This is part of the Trip Report I Only Have Amex, No Visa (November 2014) where I had to go for another visa run to Seoul, South Korea as part of the debacle of moving to Mongolia.
Getting There: Take bus #6006 which is Gate 5 at the airport. Get off at Prima Hotel Stop. It will cost you 10,000 won and take about an hour to reach.
The best part of Ulaanbaatar is leaving Ulaanbaatar. Despite early positivity that I had made the right choice to move to Mongolia, things were unraveling quickly. Risking over staying my welcome, this American in Mongolia had to make a quick dash for the Korean border to keep his visa intact.
As luck would have it, my favorite hotel in Bangkok, the Aloft had recently opened in the posh neighborhood of Gangnam in Seoul. The hotel is affordable at $100 a night and a ripoff at 7000 SPG points. The same Aloft tranquility of a great bed and shower await making this two-day getaway a great break from the frost of my place of residence.
Is the Henessy also free? or you bought it via room-order?
Mongolian duty free.
Did you like the area? We’re staying at the Intercontinental COEX in Gangnam in July on points, but I’m considering this now because that price is unreal.
My friend lives in Seoul and I never was in Gangnam the entire time I was there. I can’t tell you where I was though so that doesn’t help either. I just know I was taking a lot of taxis
You will enjoy Kangnam, its accessible to almost anywhere in Seoul. Kangnam actually means “south of the river” which means its south of the Han River that divides the city. Its the newer part of Seoul so the roads are wider and has more high rise buildings etc.
If you want to do the touristy thing (palaces and traditional markets) they are all north of the river. Probably cost $15US max by cab, but the subways are so efficent I highly recommend using that.