Places to go when visiting Busan - Part 2

We were all five altogether. And we would require 2 normal taxi or 1 jumbo taxi to travel around. We did not book car rent with driver in Busan as when my sister inquired, it cost quite a lot (about KRW 300,000 per day). Therefore, the next day, we decided to just go to one place - Haedong Yonggung Temple - which was located quite inconvenient if we had to take public transport and carry hand carry luggage.

My sister asked the front office staff to book a jumbo taxi to all of us to this place. He said it would cost KRW 40,000 for one way. Be it!! We agreed and the driver came. It was quite a huge car he was driving and we all sat down conveniently. As the car drove through, the driver offered us a day tour using his car, which beforehand, my sister and I had already thought of requesting him and discussed on the price we were willing to pay.

Seemed like the Universe really heard us and we were granted the good driver, good car and good fee as well!!! He charged us KRW 180,000 from 9.30am to 6pm and he promised to bring us to 6 places. Wow!!! Could you believe it??? It was lower fee that we imagined and we did not have to bargain through. He was even offering us to visit more places that we initially could think of!!! Above all, we were granted with a beautiful weather!!! Sun, wind, what else??? :)

1. Haedong Yonggung Temple - probably the most beautiful temple in Korea! :)

First place to go and must visit in Busan - Haedong Yonggung Temple :)

The temple was built back in 1376 and was originally known as Bomun Temple. It was destroyed during the Japanese invasion to Korea and was rebuilt in 1930s and renamed as Haedong Yonggung Temple in 1974. (Source: wikipedia.org). The temple complex is large and one of few in Korea to be set on the seaside. Personally I felt that this place was really worth visiting! :)

Selling local delicacies on the way towards the Haedong Yonggung Temple - Busan, South Korea

From the entrance we passed by many roadside shops selling local delicacies. From dried seafood stuffs to fried sweet dough. Korean snacks like Odeng (boiled fish cakes) were available too.

Selling fresh vegetables - Haedong Yonggung Temple in Busan, South Korea

Local farmers were selling their fresh vegetable produce there too, reminding me of my Bhutanese friends who were doing the same :)

Haedong Yonggung Temple - Busan, South Korea

Tadaaa... - Haedong Yonggung Temple - Busan, South Korea

Beautiful view of Haedong Yonggung Temple in Busan, South Korea

I loved the beautiful view surrounding this temple. As said earlier, it was located along the seaside and many beautiful rocks beautified this place.

The main temple to pray - Haedong Yonggung Temple, Busan - South Korea

Underground water - holy water to drink :) at Haedong Yonggung Temple in Busan, South Korea

Goddess of Mercy, Laughing Buddha, Turtle rock at Haedong Yonggung Temple in Busan, South Korea

Beautiful view from the top and front view from seaside - Haedong Yonggung Temple in Busan, South Korea

The view at the other side. The stacked stones are beautiful! :)

We spent some time inside the temple to pray, to enjoy their beauty, to express our gratitude for being there, to freeze some beautiful pictures, and finally continued our next destination :)

2. Oryukdo Skywalk

Oryukdo Skywalk - Busan, South Korea

"The old regional name for the area of Oryukdo Skywalk was Seungdumal, as the shape resembles a saddle, and it was originally called Seungduma as well as Jallokgae by residents and women divers.

The construction of Oryukdo Skywalk finished on September 12, 2012 at the Seungdumal area, which is regarded as the dividing point between the East Sea and the South Sea, and started operating on October 18, 2013, with the theme of "Walking over the sky.”

View surrounding the Oryukdo Skywalk

Iron columns were set up over a 35-meter-high coastal cliff, and a 15-meter glass bridge comprised of 24 glass plates and shaped like a horse’s hoof connect the iron columns. The bottom of the glass was specially produced with four attached 12-millimeter glass pieces coated with a bulletproof film that has a thickness of 55.49 millimeters, making the structure quite safe.

Hazy view from Oryukdo Skywalk - Busan, South Korea

Visitors will be thrilled with the view of the waves while looking down through the transparent floor. The sea stretches out ahead of the skywalk, perfect for a photo op, as well as the best spot to see Daemado Island on sunny days." - Source: visitkorea.or.kr

And too bad that the skywalk was undergoing repair when we were there. Anyway, it did not look big too and personally, I think you can skip this place if you do not have enough time to browse Busan.

3. Seafood lunch at Jagalchi Market

Busandaegyo Bridge - Busan, South Korea

Busan is very famous for its fresh seafood due to its location. And when the driver was asking us on what we would like to eat for lunch, no doubt we requested for having delicious local fresh seafood and he brought us to one of the restaurant at the Jagalchi Market. The place is worldly famous for its fresh fish and seafood.

Row of fresh seafood restaurants at Jagalchi Market area - Busan, South Korea

The driver must have like the food so much from this restaurant as he pointed us directly to this particular seafood restaurant (perhaps he was getting discount or who knew, even free meal for bringing us there :P). No matter what it was, we were very happy with all the food we ordered.

Seafood restaurant at Jagalchi Market - Busan, South Korea

We decided to order a small portion of seafood soup (KRW 40,000), a small portion of grilled abalone (KRW 50,000) that contained 5 small pieces - just nice a piece for each of us, Abalone rice porridge (KRW 15,000) - must try food!!!, and a small portion of grilled fish (KRW 30,000). We also ordered one bottle of Soju and 2 bottles of Terra beer to complete our meal :)

Delicious fresh seafood dishes from Jagalchi Market - Busan, South Korea

And despite what we ordered were all small portions, it fed us just enough. The taste was simple yet the ingredients were all fresh and good.

4. Busan Taejongdae Park

I heard it first time about this place. Since it was included in the 6 places promised by the driver, we just followed through with his plan. Taejongdae is a natural park with magnificent cliffs facing the open sea on the southernmost tip of Yeongdo-gu island.

Maps and directions of Busan Taejongdae Park and Danubi Train that transported us around - Busan, South Korea

The whole park was really big. If I had plenty of time there, I think I would spend a day browsing around the park, having a good refreshing walk surrounded by the beautiful nature. But since we had many more places to visit within the rest of the day, the driver told us to just drop by at the stop where we could walk the staircases towards the Yeongdo Lighthouse and Structure of Light Beyond Limitation.

Busan Taejongdae Park - Yeongdo Lighthouse and Structure of Light Beyond Limitation - Busan, South Korea

We only had to pay KRW 3,000 for the Danubi train that transported us to the nearest location of Yeongdo Lighthouse and many other stops that we did not cover. Again, if you do not have much time in Busan, I will not recommend you to visit this place :D

5. Songdo Skywalk

Songdo Beach - Busan, South Korea

Songdo Skywalk was a place where you could see a beautiful sea view, located near Songdo Beach.

Songdo Skywalk - Busan, South Korea

And if the Skywalk was not enough, you could even ride the cable car from Song Marine Cable Car to see the view from the top. We chose not to take the cable car since the sky was not clear enough (hazy kind).

Song Marine Cable Car - Busan, South Korea

Half an hour would be enough to walk through the skywalk and take some photos.

6. Gamcheon Cultural Village - A must visit in Busan!!!

Gamcheon Cultural Village - Busan, South Korea

Yes, I said that this was a must visit place if you visit Busan!!!

Mural art at Gamcheon Cultural Village - Busan, South Korea

Mural art at Gamcheon Cultural Village - Busan, South Korea

More mural arts at Gamcheon Cultural Village - Busan, South Korea

And more.... - Gamcheon Cultural Village in Busan, South Korea

This place showed a picturesque view of a village that contained colorful houses, painted murals, shops, and cafes. I saw it many times from TV (Korean shows) and my friends' posting photos in social media. I was very happy that I finally had a chance to go there!! :)

The colorful houses at Gamcheon Cultural Village - Busan, South Korea

The most sought after taking photo place - beside the Little Prince at Gamcheon Cultural Village - Busan, South Korea

And the above was the most sought after taking photo place at the Gamcheon Cultural Village. Everyone - be it boys and girls - wanted to sit beside the Little Prince, overlooking the beautiful colorful houses of Gamcheon village. I did not have enough patience to join the queue though and better using my time licking the delicious ice cream from the shop nearby :P

So much selections of sweet desserts and souvenir - Gamcheon Cultural Village

We did a bit shopping too - socks and souvenir from the shops nearby :D

7. Busan Tower at Yongdusan Park

Busan Tower at Yongdusan Park - Busan, South Korea

And last but not least, our last destination of the day was Busan Tower, which was located at Yongdusan Park. With that, we ended our journey with our driver and he sent us back to our hotel.

8. Pork soup dinner with rice at Bonjeon Dwaeji Gugbap (not far from Busan Station)

As for dinner, we asked the hotel staff the recommended local food located not far from our hotel and she asked us to go to Bonjeon Dwaeji Gugbap for having the delicious pork soup!!! She gave us her hand-drawn map and once we reached, we recalled of the long-queued restaurant we passed just the day before.

Delicious local pork soup at Bonjeon Dwaeji Gugbap near Busan Station - Busan, South Korea

Luckily there were not such long queue when we reached. We just had to wait for a while before our turn. We ordered the pork soup and sliced pork with soup. They provided side dishes of spicy chives, kimchi, raw garlic and chili to accompany the soup.

Wow!!! I did not expect that the soup was really tasty!!! The milky broth must have been boiled over hours to produce such a simple yet nutritious and delicious taste!! Fell in love with it almost immediately. We even added one more portion of sliced pork as it turned out to be soft, tender and no frozen pork smell!!! I really recommend you to visit this restaurant too!!! From Busan Station, you just have to walk in less than 5 minutes. Must visit lah!!!

So, let me wrap up the day here and more places in Busan will come out soon. Stay tune!!! :)

Places to go when visiting Busan, South Korea - Part 1

Departing from Seoul Station

This was my first time visiting Busan, a large port city located in southeastern part, known for its beaches, mountains and temples, despite my second visit to South Korea. By population, Busan is the second largest city with almost 3.5 million people out of total of 51.7 million people in South Korea. I went there with my sisters and mom, our first ladies trip together with no man involved. Haha...

In the platform - Seoul Station

We took KTX train from Seoul Station and after three hours later, we arrived at Busan Station. You can purchase the ticket online through Korail up to a month before. Payment is done by using credit card. My sister booked most of our hotels, train, car with driver rental, and domestic flight tickets, while I gave insight on where to go and how as I was pretty occupied with other travel arrangements.

Busan Station :)

We decided to stay nearby Haeundae Beach area for our first night in Busan as the beach is very famous there. After storing our big luggage at the hotel and had our lunch nearby the Busan Station, we took a bus ride to Haundae Beach area.

Lunch all my favorite Chinese-Korean food in Busan - fried rice, Naengmyeon (cold noodle), Mandu (fried dumpling), Jjamppong (spicy seafood noodle), and Jajangmyeon (black paste noodle) :)

The bus was quite full and some of us had to stand up for some time until the seat was available. The journey took us almost an hour time. Once we reached, it was raining. Well, kind of spoiling our mood. I mean, beach you know! We were kind of expecting to get sunshine in the beach, and not wet and windy beach. Hehehe...

But everything happened only for a good reason!!! :) We decided to go to Shinsegae Dept Store Centum City by metro. Fyi, this place was registered in the Guinness World Records as the largest department store in the world back in 2009. Surely, not to be missed when you visit Busan!!! :)

Metro line in Busan. You can use your T-Money card here too!! :)

There is a Korean traditional jjimjilbang or a large, gender-segregated public bathhouse, furnished with hot tubs, showers, Korean traditional kiln saunas and massage tables, called Spa Land. You can check the admission price here. Too bad I was having my period on that day so I had to give it a miss. However my sister went there and she was very happy hopping from one bathhouse to another naked and experienced the culture that was different from what we had back home.

The Bay 101 - Busan, South Korea

We had our dinner there before continuing our journey to visit The Bay 101. It was just less than 15 minutes walk from Dongbaek metro station. Initially I was unsure too what kind of place The Bay 101 was.

Beautiful night view from The Bay 101

Initially I thought it would be some kind of shopping mall. But the Google map did not indicate so. I just knew that it was the place that tourist could visit, that's all. So after reaching there, then I realized that it was a place where you could see a beautiful water view with high-rise buildings with lighting at the opposite side. There are restaurants and cafe at the building itself, but nothing much. Just a place to take photo and chill out with family and friends.

Roadside food stall displaying water tank filled with fresh seafood for you to choose and eat - Haeudae Beach area, Busan

From there I continued walking towards Haeundae Beach as the rain had stopped. It was another 15 minutes walk to reach and we passed through food stalls at roadside displaying water tank filled with fresh seafood right in front of your eating place - for you to choose and eat. I felt it was kind of cruel to dine in such way.

Haeundae Beach signage - Busan, South Korea

Just kept walking until I saw the above signage. Just seconds after taking the above photos, I heard the firework sound from the sea.

Fireworks at Haeundae Beach - Busan, South Korea

It was not just a small handheld fireworks that people could purchase and play, but bigger ones and it continued non-stop for more than 15 minutes. Wow!!! As if they knew I was coming there and wanted me to celebrate my visit there :D I felt an immense gratitude and peace watching it from afar. Thank you SB for the beautiful arrangement :)

Sealife in Busan, South Korea

The Sealife there is also worth visiting if you come from the country where there is no sea within reach. But for me, who stayed very near from the sea and visited many such places before, I made it a skip to visit this place.

Along Haeundae Beach area in Busan, South Korea

My sister and I kept walking along the beach. There were many people strolling the beach like us. Since rain had stopped, the air had become cooling and perfect for walking. There were few buskers entertained the passer-by with their beautiful voice and music played. Mostly young guys. They romanticized the already romantic beach. Oh, how I wished my loved one was there walking beside me and enjoyed the night together!!! :P

Finished the day with Terra Beer :D

And on our way back to the hotel, I stopped by at the convenience store to get a can of chilled Terra (Korean beer) and drank it all the way. Small handheld firework is sold on the street so anyone could buy and play it freely along the beach. How nice!!! :)

Let me stop here before continuing the journey next day. Stay tune! :)

Interesting items to get from Daiso in Korea

Recently I traveled to South Korea with my families. Just like in any other Asian countries, I love browsing Daiso, a shop that sells stuffs with affordable prices. I hope by now you have heard about Daiso.

"Daiso Industries Co., Ltd. is a large franchise of 100-yen shops founded in Japan. Its headquarters are in Higashihiroshima, Hiroshima Prefecture. Daiso has a range of over 100,000 products, of which over 40 percent are imported goods, many of them from China." - Source: daisojapan.com

In Singapore, all items are sold at SGD $2 each. It makes buyer easy to just pick up everything that is available inside the store, all is marked at the same price. In Malaysia, each item costs RM 5.90, while in Indonesia, each item costs at slightly more expensive price at IDR 25,000 (equivalent to around SGD $2.50 each).

In Japan and Korea, however, each item does not cost the same. E.g. in Japan the item can be sold at JPY 100 and JPY 200 each depending on its value. In Korea, the price ranges from KRW 1,000, 2,000, 3,000, and 5,000. Since the prices are varied, there are definitely more items to choose from the store.

7-Storey high Daiso in Hongdae, Seoul - South Korea

So when I finally reached back to Seoul (after touring around Busan and Jeju island), I was all ready to shop for some gifts to bring back home. And just nice, there is one seven-storey height of Daiso located just opposite of the building where I stayed in Hongdae area.

Here, let me share with you some interesting items I bought from there, which I could not find at any other countries :).

1. Korean noodles cooking pot - KRW 3,000

Korean noodles cooking pot - Daiso Korea

If you are a Korean drama or movie lover, you must have seen the scene where the actor or actress was eating Korean noodle from this pot. They even use the cover as a plate or base after taking the steaming hot noodles directly from the pot. They will blow it before put it into the mouth just like the scene I post below :D

Eating Korean noodle scene (Source: Youtube.com)

There is the one with handle too. But I prefer the one without. So much looking like in drama. Hahahahaha.... :P

Pot types and sizes available from Daiso Korea - Lotte Mart in Seoul, South Korea

The size of the pot I chose is 16 inch (instead of 14 inch) as the Korean noodle size is generally much larger than the one sold in other Asian countries.

Sample of the Korean noodle (look at the noodle size!!!) - Lotte Mart, Seoul - South Korea

2. The Korean metal spoon and chopstick sets - KRW 3,000

Korean metal spoon and chopstick sets - Daiso Korea

If you notice, Korean use metal chopsticks to eat and not use the wood or bamboo material like in any other Asian countries. The chopsticks are flat too (not square or round shape). And the spoon holder is longer than the usual spoon used in any other countries. That makes them very special. And by getting this set, you will feel like you are eating in Korea rather than in your own country.

Personally I love using the spoon. With longer holder, I can even use it for cooking. Since the holder is longer, my hand will not get scalded by the steam that comes out while cooking. So if you are ever traveling with me and watching me cooking (provided that I bring my own utensils), you would realize that I always bring this Korean spoon with me. So have you realized it now??? :D

I do not really like using the chopsticks much though as they are flat and very difficult to use :D

This set of tableware can be a good set of gift for friends as well.

First day after coming back from Korea, immediately used the pot, metal spoon and chopsticks to cook and eat the Korean noodles :D :D :D

Therefore, by buying this pot and set of Korean spoon and chopsticks, you will not only get the items back with you, but also the dream of Korean life integrated into your life back home :D Hahahaha... at least for me :P

3. Roll cleaner - KRW 1,000 and its refill (2 rolls/pack) - KRW 2,000

Roll cleaner and Scotch-Brite refill - Daiso, Korea

I bought it as I sometimes need it to clean my black clothes (shirts or pants) from the remaining detergent that sticks to the clothes after washing it using the machine. The white powder is annoying and this roll cleaner will be the best solution to clean it without having to make the clothes wet and take time to get it dried. I can bring this for traveling too (that was why I bought this shape and size).

Roll cleaner type sold in Daiso Singapore (Pic source: Google.com)

And currently I could only find the roll cleaner type as per above photo in Daiso Singapore. So, if you too often encounter the stubborn detergent sticking to your black clothes, these items are great to get from Daiso Korea!!! :)

4. The sponge cum soap holder - KRW 1,000

Sponge cum soap holder - Daiso Korea

If you are still using the soap block to take a bath or to wash hands (instead of the bottle liquid soap, foam, or bath gel), this item will be a great thing to get back home. Just lay it flat (the set provide plastic base to hold the sponge below), and put the soap on top.

Usually, after washing hands, if you put into the normal soap holder, the water will drip and wet the soap holder. Therefore, the bottom part of the soap will get soft, soppy, and the holder will get messy and dirty. It can be irritating sometimes.

By using this, the watery soap will be absorbed by the sponge and you can use the sponge to take a bath (rub your body skin). Isn't it a good idea?? This way you can fully use the soap and keep the soap moisturized but not soppy.

5. Aroma perfume mist cum fabric spray - KRW 1,000

Aroma Perfume Mist cum Fabric Spray - Daiso Korea

While traveling in Korea, eating the Korean BBQ is a must (for non-vegetarian, of course). They have a very good marinated meat - be it spicy and non-spicy. Despite the restaurant provided the good vacuum system to suck the smoke that coming out from the grill, our clothes will definitely smelly after getting out from there.

That is why I could only find the above items in Korea (it was made in Korea too). It is called aroma perfume mist, but I used it as fabric spray too (to spray on clothes). This small tube (15ml volume) is very good to bring while traveling, and even can be put inside the hand carry bag. You can use it anytime you need it. They had many flavors available but no sample was given. So choose them at your own risk (in case the smell is not suitable to your liking).

6. Dental cooling spray - KRW 3,000

Dental Cooling Spray - Daiso Korea

This is another thing that they sell in Daiso shop there but not in any other countries - dental cooling spray. I thought of buying it since after eating the Korean BBQ (usually I would eat lots of raw garlic with the BBQ meat and caused my mouth full smell of garlic). They have 3 different flavors available and so far I only tried the middle one (mint flavor). This will be good to use in the morning too if you are too lazy or no time to brush your teeth :D

I first bought it at Olive Young shop at KRW 3,500. So in Daiso Korea, you can buy it at slightly cheaper price. If you buy more, then you will save more money. Good buy!!! :)

7. Moisturizer hand cream (made in Korea) - KRW 1,000

Moisturizer hand cream - Daiso Korea

There are many flavors available for the above hand creams. They come in two different sizes - 60 g and 80 g per bottle. You can buy depend on your purpose. If for short term traveling, the smaller size will be good to bring, but if for longer time traveling, the bigger size will suit you more. Despite the different in sizes, both come at same price - KRW 1,000. And all are made in Korea.

These are good gifts to friends back home too as you know, the cost of well known brand hand cream like L'Occitane, Body Shop, and many other brands can be so much exaggerating. For me, as long it works well and smell good, that is good enough :)

There are many other items you can buy there aside from what I posted above. Just like the description above said, they sell over 100,000 items in the store. Just buy what you need though, otherwise you will end up wasting your money for nothing. So, with this post, you can plan well next time what to buy when visiting Daiso in Korea :)