Rakkojae is a wondeful hanok guest house/culture space in Seoul’s Bukchon neighborhood. If you have friends and relatives coming over for a visit and would like to put them up where they can experience a bit of traditional culture and living, this would be the place.
{ 30 comments… read them below or add one }
Can’t use Firefox to visit the reservations page…
dda
If you are using windows, you can use the “IE Tab” plug-in so Firefox can load broken Korean sites with the IE engine. It’s a real life saver cause it saves me from having to start ugly ol’ IE for most Korean sites.
https://addons.mozilla.org/ko/firefox/addon/1419
Ni-ceuh, but I’d still put visitors up at the Somerset for half the price and a view.
Wow, that looks wonderful… Real Korea.
ROFLMAO.
Nice, but come on, put down the kool-aid.
Jewook, thanks but no thanks. I am on a Mac, thank God…
Hey, didn’t Shin Jeong-ah live at the Somerset, before she moved into her prison digs? You know, staying in her former place could be another way for visitors to get a sense of local traditions.
Judge Judy, I hate to disappoing, but the published rates for the Somerset are the same or higher than the rates for Rakkojae for all but the studio room (unless you work for Citibank), which is not comperable to the rooms at the Rokkajae. I like the Somerset very much, I lived there for almost two months before I found my current home, and I would highly recommend it, but the Rakkojae offers a very different experience and is a little cheaper, if you include the amenities.
Judge Judy, I hate to disappoint, but the published rates for the Somerset are the same or higher than the rates for Rakkojae for all but the studio room (unless you work for Citibank), which is not comperable to the rooms at the Rokkajae. I like the Somerset very much, I lived there for almost two months before I found my current home, and I would highly recommend it, but the Rakkojae offers a very different experience and is a little cheaper, if you include the amenities.
I was wondering why that hanok looked familiar to me. It’s on TV every week on the “Sunday Night” variety program. The one with the pretend married couples. It’s a dumb program but Son Dambi’s pretty face makes it worth watching.
I wonder how warm the rooms are? I remember freezing my ass off trying to get some sleep when I stayed at my grandfather’s place one winter. It is a small farmers hanok. The temperature was survivable but definitely not cozy enough for a restful night. I wonder how many foreigners would be up for a little real Korea experience at my grandfather’s house this winter?
As my friend from India used to say “Fried on one side, frozen on the other, that’s sleeping on ondol”.
Sperwer, it’s the Holidays and so I don’t gotta put the kool-aid down if I don’ wanna!
Jewook — huh, I’ve always had the opposite problem, in homes or in temples — they cook ya. I’ve awoken drenched in my own sweat… It’s a common complaint from westerners in the Temple-Stay program, in fact.
dda — that’d only be true if there’s a bad draft!
Sanshinseon, I dunno, my experience here is quite similar — the temp is boiling on the floor, and polar starting one foot above the ground…
I live almost around the corner from this place and though one cannot see into the courtyard from the outside, I get the impression that there are almost no guests — largely because of the prices, I suspect.
The much less pretentious, nearby guest houses, also of the hanok architecture, are nearly always booked solid. These backpacker favorites lack the eloquence and the fancy meals, but they can offer a taste of traditional Korea for about W40,000 per night.
I could be wrong about this, but I have the overall impression that Rakkojae is some rich person’s indulgence, possibly with city subsidies — something not unique among the fancier places in Bukchon.
In any event, Robert, very nice photos with your wide angle lens. You may want to explore how to use white balance for interior photos, such as the one of your nice wife. But overall, you posted some nicely composed photos.
Mrs. Marmot should be pleased that she gets taken out to all the foine establishments…
Sanshinseon: If you’re drinking the kool-aid for the holidays, instead of the eggnog, more’s the pity.
sanshinseon: “they cook ya. I’ve awoken drenched in my own sweat…” (Sounds like my uncle’s house.)
dda: “the temp is boiling on the floor, and polar starting one foot above the ground…
Actually I’ve experienced both of your situations. If it’s a traditional ondol, it’s either not warm enough, too hot or a mixture of both. It is lacking by modern standards, but before modern technology it was literally a life saver.
On one episode of “This Old House” (I think) I saw a similar technology being implemented. They had a network of plastic hoses placed underneath floor boards, and hot water running through them. (Sort of like modern day Korean ondols.) I remember them saying it was ideal for living rooms with high ceilings, that is if my memory is correct.
Tom — actually, I got the opposite impression. Rakkojae seemed to be doing quite well. Actually, we had to work really hard to get a room. It’s gotten a boost, too, from “My Name is Kim Sam-soon.”
Rob,
Due to the size of the pictures, I’m not sure if you used a tripod. There appears to be some blur so I’m assuming that you didn’t use a tripod and you compensated with unsharpen mask on Photoshop?
You may want to invest in a VR lens, but that’s a lot of $$$… tripods are cheaper.
Other than those minor quips, excellent pictures.
Yes, I left the tripod at the office… and I hate lugging that thing around at any rate. You’re right, of course — a VR lens would be nice… and expensive. My wife’s Canon point&shoot has an IS lens, and produces some nice images at night:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/68558939@N00/sets/72157594550160796/
really nice photos…
Sperwer: my Holiday kool-aid is 50% Andong Soju; who needs eggnog?
Sanshinseon:
MMM, Andong Soju (the only Korean soju I know of worth drinking) and eggnog?
Hey – why go with the soju during the holiday season? Why not just go with the Edong Mokali….great with Dubu Kimchi….the only negative thing – you smell like Mokali for the next week
Robert: You’ve reminded my taste buds and serotonin circuit of the great dubu kimchi and fresh, frozen makoli to be had in the little restaurant just inside the entrance to Buseok-sa. I lived and dreamed on the stuff for a week while exploring the temple and environs. Thanks.
Edong Mokali?!?!?!? It’s 막걸리, guys. How do you expect mokali to be pronounced makkeolli…?
Actually, several companies are making “natural” soju these days. More like the good Japanese Shochu.
Strangely enough, I’ve just found bacanora de sonora to be very similar to andong soju. Made from agave.
My two cents: this place looks way too precious. Sorry.
Jewook: Re # 10, I’d take you up on the offer, but my wife would never go for it.
Maybe it would be a good location for an episode of 강호동’s 1박2일.
Hanok is where the heart is?
http://en.epochtimes.com/n2/content/view/9328/
You must log in to post a comment.
{ 1 trackback }