In 2014, I travelled alone to Seoul in the Republic of Korea, better known as South Korea. Thus far, it’s my last big solo trip. It was an interesting experience. I’ve forgotten many details and activities I did. That’s why we blog since 2017. But anyway, thanks to photos on Facebook, my guidebook, Wikipedia and Wikitravel, I can reconstruct parts of the adventure.
I did enjoy my stay in Seoul, but it wasn’t an undisputed succes. Danny and I plan to go to Korea in the more or less near future. I don’t think I’d go alone again.
Here’s why. Seoul is a place for couples or groups. I didn’t know being alone is taboo in Korea, even if nowadays attitudes are slowly changing. But Korean society is conservative. Many people are fiercely religious. Family is very, very important.
In several places I experienced some hostility towards being alone. Some restaurants refused me. Quickly, I decided to dine early so I would be welcome. But then, what ti do later that night?
The Dragon Hill Spa is very couples-oriented. And so was N Seoul Tower and its surroundings.
Meeting locals was also not easy. There’s a language barrier and there wasn’t WiFi everywhere back then. I also didn’t or couldn’t get a local sim card. I did score in a bar on Homo Hill though. So I certainly did not have a terrible time.
Next time?
Travelling solo is not so simple. I’m not good a smalltalk and making new (temporary) friends. I find it a big challenge to enter a bar alone, to open up.
Travelling solo can be good fun, being master of your activities. Being solo can also allow you to flirt and go with the flow, without taking into account your travel mates.
But Seoul made clear that not every destination is suitable for solo travel. I learned there I need to plan my days better. I’m not so good at winging it. Maybe it’s also a good idea to make contacts in advance, using dating apps. Romeo makes that easy.
So the major lesson is to carefully choose where I’ll go alone next time. Any tips are welcome.
So sorry you felt like traveling solo to Seoul was not the best experience… it’s true that some restaurants don’t like to give a table to one person. I do hope that changes over time as well! Warm regards ☺️
Well, I’m returning to Seoul. Bu this time I wont be alone.
Great! Hope you get to go to many restaurants and eat yummy food 🙂
That’s the plan 😉
(I’m trying to reply to Timothy…) I would think it’s not that you were traveling solo; it’s that you were a foreigner to the Koreans. Sometimes foreigners(caucasians) were refused service in restaurants in the late 90’s when I lived in Seoul. I felt it was mainly because the servers(especially older ones) couldn’t communicate with us very well. The language barrier was a huge problem back then and I think it still is now.
Maybe. It’s over ten years ago, so I don’t remember the age of servers ;-). But it’s not the vibe I felt.
Is it that you were alone and they didn’t want a small order, like KreamyVegan said is happening now? Or were they suspicious of you?
They just “didn’t have a table” for me. I learned to go earlier as most. That helped.
This is all very interesting to me. I still don’t understand their way of serving customers after almost 30 years! It’s like you have to be Korean or else in many cases… Thank you for your opinions and info, Timothy. ❤️
How amazing you lived in Seoul in the 90s! ☺️ I can imagine being treated differently as a foreigner back then, but Seoul 2025 should be very different now. It’s just that there are some restaurants that don’t serve to a single person because it is not profitable for the restaurants. That is a big controversy in Korea among Koreans as well.
I did not live in Seoul in the 90s ;-).
But indeed, in 2025 it feels different. I returned last October (2024) and it was different. I’m blogging on my Korea 2024 as we speak. Every week another episode.
Oh yeah, I was replying to jcorvec123 😊 Cool that you have been there again Timothy!
I’ve never thought of that! I was refused service once because the American man I was with was looking at the menu, struggling for a few seconds with what to order, I thought. Then the agumma shook her head and pointed to the door. I found taxi drivers and servers didn’t have much patience back then.
I am Canadian and went to SongPa Gu to teach English in September of 1997. I will look at your blog.