Kyongju (South Korea)

Advantages: cheap, friendly, people, my apartment!
Disadvantages: the food (ahh red pepper), distances between dongs,

...I loved South Korea. I taught over there for a period of time. When I first got to South Korea I was a bit dismayed. I stayed in Ulsan, right down the bottom. It was very industrialised and hugely commercial. My apartment was in darkness when I got there and resembled a bad neighbourhood in south london. I got to admit I really wanted to go home at this point. Woke up the next day felt awful. Felt that oh my god what have I done now feeling. Rang my family then decided to pull myself together and go out! Silly idea I walked a few miles in general direction I came in by to try and find a district I had seen previous night! Not speaking a word of Korean nor beingable to read the Hangsul characters I got lost within an hour and had to phone my new boss. This is where I found out that the Korean people are amazing. So understanding... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: Fine public transportation, safety place for travelers
Disadvantages: Language problem

...I've stayed in Seoul, South Korea, for six months, March - September 2006 as a Writer-in-Residence. I was invited by the Korea Literature Translation Institute (KLTI) under the Korean Ministry and Culture's ACPI (Asian Culture Partnership Initiative) program. As a Writer-in-Residence, my life in Seoul was joyful. I've received a monthly-grant USD 1,700. In 2006, the living cost in Seoul was the highest in the world. The second was Tokyo, and the third was New York. But again, my life in Seoul at the time was wonderful. *Dormitory* For six months I stayed in Crimson House, a dormitory near Korea University. You must pay around USD 300 a month to stay in this dormitory for standard room. Crimson House's management is very good, a safe place for many non-Koreans who stay in Seoul for any reasons (study, research, etc.). About safety... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful

Advantages: friendly staff
Disadvantages: food is not always nice, depends on which plane you get

...The first time i went on a plane was last february on a holiday to New Zealand. The New Zealand airline was very expensive so we searched for something a bit cheaper. Then we came across Korean Air. They were charging us around £700 per person. The trip ws split into 4 bits as it was a 20 hour flight to New Zealand, not terribly good for my first time flying! Anyway I will try not to bore you too much but this is my experience. Heathrow to South Korea (Seoul) - The plane was modern (I think it was a boeing 747 but i'm not quite sure). Each seat had a little TV in the back where you could listen to music or watch a mix of Korean or English TV. We were provided with a blanket, pillow, headphones and a little pouch with a toothbrush, a mask and some flight socks in it. My family and I were sat in the middle row and it was very... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful