09 May 2014

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5 Reasons Why We Did Not Avail a SKorea Tour Package


7D/6N South Korea Travel Series - Seoul + Jeju Island

Before you start booking your flight and hotel, do check first if you need an entry visa to South Korea. Singaporeans don't need a visa to go to Seoul but other nationalities like us are required. Please take note that application and collection of VISA is only from 9AM-11.30AM. There are no online applications and they are closed on weekends. For more details, visit the embassy's web site here.

The processing of our visa took 4 days. To avoid any hassle and delay, you better complete the requirements. From our experience the reason why it took a bit long for us to submit the application was getting a copy of our bank statement.  I am a decluttering freak and I always throw the hardcopy of our bank statement. It took us time to get a copy from the bank. Lesson learned. Hubby made sure that we are enrolled for an e-statement this time.


Here are the reasons why we did not avail a South Korea Tour package.

1. We love taking pictures for personal use and for this blog thus we need a free time to roam around one tourist spot as long as we please. Tour packages has a limited timings for each tourist destination. They give a maximum of 1 hr for the main attractions but because there's so much to see and do, 1 hr isn't enough.

2. Food are fixed. Who knows if the food they will be serving will taste horrible or not. As a foodie I like exploring different cuisines and with the fixed menu in the tour package I don't think I won't be able to taste the best food Korea has to offer.

3. We have a toddler who can throw tantrums at anytime, sleep and needs nappy changing. We don't want to slow down any tour group because of this inevitable situations.

4. Out of the 12 attractions included in the tour itinerary, only 5 of those places are we really interested going. The rest are shops and stores which I am not fond of like the ginseng store or makeup shop.

With the tour package you don't have any choice but to go inside the shop even if you are not buying. This is a total waste of time instead of going to the places you really want to go. Take note that the travel agency that we went to has a policy of paying a penalty if you don't enter the shops.

5. When you felt so tired after a tour, you can easily head back to your hotel and continue the next day.While in group tours, you have to finish the itinerary. Sometimes, some packages will ask you to pay a penalty if you leave the group early.


The disadvantage of a free and easy tour is that you have to plan ahead and book for everything by yourself. I had sleepless nights just reading blogs and reviews and finalizing our itinerary. But then again, I am happy knowing that all the places that we want to see are included in our list and our schedule is flexible.


Related Posts :
5 Reasons Why We Didn't Avail A SKorea Tour Package
5 Types of Accommodation In Seoul, South Korea
7Days South Korea ITINERARY - Seoul + Jeju Island
Transportation - How to Get Around Seoul and Jeju
My Food Finds in South Korea


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