Korea Tours FEB 2009

Hi,i am from Singapore.I am planning to visit yr beautiful country South Korea.Can i know the temperature there end of FEB? Any snow? Can i know which is the best place to get pirated dvds,branded imitation clothing,fake but good 1st grade watches and bags? Pls tell me where to get all this stuff as my itenaries show shopping at Myeondong.At yeoju factory outlet,is it expensive there? For Everland,is there any street parade during winter season %26amp; is it everyday?Which is the best ski resort in Korea? Yongpeong,Phoenix,Vivaldi or Muju? lastly i am a muslim,can i get any muslim food there? where? hope to hear from u soon.

Korea Tours FEB 2009

Temp end Feb should be less than 5C except in Jeju Island and the south where it can be 5C-10C in the afternoons. You get snow only in Jan and early Feb so no luck if you are visiting in end Feb except in mountainous districts such as Seorak. For latest weather info you can check KNTO website%26#39;s links to climate and weather. It is a warm winter this year, though still very cold by sunny Singapore%26#39;s standards.

Most of the shops will be selling winter clothing in Feb but shoes, bags, watches etc you%26#39;ll get good buys all year round. Myeongdong is for the expensive, real stuff. Dongdaemun is for %26#39;good fakes%26#39; (quality like Shanghai fakes) and Itaewon and Namdaemun are for %26#39;cheap fakes%26#39; (quality like Shenzhen and Zhuhai fakes). In Seoul they dont hawk imitation stuff openly - unlike in Bangkok%26#39;s Patpong, JJ or Hong Kong%26#39;s Mongkok or Beijing/Shenzhen/Zhuhai. When in Dongdaemun, discreetly ask the shops salesperson for a catalogue, point to what you fancy and they will show you the stuff if they have in stock. Specifically the stretch of Dongdaemun between Euljiro 5-ga and Eulgiro 7-ga there are many commercial buildings specializing in one or few types of goods - rather like in Hong Kong%26#39;s Central district where certain buildings sell clothes, others sell only watches etc. You can try asking for discounts if you%26#39;re ordering in bulk but otherwise it is difficult for a foreigner to bargain (not just in Seoul but everywhere in Korea). Name your price by stabbing on the calculator and bring lots of cash - surcharge if you pay by credit card at some shops. For fake movie DVDs, try itinerant hawkers in Itaewon, Namdaemun and the subway stations.

Yeonju factory outlet should be affordable if you are shopping with S$ or US$ given the battered Korean won this winter.

Everland street parades are held everyday including in winter.

Ski resorts - your preference depends on whether you%26#39;re pro or amateur. That said, stay clear of YongPyong unless you dont mind mingling with large tour groups.

I dont recall seeing any Halal-certified muslim food shops even in Seoul. If you%26#39;re muslim, you%26#39;re better off patronizing fast food shops, vegetarian restaurants (hard to find), delis, and cooked food counters of big supermarkets like Lotte, Shinshigae etc. If you wish to try Korean food stay clear of dishes with soups or gravies because most are prepared with pork or beef stock. If all else fails, eat Korean instant noodles.

Happy holidays.

Korea Tours FEB 2009

There is Seoul Central Mosque in Itaewon, so you may able to find Halal restaurants around there. Generally Itaewon is most global area in Seoul, you can easily find many types of foreign restaurants there. If you can not find Halal restaurants, then stick to vegetable menu. There are some vegetarian restaurants in Insa-dong, (if you don%26#39;t mind Buddist vegetarian) which doesn%26#39;t use any meat at all, you can ask for bibimbop without meats (many Korean women who are dieting asks for that) or some seafood dishes (still be careful to ask if there is any meat or meat-based stock) I think even instant noodle like ramyun has some meat based stock.