Explore Korea Now

Escape the city noise and step into the serene embrace of Korea’s hanok villages this winter. Discover five traditional stays where culture, history, and silence meet. When winter falls in Korea, it brings more than just snowflakes — it brings quiet. A hush that covers rooftops, streets, and even the hearts of those wandering through the cold. For some, that’s the perfect time to travel — not to the bustling cities, but to somewhere older, quieter, and deeply Korean. That’s where hanok villages come in. These aren’t museums, nor are they built for show. They are living, breathing spaces — some dating back hundreds of years — where tiled roofs cradle snow and wooden floors remember the warmth of a family meal. And if you’re looking to feel Korea’s soul beyond K-pop and neon lights, you might find it in the creak of a wooden door in one of these villages. Let’s take you through five of the most atmospheric hanok destinations — not just places to visit, but places to stay, reflect, and re...

 When I first started planning my trip to South Korea, one question kept nagging at me: How would I survive without speaking Korean—or even English fluently? I was planning this adventure with my family, none of us bilingual, and I couldn’t help but worry. Would we be able to ask for directions? Order food? Check into a hotel without awkward stares or misunderstandings? Turns out, we weren’t alone in wondering this. Many travelers—especially from French-speaking countries like mine—face the same fear: “Can I travel in Korea without speaking Korean or English?” So let me reassure you right away: yes, you can. And you might be surprised at how much fun you’ll have doing it. 📱 Your Best Friend: Papago, Not Google Translate Before the trip, someone recommended I download Papago , a Korean-made translation app. I didn’t expect much—but wow. It’s built specifically for Korean, and honestly, it outperforms Google Translate, especially when it comes to casual phrases and signs. We used...

When I first planned my trip to Korea, I expected SIM cards to be a straightforward thing. But after about ten minutes of research, I found myself in a rabbit hole of options—eSIMs, physical SIMs, airport booths, courier delivery—and honestly, it got overwhelming fast. I eventually chose Chingu Mobile , not because someone told me it was the best, but because it looked beginner-friendly. And since I’d never set up an eSIM before, that mattered a lot to me. Now that I’ve used it for two weeks across Seoul and Busan, I wanted to share how it actually went—what worked, what could’ve been better, and what I wish I knew before I arrived. Why I Ended Up Choosing Chingu Mobile I wasn’t looking for the cheapest SIM, just one that would work without much fuss. Their site was in English, they offered both physical SIMs and eSIMs, and the airport pickup instructions were really clear. I went with the 15-day unlimited eSIM , mostly because I didn’t want to deal with opening my phone and finding a ...