Korea

Korea has a special place in my heart. There are several things about Korea–the food, the land, the people, and the culture that I have come to appreciate. I’m not quite sure why I was first drawn to South Korea, but I’d like to believe that it began with some friendships I made back in high school. As a dancer in a high school production and a member of Key Club, many of my friends were Korean. Amongst each other, they seemed to have a strong sense of camaraderie and appreciation for their culture.

IMG_9775 (1)BUSAN TRIP
While living on Jeju Island as an EPIK teacher, I visited Busan a few times with some fellow teachers. It’s less than an hour away by flight and tickets are fairly inexpensive if you book with Jeju Air. Full time EPIK teachers work Monday – Friday, so ideally we wanted RT (roundtrip) tickets, preferably a Friday night departure and Sunday afternoon return. However, Friday night flights were typically the most expensive, while Tuesday/Wednesday were the cheapest. Depending how early you book your flight, you can pay as little as 41,000 KRW ($32 USD) for a weekend RT ticket. planned a 2-week vacation to Korea. The last 2 days of our vacation was spent in Busan, but we were able to explore Haeundae, Gijang, and Jangsan. Here, I’ll share with you our itinerary, the food we ate, and our experiences–good and bad.

IMG_9987THINGS TO DO IN BUSAN
Busan is a populous city, part of the Gyeongsang province, located in the southeast of mainland South Korea. Busan is known for its more milder temperatures when compared to Seoul and is often called the “California” of South Korea. I am from California and yes, there is a similarity–there are beaches, but I honestly think that’s about it. My favorite areas to visit in Busan are Nampo, Haeundae, and Gijang. I’ve been to Busan on four separate occasions and I’d like to share my favorite things to do in the “beach city.”

img_20190414_105523.jpgSEOUL TRIP
My friend and I spent 5 days in Seoul. Seoul is probably the best place to visit if you don’t understand any Korean. Most locals can speak some English and the subway system is one of the bests I’ve ever used. We went to Myeongdong, Insadong, Dongdaemun, Hongdae, Ewa, and Sinchon. It was a lot of fun! But there were definitely some things we learned during this trip. Here is our experience in the “city that doesn’t sleep,” along with some tips and recommendations.

img_20190412_111604.jpgTHINGS TO DO IN SEOUL
If you’ve ever traveled to Korea, then you know Seoul is a must. Seoul’s streets are covered with shops and cafes. Even if you can only spend a couple days in this amazing city, there is so much you can see and do in a short amount of time. Just make sure you purchase a t-money card and you are good to explore! My favorite areas to visit are Myeongdong, Insadong, Ewa, and Gangnam. Each town offers something different, so hopefully there’s something for everyone on my short list of favorite things to do and foods. Warning: there may be some overlap.

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JEJU ISLAND TRIP
Talk about the most beautiful places in Korea. During our trip in late April, we stayed on Jeju Island for 6 days. While on the island, we traveled quite a bit and stayed in 2 different areas: Dongmun and Nohyeong while exploring Jeju City Hall, Shin Jeju, Hallasan, and Udo Island.

IMG_5108 THINGS TO DO ON JEJU
Okay, so our favorite thing to do on Jeju Island, isn’t exactly on the island. I’ll explain that later, but here is our list of favorite things to do and EAT if you’re in Jeju City. Jeju has some of the best food and dessert cafes! If you are ever on Jeju, you absolutely have to try our favorite BBQ and FRIED CHICKEN restaurants!