Jeju/Busan/Seoul Trip Report!
Oct 2, 2014, 3:28 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 428
Jeju/Busan/Seoul Trip Report!
Hey all,
I'm still decompressing as we got back this past Saturday. And I'm still suffering from some minor jet-lag, but all in all it was a great trip!
We were in Korea from 9/13-9/23 and then went over to Taiwan for the rest of the time until the 27th.
First post I'll break down our flight, experience at ICN, transfer to GMP and flight to Jeju.
9/11-13 - Departure from LAX and flight to ICN:
We caught a red-eye flight leaving close to midnight on 9/11. I will say that Korean Air has great service and the food is pretty good too. I wasn't too impressed with the entree I got as it was American-style potatoes and beef (I thought it was going to be something like galbi-jeem based on how the stewardess was describing it). My wife lucked out with some pretty good bibimbap though. Had I known about the lah-myun I could have ordered, I would have done that too. Decided not to get any alcohol but that would have been nice too. I don't think I slept very much, maybe a few hours at most. But I did get like 3-4 movies in
9/13-9/15 - Arrival to Seoul ICN then to Jeju-do:
We arrived to Seoul early in the morning around 4:30am. In short, it was a nightmare. We found our way to the main arrivals hall, withdrew some money from the ATM, and then my wife and I decided we would split-up with her parents because we each had some stuff to take care of. We wanted to buy T-Money cards and my in-laws needed to store a piece of luggage.
Not thinking this through, and knowing that my inlaws aren't very bright, we parted ways. Buying T-Money cards is pretty easy but it's all cash (at least for foreigners). Got the T-Money cards from GS25 and proceeded to wait for my inlaws over by the elevators in the arrivals hall. Little did we know, they decided to meet us by the elevator on the departures floor, so we were all waiting for each other (all without phones or any form of contact, mind you) probably for at least another hour and more. Actually, I went up to the departures hall 2-3 times and walked around looking for them. Of course, I never saw them waiting by the elevators (the ones in the middle, not the sides) in the departures hall...go figure. For any of you who have been to ICN, you'll know that it's extremely huge. I think I walked the full length of it at least twice. So ridiculous. I was silently furious when they decided to take the elevator down to the arrivals hall and show up an hour or two later >:O
Anyway, after testing my patience, we decided to take the bus to GMP (instead of the train) because my in-laws didn't want to lug around the extra luggage they brought. Fair enough. We bought tickets (although I'm pretty sure they would have accepted T-Money) for the bus ride to GMP. It wasn't too bad although I think train might have been a little faster. We got to GMP almost 2 hours ahead of our flight to Jeju, so we were a little relieved. Had enough time for my in-laws to drop off another piece of luggage in storage and get a little more money from the ATM. I scheduled the Jeju flight at 09:45am and it turned out to be a good enough cushion to where we didn't feel squeezed on time (even though the ICN experience was terrible). We had a chance to grab something to eat at the Food O Clock cafeteria and the food was great.
We flew Eastar Jet to Jeju and the check-in and boarding process were pretty smooth and easy. No issues at all.... next post I'll talk more about Jeju.
I'm still decompressing as we got back this past Saturday. And I'm still suffering from some minor jet-lag, but all in all it was a great trip!
We were in Korea from 9/13-9/23 and then went over to Taiwan for the rest of the time until the 27th.
First post I'll break down our flight, experience at ICN, transfer to GMP and flight to Jeju.
9/11-13 - Departure from LAX and flight to ICN:
We caught a red-eye flight leaving close to midnight on 9/11. I will say that Korean Air has great service and the food is pretty good too. I wasn't too impressed with the entree I got as it was American-style potatoes and beef (I thought it was going to be something like galbi-jeem based on how the stewardess was describing it). My wife lucked out with some pretty good bibimbap though. Had I known about the lah-myun I could have ordered, I would have done that too. Decided not to get any alcohol but that would have been nice too. I don't think I slept very much, maybe a few hours at most. But I did get like 3-4 movies in
9/13-9/15 - Arrival to Seoul ICN then to Jeju-do:
We arrived to Seoul early in the morning around 4:30am. In short, it was a nightmare. We found our way to the main arrivals hall, withdrew some money from the ATM, and then my wife and I decided we would split-up with her parents because we each had some stuff to take care of. We wanted to buy T-Money cards and my in-laws needed to store a piece of luggage.
Not thinking this through, and knowing that my inlaws aren't very bright, we parted ways. Buying T-Money cards is pretty easy but it's all cash (at least for foreigners). Got the T-Money cards from GS25 and proceeded to wait for my inlaws over by the elevators in the arrivals hall. Little did we know, they decided to meet us by the elevator on the departures floor, so we were all waiting for each other (all without phones or any form of contact, mind you) probably for at least another hour and more. Actually, I went up to the departures hall 2-3 times and walked around looking for them. Of course, I never saw them waiting by the elevators (the ones in the middle, not the sides) in the departures hall...go figure. For any of you who have been to ICN, you'll know that it's extremely huge. I think I walked the full length of it at least twice. So ridiculous. I was silently furious when they decided to take the elevator down to the arrivals hall and show up an hour or two later >:O
Anyway, after testing my patience, we decided to take the bus to GMP (instead of the train) because my in-laws didn't want to lug around the extra luggage they brought. Fair enough. We bought tickets (although I'm pretty sure they would have accepted T-Money) for the bus ride to GMP. It wasn't too bad although I think train might have been a little faster. We got to GMP almost 2 hours ahead of our flight to Jeju, so we were a little relieved. Had enough time for my in-laws to drop off another piece of luggage in storage and get a little more money from the ATM. I scheduled the Jeju flight at 09:45am and it turned out to be a good enough cushion to where we didn't feel squeezed on time (even though the ICN experience was terrible). We had a chance to grab something to eat at the Food O Clock cafeteria and the food was great.
We flew Eastar Jet to Jeju and the check-in and boarding process were pretty smooth and easy. No issues at all.... next post I'll talk more about Jeju.
Oct 3, 2014, 11:57 am
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 428
Oct 3, 2014, 2:41 pm
#4
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Left Coast
Posts: 858
Never made it to Jeju, but I did make it as far south as Oedo island once, before the famous show was shot there. I was surprised to see palm trees there. Born and raised in SoCal, so one of the first things I noticed when I got to Korea the first time was the absence of palm trees (ubiquitous in SoCal).
I have seen footage of Jeju and it looks like there are a few palm trees there, as well. Did you go there just to get away, or to visit family there? Was it worth the trouble to visit?
Were you able to visit Jagalchi market in Pusan?
I made it to Pusan a few times in the late 1980's/early 1990's and visited Taejong Dae as well as the fish market. I enjoyed the fish market visit, but I expect it is a bit more tourist-oriented these days?
I have seen footage of Jeju and it looks like there are a few palm trees there, as well. Did you go there just to get away, or to visit family there? Was it worth the trouble to visit?
Were you able to visit Jagalchi market in Pusan?
I made it to Pusan a few times in the late 1980's/early 1990's and visited Taejong Dae as well as the fish market. I enjoyed the fish market visit, but I expect it is a bit more tourist-oriented these days?
Oct 3, 2014, 3:33 pm
#5
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 428
Jeju is nice - I never took note of the palm trees as you did though. My in-laws really wanted to go because they had never gone having grown up in Korea and lived there half their lives. No family on Jeju so it was more for relaxation and exploring - they wanted to get it out of the way too so that's why it was first but it was kind of a pain getting there having never been to Korea before (and my in-laws not very good with figuring stuff out. Though it did help that they can speak Korean). I'd say it was borderline worth the trouble - I say that only because if we had one more day there then I'd feel better about it. It just felt too rushed and short.
We quickly walked through Jagalchi market in Pusan and my wife was totally grossed out. I think she kind of lost her appetite because that was the night I wanted sashimi and we ended up going back to the hotel in the early evening for a quick nap that turned into a long nap
So I regret not really eating any seafood while there... next time I think it was the Gae-Bul (fat innkeeper worms) that grossed both of us out though. Well, most of the stuff intrigued me in the market. It didn't feel too touristy but some of the vendors did try to get us to sit. I saw quite a few locals there, I'm pretty sure, though. It was super-busy.
We visited Taejong Dae as well. Got lost getting there, in fact haha (took the wrong bus). It's a really nice place with so much to do and see.
We quickly walked through Jagalchi market in Pusan and my wife was totally grossed out. I think she kind of lost her appetite because that was the night I wanted sashimi and we ended up going back to the hotel in the early evening for a quick nap that turned into a long nap
So I regret not really eating any seafood while there... next time I think it was the Gae-Bul (fat innkeeper worms) that grossed both of us out though. Well, most of the stuff intrigued me in the market. It didn't feel too touristy but some of the vendors did try to get us to sit. I saw quite a few locals there, I'm pretty sure, though. It was super-busy.We visited Taejong Dae as well. Got lost getting there, in fact haha (took the wrong bus). It's a really nice place with so much to do and see.
Never made it to Jeju, but I did make it as far south as Oedo island once, before the famous show was shot there. I was surprised to see palm trees there. Born and raised in SoCal, so one of the first things I noticed when I got to Korea the first time was the absence of palm trees (ubiquitous in SoCal).
I have seen footage of Jeju and it looks like there are a few palm trees there, as well. Did you go there just to get away, or to visit family there? Was it worth the trouble to visit?
Were you able to visit Jagalchi market in Pusan?
I made it to Pusan a few times in the late 1980's/early 1990's and visited Taejong Dae as well as the fish market. I enjoyed the fish market visit, but I expect it is a bit more tourist-oriented these days?
I have seen footage of Jeju and it looks like there are a few palm trees there, as well. Did you go there just to get away, or to visit family there? Was it worth the trouble to visit?
Were you able to visit Jagalchi market in Pusan?
I made it to Pusan a few times in the late 1980's/early 1990's and visited Taejong Dae as well as the fish market. I enjoyed the fish market visit, but I expect it is a bit more tourist-oriented these days?
Oct 3, 2014, 4:07 pm
#6
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 428
Part 2 - Jeju
9/13-9/15 - Jeju-do:
Got into Jeju on time and caught a taxi to take us over to Jejueco suites. It was the late morning so it was nice in the sense that we had a lot of down-time to unwind and relax from the long and somewhat stressful journey to get there. Jeju really is like South Korea's Hawaii - so close yet so distinct and pretty. Jejueco Suites is located in Seogwipo (south side of Jeju) and seems much less densely populated but a little more touristy in some areas. It's surrounded by tangerine groves (unfortunately out of season) and is kind of isolated from the main road. It's in a great location, IMHO - very quiet and far enough away but not too far. We really enjoyed our time there and wish we had at least one more day. After unwinding, we had one of the employees shuttle us over to the tourist info center where we walked down to Jungmun beach, ate some overpriced tourist-trap seafood, and enjoyed the view. Later on the way back we stopped by a restaurant recommended to us and ate black pork, seaweed/urchin soup, abalone stonepot, and taenjang for dinner. It was all very delicious.
I was interested in doing a taxi tour, so after researching on Tripadvisor beforehand, I contacted Mr. Won to do a couple days of taxi tours. He ended up scheduling us with his "associate," Mr. Kang who was very kind but didn't say a whole lot (at least, not until after my father in-law kept on talking to him). Mr. Won apparently is super popular over there and had a couple large groups he was taking around.
with Mr. Kang, it was good though in the sense that he wasn't so strict on counting hours (especially the 2nd day) and also didn't take us to the more commercialized places that most drivers probably get kickbacks from. We basically had 2 full day tours (2nd day we got dropped off at the airport right after) for 130,000 won each day. With these drivers, it's sort of expected that you foot the bill for them on lunch or dinner, which is sort of a form of gratuity I think.
He didn't take us to as many places as others have reported their taxi drivers taking them but I think we spent more time at some of the places we visited and still enjoyed our time. Over the two days, we went to the Memories of Old Times Theme Park, Lava caves (it wasn't Manjang but I don't recall the name), Seongsan Ilchulbong, Mt. Hallasan, drove and stopped along the Jungmun Coast in a few areas, Cheonjiyeon Falls, the "mysterious road" (I could have cared less for this place) and a few more places. It was kind of a whirlwind of stuff to see, which is why another day would have been nice to process it all and relax a little more but no big deal.
Another factor on where we went for the taxi tour was the EG sim card I ordered on behalf of my in-laws to have delivered to Jejueco suites beforehand. Apparently, because of a long Korean holiday the week before, when I ordered, all shipments were delayed and the sim card didn't arrive to Jeju until *after* we left. In anticipation that it might arrive the day of our last tour (and drop-off at airport), we sort of had to plan to stay somewhat closer to Jejueco suites if the card arrived so we could go back to pick it up. Kind of a pain and inconvenience but it worked out I guess. Since we never received the sim, Jejueco had to send it back, and now I'm dealing with disputing the charge with my credit card company because EG sim is claiming they never received it (but I received proof of tracking showing it was delivered). Such a pain. I had also ordered a mobile wifi hotspot from Wifi-Korea, and this earlier on so it arrived to the hotel a day earlier actually - no problems there. It was so useful having that hotspot at least.
Anyway, back to Jeju - we had our driver drop us off at the airport in the late afternoon to catch our evening flights. My in-laws were heading back to GMP to hang out with friends and family, and my wife and I flew to Busan for some time to ourselves. No problems with flights and we all arrived on time pretty much.
Got into Jeju on time and caught a taxi to take us over to Jejueco suites. It was the late morning so it was nice in the sense that we had a lot of down-time to unwind and relax from the long and somewhat stressful journey to get there. Jeju really is like South Korea's Hawaii - so close yet so distinct and pretty. Jejueco Suites is located in Seogwipo (south side of Jeju) and seems much less densely populated but a little more touristy in some areas. It's surrounded by tangerine groves (unfortunately out of season) and is kind of isolated from the main road. It's in a great location, IMHO - very quiet and far enough away but not too far. We really enjoyed our time there and wish we had at least one more day. After unwinding, we had one of the employees shuttle us over to the tourist info center where we walked down to Jungmun beach, ate some overpriced tourist-trap seafood, and enjoyed the view. Later on the way back we stopped by a restaurant recommended to us and ate black pork, seaweed/urchin soup, abalone stonepot, and taenjang for dinner. It was all very delicious.
I was interested in doing a taxi tour, so after researching on Tripadvisor beforehand, I contacted Mr. Won to do a couple days of taxi tours. He ended up scheduling us with his "associate," Mr. Kang who was very kind but didn't say a whole lot (at least, not until after my father in-law kept on talking to him). Mr. Won apparently is super popular over there and had a couple large groups he was taking around.
with Mr. Kang, it was good though in the sense that he wasn't so strict on counting hours (especially the 2nd day) and also didn't take us to the more commercialized places that most drivers probably get kickbacks from. We basically had 2 full day tours (2nd day we got dropped off at the airport right after) for 130,000 won each day. With these drivers, it's sort of expected that you foot the bill for them on lunch or dinner, which is sort of a form of gratuity I think.
He didn't take us to as many places as others have reported their taxi drivers taking them but I think we spent more time at some of the places we visited and still enjoyed our time. Over the two days, we went to the Memories of Old Times Theme Park, Lava caves (it wasn't Manjang but I don't recall the name), Seongsan Ilchulbong, Mt. Hallasan, drove and stopped along the Jungmun Coast in a few areas, Cheonjiyeon Falls, the "mysterious road" (I could have cared less for this place) and a few more places. It was kind of a whirlwind of stuff to see, which is why another day would have been nice to process it all and relax a little more but no big deal.
Another factor on where we went for the taxi tour was the EG sim card I ordered on behalf of my in-laws to have delivered to Jejueco suites beforehand. Apparently, because of a long Korean holiday the week before, when I ordered, all shipments were delayed and the sim card didn't arrive to Jeju until *after* we left. In anticipation that it might arrive the day of our last tour (and drop-off at airport), we sort of had to plan to stay somewhat closer to Jejueco suites if the card arrived so we could go back to pick it up. Kind of a pain and inconvenience but it worked out I guess. Since we never received the sim, Jejueco had to send it back, and now I'm dealing with disputing the charge with my credit card company because EG sim is claiming they never received it (but I received proof of tracking showing it was delivered). Such a pain. I had also ordered a mobile wifi hotspot from Wifi-Korea, and this earlier on so it arrived to the hotel a day earlier actually - no problems there. It was so useful having that hotspot at least.
Anyway, back to Jeju - we had our driver drop us off at the airport in the late afternoon to catch our evening flights. My in-laws were heading back to GMP to hang out with friends and family, and my wife and I flew to Busan for some time to ourselves. No problems with flights and we all arrived on time pretty much.
Last edited by jplee3; Oct 7, 2014 at 10:51 pm
Oct 7, 2014, 8:25 pm
#7
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: c1 au pays des Y_ _
Programs: none (crazy!)
Posts: 34
Interesting read. Thanks for sharing.
I will be travelling to Korea at the end of the month.
It will be my first time in East Asia (been to the middle-East on a short trip).
Now to pester you with logistical questions!
Where can I find the GS25/T-Money cards at ICN? (I'll have ₩ in cash).
I want to get one to use right away on the train into (and across) town.
Once I'm through customs and immigration and in the arrival hall is it easy to find? I've read (and you mention as well) how massive ICN is. The airport directory says:
GS25 (Public Area) 1F, Near Exits 10 & 14.
I'll be going to Jeju as well during my trip.
Flying Jeju Air from Busan to Jeju and then Eastar Jet from Jeju to GMP.
I got a booking confirmation email for those flights. Is that all I have to show at check-in (plus my passport?) There isn't any e-ticket I'm supposed to get or print out is there?
Since they are budget airlines, I'm just worried about facing unexpected fees for small things like you can with RyanAir. Did they charge you for checked luggage or carry-ons?
I will be travelling to Korea at the end of the month.
It will be my first time in East Asia (been to the middle-East on a short trip).
Now to pester you with logistical questions!
Arrival to Seoul ICN:
We arrived to Seoul early in the morning around 4:30am. In short, it was a nightmare. We found our way to the main arrivals hall,...We wanted to buy T-Money cards... Got the T-Money cards from GS25 and proceeded to wait for my inlaws over by the elevators in the arrivals hall.
We arrived to Seoul early in the morning around 4:30am. In short, it was a nightmare. We found our way to the main arrivals hall,...We wanted to buy T-Money cards... Got the T-Money cards from GS25 and proceeded to wait for my inlaws over by the elevators in the arrivals hall.
I want to get one to use right away on the train into (and across) town.
Once I'm through customs and immigration and in the arrival hall is it easy to find? I've read (and you mention as well) how massive ICN is. The airport directory says:
GS25 (Public Area) 1F, Near Exits 10 & 14.
Flying Jeju Air from Busan to Jeju and then Eastar Jet from Jeju to GMP.
I got a booking confirmation email for those flights. Is that all I have to show at check-in (plus my passport?) There isn't any e-ticket I'm supposed to get or print out is there?
Since they are budget airlines, I'm just worried about facing unexpected fees for small things like you can with RyanAir. Did they charge you for checked luggage or carry-ons?
Oct 7, 2014, 10:26 pm
#8
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 428
Where can I find the GS25/T-Money cards at ICN? (I'll have ₩ in cash).
I want to get one to use right away on the train into (and across) town.
Once I'm through customs and immigration and in the arrival hall is it easy to find? I've read (and you mention as well) how massive ICN is. The airport directory says:
GS25 (Public Area) 1F, Near Exits 10 & 14.
I want to get one to use right away on the train into (and across) town.
Once I'm through customs and immigration and in the arrival hall is it easy to find? I've read (and you mention as well) how massive ICN is. The airport directory says:
GS25 (Public Area) 1F, Near Exits 10 & 14.
I'll be going to Jeju as well during my trip.
Flying Jeju Air from Busan to Jeju and then Eastar Jet from Jeju to GMP.
I got a booking confirmation email for those flights. Is that all I have to show at check-in (plus my passport?) There isn't any e-ticket I'm supposed to get or print out is there?
Since they are budget airlines, I'm just worried about facing unexpected fees for small things like you can with RyanAir. Did they charge you for checked luggage or carry-ons?
Flying Jeju Air from Busan to Jeju and then Eastar Jet from Jeju to GMP.
I got a booking confirmation email for those flights. Is that all I have to show at check-in (plus my passport?) There isn't any e-ticket I'm supposed to get or print out is there?
Since they are budget airlines, I'm just worried about facing unexpected fees for small things like you can with RyanAir. Did they charge you for checked luggage or carry-ons?
Don't worry too much about them being "budget" airlines. They're definitely budget but they weren't nearly as strict as they say on their site. Not to take advantage of them (like intentionally carrying on a super-heavy/big carry-on) but they're somewhat lax from what I remember. We stayed within the confines of our limits too (1 personal, 1 carry-on, and 1 checked luggage) so no problems there. I would still just try to abide by their guidelines for weight and size restrictions as much as possible though. I just didn't see them scrutinizing anyone's luggage or giving people a hard time.
Oct 7, 2014, 10:39 pm
#9
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: c1 au pays des Y_ _
Programs: none (crazy!)
Posts: 34
That's generally what I wanted to know. I don't plan on breaking their rules/restrictions. I just wanted to know if there would be any surprises. Good to hear. Looking forward to the rest of your trip report when you have the time to continue posting.
Oct 7, 2014, 11:51 pm
#10
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 428
Busan part 3
Busan 9/15-9/17:
From Jeju we split off from my in-laws and ventured on to Busan on our own. We were both excited yet apprehensive at the same time not knowing the language. Fortunately, we had a great time and things worked out for the most part.
We flew Jeju Air into Busan in the mid-evening. The flight was relatively short (maybe an 1-1.5 hours or so). I’m having a hard time recalling what Gimhae Airport was like but we were kind of in a rush to get to the hotel (Elysee Motel near Nampodong). We ended up choosing the metro to get there and it was pretty easy to find. Mr. Son, owner at Elysee, sent us various options and directions on how to get to the hotel from the airport. Extremely useful. We had to make a couple transfers but it wasn’t too bad since we didn’t have very much luggage on us.
On the last stop at Nampodong station, I got stuck getting out of the gates - my Tmoney card refused to scan. My wife made it through but I was standing behind the gate frantically (and panicking) as the evening crowd rushed by. My wife ran to go find an employee, who helped us out, and then pointed out that there’s a red ‘help’ button on some of the gates that we could have just pressed haha. Then again, if the receiving end doesn’t speak/understand English, that probably wouldn’t be useful either. There was this older gentleman who was standing probably 50 yards away just watching us look like idiots with me trying to get out of the gate. It was obvious to him that we were having trouble but he just stood there watching us with what seemed to be a slight smirk on his face. This was probably for 5-10 minutes while we were trying to figure it out (thanks a lot, buddy).
Anyway, after that little mishap, we were out the gates and on the way to Elysee Motel. It was a bit of a walk (destinations always seem further away when its the first time going there) and was kind of dark but we made it and it was pretty straightforward to find. I’m so glad I had my phone and the Wifi-Korea hotspot, there are so many times we would have been lost and wandering around not knowing where we were. The hotel is situated somewhat on a steep incline but it wasn’t too bad. There was a woman who checked us in and gave us a “deluxe” room for the night because all the standard rooms were occupied… I wasn't complaining! She did say we would have to check out the next day and check back in since we were supposed to be in a standard room. I was confused by that and cleared it up later with Mr. Son - he just told us to stay put Mr. Son was extremely helpful and gave me a few printouts of restaurants he recommends and also asked me if I like fried chicken, further explaining that I can call the front desk and order fried chicken for 15,000 won and it will be delivered to my room anytime up until 1am…!
Our room was nice and spacious. I think the bed was a king or queen and there was a separate sauna/steam shower stall. Bathtub was jetted and the toilet was one of those fancy automatic/bidet toilets. There was also a computer in the room along with a mini-fridge. Also several personal items like hairspray, toothpaste, etc. Wifi too of course.
For late dinner we tried "Goseongbeom Sutbulgalbi” which is a bbq place that specializes in pork. We tried the pork belly and pork shoulder and it was pretty delicious. They also had par-boiled potato that was thrown on the grill, which was nice. I’m used to DIY Korean bbq so this was a welcomed-change, where multiple servers came by and pretty much cooked it all for us. We also showed them the slip of paper from Mr. Son, which explained that they would give us a free Pepsi upon presenting it to them. The server didn’t really know what it was but showed it to the manager and soon after they brought over a bottle of Pepsi. Score! On our way out too, they stopped us outside the door and sprayed us down with a spray bottle full of odor-remover lol!
We went back to the hotel and I soon had the craving for that fried chicken, so I called the front desk (Mr. Son answered) and requested it. I think I saw the place walking by one day, which is just down the road, and it’s not too far. I think they had someone just drop it off at the lobby because Mr. Son personally delivered it to our room haha! It was really good and not incredibly heavy or greasy. It came with a few sides like corn, macaroni salad, and sauce, as well as a bottle of Pepsi. We felt very full the next morning - it was a lot of chicken for two people!
The next morning we decided to visit Taejongdae park after eating some breakfast at the hotel (just your basic eggs, toast, cereal and juice) and boy was it worth it. Even though we got lost and took the 88-1 instead of the 88 (haha not sure what I was thinking). The 88-1 took us to an apartment complex on Yeongdo-gu so we ended up having to catch a taxi to get us over to Taejongdae. It’s such a huge park with so much to see. We opted to take the Danubi train (which is a shuttle that stops at all the major stops along the course of the park road). There’s no way we could have hiked it all at a leisurely pace. We stopped off at a few points pretty much following a group of Chinese tourists lol. It worked out and the park wasn’t too extremely busy. Plenty of views of the ocean and cliffs - just beautiful. I’d highly recommend this for anyone heading down to Busan. I’m sure that’s just the tip of the iceberg too because I know there are many more places to see.
We decided to head back and try another place Mr. Son recommended called Dubuga which is a bibimbap place specializing in tofu. I ordered the octopus & pork and it turned out to be really good - I’ve never had that type of bibimbap before but loved it. It’s dolsot [stone pot] bibimbap so they have eggs on the side to mix in. This bibimbap also had dried nori seaweed in it which was a really nice touch.
After lunch, we decided to check out Haeundae Beach. We caught a bus to take us and it was almost an hour ride. Not very close but this was also well-worth the time. The beach wasn’t too crowded but there were a good number of people out. We walked the beach a little and did some beach-combing before stopping into the Westin Chosun (at the south end of the beach) to check-out and lounge around at (they have free wifi there!). We tried looking for this popular highly-rated Tripadvisor bbq place called “Ilpum Hanu” but decided not to once we saw the place and prices. Seems highly catered towards tourists, no doubt. I’m sure it’s good but we didn’t want to spend a crazy amount of money when we weren’t craving it a whole lot.
I was determined to check out Jagalchi fish market and potentially eat there or eat at a place Mr. Son also recommended. We walked around and it was pretty crazy over there - my wife was pretty grossed out especially by the "Gae-bul” (Google it if you don’t know!). We were still kind of full from lunch so decided to return after checking out Yongdusan park (Busan Tower). We walked through Nampodong on the way back pretty much and experienced the crowded and young night-life. We also picked up some deokbokgi (spicy rice cakes) from a street vendor and snacked on it at the park. It was pretty heavy and made us full again. We walked around the base of the tower and the park a little before heading back to the hotel to put my backpack away before going back out to eat. Unfortunately, we ended up both falling asleep and waking up kind of late. We tried rushing down to the restaurant that Mr. Son recommends but they were already closing by the time we got there closer to 11pm (even though he said they close at midnight). I wasn’t very happy as I was actually kind of hungry, so we ended up rushing back to the hotel and calling it a night.
Next morning we thought our train (KTX) was scheduled at 10am so ended up rushing over to the metro station and realized after check-in that the train I picked was at 11am… gah. Could have had another hour to relax a bit or maybe see/do something else but oh well. I guess it’s better safe than sorry.
The KTX was interesting. We boarded slightly earlier when a gentleman started conversing with us. Then all of the sudden he looked at his ticket again and rushed off the train, saying we were on the wrong one. In fact, it was just him who got onto the wrong train. We double-checked with a few employees and we were fine. Phew, quick scare. As we were asking employees after getting off the train, these two Korean women approached me and one asked me something in Korean (presumably something about what train this was). I responded in English and gestured that I don’t speak, to which she responded probably saying something in her derogatory tone; her friend outright sneered and jeered, staring at me like I was some sort of disgrace. I just smiled and laughed but what is wrong with people?!
Once back on the train and on our way to Seoul, we snacked on the kimbaps we got from the station for a light snack - glad we did because we would have been starving otherwise. The train ride I think was 2-3 hours or so. Not too bad and pretty comfortable - we opted to pay more and sit in 1st class. I heard stories about economy and how it’s cramped, how some older and middle-aged Korean ladies will try to jack your seat from you, etc. I decided it’s worth paying a little more for uninterrupted comfort, and it worked out. They also had a dispenser in the connector-cabin that dispensed free small water bottles!
Busan was fun and I wish we had another day or two there (especially so I could try the seafood). A lot of people were advising us to skip it or that it wasn’t a big deal - I think that might be the case for older folks (I don’t think my in-laws would have really enjoyed it as much) but we really enjoyed our time there.
From Jeju we split off from my in-laws and ventured on to Busan on our own. We were both excited yet apprehensive at the same time not knowing the language. Fortunately, we had a great time and things worked out for the most part.
We flew Jeju Air into Busan in the mid-evening. The flight was relatively short (maybe an 1-1.5 hours or so). I’m having a hard time recalling what Gimhae Airport was like but we were kind of in a rush to get to the hotel (Elysee Motel near Nampodong). We ended up choosing the metro to get there and it was pretty easy to find. Mr. Son, owner at Elysee, sent us various options and directions on how to get to the hotel from the airport. Extremely useful. We had to make a couple transfers but it wasn’t too bad since we didn’t have very much luggage on us.
On the last stop at Nampodong station, I got stuck getting out of the gates - my Tmoney card refused to scan. My wife made it through but I was standing behind the gate frantically (and panicking) as the evening crowd rushed by. My wife ran to go find an employee, who helped us out, and then pointed out that there’s a red ‘help’ button on some of the gates that we could have just pressed haha. Then again, if the receiving end doesn’t speak/understand English, that probably wouldn’t be useful either. There was this older gentleman who was standing probably 50 yards away just watching us look like idiots with me trying to get out of the gate. It was obvious to him that we were having trouble but he just stood there watching us with what seemed to be a slight smirk on his face. This was probably for 5-10 minutes while we were trying to figure it out (thanks a lot, buddy).
Anyway, after that little mishap, we were out the gates and on the way to Elysee Motel. It was a bit of a walk (destinations always seem further away when its the first time going there) and was kind of dark but we made it and it was pretty straightforward to find. I’m so glad I had my phone and the Wifi-Korea hotspot, there are so many times we would have been lost and wandering around not knowing where we were. The hotel is situated somewhat on a steep incline but it wasn’t too bad. There was a woman who checked us in and gave us a “deluxe” room for the night because all the standard rooms were occupied… I wasn't complaining! She did say we would have to check out the next day and check back in since we were supposed to be in a standard room. I was confused by that and cleared it up later with Mr. Son - he just told us to stay put
Mr. Son was extremely helpful and gave me a few printouts of restaurants he recommends and also asked me if I like fried chicken, further explaining that I can call the front desk and order fried chicken for 15,000 won and it will be delivered to my room anytime up until 1am…! Our room was nice and spacious. I think the bed was a king or queen and there was a separate sauna/steam shower stall. Bathtub was jetted and the toilet was one of those fancy automatic/bidet toilets. There was also a computer in the room along with a mini-fridge. Also several personal items like hairspray, toothpaste, etc. Wifi too of course.
For late dinner we tried "Goseongbeom Sutbulgalbi” which is a bbq place that specializes in pork. We tried the pork belly and pork shoulder and it was pretty delicious. They also had par-boiled potato that was thrown on the grill, which was nice. I’m used to DIY Korean bbq so this was a welcomed-change, where multiple servers came by and pretty much cooked it all for us. We also showed them the slip of paper from Mr. Son, which explained that they would give us a free Pepsi upon presenting it to them. The server didn’t really know what it was but showed it to the manager and soon after they brought over a bottle of Pepsi. Score! On our way out too, they stopped us outside the door and sprayed us down with a spray bottle full of odor-remover lol!
We went back to the hotel and I soon had the craving for that fried chicken, so I called the front desk (Mr. Son answered) and requested it. I think I saw the place walking by one day, which is just down the road, and it’s not too far. I think they had someone just drop it off at the lobby because Mr. Son personally delivered it to our room haha! It was really good and not incredibly heavy or greasy. It came with a few sides like corn, macaroni salad, and sauce, as well as a bottle of Pepsi. We felt very full the next morning - it was a lot of chicken for two people!
The next morning we decided to visit Taejongdae park after eating some breakfast at the hotel (just your basic eggs, toast, cereal and juice) and boy was it worth it. Even though we got lost and took the 88-1 instead of the 88 (haha not sure what I was thinking). The 88-1 took us to an apartment complex on Yeongdo-gu so we ended up having to catch a taxi to get us over to Taejongdae. It’s such a huge park with so much to see. We opted to take the Danubi train (which is a shuttle that stops at all the major stops along the course of the park road). There’s no way we could have hiked it all at a leisurely pace. We stopped off at a few points pretty much following a group of Chinese tourists lol. It worked out and the park wasn’t too extremely busy. Plenty of views of the ocean and cliffs - just beautiful. I’d highly recommend this for anyone heading down to Busan. I’m sure that’s just the tip of the iceberg too because I know there are many more places to see.
We decided to head back and try another place Mr. Son recommended called Dubuga which is a bibimbap place specializing in tofu. I ordered the octopus & pork and it turned out to be really good - I’ve never had that type of bibimbap before but loved it. It’s dolsot [stone pot] bibimbap so they have eggs on the side to mix in. This bibimbap also had dried nori seaweed in it which was a really nice touch.
After lunch, we decided to check out Haeundae Beach. We caught a bus to take us and it was almost an hour ride. Not very close but this was also well-worth the time. The beach wasn’t too crowded but there were a good number of people out. We walked the beach a little and did some beach-combing before stopping into the Westin Chosun (at the south end of the beach) to check-out and lounge around at (they have free wifi there!). We tried looking for this popular highly-rated Tripadvisor bbq place called “Ilpum Hanu” but decided not to once we saw the place and prices. Seems highly catered towards tourists, no doubt. I’m sure it’s good but we didn’t want to spend a crazy amount of money when we weren’t craving it a whole lot.
I was determined to check out Jagalchi fish market and potentially eat there or eat at a place Mr. Son also recommended. We walked around and it was pretty crazy over there - my wife was pretty grossed out especially by the "Gae-bul” (Google it if you don’t know!). We were still kind of full from lunch so decided to return after checking out Yongdusan park (Busan Tower). We walked through Nampodong on the way back pretty much and experienced the crowded and young night-life. We also picked up some deokbokgi (spicy rice cakes) from a street vendor and snacked on it at the park. It was pretty heavy and made us full again. We walked around the base of the tower and the park a little before heading back to the hotel to put my backpack away before going back out to eat. Unfortunately, we ended up both falling asleep and waking up kind of late. We tried rushing down to the restaurant that Mr. Son recommends but they were already closing by the time we got there closer to 11pm (even though he said they close at midnight). I wasn’t very happy as I was actually kind of hungry, so we ended up rushing back to the hotel and calling it a night.
Next morning we thought our train (KTX) was scheduled at 10am so ended up rushing over to the metro station and realized after check-in that the train I picked was at 11am… gah. Could have had another hour to relax a bit or maybe see/do something else but oh well. I guess it’s better safe than sorry.
The KTX was interesting. We boarded slightly earlier when a gentleman started conversing with us. Then all of the sudden he looked at his ticket again and rushed off the train, saying we were on the wrong one. In fact, it was just him who got onto the wrong train. We double-checked with a few employees and we were fine. Phew, quick scare. As we were asking employees after getting off the train, these two Korean women approached me and one asked me something in Korean (presumably something about what train this was). I responded in English and gestured that I don’t speak, to which she responded probably saying something in her derogatory tone; her friend outright sneered and jeered, staring at me like I was some sort of disgrace. I just smiled and laughed but what is wrong with people?!
Once back on the train and on our way to Seoul, we snacked on the kimbaps we got from the station for a light snack - glad we did because we would have been starving otherwise. The train ride I think was 2-3 hours or so. Not too bad and pretty comfortable - we opted to pay more and sit in 1st class. I heard stories about economy and how it’s cramped, how some older and middle-aged Korean ladies will try to jack your seat from you, etc. I decided it’s worth paying a little more for uninterrupted comfort, and it worked out. They also had a dispenser in the connector-cabin that dispensed free small water bottles!
Busan was fun and I wish we had another day or two there (especially so I could try the seafood
). A lot of people were advising us to skip it or that it wasn’t a big deal - I think that might be the case for older folks (I don’t think my in-laws would have really enjoyed it as much) but we really enjoyed our time there.
Last edited by jplee3; Oct 8, 2014 at 12:02 am
Oct 8, 2014, 9:42 am
#11
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Parts Unknown
Posts: 10,047
Never made it to Jeju, but I did make it as far south as Oedo island once, before the famous show was shot there. I was surprised to see palm trees there. Born and raised in SoCal, so one of the first things I noticed when I got to Korea the first time was the absence of palm trees (ubiquitous in SoCal).
I have seen footage of Jeju and it looks like there are a few palm trees there, as well. Did you go there just to get away, or to visit family there? Was it worth the trouble to visit?
Were you able to visit Jagalchi market in Pusan?
I made it to Pusan a few times in the late 1980's/early 1990's and visited Taejong Dae as well as the fish market. I enjoyed the fish market visit, but I expect it is a bit more tourist-oriented these days?
I have seen footage of Jeju and it looks like there are a few palm trees there, as well. Did you go there just to get away, or to visit family there? Was it worth the trouble to visit?
Were you able to visit Jagalchi market in Pusan?
I made it to Pusan a few times in the late 1980's/early 1990's and visited Taejong Dae as well as the fish market. I enjoyed the fish market visit, but I expect it is a bit more tourist-oriented these days?
Oct 8, 2014, 9:55 am
#12
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 428
I agree - a lot of people on every train we were on were either Korean or Chinese tourists. There were even a couple Korean fishermen who hopped back on the last ride we took to get back. I guess hiking down to the water and fishing off the rocks is very popular there as well.
Dec 5, 2014, 3:49 pm
#13
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: NJ USA
Programs: AA PLAT 2MM, MR TITANIUM 2M, HH DIA, Hyatt EXP, BW DIA, IC AMB, IHG PLAT, UA GLD
Posts: 1,086
Considering flying Jeju Air Busan - Jeju. Juju Air less than half the price of Korean Air. Need to buy the ticket asap and would appreciate any reviews of Jeju Air. How are the planes? Flights generally on time? Service ok? Do they hassle you about luggage (my main baggage probably weighs 20-22 kg and I will have 2 carry ons)? Do you consider Jeju Air more like RyanAir or Easyjet? More like Spirit Air or Southwest? Any comments would be appreciated. Thanks.
Dec 5, 2014, 3:56 pm
#14
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 428
Considering flying Jeju Air Busan - Jeju. Juju Air less than half the price of Korean Air. Need to buy the ticket asap and would appreciate any reviews of Jeju Air. How are the planes? Flights generally on time? Service ok? Do they hassle you about luggage (my main baggage probably weighs 20-22 kg and I will have 2 carry ons)? Do you consider Jeju Air more like RyanAir or Easyjet? More like Spirit Air or Southwest? Any comments would be appreciated. Thanks.
Dec 6, 2014, 10:17 am
#15
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: NJ USA
Programs: AA PLAT 2MM, MR TITANIUM 2M, HH DIA, Hyatt EXP, BW DIA, IC AMB, IHG PLAT, UA GLD
Posts: 1,086
We went the other way from Jeju to Busan. I don't recall a whole lot but there wasn't much to complain about. They were pretty prompt with boarding and in general it was easy - everything was on time. They didn't really give us a big hassle on the luggage either. Yea, I'd say Jeju Air could be considered an equivalent of RyanAir and EasyJet: cheaper intra-country airline travel. I haven't flown Spirit so can't comment. I'd say it's apples/oranges to Southwest.
