Apgujeong 압구정 - Cheongdam 청담 trip > Seoul ~ South Korea > Day 08 (1) - 2014 October 15 (Busan, Gyeongju, Seoul, Daegwallyeong, Nami Island, Mt Seorak, Kuala Lumpur)

Today, we visit Apgujeong and Cheongdam Street at Gangnam.

Before start our journey, I bought Banana Milk for my breakfast.

Apgujeong and Cheongdam are located right at the entry of Gangnam (literally meaning, “South of Hangang River”). Gangnam is known for advanced industries, venture capitals, global business centers, expensive apartment complexes, and high-end villas. If one lives in Gangnam, he or she is regarded as having “new money”. This is also area of K-Pop Entertainment. Many entertainment company, located in here like SM Entertainment, JYP Entertainment, Cube Entertainment and F&C Entertainment.

We decided to stop at Apgujeong Rodeo Street Station. At the station, we can found 2PM 2D stand-picture.

Apgujeong and Cheongdam-dong are the main shopping districts for the rich in Gangnam. Many young people interested in fashion and hair crowd the district. Considered to be ‘hot’ places, Apgujeong and Cheongdam-dong typically lead in new fashion styles and social trends in Korea.

Connecting Apgujeong and Cheongdam-dong, Apgujeong-ro (ro meaning ‘boulevard’) is the center of luxury fashion and is full of a chic department stores and luxury brands. Korean and international designer shops, galleries, and multi-shops (designer goods in smaller boutiques), and entertainment venues can easily overwhelm casual visitors. Designated as the ‘Special Fashion District’, Apgujeong-ro attracts leaders in the fashion industry and fashion enthusiasts and holds various fashion festivals and events every year.

Aside from fashion, Apgujeong and Cheongdam-dong are renowned for offering high-end total beauty care from nail art to hairdos, skin care, and plastic surgery. Top-notch beauty shops provide comprehensive luxurious services to international tourists.

Apgujeong and Cheongdam-dong embody the modern wealthy lifestyle in Korea, evidenced by the young professionals that flock to the area’s chic cafés, bars, and restaurants.

Credit: http://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/SH/whereToShop/whereToShop.jsp?action=about&cid=995827

The street from the Cheongdam Station intersection to Galleria Department Store is lined with luxury brand stores and designated as the special fashion zone “Cheongdam-dong Fashion Geori (Street). Often frequented by celebrities, the area became a popular tourist destination for Hallyu fans.

Credit: http://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/SI/SI_EN_3_1_1_1.jsp?cid=1389275

Insa-dong 인사동 > Seoul ~ South Korea > Day 07 (4) - 2014 October 14 (Busan, Gyeongju, Seoul, Daegwallyeong, Nami Island, Mt Seorak, Kuala Lumpur)

Back to Seoul, it's still evening. So we decided to walk around Insa-dong.

Address:
130-4, Insa-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul-si
서울 종로구 인사동 130-4 일대

Directions:
Anguk Station (Seoul Subway Line 3), Exit 6.
Go 100m straight, then turn left.

Insa-dong (인사동), located in the heart of the city, is an important place where old but precious and traditional goods are on display. There is one main road in Insa-dong with alleys on each side. Within these alleys are galleries, traditional restaurants, traditional teahouses, and cafes.

The galleries are the heartbeat of Insa-dong. There are about 100 galleries in the area and you can see every example of traditional Korean fine art from paintings to sculptures. The most famous galleries are Hakgojae Gallery, which functions as the center of folk art, Gana Art Gallery, which promotes many promising artists, and Gana Art Center.

The teahouses and restaurants are the perfect complement to the galleries. At first they might be hard to find, but if you take the time to stroll around the twisting alleyways, the window shopping in itself can be very entertaining. The shops in Insa-dong are very popular among all age groups, because each one is unique.

Every Saturday from 14:00 – 22:00 and Sunday from 10:00 – 22:00, some streets are blocked off from traffic and it becomes a cultural space. Stores set up booths outside and others set up shops (Korean candy merchants and fortune tellers.) There are traditional performances and exhibits as well. Insa-dong is especially popular with foreign tourists. This is where they can experience and see traditional Korean culture firsthand, and also purchase pieces of fine art. On the street you can eat Korean taffy and traditional pajeon (Korean pancake), and see many foreigners lost in all the joyous festivities of the street.

Credit: Visit Korea Insa-dong

This place is nice, the Korean Culture could be seen here even some store sell nowadays things. You can buy souvenir in here, even the price is not too cheap.

Not many people in here, maybe because of weekdays. The shopping street is nice, and comfortable to walk. After walk around, we back to hotel and rest.

Sungei Wang Plaza & Alor Street, Bukit Bintang > Kuala Lumpur ~ Malaysia < 2013 August 14 (3) > (Bangkok - Ayutthaya - Kuala Lumpur)

After the night come, we decided to eat dinner at Sungei Wang Plaza while exploring the shopping mall. While on the way there, we see:

KL Tower

Petronas Twin Tower

I took the photo, when I'm walking from LRT Bukit Nanas to Monorail Dang Wangi. The two station didn't connected, and we have to take a walk outside the station to reach each other.

After that, we go back to Bukit Bintang, and go to Sungei Wang Plaza to eat dinner. (Web: http://www.sungeiwang.com/). Once again, it's hard to looking for the foodcourt because the sign inside the mall was confusing. But at last, we found it. And guess what, that time there's a bonus buy 1 get 1 for Nasi Lemak. So we decided to eat that. It is really cheap. :D

After eating dinner, we explore the mall but most of them are closed already because it's already 9 o'clock at night. Then we decided the next morning to explore the mall again.

We go back to the hotel, but then decided to go to Alor Street because my uncle wants to looking for Karaoke Mandarin VCD. Alor street is the famous food street in Kuala Lumpur.

If you patient enough, you can looking for dinner in here. There's soooo many food here. We also bought durian.
(See: http://www.wonderfulmalaysia.com/food/jalan-alor-food-street.htm)

After walking around, we didn't found any booth that sell karaoke VCD. They only sell drama series and movie. So we go back to the hotel for rest.

Good night... :)

Semarang ~ Central Java ~ Indonesia

The 2nd destination is Semarang.

Semarang is a capital city of Central Java Province, one of the largest city in Central Java. It famous of its hot. Semarang is hot city. It located near beach in the north part of Central Java.

Credit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Semarang

It tooks 2 until 3 hours drive from Magelang. When traffic jam, it could took 4-5 hours.

We went to Sam Po Kong Temple, one of famous and oldest temple in Semarang. And then Lawang Sewu (thousand doors), an Nederlandsh old building which used as Railways Station. And last, we visit Vihara Buddhagaya Watugong at Ungaran, outside Semarang.

Tugu Muda at Pemuda Road, Semarang

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Let’s see more spesific about those place. ^_____^

(http://aawtraveldiary.wordpress.com/2013/10/10/2013-feb-05-semarang-central-java-indonesia-part-15/)

My Aunty Trip > Yogyakarta ~ Special District of Yogyakarta ~ Indonesia

My Aunty from Guangzhou, China, was coming to Indonesia for celebrating my cousin’s wedding and Chinese New Year. And because, I can speak Chinese, so it’s my pleasure to guide her on tour near my hometown. The first destination is Yogyakarta. Yogyakarta is a city and the capital city of Yogyakarta Special Region in Java, Indonesia. It is renowned as a centre of classical Javanese fine art and culture such as batik, ballet, drama, music, poetry, and puppet shows. Yogyakarta is historically and culturally part of the Central Java region, although it is now a separate administrative entity. It is the only region in Indonesia that is still governed by a pre-colonial monarchy, the Sultan of Yogyakarta, who serves as the hereditary governor of the region.

source: Wikipedia
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yogyakarta
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special_Region_of_Yogyakarta

 I took my University degree in Yogyakarta. It tooks 1 hour from my hometown, Magelang by car. Magelang located in Central Java Region. If you want to come here, there’s an international Airport, Adisucipto International Airport. You can take flight from Jakarta (capital city of Indonesia), Surabaya, Bali and some other big city in Indonesia for domestic, Singapore and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia for International. I took my aunty, touring Yogyakarta. We visited Keraton Ngayogyakarta which is the palace of Sultan, Taman Sari Watercastle, Benteng Vredebrug, and Malioboro street. Unfortunately, Benteng Vredeburg was closed on Monday. (We toured on Monday, how pity.)

Malioboro Intersection, Post Office

 

In front of Vredeburg Fortress Museum

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Let’s see more spesific about those place. ^_____^

(http://aawtraveldiary.wordpress.com/2013/04/04/2013-feb-04-yogyakarta-part-1/)

Houhai Bar Street / Sichahai Lake Hutong # Beijing - China

Today, we went to Houhai Bar Street. It's a street full of bar. Located near Hutongs. We went here by taxi, just say Houhai. But some taxi driver, maybe didn't know where's houhai, so just say Sichahai Hu, near Hutongs.

We went there at night, and I still don't know how to take night picture using my Sony Camera.

So here's some dark picture.

Link:
- http://www.travelchinaguide.com/attraction/beijing/shichahai.htm
- http://www.chinatravel.com/beijing-attraction/houhai-bar-street/

Another side of Wangfujing Street # Beijing - China

Today we go to Wangfujing again, but at night. We visit another side of Wangfujing Street, Wangfujing Snack Street, which sell a lot of traditional stuff. There's some stall that sell unique things to eat too.

The street located in the middle of Wangfujing Street. There's a big gate with traditional carving, which you can find it easily.

Once you enter the gate, you will see some unique snack, and traditional house.

Scorpion Satay

I didn't dare to eat it. haha... :) It's my friends who try it, they said it's crispy. We eat at traditional noodle restaurant which actually I didn't like the taste. In the corner of the street, there's Beijing Opera show. You can watch it if you like it.

Trip to Wang Fu Jing Street # Beijing - China

The class hasn't started yet, so we have time to roaming around Beijing. This time, we went to Wang Fu Jin Street 王府井 *wangfujing*.

Just like Singapore's Orchard Road, or Japan's Ginza, there's so many shop in Wang Fu Jing. And the most fun is, we can walk in the middle of the street, without afraid to be hit by car because it's car free street XD.

From UIBE, just ride bus (See the bus number in here: http://www.bjbus.com/, you have to at least can read Chinese to use this website. I use the website to see what bus number to go to some place, and it's useful.), to MRT Yong He Gong then from MRT Yong He Gong, you rode subway to MRT Wang Fu Jing and you arrived at Wang Fu Jing. There's the big department store, and also book store beside the department store. From subway, you will came out from the department store. Then just walking around.

Thanks to my friend 爷爷 *yeye* who took this photo. :)

PS: When I'm In Beijing, the subway line was not as many as nowadays. There's no line purple (line 5) yet. But I see that there's more line, which make it easier to using subway.