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A 7-day itinerary in South Korea
A couple of months ago, I went on a week-long trip to South Korea. Since then, I have written several posts about Seoul, with a focus on places for book lovers, cafes, bars and restaurants. Today, however, I’m finally sharing my recommendations for a 7-day itinerary in South Korea. This itinerary is largely based on the one I followed, but has been optimised to help you make the most of your time in Seoul, Busan and Gyeongju. Day 1 – Seoul Having taken an afternoon flight from Paris to Seoul, I landed in South Korea the following morning. The flight was about 12 hours long and the time difference between…
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Where and what to eat and drink in Seoul
I Want to Die but I Want to Eat Tteokbokki is an easy-to-read memoir by Korean author Baek Se-hee. It is also the first Korean book I’ve read. Since I read it, tteokbokki, a popular and delicious Korean dish – chewy rice cakes cooked in a red, spicy broth, has become one of my favourite Korean dishes. When I recently visited Seoul, I stuffed myself not only with tteokbokki but also with many other Korean delicacies. Today, I’m sharing my recommendations for where and what to eat and drink in Seoul. Kyoja Myeongdong – noodle soup (kalguksu) Kyoja is a famous restaurant in Seoul’s Myeongdong neighbourhood. I went there on…
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10 patisserie cafes in Seoul
Before I visited South Korea, my Instagram had been inundated with posts and reels about must-visit cafes in Seoul and Busan. So, I made a list and worked my way through it. Even though I stayed in Seoul for less than a week, I managed to visit most of the cafes on my list. Today, I’m sharing my recommendations on my favourite (and less favourite) patisserie cafes in Seoul. Cheongsudang Bakery This is the first café I visited, soon after I arrived in Seoul. It is located in the Ikseon-dong Hanok Village, very close to where I stayed. As well as a café, it is also a patisserie specialising in…
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6 places in Seoul for book lovers
Having previously read quite a few books by Korean authors, I recently visited South Korea. Although I spent most of my time in Seoul, I also visited Busan and Yeongju. As expected, over the next couple of months, I’m going to publish quite a few posts about my trip, with tips and recommendations. Today, I’m kicking off this stream of posts recommending places in Seoul for book lovers. Starfield Library The first place in Seoul for book lovers should be the very Instagrammable Starfield Library. It is located in Southern Seoul, inside the COEX Mall, one of the city’s premier malls and the world’s largest underground mall. The two-story library has 13-meter-tall bookshelves and is home to…
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6 books by 5 Korean female authors
I recently returned from a week-long trip to Seoul. Although I had previously been on ‘a cinematic journey to South Korea’, this was actually the first time I set foot in the country. It’s been 4 years since ‘Parasite’, directed by Bong Joon-ho, won the Academy Awards for Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Original Screenplay. This was a historical moment: ‘Parasite’ was the first South Korean film to have been nominated in these categories, as well as the first non-English language film to win the Academy Award for Best Picture. Since then, I have watched many more films from South Korea, listened to Korean music (not only K-pop) and…
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8 places to eat and drink in Hanoi and Vientiane
When I visited the countries formerly known as French Indochina last year, I almost neglected their capitals. Even though I started my trip in Hanoi, the Vietnamese capital, I mostly used it as a departing point for a 2-day trip to Halong Bay and a day trip to Ninh Bình, rather than a destination in its own right. As such, even though I stayed in Hanoi for a total of 3 nights, I did not explore it as much as I would’ve liked. Similarly, when I visited Laos, I stayed in the country for a total of 6 nights. Of those, 3 were in Luang Prabang, 2 in Vang Vieng,…
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9 places to eat and drink in Hội An and Huế
When I visited the countries formerly known as French Indochina last year, I spent 4 days in central Vietnam. Of those, I spent 3 days in Hội An and one in Huế. The distance between the 2 cities is 120 km (I travelled by car, which allowed me to stop several times en route). Both cities are close to Đà Nẵng, Vietnam’s fifth-largest city. All three cities were part of South Vietnam when the country was divided (from 1955 to 1975). Today, I’m sharing my recommendations for 4 places to eat and drink in Hội An, and 5 in Huế. Hội An Hội An translates as “peaceful meeting place” from…
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10(+1) places to eat and drink in Luang Prabang
Luang Prabang is a northern Laotian city consisting of 58 adjacent villages, of which 33 comprise the UNESCO Town of Luang Prabang World Heritage Site. The city centre is located at the confluence of the Nam Khan and Mekong rivers. A former capital, Luang Prabang is nowadays well worth a visit, as it is of remarkable cultural and gastronomic interest. I visited Luang Prabang a few months ago. I stayed there for three days, which was enough to visit many of the Buddhist temples and other cultural landmarks, and also wander around the city. During my stay in Luang Prabang, I had the opportunity to try the local cuisine. Today,…
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9 places to eat and drink in Siem Reap
Siem Reap is the gateway to the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Angkor, the largest religious structure in the world and Cambodia’s most popular tourist attraction. Although it was little more than a village when French explorers such as Henri Mouhot “re-discovered” Angkor in the 19th century, Siam Reap is nowadays the country’s second-largest city. It has a population of 245,000. I visited Siem Reap a couple of months ago. I stayed there for three days (two nights), which was enough to visit the temples of Angkor, and also wander around the city. During my stay in Siem Reap, I had the opportunity to try the local cuisine. Today, I’m…
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9 coffee shops in Ho Chi Minh City
Although Ho Chi Minh City (abbreviated HCMC, also known as Saigon) is not the capital of Vietnam, it is nonetheless the most populous city of the country, with a population of around 9.3 million. The capital city Hanoi has a population of around 8.4 million, whereas the entire country’s population has reached 100 million. Following the partition of French Indochina, Saigon became the capital of South Vietnam until the fall of Saigon in 1975, whereas Hanoi was the capital of North Vietnam. After the fall of Saigon and the reunification in 1976, the communist government renamed the city in honour of Hồ Chí Minh. Even today, however, the name Saigon…