Budget Travel Korea | Seoul | Korea’s First Guesthouse for Muslims

The name of the establishment is Eid Guesthouse .. the sajangnim (boss) is Saad, a very K-pop-looking young Muslim Korean still in his twenties ^^ This guy is famous especially among Muslim backpackers from Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia because he also runs Eid Halal Korean Food restaurant with his family. (But, he got married in 2016 guyss awwww ;( lol. ) They serve authentic Korean dishes like bibimbap, bulgolgi and tteokbokki in Itaewon, very near to the Seoul Masjid. The guesthouse is only about a minute away by walking from the restaurant. 
Our meet-up point was in front of Eid Halal Korean Food Restaurant only 100m+ away from the guesthouse
AND, we were honoured to be their first guests, yeay! I actually stumbled upon Eid restaurant’s facebook fanpage and somehow saw a comment from one of the customers about the opening of Eid’s new guesthouse. I quickly sent a message to ask about it and coincidently they were going to open as soon as the renovation was completed which was the same week we arrived in Seoul^^ 

From the airport, we took the subway and head straight to the restaurant thinking we would first meet up with Saad there. Turned out we arrived on a Monday – restaurant was closed :( But Saad came to meet us not too long after that and took us to the guesthouse .. 



Okay I’m not gonna lie - my heart skipped a beat when I saw that ‘oppa’ running to great us in that sharp suit… reminded me of common scenes in K-drama lol =D.. 



As we entered the living room on the ground floor we immediately felt the cosiness and warmth of that space.. Saad gave the interior a simple and modern touch yet still exudes that familiar Korean charm and cuteness. The first thing that will catch your eyes is a big wooden bench table in the middle of the space lined with high chairs and a sleek chandelier hanging above it. A big flat screen TV is on the right and a small corner on the left side with tall book shelves and working desk – immediately you’ll be able to tell this is where the young CEO manages his businesses from :D

And so we sat down at the table, Saad poured us a very delicious cup of chilled Korean tea (forgot the name) and we started talking.. and talking and talking… later on we were joined by Said the ‘hyung’ (elder brother) and their parents. 

 I thought THIS was the ultimate Korean experience in itself – getting to know the local people and immerse ourselves in long conversations. We learned quite a handful about them; the brother Said is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in UIA Malaysia and speaks Malay, how they began their restaurant business and best of all how the whole family embraced Islam one person at a time in the past 10 years.. It was some conversation! We didn’t mind staying in the whole afternoon as this was beyond all touristy stuff.. By the end of our ‘little’ meet n greet session, we felt more like friends rather than hosts and guests ^^

Among other things, the brothers helped us to secure air tickets for Jeju too. Gamsahamnida! =D

 Saad’s father Mr. Yusuf, worrying over us not going out and about that afternoon lol

After about 4 hours, yes.. 4 HOURS lol, we finally ‘checked-in’ to our room.. ladies stay on the first floor. 

 
They provide: 
  • 2 pillows per person
  • A small but thick Pierre Cardin towel (I don’t know why I feel the need to mention the brand me lol) 
  • Very thick and luxurious duvet (only 3 hot months in Korea, u'll appreciate this =D) 
  • Musolla or ‘surau’
  • WiFi (very important :P)
  • Hairdryer
  • Ironing facility
  • Washing machine
  • Toiletries and of course..
  • Breakfast and all-day beverage in the pantry for free
  • and oh yeah.. all guests get to dine at Eid restaurant at 10% off!

The halal & thoyyiba breakfast spread ~ rice, side dishes, cereals, toasts, milk and tea; you’ll be filled InsyaAllah^^..


Check out a video of Saad and his dad here explaining to us about how to help ourselves for breakfast.. so cute! Hahaaa =D

Every night when we come back from our outing Saad would be sitting at the big table with his laptop doing his management work and he would ask about our day, look at the goodies we bought (while giving comments :P) and help us to get more info for our next outing..  so helpful jinjja! I guess that’s the perk you get when you’re the only guests staying there?? Hehee..

   

After 3 nights in Seoul, it was time to leave for the next city – Jeju. Although we looked forward for the next adventure that awaits us on the island, it was also very sad for us to leave Eid Guesthouse and the family.. particularly because they were so friendly, helpful and took really good care of us… we will definitely stay here again when we come back to Korea!

 

  
Room rate: 
KRW 30,000/person/night, discounts for long stay (I think they have new rates now). Worth every penny even though you are paying a little extra as compared to other guesthouses for the comfort level and reassurance in the Halal food provided here.

Getting here:
Itaewon station Line 6 (brown), Exit 3. Walk straight ahead in front of the shops as you exit the subway until you reach the first junction to the right. There is a Mr. Kebab shop at this corner. Turn right into the junction and take the road uphill until you reach a school. Turn left at the school into a smaller street and walk straight ahead. 


 You will find the Seoul Masjid on your left, walk further about 5 minutes or less until you reach Eid Halal Korean Food restaurant on your left. Make appointment to meet with Saad/Said here before hand. They are very easy to reach via Eid Halal Korean Food Facebook Fanpage or simply email the management at eidguesthouse@gmail.com
A necessity if you plan to travel Korea on your own; a Korea sim card for at least a data plan. I mean, even though many people say that public wifi is widely available in Seoul, only a few of them are actually usable and reliable and the rest would need you to pay / use an account/sim card for an access. If you do not want to get lost too much while finding your ways around Seoul, at least get a Korea sim card and data plan set on your phone and walk around the city with your Google maps on haha.. this way you'll learn the routes faster and you get to visit more sites ;). Right now there is a 17% discount on Korea Sim Card (EG Sim Card) - Mobile Data + Voice Plan on Trazy. Highly recommended especially when you plan to stay for more than a week. Value for your money, especially when data roaming costs you around MYR30++ per day! (Malaysian telco).


Last updated July 18th 2017

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Outdoor Malaysia | N. Sembilan | Gua Batu Maloi Caving Package

Image
Last updated March 2024 I'm a guide and operator here at Gua Batu Maloi; I've always said to myself that there is nothing like it anywhere else in Malaysia .. it's true, at least not that I know of :P. The most fun caving activity that I've ever done is right here in Johol Negeri Sembilan.  Read on to find out more about my comprehensive caving package.. That's me ;) But before you continue on reading, let's watch a video from Astro Prima's Wanita Hari Ini recorded live telecast for International Day for Women in March 2019. They did a great job featuring Gua Batu Maloi trail in the show.  Whilst the more popular caves are composed of karst and limestone, caving at this talus cave is more like crawling and swimming in the tricky and narrow passages formed in between and underneath giant granite boulders.  What makes it even more special is the fact that these boulders have existed and fallen from 2 mountains i.e. Gu...
Read more

Harga Pakej Untuk Menerokai Gua Batu Maloi di Johol, Negeri Sembilan

Image
Last updated 24th January 2024 Hai, ramai yang tercari2 pakej caving di Gua Batu Maloi di internet.. di sini sis kongsikan senarai comprehensive package yang sis tawarkan di sana, straight to the point je hehe ;) Ini adalah pakej terbaru untuk aktiviti caving di Gua Batu Maloi by RNR Adventures Beberapa safety features menjadi tumpuan dan keutamaan kami di dalam pakej yg terkini ini. Sebelum tu meh tonton sis dalam Rancangan Wanita Hari Ini yang disiarkan sempena Hari Wanita Sedunia 2019 secara live di Astro Prima. Ada footage di Gua Batu Maloi yang cantik, dalam video ini juga korang boleh dapatkan gambaran bagaimana trek caving di sini. Sis merupakan salah seorang jurupandu Gua Batu Maloi yang berdaftar di bawah Jabatan Perhutanan Negeri Sembilan. Kebiasaannya customers sis terjumpa sis daripada post berbahasa Inggeris di sini , tapi kali ini untuk memudahkan pembaca2 berbahasa Melayu, sis buatkan post khas ini. Bukan apa, post dalam bahasa Inggeris yang sis create...
Read more

Outdoor Malaysia | Perak | Whitewater Rafting in Gopeng

Image
Last updated January 2024 - scroll to bottom for package or contact info Even though I love being in the water so much, I used to cringe at the idea of doing whitewater rafting. The image of water gushing, slamming big boulders in the rapids was not helping either; I mean like, the list of the what-ifs I could think of was  endless =D However, I happen to have friends who are certified whitewater rafting guides and later learned from them that there are safety procedures and measures involved in this recreational sport. Like duhhhh of course la, just like any other sports he he .. but it was until the umpteenth time I asked them about how safe whitewater rafting really is that I finally did it .  This was after several times they told me that they even rafted with kids . So what more could they ever say to convince me? :P I had no more excuse really, except to face my fear and do this yeaahhh ! So on a very early Saturday morning, about 4 am actually, a bunch...
Read more

REVIEW | Colosseum - A NEW Event Space in Glenmarie Shah Alam

Image
There is a new hip space for events @ Hi-com Glenmarie Industrial Park in Shah Alam! It's called the Colosseum. Last Ramadhan me and a group of blogger friends were invited for a 'buka puasa' or Iftar function there and to my pleasant surprise the building and amenities were simple yet cool at the same time; its contemporary mixed with industrial type of design seal it for me. I love simplicity and I love modern. The floor-to-ceiling glass wall on one side of the building is also interesting for me, coz i love lots of lights coming into my space ;) The rustic main hall This space is suitable for weddings, meetings, seminars, hi-teas, you name it .. check out the bunting behind me; btw, isn't that bench just adorable? It's made out of metal oil drum . And oh yeah, the whole building is also made out of metal containers - the ones that you see on ships for transporting goods across the ocean.  Talk about re-purposing stuff...
Read more

Budget Travel Korea | Seoul | Sulbing (설빙) Korean Dessert Cafe

Image
Meet my rave the Mango Cheese bingsu and Sulbing cafe's  best-seller the Injeolmi toast =D. I read about this dessert place on a Muslim Travel blog and immediately decided that it should and must be on our Korea itinerary ^^.  As you can see, I was really glad that it was =D.   We came here right after  our visit to N Seoul Tower . I could've faked a bigger smile though... LOL kidding! We went to one of three Sulbing cafes in Myeong-dong. Yup, this shopping hub is so busy that you need three cafes of the same chain within a small area. In fact, other brands have multiple outlets here too lol.  The branch that we went to was located on the second floor right above a Nature Republic shop and opposite of The Saem - another Korean beauty line. You can see The Saem signboard in my photo above as we took the window seats facing the busy shoppers-streets of Myeong-dong.  Bingsu is shaved ice topped with _____ ... I mean, with anything you ...
Read more

Budget Travel Indonesia | Pulau Weh (Sabang) | Freddie's Chalet in Sumur Tiga Beach

Image
I learned about Freddie's from a couple of travel blogs when I was researching about touring Aceh. What attracted me the most about this place was the food :P But when we arrived, it has so much more to offer. We headed to Freddie's straight from Balohan jetty southeast of the island after about an hour ferry ride from Ulee Lheue Port in Banda Aceh . There were trishaws at the jetty for hire but since I came with my mom and sister (plus our luggage) we passed that one and went for a taxi van instead - shared with other passengers. The fare was Rp 50,000. The taxi van was full so my mom and I sat next to the driver :D We also made arrangements for our transportation around the island with the same taxi driver who picked us up again the next morning to take us around for sightseeing including to the snorkeling spot. But the trishaw could be fun though, if your destination is nearby and you came with friends. Just remember that Weh is a huge and hilly isl...
Read more

Malaysia Travels | Melaka | Staying @ Swiss Garden Hotel & Residences Melaka City

Image
Despite living only 50 minutes away from Melaka City, we stayed for a couple of nights at the Swiss Garden Hotel & Residences here just to check out what's hot about this relatively new place. I've stayed at the older hotel branch in Lumut before and have been to the one in Kuantan too but I feel this one is the best of them all just because it's new and embellished with modern arts and architecture. Simple reception and lobby area My sister got us a very good deal on booking.com , RM480++ for a 2-night stay in a standard room. Although this was excluding breakfast, it's still worth the money spent coz when we checked in, the room looked like it'd cost around RM500-600++ a night normal rate. We stayed on the 22nd floor and I took a few photos as we were heading to our room; Cool sofas at the lift lobby on our floor View from the lift lobby on our floor; We could actually see the ocean in the horizon but the sea ...
Read more

Budget Travel Korea | Jeju | Raw Seafood & Haenyeo (woman diver) @ Seongsan Ilchulbong Peak

Image
If you read my post on Seopjikoji and Hanhwa Aqua Planet , you'd find out  that we were planning to make it to Seongsan Ilchulbong on foot from there; well, that did not materialize though coz we took a cab instead from Hanhwa Aqua Planet ha ha. It was a pretty short drive; the fare was something like KRW5,000-ish.  When we reached this place otherwise known as the Sunrise Peak, there were crowds of people and the time was around 2.30pm. Most of them came with big tour groups; I could tell from the buses parked in the lot. However all that didn't take away the beauty of this inactive parasitic volcano. The site was huge with meadows of grass and little pink flowers all the way from the carpark leading up to the staircase on the vertical cliff going up to the peak. We paid the entrance fee for two at a counter in the middle of the wide pave-way and walked uphill until we reached a junction; My primary mission for coming to Jeju was to meet the...
Read more

Budget Travel Korea | Seoul | Han River Live Music Cruise

Image
This, like most other posts is a #latepost haha .. as I mentioned in my post on Yeouido Han River Park , one of the exciting things to do here is of course going on board one of the Han River cruises offered by Eland Cruise company. There are a few types of cruise that you can choose ranging from day to night with live music, guitar performance or even dining (buffet) cruise.  The entrance to the ferry dock The dock from afar For me personally, I prefer the night cruise that showcases a live music show; it takes off daily at 7.30 pm. This one takes a total of 70 minutes to complete; cruising upriver to the east towards Banpo Bridge and from here it returns to Yeouido. Whenever I take my travelers on a Han River Cruise, it would usually be this one - the Han River Live Music Cruise. The reason is simple, it's because we would usually get to enjoy the magnificent day view of Seoul city and the mountains from the N Tower Observatory Deck on Nams...
Read more

Budget Travel Korea | Busan | Samarkand Halal Uzbekistan Food Restaurant

Image
After almost 3 days of instant rice, sambal ikan bilis  (dried anchovies cooked with  chili ) and raw seafood in Jeju , I think we deserved this huge dinner in Busan =D. The restaurant is called Samarkand, which just so happened to be conveniently located about only 50 metres away from our motel in Busan China Town; basically on the same row.  They serve halal Uzbekistan dishes which were mostly deep-fried, grilled meat that comes with french fries - just my kinda food =D .. and oh yeah, they also have a good selection of desserts.  The selections in the menu look really good and even though they were printed in Korean and cyrillic  (Russian alphabet) only, I believe you could do no wrong  when it comes to any deep-fried / grilled food lol.  We went for a plate of grilled beef, some kind of chicken schnitzel (both came with fries) and a plate of deep-fried beef dumplings which look pretty much like mandu , Korean dumplin...
Read more