Last weekend, we went on an exciting 2 Days 1 Night Gyeongju trip and stayed at Hwangnamguan Hanok Village.
Unlike the normal hotel or guesthouse, Hwangnamguan Hanok Village provides services such as bicycle rental, free Hanbok experience and a corner set up for Korea traditional games.
You may wear the Hanbok for FREE by writing down your name at the front desk. Varieties of hanbok are available at the Hanbok Experience Centre which located at the center of Hwangnamguan Hanok Village. The hanok stay is a perfect place for OOTD. (ps: there's a time frame for the free hanbok service - the morning and the evening session, do check with the front desk upon check-in)
What excited was the Hanjung-sik breakfast that was provided. If you preferred a heavy breakfast, do try this delicious breakfast at 10,000won (around RM35) at Cattle & Bee cafe which located at Hwangnamguan Hanok Village's back door.
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| Korea traditional games corner is located right beside the Hanbok Experience Center |
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| Yukgaejang (육개장) - also known as spicy beef soup for breakfast |
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| Back door of Hwangnamguan Hanok Village - after 12am the main door and back door will be closed and so kindly use the side doors |
As we travelled during Chuseok (Mid-Autumn Festival), Hwangnamguan Hanok Village has become the top choice for family and solo traveller. The popularity itself isn't so surprising as travellers are increasingly choosing hanok for their short trip or actual accommodation. (ps: do make your reservation earlier, if you visit the hanok during the public holiday or Korea festival). Hwangnamguan Hanok Village has an indescribable charm which is more than a simple beauty. The mixture of contemporary and traditional design perfectly in tune with this historical city, Gyeongju.
Getting off from Gyeongju Bus Terminal, we walked for 30mins to Hwangnamguan Hanok Village. Of course, if you have heavy luggage, you may take a taxi or ride a bus to the hanok stay. The bus station is located right opposite the bus terminal.
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| 1,000won per locker - around RM4 |
As soon as we arrived, we were friendly greeted by the staff who wearing Hanbok at the front desk but what disappointed us was the luggage storage service. (ps: there's no FREE luggage storage service provided) As we arrived at noon which is earlier than the check-in time, 3PM, so we have no choice but to store our luggage at the lockers located behind the lobby. (ps: the lockers are not that spacious, traveller with big luggage kindly take note)
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| Agujjim (아구찜) - 28,000won (around RM105) for small |
Right after, we went out to hunt for great lunch. Kakao Map became our best friend throughout our stay in Gyeongju. With the app, we can easily search the top restaurants or attractions nearby. But sadly, we did not manage to have lunch at any of the top rated restaurants as there were all FULLY BOOKED thanks to this hit season, Chuseok holiday. We have no choice and headed to a restaurant that able to fit two of us and had Agujjim (아구찜), also known as the spicy monkfish with soybean sprouts.
Restaurant Reviews
Restaurant Name: 돼지세끼(Three Pigs)
Location: 10mins walk from Hwangnamguan Village
Price: ...........................5/5
Taste: ...........................3/5
Spicy Level: ................5/5
Worth Visit: .................2/5
The top restaurants that nearby Hwangnamguan Hanok Village:
(1st pic: Gyeodong Ssambap - famous for the wrapped rice), (2nd pic: Dosol Maeul - famous for authentic Korea food), (3rd pic: Gyori Gimbap)
After the lunch, we headed back to Hwangnamguan Hanok Village to check-in. The check-in progress was quick and we were given a discount coupon of Cattle & Bee cafe and also a coupon for our breakfast. (ps: the breakfast is only available for 8.30am - 9.00am) Staff was friendly and attentive but with limited English was spoken.
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| Breakfast coupon & Cattle & Bee Cafe 1,000won (around RM4) discount coupon + beverage 1 size upgrade |
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| We stayed in Ondol 2 which is a room that able to fit 2 to 3 people |
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| Room View: It is equipped with air conditioner and has a modern bathroom facility |
Suitable for which types of traveller: Family & Solo Traveller
(ps: the hanok is poor soundproofing and so after 10PM, you must lower down the TV volume so the room next to you will not be affected. If you prefer nightlife, partying in the room with your friends until midnight, this might not be right choice for you)
Thanks to Safe Stay Korea, we had a safe yet convenient stay at Hwangnamguan Hanok Village which surrounding by restaurants and attractions. As mentioned in our previous post, Safe Stay Korea provides a list of the safe guesthouse, hanok and hostel in Korea that is verified by Korea Tourism Organisation (KTO). You can now easily make the reservation by searching the listed stay at Safe Stay Korea blog and worry-free when travelling in Korea.
Hwangnamguan Hanok Village Overall Review
Transportation: 22mins by No.600 bus from Gyeongju Bus Terminal (2 stops)
Conveniency: ......................4/5
Service: ...............................4/5
Safety: .................................5/5
Value for Money: ................4/5
(*150,000won (around RM563) for 2 people per night - compare to the normal hotel, hostel or etc, the price is considered higher but the hanok stay experience definitely worth the price)
How to book Hwangnamguan Hanok Village?
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| Night view at Hwangnamguan Hanok Village |
Simply search 'Hwangnamguan Hanok Village' in the search engine to make the reservation through booking.com and etc
If you could read in Korean, you may log into Hwangnamguan Hanok Village official website (the website is available in both English and Korean) and make the reservation there. You can also easily make the reservation via a phone call, we actually called them to check on the room availability and booked a room for 2 people.
We will be sharing our exciting Gyeongju trip in our next post!
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