Dumplings are delicious. That's not much of a secret. But snacking on dumplings in one of the world's busiest and most atmospheric night markets? That's an entirely different experience.

Namdaeumun Night Market, located smack dab in the heart of Seoul, is a throwback to the Korea of yore, a place where you can sample traditional street treats, fill your pockets with pickled ginger, and a host of other ancient herbal supplements (you'll need them after you power through a bottle of soju), rub shoulders with old school shopkeepers, and buy just about any sort of trinket you can possibly imagine. Namdaemun is a world away from the Seoul that surrounds it, and will always and forever remain one of my favorite places to watch the world go by.