Dongdaemun, is there any place like it in the world? Set in the middle of this concrete city is a district of Seoul that sprawls out housing every kind of store one could ever image. From huge mega malls and midnight wholesale markets to it’s tiny huts, stands and street markets, the thousands of streets winding around in a shopping maze will easily have you occupied for hours. It’s nearly impossible for tourists to navigate along the roads without a specific agenda.   Luckily common items are housed in the same districts, making it easy for shoppers to browse once they have found the appropriate section.

Dongdaemun’s Pet Alley sells every pet imaginable, specializing in the exotic. Even if you aren’t in the market for a new furry friend, the line of pet shops is a spectacle to see. Thousands of cages fill the stores housing exotic animals. If small rodents are your idea of a great pet then you will be overjoyed to see the hamsters, guinea pigs, ferrets and mice. Along with the common household pets are chipmunks, squirrels and hedgehogs. A pretty wild concept for my western brain to get behind the idea of living among a squirrel, but to each their own

There are hundreds of varieties of reptiles. My personal favorites were neon frogs. I’ve never seen anything like it. I also loved the many varieties of mini turtles! If a bird is what your after, there are hundreds of varieties. It’s easy to understand why the bird storeowner is hard of hearing, when you step inside and see (or hear) the endless cages of cawing birds.  Fish are also in no short supply, as well as all of the equipment to make a spectacular aquarium.

Seoul has the capability to keep foreigners for an extended stay. Many come for a a year and stay for many! If you’ve come to the decisions to make Seoul your home, and want to share your pad with a pet, get yourself to Dongdaemun pet alley!

Directions- Dongdaemun Station: Exit 7 Walk left before the Cheonggye Stream walking eastward. You will find Pet Alley about 300m down.