Recommended Korea Tour package

[speedtest99]

hi Wzierbovsky,
very nice pictures taken by you, are you are photographer?
by the way, does the hotels provide toothpaste, toothbrush, shampoo and shower foam etc?

so does the hotspring area allow swimming costume, heard it must be nake inside, outside
then allow swimming costume? just want to confirm as some agency say that only pratise in japan, korea not complusory. so you went hanwah hotspring resort?

 

[dreamer_toons]

How the weather over there? I going on 29 this month..

 

[ngsoonle]

How the weather over there? I going on 29 this month..

Yesterday temperatue from -12 degrees celsuis to 0 degrees celsius, you say leh?

 

[Wzierbovsky]

Yep all the pictures were taken by me.

Most of the hotels didn't provide those items freely except for Lotteworld hotel (I think); some hotels included in the hotel room but you'd have to pay for them.

For Hanwah Waterpia, aside from inside the changing rooms I didn't see any nekkid people wandering around from pool to pool for both the indoor and outdoor ones. What you'd need to bring is your swimming costume/trunks, goggles, and head cap. The latter's a must as you won't be allowed into the pools without one. If you don't have one, you can rent one for 1000 won IIRC.

hi Wzierbovsky,
very nice pictures taken by you, are you are photographer?
by the way, does the hotels provide toothpaste, toothbrush, shampoo and shower foam etc?

so does the hotspring area allow swimming costume, heard it must be nake inside, outside
then allow swimming costume? just want to confirm as some agency say that only pratise in japan, korea not complusory. so you went hanwah hotspring resort?

 

[speedtest99]

Yep all the pictures were taken by me.

Most of the hotels didn't provide those items freely except for Lotteworld hotel (I think); some hotels included in the hotel room but you'd have to pay for them.

For Hanwah Waterpia, aside from inside the changing rooms I didn't see any nekkid people wandering around from pool to pool for both the indoor and outdoor ones. What you'd need to bring is your swimming costume/trunks, goggles, and head cap. The latter's a must as you won't be allowed into the pools without one. If you don't have one, you can rent one for 1000 won IIRC.

thanks for the info. by the way, how do you get to hanwah waterpia, did they bring you from the hotel to that place by bus, or you all assemble at hotel lobby then walk there, walking distance?

can we bring camera there, any lockers at the hanwah waterpia?

 

[Wzierbovsky]

In our case, our tour bus brought us from our hotel (Hanwah resort) to Waterpia. Even though it's within walking distance (15 minutes?), it'll be freezing cold to walk that distance. Mine was SA tours again, but I don't think yours will be any different even if it's not the same agency.

Yep you can bring your camera in, and there're lockers. The process is a little confusing though, but your tour guide should explain the process to the group. If not, here is it anyway.

1) Enter Waterpia.

2) Starting from the reception lounge area, you aren't allowed to wear shoes in. So, immediately, you'll walk to the locker area next to reception (Men lockers separate from Women), get your own locker to deposit your shoes. The locker electronic key comes with an wrist band.

3) At reception, you can deposit any amount of cash into your locker key to use in the rest of the park so you don't need to bring any physical cash around - you use your locker key to pay for everything from this point. You'll get the unused balance back when you return to reception at the end.

4) From reception, you'll proceed to the Changing Room. Your shoe locker key will open a second and larger locker there to deposit the rest of your belongings (e.g. clothes, personal effects). You'll get changed, and can rent swimming attire too.

5) The Changing Room facility has everything, including shower, towels, clothes dryer, dressing areas etc. However, my advice: bring your own towel and bathing gel; the supplied towels are (very) small, and the supplied bathing soap the industrial kind.

Once you've finished with the park, you'll do the reverse process and check out.

thanks for the info. by the way, how do you get to hanwah waterpia, did they bring you from the hotel to that place by bus, or you all assemble at hotel lobby then walk there, walking distance?

can we bring camera there, any lockers at the hanwah waterpia?

 

[speedtest99]

In our case, our tour bus brought us from our hotel (Hanwah resort) to Waterpia. Even though it's within walking distance (15 minutes?), it'll be freezing cold to walk that distance. Mine was SA tours again, but I don't think yours will be any different even if it's not the same agency.

Yep you can bring your camera in, and there're lockers. The process is a little confusing though, but your tour guide should explain the process to the group. If not, here is it anyway.

1) Enter Waterpia.

2) Starting from the reception lounge area, you aren't allowed to wear shoes in. So, immediately, you'll walk to the locker area next to reception (Men lockers separate from Women), get your own locker to deposit your shoes. The locker electronic key comes with an wrist band.

3) At reception, you can deposit any amount of cash into your locker key to use in the rest of the park so you don't need to bring any physical cash around - you use your locker key to pay for everything from this point. You'll get the unused balance back when you return to reception at the end.

4) From reception, you'll proceed to the Changing Room. Your shoe locker key will open a second and larger locker there to deposit the rest of your belongings (e.g. clothes, personal effects). You'll get changed, and can rent swimming attire too.

5) The Changing Room facility has everything, including shower, towels, clothes dryer, dressing areas etc. However, my advice: bring your own towel and bathing gel; the supplied towels are (very) small, and the supplied bathing soap the industrial kind.

Once you've finished with the park, you'll do the reverse process and check out.

thank you so much for you detail explaination, really help us alot.
so we can deposit cash into the locker key which is electronic key, very high tech. how much do you think we should deposit as we do not know what are the expected cost inside the waterpia. 10000 wons enough?

 

[speedtest99]

I heard from my colleague that at the airport before we depart to korea, we will collect the tickets from the tour representative, then check in the lugguage ourselves. He also told me they have to give the tour representative tips when collecting the tickets, can someone confirm.

I though we only need to pay the tour guide tips only.

 

[mowen]

i just got back from korea in dec ... any qn can ask me . I went with ASA Tour . Jeju and Seoul

 

[Wzierbovsky]

10000 won is should be more than enough; if you don't intend to eat anything or rent equipment at Waterpia, you won't even be spending money anyway. But it's good to have a bit I guess in it since you'll get back all the balance when you check out.

thank you so much for you detail explaination, really help us alot.
so we can deposit cash into the locker key which is electronic key, very high tech. how much do you think we should deposit as we do not know what are the expected cost inside the waterpia. 10000 wons enough?

 

[Wzierbovsky]

In my case, we actually had four helpers:

(1) The Singaporean tour leader that went with us on the whole tour from Changi. She basically handed the airport and accommodation things.

(2) The "local" tour guide whom we met in Korea. This was the chap that guided us throughout the 8 days.

(3) The driver.

(4) A photographer which apparently was dispatched as part of Korea's Tourism Services. She was very helpful throughout the trip and took some pictures in problematic locations (e.g. skiiing). The charge for the photographs she took were very expensive though (5000 won each), but we were not obligated to buy them.

From what my wife remembered, we were only supposed to tip (2) and (3), but we ended up tipping (1) as well. Quite strange because both of us felt that (1) didn't really add a lot of value to the package; she didn't do anything that (2) couldn't do for us.

My advice then is to double and triple check with the tour agency carefully on this. If they say you shouldn't be tipping (1), then on the day of departure when you meet up with your Singapore tour leader at the airport, ask her on the spot if she will be expecting to be tipped. This way there won't be any disputes, and she can call her agency back immediately to confirm.

I heard from my colleague that at the airport before we depart to korea, we will collect the tickets from the tour representative, then check in the lugguage ourselves. He also told me they have to give the tour representative tips when collecting the tickets, can someone confirm.

I though we only need to pay the tour guide tips only.

 

[meatball]

SQ having offer now. $845 w/o tax but need a min. of 2 people to travel. i intend to go in early may. anyone else thinking of going around this time? hopefully i can find someone so can enjoy the offer.

 

[Zaizen_Goro]

i just got back from korea in dec ... any qn can ask me . I went with ASA Tour . Jeju and Seoul

How much did it costs you???

 

[speedtest99]

In my case, we actually had four helpers:

(1) The Singaporean tour leader that went with us on the whole tour from Changi. She basically handed the airport and accommodation things.

(2) The "local" tour guide whom we met in Korea. This was the chap that guided us throughout the 8 days.

(3) The driver.

(4) A photographer which apparently was dispatched as part of Korea's Tourism Services. She was very helpful throughout the trip and took some pictures in problematic locations (e.g. skiiing). The charge for the photographs she took were very expensive though (5000 won each), but we were not obligated to buy them.

From what my wife remembered, we were only supposed to tip (2) and (3), but we ended up tipping (1) as well. Quite strange because both of us felt that (1) didn't really add a lot of value to the package; she didn't do anything that (2) couldn't do for us.

My advice then is to double and triple check with the tour agency carefully on this. If they say you shouldn't be tipping (1), then on the day of departure when you meet up with your Singapore tour leader at the airport, ask her on the spot if she will be expecting to be tipped. This way there won't be any disputes, and she can call her agency back immediately to confirm.

driver and photographer also need to tip.
i only know we need to buy at least a few photograhe from the photographer but not compulsory.
for the tour leader who will be just up to us to tip.
only the tour guide at the local we have to tip him.
i guess if that is true i have to change more money.

 

[Wzierbovsky]

Ah no - the Korean photographer was attached to us as part of the country's tourism service I think, so while she provided us a lot of assistance she was not tipped at all. The photos she took were pretty nice, but just dreadfully expensive.

You need to be careful about the SG tour leader tipping though; in our case, on the last day it was made to seem as though we were "expected" to tip her. It's better not to leave it to chance. Before departure, best to ask the tour leader directly and finalize it.

 

[speedtest99]

i just got back from korea in dec ... any qn can ask me . I went with ASA Tour . Jeju and Seoul

refering to my previous question on tipping, care to share with us on how many people you tip them and how much?

also at everland and lotteworld does the tour guide issue you the big 5 or big 3 tickets, or do they ask you to queue for the tickets. how does the big 5 or big 3 tickets works, they chop on your tickets each time you use it?

 

[speedtest99]

Ah no - the Korean photographer was attached to us as part of the country's tourism service I think, so while she provided us a lot of assistance she was not tipped at all. The photos she took were pretty nice, but just dreadfully expensive.

You need to be careful about the SG tour leader tipping though; in our case, on the last day it was made to seem as though we were "expected" to tip her. It's better not to leave it to chance. Before departure, best to ask the tour leader directly and finalize it.

i see, i guess we will try to avoid the photographer as much as possbile.

 

[speedtest99]

hi all,

regarding the night flight to korea, do they serve supper or breakfast?
korea air is 1am, asiana is around 10:30pm. wish to know what time they serve the meal, if they serve supper, then i will just wait for the supper before i sleep. if they serve breakfast, i will sleep straight away till the breakfast time.

need to know as i do not want to wake me up just for meal.

 

[redders]

hi all,

regarding the night flight to korea, do they serve supper or breakfast?
korea air is 1am, asiana is around 10:30pm. wish to know what time they serve the meal, if they serve supper, then i will just wait for the supper before i sleep. if they serve breakfast, i will sleep straight away till the breakfast time.

need to know as i do not want to wake me up just for meal.

For economy class, Korean air served snack (drinks and peanuts) for the 1-2 hr of the flight and breakfast was served during the last 2 hrs of the flight. - Total flight time to Seoul 6 hrs.

 

[redders]

i see, i guess we will try to avoid the photographer as much as possbile.

For my group's photographer who is a guy, he helped in the luggages as well as meals serving for our group apart from taking photographs.

The amount you paid for buying his photos is actually also a form of tipping him for other great service he provided during the whole of the tour.