My friend and I have a huge interest in visual storytelling, so our next stop was the Korea Manhwa Museum (Korea Comic Book Museum) in Bucheon. There, we learned how Korean comics started in 1909 and transcended into modern times. In addition to books, they have interactive exhibitions such as a retro-style comic book store with a collection of classic comic books. In Korea, comics are now mostly consumed in the form of webtoons and are popular with people of all ages. The museum had a special section dedicated exclusively to webtoons, so I took the chance to note down the titles of the webtoons that looked interesting. The museum is well worth a visit and the low price is an extra bonus -- one adult ticket costs 5,000 won. We took the bus but the museum is also reachable by subway, just travel to Samsan Gymnasium Station and head out of exit 5.

A trip to Korea wouldn’t be complete without a visit to a cat cafe and Gangseo-gu, Seoul, has one of the most unique cat cafes in the country. A short journey from Gimpo International Airport, the cafe consists of a sizeable indoor area, a large yard and a hill with a beautiful garden where the cats can run around and play.

Very skeptical about the concept of a cat cafe, my friend was incredibly unenthusiastic about the idea but she soon changed her mind. We had so much fun playing with the cats and taking photos that she didn’t want to leave! Tickets cost 12,000 won and staff teach you how to interact with the cats before you enter.

Unlike a lot of other large cities, Seoul is surprisingly green, with lots of parks scattered around for citizens to enjoy. I wanted to show my friend that even in a concrete jungle, there are multiple opportunities to immerse yourself in nature. I brought my friend to Seoul Botanic Park. The park contains an impressive array of flora, but the main pull of the park is undoubtedly the enormous, sculptural greenhouse which boasts a collection of tropical and Mediterranean plants. It is a welcoming oasis for those wishing to relieve stress and recharge. It’s also aesthetically striking, a great place for those passionate about photography. At 5,000 won, which is reasonably priced, and it’s easily reached by subway. The park is only a short distance from Magongnaru Station.

After an incredibly busy day, we headed to our hotel in Gimpo. I used Kakao Map to find out how to get there. It’s a good idea to save the address in Korean so that it’s easy to find on the app and it’s good for showing to taxi drivers. We were staying at Line Hotel and were extremely satisfied with our choice.