After the novelty of sweating through three T-shirts a day had worn off in Southeast Asia, I was eager to get to savour some of the cooler weather of late spring.
South Korea and Japan had always been high up on my list of places to visit, which due to the distance, I'd always put off.
With a fixed date to return to the UK, a six-week window presented itself to see as much of the region as possible, with Seoul as the starting point.
Booking within 6 weeks of arriving, I found Seoul a really difficult place to find quality accommodation. Knowing how efficient the local transport system is, if I were to return and stay for a longer duration, I'd consider being slightly away from any of the immediate core areas where you're more likely to get a better deal.
Compared to countries in SE Asia, there's definitely no surplus of supply on Airbnb, so it's worth checking conventional hotel websites if you're planning a shorter trip.
Having subsequently checked availability for 6 months in advance, book as much in advance as possible, be somewhat flexible on your location, and it is feasible to find a decent deal.
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New legislation
Recent changes introduced by the Turkish government has made short-term rentals for under 100 days more restricted. Keep an eye on Reddit threads for up-to-date assessments of how the new legislation is impacting short-term rentals in practice.
You won't have to look very hard to find somewhere to work from in Seoul. WeWork has numerous spaces across all districts of the city with a number of smaller operators and national chains like The Executive Centre and Bizsquare offering spaces across the city.
Seoul is blessed with an inordinate number of coffee shops, generally open late into the evening, with excellent WiFi, making them also viable spaces to set up from.
Whilst noticeably more expensive than cities in Southeast Asia, Seoul still represents solid value for money if coming from Europe or North America. Good quality meals from informal restaurants can be found from around 8,500 won (£4.50), with prices for both coffee and alcohol lower than what you would expect at home.
A single ticket on the metro costs 1,500 won (£0.85) making getting around the city affordable. Tickets to local tourist attractions are very affordably priced, with tickets to palaces coming in around 3,000 won.
Accommodation is the one area where you may want to over-budget for, with limited availability on Airbnb.
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The yen is currently at a 34-year low
While this is undoubtedly a negative for the Japanese, it makes for an exceptionally good time to visit Japan from abroad. Although this trend is unlikely to reverse significantly in the short term, it's still worth checking before visiting.
Read moreAs you might expect, Seoul offers a truly world-class selection of cultural sites, food, drink, and nightlife options, all spread across the vast geographical expanse of the city. You’re unlikely to leave unsatisfied in this regard.
Yet, while it is busy, no area in Seoul felt quite as dramatic and intense as what you might find in neighbouring cities like Osaka and Tokyo.
Korean Standard Time is +9 hours ahead of GMT, making it 7 hours ahead of CET during the summer months. In relative terms to other destinations in Asia, this is +2 hours on Bangkok and +1 on Kuala Lumpur.
I had already been working in the region for the three months previous, so it wasn't a huge change in working hours, but it's right at the edge of where you would class an acceptable working time whilst not impacting your daily schedule.
I've written a guide on how to structure your day to get the most out of the time difference.
Without doubt, being able to speak Spanish with a degree of fluency is a huge asset when visiting South America. I had always put off visiting the continent due to my Spanish skills not extending beyond requesting a "cerveza grande".
But even with my incredibly primitive linguistic capabilities, it was not in any way to the detriment of the trip. English is spoken sparsely, but armed with a few phrases, some polite enthusiasm and a translator, it shouldn't deter you from visiting.
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View from the 11th floor of the Euljiro WeWork location looking towards the Myeong-dong Cathedral with the Seoul Tower in the background.
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The area surrounding Myeong-dong Street comes alive in the evenings with various street food vendors lining the streets from end to end.
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The Han River bike path on the south side of the river makes for an ideal uninterrupted route for running or cycling. The riverside parks that line the river banks make for popular picnic spots for locals.
Given the instability in Argentina over the past few years, I found that most advice on key topics, even if written within the last 12 months, bordered on being dangerously outdated.
I have attempted to summarise some of the most misleading points I encountered.
Card availability is now excellent across the city. Even if you are purchasing a single empanada, bananas from a greengrocer, or buying cans of beer off a man in the street before a football match. Some businesses may offer a 10% discount if you use cash, or charge a small surcharge for card payments.
"It's difficult to get a SUBE card"
This was true in recent years, as there had been a shortage of the cards across the city due to a lack of the plastics needed to create the card. I had no problems going to the nearest off-licence and getting a card on my first attempt. It's worth asking your Airbnb host who may have a spare.
The biggest misconception that may still linger, even if you are reading articles from 2023. If planning on eating out heavily, then expect European prices or even higher on more imported day-to-day goods. Eating out aside, day-to-day expenses are still good value by global measures.
This advice would continue to make sense for Americans who already have dollars, but I wouldn't recommend making an effort to purchase with the intent of exchanging them on the ground. Collecting money via Western Union was convenient and good value, which I would recommend to anyone visiting from outside the US.
"Make sure you get the blue-dollar rate"
The dramatic stabilisation of the peso by late 2024 means that this difference is nowhere near as significant as it was 12 months ago. At the time of writing, there was only a 10% difference between the official and blue rate. If you are only in the city for a short period you may not even have to grapple with this.
"Restaurant service is poor"
I did see some evidence of this, especially in cheaper, traditional restaurants. In comical fashion, drinks would not appear or the bill would never materialise. In more contemporary outlets, it was never a problem.
"It is a football mad city"
There is absolutely no doubt that this is as true as ever in 2024.
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