A visit to Trsteno Arboretum completes the ultimate Game of Thrones walking tour in Dubrovnik. Although the place isn’t as magnificent and as magnified as the Old Town, this is one of the places in Dubrovnik where you can appreciate the coastal views and stillness of nature, without the large group of tourists.

As part of our GOT walking tour, we headed to the arboretum by car from Pile Gate. It took us around 30 minutes to reach the place, not knowing what to expect when we see the private estate.

I can’t believe there are only 44 days left before Christmas! I’ve been very busy lately, mostly because of work. To be honest, it saddens me that I don’t get to travel right before the holidays, but I just think about going home for Christmas and that’s something I’m super thankful for.

After more than four months of working in Singapore, I don’t think I’ve ever treated myself to a massive shopping haul (except that time when I went crazy with Playdress' dresses and my need for a Samsung Gear Fit 2 Pro. Lol!). I did some shopping recently, but that’s when I bought Christmas presents for family (75% done!). For myself? Nothing yet.

This season is a season of giving and it’s not all about material things. Even if I don’t get 5/6 of these for Christmas, it doesn’t matter. It just feels nice to do a bit of retail therapy after a stressful season of work.

So what do I have in mind for Christmas 2018 and New Year 2019?

Just over two hours away from Seoul is a massive, private estate called The Garden of Morning Calm. I found out about this place as I was looking for K-drama filming locations within or nearby Seoul. And since it was my third time in the South Korean capital, I thought of finding a place my family and I haven’t been before.

It is called as a garden, but in reality, it’s an enormous hidden arboretum full of 5,000 kinds of plants, flowers, trees, and other elements that are very Korea. Every year, about 600,000 tourists visit this place, with the busiest months happening from March to November.

Before I got into the K-drama wave, I was already an avid user of Korean beauty products for years. I don’t remember what my first K-beauty product was, but I believe it was a BB cream from Nature Republic. And although my relationship with BB creams is short-lived, there are still plenty of products which remained loyal to me. Mind you, I don't have the best skin in the world (and I blame genetics for that, lol!), but my skin has improved tremendously over the years.

Trust me: I’ve gone through so many bottles, tubes, and jars of western and Korean beauty products, but I have an affinity with the latter’s formula because it’s best suited to Asian skin. And I’ve got to say, I already knew which ones benefit my skin the most. I wasn’t born with the best skin but I saw the improvement after regular use of these products. Now that I understand what my skin loves, I always restock on my 14 holy grail beauty stash whenever I set foot in Korea.

Korea is one of the best places in the world to shop. Not only are the products affordable, but they are of good quality, too. Staying in Myeongdong, Seoul this 2018 allowed us to access so many shops within walking distance from our hotel.

When I shop in Korea, I usually spend a bigger percentage on skincare items because I use them daily. Although Korean fashion is so cute and feminine, it’s usually focused on trendy pieces which can go out of style quickly. Being the basic human being that I am, I skipped on clothes. Nonetheless, I still got myself a few items on a whim! After all, I was only in Seoul for four days.

Other than my usual must-buy in Korea, I also picked out new things I’ve yet to try. So what have I spent my money on? Keep reading to find out!