South Korea: Jeju: Yeha Guesthouse

Yeha Guesthouse (http://www.yehaguesthouse.com)
Yeha Tour (http://www.yehatour.com/)
Book Goodstay Yeha Guesthouse, Jeju Island in Agoda
Date Visited: November 2011

I would recommend Yeha Guesthouse if you are looking for a place to stay in Jeju – for a positive note that they have a very good English guided tour. I commend Zin for his very informative and clear English on my West and East coast tours – courtesy of Yeha Tours.

The website shows true and good information and they answer my inquiries/email quickly. They also offer special discounts on accommodation and tours like early-bird booking, etc. There are dormitory and private rooms to choose from.

I booked at their site last July for my stay this November. Upon check-in (until 10pm) to their place, they requested for a 10000krw as deposit which I also got back on my check-out (11am).

Good thing that I got room 201 just near the stairs and take note that they do not have an elevator. The room is a typical Korean room, which you have to take off your shoes and change with your indoor slippers.

I’m happy with my room, I don’t need an air-conditioner but good thing they still have fan – in the middle of 13 degrees Celsius. They have television without cable channels, refrigerator, hair dryer, small towels and mosquito repellant. They don’t have cabinet to place in your clothes, but they have wall hangers. Good thing that have also have clock on the room.

For the bathroom, they provide toiletries, tooth paste, soap, shampoo and conditioner. It looks like there used to be a bathtub on it, but they removed it and I prefer if they could add shower curtains.

I so loved my bed – its soft, silky, clean, and it has its own heating pad which you can easily control.

The other facilities they offer are “do it yourself” breakfast, snacks or noodles you can buy, and open entertainment room (games, television, chess, computer and internet). If you don’t want to make your own breakfast, there is Paris Baguette just across the street which is always open.

Book Goodstay Yeha Guesthouse, Jeju Island in Agoda

You’ll notice that most of the memorabilia from the guests are all over the place, from the stairs to the walls. And, I also add a piece on my own – pinned this Manila postcard just near room 201.

Their front desk has very good English. I was also able to buy postcards and stamps from them. It feels like home on their place and I would really recommend this to you if you are looking for a place to stay.

Location

Summary of 5 days itinerary in 2011 Jeju-Seoul Trip:

Day	Places to see	Food and Restaurants	Where to Sleep
Day 1	Hallim Park O'sulloc Museum Chonjiyeon Falls Saeyeong-gyo Yakheonsa Temple Jusangjeolli Cliff Teddy Bear Museum	Take out from McDo Lunch on Tour	Yeha Guesthouse, Jeju
Day 2	Seongsan Ilchulbong Seongeup Folk Village Haenyeo Museum Gimnyeong Maze Park Manjanggul Cave	Paris Baguette Lunch at Seongeup	Yeha Guesthouse, Jeju
Day 3	Joongang Cathedral Flight to Gimpo Airport Four Seasons House	Coffee Prince Restaurant	Green Residence, Myeongdong, Seoul
Day 4	BCJ Garden, Paju Gwanghwamun Square Cheonggyecheon Stream	Coffine Gurunaru	Green Residence, Myeongdong, Seoul
Day 5	Bukchon Hanok Village	Angel in Us Coffee	Green Residence, Myeongdong, Seoul

South Korea: Jeju: Teddy Bear Museum

Teddy Bear Museum
Location: Seogwipo-si Saekdal-dong 2889 (Jungmun Tourist Complex), Jeju
Website: http://www.teddybearmuseum.com/
Entrance Fee: 8000krw = 320php, 2011
Date Visited: November 2011

At the end of the tour, our guide (Zin) allowed that I can be dropped off at Teddy Bear Museum. The one in Jeju is the actual location place of Princess Hours, but I’d say that I appreciate more the one in Namsan Tower than this museum in Jeju.

The Birth of Teddy Bear: “Teddy Bear” was named after Theodore Roosevelt, the 26th President of the United States. The story begins in November 1902 when Pres. Roosevelt was bear-hunting in the state of Mississippi.
There are 3 galleries at this museum.

First, The History: Teddy Bear takes a journey in time. Ride the time machine with Teddy Bear Marty and learn the history of the past hundred years. Enjoy the quirky combination of history and teddy Bear charm.

South Korea: Jeju: Jusangjeolli Cliff

Destination: Jungmun Daepo Coast Jusangjeolli Cliff
Location: Seoguipo-si Jungmun-dong 2663
Date Visited: November 2011

The Jusangjeolli are stone pillars piled up along the coast and is a designated cultural monument of Jejudo Island. The Jusangjeolli was formed when the lava from Mt.Hallasan erupted into the sea of Jungmun. They are rock pillars shaped like cubes or hexagons of various sizes and almost seem as if stonemasons had carved them out. - http://visitkorea.or.kr/

South Korea: Jeju: Yakcheonsa Temple

Yakcheonsa Temple
Location: Seogwipo-si Daepo-dong 1165, Jeju, Korea
Website: http://www.yakchunsa.org/ (KR only)
Date Visited: November 2011

Yakcheonsa Temple, largest Buddhist Temple in East Asia, located in southern area of Jeju.

South Korea: Jeju: Saeyeon-gyo

Saeyeon-gyo (Bridge) is located in the southernmost Korea as the landmark of Seowipo tourism port and the longest pedestrian bridge (168m). This is also having a meaning of making new relationship between the main Jeju island and islet of Saeseon.

I see this as a good place for locals to spend their mornings - having a long walk or riding with their bikes together with friends and family.

Date Visited: November 2011

Summary of 5 days itinerary in 2011 Jeju-Seoul Trip:

Day	Places to see	Food and Restaurants	Where to Sleep
Day 1	Hallim Park O'sulloc Museum Chonjiyeon Falls Saeyeong-gyo Yakheonsa Temple Jusangjeolli Cliff Teddy Bear Museum	Take out from McDo Lunch on Tour	Yeha Guesthouse, Jeju
Day 2	Seongsan Ilchulbong Seongeup Folk Village Haenyeo Museum Gimnyeong Maze Park Manjanggul Cave	Paris Baguette Lunch at Seongeup	Yeha Guesthouse, Jeju
Day 3	Joongang Cathedral Flight to Gimpo Airport Four Seasons House	Coffee Prince Restaurant	Green Residence, Myeongdong, Seoul
Day 4	BCJ Garden, Paju Gwanghwamun Square Cheonggyecheon Stream	Coffine Gurunaru	Green Residence, Myeongdong, Seoul
Day 5	Bukchon Hanok Village	Angel in Us Coffee	Green Residence, Myeongdong, Seoul

South Korea: Jeju: Cheonjiyeon Falls

Cheonjiyeon, meaning "God’s pond," derives its name from the legend that the seven fairies serving the King of Heaven came down to the pond on stairs of cloud and bathed in its clean waters. [Source]

Cheonjiyeon Falls
Seogwipo-si cheonji-dong 666-7, Jeju, Korea
Date Visited: November 2011

Along the way going to the falls, while we were above a bridge we saw some ducks and fish.

Another nice thing is these blocks on the water, which also serves as a bridge. Having this is really a nice opportunity for tourists to take their photos.

More than the falls itself, I like better the view below on the water spring in layers.

Summary of 5 days itinerary in 2011 Jeju-Seoul Trip:

Day	Places to see	Food and Restaurants	Where to Sleep
Day 1	Hallim Park O'sulloc Museum Chonjiyeon Falls Saeyeong-gyo Yakheonsa Temple Jusangjeolli Cliff Teddy Bear Museum	Take out from McDo Lunch on Tour	Yeha Guesthouse, Jeju
Day 2	Seongsan Ilchulbong Seongeup Folk Village Haenyeo Museum Gimnyeong Maze Park Manjanggul Cave	Paris Baguette Lunch at Seongeup	Yeha Guesthouse, Jeju
Day 3	Joongang Cathedral Flight to Gimpo Airport Four Seasons House	Coffee Prince Restaurant	Green Residence, Myeongdong, Seoul
Day 4	BCJ Garden, Paju Gwanghwamun Square Cheonggyecheon Stream	Coffine Gurunaru	Green Residence, Myeongdong, Seoul
Day 5	Bukchon Hanok Village	Angel in Us Coffee	Green Residence, Myeongdong, Seoul

South Korea: Jeju: Hallim Park

There is much to see at Hallim Park, Jeju and I was only able to visit the left wing of the park at a given time of less than 1.5 hours.

First we visited Hyeopjae and Ssangyong Caves, formed by the eruption of Mt. Halla and there are stalactites and stalagmites which were seldom found in lava caves. These are more of basalt rocks than limestone. It looks to be a living cave as water is still dropping from the ceiling. Also, the temperature in the cave is at 17 to 18 degrees Celsius all year around.Next, I visited…

Jeju Stone

Bonsai Garden

Flower Garden

Water Garden

Hallim Park Location: 300 Hallim Road, Hallim, Jeju, Korea
Website: http://www.hallimpark.co.kr/engli/main.htm
Email: jeju@hallimpark.co.kr
Date Visited: November 2011


Summary of 5 days itinerary in 2011 Jeju-Seoul Trip:

Day	Places to see	Food and Restaurants	Where to Sleep
Day 1	Hallim Park O'sulloc Museum Chonjiyeon Falls Saeyeong-gyo Yakheonsa Temple Jusangjeolli Cliff Teddy Bear Museum	Take out from McDo Lunch on Tour	Yeha Guesthouse, Jeju
Day 2	Seongsan Ilchulbong Seongeup Folk Village Haenyeo Museum Gimnyeong Maze Park Manjanggul Cave	Paris Baguette Lunch at Seongeup	Yeha Guesthouse, Jeju
Day 3	Joongang Cathedral Flight to Gimpo Airport Four Seasons House	Coffee Prince Restaurant	Green Residence, Myeongdong, Seoul
Day 4	BCJ Garden, Paju Gwanghwamun Square Cheonggyecheon Stream	Coffine Gurunaru	Green Residence, Myeongdong, Seoul
Day 5	Bukchon Hanok Village	Angel in Us Coffee	Green Residence, Myeongdong, Seoul

South Korea: Incheon to Jeju

In less than 18 hours, I've been to 4 airports: Manila Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3, Incheon International Airport, Gimpo Domestic Airport, and Jeju International Airport.

Flight 5J 194 is from Manila with arrival time of 20:45 at Incheon International Airport. I decided to spend the night at the airport just in time to my flight the next day. For my late dinner, I was hoping to take a soup from Paris Croissant Kitchen – sad, but it is no longer available. So I started to enjoy Paris Baguette goodies.

The following day, I started it with a very quick breakfast at McDo, then run to Airport Railroad. I was able to take the 2nd AREX train departing from Incheon to Gimpo Airport (6:05am).

Find Exit 1, this will take you to the Airport. On the following, left will be going to Gimpo Domestic Airport while the right direction is to the Gimpo International Airport.

You will pass around 3 walkalators and 2 more escalators to reach the Check-in Counters.

Initially I saw the one for Asiana Airlines, following is Korean Air. Far left is the check-in counter for Jeju Air. The counter told me to wait for the next 5 minutes before I can proceed to the Departure Gates – this for the security check of the check-in luggage.

Gate 17, the last gate, I arrived there 5 minutes before boarding time, just enough to finish my breakfast. Exactly 7:15am, the plane departed and it is my first time to see the ground personnel directing the airport traffic and waving goodbye!

With only 55 minutes of air travel, they no longer offer food, but instead the flight attendants were offering free water or juice. We arrived at Jeju International Airport exactly 8:20, took an airport bus going to the terminal and took me few more minutes before I got my luggage at the rotating belt.

Short-distance taxi is available between Gate 4 and 5. I was bit caught in traffic while going to Yeha Guesthouse. So as I arrived at the place, the receptionist and the guide is already looking for me, “Actually, we should depart now.” He immediately took my luggage, carry it inside and good thing he asked me if I still need something. I just took my monopod and we immediately left the place.

So we started the West Course English Guided Tour...

Date Visited: November 2011

Seoul, South Korea: Autumn Leaves

Still can’t let go of my Seoul-ful journey last June, so I’d like to share the forecasted dates for the upcoming Autumn Season in Korea.

Per http://visitkorea.or.kr/, “Autumn lasts from September to November, and produces mild weather. It is the best season to visit Korea.”

Being addicted to Autumn in My Heart, I’m still hoping to see the leaves still hanging from their branches soon. As to the biggest question of will I still see them hanging – the best answer I got, “well, it depends on how strong the wind will be” – pretty much logical huh!

You can read the 2011 Autumn Foliage Schedule from this link: http://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/FU/FU_EN_15.jsp?cid=1391042

Acknowledgement to APC POTM Competition for recognizing the photo above - Seasons.

2011 Sep: Las Casas Filipinas De Acuzar, Philippines

Travel Date: September 24, 2011
Destination: Las Casas Filipinas De Acuzar, Bo Pag-asa, Bagac, Bataan, PhilippinesWebsite: http://www.lascasasfilipinas.com
Map: http://www.lascasasfilipinas.com/images/stories/packages/road-map.jpg

From a chartered van from Ortigas, Pasig City, it took us almost 3 hours to reach Bagac, Bataan. Along the road I had few realizations:

• We have a very rich forestry
• Roads are still not that fine (Roman Highway). There are areas under construction but you’ll see no people are working on it.
• Getting there by commuting looks to be difficult as there are only few buses on the road especially on Bataan proper.

Our coordinator booked for Day Tour Package 1 (set meal) that costs Php 1200 per person. This includes:

• 30 minutes to 1 hour guided tour of the Heritage Houses
• entrance fee and use of beach area
• 1 lunch, afternoon snack, bottled water
• vicinity map
• all taxes and service charge

As a background of the place, there is a man named Jerry Acuzar who is an antique collector. He extended his collection from simple antique bed, chandelier, paintings to old traditional houses. From its original location in the Metro and provinces, each house is being transferred ‘piece by piece’, ‘plank by plank’ to Bagac, Bataan.

Tour starts at Casa Mexico, which is being used as receiving area and information center. The name is based on its original location, Mexico, Pampangga.

Casa Meycauayan is from San Fernando Pampangga, Meycauayan Bulacan.
Casa Canadaba from Candaba Pampangga. Also used as a movie location of Noli Me Tangere, 1961.

Casa Tondo, from Tondo, Manila. This is a private casa which is a gift of the owner to his best friend.

Casa Quiapo is taken from its original location in Hidalgo St., Quiapo, Manila. The mansion was used as the first campus of the University of the Philippines School of Fine Arts (1906-1926).

Below is Casa Luna from La Union [on the left] and Casa Jaen from Nueva Ecija [on the right]. In front is Plaza Belmonte with sculptures of playing children.

Paseo de Escolta is a replica from strip of commercial structures and transients at Escolta, Manila. Now, this place is the catered as the resort’s hotel for rooms that accommodate 1-4 persons. In front is Plaza Belmonte where gathering of guests happens during weekends for some entertainment shows.

Casa Unisan is from Unisan, Quezon. This is also the location Café Marivent where lunch, snacks and dinner is served.

This trip happened to have a collection of several chandelier and light photography.

These pieces come from very old houses of which some are abandoned, some were considered thrash, and others were taken from junk shops – but with these there is money and with concern there is beauty and respect for the culture of our country.

With the owner’s belief:

At Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar, the legacy of our forefathers and the beautiful Filipino traditions live on. It is a step back into the past, reliving the age- old traditions and practices distinct to our culture, without leaving the luxury and comforts of the modern world.

A showcase of Filipino talent, ingenuity and craftsmanship, Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar takes pride in the past... And keeps its hope for the future.

Seoul, South Korea: Boots on the Ground

Location: Seoul, South Korea
Date: June 22 - 27, 2011

From summer season as we are aware, it was June 22 when it started raining all over Seoul. The temperature started to drop but what I can say? The fashion went UP! A lot of girls were wearing mini-skirts together with not just leather but also boots that are made of plastic – which in Manila are normally wore on floods, not in the streets or MRT stations.

22nd Philippine Travel Mart Expo

What: 22nd Philippine Travel Mart Expo Where: SMX Convention
When: September 2-4, 2011

Today is the last day of the 22nd Philippine Travel Mart Expo held at SMX Convention Center.

As a traveler, either you are buying or just choosing your next local destination – it is good to grab the opportunity on visiting this type of event for:

Familiarity on the Airlines – There were 4 major participants on this event:

• Zest Air [http://www.zestair.com.ph/] has the least visitors



• Philippine Airlines [http://www.philippineairlines.com/home/home.jsp] - with their Palakbayan Program, they still have few buyers



• AirPhil Express [http://www.airphilexpress.com/] - has the cheapest price, I guess because I was not able to see the insurance fee on their fares



• Cebu Pacific [http://www.cebupacificair.com/] – claims to be the largest local airline that offers cheapest fares in most number of domestic destinations. Although, this is the airline of my choice, you travel addict should analyze what is the difference between buying in an Expo over online – actually there is none. Previously, they offer much cheaper fares during Expo, but now what you on sale over the net are the same price they use during the Expo period.
  

First hand experience of offers and promotional skills of the Hotels – I was eyeing for Pads in Palawan, they are offering 2,011php for 3D2N stay until end of this year. If I’m booking for January, they would price it at 2000php/night. But on their website it is only 1500php/night. You have to be resourceful, and know your factors as there are cases when it is better not to buy on the actual Expo site.

Package Tours – you’ll be able to learn the price range of different destinations. Cheapest all-in package to Batanes is on 22,000php for 3D2N stay.

Magazines – I was able to see Susan Calo Medina on the VIP Lounge, she is scheduled to sign her Travel Time magazine at 200php/pc. There were also Travel Magazines worth 50php on old copies. And, I was able to buy these 2 for 75php – 7101 Island Travel Magazine (http://www.7107magazine.ph/).

Cultural Show – There was a competition of Universities and Colleges showing cultural/folk dances of each Region.



My top 3 best exhibitors are:
1. Davao – very beautiful and resourceful. They used pineapple, banana and different types of flowers to spell out D-A-V-A-O.

2. Southern Tagalog Region – their booth is like an aquarium inside with floating fish (Nemo) while outside they have approachable men in Moriones/gladiator costumes.

3. Ilocos – very small area but caters their products

I must commend PHILTOA [http://philtoa.org/phil-travel.php] (Philippine Tour Operators Association) and DOT (Department of Tourism) for having this program of showcasing what our country can offer to the world. I hope that on the next World Expo, Philippines will be advertised on a higher level than what was shown in 2010 in Shanghai.

City Collection: Seoul, South Korea

I bought my Starbucks city mug from Myeongdong area.
I got this postcard from Namsan Tower. Aside from the postcards we sent from Nami Island, we sent out others from Korea Post Office and Incheon Airport Post Office.