Where to Find the Gimhae Airport Limousine Bus near Busan Station!

I always go back to the Seoul (Incheon) or Busan (Gimhae) airport via bus. Although I can get there via subway or metro and the airport express trains, I don't want to lug around my big luggage (plus backpack) and walk up and down the stations - not to mention all the transfers and scarcity of elevators and escalators at the direction I want per station. If possible, this will also be a factor in choosing the hotel for that last day or for the whole trip - how close is the airport bus stop. During this trip, I spent a lot of time looking for the Gimhae Airport Limousine Bus Stop online but no useful information on where it is exactly. I tried the one over in front of the Lotte Hotel Seomyeon before also but I didn't want to stay in Seomyeon during this trip. And so two days before my departure date, I asked the information counter over at the Busan Station (as in KTX) and just got it's near Busan Station Metro Exit 6 with her limited English! I went to the site personally to find the bus sign and got the time table for a trouble-free departure day. =) Good news is I got to the airport in 40 minutes (without traffic) and the bus was right on time! So here are some of my tips and hopefully, some pictures to give you a glimpse about my experience.

Busan Business Hotel Review - Accommodation Near Seomyeon Station in Busanjin-Gu!

Our home in Busan for 2 nights during the Asiana tour was the newly opened Busan Business Hotel in Busanjin-gu. If you have an extra half day before you leave then you might just love the Seomyeon area where this hotel is located. Seomyeon has an underground shopping mall (like Seoul's Gangnam Underground Shopping Mall) with a lot of restaurants and stores like a big H&M store and Lotte Department Store with Duty Free above ground. Many thanks to the Busan Tourism Organization, Korea Tourism Organization and USTravel for introducing us to this hotel. Let me show you around in case you want to consider this establishment for your tour group or business trip. You can book this hotel here through Agoda.

The gang at the Busan Business Hotel lobby.

Interesting Places in Chungcheongnam-do and Chungcheongbuk-do near Seoul and Busan!

Fancy going on a Korea countryside experience? We were able to do this and more in around 2.5 days. Chungbuk Province (short for Chungcheongbuk-do) is around 1.5 hours away from Seoul via Korail (and Chungnam too) so it's not impossible to get there, probably more convenient to rent a car or tour company if you'd like to go to more places in this list. I would also like to introduce you to 2 condominium style resorts we stayed in both Chungnam and Chungbuk at for the whole package :)

 

The Happy Village 행복마을 Community Center in Busan!

This is going to be my last post on Busan for now. We were in for a surprise during this day! Let me tell you about a new place that's being developed mainly for foreigner spouses of Korean nationals. They have classes, workshops and get-togethers at The Happy Village building and a rooftop garden with a fantastic view. They also welcome travellers who want to do a short stay. :)

Other Interesting Places in Busan - Check Out the Tea Ceremony, Lotte Outlets, The Bay 101 and Many More!

I can't believe they were able to squeeze in all these in our itinerary in Busan! Do you like to shop quality stuff, eat local food, visiting historical places or participating in cultural experiences more? This post covers 7 completely different places you might want to consider for your next Busan trip. Many thanks to the Korea Tourism Organization Manila Office and Asiana Airlines Philippines for taking me to these places!

Pine Island and Pine Tree Park in Busan for the Laid-Back Traveller - The Songdo Beach Skywalk and Songrim Park!

Aside from getting you directly to places on a private bus or car, one of the advantages of being in a tour is that you get a sneak peek of what that place has to offer in a short amount of time. And during those brief encounters, I am able to pick among them which ones I'd like to go back to, and giving myself all the time I want there, the next time I return. Let me take you to Songdo Beach, Korea's first public beach that opened in the early 1900s, the new Songdo Skywalk and a pine tree haven in Songrim Park!

 

Busan Seaside and Coastline: Checking Out the Oryukdo Skywalk, Haeundae Beach and Busan Sea Life Aquarium!

I heard someone say that maybe because we have so many beaches in the Philippines, going to Korea in summer for the famed Haeundae Beach wouldn't be as exciting. Busan is so close to the open sea and the cliffside views are a sight to see starting with the Oryukdo Skywalk. As for the beach, I liked it because it's in the city unlike ours (where the closest is around 3 to 4 hours from Manila), it's summer there when it's rainy here and there's an underground aquarium if it gets too hot.

Busan Food Guide and Unique Eats: Centumcity Recommendations, Goresa Fishcake Making Workshop and Crab Town Dinner in Gijang!

I left you with Shinsegae's Centumcity in my last post. Today, I'm going to tell you some of the recommended restaurants so that you know exactly where to find them in this huge mall (and the other two below somewhere in Busan as well). Hehe. We spent the rest of the afternoon making fishcakes (and eating them too!) in a store that's been around since 1963! And later on, I had the honor of dining with folks over at the Busan Tourism Organization in a lesser known crab town in this port city of Korea! It was such a wonderful experience just slowing things down and not eating regular tour food. I would gladly advise you to include this to your itinerary and specifically ask your travel agency to arrange this for you on your next trip ;)

Spa Land at Shinsegae Centum City - Recommended Korean Jjimjilbang Spa Experience in Busan!

When you go to Busan, one of the things I'd like to recommend is spending at least half a day at Shinsegae's Spa Land. Inspired by the Koreanovelas I used to watch, I've dreamed of experiencing jjimjilbang (Korean style spa) like the locals in Korea. Sadly, I can't speak fluent Korean yet and so it's very hard to just walk-in into an authentic traditional one with the bowl with steam sign (you see them everywhere) by myself without a local guide or friend. I've heard you can even stay for the night or do all your showering in this type of Korean spa if you don't have anywhere to go instead of a hotel or your home. SpaLand is not 24 hours but it is unique to Busan. It's a more high-end jjimjilbang and hot spring resort because they incorporated Western comforts and concepts from all over the world like the urban baths of Japan. It appears more expensive (it's located in Centum City which is one of the, if not THE, world's largest department store as of 2009) but maybe you'll say it's worth the penny when you experience it for yourself starting with none of that awkwardness because you're a foreigner. I've been here a few years ago and just came back this month. I must say that they've upgraded this place with more amenities and choices for their guests, esp. the topmost floor. You can definitely go here, armed with just enough Korean won and English only as they will take care of the rest ;)

Which is Better - Airport Limousine Bus or Airport Express & Subway from Incheon or Gimhae International Airport? Why I Like Taking the Airport Bus to Seoul or Busan

Upon arriving via plane in Korea, I've often been in conflict whether to take the airport limousine bus or the airport express with subway (Seoul) / the (Busan) light rail with subway to and from the airport. Not sure which to take? Which one is better? Well, I always end up being reminded of the things in this post and I almost always take the airport bus to downtown Seoul or Busan (even in Hong Kong). During my recent trip to Seoul and Busan, I've delved deep into the reasons, encountered several things while taking the bus/subway and sought out the best possible ways given my situation. I want to share with you some pros, cons and warnings before you even go there so that you already know what to do when you land. The international airport nearest Seoul is in Incheon City while the closest to Busan is in Gimhae City. It takes around 45 minutes to get to downtown Seoul and Busan by airport bus. To each his own but I think some will apply to you guys and you might find my tips handy. I'm a luggage kind of gal, I have weekday flights mostly, I overpack at times, I go home with more stuff, I travel by myself sometimes and I usually have a whole day scheduled for the flight & getting settled in the hotel or homestay or guesthouse.

Where to Exchange Money in Busan and How to Find the Underground Art Street, Yummy Tteokpokki Place in Bupyeong Market and Cool Stores Artbox & 8ight Seconds near Nampodong Station!

During our free time in Busan, most of the people in our K-CLIP program end up going to Nampodong. The area gets quite busy from the afternoon until late at night. I've been there thrice myself in just 2 weeks this year during the K-CLIP 2014 (Korean Culture and Language Immersion Program) and each trip had a different purpose - one of them was to exchange some money USD on a weekend (no banks are open). By far, the latest trip I made is my favorite time next to that Nampo-dong date with J I told you about yesterday. So for this post, I'm gonna show you where to exchange your USD or other currency in Busan (2 ways), my all-time favorite Korean store for cool items and where to find that yummy tteokpokki place that's already open in the morning near Nampodong station. Hehe. I have spent around 2 hours there. Of course, it's very easy to lose track of time shopping, walking or eating. This time though, I walk at my own pace and go home on my own when I got tired ;)

Photo from our Busan City Tour

One Day in Busan Itinerary - Underground Shopping Mall, Yummy Bulgogi Lunch Feast at 큰집 Keun Jip Restaurant, Busan Modern History Museum,The Road to Busan Tower, Sunset and Night Scene in Nampo-dong!

I've been meaning to write this post for a while now. It was a beautiful date with J in Busan more than a year ago. I'll be doing a Nampo-dong series in the next few posts since I visited it again around thrice recently during my K-CLIP 2014 trip. Consider this my first (and super memorable) time and a short yummy food guide in that area. We didn't want to just go shopping with the others at Nampodong (has subway stop, we were there by 10:30 a.m.). So we went on our own around the area after a yummy bulgogi feast and had a blast exploring from late afternoon to sunset to early evening before meeting the others again for dinner! Of course, there's always a long route and we took that then found the shortcut after haha. Sometimes, it's the journey, the memories (sadly no couple photo LOL) and who you're with that make up a great adventure ;) ♥

Does Korea Have Tax Refund on Stores and Hotels? Yes! Here are My Tips on How to Get a Tax Refund in the Airports, Seaports and Downtown Seoul Korea!

If you're going on a shopping spree or staying in a hotel in South Korea (especially Seoul, Busan and Jeju), I suggest you read this guide on the proper procedure and some tips on getting your tax refund from the time you enter a store/hotel up to your departure at the airport ;) The VAT (value added tax) and luxury tax can be as high as 10% minus fees (~8%) so if all your purchases add up, you might just get some cash back for your next trip or use it to buy some food while waiting for your flight =)

*Pics from the Global Blue, Global Tax Free and Korea Tourism websites

Taekwondo Class at the Hyo Rim Taekwondo Academy in Busan and Yummy Korean Rice Burger from BonGousse 봉구스 밥버거 !

After 2 weeks of no exercise (except walking) in Korea, my heart rate finally picked up today during Taekwondo class! Haha. I've always been fascinated with martial arts and I would take it as an elective if I could when I was still a student. I loved the forms and kicking but I was just scared of sparring during my Taekwondo class in college (coz I got hit in the head) so I didn't think about actually experiencing a class in Korea haha. It was fun to be introduced to it again after a long time.

Korean University Student Life in Busan - Hangul Class, K-Movie Miss Granny and Best Cheese Tteokbokki Delivery!

During my last 2 Busan trips, I've come to conclusion that there are not as many sights here than in vibrant Seoul or my trips were really short. So when I found out that the K-CLIP 2014 program is going to be held at Pusan National University, I said that maybe I could appreciate Busan in a different light. Learning the Korean language (Hangeul / Hangul) has been in my list of things to do ever since I came here in 2009 because I've experienced how fun it is to travel around in China and other parts of Southeast Asia when I talk in Mandarin Chinese. There's no language barrier and you can freely express yourself in general. And so, I can say that I came here primarily to learn Hangeul in a university setting. In the last few 3 days, I've successfully (and finally) taken the first steps to fulfill that goal. I feel so lucky that the program includes much more than that and I will get to learn more about Korean culture from experts, meet more friends from 12 other countries and travel to cities near Busan as a bonus. On top of these, I also feel younger and this is like a blast from my past haha - being abroad, living simply with a roomie and hanging out in each other's dorm rooms.

International Language Institute Korean Language Classes at Pusan National University, Learning to Play the Korean Drum Janggu at the National Center for Korean Traditional Performing Arts in Busan!

Yesterday, we found out about our Korean class levels for the Korean Culture and Language (K-CLIP 2014) Immersion Program. Sadly, all the people in our little group are at the Intermediate and Advanced levels.. This will force me to make more friends though and take my studies seriously (thinking positive hehe). Because I was in full student mode, I was able to follow the fast pace. I'm so glad I took that free Hangeul class in Seoul as a starter. We also have Korean culture classes in the afternoon so for this day, we learned to play the Korean drums (used in samulnori) and sing folk songs at the National Center for Korean Traditional Performing Arts here in Busan. I loved the beat I made with the Janggu most :)

My K-CLIP 2014 Experience in Busan, Korea - Korean Culture and Language Immersion Program at the Pusan National University!

Our K-CLIP 2014 (Korean Culture and Language Immersion Program) in Busan started yesterday. I've been excited for things to start for a few months now. This 15-day program is organized by the Tourism Promotion Organization for Asia Pacific Cities (based in Korea). TPO is an international tourism organization with 72 member cities from all over the world (10 countries) and Manila is one of them. This post covers our opening day, placement tests and a Busan City Tour.

Our Wiki Korea Tour 2013 Episodes 1 2 3 4 5 on Channel M, Team Bibimbap's Route, More Things to Do and Places to Go in Korea!

The Wiki Korea Tour 2013 just finished airing on Channel M! It was shown in 10 countries: Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Myanmar, Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia, Philippines, Indonesia and Australia =) I didn't want to spoil it for you by spilling out all the details so I decided to wait a while. I myself didn't know what the other team, Team Bibimbap, did and was just amazed as I watched on TV =) One of the things I picked up is that I want to experience some of what they had! Haha. Overall, both teams (ours was Team ASF) had a wonderful time during the tour and it's something that all of us won't forget. Here are Wiki Korea Tour Episodes 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 that I got from the Buzz Korea Channel so that you can watch too (without commercial breaks haha)! This way, we can all start planning our 2014 Korea trips and discover a bit more about the 27 icons together ;) I'll tell you more about the Behind the Scenes of Team ASF's Wiki Korea trip in the next posts.

Team ASF (top to bottom, left to right): 
Oppa Ricky (Korean actor), Sunny (China), Kevin (KPOP star)
Lichee (China), Me (Philippines), Nisa (Indonesia), Mathi (France), Basmah (Saudi), Rai (Singapore)

Busan City Tour, Seafood and Seaside! How to Find the Taejongdae Clam Tents, Jagalchi Market, Korean Sashimi and Busan Beaches!

I'm not sure if you will be delighted or cringe like me with this post. We took the Busan City Tour Bus to get around. There are just things that one has to experience in Busan - first-timer or old-timer alike. Let me tell you about my misadventures in Busan now. Hopefully you will find your way with this post. Some Busan info: Summer (~August) is the "best" time to go to Busan, they say - it's the beach capital of Korea so there's you will definitely feel close to the water when you're here. Busan is located close to the Sea of Japan and it's an international port area so there's bound to be lots of seafood all-year-round. I'd like to introduce you to the idea of grandma divers in Korea too in this post (one of my things to do in Korea list) =)

Busan Day 1 - Metro, Kyungsung University, Seomyeon, Lotte, Centum City, Spa Land Shinsegae

I've been thinking about how I travel lately, particularly what I love to do first after I've arrived in a city that I haven't been to before. I've been able to sum it up into five general activities - getting lost (or what I call finding my way), walking far (or finding an easier route afterwards), looking for transport (or trying out the subway or bus), eating local food (by imitation or pointing) and scouting the area. I am generally more patient with the getting lost part on the first to second day and I consider it an inevitable part of the journey. With this in mind, let me tell you all about my first day in Busan, Korea. You might just see all of the above hahaha. Don't worry, I love going ahead and experiencing all these so that when you go and I go back, both of us are informed and we all know better.