Beyond Academy in Seoul review

My time with Beyond Academy has been super amazing. All through the process they have been informative and helpful, answered all my questions and made sure I was never in the dark about anything, giving all the info I needed about the pragmatics of my travel. My tour guide Alize in particular has been absolutely wonderful and so so willing to always help, no matter the challenging situations we seem to find ourselves in, and the flexibility and freedom given to decide on the sort of activities we want to do has been great. I also feel that Alize's understanding of the city really meant that we have been able to get a feel for the city from the perspective of a true local. The support offered by having a guide also meant that someone was there to support you to ease the hard transition and hold your hand during the hard moments, and help navigate things I would've been very stressed to do alone, like checking in, finding my workplace, and navigating the language barrier. It also means when you get here, it's impossible to feel lonely. The activities have been varied and exciting too, though I felt in the winter months in particular it was harder to find things to do due to the temperature - I definitely recommend the warmer months. The complimentary gifts, meals, historical tours and even trips (!!) from Beyond Academy, as well as their willingness to offer support particularly with Covid difficulties (i.e. covering some of my hotel quarantine cost) have been a lovely addition. There were a few hitches, particularly due to Covid, where I believe I could have been warned a little earlier about things (e.g. travelling elsewhere for my 90 day tourism visa when Japan is in fact closed), or the fact that my internship wasn't directly related to the field I applied to, due to many of their partners being unable to take someone on during the pandemic. But overall, the programme has given me such a unique means of exploring Seoul, and offered immediate support at every turn when these things haven't quite gone right. It is their willingness to always help and improve your experience, that will stick with me. I think I couldn't have experienced Seoul in a way that had a more perfect blend of support and structure alongside giving you the freedom and knowledge to navigate the city yourself.