"Seoul - My favorite place on Earth!" Top 5 Page for this destination Seoul by kdoc13

I will start by saying that there are much better pages about Seoul than I could come up with. Although, my travel tips tend to be a bit different from some of the others that post on VT. Be sure to pay a visit to Bobbyland, the home of ClarkRB and visit his page for Seoul. It is quite informative. That being said, I love Seoul. I love Korea. It is probably the place I am most at home at when I am outside the USA and sometimes I am even more at home there.

Lets start with the weather. Korea has four distinct seasons. So for people like me who miss the snow, and love spring and fall, it is great. Summer can be a bit warm, and very rainy too. But when the sun shines, it is just like Southern California's skies, minus much of the LA smog.

The people. I think the Korean people are among the friendliest in Asia. I have yet to go there and not make a new friend. You will hear people say that it is hard to do so. Really it is all a matter of attitude and making the effort to get to know people's customs, language and culture. Once you do that, you are in like Flynn. Sure, there are those who will only want to be around you because they are trying to practice English, or want you to buy them drinks, or because they are looking for a husband. Most Koreans have a view about Americans which they get from TV, Movies, and the ugly American's who seem to cause trouble around the country. Be different, be polite and respectful and you will get along just fine.

The people of Korea are very strong. Both in their will, and their indipendance. It is best not to say anything negative about Korea when you are there. It will be taken as an insult. I have watched people get booted out of restaurants and bars for saying or wearing things that are taken as Anti-Korean. Even as scary as North Korea is, I have found that unless you are agreeing with a Korean's point on it, your's is not really seen as important or required. This changes as you are more accepted.

You will also hear stories of kids saying hello to you and laughing (as if it were a joke to talk to a westerner), or hear of stories of insults flying at westerners with Korean girlfriends. It's no lie to say it happens, but it has been my experience that it is happening less and less.

Tour guide Young Hee and me!

There are actually a ton of things to do in the Seoul area. The usual historic temples, war zones, shopping, nightclubs, and other stuff. There are also a lot of off the beaten path places, and places just a bit outside Seoul worth the time and effort to go see.

Greetings fellow Travelers, I get to be in Seoul from June 13th to August 7th. If you would like to meet me for an ice cold OB, or something, send me an e-mail to say hi.

• Pros:A great metropolitan community with excitement and adventure.
• Cons:A bit overcrowded at times, and can be a bit racist to non-Koreans
• In a nutshell:Still my favorite place on earth!