My mom and I decided to visit Gyeongbokgung Palace the second day we were in Seoul, Korea. Again, this is another you must do if you're ever visiting Seoul.

Since we started our day off by visiting the palace, my mom and I needed to get something to eat. We ate at this little cafe, The Healing Place, which is across the street from the Gyeongbokgung Palace.  

I can't remember how much it cost to get into the gates but I don't think it's too expensive. Once you're inside, you can spend a couple hours checking out the whole area. There's a lot of land to cover so if you're really interested in looking at the entire area, I would definitely wear comfortable walking shoes! 

What's crazy about this palace for me is that this historical spot is located smack in the busy center of Seoul. Although, most of it was destroyed during the Japanese occupation in the early 20th century, several restoration efforts have been made to re-establish it's former glory.

On a side note, one really cool thing about the Gyeongbokgung Palace is that it has free tours is several different languages. Just head over to the information booth to see what time they are held and where to meet. This was the english-speaking one and as you can see, the tour guides wear traditional hanboks, so they're fairly easy to find. 

One of the first buildings you'll come across is the Geunjeongjeon. This the royal throne hall where the king was formally briefed by his officials. 

This is what the inside looked like. As you can see, this is the throne that the king would sit on. Isn't it so pretty?!

 One thing you'll notice on many of the buildings are gargoyles lining the roofs. Our tour guide pointed these out and told us it's supposed to ward off evil spirits and energies. Be sure to look out for these! I find them so interesting!

 I think at this point, my mom and I decided to wander off from the tour. We'd gotten a lot of interesting information from it, but wanted to walk around a little bit for ourselves. The actual area is so gorgeous and green! Here is the Gyeonghoeru. Look familiar?? That's because this is the same structure that is on the 10,000 won! The King also held formal banquets here.

 Another beautiful structure to check out is the Hyangwonjeong. This was the King's informal banquet hall. Although, I have to say, it still looks pretty dang nice to me for being "informal".

 We found these statues outside of the museum. I believe it represents the 12 Korean Zodiac Animals...

 Like I said earlier, what's really amazing to me is how all of this is located right in the center of Seoul. You almost forget you're in such a busy city! If there is ever a day you feel like you need to get away from the crowds and connect with nature, you should definitely visit here!

The last thing I wanted to mention was the changing of the guards! I would check before you go to see what time of the day they change, but every day, they have a traditional ceremony. It's pretty fun to watch and you can also take pictures with the guards, who of course, are emotionless and don't move. But hey, it's all still fun! 

Well I hope you enjoyed this post! I know some people enjoy seeing pictures and reading about traveling versus watching videos so I wanted to do both!

xoxo,

Morgan

Follow Morgan: Visiting Namsan Tower and Riding the Cable Car

Visiting Namsan Tower if you're ever in Seoul, Korea is, in my opinion, something that you should definitely do! Namsan Tower, which means "North Tower", is both a communication tower used for radio and television and also an observation point since it's the tallest point in Seoul. This is definitely a fun tourist destination because there is so much to do!

In my video, you can see that we took the cable car up to the base of Namsan Mountain. The tickets were pretty affordable and the view is for sure worth the ticket price. 

There are a lot of things to do at Namsan Tower. They have several restaurants at the base and even an Olive Young! 

This is also where the infamous lock trees and gates are located. Here, you can personalize a lock and attach it to one of these to ensure you and your love will be together forever (well let's hope so!).

You can buy locks here, but I hear they're pretty expensive and that you're almost better off buying a lock before you come. 

After you're done soaking up all the beautiful sights of Seoul, you can take an escalator into the actual tower itself. From there, you have an even better view and Seoul! There's also a fantastic gift shop that sells all kinds of cute things and activities for children. 

 This is one of the pictures I took from inside the tower. Pretty neat huh? :)

Hope that this Seoul travel series is interesting to you guys! Let me know if you have any questions or suggestions for my next Seoul trip! :)

xoxo,
Morgan

Shopping in Seoul: A Guide for Shopping for Prescription Eye Glasses

When I found out that you could buy super cheap prescription glasses in Seoul, I was like “YES!”. If you’re not aware of it already, I have terrible eyesight. Like, really bad eyesight. I’m practically blind. So I rely heavily on my contacts and glasses. The idea that I could broaden my eye glass collection for cheap was so exciting!

The table I picked my glasses from! 

It might seem a little overwhelming at first when you’re looking to buy prescription glasses. Most places have a florescent eyeglass sign above the door. The trick is to find the stores that offer cheap prices because there are stores that sell high-end, expensive glasses. And buy expensive, I mean a couple hundred bucks for the frames alone! In order to find the right store, feel free to walk in, browse and ask how much frames are to get an idea of their prices. Some cheaper glasses stores are more obvious that they have cheap glass (some have a table full of glasses with a sign that says 20,000 won, 30,000 won, etc)

This is the store where I bought mine! 

The store I bought my prescription glasses at was in Nongdaemun market. Don’t ask me where because I can’t remember where it was, I just know I got them in this area. I paid 65,000 won for two pairs of prescription glasses. That’s about $65! Talk about insane right?! In the United States, I’ve paid anywhere from $250 to $450 for glasses.

The cat-shaped glasses I bought! 

It’s really best if you have your prescription on you, so you can make sure you’re getting the right lenses. I remembered what mine is, so I was able to make sure I was getting the right prescription. Fear not though, they usually all have a free check-up to see what your prescription is. I just figure it’s better to know before you go to be certain.

The large framed glasses I bought 

I chose the frames I liked and my mom and I left for about an hour and walked around the market. Some nicer places serve you free coffee and tea while you wait too! When we came back, the guy working there had my two pairs of glasses ready! They came with a case and a little cloth to clean the lenses with.

There are glasses everywhere

Overall, don’t be intimidated to shop around! There are TONS of eyeglass shops around Seoul, and it’s almost the thrill of the search to try to find the best deals and cutest frames. Plus, they’re used to people popping in, asking the price, and shopping around more. Let me know in the comments below if you have a specific store that you love to go to in Seoul. I’m sure other readers would like to know! Happy shopping and travels!!

Xoxo, Morgan