The first time I had doganitang (도가니탕), or Korean ox knee soup, I had just finished an English lesson and my 70 year old student invited me to lunch. He was the kind of older Korean guy there was no declining so I went along and was quite taken aback when the soup he’d ordered us was filled with some sort of gelatinous meat. I wasn’t completely sold at first, but my old friend had good taste so I knew to trust him and eat what was in front of us. Over the years, doganitang has become one of my favorite Korean soups and it might just become one of yours as well. On a scale of basic to adventuro ..read more

If you’ve visited Jeju Island in South Korea, you’ve likely come across information regarding the Jeju Olle-gil or Jeju Walking Trail, a path that circles the entire island as well as a number of islands that you can get to easily from Jeju. This walking trail offers a beautiful way to see the coastline of the island, enjoy the beaches, and for many, it becomes a goal to complete the entire thing. If you do, you’ll come to realize that not all parts of the trail are the same. In fact, they each have their own tale to weave really. One such path that has quite an interesting story to tell is co ..read more

I’m recently back from a cruise down the Elbe River in Europe and enjoyed the hop-on-hop-off aspect of the travel. Seeing so many cities but having one bed. It was fantastic actually and made me wonder why I hadn’t heard more about cruise ships in Korea more. The peninsula is surrounded by water after all. I’ve seen cruise ships in the ocean waters outside of Busan and Jeju Island and wondered, how popular are South Korea cruises? I think they should be more popular. The world of passenger ship cruises has experienced a surge in popularity, with travelers seeking unique and diverse destination ..read more

My first few years in Korea I had a friend who LOVED sundubu jjigae (순두부찌개) with a passion. It became her comfort food and she ordered it at meal after meal when we were finished working. While she had jumped on the soft tofu stew with a passion, it took me years to appreciate it as much as she did. Sundubu jjigae, a popular comfort stew made with soft tofu, is now one of my favorites too and I’ve realized that a lot of foreigners that first see it assume it to be a lot spicier than it is and thus are put off of diving into it head first. I’ve been craving it for months now and you should too ..read more

There’s something about the aroma of lavender that just can’t be beat. I can’t help but reach for a lavender shrub when I see one to rub a few leaves between my fingers so that I can enjoy that enchanting scent. If you’re visiting Korea this summer, be sure to take a daytrip to find one of the beautiful lavender fields. There are so many beautiful places to visit and if they have flowers, all the better. This summer in Korea, you should definitely take a trip to see some of the beautiful lavender fields. (This post contains affiliate links, which means I receive a certain percentage of a sale ..read more

I’m often asked for my tips and tricks for traveling around Korea and finding good food. While there are a plethora of both Korean and international food options when you’re in the heart of Seoul, get out into the countryside and sometimes it can be difficult especially if you’re traveling with children or picky eaters. So, let me tell you what works EVERY TIME! Find the boribap (보리밥) restaurant. Boribap restaurants can look unassuming, rustic even, and sometimes just a room attached to a house, but you will absolutely find the best food made with locally grown vegetables and on top of that, i ..read more

If you’ve ever experienced the hottest of summers when the sweat pours and the lethargy and lack of energy takes over leading to afternoon siestas, you may think you already know how to fight the heat. But do you know how to fight the hottest of summer temperatures Korean style? In Korea, there is a concept called iyeol chiyeol (이열치열), basically controlling heat with heat, or fighting fire with fire as we say in English. On the hottest days of the summer in Korea, instead of going for cold treats like patbingsu or even cold soups, of which there are many delicious Korean cold soups, Koreans ea ..read more

When it comes to transportation in Seoul, the infrastructure is amazing. The Seoul Subway System is vast and usually the easiest to use for newcomers. The buses on the other hand, tend to be the hardest for newcomers to master. Bus routes can definitely help you reach certain places a lot easier though, so let me help you learn how to use the buses in Seoul. I personally enjoy taking the bus more than the subway because I can look out the windows and see what’s going on and spot sights in neighborhoods I might not know existed. If you’re going longer distances, the subway is probably your best ..read more

How many times have you walked along Gwanghwamun Square? How many events have you seen at Gwanghwamun Square? Have you ever gone beneath the square that sits just south of Gyeongbokgung Palace in Seoul though? The last time I was there and went down to see what was going on, I found the amazing space completely empty. As I made my way through the underground workings, I only came upon two groups of kindergarten students and their teachers. Because of that, I decided to write about what lies beneath Gwanghwamun Square and why you should really go to check it out. (This post contains affiliate l ..read more

Are you traveling to Korea soon and wondering how expensive it is? Wondering how to keep a budget? There are a ton of free things to do in Seoul and all around Korea, when you know where to look and when to look! If you’re on the hunt for discounted fun, free things to do and more, make sure to mark Culture Day (문화가 있는 날) down on your calendar. Held on the last Wednesday of every month in Korea, Culture Day was created as a special day to make cultural experiences more accessible to the public, no matter their economic status. With a huge number of discounts and freebies across a range of cult ..read more