Just another world from Ploy's view
Olympic Park is vastly huge—spanning over 1.4 million square meters—so I created this post to help you pin down exactly where to head when the seasonal colors of autumn hit! Brief Introduction About Olympic Park Built originally to host the 1988 Summer Olympics, Olympic Park is a seamless blend of world-class cultural art, historic Baekje …
There are trendy cafes, and then there are experiences. Last week, my friend and I finally carved out some time to visit the instagram-famous Fou de thé (푸드떼) in the Bukchon/Anguk area, and it was everything we hoped for. If you are obsessed with matcha or just love the aesthetic of traditional Korean houses (Hanoks) …
If you’re in Seoul during the spring, there is one place that absolutely deserves a top spot on your itinerary: Jogyesa Temple (조계사). While Seoul is a city that never sleeps, Jogyesa offers a different kind of energy. During the annual Lotus Lantern Festival (Yeondeunghoe), this historic site transforms from a peaceful urban sanctuary into …
Every spring, Seoul plays a familiar game of cat and mouse with flower enthusiasts. We track the blooming forecasts, set our alarms for sunrise photo shoots, and mentally prepare for the crowds at the usual hotspots. But this year, the script flipped. If you’ve been following Seoul news, you know the heartbreaks: iconic cafes with …
If you have been following my little atlas for a while, you know I am a firm believer that the best travel moments are the ones you stumble upon after the crowd has moved on. Everyone chases the first bloom. The famous Somei Yoshino. The pale pink snow. The chaos of the Yeouido Spring Flower …
There’s a secret that local photographers and in-the-know Seoul dwellers have been whispering about for years. While the masses flock to Yeouido and Seokchon Lake for the fleeting, snow-white some (벚꽃) cherry blossoms, a much rarer, more opulent spectacle blooms just a short train ride south of the capital. Imagine walking through a European-style campus, …
If you’ve ever watched a Korean drama, you’ve seen the scene: friends sitting together with towels folded like sheep horns on their heads, cracking hard-boiled eggs, and sipping sweet rice punch. That quintessential experience takes place in a jjimjilbang (찜질방) —a traditional Korean bathhouse that’s so much more than just a place to get clean. Jjimjilbangs are …
My first solo trip to Hanam this spring was an absolute blast. If you’ve been following along, you know I recently gushed about the fluffy Gyup-beotkkot (double blossoms) at Misari Speedboat Park. But Hanam has another ace up its sleeve during the spring season: a vibrant, kaleidoscopic field of tulips that looks like it was …
For the past couple of weeks, my social media DMs have been overflowing. The recurring theme? Travelers arriving in Seoul with a bit of a heavy heart, asking where they can still find those iconic cherry blossom spots. I hate being the bearer of “bad” news, but it’s mid-April, and those delicate, pale Yoshino cherry …
It’s officially the middle of April. The pink dust that blanketed Seoul’s streets has faded to green, and the last of the beot-kkot have fluttered down into the Han River. If you’re reading this with a heavy heart, feeling like you blinked and missed the entire cherry blossom season, I have good news for you: …