Busan, South Korea

I definitely feel Busan gets overlooked. Yes, it is easy to fly into Seoul and chill around there, but Busan is only a 2.5hr train ride away from Seoul. Busan is the second largest city in South Korea. If you want to escape from Seoul, then head down to Busan. Busan has a calming atmosphere and it is easy to relax at one the amazing beaches. I’m currently living Busan as an English teacher. In this review, I will cover a few of the category topics.

Things To Do: It depends on how long you’re planning to stay in Busan, but you can do anything from visiting temples to eating at food markets. Here are 5 fun things to do in Busan:

Busan Tower- You can get a brilliant view of the Busan’s port from a 120-metre high tower.

SpaLand- Spa Land consists of 22 spas fed by two different kinds of all-natural spring water pumped up from 1000m underground, 13 distinctively themed ‘Jjimjil-bangs’ and saunas, and an open-air foot spa. This place is pretty amazing! You can eat, sleep, get massages, play games, and do much more. You only have four hours, but that’s just enough time to enjoy everything.

Gamcheon Culture Village- after being revitalized in 2009, this former slum is now known as the ‘Machu Picchu of Busan’. Gamcheon’s houses are all painted different colors, and within them, tiny streets and steep stairways lead you to street art a-go-go, with public sculptures scattered throughout.
Haeundae Beach- Haeundae Beach is only 40 minutes on the train from Busan station, or an hour from Gimhae airport. It is considered one of South Korea’s most beautiful beaches.

Haedong Yonggung Temple- Haedong Yonggung Temple is one of the few temples in South Korea that overlooks the sea (most are up in the mountains), and is thus one of its most beautiful. Plus with its proximity to Haeundae Beach, it’s super easy to get to, too.

Affordability:
I think Busan is very affordable, definitely more than Seoul. Of course, it depends on what you want to do and see. I think spending between 50-100 dollars a day is reasonable for touristy things.

Relaxation:
Since Busan has 4 amazing beaches, it is easy just to relax on each one. Haeundae, Gwangalli (the Gwangalli bridge is in the movie Black Panther), Songdo and Dadaepo. My favorite beach is Dadaepo, it is the most overlooked beach because it is the furthest from all the “action” and it has the least amount of people. You can also hike around to a more private part of the beach. I avoid Haeundae beach at all cost because it is the most iconic beach in Korea, bustling Haeundae is visited by thousands of local and foreign tourists each year.

Local Food:
Here is a list of at least 5 foods you need to try in Busan.

Ssiat hotteok- Busan specializes in ssiat hotteok or a seed pancake. It is rice flour dough is stuffed with a sugar and cinnamon mixture before being shallow fried in a pan of butter or oil. Once golden and crispy it’s cut open and filled with pumpkin, sunflower and sesame seeds.
Korean Street Toast-One of Korea’s most popular snacks is Korean Street Toast. Two slices of white bread are slathered with butter and sandwich an omelet, cabbage, tomato sauce and sprinkled sugar. It’s sweet, savory, buttery goodness.

Jagalchi Market Fish- If you love seafood, hit up the fish market! Jagalchi Fish market is the biggest seafood market in Korea. It’s a bustling, exciting place to visit to spend a couple of hours watching the vendors selling and customers buying every type of seafood imaginable. Head to the vendors who set up shop outside the market and find the restaurants serving fried fish lunch sets. An assortment of fish including freshly fried hair tail and flounder, together with soup, rice and banchan make up this mouthwatering meal

Korean BBQ- I could eat Korean BBQ every day, three times a day. There are so many Korean BBQ places, at least one on every corner. Korean BBQ is usually served with pork, but there are places with beef.

Choryang Milmyeon- this is basically cold noodles served in an icey dish. The Korean noodles are made of wheat, making the texture chewy. Noodles are usually served long, so a pair of scissors can be found on every table, meant for cutting these noodles.

Nightlife:
Texas Street
Those who want a bit of a higher-stakes evening can take a stroll onto Texas Street, the region of Busan famous for catering to sailors. Interestingly, many bars here are owned by foreigners, especially Russians, rather than Koreans. Many run twenty-four hours of the day, so real night owls can find interesting company at any hour.

Soemyeon
An area famous for clubs, bars, and shopping, Soemyeon has a lot of quality in a small location as it’s by far the most crowded region in the city. Visitors who want to cruise the clubs in Soemyeon will pay top dollar but see the very best of the city’s nightlife. Clubs like Hollywood are almost always packed until the very break of dawn itself.

Gwangalli
There are a strip of bars along the beach. When you get tired, people usually sit on the beach and drink while shooting of fireworks.

Traveling While Black (this is MY experience):
I absolutely love Korea and have been living here since 2016. I have great experiences with the locals and with being the only black teacher in my school. I feel respected here and appreciated in the school where I work. When I do travel around the country, I do not have any problems. I use my translation app to communicate and keep it basic. The locals leave you alone and of course they stare, but overall, I like the energy Korea gives off. It’s a cool country and if you have the chance to visit, you should!