I recently spent 5 days in Busan, on the south coast of South Korea and I fell in love with the place. It is very popular as a beach destination with Koreans and Japanese but it actually has so much more. These are some of the things I loved about Busan that I think you’ll love too.
World-Class Beaches
When someone says to me a beach is amazing, I always tell them “I’ll be the judge of that”. I’m from Newcastle, Australia, so I know a thing or two about good beaches. But let me tell you, the beaches of Busan were up to scratch.
The sand was soft with a familiar yellow tinge. The water was calm and a very pleasant temperature. It was as busy as some of our beaches get in peak season, but the main difference — that I think is actually a great improvement — is that the beach also comes with rows upon rows upon rows of sun umbrellas to rent, much like you’ll see in Europe. We rented one with a mat for 8,000 won (about $11) and it was a perfect way to enjoy shade without having to bring our own pop-up tent or umbrella. You can, of course, enjoy the beach without paying for one, but I personally enjoy the shade.
World-Class Food
The food in Korea was absolutely incredible. Korean food doesn’t seem to have a massive reputation where I’m from, at least not compared to the juggernauts like Chinese, Thai, or Indian (or American!), but I have to say, I thoroughly enjoyed it. Our first taste was Korean barbecue, which is such a fun experience because you get to cook the meat on a hotplate on your table. Don’t worry, it’s really easy, and if you’re doing a terrible job, they’ll swing by and help.
I also had Korean fried chicken a couple of times, which is as delicious as it sounds. I had Korean Chinese food, which I had no idea was a thing. Of course, I also had street dumplings as well, which were up there with some of the best steamed dumplings I’ve ever had. Busan was a foodie’s dream.
Planning a trip to Busan? Here is a massive guide to help you plan where to stay.
Escape to the mountains
Busan is situated right at the foot of a low rise mountain range. It is not a particularly steep range so the city seems to just sprawl right on up the sides. The mountains are a great escape from a city of 2.5m people. If you’re not into hiking that’s ok, take the cable car up Geomgang Park. It’s a fantastic view in the cable car and there is a small cafe at the top to buy snacks. Better yet, bring your own picnic.
Good hiking
With the mountains so close, this means there are some great trails not far from the city. Right near Haeundae is Jangsan Mountain (which I wish I had time for). The trail I did choose to do was on Geumjeongsang Mountain, which is where Geumjeongsang Fortress is located. Inside the fortress (which is mainly just a wall now thanks to the Japanese Colonial period) is a plethora of hiking trails that go between the various gates. I actually opted to hike from the top of the cable car down to Seokbulsa Temple.
Interesting culture
Speaking of temples, Busan is full of them and they are a great insight into the religious history and practices of Korean Buddhism. Seokbulsa was a small temple tucked away into the mountains, Beomeosa Temple was a large temple tucked away in the same mountains on a different side. And Haedong Yonggusa was an epic temple built on the coast. Outside of religion, the culture was quite modern and westernised, which as an Aussie, felt familiar yet foreign, given I couldn’t read most of the signs.
A surprisingly good coffee culture
As an Australian who likes quality coffee, when I travel I often find it hard to find coffee that is genuinely good. You can get black coffee almost anywhere in the world, but a good latte with single origin beans and the option of cold brew is hard to find. While it may not have been to Aussie standards (we love our coffee and cafes), there is no shortage of coffee shops in Busan. It was very hot so I was always ordering iced drinks, but the iced Americanos were certainly hitting the spot. Koreans tend to prefer quantity of caffeine over quality of the drink, but still, the coffee culture is prolific and there are some very cute places to drink it good stuff.
A plethora of markets
The Nampo area, which is basically downtown Busan, is absolutely teeming with different markets. There are some with official market names, like Gukje Market (means international market, sells mostly house goods), Bupyeong Kkangtong night market, Jagalchi Market (seafood), and BIFF Square (street food). Others, you will just come across that are under no banner (knock off apparel, handbags, etc). Each locale has a different offering so if you’re on the hunt for something in partiular, there’s a good chance you’ll find it.
Dramatic Views Abound
What I loved about Busan is that everywhere you go, it’s a good view. I’ll start with the cable car, which had incredible high views of the back of Busan (see header image). Busan Tower in Yongdusan Park is uniquely situated on a hill, but not close to any other high-rise so you get a great top-down, close up view of the rest of the city and out to the mountains. The Uruykdo Skywalk and Taejongdae Lighthouse both had dramatic views of the seaside cliffs nearby.
But probably my favourite view was actually on the Gawngandaegyo Bridge, a 7.4km suspension bridge that circumvents the city, built as a shortcut between the old harbour and new harbour. Firstly I love the raw idea of the bridge, but the view back to the city is also really cool.
Colourful Villages
The village we visited was Gamcheon Culture Village, in Busan’s southwest. It is the most visited one as it has been reborn from a regular village into a tourism hub thanks to some clever planning from the Residents Committee. They embarked on an ambitious artistic enterprise a few years ago to install artistic installations around the town and paint the entire town bright colours. And this of course brought the Intagrammers.
The village is situated on a hill and is filled with high and twisting roads, and when the iconic colourful houses are viewed from the other side of the bowl, you can begin to understand why tourism has boomed in recent years. It was hot so we didn’t walk too far but the view from the cafe in which we stopped was phenomenal.
Experience a traditional hot spring
Going to a hot spring is a quintessential Korean experience and one that should be done by anyone game enough. If you haven’t grown up with as part of your culture, it’s certainly stepping out of your comfort zone. I visited Hushimcheong Hot Spring, which is the most famous one in Busan. Apart from all the dongs, the interior of the actual hot spring building was beautiful (see the pictures in the link). It felt like it was laid out like a Roman pool with ponds here and there, fountainous statues of animals. If you can handle being nude in a pool with a bunch of dudes (or ladies, if you’re a lady), then the hot spring might actually be quite relaxing, just what you want on your holiday.
Baseball is next level
Going to a baseball game in Busan was honestly one of the highlights of the trip. It was just a regular season match with a crowd of maybe 5,000, but that did not stop the ultra fans from making a huge noise cheering on their players, dancing a different dance for every player, and spraying hoses around the “Exciting Zone” for the entirety of the game. It was as entertaining watching the fans as it was watching the game. Even if you’re not into baseball it’s an essential experience and a fun night out.
Busan is such a diverse city
Whenever someone would ask me how Busan was, every time without fail I’d say how much I enjoyed because it has everything. You can sit on the beach relaxing one day then go hiking in the mountains the next. All the while eating incredible Korean food and experiencing a surprisingly vibrant nightlife. And of course, as modern as Korea is, it is rich in history with sites dating back centuries as well as history from the 20th (albeit tragic). So if you want a beach escape, perfect. If you want an active escape, also good. But if you like to mix it up it’s simply perfect.
My time in Busan was hosted by Singapore Airlines who are offering readers a discount on flights to Busan from some major Australian cities. Use the code SQUADSQBSN to redeem. Redeemable until 30 August 2019 for travel until April 2020. Terms and Conditions apply.
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