A First-Timers Guide To Seoul, South Korea

The South Korean capital of Seoul is a frenetic, fascinating proposition, filled as it is with a tranquil population of people obsessed with eating, shopping and looking good.

I am squeezed into a lift 117 storeys above the streets of Seoul and I am going nowhere. The ultra-polite young lift operator is subtly pushing the door button while keeping a poker face, probably hoping that the 75th time will work a treat, which it doesn’t. The apparent reason for the failure of the lift that at other times floats effortlessly up and down the spine of Lotte World Tower to its pinnacle at Seoul Sky, the tallest building in South Korea, is an approaching typhoon, deceptively bestowed with the rather jolly moniker of Lingling.

The total shutdown a safety mechanism, like the blaring warnings I have been receiving by text message since I landed at Incheon International Airport (which is also now in shutdown); they are entirely in Korean.

As I feel my level of panic start to rise, I look around at my fellow passengers, most of whom are retiree-aged Koreans who appear to be part of a group. They are cool, calm and collected; they even joke with each other, laughing quietly so as not to disturb. The unflappable lift operator hands out little bottles of chilled water from a tiny fridge, flight-attendant style, while a young local helpfully translates her reassurances that they are working on fixing the problem. They are all a study in trusting nonchalance.

When the doors finally do open I take up position at one of the tower’s sky-high cafes and watch Lingling engulf the sprawling city below in a downy grey fog of rain; the accompanying winds register as nothing more than a slight swaying of the hanging light fittings. None of the locals seem that fussed about the situation, and I find myself almost enjoying my front-row seat to the duality of nature – at once beautiful and menacing – and the brief insight it is giving me into the Korean psyche.

Traditional style houses of Bukchon Hanok Village in Seoul

The soul of seoul

South Korea is known as the land of the morning calm, where a landscape of hulking green mountains, which are believed to be inhabited by spirits and gods, bestows a tranquil natural beauty on the country.

This seems to be reflected in the day-to-day activity on the streets of Seoul, where the pace of life is fast but doesn’t feel as unrelentingly frenetic as other cities, and it is perhaps what has allowed the inhabitants of South Korea to thrive and grow into an international economic powerhouse while enduring a fractured peace stretching back over half a century with its neighbour to the north.

Of course, much has been made of the levels of stress South Koreans reportedly feel as a result of the importance placed on success in getting good grades and securing the right job (the suicide rate here is high), but on the surface of things in Seoul at least, the society seems to prides itself on its ability to keep calm and carry on.

For visitors this makes the city an easy proposition: it is a cinch to navigate, safe to explore, and functions perfectly (typhoon-affected express elevators not withstanding).

The Seoul city skyline with the mountains that border it in the background

Past and present

The past and the present exist harmoniously in Seoul. Unlike many Asian cities that have sacrificed their heritage to ensure their future, the city is dominated by a series of stunning historic buildings and neighbourhoods that make for a compelling investment of time.

Gyeongbokgung Palace is the largest and most beautiful of the Five Grand Palaces that dot the city (the others are Gyeonghuigung Palace, Deoksugung Palace, Changgyeonggung Palace, Changdeokgung Palace). Originally built in 1395 to house the rulers of the Joseon Dynasty, the palace complex is made up of a series of ornately gabled and painted buildings and pavilions accessed through the imposing Heungnyemun Gate at the front (there are also gates on the northern and western side, and an entrance through the National Folk Museum of Korea).

The palace buildings as they stand today were rebuilt after they were destroyed by fire during the Imjin War with Japan between 1592-1598, before being systematically destroyed during the Japanese occupation from 1910 to 1945. The government has invested much time and money into restoring the buildings to their former glory. While in the area, browse the historic architecture of nearby Bukchon Hanok Village too.

Mirroring the scale of the buildings of the Gyeongbokgung Palace, the Zaha Hadid-designed Dongdaemun Design Plaza (also known at the DDP) represents the new face of architecture in Seoul and is no less worthy of wonder.

The metal-clad structure shines bright in the midday sunshine, its rounded lines turning this way and that to create gloriously amorphous shapes. Inside is a series of galleries and arts and event spaces as well as design shops offering up locally made ceramics, stationery and accessories, but it is the late Iraqi-born architect’s signature flourishes that speak loudest including a central staircase that is a masterpiece of form and design.

Hot in the city

Seoul is a sprawling modern city, but it is at its most human in the neighbourhoods where its nearly 10 million inhabitants come to relax and entertain themselves. Areas like the well-heeled Gangum, immortalised in the annoying anthem that you won’t be able to get out of your head as you walk the streets here. The streets here are thronged with locals shopping and eating seven days a week; join them to explore the mind-bogglingly big COEX shopping mall or explore the Seoul Olympic Park, with its K-pop museum, plentiful cafes and green space.

Another area to dedicate time to is Myeong-dong, one of the main shopping streets in the city. For those looking to get their fill of K-beauty products, this is the place, with what seems like every second shop dedicated to the art of looking good. Once you have discovered the perfect lipstick and filled your bags with sheet masks, there are fashion shops to browse and plenty of cafes and restaurants to find respite in.

The area of Itaewon is another of Seoul’s cultural melting pots, home to a roster of international restaurants and a meeting spot for its international inhabitants. It is also ground zero for seriously good coffee, with a number of too-cool-for-school cafes grinding, brewing and pouring beans from all over the world.

Market daze

When it comes to eating, the South Koreans could rightfully stake a claim to it being a national pastime. Much of the cuisine of the country is so unique it could best described as endemic, and it is while standing in line waiting to order a steaming bowl of noodles or gathering in groups to enjoy Korean barbecue that the people of Seoul are at their most natural and animated.

One of the busiest of Seoul’s many markets is Gwangjang, dedicated as it is to every conceivable Korean dish, from kimchi and pickled vegetables that are available to scoop from giant tubs to slippery hand-cut noodles and juicy, plum dumplings filled with port and even more kimchi.

The sheer size of these markets can be overwhelming, and visitors will have a hard time hunting out the best on offer on their own, even if you have instruction, so getting a bit of local knowledge is essential. Jay, a young Seoul inhabitant, conducts tours of the market, stopping in at all the best spots and joking with the stallholders who he obviously knows well. He takes me through a list of must eats that are all delicious. One of the last places we sit down in serves squid, with a twist. As the plate is put down in front of me the tiny tentacles stacked on it are still writhing and squirming.

I muffle a scream as he explains that the creatures are not actually alive, rather the movement is the result of muscle spasms in the just butchered sea creatures. I frantically look around the restaurant to see what everyone else makes of this, but as always, all is calm. Apparently tentacles as well as typhoons can’t phase the South Koreans.

Noodles and dumplings, with a side order of kimchi

The best of Korean food on a plate

It’s almost impossible to have a bad meal in South Korea, and in Seoul more specifically. The food here is full of intricate flavours and is extremely good for you, packed as it is with vegetables, rice, pickles and lean meat. Koreans do have a sweet tooth, but even their sugary treats are brilliantly executed.

Whether heading to one of the numerous behemoth markets scattered around Seoul or into any of the inner-city neighbourhoods that are so fun to explore, there are endless choices when it comes to what to eat, but these are some of the dishes you should definitely not miss.

Bibimbap – With a name that translates loosely to mixing with rice, this Korean staple can be found everywhere from restaurants to food halls to markets. It is constructed by placing vegetables, pickles and meat on a bed of rice and topping with a fried egg, all of which is mixed together with a roster of sauces including chilli.

Kimbap – The ultimate Korean street food, these cigar-shaped rolls of rice, thinly sliced vegetables and seaweed are sold everywhere to be munched on the go. They are so popular they are known locally as mayak kimbap or ‘narcotic’ kimbap.

Barbecue – What we know as Korean barbecue, known as gogi-gui, is a social and fun way to eat, with various vegetables, sliced meats and seafood cooked over hot coals in the middle of a table. The Maple Tree House restaurants are hugely popular.

Kimchi – It is impossible to avoid the Korean national dish; made of fermented cabbage, it is big on flavour and chilli heat and is served with almost everything.

Bindae-tteok – This golden pancake is made from ground mung beans and fried to crispy perfection.

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Getting there

Jetstar flies to Seoul (Incheon International Airport) three times a week from the Gold Coast. jetstar.com

Staying there

Located in the buzzing shopping and cultural hub of Dongdaemon, the stylish five-star Novotel Ambassador Seoul Dongdaemun Hotels & Residences has 331 rooms boasting interesting neighbourhood views (I was fascinated by a dog having fun on the rooftop garden of a neighbouring residential building).

There’s a rooftop bar and infinity pool, and it offers easy access to Dongdaemun Design Plaza and Dongdaemun Market. The Novotel Suites Ambassador Seoul Yongsan is part of the impressive Seoul Dragon City, Asia’s first-ever lifestyle hotel-plex that also boasts a Grand Mercure and ibis Styles, plus a collection of shared bars and restaurants.

Playing there

A former beauty industry employee, Grace Han now conducts Korean cooking classes (platehan@gmail.com) out of her cute little apartment in the Hongdau area of the city. Aided by her husband Nathan, Grace’s delightfully relaxed kimchi class utilises her mother’s recipe and gives step-by-step instructions on how to make this beloved daily staple. You’ll finish the lesson with a take-home container of fermenting goodness and a convivial long-table feast of kimchi and rice.

Smiling local Jay conducts food tours of the heaving and delicious Gwangjang Markets through Airbnb Experiences; his insights into South Korea’s plentiful and interesting cuisine are hugely informative, and his relationship with the best stallholders means there is always a seat available, much to the chagrin of those waiting in line. He also conducts morning coffee meet ups with locals and travellers.

Currency

South Korea’s official currency is the South Korean won or Korean Republic won (KRW).

Visa requirements

Australian passport holders don’t require a visa to enter South Korea for stays of less than 90 days.

After youth-led protests in 2025, this year Nepal elected a 35-year-old former rapper as Prime Minister. In a country where tourism is its biggest industry, what’s next for travellers?

In 1986, Nepal changed its clock. It had used India Standard Time since 1920 so, to differentiate, it wound its clock 15 minutes ahead of, not behind, its big-brother neighbour. Boss move. “Nepal is strongly opposed to the idea that our identity is connected to India,” says Community Homestay Network (CHN) guide Bikal Khanal.

Tharu dance is traditionally set to hand drums. (Credit: Kate Lewis)

Today, Nepal is the only independent country with a 45-minute deviation to universal time; an oddity that’s become a symbol of national pride. The quirk is nearly as endearing as Kathmandu’s Tribhuvan airport where carved varnished wood and shiny red bricks rule. One sign points to a ‘Travelator’ and another to a ‘Grievance Handling Desk’ while visas are noisily stamped at customs for US dollars, cash only. When am I?

Spot the endemic Nepal gray langur. (Credit: Simon Urwin)

The 15 or 45 minute anomaly sees me tap out completely on timezone calculations. Why bend my brain calculating if it’s quarter to or quarter past elsewhere when I’m in the honking here and now of Kathmandu where the air is high-altitude crisp, the prayer flags flutter and the street dogs howl?

How tourism is changing in Nepal

Bardiya National Park is rich with wildlife. (Credit: Simon Urwin)

India is not the only association many Nepalis would like to shake. With eight of the world’s 10 tallest mountains, including Mount Everest and Annapurna, Nepal has long attracted mountaineers and trekkers, and expedition numbers are continuing to rise.

Tourism is one of the country’s biggest sources of foreign currency, so this growth is not negative, per se. But according to Ang Tshering Lama, who co-founded Phaplu Mountain Bike Club, being reduced to a mere trekking destination is limiting.

“Trekking is just one layer of our identity,” says Ang. “When it becomes the dominant narrative, it limits how we’re seen and how we see ourselves.” Nepal’s recent success, however, in diverting trekkers to less-trafficked areas such as Manaslu mofuntain, where visitor numbers rose by 117 per cent last year, offers hope that tourism can diversify even more radically.

Local men in Bhada village. (Credit: Simon Urwin)

The founder of CHN, Shiva Dhakal, wants that change. “The whole idea of the Community Homestay Network is to promote experiences outside of trekking,” he says. “Community tourism changes lives and helps kids stay home instead of coming to the city or migrating to the Middle East.”

Ang grew up seeing people leave, “not because they wanted to but because there weren’t enough opportunities to stay”, he states. Yet from remote villages to living traditions; food, art, music and emerging subcultures, “there’s so much that’s not being seen.”

CHN is opening some of those doors. It doesn’t own, or fund, any homes. Rather, it promotes homestays to travellers on a single, slick platform, while fostering entrepreneurship in places where women, marginalised castes, Indigenous people and the youth stand to benefit the most.

A new generation demanding more

Dalla Town Hall, where volunteers discuss anti-poaching tactics. (Credit: Bheem Thapa)

The future prospects of next-gen Nepalis can no longer be ignored. On a Kathmandu tour with 33-year-old guide Monica K.C, we pass buildings torched in the September 2025 ‘Gen Z protests’, including the Supreme Court and Parliament House. Seventy-two people died. “They were anti-corruption protests,” says Monica. “Politicians’ children are living a lavish life but the airports are crowded with youngsters leaving to find work.”

We stop in ‘little Tibet’ at the wondrous sixth-century Boudha Stupa. “The wheel of life is Buddhism in a nutshell,” says Monica. “Things such as hate, ignorance and anger keep you rotating around the wheel, so you must follow the principles of Buddhism to detach. If you can’t, there’s no nirvana for you.”

Boudha Stupa's prayer wheels — Boudha Stupa’s prayer wheels are used to recite Buddhist prayers. (Credit: Kate Lewis)

In a sun-drenched twist to the usual temple visit, we ascend the stupa’s sloping plinth and roam its whitewashed dome. Tendrils of diaphanous prayer flags stream from a steeple-like structure where the Buddha’s unblinking eyes stare out. No nirvana for you…

bouda stupa prayer flags — Tibetan-style prayer flags embellish the whitewashed dome of Bouda Stupa, a Buddhist temple. (Credit: Kate Hennessy)

The dome is delightfully free of guard rails or chiding from security. There is, however, a stern ‘No TikTok’ sign, perhaps in response to the youth’s newly flexed power. The booted-out Prime Minister, K.P. Sharma Oli, was replaced in a resounding election victory in March by 35-year-old Balendra Shah of the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) – a former rapper and mayor of Kathmandu. The RSP’s manifesto indicates tourism is a priority, and that Nepal’s cultural identity in areas such as gastronomy will be strengthened.

Boudha Stupa vendors — Vibrant souvenir shops and cafes around Boudha Stupa. (Credit: Kate Hennessy)

A more confronting stop awaits at Pashupatinath Temple. Today is Bala Chaturdashi, a Hindu festival where thousands of devotees gather to honour their dead ancestors. Vendors hauling foam mattresses do a lucrative trade as people set up for a night of vigil. This includes burning the bodies of recently deceased relatives on bamboo pyres in the Bagmati River, which flows into the sacred Ganges.

A woman at annual Hindu festival Bala Chaturdashi, in Kathmandu. (Credit: Kate Hennessy)

Wrapped in a shroud, the bodies are positioned with their heads facing north to the Himalayas where Lord Shiva resides. They’re covered with flowers and straw and set alight by male family members.

Hours later, the ashes are swept into the river where devotees will take a holy dip the next day. As much as Monica assures us it’s not voyeuristic to watch, I struggle to do so. “Here you see the reality of life because everyone ends up there,” she says, gesturing to the river.

Life unfiltered in the Terai region

tharu woman — Tharu woman and master weaver Parbati Chaudhary in Bhada Village. (Credit: Bheem Thapa)

The reality of life needs processing time, which the western Terai region delivers in spades. The Terai is largely separated from India by the Karnali River and Bardiya National Park, where elephants, rhinos and the elusive Bengal tiger roam.

Once a nomadic tribe, the Indigenous Tharu people are now the largest ethnic group here. “They didn’t know their daily life was interesting for international travellers but they’re starting to understand now,” says CHN founder Shiva.

Take a Jeep safari through Bardiya National Park. (Credit: Bheem Thapa)

We fly Buddha Air to Dhangadhi airport and drive five hours to stay in Tharu homes. The journey to Bhada village is a blur of roadside fruit stalls, traffic-stopping sacred cows and fields sown with wheat, rice, mustard, spinach, cauliflower and potatoes. Nepal’s agriculture feeds only Nepal.

Marigolds are an important part of Hindu rituals. (Credit: Simon Urwin)

“The only thing we export is young people,” says our guide Bikal. As the light dims and we plunge evermore rural, mysterious mounds of compacted hay – some house-sized – loom like the creatures from Where The Wild Things Are. Even our trusty driver gets flummoxed by a dirt road that abruptly ends and we find ourselves hurtling across a paddock.

On arrival, some are ferried to mud-walled cottages greened by gourd creepers, with thatched roofs and rustic-chic mosquito nets. Myself and two others are ushered to the home of corner store owner, mechanic and mushroom farmer Man Kumar Chilaruwa and his wife Rajkumari.

community homestay entrance — A warm welcome at a community homestay. (Credit: Simon Urwin)

They escort us to a bunker-esque back building with steel doors and a folding security gate, behind which is gleaming linoleum, dolphin-printed tiles and a shower cavity that must be gingerly stepped through to reach the toilet.

The ceiling lights emit a rainbow of colours (the bathroom light gets stuck in, frankly, a quite frightening red). We’re nevertheless touched that our hosts invested in all this bling when the average salary is around $275 a month.

In the coming days, we participate in Tharu traditions such as making moonshine, dancing, weaving straw handicrafts and gold-panning. We’re fed well with staples of rice, mustard greens, lentil pancakes, daal, curried chicken and tomato chutney served on antibacterial saal leaves.

food at community homestay — Dig in. (Credit: Kate Hennessy)

Sonara community homestay president Indradevi Tharu tells us river snails are often served, and the boiled and pickled flesh of rats hunted in the rice fields. “Perhaps next time?” we say and all have a laugh.

The power of community homestays

community homestay owners in Nepal — Barda community homestay owners Parbati Chaudhary and Ram Krishni Devi Chaudhary. (Credit: Simon Urwin)

Immersing Western visitors in foreign cultural practices is not new. But with the Tharu, I never get that uneasy sensation that I’m being performed for. Despite being the only tourists, there’s no ‘othering’; just warm, composed and ultra-dignified welcomes. Like we’ve always been here.

“I love to have travellers in my village so I can see the world,” says local woman Parbati Chaudhary. “Why would I travel the world when the world comes to me?”

The graceful acceptance the Tharu offer, as well as the slow pace, works miracles on my frazzled nervous system. One day I even take a nap on a vacant homestay bed.

Sonara community room — An authentic stay in the Sonara community. (Credit: Kate Hennessy)

Roosters strut and goats bray as we sit on the ground in al fresco kitchens, rolling rice flour into cylinders steamed to make dhikri (dumplings). When water is needed, we fetch it using a hand-operated pump as a family of ducks strolls by, side-eying us like curious neighbours.

Animal lovers will delight in Tharu villages. Kind and resourceful inventions are everywhere, such as snacking stations where two posts lean together, with leafy boughs dangling on rope for baby goats to forage from.

CHN’s CEO, Aayusha Prasain, nods knowingly when one in our group says she cried when she left her host, Shayam Chaudhary, in Bhada. Shayam’s 17-year-old son, Prashant, had translated, which deepened the connection.

“Community tourism turns travel into a relationship, not a transaction,” says Aayusha. “It places decision-making power in the hands of local communities, especially women and youth.” Since 2018, CHN has hosted more than 4000 travellers from 52 countries in 408 households, and estimates women’s participation has increased by 381 per cent.

In the Bardiya community, where vexing human-animal conflict has been a balancing act for decades due to elephants raiding crops, long-time homestay operator Salik Ram Chaudhary says young people keep the older ones on their toes.

“We can’t keep homestays stagnant,” he says. “We have to upgrade our service and redefine our product or young people won’t see it as an attractive business. If we can keep evolving with this travelling trend we’re confident the youths will stay and continue it.”

Back in Kathmandu, Monica explains that after the deaths of young protestors in September, a determination had spread to not let their sacrifice be in vain. “We want to keep holding the government accountable,” she says. “We don’t know what situation we’re facing, but we’re ready to face it.”

Interested in Nepal but prefer to experience it in total comfort? Read our guide to luxury travel in Nepal.

What to expect on a trip to Seoul, South Korea