This post is a continuation of our Seoul farewell series of November, 2021. Every weekend, we’d revisit an iconic monument or a spot that held a special place in our hearts. After visiting Gilsang-sa Temple and the Seoul Wall (Baegaksan Trail), we followed it up by hiking Namsan on the next weekend. We had visited…
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Autumn is one of the best times to visit Korea. Seoul puts on a fantastic display of colour and every street is pretty. And, if you have the time, quiet walks — in nondescript streets — are just the thing to do. For me, autumn was the perfect transition between summer and winter. The mountains…
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Mahableshwar, roughly 1,353 m (4,439 ft) above sea level, is a short drive away from Panchgani. It might be a good idea to keep either hill station as a base and explore the other on a day trip. Mahableshwar gets way more tourists than Panchgani and is tailor-made for domestic tourism. It’s also an easy weekend escape…
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Hangang River at Banpo Chuseok (or Korean Thanksgiving Festival) is a long holiday period in South Korea. It was always hard for us to get out of Seoul before the crowds picked up. So, we started our own tradition of hiking on Chuseok. However, during the pandemic, we spent most of our public holidays either…
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In the summer of 2020, when South Korea had managed to contain the active Covid cases below 50 per day, we took a week-long exploratory road trip along the east coast. Gangeung (강릉시), a city in Gangwon Province (강원도), was the starting point of our trip from Seoul. The city is divided into multiple regions…
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Most writers have their fair share of irrational fears and insecurities. However, none are as compelling as the fear of losing one’s ability to put words to paper — to build stories from nothing. Can you ever forget how to write? This question plagued me during the course of the last 3 years. Do you…
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South Korea has imposed social distancing across the country until 13th September 2020. Please avoid nonessential travel and check for local government updates before planning a trip. Stay at home now and travel later. We’ve had the wettest monsoon this summer. There were about 10 typhoons (of varying intensities) that wrecked havoc at vulnerable spots…
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Incheon, a sprawling satellite city — roughly an hour away from Seoul, is a viable living option for many. Finding affordable housing, in Seoul, can prove to be a gargantuan task. Apartment/housing costs keep rising every year and living in the outskirts isn’t a bad idea when public transportation is so efficient. Scores of office-goers…
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Last November, Basil coaxed me to join him on a work trip to Jeju. I usually prefer to stay back in Seoul and stick with my routine. But I’d also just come back to Korea — after an annual monthlong trip of visiting family and friends. I was glum and Seoul’s dipping temperatures weren’t doing…
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Travel helps me escape lines. I can be who I am — without having to conform — to the lines that people draw around me. I can be the story I want to write. I can live the picture that I photograph. I can find acceptance in random acts of kindness. I can draw parallels…
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