these 3 buildings, there lies a garden and the Hyangwonjeong Pavilion and the surrounding small lake is perhaps one of the most scenic spots in the whole palace complex. The pavilion also stands as a landmark as it is beside the entrance to the Folk Museum which one gains entry as well with the ticket into Gyeongbokgung. The folk museum is also a nice spot for a rest and to get yourself warm during winter by getting a cup of coffee or two!


Gyeongbokgung covered in Snow


Sunset at Hyangwonjeong 香遠亭

After touring Gyeongbokgung, visitors could walk around the area and visit other nearby attractions such as the recently renovated Cheonggyecheon stream which cuts through the city and will lead through to Dongdaemun, Other worthy attractions in the area is the Seoul City Hall for its modern new annex building.


Cheonggyecheon Stream

As Seoul is a huge city that has some similarities of being spread out like Los Angeles, travel between districts can be time consuming, which means that it is essential to plan your journey. An itinerary for the second day could start the morning exploring the various museums around the city though I only managed to visit the Leeum Samsung Museum of Art which is a fine art museum albeit a bit small in comparison to MoMA in New York. The museum's location in Itaewon is also useful for exploring the various cafes and chic boutiques lining this area. While things are not cheap in this area, it is nice to just window-shop and explore the trends in Korean fashion, or to have a lunch break. The afternoon can be spent exploring many of Seoul's new malls and the COEX mall in Gangnam, atop the Samseong subway station is probably one of the largest in the city. Another alternative for tourists would be the D-Cube City Mall right on top of Sindorim subway station.


Leeum Samsung Museum of Art

By nightfall, new places of interest pops up, like the Hongik University area. This district is also known as Hongdae to Seoul residents and there is a street full of cheap eats, including a famous galbi outlet called Hongik Sutbul Galbi which serves one of the best meals I had in Seoul. The fantastic owner of the outlet is always very friendly to guests and would even offer tips on how to eat the meat to bring out the taste! However, it should be said that the minimum portion they sell is one for 2 person, though maybe because I was really hungry since I skipped lunch, I was able to finish that portion of beef for 2 person, and I would have to say it was one of my favourite meals in Korea for the atmosphere of the small eatery, the friendliness of the owner and the great taste of the combination of sauces and kimchi with the BBQ beef short ribs!


Korean BBQ at Hongik Sutbul Galbi

Seoul has become a different city with a character of its own ever since I last visited. With its wide variety of Korean cuisines, quirky districts to explore, restored palaces to discover and late night shopping till 5 am in the morning at Dongdaemun, there are new experiences to be had by visitors to Seoul. The fast and dynamic pace of the South Korean economy has also promoted development of art and culture in this city, allowing the city to lead in terms of fashion and design trends in Asia. Combined with the tough nature of Koreans, this has created a very unique lifestyle and ambience for the city that gives it a distinctive flavour of its own, and its rise could be linked correspondingly to the K-Pop culture that has swept Asia by storm in the last decade.


Seoul at Night

Thank you Jimgotkp! I did enjoy the HR in Jeju too, particularly the view from the rooms, and I am glad to know they had better rooms than Lotte!

Thank you! I hope to post them up as soon as possible but I am busy with some other stuff and still travelling in the meantime so I can only complete the report one at a time...

The Park Hyatt still wins for room design and quality of furnishings, but the Sheraton edges it for the club lounge, its location on top of a mall, the views from the upper floors, and its breakfast selection at the Feast is amazing!

The morning departure and the long distance between Incheon and Seoul meant I had to wake up really early to catch one of the first airport bus to the airport. Upon reaching the airport, I head for the First Class check in counters, but one of the gate agents insisted the Narita service has no First cabin. That doesn't seem right does it? I was half worried they changed the plane to a smaller jet which had no first class. But after being shown the Business counter to check in, it turns out the agent was wrong after all! Hmm frequent flyers or travellers who reads FlyerTalk are indeed more knowledgeable than some airline employees!


Main Entrance to the Asiana First Lounge

So I was checked in quickly and after that, the check in agent even escorted me past the queues in security via a discreet door to priority security. She proceeded past immigrations, which I cleared very quickly as well since the customs officer were generally very efficient. The benefits of an escort is how hassle free the whole process was, but it also meant I had no chance to explore the terminal and even forgot to refund my tax refunds as I was just taking it all in stride. The agent escorted me to the Asiana First Class lounge where I was able to obtain a locker to store my belongings. I always value lounges with lockers and this is considered essential for me.


Seating Area


Grand Piano in the Lounge

The lounge is huge and had a separate dining area with lots of space. I doubt it will ever get crowded since there was really plenty of seating, though the restrooms are a bit small compared to the rest of the lounge. In terms of decor, it reminded me of an American library with the dark cherry wood panelling and it comes with a grand piano in the centre dividing the lounge from the dining area. Food selection was good with made to order noodles, and there was also Haagen Dazs ice cream as dessert. However, I have to say that Cathay Pacific does a better job with lounges at their home base. There was also a lack of Korean food choices for a Korean based airline I think. Personally, I would have liked more dining choices like Shin Ramyun or some Korean Pumpkin Porridge rather than that huge amount of unused space which wasn't that private anyway. The morning also saw some crowds in the restrooms as travellers seems to wash up before boarding, and the small size of the restrooms relative to the lounge is indeed the failings of its design.


Wood Panelling with a Library Theme

I would perhaps very much wanted to explore the airport but didn't since I was too tired out from the early morning departure. For economy class passengers travelling through Incheon, I am pretty sure the airport offers much in terms of entertainment choices such as shopping. And yes the airport duty free shops are already bustling with shoppers early this morning! But I wasn't in the mood to shop and was eagerly awaiting the flight on my second Asiana Airline First Class flight. I picked some newspapers and magazines from the lounge and made my way onto the gate for boarding as soon as my flight was ready for boarding.


Asiana First Class Cabin

OZ102 Seoul ICN - Tokyo NRT
09:00-11:10
09:20-11:06
Boeing 747-400 HL7428
Seat 2K, moved to 2A before take off


Asiana First Class on the 747

First Class on the 747 is always special because of the conical shape of the cabin in the front and the fact that passengers get to sit even more upfront than the pilot. The private feel of the cabin is accentuated by me being the only one on First again. As soon as I showed my boarding pass, I was directed to my seat and helped with my jacket and luggage, similar to my First Suite Class flight on Asiana just a few days ago... While the cabin is old, the service remains one of the best! As I sat down in 2K, I looked around and decided to move myself to seat 2A by notifying the stewardess. Ah, the problems of flying in an empty First Class cabin - choosing where to sit.


Seat 2K

Upon being seated, I noticed that the seat was far more comfortable in the default mode which is for take-off and landing compared to the First Suite class. Maybe due to the softer (due to being worn-out) padding or just the way the seat wraps around you more snugly than the wide and firm seat of the Suites but it just felt better to sit in. The suite controls were more similar to Cathay's First Class, and thus no touch-screen controls.


First Class Seat Controls

Before being able to soak it all in, I was offered a choice of drinks and I chose the Ginseng tea once again and while waiting for the drink to be served, I took the time to snap some photos of the cabin, though this time the stewardess did not offer a photo of myself in the seat. No matter as the tea was soon served with the usual small jar of honey and hot towel came along with it. Like before, the stewardess also made sure I have magazines, newspapers and the immigration form that I would need for arrival into Japan. It is all these little details that makes me appreciate First Class.


Pre-departure Beverage


Leaving Incheon


Korean Air Boeing 737

Unlike the First Suites Class, the old First Class cabin onboard Asiana's 747 does not feel as private, though it does feel more spacious without all the doors. The way the seats along the windows are angled, however ensures that most passengers on the sides faces the window and couples would perhaps be best suited to the middle seats which seems to be like the captain and co-captain's chair. Having seen and sat in both products, Asiana's new First Suite Class is definitely a leap forward from their old cabin and would place it amongst airlines with the best First Class Cabin.


Middle Seats

Shortly after I settled into my seat and sip on my Ginseng tea, the plane started its pullback and I relaxed as we slowly taxied to the take-off position for another perk of flying upfront. That is to take photos after take-off from the vantage position with 3 windows. As luck would have it, I should have stayed put at my original seat in 2K for better views, but it didn't matter as I was still able to take great photos of Seoul after the pilot deactivated the seat belt sign and I was able to freely change seats. The stewardess went about doing their business and left me to do mine, but it wasn't long before they entered the cabin to hand me the menu for this short flight to Narita. Even for such as short flight, Asiana still bothered with full size menus and a 3 course meal in First Class, which is really impressive!


City of Seoul

Since I was leaving Korea and this is probably my last flight with Asiana until some time in the future, I indulged in more Bibimbap. I asked politely to keep the menus for reference with the intention to look at what they had to offer in terms of beverages while asking for more Ginseng tea in the meantime. There wasn't the Pol Roger Winston Churchill which I liked, and instead on this short flight, Taittinger 2002 and De Venoge 2004 was served. There was also a different variety of red and white wines offered, though they still did have Jackson Triggs Icewine as dessert wine, and this was my choice for the early morning flight.


First Class Menu

As I waited for the meal, I fiddled with the entertainment system and browsed though the selection. As far as I can remember, the selection was more or less similar to the Suites Class, though the screen size was definitely smaller and not very useful for watching inflight movies, especially with the bright cabin in this morning flight. Before I had the time to firm up my selection of movie to accompany my meal, the stewardess came back and set the table, laying out the table cloth and a stalk of rose on the top. I also ordered the icewine after she finished laying the table set-up. She came back shortly with my appetizer of poached Dropwort with Abalone or 'Minari Jeonbok Ganghoe' which looked like some shellfish covered in beancurd skin, topped with radish and tied together with seaweed. The overall presentation of this dish is visually appetizing, though it tasted bland and was best eaten with the sauce that accompanied it. A glass of water that was frequently refilled and my Ginseng tea was also served at the start of the meal.


Poached Dropwort with Abalone


Beverage Service


Bibimbap in First Class

Just as I finished the chewy appetizer, the stewardess came back with the glass of icewine. I indulged in my seat and was really enjoying the whole First Class experience even on this short flight! Before long, the stewardess returned with a huge tray filled with a huge bowl of Bibimbap ingredients, a separate bowl of rice and all the side dishes. The major difference between this and the one I had on the ORD-ICN flight was the lack of beef short rib. The side dishes and soup was also different. In today's flight, the side dishes and soup were less spectacular but still tasty. However, with the ramen and snacks I had in the lounge I barely finished half of the meal and the meal service ended with a plate of freshly cut fruits comprising of Korean pear which is one of my favourite fruit.


Freshly-cut Fruits

With the conclusion of the meal, it was time to try sit back and watch a movie. However the morning sunshine resulted in glare on the screen which made it difficult to watch a proper movie or anything. In the end, I decided to just convert the seat into the full lie-flat bed and get a short nap. It was still comfortable in the bed mode and should provide adequate space for sleeping on transpacific routes. Though I have to say it won't beat Cathay's First Class. This is because there was just too much wasted space around the cabin that could have been better utilized.


Seat in Lounge Mode


Seat in Bed Mode

I managed to have a short nap of around half an hour before the pilot announced the plane's descent into Narita Airport. With my immigration card filled, the stewardess made sure I was the first one off the plane and amazingly there was another escort holding a plaque with my name as I exited the jetbridge. This was a bit unexpected and thus I had only some time to take a shot of the plane before the escort walked with me to the immigration counter, and onwards to the baggage claim. Even with the short wait in the immigration as I had to rummage through my bag for my passport, my bags and all were already waiting for me in a trolley ready to be whisked away. The efficacy of the whole process was just incredible! And 20 minutes after disembarking, I was out with all my luggage into Japan where I waited in a nearly empty Arrival hall to wait for the next limousine bus to bring me to my hotel.


Descent into Narita


Asiana Boeing 747 in Narita

I was totally impressed with all my 4 flights on Asiana, comprising of 1 long haul First, 1 short haul First and 2 domestic Economy segments. I believe they truly deserve their 5 star airline rating (personally I would even give them a perfect 10) and I would not hesitate to fly with them again in the future!