Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Yu_Bum_suk]

So my parents, who are in their late 60s and have comfortably adapted to senior citizenship, are finally coming out to visit this spring. They're not country hicks but it's been a few decades since they've done anything very adventurous. Think Holland-America / Gray Line bus tours / Best Western kind of people. Neither can eat even slightly spicy food, my dad hates all seafood and doesn't like sweet food, and neither are terribly fond of any very new food. Perhaps they're a lot like your parents.

What suggestions would you have for such people around Seoul, Daegu, and Jejudo (or as my dad wrote, 'Ju Ju Island')? Also, what hotel recommendations do you have? I don't really want to put them up in a love hotel but don't want them to waste their money on one of the limited number of over-priced nice hotels in central Seoul (know of anything in the 75,000 to 125,000 range?).

Has anyone with parents 60+ had a visit from them recently? What did they like and what didn't they?

[Xuanzang]

Palaces, anything with an Asian old feeling to it. You could put them up in one of Seoul`s guesthouses. I suggest one of those Bukchon hanok village guesthouses. Just one of those more nicer rooms, not those bunkbed ones. I`m sure your dad likes meat so take them to meat restaurants. How active are there? They could go to Palgongsan, Mt. Halla on Juju Island, Haeinsa, shopping in the traditional market in Daegu

[Hyeon Een]

[yingwenlaoshi]

Are they staying where you are? In the boonies? Pensions are nice, but maybe kind of pricey. In Seoul, there are actually some not too shabby love motels. 30 bucks a night unless they've gone up in price in the last year or two.

How long will they be here?

[pidgin]

[Chamchiman]

Are you going to be accompanying them the whole time? You said they're coming in the spring - aren't you going to be at work?

Your folks sound a bit like mine - especially the food. It's taken them five years to start to come around to the idea of maybe considering thinking about visiting. I've often thought that a day in northern Seoul (around the palaces) would be a good place to start, and then it would be off to the deli for their two weeks' supply of cheese and sliced meats before heading off to the countryside. I can't imagine them sending them off traveling around on their own - if my parents ever come it's going to be fourteen days of day trips in our car, with a few days of doing nothing but reading at home in between.

A few places if you're renting a car and doing day/overnight trips from the Daegu area:

Gyeongju (especially Seokguram; if there's even a slight chance that they can sleep on the floor for one night, stay at Sarangchae)

Andong (Hahoe Folk Village and especially Byeongsan Seowon - perhaps the most sublime location in all of Korea)

Haeinsa

Busan (for a fresh look at a city totally different from Seoul)

[bassexpander]

www.metrohotel.co.kr

That's where my family stayed. You get cheaper rates by calling. It's in Myongdong, and a very reasonable and clean. There are computers in the lobby for internet. Nice place.

[maingman]

Posted: Tue Dec 02, 2008 1:42 am Post subject: n

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http://www.hotelwide.com/english/main.asp

http://innostel.visitseoul.net/eng/main/main.php?v_lang=eng


Here is a link for the YMCA in Seoul:
http://www.ymca.or.kr/hotel/eng/index_eng.html

It's the only hostel name I know of, but it isn't a hostel it's a hotel.


Here's a link for hostel booking online: http://www.hostelbookers.com/hostels/south-korea/seoul/

Lonely Planet lists 40 places to stay in Seoul including homestays. They also have a list for Busan. Checkout : http://hotels.lonelyplanet.com/ Burt from the names listed they could be a bit pricey.


Here's a list of hostels around the country : http://www.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/AC/AC_EN_4_1_1.jsp?recommCid=&areaCode=&category=B02010600&menuId=3383&byclass=&gotoPage=2&#selectBox

kyha.or.kr 02-410-2114

guesthouseinkorea.com 02-3675-2205

[alpope23]

Deoksugung palace right next to city hall in Seoul is pretty senior friendly (not a lot of climbing and stairs) and has plenty of cool stuff to see, then a short walk to Namdemun market.

If they come in late March/early April(Cherry trees are blossoming) you can head to Freedom park and Chinatown in Incheon, but thats a little more hilly.

[kimbabworld]

My mother in law LOVED the War Museum.

[Yu_Bum_suk]

Thanks so much for the suggestions. I just found out that they're going to be coming over for TWO WEEKS. There's no way I can guide them around all that time. Do you know of any good Korean bus tours? I'm also going to suggest they take the ferry to Japan for a few days.

[catman]

Old white people get stared at more than we do.

[Yu_Bum_suk]

[milspecs]

aren't you the same guy who posted a thread in the travel forum about overseas koreans, bringing kimchi with them on trips and staying huddled together on bus tours?

funny that your parents are the same way

[Chamchiman]