“DON’T DO these 11 things in Seoul” — an Impact Traveler’s advice.

Crowded Myeongdong. Photo Credit: worldwalkabout

You will ask yourself two questions by the time you finish reading this article’s title:

“Who the heck is an Impact Traveler?”

and “Why Seoul?”

For question number 1, you can read “What makes an Impact Traveler?” to understand the basic concept of “Impact Traveler”.

For question number 2, compared to other cities in the Asia famed for a wide variety of specialties, Seoul’s intrinsic values are not as appealing as the others’.

Thus, obviously, an impact traveler will not be doing these 10 typical activities:

1. Visiting the historic Gyeongbokgung and spending at least an hour without any local guide at the nearby National Palace Museum of Korea
2. Burning tons of money on local cosmetics and fashion in the notorious Chinese-tourist area: Myeong-dong.
3. Traveling by taxi and the cannot-be-any-more-time-wasting Seoul City Tour Bus.
4. Stopping by a Seoul City bus station and taking cute selfies in front of the great King Sejong statue at the historic Gwanghwamun Plaza (so that you can show your friends and family
5. Spending an another entire day shopping and learning about the ocean in Coex Mall and Coex Aquarium.
6. Learning about South Korean history and art — both traditional and and modern — by YOURSELF without any truly local knowledge or local guidance at one of the these fantastic museums: the Leeum, Samsung Museum of Art or National Museum of Korea or Seoul Museum of History.
7. Dining at the largest buffet restaurant — “Buffet Pavilion” in Seoul 63 Square to discover South Korean cuisine.
8. Dining at N Seoul Tower to discover South Korean cuisine, as well.
9. Visiting Bukchon Hanok Village and taking photos by the seem-to-be-ancient-Korean walls feeling like you’re casting for the latest Korean drama hit.
10. Trying on traditional Hanbok and paying for the shoot of yourself in Korean’s traditional suit feeling like you are a South Korean woman.
11. Buying ginseng as souvenirs at Dongdaemun market

You will certainly question: “Whatttt? These are the things I wish I could do if I visited Seoul!”.

The above-mentioned activities sound like a great plan for a 7-day trip to Seoul. But you know what? You will neither remember anything nor having the urge to visit Seoul again if you follow strictly the plan.

Well, don’t get me wrong, I am neither suggesting you not to visit Seoul this way nor telling you not to love Seoul at all. I love Seoul, in the different way though. Because I experienced Seoul in a totally different way (than the above-mentioned itinerary). And I wish I could come back to Seoul any time soon. I miss the romantic, nostalgic yet modern and energetic Seoul.

So what did I do? Stay tuned for the next post: “26 intriguing things only Impact Travelers experience in Seoul”

[To be continued…]