Garosu-gil, Seoul

If you're looking to check out the best local designer clothing along with some of the most voguish trendsetters in town, Garosu-gil will be your best bet. Known most especially for what it's named, Garosu-gil's tree-lined streets are the highlight for most travellers, but for me, what I truly loved was the ambience of the neighbourhood. Although the streets were definitely not quiet, with shoppers diving in to stores, there was a sort of calm that was different from the extreme hustle and bustle from other popular spots such as Edae, Hongdae and especially Myeongdong.

And I particularly enjoyed salivating outside the store fronts along Garosu-gil. We actually had the whole day set aside just for exploring the place, but after lunch (at Bloom & Goûté) it started to drizzle and the sky turned grey, so we didn't have adequate time to go shopping even though everything looked absolutely pleasing. Nevertheless, I got a very cheap thrill from just gazing at all the cool displays, like a fat boy eyeing a chocolate cake.

With a new hair cut for the day, I was very eager to take photos, especially around the lovely Garosu-gil. We had headed to a simple hair salon around Bugae in Incheon, instead of a modern branch of a super chain store like the likes of Juno Hair. Don't get me wrong, it's not that they are overpriced and I've read many good reviews about Juno Hair with a quick google search, but for just $12 I was able to get a decent hair cut to my liking, a wash and even temporary hair curling at my ends. It was also pretty fun, observing and meeting our hairdressers who were locals and the owners of their very own little hair shop.

If you're a lover of Softree's organic milk ice cream, I'd reckon that Remicone would be a favourite too. With a similar ice cream base, Remicone's specialties Thunder Bomb and Haiwaiian Beach have a cuter flair to them, which is part of the reason why the shop is almost always packed (no doubt, with girls). We tried the Thunder Bomb which resembles a dark cloud, that also has bits of sparkling rocks along with the mint flavoured cotton candy. I'd say it was a splendid mix of flavours in my mouth, and it was very enjoyable because the concept of the store was not only clever but attractive, with the interior of a chemist's lab and the exterior of an ice cream van.

All in all, if I have a chance to head to Seoul again, I would love to visit Garosu-gil and its plethora of clothing stores and cute cafes at least once again. There are just too many shops and cafes that we hadn't had time to visit! The next time I'm there, I'll be going with an empty stomach and a will to only try a little bit of everything from everywhere!