Travel in South Korea
South Korea is the most tourist and social media friendly destination in East Asia.
Korea doesn’t need promoting or any further hype. If you watch Kdramas (which I do) or listen to Kpop (which I don’t), you are probably already dead set on going so that you can visit some of the spots you’ve seen in the dramas or attend a concert for your favourite band.
Even for those who have no prior exposure to Korean culture, South Korea should still be at the top of your list for East Asian destinations. They are BY FAR one of the most tourist friendly destinations. While some countries can be challenging due to language barriers or hard to navigate without a local, South Korea is for the independent traveller, as long as you do a bit of research.
Of course, it doesn’t take much research to settle on Seoul as your destination. This city is the most Instagrammable city I have ever been to. Every attraction, shopping area, food spot, and activity presents a photo opp. What more can can a girl ask for?
I had initially only planned on visiting Seoul when visiting South Korea because Busan didn’t seem like it had much going for it. Everything it had, Seoul had too, but on a larger scale. The only reason I ended up visiting Busan was because I had so much time. But I am glad that I did. Most people see Busan as the small scale version of Seoul, like I initially did. The two shouldn’t be compared in my opinion. Busan is unique and has its own attractions.
I loved the Seomyeon street market, the amazing Yongungsa cliffside temple, and the expansive Taejongdae Resort, to name a few. Not to mention Busan is the only place you can find the unique cultural destination: the Gamcheon Cultural Village.
Since this city is less travelled than Seoul, there is still lots to discover here. My favourite spot during my entire South Korea trip was the small cat cafe that I found here on a rainy day and ended up spending 6 hours at! The best thing about Busan are these kinds of hidden gems.
South Korea Blog Posts
You can show up in either Busan or Seoul and plan everything the day of, and still fill your itinerary. If you need some ideas though, the posts below are a good start.
