It is fair to say that because it is located in South Korea’s bottom tip the fairer climate and protected seas  are reason enough for all the things to do in Busan (Pusan). It has great beaches, natural parks, temples, it is well communicated, and should you want to hop over to Japan without flying you can do so from the only port in South Korea with ferries to the former empire of the rising sun, which is right here. Liza and I spent three days here before finally taking the leap to Fukuoka, and found this big city easy, modern and entertaining. My post on this city is very informative and a good resource that includes most of the things to do and see here, which in fact has been featured in Touristeye.com . So please click on the link at the end of this sentence that will take you straight to the article/ guide and where you’ll  learn about all the things to do in Busan.

What do you expect to find in Busan? Have you been here before? What were the highlights of your trip that you would like to recommend?

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In South Korea there are two cities notorious for their well preserved historical buildings and temples: Andong and Gyeongju. Andong is known for a folk village (read traditional) where everything is still the same as it was over 500 years ago. It is a pleasant walk prone to good pictures (spring and fall especially) that sets you back in time. But not for long. I have to be fair and say that Andong was probably put on the map after a visit queen Elizabeth of England did a few years ago. The result is that Koreans now flok there en masse and the place has become too commercialized with several tickets and fees having to be paid to get in. The good side of our experience was that we hitch-hiked the way back to Andong.

Gyeongju is another story. Yes there are still many tourists (not many foreigners) and many sites have an entrance fee, but at the same time there are many that don’t, and the city is larger (still manageable though) which disperses the crowds.

Places we visited include Yangdong folk village north of town ( had we known it existed sooner we would have given Andong a miss), the botanical gardens, Anapji temple at sunset, Bulguksa temple, and one of the many bakeries that sell Hwangnam bread, a pastry with filling of red bean paste famous in all South Korea but a specialty food here.

Perhaps not a jaw- dropping historical city, Gyeongju is a must if you want to learn about Korea’s past. Cheap accommodation is not hard to find and food is abundant and good.

From here we went to Busan, South Korea’s second largest city. Famous for it’s beaches and nightlife, it is also the only port with ferries to Japan. We spent three days in it, not because there is much to do (weather was still somehow crappy, so beaches were not attractive) but because we still had to book the flight to Vietnam and were unsure about whether to go to Japan or not because of costs. It was high season (still as I write this) and everything is much more expensive than at any other time of the year, but after many hours of internet, gathering info from travel agencies and adding probable expenses we booked a flight to Hanoi from Seoul for August 14th and decided at 1 am to visit Japan for a week using the 7 day Japan Rail Pass and getting there by boat from Busan at 8 am- only 7 hours later! Woohoo!

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Sokcho might be the beach destination of choice in South Korea, but the weather was not very good while we were there: July 29- August 1st. We woke up on day 1 to rain and thunder, thus deciding that trying a hot water spa was the call of the day.

At 4000 Won it was quite cheap, offered several hot water indoor pools at different temperatures and saunas (dry, humid and finnish) separated by gender. There was an outdoor pool as well, but the water was too cold to be enjoyed and so was the air temperature. In addition to that my back was being a bit of a nuissance again so I had to be careful.

The two most unusual pecularities of this experience were: one, finding out that it is mandatory to be unclothed in one of these springs, and two, what I call the sit-showers: imagine a row of about five to ten showers not taller than one meter with a small one person bench, a single-use sponge, and a large mirror in fron of it. I later found out that it is part of the Korean public bath experience, and you are meant to clean every angle of yourself slowly, peacefully- with twenty people or more around you doing the same.

On day two we did what most people who come to this town do: visit Seoraksan National Park and enjoy any of the several possible treks. We chose to reah Gunyung Rock because of its unusual shapes and the splendid views it usually offers- we did not get to see much because the clouds were quite low but did enjoy the hike. There’s an interesting temple to visit and a small waterfall where we slipped our sandals off and dipped our feet in the cool water. Make it cold water. And no, there were no reports of floating dead fish further downstream later that day.

The hikes were pleasant and fun despite the crowds (Korean summer holidays had just started) and my back had not been a problem, which made me think that I could have joined Jose ( a Chilean traveller we had made friends with the day before) on an easy climb to the highest peak in the area. The pictures he showed us the following day made me jealous: sunrise had been spectacular when see from the summit, with a sea of clouds drifting between the mountain below him and the sun rising into the clear blue sky. It was the second time I had been denied the opportunity to climb a mountain in this trip.

I cannot finish this post without mentioning one of the things I like most: food. Not because there was a local delicacy that stood out, but because there were two buffets that rank highly as the ones I have most enjoyed. At 3.5€ each  (yes, you read that right) one includedsushi, fish and noodles of different sorts and the other pig, cow and chicken meat marinated in different styles grilled by yourself on a bbg set in the center of your table. It was an incredible experience that perhaps can only be understood by you readers who have backpacked for a long time.

We spent a great few days in Sokcho, and my suggestion is that if you are in South Korea and want to visit a place other than Seoul, Sokcho is the place to shoot for.

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Top Things to Do in Seoul

Bukchon Hanok Village This is a beautiful village to visit if you’re looking for awesome sightseeing in Seoul as Bukchon is one the few places in Seoul you can see traditional Korean housing. These traditional Korean homes used to belong to Korean aristocracy, and are now under protection against development

Gwanghwamun  This Seoul landmark is a must see tourist attraction for those interested in traditional Korean life. Right next to Gwanghwamun there are the statues of King Sejong the Great and Yi Sun-sin.

Gwangjang Market is one of the markets in Seoul frequented by tourists because of its local feel and delicious Korean street food. Some of the famous dishes here are the Korean pancakes or baby gimbap, and if you want to meet typical old school ajummas, check out the women vendors!

Insadong is the most popular area for tourists in Seoul, and not without reason. There are plenty of stylish cafes, restaurants and shops where you can spend your money in a well decorated street. I recommend you get here about an hour before sunset, so you get to see what the place looks like during the day but also during the night, when the lights go on and the street exudes splendor.

Lotte World Although the Jamsil area can also be included in the shopping section of this list, Lotte World gets its own section as it’s probably the most popular amusement park in Seoul. It’s a great place to go for a date or even with a group of friends. Rides, games and ice skating make this a great place to spend an entire day in Seoul.

Gangnam Station Gangnam Station is now a very popular spot for not only Korean college students who live below the Han river but travellers from around the world thanks to the popular song you all know about. With tons of bars, restaurants, and cafes, Gangnam Station is a central destination for people who just need to hang out with their friends! Also, it’s pretty easy to get to most places in Seoul with all the buses that run in and out of the place.

Yongsan Electronics Market Shopping electronics should be in your list of things to do in Seoul, and all your electronic needs will be met here, at Yongsan Electronics market. It is the place in Seoul to go if you need cameras, video games, appliances, cell phones and anything else electronics.  The vendors can be a bit pushy, and you’ll have to shop around to see the best prices, so it can be a bit of work. But it’s a market, so you might have fun with the bargaining side of this whole Seoul shopping experience.

Changdeokgung Palace. For 270 years, the palace was home to the Joseon government and was also the favored residence of many Joseon Dynasty kings. This makes Changdeokgung the longest-serving royal residential palace, and compared to other palaces, Changdeokgung is well-preserved and still has many of its original features, thus ranking high in the things to do in Seoul list. Visiting it requires you join a mandatory 1.5 hour guided tour in English with about 50 other tourists. I really dislike guided tours for large groups, so I drifted behind and took pictures at my own pace while reading the brochure that was given to us. I really enjoyed it doing it like this instead, and if there is one palace you should visit while here this should be it! (For other cities with interesting villages and palaces worth visiting in Korea you will also like consider Gyeongju).

Cheonggyecheon walk The central business district of Seoul is like that of any other major city but with a twist: between high rise buildings and under wide streets flows a narrow clean creek with adjacent sidewalks surrounded by green bushes and flowered plants. It is here that many Seoul citizens come to enjoy a walk or jog through the city but away from it at the same time. We walked as the locals did and dipped our feet in the cool stream, and had the opportunity to see an open air photography exhibition of the Korean war.

Insawan is a must-see for the Seoul tourist, though unfortunately may people miss it. It ranks as one of the top things to do in Seoul in my list as it offers a different perspective of this vibrant city. We meandered for an afternoon along the narrow streets where old shrines and singing shamans transport you to a different world; only the great views of Seoul remind you you are still on planet Earth. I would say it’s the best place where to finish your visit of this city.

DMZ Tour The next day we joined a tour to the world famous DMZ zone with North Korea. The experience is quite interesting although admittedly under whelming but you do learn the history behind it and feel the witted threat north Korea exudes. There are a few options available, and depending on the price you choose to pay you’ll get to see more or less. I do recommend it.

We wrapped up our Seoul stay by meandering that afternoon along the narrow streets of Insawan area, where old shrines and singing shamans transport you to a different world; only the great views of Seoul remind you you are still on planet Earth. I would say it’s the best place where to finish your visit of this city, one that can keep you busy for several days. Enjoy Seoul!

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