Seoul, South Korea
Getting into Seoul: I’m assuming you’re landing at Incheon. There is a train (express and non-express) that goes from the airport into the city. I’d recommend that you take that in. Your other options are bus (cheaper) or taxi (more expensive)… but it’s definitely easiest via train (IMO).
Getting around Seoul: I’d recommend you take the subway. Everything is in English (along w/ Korean and Japanese – but assuming you can’t read any of that). Download one of the many Seoul subway phone apps – this should help you figure out what trains to take and where to connect. Honestly though, it’s fairly easy compared to the NYC subways (color coded/etc).
Staying Connected: Seoul is the most connected place in the world w/ the highest connection speeds. Worst case, you can jump into a coffee shop and get their wifi. You may even notice unsecure wifi access as you walk around the city as well. They do have cell phone booths once you get past customs (after you pick up your bags and go through the first set of sliding doors, you’ll see a bunch of booths near the exits). I can’t remember if they still had a vending machine where you could get a local sim card.
Things to do: This one’s tough to provide… if you were visiting me:
Bars: Shinchon / Hongdae / Itaewon – the first two are located next to two big colleges and there are bunch of bars littered all over. You can find a handful of western bars there too so you won’t have to worry about speaking in Korean. The third is right by the US army base so there are a lot of shops focused for “big and tall” (compared to Koreans). Again, lots of bars/restaurants out here too. And if you’re looking to get something tailored, check out Hamilton – cheap and great quality.
Restaurants: It’s hard to pinpoint one place to go because the typical restaurant focuses on 2-3 dishes (think in-n-out type menu where they only give you 3 options). That said, I’d probably check out:
Fish market – it smells, but you can get some really good stuff. I’d recommend trying “san-nak-ji”, literally translated “live squid”. (tripadvisor reviews)
Street food – not sure how adventurous you are but this is one of the “norms” after working. You’ll camp out in a large tent, get some finger food, and drink soju w/ your co-workers. You can check it out in Gangnam, Hongdae, Namdaemoon. (cnn review)
Traditional meal – you’ll have to ask your peers out in Seoul b/c I don’t remember what they call these restaurants… but essentially it’s a “coursed” meal with a TON of small side dishes. I’d either start or end with this b/c you’ll get a little taste of everything. (google images)
Sites: Again, not knowing what you’re into… and time permitting, but I’d look up to hit up the following:
Namdaemoon – this is a traditional “gate” into the city. There are actually a number of them throughout the city that was originally built centuries ago.
Myoungdong – this is the shopping area. I visit this every time I go not to shop but because it’s packed and lots to eat/see.
Korea Tower – think Seattle’s space needle or Eiffel tower… but in Seoul.
DMZ – they used to have a bus that went across the border, but I think they closed that down. But it's interesting to check out the border and how it's setup - this is usually a half-day commitment.
Korean War Museum – Really cool and well put together museum (if you’re into history). It’s in/near Itaewon so you could knock off 2 things at once.
Korean Palace – royal palace located within the city. Depending on when you go, you could see a recreation of a royal wedding and changing of the guards.
