South Korea

Foreign currency can be exchangedÊwith won at banks, money changers and currency counters at hotels. It is advisable only to get the currency exchanged at authorised money changers as theyre the most reliable and will give you the best rates. You are not required to carry won beforehand, you can get it converted into South Korean Won on arriving at the airport or in the hotels as well.

The reason why nightlife is so unique in South Korea is that the Koreans love to drink. Soju is heavily consumed during parties, social gatherings, and night clubs. The minimum age for entering the clubs is 18, and there is a maximum age of 35. If you are going out clubbing with a large group of people, then it's worth getting a table with bottle service. There are many clubs in the capital city which attracts the best DJs in the world and thus is one of the main attractions. Clubs like Octagon, Answer, Syndrome, Bass, and Mass are considered to be the best place to enjoynightlifeÊin Seoul.

South Korea is known for its cosmetics, and there are many places in the city to buy them at great prices. Myeongdong is considered as the center for shopping in Korea. You will find all the international brands such as Zara, H&M, UNIQLO, etc. with retail outlets also all the Korean brands are present here making everything available under one roof. Many stores in Myeongdong offer discounts for travellers to Korea. It is the place to shop for cosmetics and skincare. If you want to check out the wholesale market, then Dongdaemun is the place to be. Dongdaemun is cheap and dedicated to Korean fashion. Itaewon is famous for their custom tailored suits. Street shopping is excellent too, and there is a whole underground market for super high-quality fake bags. For Traditional craft and souvenirs, you can check out the market pace in Samcheongdong.

Celebrations run all around the year. Gimje Horizon Festival is the national festival of South Korea and is celebrated during autumn. Walk the beautifully manicured festival grounds and visit exhibits and dont forget to be a part of the rice wine competition is a highlight of the event. Another festival that is being celebrated with great pomp and show is Jinju Namgang Yudeung Festival to celebrate a historic battle. Andong Maskdance Festival is a high-energy festival from late September to early October features hip-hop acts, masked dancing groups, and fantastic local food.

The quality of medical care in South Korea is high. You will need a doctor's prescription to buy the medications. No special vaccination is required before visiting Korea, but you should consider vaccination against hepatitis A and B. Most of the people here don't drink tap water, but it is not harmful either to do so in certain cases. Korea's tap water is purer than that of the USA. Bottled water is served free in most of the restaurants and water vending machines with free purified hot, and cold water is easily available. The city is clean, and the amount of pollution is relatively low, but it becomes dusty during spring season due to westerly winds, special care must be taken as it might cause respiratory illness. Korea has many cleanÊand well-signed public toilets.

When entering a Korean home, you must remove your shoes. To do any less is a sign of great disrespect. The Koreans eat rice with almost every meal. As Korea is mountainous, it should come as no surprise that hiking is the national pastime. Koreans have strict drinking etiquette: never pour your own drink, and when pouring for someone older than you, put one hand on your heart or on your pouring arm as a sign of respect.

Finding English-speaking people in South Korea is a difficult task, therefore, it can be useful to write down your destination or a nearby landmark in hangeul on a piece of paper. Drivers routinely jump red lights late at night, so take extra care on pedestrian crossings even if they are protected by light. Carry a stash of toilet tissue with you as many a case the public toilets run out of tissues.

Korean food consists of two main parts rice and hot peppery flavours. A wide variety of fresh vegetables is consumed by the Koreans along with meat, fish or eggs and flavoured with a variety of herbs and spices. The most common ones are ginger, garlic, soybean sauce, and onions. Meals traditionally consist of soup, rice and side dishes of meats (or fish or poultry), along with vegetables, including kimchi (the national dish). Koreans usually eat their rice with a spoon, and they never raise the rice bowl off of the table towards their mouths. Korea is a drinking culture, and their national booze is soju, a clear, vodka-like drink.

There are flights from major metro cities of India which flies to South Korea on a daily basis. Airlines like Thai Airways, Singapore Airlines, Cathay Pacific have regular flights to Seoul. Though non-stop flights to Seoul is difficult to find but among the rest of the flights, they are connecting ones having stoppages at Hong Kong, Singapore, Bangkok etc. Non-stop flights are available usually from New Delhi but the fares are quite high.