15Jan201715Jan2017

Accommodation Guide to Korea (2017)

Julio Moreno South Korea accommodation, hanok, hanokstay, minbak, South Korea, templestay, UNESCO, World heritage sites, yeokwan 5 Comments

Accommodation in Korea is somewhat different from other countries. A lot of unique options are available for all kinds of budgets, so it would be wise to consider them in addition to the usual suspects of hotels, motels, hostels, guesthouses and more recently, Airbnb. Unfortunately, many are marketed only to Koreans an require knowledge of the language. Here is (hopefully) a complete list of all kinds of accommodation in Korea.

[Note – If searching through a maps website, it is usually better to search for the Korean word and on a Korean maps website like Daum or Naver. Feel free to copy and paste.]

1) Hanok Stay / 한옥스테이

This hanok in Andong was wonderful. — This hanok in Hahoe Folk Village (a UNESCO World Heritage Site) was wonderful.

By far, my favorite type of accommodation in Korea is Read more →

14Jul201515Jul2015

Korean Food – The 30 Absolute BEST Dishes

Julio Moreno Korean Food, South Korea, Top 10 Style Lists Hanguk eumshik, Korean food, top foods 9 Comments

Growing up in Los Angeles, Korean BBQ was somewhat of a staple. Beyond that, I didn’t have much knowledge of what Korean food had to offer until I moved here. Nearly six years later, I’ve become so obsessed with the cuisine that I really can’t go more than two weeks without one of these amazing meals or snacks. This is the ultimate countdown to the 30 best Korean dishes, so prepare yourself as it’s about to get yummy!

09Jul201527Jun2017

How to Explore Korea’s 12 UNESCO Sites Like a Pro

Julio Moreno South Korea, Top 10 Style Lists, UNESCO World Heritage Site Pro Tips, South Korea, things to do in korea, UNESCO Sites, UNESCO world heritage site 4 Comments

When thinking of a cultural getaway, South Korea is often overlooked. As of late though, UNESCO has taken notice and in this year’s meeting, it has been granted yet another World Heritage Site to this tiny country. This bumps its total count to 12, making it one of the most World Heritage Site dense countries in the world. Yeah, I made that term up, but its true! Let’s take a brief look at all of them and hopefully it will convince you to leap ahead of the tourism bandwagon and book your flight to Seoul. As a bonus, I also added some pro tips to maximize your experience at each one.

07Jun201527Jun2015

Another 10 Korean Words You Should NEVER Translate to English

Julio Moreno South Korea, Top 10 Style Lists korean, translations 16 Comments

Learning a new language is hard… REALLY REALLY hard. On top of all these new sounds you didn’t even know were associated with speaking, context is key. My Korean language studies have been a bumpy ride of miscommunication and mishaps. Here are another 10 words and phrases where it’s best to ditch Google Translate and read the long form explanation before you cause an international incident.

My first list is here.

03Jun201525May2015

35 K-pop Songs Vastly Superior to Gangnam Style

Julio Moreno South Korea, Top 10 Style Lists korean music, kpop 0 Comment

I know, I know. This might be the most out of date post ever. Not only are Gangnam Style and Psy not relevant anymore, but most of the songs on this list aren’t even new. Nevertheless, when that wretched (but admittedly catchy) song hit the airwaves, I couldn’t help but wonder why on earth THIS SONG became popular worldwide given how many better ones existed. Long story short, I just couldn’t let it go, and this list was already written down a long time ago, so what the hell. Here is my countdown of 35 K-pop songs which are better than Gangnam Style.

Note – Most videos have subs, in case you want to sing along.

35) Kara (카라) – Lupin (루팡)

34) Supreme Team (슈프림팀) – Supermagic