Monday, March 30, 2015

Lotte World Adventure, Seoul SK

I love Lotte chocolates. From Pepero to Ghana, Almond Balls, Crunky and Choco Pie, I've never tried so much sweet food variations of a brand as much as I do with Lotte. In fact, whenever I visit a Korean or Japanese store and see something new, I never hesitate on trying it out because I know that as long as it is from Lotte, it must be delicious. And up to this day, I haven't bought anything that I didn't like just yet. Everything's consistently addicting!

Lotte Co. Ltd., is a multinational corporation headquartered in South Korea and Japan with over 60 diverse business units from food production, shopping malls, entertainment, housing and finance, amusement parks, hotels, trade, information technology and construction. No wonder that wherever I look in Seoul, there's always a Lotte sign and logo in sight.

For my recent trip to Korea, I made it a point to include a tour of Lotte World in our itinerary. Dubbed as one of the biggest indoor theme parks in the world, it was the perfect venue for a day of fun and rides as temperature dropped to 8 degrees and an outdoor park like Everland is non-negotiable. Besides, why look somewhere else when this all-weather theme park houses a skating rink, exciting rides for kids and adults alike, a folk museum, souvenir shops and a lake.







Lotte World is divided into two themes -- Adventure (indoors) and Magic Island (outdoors). It was a good decision to go on a weekday as most rides have minimal to no queue at all. Among the popular rides you can find in the indoor theme are: Lotty's Hot Air Balloon, Camelot Carousel, The Conquistador (like Enchanted Kingdom's Anchor's Away), French Revolution (roller coaster), Dynamic Theater, Pharaoh's Fury and World Monorail that will take you around Lotte World.



The daily parade (every 230pm and 7pm) is one of the star attractions in Lotte World. In fact, people rush to the designated areas as early as 30 minutes prior to patiently wait for the parade. It was very entertaining with live performances of characters singing to the tune LW's theme song.











Magic Island, Lotte World's outdoor theme park, is situated next to Seokchonhosu Lake where you can take leisurely walks or go on a romantic cruise with your significant other if you like the cold weather. Since we only had limited time to spare before dinner with our Korean friends, we just walked around, take photos and chose a ride to try for some adrenaline rush.


I wanted to try any of the Gyro rides (Spin, Drop or Swing) but my friends wanted something less adventurous so we went for the Swing Tree where we sat on a leaf chair that spins at 50km/hr!


For lunch, we chose Arirang Cafeteria for its rice meals since we only had bread for breakfast. The menu was mostly Korean food served fast food style where you pay in the counter and wait until the device vibrates so you can pick up your order from the open kitchen.


Bibimbap with Beef Burger

Beef Bulgogi

Admission Fees

Day Pass (includes free admission on all rides and museum)
  • Adult - KRW46, 000 (Php1, 865)
  • Youth - KRW40, 000 (Php1, 620)
  • Children - KRW36, 000 (Php1, 460)
  • Infant - KRW12, 000 (Php490)

Day Pass After 4PM (includes free admission on all rides and museum)
  • Adult - KRW37, 000 (Php1, 500)
  • Youth - KRW32, 000 (Php1, 300)
  • Children - KRW28, 000 (Php1, 135)
  • Infant - KRW12, 000 (Php490)

Entrance Only
  • Adult - KRW31, 000 (Php1, 250)
  • Youth - KRW28, 000 (Php1, 135)
  • Children - KRW25, 000 (Php1, 000)

Entrance Only After 4PM
  • Adult - KRW26, 000 (Php1, 050)
  • Youth - KRW23, 000 (Php940)
  • Children - KRW20, 000 (Php820)

Entrance Only After 7PM
  • Adult - KRW17, 000 (Php690)
  • Youth - KRW15, 000 (Php600)
  • Children - KRW13, 000 (Php520)

Sunday, March 29, 2015

Sunday Treats No. 44

Yuxiang Eggplant with Minced Pork Dry Noodles - Php185.00

~o~o~o~

Kanzhu Hand-Pulled Noodles
Unit 104 Nodison Center, Marcos Highway
Brgy. San Roque, Marikina City, Philippines
Tel.: (632) 646-0235

Friday, March 27, 2015

Red Guest House: Our Cozy Lodging in Seoul

With only four days in Seoul, my friends and I decided to book our accommodation in Myeongdong area for easier access to all the places we wish to visit. From Incheon Airport, we took the bus to the famous shopping district, which costs Php700 per person. The ride took about an hour and as soon as we got off the bus, we navigated through the crowds and side streets with our luggage in tow to search for our home in Seoul -- the Red Guest House.



The Red Guest House is the perfect place for people who are looking for a comfortable and budget accommodation in Seoul. Plus points to the owner and staff who made our stay extra pleasant with their hospitality, patience and generosity. The ground floor serves as the lobby, business center and breakfast nook where they serve delicious toast and egg, juice, coffee, tea and noodles.






A double room, which costs KRW70,00 a night (approx. Php2, 800) sleeps 2 adults but an extra mattress can be requested if you are 3 in the group for an additional KRW10,00 (Php400) per night. Room amenities include an air-conditioning unit, heated floors (perfect for the cold weather), a cable television, personal refrigerator and a private bathroom. Just remember to bring a universal adapter for your chargers as Korea uses two-round-hole outlets at 220 volts.




Ready to conquer Seoul!

~o~o~o

Red Guest House
32 Sogong-ro, 6-Gil 43-3 Namsandong 2
Myeong-dong / Namsan, Seoul, South Korea
Tel.: (822) 777-3902
Website: www.redguesthouse.com 

Sunday, March 22, 2015

Sunday Treats No. 43

Hwe Dub Bap (Korean Chirashi)

~o~o~o~

Asunaro Express 
Pan Pacific Manila, Adriatico Square
M. Adriatico St. cor. Malvar St.
Malate, Manila, Philippines
Tel.: (632) 536-0351 to 54

Friday, March 20, 2015

Dreamy Afternoon at Petite France, Seoul SK

A Korean drama that's been making a lot of buzz since it aired back in 2013, My Love from the Star is a fantasy romance series about an alien who landed on Earth some 400 years back and falls in love with a popular actress in the modern era. Since the airing of the episode that was filmed here, Petite France's popularity has dramatically increased among people who worship the series.



Petite France is a French-inspired village set in a Korean countryside with an amazing view of the lake from Cheongpyeong Dam. A cluster of Mediterranean-style buildings houses a memorial hall dedicated to the Little Prince's author, Saint-Exupery, a gallery of paintings and sculptures of the Gallic Rooster (France's unofficial national symbol), a showcase of an old French home with furniture and decors brought in from France and several souvenir shops selling herbal products.


















Admission Fees:

  • Adults: KRW8,000 / Group: KRW6,000 (20 persons or more)
  • Youths: KRW6,000 / Group: KRW5,000 (20 persons or more)
  • Children: KRW5,000 / Group: KRW4,000 (20 persons or more)
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