Why Visit Gyeongbokgung Palace?

Built in 1395, Gyeongbokgung is the largest and most iconic of Seoul’s Five Grand Palaces. It translates to "Palace Greatly Blessed by Heaven" and it lives up to the name—from the grand gates to the intricate details of its wooden eaves. Whether you're into architecture, history, or just looking for that perfect Instagram moment, this place has it all.

One of the highlights of visiting Gyeongbokgung Palace is witnessing the traditional Changing of the Royal Guard ceremony which is held daily at 10am & 2pm at the main Gwanghwamun Gate, this  ceremony recreates the guard changes that took place back in the Joseon Dynasty.

Where did I get my Hanbok?

I decided to rent my hanbok from The Artist Hanbok, a popular rental shop located just minutes from the palace. The best part? No advance booking needed! We simply walked in, browsed the selection before deciding, and got dressed on the spot.

I paid only RM100 for 3 hours of premium hanbok and I had free hair styling included & free handbag rental to complete the look as they also run different promotions every month, so you might need to check their current promos depending on when you visit. 

Tips for the Palace Experience

- Go early for the best lighting and to avoid crowds, I was there by 10am!

- Wear comfortable shoes cause the palace is big!

- Visits during cherry blossom or autumn fmakes it extra magical photos  

- Pair it with a visit to Bukchon Hanok Village nearby – it’s another hanbok-friendly photo spot!

How to Get to Gyeongbokgung Palace

📍 By Subway:

- Line 3 → Gyeongbokgung Station (Exit 5) – directly leads to the palace  

- Line 5 → Gwanghwamun Station (Exit 2) – a short walk away

🎟️ Entrance fee:

- 3,000 KRW for adults or it's FREE when you wear a hanbok!

Final Thoughts

Wearing a hanbok while walking through Gyeongbokgung Palace felt like stepping back into the past. The experience with The Artist Hanbok was seamless and memorable—I highly recommend it to anyone looking to create stunning travel memories in Seoul.

Would you try this on your next Korea trip? Let me know in the comments!

Hi loves, I'm thrilled to share the magical moments I had from our annual beach staycation with the kids and this year we've choosen to visit Langkawi at one of its most beautiful beach - Tanjung Rhu.

Tanjung Rhu is tucked away in Langkawi's most beautiful corners, it'll take you just 30 minutes from the airport, I highly recommend to rent a car so you could travel around freely and probably eat out on some of the day you're here. I got mine from Shopee and we manage to book a Toyota Yaris for RM120 a day.

When it came to dining, we there's 2 restaurants on-site. However, our hearts were captured by Saffron, a culinary gem open only during dinner with the stunning views of sunset when you dine outdoors. 

Last but not least, Tanjung Rhu Resort came with a private beach, with crystal-clear waters and powdery white sands and most importantly no disturbance at all, we literally had the beach all by ourselves with nothing but the sound of gentle waves lapping against the shore. Tanjung Rhu Resort is my imagination of paradise. 

The overall experience was just unforgettable, I would say 80% of the time we were by the beach or the pool, I would say this staycation kinda of grew onto me and made me leave as a happier person before I arrive which is a much needed reminder for everyone that we need to loosen up once in a while, work is not everything and the kids will grow up with memories of us so lets make it present. Until next time, Tanjung Rhu – thank you for making our staycation in Langkawi an absolute dream come true. 

Yes, I've finally made time to travel with the kids again, and this time I brought them to one of my favorite cities in Malaysia - Penang. Packed our stuff and got ourselves ready for this road trip, it takes  4hours from Kuala Lumpur to Penang by driving, but the ride is really enjoyable although it involves a lot of twisting, and turning through the winding roads, and don’t forget to admire as you’ll be over 8.4 miles above sea level when you cross over Penang Bridge. 

Being a die-hard fan of Penang, I just love everything here, the culture, food, people, beach, like literally everything except the drivers, anyway that aside let me show you our amazing weekend spent here. 

Where to stay

Hotel Mercure Penang Beach was an excellent choice for me and my family, it's located in Tanjung Bungah, which is in between Batu Ferringhi & Gurney, as the Island gets packed up with visitors on the weekends this area has lesser crowds. 

We booked the Superior Suite with Ocean View, the rooms were larger and we had a small lil kitchen to work with the best part was the awesome view we get to see every day. It’s easy to fall in love with this hotel and its wonderful surroundings, most time we spent outdoors either at the beach or the pool, and dining was easily taken care of at the poolside cafe, portions were generously huge and yummy.

Where to eat

During our stay we frequent the Ombak cafe the most I mentioned earlier we were located in between Batu Ferringhi & Gurney, and we made trips to Straits Quay to get my favorite fish & chips from Blue Reef Restaurant, they've been around since the mall is open and I swear it's the best Fish & Chips in Penang! 

We also checked out another cafe, Flora Cafe @ Spedahub which sits in Tropical Spice Garden in Batu Ferringhi. Food served was cafe food but it was decent for the price paid, again we had the chance to sit in the lush tropical garden and have a nice view of the beach opposite our 

Thing to do 

One of the fun things we get to do when we stayed at Hotel Mercure Penang Beach was we got to walk over the small island for a picnic. This is by far the coolest picnic we had, chilling on an island overlooking the beautiful Tanjung Bungah beach 

Heading to Chiang Mai soon? Check out my 3-day Chiang Mai itinerary + guide is full of the best places to stay, how to get around, the best food and so much more! 

Chiang Mai is hands down my newest favorite city in Thailand. With beautiful mountains and colorful hill tribes, a laid-back vibe, and awesome FOOD, it’s hard not to love Chiang Mai, if only I could spend here time it would be lovely but nevertheless, I'm really excited to share how I've utilized my 3 days Chiang Mai trip. 

We landed by late noon, direct flights are rather difficult to find so we had to stop in Bangkok for a transit. We were taking it easy on the first day by strolling around places nearby the hotel, visiting Chiang Mai Old City Wall Gates which is one of the most famous landmarks in Chiang Mai, and along the way from the hotel, stopped by a few temples as Chiang Mai is known for having lots of temples, there are more than 300 temples around the city. 

The Chiang Rai Full Day trip is one you must experience once in a lifetime, prebook it a day before because it starts early in the morning, we've gotten ours for 1500 bhat per person to visit the premier attractions like Wat Rong Khun (White Temple), Wat Rong Suea (Blue Temple) and Baan Dam Museum (Art gallery). The trip starts at 7am and ends around 6pm with a simple lunch included.