Back at HANA Academy: 9 Small Tips from a Returning Parent

Exactly one year later, we are back at HANA Academy. We left expecting to return, but actually being here again feels wonderful.

The facilities show their age but are kept clean. The kuyas and ates at HANA, and the managers, all remembered us from a year ago, so we settled in the moment we arrived!

Here are a few small tips from a second-time visitor.

1. Useful (optional) things to pack

Hooks of every kind: the “floating storage” trick from Daiso

Floor-cleaning tools

A twin room is short on storage space. Bringing hooks of various sizes and types from home turned out to be really handy.

• Floor-cleaning tools
• An ice-cube tray from Daiso
• A wetsuit: the weather is cool in January and February, so the pool water is a little cold.
• Pool toys: a swim ring, water guns, goggles, a beach ball

Pool toys: swim ring, water guns, goggles, beach ball

Who goes camping in the Philippines? Me!

The desk chair is uncomfortable and the bed just makes you lie down, so this time I packed a lightweight camping chair in the suitcase. I debated taking it out right up to the last minute, but it was absolutely the right call. In a dorm room with no sofa, it is our most-loved item.

2. Sign up for Grab Unlimited

• Install the Grab app.
• Register a card.
• Sign up for Grab Unlimited (the first month is free).

Grab has a subscription service, Grab Unlimited, much like a membership program back home. The first month was free, so I signed up, and the coupons are well worth it. Use it for the month and cancel before you fly home!

3. Take the Saturday night flight to Clark!

Last year we took the Sunday night flight and were exhausted. This year we flew on Saturday and it was much better. Having Sunday to rest, catch our breath and recover made a big difference to how the first week went.

I recommend buying snacks and water for the kids, plus fresh milk (hard to find in the Philippines), at the convenience store by the boarding gate at Incheon Airport. While waiting at Clark Airport the kids asked for water, and there is no convenience store inside.

4. Morning of day one: a Singsing Mart order on Grab

On our first morning I opened Grab and placed an order from Singsing Mart (a Korean grocery). Water in 5L, 2L and 1L bottles: the dorm has a water dispenser, but going back and forth every time is tiring, so I grabbed one big bottle to start. Beer, snacks, a Korean herbal tonic to recover, Pocari Sweat in case of upset stomachs or dehydration, seasoned seaweed, instant rice, ramyeon, canned coffee… the apples are tasty too.

For coffee we mostly order delivery from Pickup Coffee at Nepo Mall: an Americano is 50 pesos, delivery 25 pesos.

5. Sending money with a remittance app

After arrival and orientation you pay the academy’s local fees. It comes to roughly 1,000,000 won, a large sum, so I sent it overseas with the Sentbe app (a Korean remittance service). A first sign-up or a friend referral gets you a coupon that waives the 5,000-won transfer fee.

6. Running Man gym (+ kids’ boxing lessons)

After orientation you get your class timetable. As soon as we knew the free periods we could use for exercise, we headed straight to Running Man.

They have added programs: boxing, Muay Thai, taekwondo, personal training… and Zumba now has an evening class too.

Kids’ boxing class

Kids’ boxing class

The boxing gym at Running Man

Our goal is a one-month boxing enrolment. We tried a one-day class last year and my child loved it.

• Kids’ boxing class: 9–11 am, 2,500 pesos
• Regular boxing class: 3–9 pm, 3,000 pesos
• One-day class: 400 pesos

7. Roller skating + lessons at Kim’s Mall

The roller rink at Kim’s Mall

One-on-one roller lesson

A coach there to catch every fall

The roller rink at Kim’s Mall, where we went for fun on the weekend, offers lessons, so we signed up for those too.

• 5 lessons for 2,000 pesos (cash only)
• Equipment rental 50 pesos
• Guardian entry 120 pesos (iced tea included)
• Free use of the arcade
• Lessons on weekdays only

One coach stays right beside your child one-on-one, teaching each skill step by step and catching them so they never take a hard fall. Unbeatable value, and we are very happy with it! (Private lessons at this price are unthinkable in Korea.)

8. Highlights of a Nepo Mall outing

Jing’s Sherbet at Nepo Mart

A small cup for 20 pesos!

We tagged along with a teacher to Nepo Mall and tried the local sherbet stall at Nepo Mart. A small cup is 20 pesos, about 500 won! We tried buko, lychee (not the fruit you think!), melon and avocado, and every one was cool and delicious. Highly recommended!

Shures, behind Nepo Mall, has neatly displayed brand-style T-shirts of better quality than the ones inside the mall. I picked up a T-shirt for 370 pesos and plan to go back for another soon :)

9. The arcade at SM Mall

100 pesos = 23 tokens

The arcade on the 3rd floor of SM Mall

Far cheaper than arcades in Korea + a ticket system we do not have at home + all kinds of prizes to trade tickets for => in short, a kids’ casino!!!

Some people never go, but nobody goes only once: the arcade on the 3rd floor of SM Mall. This year, as always, we go every weekend. We will surely be back a few more times before we leave!

Playing hard, exercising and studying: that was our second week at HANA Academy, making the most of a hot winter break.

This post is a translation of a returning parent’s review on a Korean study-abroad community (Naver Cafe). Prices and schedules are as of January 2026 and may change.