Korea:

Seoul is somehow instantly comfortable. The chaos of urban life is present, to be sure, but somehow it all seems bearable. Transportation is multimodal, and you get used to it quickly... your friend takes the subway home from work, hops in the car and drives to meet you, finds a cheap parking spot and suggests you share a cab to a favorite restaurant. Communication, however hobbled by inadequate Korean skills, is possible with the help of good friends, and Korean standards of hospitality fill in any remaining gaps.

Escape the city for a day or two and sleep an inch above a heated wooden floor. Make conversation over soju and a simple soft tofu stew. Don't schedule too much. Seek extravagance when you return to the city.

Elaborate imperial-style dining never seems to make it beyond the Korean borders, but it's an incredible experience, and accessible to most tourist budgets. Sometimes the best moments, though, happen in little teashops, operated by someone's auntie, as you sip a hot cup of yuja-cha, some medicinal oomija-cha, or a cold persimmon-ginger punch, and nibble on a simple snack.

Korean Yuja Tea