Some of the popular bars and pubs of Seoul are Aura Bar, Groove Bar and Embassy Lounge Bar.

There are a million bars in Seoul. They can be basically lumped into 5 categories:
1. Western Bars — this doesn’t mean there will be any western people, just lots of beer. Number 10, Wa Bar and others fall into this category.
2. Real Western Bars — replete with real western people. And you can actually stand by the bar.
3. Korean bars — Places that serve different Korean liquors.
4. Soju Tents — Little tents set up serving Soju. Often frequented by middle-aged men and less expensive than any other places.
5. Juicy Bars — The deal here is that you go in and a girl (employee of the bar) will sit down and chat with you, usually wearing skimpy clothing. She’ll ask, “Can you buy me a drink” and the drink will cost 20 000 won. Apparently half of the price of a drink will go directly to the girl working there.
6. Nightclubs — Entertaining if you’re feeling frisky. The waitstaff will drag unaccompanied girls to your table to enjoy your company and alcohol for as long as you’re able to keep their attention. You’re free to send them away when you get bored, and they’re likewise free to leave if you’re a lout.

Best bars, cafe, and clubs in Seoul City
1. JJ’s
Housed in the basement of the Hyatt hotel in Discover JJ’s
Itaewon, JJ’s is a popular ex-pat to hang out in the nite.

2. Mafia Bar
A hard-to-find gem in typically upscale Apku-Jong Dong where the hottest stars can be found Discover Mafia Bar
in the hippest bars…

3. Mr. Chow
The exclusive restaurant chain of mercurial designer, painter, actor and art collector Michael Discover Mr. Chow
Chow has now opened in Seoul.

4. Nashville Steak House
Enjoy the best steak in the town.

Here are a few pics of Sinchon in Seodaemun-gu. Seodaemun is located west of Jongno on the way to Goyang-city (one of the biggest Seoul suburbs). Along with Gwancheoldong, Hongdae, Daehangno, Myeongdong, and Gangnam station, Sinchon is a very popular hangout area for the youth. This is probably due to several universities being located nearby, such as Yonsei (one of Korea’s most prestigious tertiary-level schools).

Watch Wa Bar, a nightlife bar in Seoul City video here

Incheon’s official city flower, the rose, is abundant in the summer, climbing over walls and fences. Even the subway route into Seoul from Incheon is lined with roses and beautifully-tended shrubbery.

Nightlife in Incheon is so wonderful, One of the most famous nightlife in Incheon ins Goose Goose.

Goose Goose located in Bupyeong near the train station is perhaps the most well-known expat bar in the city. To Find Goose Goose, locate Starbucks and then look for The Body Shop. From the Body Shop, walk down the side street (perpendicular to the main street) to the next block and turn right. Walk down about half a block and look up to your right. You will see a huge sign. The entrance goes downstairs to the bar. Another popular bar located near the Goose is Woodstock. However instead of turning left towards The Body Shop, turn right and Woodstock is less than 20 meters from the corner. There is also Wild Bill’s in Galsan.

Best Incheon bars, Incheon Nightlife, Incheon Clubs are listed here :
1. Goose Goose, Bupyeong. A western pub where many English teachers and other foreigners go, although things get rowdy sometimes.
2. Rock Bar, Bupyeong. Very cheap beer, 6,000 won for 2000CC. Watch out for rats in the toilets.
3. Woodstock, Buyeong.
4. 66, Yeonsu.

Best places to go and best things to do in Incheon, including port, shopping, city, and park.

1. The islands around Incheon
2. Full House
3. The sea and shorelines
4. Incheon City
5. Incheon International Airport
6. Hangang River
7. Incheon Port
8. General MacArthur Monument
9. Chinatown
10. Wolmi-do
11. Songdo Resort
12. Jayu Park Jayu (Freedom)

Walking in Jayu Walk Way in Incheon

Incheon City nowaday

Daegu is well known for its nightlife. This entertainment central city of South Korea is the place to be for party animals always on the look out for a big night out.

Some night entertainment in Daegu including Night Clubs, Bars & Pubs, Cinemas & Theaters, MMC Mangyeonggwan Cinema, Kolon Outdoor Concert Hall,
Daegu Culture & Arts Center.

There ara a lot of popular bars in Daegu. Some of them are :
1. Mask, the alley just behind the Dunkin Donuts, as you exit the subway stop
2. Tombo
3. Bus
4. Communes, usually pretty chill in the early evening, but then can get very busy! The work crew is great and the music is always always good. It’s very music themed with great decor and just a good feel! Check the bathroom and the boards to find out all of the happenings!
5. Thunderbirds, a little more young and trendy; cozy with red couches and a lot of fun things going on!
6. Clubs downtown, Frog & Bubble is very popular. Very fun if you’re there with a good group, but the music is kind of hit or miss. It’s 10,000 won, and that’s access to both clubs, and one free drink ticket! If you get hungry though–the cheese and crackers dish is recommended!
7. The Volken
8. Hof Bonheur

Daegu best travel places and tourist attractions to visit :
1. Gyeongsang-gamyeong Park
2. Gukchae-bosang Memorial Park
3. Inheung Village(Nampyeong Moon Clan’s
4. Dalseong Park
5. Dalseong Oriental Arbor vitae Forest
6. Daegu Tower
7. Daegu Hyanggyo Confucian Academy
8. Donghwasa Temple
9. Duryu Park
10. Suseongmot Resort
11. Sincheon River
12. Daegu World Cup
13. EXCO Daegu
14. Jeil Church
15. Mt.Palgongsan

Daegu winehouse in nighlife entertainment

Daegu tower the landmark of the city

Although tourism is one of the main industries on the island, many of the hotels and other tourist areas are run by mainland companies, so much of the income never gets put back into the local economy. Also, since the attractions are geared towards tourists, many of the entrance fees can be hefty (although the locally owned and operated ones tend to be cheaper). Similar to Gyeongju and some other areas, local residents can enter most places for free or for a steeply discounted price.

Jeju has so many nightlife attractions. Bars,Pubs, and casino can be found easily in the city especially located in the “old city” near city hall. This is where the young college kids and Jeju-do’s English teachers hang out.

Nightlife in Jeju, South Korea is abound with many options namely Bars&pubs in Jeju, Casinos in Jeju and nightclubs in Jeju. One of the high points of nightlife in Jeju is the wide array of bars&pubs in Jeju. Most of the bars and pubs here are operated by the luxurious super deluxe hotels and resorts in Jeju.

In Seogwipo, the nightlife is centered around the luxury hotels and resorts. The Jungmun Tourist Complex has a bunch of upscale hotel lounges and karaoke bars. Also, many major hotels have casinos.

Jeju Island has a beautiful beaches

Street in Jeju City

Mokpo best tourist attractions and things to see in Mokpo including Park, Museum, Festival, Hall, and so many things here :

1. Yudal San park
A short climb gives a commanding view of the city with many pavalions . There are many scultures to be see here, If you wander off the main trails you can find old carving on the hilside . The building in front of the park is historical site #289, which used to be the Japanese consulate . There is a statue there of Yi-Sun-shin, who gazes at Nojok-bong hill. According to legend Yi-Sun-shin covered the hill with straw bags to imitate bags of rice to fool the invading Japanese army that he had more troops than there really were .
2. Yudal beach
3. Daebandong
4. Mokposisa
5. National Maritime Museum
Here you can see the remains of the yuan Dynasty junk ( which is quite large ) and the relics found with it, along with other items from Korean naval history
Take 111 Bus in front of Mokpo MBC, Hadang Geumho apartment, 25 minutes by taxi
6. Mokpo Natural History Museum
7. Mokpo Folklore Museum
8. Yongsan Dam and farming Museum
9. Regional Cultural Center Hyangto Munhwagwan
10. Namnong Memorial Hall
11. Mokpo Cultural Festival
Held every September or October since 1959, and it shows lives and spirits of Namdo people. During the festival, there are various kinds of events such as Play Festival, Music Festival, Jazz Concert

Yudal San Park in Mokpo

Mokpo Old Town view

Mokpo City

Downtown in Mokpo

2009. Good Year. A quick look back at some of the more interesting places, restaurants, hotels and things to do that were on Jamie’s Phuket last year…

January – as I said, it was just over 10 years ago that I got to Phuket, the main aim was to find work on a liveaboard dive boat – so I wrote something about that : Liveaboard Diving from Phuket. Photo below… me 9 years ago in the Similan Islands.

Next, a review of the luxury Sala Phuket resort, one of the best hotels you can find here. I try not to add too many hotel reviews on the blog, but occasionally, when we’ve not had time to really get out and do anything much, I’ll add in a hotel… always looking for new or interesting hotels to review.

Same with restaurants – although we are getting a bit middle aged and tend to eat again and again at the same places, I try to get to new restaurants and sometimes we find good ones like the Uptown restaurant in Phuket Town, a big local favourite with a huge menu of different noodle dishes.

Also in January, I had a quick visit to the new Phuket 91.5FM radio station which over the year has established itself as probably the No.1 station for Phuket.

February – another new Phuket Town restaurant – Rimtang specialises in local dishes, and another hotel review – Boomerang Cottages in Kata, not on the beach, up on the hillside, and always gets good reviews it seems.

Later in February we headed out of Phuket into Phang Nga province just over the bridge and found a great restaurant called Sam Chong Seafood. Not far from there, the temple of Wat Suwan Kuha which is built into a cave.

March – a quick visit to a temple in Phuket Town – Wat Vichit Sangkaram – eventually I will try to blog all the temples in Phuket! I did a review of the new TravelFish Guide to Phuket, a review of the Agoda hotel booking website.

Found time to try the new Phuket Brewery just outside Phuket Town which has a microbrewery and live music with big name Thai stars performing almost every weekend. We also went to Cape Phromthep – not for the first time but amazingly the first time I had been there for the sunset.

April, come she will. Kamala Beach – I think kind of the forgotten beach of Phuket, still very quiet, it’s just North of Patong, but about 500 times less crazy!

Phuket Town – for me, the best bit of Phuket, lots of hidden surprises, and a few were uncovered in April. First, yet another very popular restaurant with locals called Kaewjai, just a block from the bus terminal, been there for nearly 50 years and my wife and I have been back several times during the year. Then there was the Crocodile Farm… not for animal lovers and I read things about them keeping some animals illegally. Lots of crocodiles. And some tigers, and a few other animals.

Later in April I finally found the not-easy-to-find Shrine of the Serene Light, in the old part of town. Very beautiful old Chinese shrine.

But April of course is best known for Songkran – the traditional Thai New Year. This year on April 13th we loaded up our pick up truck with barrels of water, drove around Patong and the whole family had a fun time – photos here: Songkran 2009 in Patong.

And you also have Phuket Bike Week just before Songkran, I went to see some bikes this year down at Patong Beach and in the JungCeylon mall.

May – I enjoyed looking around the Phuket Halal Expo, held at Sapan Hin, a large recreation area in the south of Phuket Town. Lots of food and smiling faces – the event was to promote Phuket’s large Muslim community.

I like to find simple and not (too) expensive restaurants on the beach – found one at Nai Yang Beach called Batik Seafood. Nai Yang is pretty quiet and there are many small restaurants. A few days later and we ate at another new restaurant called Lakeside, way off the beaten track and run by a former neighbour of ours.

The Big Buddha in Phuket.. still not finished.. indeed we were just there a couple of days ago and there is loads to do.. the main 45m high Buddha is all but ready, but the surrounding area needs a lot of work – photo below taken in May:

June – halfway through 2009 – and I think I better add a “Part 1″ on the title and carry on with Part 2 in a couple of days… way too much to talk about on one blog post! We took a very interesting trip by longtail boat from Rawai Beach to Koh Kaew Yai, a small island just off the end of Cape Phromthep. Stories say that the Buddha visited here before landing in Phuket at Rawai.

And not long after we were at Sapan Hin again for the One Tambon One Product Fair – lots of food, drinks and crafts. There are regular events at Sapan Hin, always worth a visit.

To round out the month, a visit to Phuket Aquarium. We go quite often, entry fee is cheap and we like the Cape Panwa area of Phuket where the Aquarium is located. My kids always enjoy learning about the fish and other marine life from “Dad the Diver”

Jamie’s Phuket 2009.. Part 2 coming soon

Happy New Year!

July – We started with a little restaurant that we often drive past but rarely stop at – if it has a name, I don’t know.. something like “Good Food, Nice View” – great view actually from Cape Panwa across Chalong Bay.

Then one of our favourite low season haunts – Paradise Beach, a small stretch of sand just outside Patong. Too busy for me in high season, but nice in July. A little restaurant, safe beach for the kids and cold beers for the dads!

On July 18th I took part in the Phuket Photo Walk, part of a worldwide photo event for people to take photos of their home town. About 40 people showed up for the walk around Phuket Town.

August – I wrote about another local event – the Phuket Flower Fair. A huge variety of plants and flowers for sale, and prizes for the best orchids.

In the north of Phuket there is a Muslim community called Bang Rong – there is a small restaurant there floating in the mangroves. We have been many times and noticed they rent kayaks to explore the mangroves.. so we went kayaking

Later in the month I saw signs around our area of Phuket promoting a local festival. There seemed to be no promotion elsewhere and when I turned up for the opening evening I was the only foreigner present! A great little street procession with painted faces, I was very glad to have made the effort to go along…

In September, having been in contact with a mountain-walking, marathon-running American guy who lives in Phuket, I went along with him one morning with the aim of hiking up the highest hill in Phuket, well over 500m above sea level. A very hard hike, reaching the top at 542m with views over the ocean and across Phuket’s hilly centre. I do intend to do some more hiking soon, starting with a trek up to the Big Buddha sometime in the coming weeks.

Now, I tend to concentrate on this blog on things to do, places to see, hotels, eating out.. it’s not really a news blog, but sometimes I like to report on local stories. In September, Jet Skis were in the news for all the wrong reasons (they like to rip off tourists) and thanks to pressure by various people, newspapers, embassies and tourists, some agreements were finally reached on insuring jet skis. Will this end the problem? (big shrug)

Phuket has a real mix of culture. In September I blogged about the highly rated Mom Tri’s Villa Royale hotel and it’s restaurant Mom Tri’s Kitchen…. in between, a visit to Luang Pu Supha temple, home to (yet to be ratified) the oldest man in the world, the Monk of the same name. I reckon he has lived all his years without stuffing his face full of profiteroles, and is highly respected for his continuous work for charity. Sometimes you have to take a step back and think about life from another angle.

Talking of stuffing my face…

I ate several times at The Coffee Pot on the back road in Kata, Phuket. Big breakfasts, good coffee, like it.

But for me, October is all about the Phuket vegetarian festival. My absolute favourite thing in Phuket. The festival lasts for 10 days. I stuck to the diet this year and even managed to drink no beers. Paid several visits to shrines in and around Phuket Town such as Kathu Shrine and had 2 fantastic mornings at Kathu Shrine and Jui Tui shrine watching the processions, pierced faces, entranced minds, I really recommend you see this!

Lots of Photos here: Phuket Vegetarian festival photos 2009

And then suddenly it’s high season! Less time to blog, no holidays, less chance to get out and do things. If we’ve not been out doing things like we do in low season, I add more general information on the blog such as the Best places to book Phuket Hotels online. Did hotel review in November for the La Flora Resort in Patong Beach which opened in 2008. A bit of an oasis in the middle of the madness! Also visited Mai Khao Beach, right in the north of Phuket where you find the Seaside Cottages – cheap huts right by the beach, an extreme rarity in Phuket!

(above) contrasting accommodation – Avista resort and the Seaside Cottages

December already! I blogged the Phuket Post Office Museum, one of many small museums in Phuket. It’s in the old town – an area full of history. The next blog posts were reviews of brand new hotels – the Avista Resort and the Ibis Resort both at Kata beach.

And then another great little street festival to round off the year – work has been going on in old Phuket for 6 months to rid Thalang Road of all overhead wires. This local life festival was partly to celebrate the completion of this work and to promote old Phuket town as a place to go for an evening – there are lots of small bars and cafes, a refreshing change from the main tourist beaches.

So… 2010 is here. I have many ideas for blog posts, and just need to find time! Won’t be this weekend for sure… a friend’s birthday party tonight and then tomorrow a little party at the beach for our son, 5 years old. 5 years gone so fast. And 10 years I have been here in Phuket. Here’s to the next 10. Happy New Year.