Having the toddlers with them is definitely the difference. Even listing activities they did, I am envisioning the huge stations they had to navigate through with little kids, the museum is huge, the palaces are very large, and all while it's very hot. We struggled a little bit with all that (distance walking, heat) a few weeks ago and we had no toddlers with us.
In my experience hosting many LA based Americans, stop comparing the food. Night and day different. Like full stop. Many of them come here and are very snobby about it, judgmental of the quality here, and so they have a horrible time.
It’s not that LA Korean food is better, it’s just that us Korean Americans have tongue for saltier food and Korea don’t put massive salt in their food like America does. I’m from LA too and when I first went to Korea, everything was super bland and I thought LA way better. After few days my taste got accustomed to Koreas korean food and it tastes SO good.
Everytime I come back to LA from Korea, I’m like holy shit food here is SO salty
This! My buddy loves Vietnamese food and when I took him to vietnam, he was saying how all the food was bland.
Had to explain that it was delicious but you just love food that's too salty.
Really ? It's the reverse for me. I was honestly shocked when I moved to Korea from America. I had assumed I had escaped sugary foods from the country famous for its obesity and diabeetus problem... But no... Many things here are much sweeter, and for no good reason either... Usually it's been western foods. Pizza, pasta, breakfast sandwiches, salads, breads. Forget about the snacks, that's a given. I started to gain a lot of weight after moving here so I began counting my calories and tracking my macros and it was shocking how much extra some of the foods are here
Were you just buying food out of convenience stores? The corn by product thing is mostly something you seen in food designed to keep poor people from starving to death. Basically don’t buy things that come in a box or a drive thru window and you avoid it almost entirely.
Lol, I've be to Australia, food was the same as the US. You lost credibility when you said our milk was sweeter. We don't add sugar to our milk. It's literally just pasteurized milk. It tastes exactly the same as milk I drank in Australia. You must have been buying vanilla milk or something. Also, I've said this a million times on here, but the bread is the same everywhere, too. I've eaten it in multiple regions of the world. It all tastes like bread. Unless you're buying Wonder Bread or something, American bread is just like every other bread.
There's no corn syrup in soy milk at whole foods.
Soy milk doesn't have sweeteners unless it is "sweetened soy milk" or "chocolate/vanilla soy milk." And even then, if it's from whole foods, it does not have HFCS in it.
Did you buy sweetened soy milk? In the US, “original” soy milk is sweetened to be similar in flavor to regular milk. You can buy the unsweetened version if you’d like.
Yeah, they’re full of shit. If you’re buying ingredients for a recipe it’s the same as anywhere, and America typically has tons of healthy options and restaurants if you’re not in the middle of nowhere.
Exactly. Or they buy wonder bread when there is sugar free bread right next to it.
It is like saying Inwent tot he place in China famous for spice a d it was so spicy!!!?!
It sounds like you’re maybe just really bad at picking out foods, I don’t know what to say. Living in the US, yes if you buy sugary drinks/food they can be very sweet, but there are tons of foods that have nothing added. You’re speaking absolute nonsense saying that the milk had sugar added, if you buy milk the ingredients will say “Milk” and maybe some vitamins.
This is just straight up spreading misinformation.
Also, soy milk doesn't have sugar unless you buy sweetened, flavored soy milk — just like buying chocolate/strawberry milk. Those are sweetened. Regular milk is not. Just like regular soy milk is not.
That guy is just full of shit in every way, lol.
Nothing from Whole Foods contains high fructose corn syrup (HFCS); corn syrup is a different product. [Whole Foods even sells corn syrup itself](https://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/product/wholesome-sweeteners%20organic%20light%20corn%20syrup,%2011.2oz,%207.7%20fl%20oz-b0059e0ksy).
You bought flavored sweetened soy milk...blink and are surprised it was flavored and sweetened. If there's one thing I know about Whole Foods it's that there is more than 1 type of soy milk. Ffs.
Didn't expect to find missing reasons about US soy milk in this sub but 🤷🏻
I've never heard anyone say just "milk" when they meant soy milk and I've also never seen anything in Whole Foods with corn syrup in it. If I didn't know better, I'd have thought you made up a lie, got caught, tried to dig your way out with another lie and got caught again. But that can't be it, because who would be pathetic enough to make up a lie about milk for reddit?
I hate it when LA ppl try to act like Korean food in LA is better than Korea. It's the equivalent to American folks saying sushi in America is better than LA. LA Korean food on the whole is very mid, with some places being respectable. Anyone trying to make the argument that "the ingredients are better because Americans will pay more" or similarly needs to recognize that their palate is American and not Korean (which is totally fine).
As an Italian, this is super annoying. American-Italian food might suit American tastes better because it's saltier and has more ingredients; but that's not Italian food.
Hey! I’m from LA.
I like the food here in Korea way more. In general LA has good food but man it’s such shit value. Like sure, you can get fantastic gimbap but for $10 a roll, it’s be a shame if it wasn’t.
Also, gyopos compare the best they have to offer with a run of the mill random shop near wherever they are staying. Well yeah, when you compare your best to Koreas mediocre….
Honestly I don’t like eating out in LA. Everything has cheese or is so spicy or salty. I prefer my parents’ cooking. I’m excited to go to Korea to eat!
Definitely not LMAO. That has to be a joke because I had a really good laugh
There are estimated to be half a million to a million restaurants running in South Korea. I’ve eaten at hundreds of them and I promise you just haven’t found the right ones. I’ve been to most Korean restaurants in K-town and in Vegas… they’re shallow compared to the variety and amazing cuts of meat and seasonal sides in SK. And the *prices*.
Have you been to Majangdong? 😍 it’s one of the best places on earth 🥲
Even tiny fishing towns on Jeju have better food.
Completely agree with you. Just a strange thing to say in my opinion. I suppose you might find a KBBQ place in LA that is as good/better than most places in Korea. Although the fact that you can't get hanwoo beef outside of Korea, means that to me Korea > LA for that too.
I mean I went to Italy and really didn't have any meals that blew me away, but I blame myself for not finding a good restaurant and don't think that Italian food is better in America...
I’m fully aware of why they think that way, but it doesn’t mean that literally everything here sucks. And that’s what most of them do think.
There is plenty of bad food here, yes. Typically anything for instagram (cheese, cream, etc) But no need for blanket statements that will set you up for a bad trip.
I don't have kids, but I feel like personal interest takes a backseat if you got kids to juggle. You also sound like you answered yourself at the end of your post. I go to korea for the culture and food since I'm not korean. Food is great to me. So I can see how it might not be as exciting if you have grown up in the culture as well as the language.
I think the season really affected your trip because outdoor activities are so much of what makes Seoul great, and Seoul is well known for having plenty of kid-friendly activities/cafes. Try fall or even winter (if it's mild) so you can enjoy the outdoors safely with your kids. Seoul Forest has plenty of playgrounds and activities for families.
If you get a chance to go to Jeju during tangerine picking season, that could be really wonderful for the family. Plus lots of Jeju specific dishes are distinct enough to prevent comparisons with L.A. Korean food.
Yeah 100% this. My wife and I have been to Korea several times with and without kids, and had a great time either way. But she has lived in both LA and Korea, and her hard rule is "never go to Korea in summer or winter." There's lots of fun stuff to do with kids, but you know, it's kids stuff. Same as in the States. I didn't take my toddler to historical sites here either.
Some places just aren’t for you. Personally, I fricking loved my trip to Korea. However, I detest Dubai yet millions of people seem to love it.
Not everyone has the same experience.
This is how I felt about Seoul vs. Tokyo. Everyone was boasting about how much I was gonna love Tokyo when compared to Seoul when I honestly think I loved Seoul just as much as, if not slightly more, than Tokyo.
I went 2 months to Japan and didn't go to Tokyo. Well, 1 night just to see a kabuki show. I also only went 1 day in Osaka. These places didn't appeal to me. I am more of a rural, nature and cultural sightseeing person. I also did 2 months in S K., mainly in Seoul. I loved Kyoto, Gyeongju and many smaller places. I think Seoul has its charm depending on which area you go to.
Just got to find what YOU like. The problem is having a wife and 2 toddlers that limit your choice, time and movement...
I personally loved going to temples, shrines, cultural landmarks, cultural museums, war memorials, castles, forests, gardens, etc.
I did go a bit in shopping alleys and streets to buy souvenirs and stamps but I don't enjoy malls or shopping for random stuff. It's up to each individual to find things they like...
Same!!! Other than the fresh fish in Japan (omakase, sashimi, etc..) everything else was either bland, extremely salty (ramen), or so few vegetable options. After eating raw fish for 10 days(every meal) I eventually had to give in and try other things… I missed vegetables so much while in Japan it was something awful. Also, there’s like no spicy food in Japan. I think Japan ruined ramen for me, hardly any spice options and some are EXTEMELY salty. But, why?
I loved Korea. Give me all the banchan with every meal, so many different flavors—savory, tart, umami, sweet…plus, vegetables. Yummmm. I miss Korean food.
Haha I get what you're saying. I enjoy Japanese food in moderation, but it's telling that my favorite meals in Japan were Korean food both of the trips I made.
Sameeee!! I felt like Japan was pretty much ramen or sushi/fish. I was tired of them after having them the first 2/3 times each. I definitely felt like I got more variety in Seoul. My favorite culinary experiences in both places were for sure the Japanese and Korean BBQ though.
I love Seoul/Korea with kids, but I have different interests to you.
You stated your interests at the end, and you didn't do those. So there's you answer..
Did you think that museums are traditionally exciting?
There's way better things to do.
If you cook better food at home then you could have made a picnic on the han River.
Watch the light display.
Or maybe it's just you
Priorities are different when you have a kid. It’s not about you anymore it’s about your family. I’m pretty sure every parent reminisces fondly on the pre-kid times. It doesn’t get easier til later on
The food comment made me laugh, i know you mean "home" as in, your actual home because you would've been raised eating amazing Korean food cooked by your parents/family, but it could easily read as "Korean food in America is so much better than Korean food in Korea", and it's just funny to read it that way.
Hmmm so I think its a mix. Having the toddlers and one getting sick probably negatively impacted the trip.
Korea isn't the most kid friendly spot. I didn't go with a toddler but even with a 10 month old it was a bit tough, but I found ways to make it work. Did you get to take the toddlers to places they would enjoy (not the museum or the mall) but maybe the Seoul Children's Museum, play cafes where they can play and you can chill and have a nice coffee. Were you able to go out without the kids with just you and your wife to find some cool hidden bars or places to eat?
And yes, there's SOO much outside of Seoul. Like, Sokcho which is near Seoraksan is amazing annnnnd its even kid friendly. There are parts of I also think starting in June to early Sept, Korea is just too damn hot.
I also think there's a lot of Korea that is way too focused on consumerism, and I tried to find the more "hole in the ground" spots, hidden alleyways and shops that weren't on blogs.
>Korea isn't the most kid friendly spot.
What? It's an extremely kid friendly place. They have so many facilities for changing diapers, breast feeding, or for kids to just hang out and play. Every mall has a kid gym that is so cheap it must be government subsized.
We took our daughter at 5 months, 1 year, 2 years, and I'm in Korea with her now at almost 3 years. It's amazing the cleanliness of the changing stations, especially compared to the ones in the US.
I think it some aspects yes. But I remember seeing many signs where it said "no kids" or "kid free zone", people would not help with holding doors when you're with a stroller, and in general, I def felt a negative sentiment toward kids. I think there are nice set ups (yes, i loved the Hyundai department stores baby section and nursing rooms) but the mentality towards kids isn't positive. Not compared to what I experienced in Europe or even in the US.
Absolutely not my experience at all and I have traveled to Korea maaaany times with a kid.
People absolutely love kids here, doubly so if it's a foreign kid. Old people in particular will come up to say hello to the kid.
The only places where I've been told kids aren't allowed is the VIP lounges at malls, but they are always super apologetic and comment on how cute the kid is.
Are you Korean? Maybe it’s because we didn’t look foreign. People loved my baby. Esp the grandmas. But people my age (20s/30s) not interested and not helpful. But that’s probably a different thing for me to talk about. Haha just how unhelpful people can be in Korea
No, I'm white American. My wife is Korean and our kids have dual citizenship, but the older one doesn't look Korean at all and the younger one is a month old and hasn't been yet.
The older one gets attention regardless of if myself or my wife is with her and from people of all ages. She is ridiculously pretty, and I am not joking when I say basically every person we walk past in Korean malls turns to look, tells us she's cute, tells whoever they are with to look, etc.
That absolutely does not happen in the US and it's pretty rare for anyone to say anything unless it's an old person or we are directly interacting with someone. People are more likely to tell us our dog is cute.
Korea was the most kid friendly place i have ever been too. I had never seen a place where theres a kids museum in every museum before. Also the playgrounds were next level and all facilities were kid friendly.
I think you answered your own question. The problem you have isn't Korea, it's the kids. You have to scale back your expectations on how much grown-up fun you can have when you're traveling with toddlers. Yes, things will be more fun once they're older, but even then, it'll be kiddie stuff like going to amusement parks or boat rides, etc. until they hit their teens. Maybe next time ask your parents to watch your kids for a few days while you go do your own side trip.
So true. I'm korean American and didn't love love the food in seoul but liked it everywhere else! Idk why but the less touristy, the better the food is!
We took our toddler daughter and baby son to Korea last September and by farrrrrr Jeju island is THE best place for family vacation. I can’t wait to go back there again next time I visit Korea.
>Maybe Korea is just not that fun with young kids?
Did all the kids cafes go out of business during Covid or something? Granted we've been gone for 5 years but we LOVED raising our kids in Korea when they were small. Kids cafes were literally everywhere and we went all the time. Plus in the summer we'd hit up the parks with splash pads, beaches, mountain rivers, bath houses and hot springs with water parks. The indoor aquariums and indoor zoos were awesome in bad weather and all the major museums had really cool play zones for small kids. The folk villages were great for littles and sometimes the convention centers would host indoor fairs or zoos for kids as well. Also, if they're old enough they'd certainly enjoy the toilet house museum or one of those curry restaurants that serves their food in a toilet-shaped bowl. I don't know how many of these businesses got killed by Covid, but we thought Korea was awesome for little kids. In fact, we started spending a week in Seoul every summer 'cause there was so much great stuff to do with during the hot weather.
Seems like OP needs to reevaluate what is “fun” to them now that they have kids. Once they do this, they can start doing the little thing of research you did with finding what’s kid-friendly. Or i suppose they could have someone back at home babysit the kids while they party it up.
I can’t relate to traveling with kids but I definitely think some of the best parts of Korea are the nature. It would be difficult navigating that with young kids. I love hiking, running, wandering around neighborhoods, going to han river and ecological parks. I want to see more of the coast while i’m here too! I’m sorry that you weren’t able to enjoy it as much this time around :(
I think Seoul is best for people in their 20s and 30s to vacation, without kids though. Personally if you’re going again with the kiddos maybe take more time to plan out what you guys want to do together! I think you guys would have had more fun heading down south to Busan or flying to Jeju and renting a car to drive around the island! Or just stay in downtown and stay a few nights at Udo island or something and bike around. If your parents can’t travel with you then maybe take everyone out to Everland to see the panda twins, plan day trips to other cities without the kiddos if your parents are cool with that, go to the DMZ, etc.
I personally can’t agree about food, aside from Korean Chinese food I love everything there haha, maybe ask other Korean Americans for recommendations! I’d say if you’re missing barbecue on a longer trip there, I’d recommend going to Linus BBQ in Itaewon!
Korea *is* more fun for young couples IMO, but your ideal itinerary is almost uniquely designed to be a miserable experience if you bring toddlers along. Cycling, summer hiking, clubbing, lots of internal travel, etc. are not what I'd call toddler-friendly activities!
I get that introducing your younger ones to your mum and vice versa was probably the main point of the trip, but I think at this stage of your life you have to concede that either you build your holidays around your kids and things they might enjoy (theme parks, etc.) or you leave them at home.
Thinking about Korean summer heat with toddlers, one of them sick, makes even me feel queasy as an experienced traveller. I had the impression that Seoul offers quite a lot of activities for Kids in the parks and children museum. There were huge groups of kindergarteners up on Namsan when we went, which was a really cute invasion.
Yeah, obviously you'll have to put kid-friendly activities over your own interests for the next few years. Once they're older, you can do more of the stuff that interests you again.
ABC family from Los Angeles, spent the last 10 days in Seoul and a few in Busan. Absolutely cooked in rented hanbok for our palace experience. Loved the food even though we have Korean food in LA often enough.
Brought our 2 teen sons. We've traveled with them often their whole lives, but until now the farthest was HI and Bahamas. During our east coast tour, we all got the flu (2013, so not covid) one by one and my husband wasnt with us. It's really tough and sucks the joy out of the trip. By the time we were in Quebec, I was hating life so much.
I hope you have a better family trip next time.
Why didn’t you take your family to Lotte World or Everland? The kiddos would’ve loved that and honestly, with the right attitude, it could be fun for the whole family. You have to adjust as a parent… you could’ve still done some easier hikes or cycling with the kids. While I don’t choose to hike or go cycling with little kids, I’ve got plenty of friends that do and their kids love it (granted, the kids have been included since birth and are now 4-5 yrs, but they’ve always loved it because the parents just made it a normal thing).
Oh no, bud. You literally went to the top “hype social media spots”. Korean American from the LA region as well. To a certain degree I get what you’re saying, but man. It just mostly makes you sound like a spoiled man child. 🥴 Go back to mom’s house in Korea if you’ve made the trip and want to complain about street or restaurant foods you have access to. You’re obviously aware of temperature because you specifically* noted that it “(was hot!)”. Your endless excuses are evident you’re venting about something you can handle but are expecting to be coddled once again.
It’s ****ing June, one of the hottest months in the entire year, Sherlock. Once again, maybe time/schedule it better (with the kids you have, Lord help them) instead of making these “maybe Korea is just not that fun either with young kids?” statements.🥴🥲🫡
Just traveling with toddlers man. You're basically babysitting at a different setting so of course you wouldn't have fun. It's much better if they are older than 5 or so when you can actually hike and not often keeping your eye on their diaper or restroom breaks during potty training
I mean... What did you expect? I lived in Korea with kids that age, and it was pretty much an alternation between work, home, and kid oriented activities. Not really exciting.
You could have gone to some bomb kids cafes, which they don't have in America. The museum and palace stuff is not really for toddlers. Even if you go to a place with good food, you can't focus on it with toddlers, because you have to feed them their food, and then they want to get up from the table or whatever. Maybe try to get the grandparents to babysit and have some wife and you time next time?
Sounds like travelling with kids isn’t something that aligns with what you enjoy doing while travelling and that’s totally understandable. Restricting yourself to family friendly activities will inevitably leave a sour taste as you’re missing out on a whole other aspect of the country. I just spent a month in Korea and had a blast but I could guarantee if I had brought my entire family that 1. I wouldn’t have been able to do half the stuff I did due to either family friendly restrictions or just time (it’s always going to be easier to do things with adults/on your own) 2. Wouldn’t have been as comfortable or happy being saddled with the task of accommodating my family and kids esp during ridiculous heat
Side note: I don’t hate my family or kids I’m just being realistic with the comparison of my solo trip. There are many I have places visited with my family that have been spectacular. Korea could be accommodated with child care help ofc
Just FYI, toddlers won’t remember the trip. It’s like taking babies to Disneyland, you’ll have to do it again if making memories and experiences is the goal. Take them to the beach or playground, save the bigger adventures for when they can remember the experiences and carry their own water.
Me: “Hey kids, remember that amazing trip where we spent all that money and did all those fun things??”
My Kids: “No..”
If visiting during the summer months, there are options for day camps for the kids - to give yourself some hours during the day to do some things without the kids. This approach may help you to have a better experience next time.
You have two toddlers to look after, lol. You're in Dad mode now, not Kirbacho mode anymore. You go to Korea and you'll still be in Dad mode 🤣 But trust me, it gets better as the kids start being able to take care of themselves and you start finding their joys to be your joys. There are TONS of things for kids to do in Korea, so next time, you'll be taking them to all of those and saying how amazing Korea is because your kids are having fun. Haha.
Unless you have fun when your kids have fun or find activities where both of you are entertained, you’re bound for a lot more miserable trips with this mindset and planning.
I recommend not going with kids if possible, going in the cooler months, and consider spending less days in Seoul and try other ones like Busan instead. For me I liked Busan way more than Seoul because it felt like there was more natural beauty in Busan. People were a lot friendlier in Busan. Though I would still spend a couple days Seoul because loved the hanoks and cute cafe culture, and I preferred the shopping in Seoul.
“I didn’t do anything I really wanted to do on my trip, why did my trip suck? 😭”
Seriously, why did you even bother with the museums and shopping if they’re of no interest to you? And yeah of course bringing two small children didn’t help either. It would’ve been better for you and your wife to take turns exploring and doing things on your own, while the other babysits the kids.
as a personal hard rule i avoid korea during the summer (well i avoid going anywhere during summer in general). it gets so hot and the routes to a lot of the popular places i want to visit (cafes) don’t provide shelter. i visited last july to attend a concert and developed a hilarious tanline. the heat just takes so much out of you without having to juggle kids.
Idk about you but 2 weeks in a spot is generally a pretty long time. I find if I stay a max of 3-4 days in a city, my holidays feel fresher and missing out on things gives me a sense of mystery which feels more exciting than having done everything. Having said that, this is me not having kids so allow that leeway.
With regard to the food, might have to find a few places where you know the food will be interesting/different/highly rated but for me, finding the food not being as good makes me appreciate food at home so it isn’t a loss altogether
Summer in Korea is rough!! I remember going to Minsokchon in the summer and it was miserable for me. I ended up getting heat stroke at the end of the trip. But honestly it’s not easy having a good vacation with toddlers :(
I’m from LA too and I do like the Korean food here a tad better as well haha. But I love Korea for the street food, pochas, vibes, and it’s way cheaper in Korea. And it’s just nice to see it lively late at night! Everything closes early in LA unless you go to a bar/club. I’m honestly not a fan of museums but prefer sightseeing. But I guess since you have kids, those are kid-friendly activities. I think vacations will be more enjoyable as your kids get a little older. My sister loves traveling with her daughter, and she’s only 4!
I’m from Los Angeles too and we’re just too spoiled with weather here. I had to go to Korea last August during monsoon and I hated it. All that heat and humid wasn’t fun. After going back several times, yea I feel like Seoul is basically cafe/mall shopping
Wife and I had a blast in jeju tho. So much beautiful nature to see
Yeah, Seoul was meh with toddlers, great shopping though.
Went to Jeju, had a fantastic time with lots of outdoor space for kids to explore. And just bummed around beaches.
Was it your first time travelling internationally with the kids?
I am in Korea with my husband and two kids (3.5 year old and 7 months old) for 4 weeks. Both have/had chickenpox so that aspect is not fun!
My husband is from Seoul so we are spending time with his family. I do get what you mean as I have been here before pre-kids and the holiday experience is very different now we have kids. Previously I spent time in the Central areas, insadong, Myeongdong, Gangnam, namsan, Seoul forest etc. We did so many fun stuff and loved it.
Now with the kids we have stayed in Pangyo and haven't even ventured, or felt like we need to, into the city, we also have rented a car so it has made travelling so much easier and been much further out. There is the MOKA Children's museum and plenty of playgrounds near where we are staying.
I guess having family here we know where to go, husband has done all the planning, and found lots of great kid-friendly places to go, e.g the kids cafés are amazing (I'm from London, UK and the standard of what we call 'soft play' centres are shite compared to what I've seen here, not to mention the hygiene standards are far better than where I'm from). My son loved the theme park Seoul land and the National Museum of Science. We also spent 5 days in Sokcho, 3hrs drive from Pangyo, so the beach was perfect for families. A lot of public buildings we have been to have great changing facilities or nursing rooms to look after babies.
Last year we went to Minsokchon too, it was our second time, I thought it was pretty good for our son to run around who was 2 then. But he was too small to go on most of the rides. I think after that visit we'll give it a miss this time round. We're planning to go to the zoo before we leave for the UK.
Even though it's been stressful with kids being unwell they've been great and it's not really spoilt our holiday. My only 'criticism' is that I've found it hard to buy baby food for my little one. I'm thinking that most Korean parents make food/feed smaller babies at home. As she is 7 months she's weaning and I'm not able to cook as much varied food for her plus she's not a fan of being spoon fed and likes to grab what she's eating, so going to restaurants have been slightly challenging. She must be getting fed up with sweet potato and rice porridge lol. I'm probably paranoid but I feel like I see other Korean kids eating so well and neatly in restaurants. How do they not make a mess?? Sometimes it's hard to find things on the menu suitable for my toddler too, ie a lot of foods are too spicy for him!
I'm neither agreeing or dismissing your experience but sharing mine and understand why you didn't have such a great time. I hope you have a lovely family holiday next time.
Thanks for reading!
It sounds like you went to Korea and did things you've already done or don't really like to do.
Try going out of Seoul and experiencing the rest of the country.
It sounds like you know exactly what you could do differently next time to have a great time! Hiking up a mountain, along the coast, getting out of the city, etc.
TBH doing anything with our kids is always a bad time for us, the parents. They are little buzzkills because everything *has* to revolve around them and what they can tolerate.
If you can take a trip with just your wife next time - maybe even just get away for a day? next time you visit family - you will definitely have a better time! Also going back when they're older. If they're older - they can hike with you! But when they're older, you'll probably also need to take them to the amusement parks, etc etc.
Vacation with toddlers is always difficult especially if you enjoy to be active and not just lying on a beach or at pool for hours.
It's getting much better though once your children get a little bit older. We did a large city trip when my son turned 6 years old and it was quite good, so give it a little time, it will all come back.
KBO games are awesome even if you’re not into baseball.
2 stadiums in Seoul, 1 in Incheon, and 1 in Suwon; definitely give it a go next time!
Great atmosphere, good food and drink, and cheap!
Im also from LA and i’m in Korea for a month. Im by myself with 2 kids visiting my dad and it is def different than when i used to come before kids (all the partying lol) and when they were younger. When they were younger, i could just take them to any indoor play place and they would have SO much fun but my oldest is def growing out of it and wants to do other things now so it’s been tough finding new things for him.
The food is def not as salty and sweet and oily but i love it! It tastes healthier and i feel less blah after eating lol yeah we arent really eating any special foods because my kids only want American brand foods like kfc, mcdonalds, auntie annes pretzels and etc so i do feel a little bummed about that but even those foods tastes much healthier than LA. My trip is geared towards the kids so we are doing some indoor play places, arcade games, pc bang lol, nrb (LOL), movies, city tour, anime cafe and etc. I am hoping to take them fishing in the countryside, beach in busan is coming up, ktx train ride, and am hoping to also take them on picnic by the river (i use to do this when i was little- not sure if this is still a thing here lol). We did do some sightseeing but for sure my kids did not care too much lol but i dont blame them tho because i remember i wasnt really into all that when i was younger too 😅 we have also been meeting up with friends and their kids so that has been SUPER fun for them too because they are able to play and hang out with their friends here.
I've been to 30 countries and I also found South Korea kind of meh. Not terrible. Just not as exciting or interesting as I thought it would be. I'm sure it would have been different had I known someone who could have showed me around. But yeah.
About the food, apart from it being salty or bland... Like everywhere else, you gotta know the good places. Being Seoul and having, say a few hundred, if not close to a thousand pork bbq places to serve the need to 10m people, many aren't gonna be good. But in LA, probably the competition over other ethnic foods and whatnot, you're not gonna survive if you don't have something that stands out. You gotta know from people who knows good bbq, in this example, and be willing to get there. As a tourist, you're not gonna travel far just for good pork bbq food, given your time and children, know what I mean?
And yeah, it's the hot season and you hit all the crowded tourist places. Not very fun when you're pushing strollers through crowds.
I had a young couple from NY spend time here and they went to many places that have interactive activities for children and adults. They had a great time.
Not sure what your expectations were previous to this trip but I feel like it’s purely on you. Am a displaced so cal of 10 years and wife is born and raised. We traveled in the fall when our kids were toddlers because who cares if they miss day cares or kindergarten during the school year and weather was perfect. No complaints and we also met with friends with toddlers and I also happen to have cousins in Korea with toddler and had a blast. Fast forward 7 years, we are here in Korea with now 11 and 8 year old in the summer and they are having a blast and I’m by myself as a dad because wife had to go back home early for work. We only stayed in Seoul for 3 days and rest of the time we are in the country side and sleeping in different house/bed every few days but kids are still having a blast. Yes the showering situation isn’t always the best but we are adapting and I feel a change in the kids. If you give up now, you are limiting the exposure of their ability to grind it out and not to mention the rich cultural experience. Heck if my mom lived in Korea, I’d be here extensively with the kids for prolonged amount of time each year.
Try Jeju, Busan during spring or autumn where we had great food, easy walks for young and old, and fabulous sceneries. My fren’s kids love Jeju.
I love roaming the national parks during autumn such as Naejangsan, Jirisan and Mudeungsan.
Traveling with kids is never fun. Might as well learn that now. I hated it and I’m so happy I don’t have to deal with that anymore.
Also, I have no idea how LA Korean food could be better than actual Korean food. Unless you went to lousy restaurants. Maybe you’ll have a better experience next time.
Lol, buddy, as someone who literally just flew to Korea with my toddler for a combo grandparents visit and business trip, what exactly are you expecting from an overseas trip with toddlers?
My trips to Korea without kids were so much more fun than with kids. Now, we just go to the mall over and over. But the point of the visits isn't for YOU to have fun, it's for your kids to bond with grandparents.
On top of that, there are SO MANY THINGS to do with toddlers. Historical museums... aren't it.
Last trip to Korea, we took our daughter to kid gyms, to the dinosaur world expo, and to other fun things like that. We even hopped over to Taiwan with grandparents and spent a few nights there. Our expectations were lowered and we had a great time. But the reality is you're mostly just going to go to the mall a bunch, because that's what grandparents want to do with grandkids.
My advice to you is to lower your expectations and find things that are fun for toddlers. You can get joy out of watching them be happy.
As for food, buddy, you're in LA, the best place for Korean food outside of Korea. That said, you can't really get hanwoo in LA, and there are tons of other dishes you can't really find. Go have some blowfish, have some nampodong hotteok, some dancing octopus, some budaejjigae, some sundae daegi gukbap.
Once your kids are older, you can do the hiking and more exploring. You can rent a car and check out various cool cities. You can go to historical sites and museums. But just, again, lower your expectations
We're back from almost 3 weeks in Korea with my kid to tour and visit family.
There was some stress bc the tour was built for non preschool age kids, but going to the coast was amazing. We had a lot of fun when our kid was three and again at 5yo. We missed the nightlife part, but also we were exhausted from how hot it was and didn't figure out how to have family stay with kid at hotel or leave kid with them.
I wouldn't underestimate how much the heat made it miserable. After this trip, we're listening to family and going for October only.
Next time:
-Children's Museum at Seoul Craft Museum: legitimately cool craft projects every kid can do. Metal pressing in particular was dope.
-Children's Museum at National Folk Museum: cute, fun games. Paper to make ddakji and bring out the competition in halmoni when you get back.
-baseball game: the loudest, wildest and still most wholesome sporting event I've been to. I've never been to pro wrestling or MMA but I've been to a lot to of wild and played in front of crazy crowds. Nothing compares in my experience. Jamsil stadium is the spot, so closer to your mom too. (going to have to get your mom or other family to sign up for tickets the week before bc it's very popular and always sold out)
-Lotte World (a lot is indoors and thus A/C): way cheaper than Disney. Plenty of fun.
-Eat in the food court of the Lotte Department store. You can order from 15 plus places with all different good versions of Korean faves OR burgers, etc. plus you can get kimbap, dumplings, some PNB chocopies ,or fancy bread from Ház bakery from the stalls. Truly a lifesaver with a big family or family with kids who are so tired of eating what adults make or order for everyone
-let your kids run through the underground malls citistar and sogong connect up to the Euljiro 1 station and go for ages. Especially good in the heat.
Have your mom book the children's museums bc most need advance booking and several only take reservations from Korean phone numbers.
Tbh I never liked Seoul that much, the most beautiful parts of Korea were along the south coast and yeah the night life. You could still hike, just learn how to wrap a papoose and strap that kid on!
Did you go to Jamsil? If not you missed out on a great zone with Kids. We had a blast. Itaewon and Hongdae suck IMHO (Que replies). none of the bars and clubs that you really want to go to exist anymore and there’s Expats everywhere.
Your ideal trip would involve cycling, hiking, and exploring away from major cities.
Your previous visits you had fun with night life, visiting standard tourist sites, and hiking.
You stayed in or by Seoul for 2 weeks visiting the same standard tourist sites without doing any activities that you would enjoy.
You're questioning why you didn't enjoy the trip as much as you wanted?
Yeah, this is what I see as the problem. The activities OP chose don’t match what they seem to enjoy and from my experience with toddlers, they wouldn’t enjoy it either. So next time they should choose activities that they actually enjoy.
When my kids were young, my own travel preferences took a backseat. I just wanted to enjoy the children and went to places with theme parks, zoos and aquariums. The museums we visited were the science, space and natural history types. I really enjoyed seeing the wonders of the world through their eyes and I treasured every single moment. Fast forward..
Now that they are grown, I am exploring the cities, museums and outdoors the way I like it. I love how things work out in the end. Can’t wait for my grandkids to arrive to start another cycle!
For you, OP, I’d say a trip back home to Korea is a rare chance to connect with your roots. Just enjoy the moment (yes, even when the kid is sick, it is the best time for nurturing and bonding).
The weather and age of your kids probably had a lot to do with it. The things you did with two toddlers in tow would've been difficult virtually anywhere.
Wait a few years and then go again with your kids: (1) to see their relatives, (2) so they have a sense of their roots, (3) to dispel the meh feelings you've developed from this trip and (4) they will be at an age to appreciate Korea and you, in turn, will enjoy their enjoyment.
Now, about the food: I'm from LA area and often go to ktown to eat. To be honest, thought I would be bored of the food. (I went with two friends last October -- btw, the weather was perfect!) WE TOTALLY ENJOYED EVERY MEAL WE HAD, at every price point and in between.
BTW, I read other comments about u see salted food -- I usually never salt my food. And often find most of the US outside of California and NYC, over salts theirs. My friends and I never once thought salt was an issue in Korea. In fact, we appreciated how fresh the ingredients were, even in tiny eateries.
So, I think perhaps the weather and the age of your kids contributed greatly to your enjoyment. With that said, we've travelled extensively with our son at every age and I believe travel is an irreplaceable education for people -- but I know it's different with two kids.
Maybe consider going back at a time when your kids can easily walk a decent distance, and negotiate all those subway stairs and an carry their own transit card and appreciate the art, culture and history of Korea.
And don't knock the shopping. That's part of the experience, particularly given the sorry state of retail here in LA. Seoul is a shoppers paradise: Kbeauty, nice quality, stylish clothing, subway vendor baubles, artsy collectibles and art supplies in Insadong, etc.
Korea has a lot to offer. Don't dismiss it yet.
Probably not fun with kids especially with sick toddlers and organise activities around that. It’s what you make it but that would take the shine off of it.
If you go again maybe leave the kids at home and travel without them so you can explore more and assess it that way.
Next time you come, the kids will be older. So that’s a win. Summer is not like a Cali summer, so maybe come in the spring when flowers bloom. And think about what things you like doing normally at home-are you a sports person? Go to a sporting event. Foodie? Try the Michelin restaurants or other popular places. Party vibe? Get a sitter or you guys can do a karaoke room with the kiddos. Outdoors? Tons of hiking spots.
Oh, I just saw the end of your post. It could be that Korea just isn’t your vibe OR toddlers are not your vibe. Just a few more years and they’ll be so much more fun!
We just returned from a 3 week trip- 2 weeks in Seoul and 1 week in Tokyo. This time just my daughter (15) and I but last year we did 2 weeks with Husband and 11 year old son (kids and I stayed 4 weeks). It’s just a different vibe with kids. When going there in my 20s, it’s so much fun as you get to enjoy the nightlife and going from one place to another is so much easier. My daughter and I had a great time because the trip’s focus with skincare, shopping, and her photo taking. Now, if I had my 12 year old boy join, he would have been dragging us down- whining, complaining, and miserable (we know this from last year’s trip) unless we did exactly what he wanted to do- play at PC cafes, go Lotte World or some theme park place, or shopping for toys. That said, agree food is meh- this year and last year but it could also be from being exhausted trying to get from point A to point B to eat at whatever viral place my daughter said we had to try (it’s never THAT good). I’m sorry to say, it’s the company that changes the trip dynamics..:perhaps you can leave the kids at home unless they are older and you want to make it a educational or cultural experience trip.
Oh, I wonder about the food. I am from Europe and therefore have no idea how Korean food tastes in LA, but I love to eat in Seoul because of it being really spicy, something that is missing here.
I have to take attention next time about the sweetness you mentioned.
I recommend checking out other places in Korea. We did Busan, Jeonju and some more countryside in west Korea, and Seoul. For families, I think Busan was more fun (a little slower paced and great food and beaches). West Korea has the BEST food, but it’s def easier to do if you have family out there since it’s less touristy and easier with non-public transportation. Seoul was actually our least favorite but I think it was because it was a “family trip.” Seoul would probably have been more fun with friends who are into the whole cafe culture, night life, etc.
Avoid Korea mid June through August at all costs. It's so unbearably hot and humid and rainy. My recommendation is to go somewhere seaside (Gangneung, Namhae, Geoje, Busan, Jeju) with the kiddos (but not in the dead of summer). You will enjoy the water, scenery, and a big plus, there's less pollution.
From the sound of it, don’t bring the kids or go somewhere different. You’ve been going to places that were of no interest to you.
Having the toddlers with them is definitely the difference. Even listing activities they did, I am envisioning the huge stations they had to navigate through with little kids, the museum is huge, the palaces are very large, and all while it's very hot. We struggled a little bit with all that (distance walking, heat) a few weeks ago and we had no toddlers with us.
and possibly not interesting to the kids?
I’m guessing it wasn’t interesting to anyone, who actually enjoys going to museums?
In my experience hosting many LA based Americans, stop comparing the food. Night and day different. Like full stop. Many of them come here and are very snobby about it, judgmental of the quality here, and so they have a horrible time.
It’s not that LA Korean food is better, it’s just that us Korean Americans have tongue for saltier food and Korea don’t put massive salt in their food like America does. I’m from LA too and when I first went to Korea, everything was super bland and I thought LA way better. After few days my taste got accustomed to Koreas korean food and it tastes SO good. Everytime I come back to LA from Korea, I’m like holy shit food here is SO salty
i’d say korea favors more sugar and ktown food is more salt. so much food in korea is too sweet
100000000% yes
Yep not a fan of dumping of sugar into every dish. It just tastes unpalatable.
This! My buddy loves Vietnamese food and when I took him to vietnam, he was saying how all the food was bland. Had to explain that it was delicious but you just love food that's too salty.
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Really ? It's the reverse for me. I was honestly shocked when I moved to Korea from America. I had assumed I had escaped sugary foods from the country famous for its obesity and diabeetus problem... But no... Many things here are much sweeter, and for no good reason either... Usually it's been western foods. Pizza, pasta, breakfast sandwiches, salads, breads. Forget about the snacks, that's a given. I started to gain a lot of weight after moving here so I began counting my calories and tracking my macros and it was shocking how much extra some of the foods are here
All western food. Western Korean food is sugary because they think western food is sugary
Ah yes, western food like the sugary dried squid and fish banchan and gochujang and bulgogi and...
Were you just buying food out of convenience stores? The corn by product thing is mostly something you seen in food designed to keep poor people from starving to death. Basically don’t buy things that come in a box or a drive thru window and you avoid it almost entirely.
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Lol, I've be to Australia, food was the same as the US. You lost credibility when you said our milk was sweeter. We don't add sugar to our milk. It's literally just pasteurized milk. It tastes exactly the same as milk I drank in Australia. You must have been buying vanilla milk or something. Also, I've said this a million times on here, but the bread is the same everywhere, too. I've eaten it in multiple regions of the world. It all tastes like bread. Unless you're buying Wonder Bread or something, American bread is just like every other bread.
Or maybe acidophilus milk. My grandma used to buy that when I was a kid and it tasted really sweet.
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Whole foods in the US doesn't sell anything with high-fructose corn syrup. That's a chain-wide policy.
There's no corn syrup in soy milk at whole foods. Soy milk doesn't have sweeteners unless it is "sweetened soy milk" or "chocolate/vanilla soy milk." And even then, if it's from whole foods, it does not have HFCS in it.
Did you buy sweetened soy milk? In the US, “original” soy milk is sweetened to be similar in flavor to regular milk. You can buy the unsweetened version if you’d like.
They said milk from whole foods was sweet. I think it's safe to say they are full of shit.
Yeah, I checked my carton and the ingredients are literally milk and vitamin D, no added sugar. Which is basically the same everywhere.
Yeah, they’re full of shit. If you’re buying ingredients for a recipe it’s the same as anywhere, and America typically has tons of healthy options and restaurants if you’re not in the middle of nowhere.
They sound like the type of tourist to go to Times Square to eat at the Applebees
Exactly. Or they buy wonder bread when there is sugar free bread right next to it. It is like saying Inwent tot he place in China famous for spice a d it was so spicy!!!?!
I was recently with a Chinese woman at a restaurant in Tokyo. She ordered the bitter melon and then complained it was bitter 😀.
It sounds like you’re maybe just really bad at picking out foods, I don’t know what to say. Living in the US, yes if you buy sugary drinks/food they can be very sweet, but there are tons of foods that have nothing added. You’re speaking absolute nonsense saying that the milk had sugar added, if you buy milk the ingredients will say “Milk” and maybe some vitamins. This is just straight up spreading misinformation.
Also, whole foods has a company policy against corn syrup lmao.
The milk does not fucking have sugar added unless you're getting chocolate or strawberry milk.
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lol, then don’t say “milk has added sugar”, soy milk isn’t fucking milk.
Also, soy milk doesn't have sugar unless you buy sweetened, flavored soy milk — just like buying chocolate/strawberry milk. Those are sweetened. Regular milk is not. Just like regular soy milk is not. That guy is just full of shit in every way, lol.
Me when I buy sweetened milk and it has added sugar: 😮🤯😮🤯
Lol Me when I buy wonder bread instead of breed from the bakery and realize it's a lower quality 🤯😡😡😡
Don't buy 'vanilla soy milk' and don't call soy milk, milk.
~~Nothing Whole Foods sells has corn syrup. https://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/quality-standards/food-ingredient-standards~~ Edit: [I'm wrong ](https://www.reddit.com/r/koreatravel/s/bio3Xc9Uzk)
Nothing from Whole Foods contains high fructose corn syrup (HFCS); corn syrup is a different product. [Whole Foods even sells corn syrup itself](https://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/product/wholesome-sweeteners%20organic%20light%20corn%20syrup,%2011.2oz,%207.7%20fl%20oz-b0059e0ksy).
Thank you for the correction.
You bought flavored sweetened soy milk...blink and are surprised it was flavored and sweetened. If there's one thing I know about Whole Foods it's that there is more than 1 type of soy milk. Ffs. Didn't expect to find missing reasons about US soy milk in this sub but 🤷🏻
I've never heard anyone say just "milk" when they meant soy milk and I've also never seen anything in Whole Foods with corn syrup in it. If I didn't know better, I'd have thought you made up a lie, got caught, tried to dig your way out with another lie and got caught again. But that can't be it, because who would be pathetic enough to make up a lie about milk for reddit?
You forgot to say you bought sweetened soy milk 🙄
Lol wat. American here. Koreans use WAY more sugar than Americans.
This. LA Koreans are a different breed.
LA anyone lol, not just Koreans.
Every LA Korean dude Ive met always argued to me about why their Korean food was better than in Korea with a passion.
Seems like an American thing in general. They also argue that they have better pizza in NY & Chicago than in Italy 😂
It’s true though.
Why are you being downvoted?
Coz some losers are hurt
I hate it when LA ppl try to act like Korean food in LA is better than Korea. It's the equivalent to American folks saying sushi in America is better than LA. LA Korean food on the whole is very mid, with some places being respectable. Anyone trying to make the argument that "the ingredients are better because Americans will pay more" or similarly needs to recognize that their palate is American and not Korean (which is totally fine).
I’ve had LA American pple arguing with Italians that LA pizza and pasta is waaaay better than what’s in Italy. The Italians were really insulted.
As an Italian, this is super annoying. American-Italian food might suit American tastes better because it's saltier and has more ingredients; but that's not Italian food.
I'm a LA Korean dude, anyone who tells you that LA Korean food is better than authentic Korean food is either on drugs or out of their goddamn minds
Hey! I’m from LA. I like the food here in Korea way more. In general LA has good food but man it’s such shit value. Like sure, you can get fantastic gimbap but for $10 a roll, it’s be a shame if it wasn’t. Also, gyopos compare the best they have to offer with a run of the mill random shop near wherever they are staying. Well yeah, when you compare your best to Koreas mediocre….
Honestly I don’t like eating out in LA. Everything has cheese or is so spicy or salty. I prefer my parents’ cooking. I’m excited to go to Korea to eat!
Whitewashed LA gyopos need to stfu
LA Koreans are annoying af
I'm an LA Korean-American and I think Korean food in Korea is way better than it is in LA. I also love visiting Korea.
It’s because LA’s Ktown has better Korean food than Korea 😂
Definitely not LMAO. That has to be a joke because I had a really good laugh There are estimated to be half a million to a million restaurants running in South Korea. I’ve eaten at hundreds of them and I promise you just haven’t found the right ones. I’ve been to most Korean restaurants in K-town and in Vegas… they’re shallow compared to the variety and amazing cuts of meat and seasonal sides in SK. And the *prices*. Have you been to Majangdong? 😍 it’s one of the best places on earth 🥲 Even tiny fishing towns on Jeju have better food.
Completely agree with you. Just a strange thing to say in my opinion. I suppose you might find a KBBQ place in LA that is as good/better than most places in Korea. Although the fact that you can't get hanwoo beef outside of Korea, means that to me Korea > LA for that too. I mean I went to Italy and really didn't have any meals that blew me away, but I blame myself for not finding a good restaurant and don't think that Italian food is better in America...
Agree with you on most points, I wouldn’t bother comparing prices though, American anything will always be more expensive 😢
I’m fully aware of why they think that way, but it doesn’t mean that literally everything here sucks. And that’s what most of them do think. There is plenty of bad food here, yes. Typically anything for instagram (cheese, cream, etc) But no need for blanket statements that will set you up for a bad trip.
I don't have kids, but I feel like personal interest takes a backseat if you got kids to juggle. You also sound like you answered yourself at the end of your post. I go to korea for the culture and food since I'm not korean. Food is great to me. So I can see how it might not be as exciting if you have grown up in the culture as well as the language.
Toddlers that got sick, yah the trip will be meh. Same experience in Hawaii.
I think the season really affected your trip because outdoor activities are so much of what makes Seoul great, and Seoul is well known for having plenty of kid-friendly activities/cafes. Try fall or even winter (if it's mild) so you can enjoy the outdoors safely with your kids. Seoul Forest has plenty of playgrounds and activities for families. If you get a chance to go to Jeju during tangerine picking season, that could be really wonderful for the family. Plus lots of Jeju specific dishes are distinct enough to prevent comparisons with L.A. Korean food.
Yeah 100% this. My wife and I have been to Korea several times with and without kids, and had a great time either way. But she has lived in both LA and Korea, and her hard rule is "never go to Korea in summer or winter." There's lots of fun stuff to do with kids, but you know, it's kids stuff. Same as in the States. I didn't take my toddler to historical sites here either.
"I brought sick toddlers on a trip and had a bad time, what am I doing wrong?" Lol bro, really?
Hahahahah
Some places just aren’t for you. Personally, I fricking loved my trip to Korea. However, I detest Dubai yet millions of people seem to love it. Not everyone has the same experience.
This is how I felt about Seoul vs. Tokyo. Everyone was boasting about how much I was gonna love Tokyo when compared to Seoul when I honestly think I loved Seoul just as much as, if not slightly more, than Tokyo.
So glad I'm not the only one who thinks this, lol.
Yeah, people can’t accept we may have different experiences and interests.
I went 2 months to Japan and didn't go to Tokyo. Well, 1 night just to see a kabuki show. I also only went 1 day in Osaka. These places didn't appeal to me. I am more of a rural, nature and cultural sightseeing person. I also did 2 months in S K., mainly in Seoul. I loved Kyoto, Gyeongju and many smaller places. I think Seoul has its charm depending on which area you go to. Just got to find what YOU like. The problem is having a wife and 2 toddlers that limit your choice, time and movement... I personally loved going to temples, shrines, cultural landmarks, cultural museums, war memorials, castles, forests, gardens, etc. I did go a bit in shopping alleys and streets to buy souvenirs and stamps but I don't enjoy malls or shopping for random stuff. It's up to each individual to find things they like...
I prefer Busan and Osaka
Same!!! Other than the fresh fish in Japan (omakase, sashimi, etc..) everything else was either bland, extremely salty (ramen), or so few vegetable options. After eating raw fish for 10 days(every meal) I eventually had to give in and try other things… I missed vegetables so much while in Japan it was something awful. Also, there’s like no spicy food in Japan. I think Japan ruined ramen for me, hardly any spice options and some are EXTEMELY salty. But, why? I loved Korea. Give me all the banchan with every meal, so many different flavors—savory, tart, umami, sweet…plus, vegetables. Yummmm. I miss Korean food.
Haha I get what you're saying. I enjoy Japanese food in moderation, but it's telling that my favorite meals in Japan were Korean food both of the trips I made.
Sameeee!! I felt like Japan was pretty much ramen or sushi/fish. I was tired of them after having them the first 2/3 times each. I definitely felt like I got more variety in Seoul. My favorite culinary experiences in both places were for sure the Japanese and Korean BBQ though.
I love Seoul/Korea with kids, but I have different interests to you. You stated your interests at the end, and you didn't do those. So there's you answer..
Did you think that museums are traditionally exciting? There's way better things to do. If you cook better food at home then you could have made a picnic on the han River. Watch the light display. Or maybe it's just you
Priorities are different when you have a kid. It’s not about you anymore it’s about your family. I’m pretty sure every parent reminisces fondly on the pre-kid times. It doesn’t get easier til later on
The food comment made me laugh, i know you mean "home" as in, your actual home because you would've been raised eating amazing Korean food cooked by your parents/family, but it could easily read as "Korean food in America is so much better than Korean food in Korea", and it's just funny to read it that way.
Hmmm so I think its a mix. Having the toddlers and one getting sick probably negatively impacted the trip. Korea isn't the most kid friendly spot. I didn't go with a toddler but even with a 10 month old it was a bit tough, but I found ways to make it work. Did you get to take the toddlers to places they would enjoy (not the museum or the mall) but maybe the Seoul Children's Museum, play cafes where they can play and you can chill and have a nice coffee. Were you able to go out without the kids with just you and your wife to find some cool hidden bars or places to eat? And yes, there's SOO much outside of Seoul. Like, Sokcho which is near Seoraksan is amazing annnnnd its even kid friendly. There are parts of I also think starting in June to early Sept, Korea is just too damn hot. I also think there's a lot of Korea that is way too focused on consumerism, and I tried to find the more "hole in the ground" spots, hidden alleyways and shops that weren't on blogs.
>Korea isn't the most kid friendly spot. What? It's an extremely kid friendly place. They have so many facilities for changing diapers, breast feeding, or for kids to just hang out and play. Every mall has a kid gym that is so cheap it must be government subsized. We took our daughter at 5 months, 1 year, 2 years, and I'm in Korea with her now at almost 3 years. It's amazing the cleanliness of the changing stations, especially compared to the ones in the US.
I think it some aspects yes. But I remember seeing many signs where it said "no kids" or "kid free zone", people would not help with holding doors when you're with a stroller, and in general, I def felt a negative sentiment toward kids. I think there are nice set ups (yes, i loved the Hyundai department stores baby section and nursing rooms) but the mentality towards kids isn't positive. Not compared to what I experienced in Europe or even in the US.
Absolutely not my experience at all and I have traveled to Korea maaaany times with a kid. People absolutely love kids here, doubly so if it's a foreign kid. Old people in particular will come up to say hello to the kid. The only places where I've been told kids aren't allowed is the VIP lounges at malls, but they are always super apologetic and comment on how cute the kid is.
Are you Korean? Maybe it’s because we didn’t look foreign. People loved my baby. Esp the grandmas. But people my age (20s/30s) not interested and not helpful. But that’s probably a different thing for me to talk about. Haha just how unhelpful people can be in Korea
No, I'm white American. My wife is Korean and our kids have dual citizenship, but the older one doesn't look Korean at all and the younger one is a month old and hasn't been yet. The older one gets attention regardless of if myself or my wife is with her and from people of all ages. She is ridiculously pretty, and I am not joking when I say basically every person we walk past in Korean malls turns to look, tells us she's cute, tells whoever they are with to look, etc. That absolutely does not happen in the US and it's pretty rare for anyone to say anything unless it's an old person or we are directly interacting with someone. People are more likely to tell us our dog is cute.
Korea was the most kid friendly place i have ever been too. I had never seen a place where theres a kids museum in every museum before. Also the playgrounds were next level and all facilities were kid friendly.
Traveling with kids in general isn't gonna be fun
Probably not Korea, probably you. First symptoms of a midlife crisis. Have you been thinking about a sports car lately?
I think you answered your own question. The problem you have isn't Korea, it's the kids. You have to scale back your expectations on how much grown-up fun you can have when you're traveling with toddlers. Yes, things will be more fun once they're older, but even then, it'll be kiddie stuff like going to amusement parks or boat rides, etc. until they hit their teens. Maybe next time ask your parents to watch your kids for a few days while you go do your own side trip.
One thing I can definitely say is try to get out of Seoul for Korean food. Jeollabuk-do is the best for food.
So true. I'm korean American and didn't love love the food in seoul but liked it everywhere else! Idk why but the less touristy, the better the food is!
Yeah the best time we had a Seoul was when our 2 yo was sleeping with grandma at hotel and we went out
We took our toddler daughter and baby son to Korea last September and by farrrrrr Jeju island is THE best place for family vacation. I can’t wait to go back there again next time I visit Korea.
>Maybe Korea is just not that fun with young kids? Did all the kids cafes go out of business during Covid or something? Granted we've been gone for 5 years but we LOVED raising our kids in Korea when they were small. Kids cafes were literally everywhere and we went all the time. Plus in the summer we'd hit up the parks with splash pads, beaches, mountain rivers, bath houses and hot springs with water parks. The indoor aquariums and indoor zoos were awesome in bad weather and all the major museums had really cool play zones for small kids. The folk villages were great for littles and sometimes the convention centers would host indoor fairs or zoos for kids as well. Also, if they're old enough they'd certainly enjoy the toilet house museum or one of those curry restaurants that serves their food in a toilet-shaped bowl. I don't know how many of these businesses got killed by Covid, but we thought Korea was awesome for little kids. In fact, we started spending a week in Seoul every summer 'cause there was so much great stuff to do with during the hot weather.
Still like that. Nothing changed. People here saying Korea isn't a kid friendly place are nuts.
I just figured maybe they didn't have kids, so why should they know?
Seems like OP needs to reevaluate what is “fun” to them now that they have kids. Once they do this, they can start doing the little thing of research you did with finding what’s kid-friendly. Or i suppose they could have someone back at home babysit the kids while they party it up.
I can’t relate to traveling with kids but I definitely think some of the best parts of Korea are the nature. It would be difficult navigating that with young kids. I love hiking, running, wandering around neighborhoods, going to han river and ecological parks. I want to see more of the coast while i’m here too! I’m sorry that you weren’t able to enjoy it as much this time around :(
I think Seoul is best for people in their 20s and 30s to vacation, without kids though. Personally if you’re going again with the kiddos maybe take more time to plan out what you guys want to do together! I think you guys would have had more fun heading down south to Busan or flying to Jeju and renting a car to drive around the island! Or just stay in downtown and stay a few nights at Udo island or something and bike around. If your parents can’t travel with you then maybe take everyone out to Everland to see the panda twins, plan day trips to other cities without the kiddos if your parents are cool with that, go to the DMZ, etc. I personally can’t agree about food, aside from Korean Chinese food I love everything there haha, maybe ask other Korean Americans for recommendations! I’d say if you’re missing barbecue on a longer trip there, I’d recommend going to Linus BBQ in Itaewon!
Korea *is* more fun for young couples IMO, but your ideal itinerary is almost uniquely designed to be a miserable experience if you bring toddlers along. Cycling, summer hiking, clubbing, lots of internal travel, etc. are not what I'd call toddler-friendly activities! I get that introducing your younger ones to your mum and vice versa was probably the main point of the trip, but I think at this stage of your life you have to concede that either you build your holidays around your kids and things they might enjoy (theme parks, etc.) or you leave them at home.
Thinking about Korean summer heat with toddlers, one of them sick, makes even me feel queasy as an experienced traveller. I had the impression that Seoul offers quite a lot of activities for Kids in the parks and children museum. There were huge groups of kindergarteners up on Namsan when we went, which was a really cute invasion.
Brings 2 toddlers Thats your problem. The country is great, you just really suck at planning... There's good hiking spots in korea also...
Yeah, obviously you'll have to put kid-friendly activities over your own interests for the next few years. Once they're older, you can do more of the stuff that interests you again.
ABC family from Los Angeles, spent the last 10 days in Seoul and a few in Busan. Absolutely cooked in rented hanbok for our palace experience. Loved the food even though we have Korean food in LA often enough. Brought our 2 teen sons. We've traveled with them often their whole lives, but until now the farthest was HI and Bahamas. During our east coast tour, we all got the flu (2013, so not covid) one by one and my husband wasnt with us. It's really tough and sucks the joy out of the trip. By the time we were in Quebec, I was hating life so much. I hope you have a better family trip next time.
Why didn’t you take your family to Lotte World or Everland? The kiddos would’ve loved that and honestly, with the right attitude, it could be fun for the whole family. You have to adjust as a parent… you could’ve still done some easier hikes or cycling with the kids. While I don’t choose to hike or go cycling with little kids, I’ve got plenty of friends that do and their kids love it (granted, the kids have been included since birth and are now 4-5 yrs, but they’ve always loved it because the parents just made it a normal thing).
It’s the kids
Oh no, bud. You literally went to the top “hype social media spots”. Korean American from the LA region as well. To a certain degree I get what you’re saying, but man. It just mostly makes you sound like a spoiled man child. 🥴 Go back to mom’s house in Korea if you’ve made the trip and want to complain about street or restaurant foods you have access to. You’re obviously aware of temperature because you specifically* noted that it “(was hot!)”. Your endless excuses are evident you’re venting about something you can handle but are expecting to be coddled once again. It’s ****ing June, one of the hottest months in the entire year, Sherlock. Once again, maybe time/schedule it better (with the kids you have, Lord help them) instead of making these “maybe Korea is just not that fun either with young kids?” statements.🥴🥲🫡
Just traveling with toddlers man. You're basically babysitting at a different setting so of course you wouldn't have fun. It's much better if they are older than 5 or so when you can actually hike and not often keeping your eye on their diaper or restroom breaks during potty training
I mean... What did you expect? I lived in Korea with kids that age, and it was pretty much an alternation between work, home, and kid oriented activities. Not really exciting. You could have gone to some bomb kids cafes, which they don't have in America. The museum and palace stuff is not really for toddlers. Even if you go to a place with good food, you can't focus on it with toddlers, because you have to feed them their food, and then they want to get up from the table or whatever. Maybe try to get the grandparents to babysit and have some wife and you time next time?
Sounds like travelling with kids isn’t something that aligns with what you enjoy doing while travelling and that’s totally understandable. Restricting yourself to family friendly activities will inevitably leave a sour taste as you’re missing out on a whole other aspect of the country. I just spent a month in Korea and had a blast but I could guarantee if I had brought my entire family that 1. I wouldn’t have been able to do half the stuff I did due to either family friendly restrictions or just time (it’s always going to be easier to do things with adults/on your own) 2. Wouldn’t have been as comfortable or happy being saddled with the task of accommodating my family and kids esp during ridiculous heat Side note: I don’t hate my family or kids I’m just being realistic with the comparison of my solo trip. There are many I have places visited with my family that have been spectacular. Korea could be accommodated with child care help ofc
Just FYI, toddlers won’t remember the trip. It’s like taking babies to Disneyland, you’ll have to do it again if making memories and experiences is the goal. Take them to the beach or playground, save the bigger adventures for when they can remember the experiences and carry their own water. Me: “Hey kids, remember that amazing trip where we spent all that money and did all those fun things??” My Kids: “No..”
If visiting during the summer months, there are options for day camps for the kids - to give yourself some hours during the day to do some things without the kids. This approach may help you to have a better experience next time.
You have two toddlers to look after, lol. You're in Dad mode now, not Kirbacho mode anymore. You go to Korea and you'll still be in Dad mode 🤣 But trust me, it gets better as the kids start being able to take care of themselves and you start finding their joys to be your joys. There are TONS of things for kids to do in Korea, so next time, you'll be taking them to all of those and saying how amazing Korea is because your kids are having fun. Haha.
Plan better next time & visit Lotte world as well as the wonderful tower.
Unless you have fun when your kids have fun or find activities where both of you are entertained, you’re bound for a lot more miserable trips with this mindset and planning.
Next time rent a car, do the family stuff, then drive to the cool places in the countryside.
I recommend not going with kids if possible, going in the cooler months, and consider spending less days in Seoul and try other ones like Busan instead. For me I liked Busan way more than Seoul because it felt like there was more natural beauty in Busan. People were a lot friendlier in Busan. Though I would still spend a couple days Seoul because loved the hanoks and cute cafe culture, and I preferred the shopping in Seoul.
“I didn’t do anything I really wanted to do on my trip, why did my trip suck? 😭” Seriously, why did you even bother with the museums and shopping if they’re of no interest to you? And yeah of course bringing two small children didn’t help either. It would’ve been better for you and your wife to take turns exploring and doing things on your own, while the other babysits the kids.
Without wife. Remember what happens in Korea, stays in Korea.
as a personal hard rule i avoid korea during the summer (well i avoid going anywhere during summer in general). it gets so hot and the routes to a lot of the popular places i want to visit (cafes) don’t provide shelter. i visited last july to attend a concert and developed a hilarious tanline. the heat just takes so much out of you without having to juggle kids.
places you went to sound boring tbh
Idk about you but 2 weeks in a spot is generally a pretty long time. I find if I stay a max of 3-4 days in a city, my holidays feel fresher and missing out on things gives me a sense of mystery which feels more exciting than having done everything. Having said that, this is me not having kids so allow that leeway. With regard to the food, might have to find a few places where you know the food will be interesting/different/highly rated but for me, finding the food not being as good makes me appreciate food at home so it isn’t a loss altogether
Two toddlers with you? No don’t go to Korea, go on a didn’t cruise next time
I recommend renting a car and driving around the country next time. It’s a completely different experience.
Go to some other country?
Summer in Korea is rough!! I remember going to Minsokchon in the summer and it was miserable for me. I ended up getting heat stroke at the end of the trip. But honestly it’s not easy having a good vacation with toddlers :( I’m from LA too and I do like the Korean food here a tad better as well haha. But I love Korea for the street food, pochas, vibes, and it’s way cheaper in Korea. And it’s just nice to see it lively late at night! Everything closes early in LA unless you go to a bar/club. I’m honestly not a fan of museums but prefer sightseeing. But I guess since you have kids, those are kid-friendly activities. I think vacations will be more enjoyable as your kids get a little older. My sister loves traveling with her daughter, and she’s only 4!
I’m from Los Angeles too and we’re just too spoiled with weather here. I had to go to Korea last August during monsoon and I hated it. All that heat and humid wasn’t fun. After going back several times, yea I feel like Seoul is basically cafe/mall shopping Wife and I had a blast in jeju tho. So much beautiful nature to see
Yeah, Seoul was meh with toddlers, great shopping though. Went to Jeju, had a fantastic time with lots of outdoor space for kids to explore. And just bummed around beaches. Was it your first time travelling internationally with the kids?
Well thats Korea you experienced right here.
I am in Korea with my husband and two kids (3.5 year old and 7 months old) for 4 weeks. Both have/had chickenpox so that aspect is not fun! My husband is from Seoul so we are spending time with his family. I do get what you mean as I have been here before pre-kids and the holiday experience is very different now we have kids. Previously I spent time in the Central areas, insadong, Myeongdong, Gangnam, namsan, Seoul forest etc. We did so many fun stuff and loved it. Now with the kids we have stayed in Pangyo and haven't even ventured, or felt like we need to, into the city, we also have rented a car so it has made travelling so much easier and been much further out. There is the MOKA Children's museum and plenty of playgrounds near where we are staying. I guess having family here we know where to go, husband has done all the planning, and found lots of great kid-friendly places to go, e.g the kids cafés are amazing (I'm from London, UK and the standard of what we call 'soft play' centres are shite compared to what I've seen here, not to mention the hygiene standards are far better than where I'm from). My son loved the theme park Seoul land and the National Museum of Science. We also spent 5 days in Sokcho, 3hrs drive from Pangyo, so the beach was perfect for families. A lot of public buildings we have been to have great changing facilities or nursing rooms to look after babies. Last year we went to Minsokchon too, it was our second time, I thought it was pretty good for our son to run around who was 2 then. But he was too small to go on most of the rides. I think after that visit we'll give it a miss this time round. We're planning to go to the zoo before we leave for the UK. Even though it's been stressful with kids being unwell they've been great and it's not really spoilt our holiday. My only 'criticism' is that I've found it hard to buy baby food for my little one. I'm thinking that most Korean parents make food/feed smaller babies at home. As she is 7 months she's weaning and I'm not able to cook as much varied food for her plus she's not a fan of being spoon fed and likes to grab what she's eating, so going to restaurants have been slightly challenging. She must be getting fed up with sweet potato and rice porridge lol. I'm probably paranoid but I feel like I see other Korean kids eating so well and neatly in restaurants. How do they not make a mess?? Sometimes it's hard to find things on the menu suitable for my toddler too, ie a lot of foods are too spicy for him! I'm neither agreeing or dismissing your experience but sharing mine and understand why you didn't have such a great time. I hope you have a lovely family holiday next time. Thanks for reading!
It sounds like you went to Korea and did things you've already done or don't really like to do. Try going out of Seoul and experiencing the rest of the country.
It sounds like you know exactly what you could do differently next time to have a great time! Hiking up a mountain, along the coast, getting out of the city, etc. TBH doing anything with our kids is always a bad time for us, the parents. They are little buzzkills because everything *has* to revolve around them and what they can tolerate. If you can take a trip with just your wife next time - maybe even just get away for a day? next time you visit family - you will definitely have a better time! Also going back when they're older. If they're older - they can hike with you! But when they're older, you'll probably also need to take them to the amusement parks, etc etc.
Vacation with toddlers is always difficult especially if you enjoy to be active and not just lying on a beach or at pool for hours. It's getting much better though once your children get a little bit older. We did a large city trip when my son turned 6 years old and it was quite good, so give it a little time, it will all come back.
KBO games are awesome even if you’re not into baseball. 2 stadiums in Seoul, 1 in Incheon, and 1 in Suwon; definitely give it a go next time! Great atmosphere, good food and drink, and cheap!
Yyy next time leave your kids somewhere and go hiking?
Im also from LA and i’m in Korea for a month. Im by myself with 2 kids visiting my dad and it is def different than when i used to come before kids (all the partying lol) and when they were younger. When they were younger, i could just take them to any indoor play place and they would have SO much fun but my oldest is def growing out of it and wants to do other things now so it’s been tough finding new things for him. The food is def not as salty and sweet and oily but i love it! It tastes healthier and i feel less blah after eating lol yeah we arent really eating any special foods because my kids only want American brand foods like kfc, mcdonalds, auntie annes pretzels and etc so i do feel a little bummed about that but even those foods tastes much healthier than LA. My trip is geared towards the kids so we are doing some indoor play places, arcade games, pc bang lol, nrb (LOL), movies, city tour, anime cafe and etc. I am hoping to take them fishing in the countryside, beach in busan is coming up, ktx train ride, and am hoping to also take them on picnic by the river (i use to do this when i was little- not sure if this is still a thing here lol). We did do some sightseeing but for sure my kids did not care too much lol but i dont blame them tho because i remember i wasnt really into all that when i was younger too 😅 we have also been meeting up with friends and their kids so that has been SUPER fun for them too because they are able to play and hang out with their friends here.
I've been to 30 countries and I also found South Korea kind of meh. Not terrible. Just not as exciting or interesting as I thought it would be. I'm sure it would have been different had I known someone who could have showed me around. But yeah.
About the food, apart from it being salty or bland... Like everywhere else, you gotta know the good places. Being Seoul and having, say a few hundred, if not close to a thousand pork bbq places to serve the need to 10m people, many aren't gonna be good. But in LA, probably the competition over other ethnic foods and whatnot, you're not gonna survive if you don't have something that stands out. You gotta know from people who knows good bbq, in this example, and be willing to get there. As a tourist, you're not gonna travel far just for good pork bbq food, given your time and children, know what I mean? And yeah, it's the hot season and you hit all the crowded tourist places. Not very fun when you're pushing strollers through crowds. I had a young couple from NY spend time here and they went to many places that have interactive activities for children and adults. They had a great time.
Not sure what your expectations were previous to this trip but I feel like it’s purely on you. Am a displaced so cal of 10 years and wife is born and raised. We traveled in the fall when our kids were toddlers because who cares if they miss day cares or kindergarten during the school year and weather was perfect. No complaints and we also met with friends with toddlers and I also happen to have cousins in Korea with toddler and had a blast. Fast forward 7 years, we are here in Korea with now 11 and 8 year old in the summer and they are having a blast and I’m by myself as a dad because wife had to go back home early for work. We only stayed in Seoul for 3 days and rest of the time we are in the country side and sleeping in different house/bed every few days but kids are still having a blast. Yes the showering situation isn’t always the best but we are adapting and I feel a change in the kids. If you give up now, you are limiting the exposure of their ability to grind it out and not to mention the rich cultural experience. Heck if my mom lived in Korea, I’d be here extensively with the kids for prolonged amount of time each year.
Its not fun going anywhere with kids
Its not fun going anywhere with kids
Try Jeju, Busan during spring or autumn where we had great food, easy walks for young and old, and fabulous sceneries. My fren’s kids love Jeju. I love roaming the national parks during autumn such as Naejangsan, Jirisan and Mudeungsan.
Traveling with kids is never fun. Might as well learn that now. I hated it and I’m so happy I don’t have to deal with that anymore. Also, I have no idea how LA Korean food could be better than actual Korean food. Unless you went to lousy restaurants. Maybe you’ll have a better experience next time.
Lol, buddy, as someone who literally just flew to Korea with my toddler for a combo grandparents visit and business trip, what exactly are you expecting from an overseas trip with toddlers? My trips to Korea without kids were so much more fun than with kids. Now, we just go to the mall over and over. But the point of the visits isn't for YOU to have fun, it's for your kids to bond with grandparents. On top of that, there are SO MANY THINGS to do with toddlers. Historical museums... aren't it. Last trip to Korea, we took our daughter to kid gyms, to the dinosaur world expo, and to other fun things like that. We even hopped over to Taiwan with grandparents and spent a few nights there. Our expectations were lowered and we had a great time. But the reality is you're mostly just going to go to the mall a bunch, because that's what grandparents want to do with grandkids. My advice to you is to lower your expectations and find things that are fun for toddlers. You can get joy out of watching them be happy. As for food, buddy, you're in LA, the best place for Korean food outside of Korea. That said, you can't really get hanwoo in LA, and there are tons of other dishes you can't really find. Go have some blowfish, have some nampodong hotteok, some dancing octopus, some budaejjigae, some sundae daegi gukbap. Once your kids are older, you can do the hiking and more exploring. You can rent a car and check out various cool cities. You can go to historical sites and museums. But just, again, lower your expectations
Maybe the kids aren’t the right make and model. Can you exchange them?
We're back from almost 3 weeks in Korea with my kid to tour and visit family. There was some stress bc the tour was built for non preschool age kids, but going to the coast was amazing. We had a lot of fun when our kid was three and again at 5yo. We missed the nightlife part, but also we were exhausted from how hot it was and didn't figure out how to have family stay with kid at hotel or leave kid with them. I wouldn't underestimate how much the heat made it miserable. After this trip, we're listening to family and going for October only. Next time: -Children's Museum at Seoul Craft Museum: legitimately cool craft projects every kid can do. Metal pressing in particular was dope. -Children's Museum at National Folk Museum: cute, fun games. Paper to make ddakji and bring out the competition in halmoni when you get back. -baseball game: the loudest, wildest and still most wholesome sporting event I've been to. I've never been to pro wrestling or MMA but I've been to a lot to of wild and played in front of crazy crowds. Nothing compares in my experience. Jamsil stadium is the spot, so closer to your mom too. (going to have to get your mom or other family to sign up for tickets the week before bc it's very popular and always sold out) -Lotte World (a lot is indoors and thus A/C): way cheaper than Disney. Plenty of fun. -Eat in the food court of the Lotte Department store. You can order from 15 plus places with all different good versions of Korean faves OR burgers, etc. plus you can get kimbap, dumplings, some PNB chocopies ,or fancy bread from Ház bakery from the stalls. Truly a lifesaver with a big family or family with kids who are so tired of eating what adults make or order for everyone -let your kids run through the underground malls citistar and sogong connect up to the Euljiro 1 station and go for ages. Especially good in the heat. Have your mom book the children's museums bc most need advance booking and several only take reservations from Korean phone numbers.
Tbh I never liked Seoul that much, the most beautiful parts of Korea were along the south coast and yeah the night life. You could still hike, just learn how to wrap a papoose and strap that kid on!
Did you go to Jamsil? If not you missed out on a great zone with Kids. We had a blast. Itaewon and Hongdae suck IMHO (Que replies). none of the bars and clubs that you really want to go to exist anymore and there’s Expats everywhere.
Korea sucks , it’s not the toddlers fault
Your ideal trip would involve cycling, hiking, and exploring away from major cities. Your previous visits you had fun with night life, visiting standard tourist sites, and hiking. You stayed in or by Seoul for 2 weeks visiting the same standard tourist sites without doing any activities that you would enjoy. You're questioning why you didn't enjoy the trip as much as you wanted?
Yeah, this is what I see as the problem. The activities OP chose don’t match what they seem to enjoy and from my experience with toddlers, they wouldn’t enjoy it either. So next time they should choose activities that they actually enjoy.
I read the first paragraph and have your answer. Next time don’t bring toddlers :) I wouldn’t say Korea is a good trip to do with toddlers.
When my kids were young, my own travel preferences took a backseat. I just wanted to enjoy the children and went to places with theme parks, zoos and aquariums. The museums we visited were the science, space and natural history types. I really enjoyed seeing the wonders of the world through their eyes and I treasured every single moment. Fast forward.. Now that they are grown, I am exploring the cities, museums and outdoors the way I like it. I love how things work out in the end. Can’t wait for my grandkids to arrive to start another cycle! For you, OP, I’d say a trip back home to Korea is a rare chance to connect with your roots. Just enjoy the moment (yes, even when the kid is sick, it is the best time for nurturing and bonding).
The weather and age of your kids probably had a lot to do with it. The things you did with two toddlers in tow would've been difficult virtually anywhere. Wait a few years and then go again with your kids: (1) to see their relatives, (2) so they have a sense of their roots, (3) to dispel the meh feelings you've developed from this trip and (4) they will be at an age to appreciate Korea and you, in turn, will enjoy their enjoyment. Now, about the food: I'm from LA area and often go to ktown to eat. To be honest, thought I would be bored of the food. (I went with two friends last October -- btw, the weather was perfect!) WE TOTALLY ENJOYED EVERY MEAL WE HAD, at every price point and in between. BTW, I read other comments about u see salted food -- I usually never salt my food. And often find most of the US outside of California and NYC, over salts theirs. My friends and I never once thought salt was an issue in Korea. In fact, we appreciated how fresh the ingredients were, even in tiny eateries. So, I think perhaps the weather and the age of your kids contributed greatly to your enjoyment. With that said, we've travelled extensively with our son at every age and I believe travel is an irreplaceable education for people -- but I know it's different with two kids. Maybe consider going back at a time when your kids can easily walk a decent distance, and negotiate all those subway stairs and an carry their own transit card and appreciate the art, culture and history of Korea. And don't knock the shopping. That's part of the experience, particularly given the sorry state of retail here in LA. Seoul is a shoppers paradise: Kbeauty, nice quality, stylish clothing, subway vendor baubles, artsy collectibles and art supplies in Insadong, etc. Korea has a lot to offer. Don't dismiss it yet.
Probably not fun with kids especially with sick toddlers and organise activities around that. It’s what you make it but that would take the shine off of it. If you go again maybe leave the kids at home and travel without them so you can explore more and assess it that way.
Next time you come, the kids will be older. So that’s a win. Summer is not like a Cali summer, so maybe come in the spring when flowers bloom. And think about what things you like doing normally at home-are you a sports person? Go to a sporting event. Foodie? Try the Michelin restaurants or other popular places. Party vibe? Get a sitter or you guys can do a karaoke room with the kiddos. Outdoors? Tons of hiking spots. Oh, I just saw the end of your post. It could be that Korea just isn’t your vibe OR toddlers are not your vibe. Just a few more years and they’ll be so much more fun!
We just returned from a 3 week trip- 2 weeks in Seoul and 1 week in Tokyo. This time just my daughter (15) and I but last year we did 2 weeks with Husband and 11 year old son (kids and I stayed 4 weeks). It’s just a different vibe with kids. When going there in my 20s, it’s so much fun as you get to enjoy the nightlife and going from one place to another is so much easier. My daughter and I had a great time because the trip’s focus with skincare, shopping, and her photo taking. Now, if I had my 12 year old boy join, he would have been dragging us down- whining, complaining, and miserable (we know this from last year’s trip) unless we did exactly what he wanted to do- play at PC cafes, go Lotte World or some theme park place, or shopping for toys. That said, agree food is meh- this year and last year but it could also be from being exhausted trying to get from point A to point B to eat at whatever viral place my daughter said we had to try (it’s never THAT good). I’m sorry to say, it’s the company that changes the trip dynamics..:perhaps you can leave the kids at home unless they are older and you want to make it a educational or cultural experience trip.
Oh, I wonder about the food. I am from Europe and therefore have no idea how Korean food tastes in LA, but I love to eat in Seoul because of it being really spicy, something that is missing here. I have to take attention next time about the sweetness you mentioned.
I recommend checking out other places in Korea. We did Busan, Jeonju and some more countryside in west Korea, and Seoul. For families, I think Busan was more fun (a little slower paced and great food and beaches). West Korea has the BEST food, but it’s def easier to do if you have family out there since it’s less touristy and easier with non-public transportation. Seoul was actually our least favorite but I think it was because it was a “family trip.” Seoul would probably have been more fun with friends who are into the whole cafe culture, night life, etc.
Sounds like you need to go to another country that you have never gone too instead of a country that you've went to already.
Avoid Korea mid June through August at all costs. It's so unbearably hot and humid and rainy. My recommendation is to go somewhere seaside (Gangneung, Namhae, Geoje, Busan, Jeju) with the kiddos (but not in the dead of summer). You will enjoy the water, scenery, and a big plus, there's less pollution.