Here is a travel diary of sorts – documenting my experiences in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and South Korea!
Obviously, I couldn't include everything we did - this is more of a highlight reel.
If you have a read, I hope you enjoy it!
15th
Visited the Lourve (Abu Dhabi)
Yes, there’s a Lourve in Abu Dhabi. It is a great art and civilisation museum - perfectly kept and everything is set out in chronological order which makes it really easy to follow along as you learn.
The architecture of the building itself is really interesting. There is also a nice café where I first tried watermelon juice (perfect in the sweltering Abu Dhabi heat! I felt like I would seriously melt at times, it's like an oven!)
Manicure, pedicure & neck/shoulder massage.
I was lucky enough to be treated to a manicure, pedicure and neck and shoulder massage at Tips & Toes. (Thank you Anastasia!)
It’s a lovely place and the staff there are all very hard-working. I especially enjoyed the massage – just what is needed after a flight!
Dinner at Emirate’s Palace.
Wow! I have never been to such an extravagant place in my life. You really feel your working-class roots when in the presence of such grandeur and it's a bit nerve-wracking. I was treated to a meal here by my brother (thank you, Daniel!)
It was a big, posh buffet and the service was excellent. People were always at your beck and call, re-filling your glass and even helping me carry my many dishes from the buffet to my table every time I went. :)
16th
XDubai Zipline
Another gift (thanks again, Anastasia!) We were truly terrified as we lay down at the edge of the rooftop, ready to be dropped off the side of a building to zoom over Dubai Marina. As is often the case though, the trip itself wasn’t as bad as the anticipation! It was an amazing experience and I am so glad I did it.
Recommended for all thrill-seekers!
Here is a video, feel free to laugh at me. I shrieked a lot and even thought I was going to smash into the balcony at the end – of course, I didn’t!:
17th
Zaroob: Lebanese Food
We went to this restaurant at one of the many malls.
I enjoyed beef shawarma, pickled vegetables, fries, hummus… A great restaurant with a nice, chilled vibe – the atmosphere and décor reminded me of Brighton. It made me happy. Nice food too!
18th
Visited San Chon restaurant
On our first night in South Korea, we trekked to a vegan restaurant that specialised in food for monks. You are not given a menu, but instead served four meticulously created and set out dishes. There was also an accompaniment of traditional Korean entertainment, including drumming and dancing.
19th
Gyeonbokgung Palace & National Folk Museum
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| This was taken by Daniel, not me! Good, innit? |
A beautiful palace – unfortunately closed for some reason on the day we visited. The National Folk Museum was very informative though. It tells you in detail all about Korean traditional culture and history. As well as the importance of the salt trade in East Asian history. We learned a lot!
Red bean Patbingsu and Persimmon Punch
Patbingsu is a must try if you haven’t had it before. Ice shavings with condensned milk – perfect for a hot summer’s day! It was so delicious with the red bean topping and super sweet.
Persimmon is a fruit with a rather unusual taste for a Westerner who has not grown up with it, but it is also worth a try if you get the chance!
Bukchon Hanok Village
A traditional village that is popular among tourists, there are also a few cool shops around. This included my first encounter of K-Pop idol goods, so I was very happy. A lady who owned the shop was also super nice – giving us tea, an English map of the village and helping me pick out all the BTS merchandise from her stock! Ha.
Jogyesa Temple
A small, Buddhist temple we visited. It had a lot of restoration going on at the time.
Myeondong Underground Shopping
Underground shopping markets seem to be pretty commonplace in South Korea. I found the whole thing very strange, but genius! You can get some good bargains in the shops here and I found another K-Pop merchandise shop which I bought quite a lot from. I was so knackered by this point though, we didn’t stay for long.
Korean Sausage Soup, Soju and Makgeolli
We went on the hunt for a vegan restaurant, but we couldn’t find it (a frequent and unfortunate occurrence during our time there – where ARE they? They are on the map, but not to be found! Maybe we are blind) So, we settled for a random restaurant near the World Cup Stadium. I had Korean Sausage Soup, and my brother had a vegetable pancake.
The pancake was delicious, but I did not like the soup very much. Still, the place had such a relaxed feel and the World Cup was playing on the television (so Daniel was happy). We also had our first try of Soju and Makgeolli that evening. I am now really into Makgeolli, a very refreshing, milky rice wine.
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| Makgeolli |
20th
Train to Busan.
Efficient service…and no zombies, unlike the film advertised! ;)
Korean Pork BBQ
I finally got to try Korean BBQ! I was so happy.
There was so much pork, and as Daniel is vegan, I had to eat for two. They store a sweet potato under the grill to eat afterwards. It is such a good experience and I think every meat lover should have a go at it if they can. We found it hilarious when the waiter came over and took the meat off the grill for us, only for us to put it back on because I prefer it more done.
They also give you a Yakult drink on your way out, presumably to try and help stave off any stomach upset or indigestion from eating all that meat!
21st
Gamechon Culture Village
Such a unique, stunning place and one of the hardest walks I have ever undertaken. The hills and steps are never-ending and SO steep, the ground is very uneven! Put on top of this the fact that it was blisteringly hot and I was not a happy bunny. I also managed to trip up on a mat, clip my chin and arm on a big, metal box and fall to the ground – sustaining the biggest bruise I have ever had. Of course the Korean ahjummas who live there put me to shame and scaled the hills and stairs like it was no problem.
We stopped at a great café with a spectacular view. It was amazing!
Busan Modern History Museum
Another very informative museum that teaches you all about Busan and Korea during the time of Japanese occupation of Korea during World War 2. Given the very Western-centric history education I was given, it is truly eye-opening to hear of the horrors that also took place in the East during this time. (I have only learned about it all it recent years). It is so important that we learn from our history and never forget it.
Loads of food, Bibimbap, Mungbean pancake etc.
On the search for another vegan restaurant that we failed to find again. So, we stopped at another random, small restaurant. We were gobsmacked by the meal we received.
We ordered three dishes: Bibimbap, tofu soup and mungbean pancake...
We received these along with sides of: fish, crab, seafood soup, salad, kimchi, squid, vegetables and more! All came to around £20.
It was awesome.
22nd
Train to Seoul, Gangnam.
7/11 food.
As we were hungry, very tired and no nearby restaurants would be open until the evening, we had ramen at a 7/11. 7/11s are amazing shops full of everything you could want, and the ones in South Korea have facilities so you can cook and eat your snacks right there. I also had a big, delicious sponge cake and APPLE FLAVOURED milk! Which was also, surprisingly very nice.
23rd
Bongeunsa Temple
Another beautiful and peaceful Buddhist temple.
Starfield COEX Shopping Mall
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| I liked the TONYMOLY cosmetics shop! |
A HUGE underground mall full of different shops, including many selling clothing. SHINee member Taemin was meant to be visiting for a presentation/performance or something with the brand Reebok. I would have liked to stay to catch a glimpse of the idol, but it was getting so packed and busy with people (probably there to see him) that we didn’t want to stay and get crushed!
Korean Fried Chicken
Another Korean food experience ticked off my list! The tradition is to have Korean Fried Chicken and beer. So Daniel had the beer and I had the chicken! The skin is very crispy and it has a slightly sweet and tangy flavour. Another must try if you love fried chicken!
OVERALL
I had a brilliant time travelling and am so grateful to have had the chance to do so.
I recommend Abu Dhabi and Dubai if you enjoy hot weather, shopping malls and designer shops. If you want to do more things outside, I recommend going in the winter months (even then, it will still be hot, so bring the suncream!)
I recommend South Korea to anyone interested in the culture. There are so many places and you will often only have the choice of traditional food - so liking Korean cuisine will make your time there a lot better!
My brother and I were surprised by the amount of drunk and homeless people in the capital though. You certainly don't see that in the media - soju drinking is a big thing there. But every country has it's issues...
I was also slightly taken aback by how brash Korean people can be (the older generation particularly). I think, as a Westerner, it is easy to think of many Asians as being meek and mild-mannered. It is not the case always, obviously.
Still, everyone was very friendly, and there were a few people that really went above and beyond to make our time there enjoyable and easy. We did so much and there was still much more to do and explore.
BONUS: Korean McDonalds!
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