10 ways to make your first trip to Korea incredible

Thinking of visiting Korea? Kiwi opera singer Sarah Mileham shares her top 10 travel tips to make the most of your trip. Photo / 123rf
Opera singer Sarah Mileham has travelled to Korea extensively during her life. Here she discloses all the insider intel for Kiwis thinking of visiting
I am half Korean and half British, but was raised and live in Aotearoa, New Zealand. I am very lucky to have been able to travel to Korea frequently with my mum throughout my life. My mum has kept Korean culture alive in our house and I am happy to share my travelling tips and highlights.
READ MORE: The beginner’s guide to Seoul, South Korea
If you’re in the mood for a hair makeover and don’t have an amazing glam team to wig you up like we do at NZ Opera, Korea is the place to get it done. Korea is renowned for its cutting-edge beauty and wellness services and hair stylists train for years and have access to the latest equipment. There is no need to worry about a language barrier — salons like SUINstyle Hair and Juno Hair have English-speaking staff and offer top-class service.
Seoul is a haven for facials, skincare, and spa treatments and the prices for beauty and health treatments are incredibly reasonable. While the sheer number of options can be overwhelming, many skincare clinics offer multilingual staff and customised skin analysis. Using advanced technology these clinics can assess your skin’s condition and devise a personalised treatment plan just for you.
Within Korean culture, maintaining good health both internally and externally is a top priority.
Whenever I visit Korea, I always make sure to visit a Jjimjilbang (Korean Bathhouse) for a rejuvenating experience.
One of the great things about Korea is that everything you need is just a short walk away. For all your skincare and makeup needs, I recommend heading to Korea’s No 1 beauty store, Olive Young. If you’re shopping for a new wardrobe, Korea is a very easy place to find it! I have bought some of my performance gowns as well as a lot of staples in my wardrobe from Korea.
One of my favourite things about going back to Korea is, of course, the food. As I’m from a multicultural household, sometimes not everyone (Dad) wants to eat kimchi. In Korea, the cuisine adapts to the seasons, as we have pretty extreme temperature changes. In summer, it becomes monsoon season so it can be very humid and hot. To cool down from the heat, try mul-naengmyeon (cold noodles in chilled broth) or kongguksu (soy milk noodle soup, also served cold), they are both essential and delicious. Winter is my favourite season in Korea, the air gets crisp and the temperature is usually freezing or even below. In winter, warm up with street food like bungeoppang, which is a sweet red bean-filled pastry (I promise it doesn’t taste like beans) shaped in a cute fish mould, and hotteok, a hot cinnamon sugar pancake.
So far in my trips to Korea, I have mostly been to Seoul and Busan. However, later this year after our season of Rigoletto, I will be going to Jeju island for the first time….for a holiday! Seoul and Busan are the two largest cities in Korea, so they are popular destinations for travellers to visit. But Jeju island is considered a vacation spot for Koreans. If you are someone who loves nature, scenery, hiking, and exploring caves, Jeju Island has all of that and more. Jeju is also officially recognized by Unesco as a World Natural Heritage Site, so it is a wonderful place to experience rich Korean culture.
If you’re a history enthusiast, Korea offers a wealth of well-preserved historical sites. I first visited Gyeongbok Palace when I was 12 years old, which was the main royal residence during the Joseon Dynasty. In the heart of busy Seoul, this grand palace provides a deep insight into Korea’s royal heritage and traditions. For an even more immersive experience, you can hire traditional Korean clothing called hanbok, and your entry to the palace is free.
I really enjoy the thriving thrift scene in Korea for a more sustainable slow fashion option. Areas like Hongdae, Gangnam, and the Dongmyeo Flea Market are particularly popular for second-hand shopping, offering a variety of unique and stylish finds.
Autumn and spring are the great times to travel to Korea, as the natural landscapes are at their most beautiful, and the temperatures are not as extreme. These seasons allow you to enjoy all the delicious foods I mentioned earlier and experience Korea’s vibrant culture in comfort.
Korea’s local markets are treasure troves of culture, street food, and shopping. Markets like Namdaemun in Seoul and Dongdaemun in Busan are not to be missed for shopping, delicious food and an authentic glimpse into Korean life.
GETTING THERE
Fly from Auckland to Seoul with Jetstar, China Southern, China Eastern, Cathay Pacific and Air NZ with one stopover. Air New Zealand flies non-stop from Auckland to Seoul seasonally between October and March.
DETAILS
english.visitkorea.or.kr/svc/main/index.do
Sarah performs as Countess Ceprano in NZ Opera’s season of Rigoletto by Verdi, playing 19-25 September at Kiri Te Kanawa Theatre, Auckland. For tickets and info, see nzopera.com