Korea is where ancient palaces sit next to neon-lit karaoke joints, and every alley hides a new obsession, from sizzling street food to secret speakeasies. Whether you’re wandering through the tranquil hanok villages or catching sunrise from a mountaintop temple, Korea serves culture, chaos, and kimchi in equal measure. This is a place where tradition and trend collide — and trust us, you’ll want a front-row seat.
This week, KHAMSA explores Korea with Deema Abu Naser (@deemalovesdrama on Instagram) the ultimate drama bestie, bringing fans content about Asian dramas, fashion and travel. She started watching dramas when she was 11 years old, but no one around her was passionate about them. So, in 2019, she started sharing her love of dramas online. Fast forward to today, she is the creator behind the largest kdrama fan community in the world with over 800,000 followers across socials. Her love of storytelling, cinema and all things drama has landed her features in ELLE, Forbes, Entrepreneur, BBC and more as
the first person to turn drama content creation into a full-time job.
In 2023, she visited Korea for the first time, and fell in love. By 2024, she was living her best main character life- spending 4 months exploring over 12 cities in Korea, exploring drama locations, going to concerts and getting her life’s worth of steps. Now, she’s taken her love for dramas beyond the screen and has launched ‘Dreemie Shop,’ her drama-inspired brand. Featuring adorable original characters on sustainable wood keychains, notebooks and more, each item is a little piece of a drama-filled adventure.
Top must-visit food spots?
Soha Salt Pond – Ikseondong, Seoul: “I was led to this bakery by its delicious smell. It serves ‘salt bread,’ a yummy buttery pastry that you’ll love and crave. It’s the first thing I get whenever I’m in Korea. It has locations across Seoul an Busan.”
Yoogane Dakgalbi: “This is a dakgalbi (spicy chicken stir-fry) famous joint with locations all around Seoul and is the perfect place for sharing food.”
Haweoljeong – Jeju Island: “A cozy family seafood restaurant on Jeju Island that has the most comforting sea urchin porridge and kalguksu (knife cut noodle soup).”
Gonag-On – Gwangalli Beach, Busan
The food is good, but it’s the overall vibes of the restaurant that makes it a must-visit. It is situated directly in front of Gwangalli Beach, it’s such a cool place. I would recommend the seafood noodles.
Oh Banjang – Haeundae, Busan: “Best Korean BBQ I’ve had in Korea yet. Delicious place, always full.”
Must-visit cultural spots?
Gyeongbokgung Palace – Seoul
This is a gigantic royal palace, and it’s worth going to! Rent a hanbok (Korean traditional clothes) and take tons of pictures- there are many cool places to take pictures, and honestly, I would consider hiring a photographer because the lighting there is really nice.
Bukchon Hanok Village – Seoul: “A village full of shops and restaurants in historic-style Korean houses called ‘Hanoks.’”
Haedong Yonggungsa Temple – Busan: “A temple in Busan by the seaside. It feels peaceful, and the views are incredible.”
Seongsan Ilchulbong – Jeju
This is a volcano on Jeju Island, and it’s gigantic- way bigger than it seems in pictures. At the bottom, there are female divers called ‘Haenyos’ that do a show every day to showcase their craft. They’re amazing- they do not use any oxygen to dive, and most have over 40-60 years of experience in diving.
Best places for sundowners/roof-top places?
The Royal Food and Drink – Seoul
“Gorgeous café that has vegan options; great view of the city and Namsan Tower.”
N Seoul Tower – Namsan Tower in Seoul
I would recommend going to the area around the tower and putting your own lock! Going to the highest point of the tower is okay, but it’s the area where the locks are that I find the most worth it. I love going at night!
Sanmotunggi Coffee – Seoul: “This is the café where the drama ‘Coffee Prince,’ was filmed at, and it has the most stunning views of mountains and greenery.
1in1jan – Eunpyeong Hanok Village: “This is a hidden gem café in the historic Eunpyeong Hanok Village. Gorgeous historical views, about an hour away from Seoul. The café itself is beautiful, and then you can walk around the village for about an hour and try other places.”
Yeouido Hangang Park – Seoul
Go with your friends for a picnic at the park! You can rent everything there from mats to mosquito repellent. Head to the 7 eleven and get snacks, and you can even order takeout right to your area in the park.
Best places for shopping?
All in Seoul
Seongsudong: “All the fun pop-ups happen here! Lovely mix of both big and indie brands and has a lot of yummy food places.”
Ikseondong: “I love shopping here for food- it has great rice cake, chocolate and pastry shops.”
Hannamdong
“I do most of my luxury shopping here, it has great fashion stores as well as jewellery shops.”
The Hyundai Seoul: “Best luxury mall in Korea! Level B2 is the ‘creative’ shops, and here you can find the coolest fashion stores and pop-ups. The whole mall is worth it, make sure you make time for it.”
Myeongdeong
It’s the busiest and most tourist-y area in Seoul, and things are overpriced here because it’s mostly tourists shopping, but it’s worth going to. There are really cool shops, a food market and buskers. Beware: it gets SUPER busy after 4pm.
Best boutique hotels to stay in?
Signiel – Busan: “It’s directly on the beach and has excellent room service. The area it’s in is extremely fun, and if you go to the beach at night, there are many buskers.”
Wyndham Grand – Busan: “Super underrated area in Busan called ‘Songdo,’ and it’s gorgeous, with a whole sea walk way, seafood restaurants and small cafes. The hotel is beautiful and new, with great service.”
Parnas Hotel – Jeju
This hotel was featured in a drama called ‘King The Land,’ which is why I decided to stay here! It’s a bit far away from places in Jeju, but the service was great, and the rooms were extremely spacious- I got a 2-bedroom suite for my sister and I, and it came with a living room, 2 bathrooms and a kitchen.
Underrated Places?
Snoopy Garden – Jeju: “If you’re a fan of Snoopy, you would die for this attraction! It’s a huge, HUGE indoor and outdoor area decorated with many Snoopy attractions and takes around 2-3 hours to complete. So worth it.”
Oryukdo Skywalk – Busan: “A beautiful skywalk alongside cliffs in Busan- the views are incredible.”
Garden of Morning Calm – Gapyeong
The most beautiful garden I’ve ever been to. It needs at least 1 hour, and here you can see so many types of flowers and plants.
Songdo Cloud Trails – Busan: “The trail is a transparent bridge on the sea, and you can see the cable cars go by.”
What should you avoid?
- 1/ Get an international driver’s license: Get an international driver’s license so you can rent a car and drive around Jeju Island! Avoid public transport on Jeju Island, you won’t be able to sightsee well.
- 2/ Staying only in Seoul! Korea is so beautiful, and going out of the city will allow you to see many charming places as well as nature.
- 3/ Not getting comfy shoes: You will walk a lot- it’s a very walkable country, and the number of stairs will shock your soul- be prepared.
- 4/ Not shopping at Olive Young: It’s like a mecca of Korean skincare, so many amazing deals and if you get your passport, you get tax off at the store itself!
- 5/ Not getting pampered! Get your hair and makeup done in Korean salons- they’re very hospitable and have the most fun treatments.
- 6/ Not going to concerts and fan meetings! Isn’t that why we’re here? but no actually it’s so much fun- I would recommend going to a music festival- it’s a whole different experience than in other countries.
Must-pack items?
- 1/ A power bank.
- 2/ A handheld fan: Especially from June to September!
- 3/ Sheet masks: The air gets dry, so to keep moisturized, I put one every 3-4 days, my favourite ones are from Abib, Goodal, and I’m from.
- 4/ A tote bag: I get mine from Dreemie Shop!
- 5/ My perfumes: My favourites are Hypnotic Poison by Dior, Rose Kabuki by Dior and Yum Boujee Marshmallow by Kayali.
- 6/ My camera equipment: I love the DJI OSMO Pocket 3 for vlogging, and a film camera for spontaneous pictures.
Any tips and tricks to tackle the city?
- 1/ Get a WOW card: it acts like a Korean debit card, and there are many station in hotels and subway stations around Seoul. You can get one with a foreigner passport, pay a small fee to activate it, and then you can fill it up to 1 million won (approx. 2500 AED) and keep refilling it to that amount. That way, you can save on credit card fees. I personally used USD cash to put in the card, and the machine itself had an exchange rate, and then deposited it as Korean Won in the card. You can also download the app and keep track of how much you spent, and even transfer to other Korean banks there (super helpful at markets).
- 2/ Pack light: You will go shopping a lot, you will need extra luggage so just come with mostly empty suitcases! Also, only 5-star hotels help you with your luggage, so I feel like it’s super important to know that if you’re staying at 3-4 star hotels, you will be lugging your own luggage.
- 3/ Use Naver Maps to find the locations of things, it has more English than Kakao Maps, and easier to use in my opinion.
- 4/ Use Papago to communicate with people who mostly/only speak Korean; it has a ‘speak out loud’ audio button which makes life so much easier.
