Buzz
In my journey, I participated in a captivating writing and photo contest called 'Discover Freedom', shared by Phan Thị Cẩm Tú. Join me as I recount my shopping experiences in Seoul.
Let me share some small but valuable insights from my late September trip to South Korea. With a focus on shopping, eating, sleeping, and more shopping, this article primarily highlights some fantastic shopping destinations for you!
The hotel I stayed at is named Creto, situated in the renowned shopping district of Myeongdong. It's a small, charming place with reasonable prices and a delightful, friendly atmosphere. The cost is approximately $3 million/night for two people, which I find quite reasonable.
Within the bustling Myeongdong area, I found almost everything I needed for shopping, from cosmetics to fashion, and from local to imported goods.
The first place I was eager to visit is the Line Friends store, conveniently located in the heart of Myeongdong, close to my hotel. Here, you can buy gifts at very reasonable prices compared to the original brands (around 3000 won/item, approximately $60).
For beauty products, there are numerous stores offering a variety of brands, and my favorite stop is Olive Young. With a dedicated section for Best Seller Items, I can stay on top of the latest trends and grab some amazing deals. The prices are fantastic, and there are plenty of freebies. Almost every day during my 5-day stay in Korea, I made a 'mandatory' visit to shop and shop.
The most impressive experience for me was at the Gentle Monster store, a Korean eyewear brand. If you visit Korea and miss this, it's truly a missed opportunity. There are two stores facing each other – one with regular items and another exclusively offering Limited Edition models, catering to all preferences.
The store designs are incredibly beautiful and impressive, though I couldn't capture many photos due to restrictions.
And here comes the 'highlight of the trip.' I took a two-hour bus ride just to reach this true shopping paradise in Gyeonggi-do, home to the largest luxury outlet in Korea.
Each store feels like a small villa, with products on sale at least 30% off. There's also a dining area and a playground for kids, making it convenient for shopping enthusiasts with families. What I love the most is that despite being an outlet store, the products are top-notch, the staff is polite, and the store's layout is well-designed. The area is quite extensive, featuring numerous brands, so my advice is to start early to catch the afternoon bus back to Seoul (around 6 PM is the last bus). Trust me; it's like a passion labyrinth – once you step in, you forget about eating, hygiene, and time! My friend and I had to run frantically to catch the bus with bags full of treasures, wishing we had woken up earlier and spent more time there!
Another must-visit spot is Common Ground. It houses many brands arranged in a close-knit manner (similar to Zone8 in Hanoi), including numerous local brands offering cool products at student-friendly prices. I ended up buying a plethora of beautiful notebooks here (and suffered from the heavy bags, of course).
Above are the shopping spots I want to share. Catch you in another post about fantastic sightseeing places with super deals I snagged from Klook. See ya!
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