Visit Muslim-Friendly Incheon: Where to Eat, Explore and Stay!

Incheon, South Korea, is best known for its international airport which connects travelers to the capital city of Seoul. However, Incheon is also a bustling holiday destination offering numerous travel experiences for all – from cultural streets to futuristic new attractions, Incheon should definitely make it up your travel bucket list. The second largest port in South Korea, this city is a beautiful harbour with plentiful natural resources.

For those who are not sure where to start, fret not because like many major cities, Incheon offers a city tour bus service – that only costs 5,000₩ (S$5.83) – which will bring you to all the best spots in the city. These include the Wolmi Culture Street and Traditional Park, Chinatown and to Incheon Inner Port, amongst many other great sights. 

Eat

Arabesque 

Located in Yeonsu-gu, Incheon, Arabesque is a restaurant that specialises in Indian and Turkish cuisine. With the Halal certificate clearly visible on the premises, this restaurant is an alcohol-free eatery, so you can dine here without any worries. The restaurant is known for its authentic dishes – all of which are prepared by their in-house Indian chef. Opened in 2003 by a Jordanian, this restaurant is particularly popular among students from Southeast Asia and businessmen from the Middle East.

 

Olive Restaurant

Opened in 2004, this Halal restaurant is well-loved by locals and travellers alike. Muslim-owned, the chefs have a combined 40 years experience serving delicious Indian and Middle Eastern food. The chefs take a lot of pride in their meat, to a point that they personally slaughter the animals to create their beloved dishes.

 

Explore 

Mega Luge Ganghwa Seaside Resort

This Mega Luge located in Ganghwa Seaside Resort is the largest luge track in Asia, and it promises an experience that is extremely special. To get to the top of the slope, you have to take the cable car up. From the top, you’ll ride down in a non-powered plastic sled which you can control. Getting down the slope is the best part and with two tracks available, you can choose if you want to take the more advanced track or one that allows you to enjoy the scenery as you slowly descend the slope. One of my favorite parts of experiencing the Mega Luge was the incredible sights of the mountainous slopes as you ride down on a sled!

 

Chinatown

Incheon’s Chinatown is one of the most colourful streets that I visited in the time I spent in the city! With murals on the street walls and restaurants lit in bright red, get ready to be wow-ed by the lively and vivid architecture in the area. In the past, there were many stores trading goods imported from China. Today, Chinatown is filled with restaurants and food stalls. While most of them are not Halal-certified, this is still a great place for exploring! Furthermore, the famous Fairytale Village is just a street away!

 

Songwol-dong Fairytale Village

This Fairytale Village was initially a rejuvenation project when the village was left in a state of stagnation. In order to improve the development of the village, there are painted and decorated classic fairy tales scattered on the walls and the streets! Personally, I loved the area due to the vibrant colours and how there is something different in every street corner. This spot is perfect especially for families with children, who would definitely enjoy seeing all the fairytales coming to life!

 

Stay

Incheon offers a wide range of options from hotels to inns. A more popular option these days are the cultural hotels where you can immerse yourself in the many cultural aspects of staying in the city. Incheon is also a metropolitan city with many futuristic architectures and you could easily enjoy the sights by staying in the many hotels in the city center. During my stay, I had the opportunity to stay in one of the best hotels, Songdo Central Park Hotel! Located conveniently in the middle of the city, it was a wonderful place to rest after the whole day of exploring Incheon. Best of all, the hotel faces the park and regardless of the time of the day, looking out the window is such a therapeutic sight!