South Korea & Japan
South Korea, Japan - Seoul, Busan, Jeju Island, Tokyo - Sep 04 - 21, 2024
Travelling to Seoul, South Korea
We have been wishing to visit South Korea for many years as we are big fans of KDramas. The only thing keeping us from it was the flight cost which was never within our budget limits. But this year ZIPAIR announced that it will start flights between Vancouver and Narita Airport Tokyo. ZIPAIR is a Japanese low-cost airline that offers no free food or drinks onboard, no entertainment just Wi-Fi but the cost of the tickets is 30-50% lower than the alternatives. Even after booking flights from Tokyo to Seoul with South Korean airline JejuAir, the overall flight cost was still very affordable. Because we arrived late in the evening at Seoul Incheon Airport, which is at about 60 km distance of downtown Seoul, we arranged with the hotel for an airport pick-up shuttle which was about CAD 95.
Willing to experience some of South
Korea’s most known attractions we planned a bold itinerary that included
spending time in Seoul, Busan and Jeju Island.
Best Things to Do in Seoul
Seoul is South Korea’s
capital and a city with a lot of history and many must see attractions so
no matter how many days you spend in this metropolis it will never be enough to
explore everything as a tourist.
Built as a secondary palace to Gyeongbokgung Palace which was the primary one, it was the favourite palace of many Joseon kings, built in the harmony with nature and is regarded as the most Korean-style palace. Here is where the last descendants of the royal family lived and passed away but also the place where the infamous Korea-Japan Treaty of 1910 was signed, starting the period of Japanese rule in Korea that lasted until 1945. The entrance fee was KRW 3,000 (roughly 1 Euro or US Dollar = 1500 Korean Won KRW)
Situated behind the
Changdeokgung Palace, the Secret Garden is a vast green space with landscaped
lawns, trees, flowers, pavilions and a lotus pond. In the past, because it was
built for the private use of the king, it was called the Forbidden Garden but
today Koreans often call it the Secret Garden and can be visited only by
purchasing a general admission ticket to the palace and booking a guided tour
which cost KRW 5,000. The tour was about 90 minutes long and the guide shared
with us a lot of informative details about the history of the place.
Considered the most popular
mural village in Seoul, this hillside area has various murals hidden on its
alleys and very fun to discover.
Also named Hanyangdoseong, it was built 620 years ago as a defensive wall to defend the Joseon capital city Hanseongbu. The 18.6 km wall follows the ridges of four main mountains surrounding the center of Seoul and has four main gates and four auxiliary gate. We only walked a short section of the wall, in the Dongdaemun City Wall Park but there is a well-travelled walking trail atop and beside the wall for its entire length.
Here we also visited the Seoul City Wall Museum which displays exhibits of the history and culture of the City Wall from the Joseon Dynasty to the present time and has a free entrance.
DDP is a multi-cultural
complex with a modernistic design, a fashion hub with retail stores, exhibition
places and a busy outdoor public space. When we visited, the place was buzzing
with photographers and fashion models, various companies offering their
promotional items and tourists like us taking photos with this futuristic
looking building.
The tower is a symbol of
Seoul and the most recognizable landmark in the city. Built on Namsam Mountain,
it is a communication and observation tower with amazing views of Seoul. To get
at the top you can either take a ride with Namsan Cable Car for KRW 15,000
return ticket or by walking/hiking there which we preferred. The walking trail
takes you through the beautiful Namsan Park and is mostly a series of stairs
with many lookout points along the way. There is also a shuttle bus from
Myeongdong Station to the tower and only costs KRW 1,400. The Namsan Mountain
top is also known for its “love locks’ area where couples attach colourful
padlocks as a symbol of their everlasting love.
This night market is one of
the best spots to sample the most popular street foods in Korea such as
tteokboki, fish cakes, hotteok, sweet fish shaped buns, gimbap. We spent almost
every evening strolling around and trying the local delicacies.
The area of Gwanghwamun
Plaza had an historical significance ever since the Joseon period and it is the
central point of Seoul. Two statues, the statue of Admiral Yi Sun-Shin and the
statue of King Sejong the Great of Joseon are situated at the center of the
plaza. The Square connects the Gwanghwamun Gate of Gywongbokgung Palace and
Cheonggye Square and is used for many cultural, political events or for
shooting many of the most famous Korean television drama series.
Gywongbokgung Palace and the Royal Guard Changing
Ceremony
Royal Guard Changing Ceremony is one of the main events happening here every day,
except Tuesdays, at 10:00 and 14:00 and is free. The location of the ceremony
is in front of the main gate, Gwanghwamun Gate, and is a re-enactment of the
ceremony performed by the royal guards during the Joseon Dynasty. We also watched
the public training of the royal guards that is scheduled daily at 9:35 and
13:35 for 15 minutes.
Gywongbokgung Palace and Renting a Hanbok in Seoul
Gywongbokgung Palace is the main palace of the Joseon Dynasty and the
largest and most beautiful of the five royal palaces in Seoul. A visit here
gives you a glimpse into the history and cultural heritage of the country. The
entrance fee is KRW 3,000 and is free for people wearing a hanbok, like I did. A
“hanbok” is the traditional clothing of South Korean people. One of the most
popular things to do in Seoul is wearing a hanbok especially when visiting
palaces. Wearing one is appreciated by the locals and seen as your love for
Korean traditional culture and the palaces will even waive the entrance fee if
you do it. There are many hanbok rental places close to Gywongbokgung Palace,
for various fees depending how long do you want to rent the hanbok, whether or
not you want your hair done and what kind of accessories you need. My rental
was KRW 15,000 for whole day, KRW 10,000 for doing my hair plus free
accessories.
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National Palace Museum of Korea
Next we visited this free
museum located on the grounds of Gywongbokgung Palace. The museum displays
exhibits and information about the culture, history, politics and life of the
Joseon Dynasty and the Korean Empire.
The National Folk Museum of Korea
Located also on the grounds
of Gywongbokgung Palace, the Folk Museum offers an insight into the daily lives
of the Korean people in the past and the entrance is also free.
This historic village is
home to hundreds of original or restored traditional houses, called hanok,
dating back 600 years. As it became more and more one of the top destinations
in Seoul, the Korean government also renovated some hanoks as cultural centers,
tea houses, coffee shops or restaurants which attracted more tourists. People
still live in this neighbourhood and tourists tend to be noisy so this creates
tension sometimes and the residents very often display signs to advise against
too much noise or loitering.
Cheonggyecheon Stream is a 11 km man made water flow in heart of Seoul where people go to relax and socialize and was one of our favourite places in Seoul. The water is very clean, with small fish living in it which attracts egrets, easy to spot feeding here. The stream is sprinkled with stone crossings and bridges and is popular to visit both during he day and at night. The authorities provide even special foam chairs for the comfort of the people and it is common to soak your fee in the cold water during a hot summer day. The Cheonggyecheon Stream is also a famous filming location for many K-dramas.
The three sections of the original Berlin Wall can be found in Berlin Square (Cheonggyecheon-ro near Samilgyo Bridge). It was
received from Germany in 2005 as a symbol of hope for Korean unification. And
the bear statue installed next to it is a symbol of Berlin.
While not a tourist
attraction and located central in Seoul, the new City Hall is a beautiful glass
structure with a unique architecture and design. In front of it is the old city
hall which currently houses the Seoul Metropolitan Library.
Deoksugung Palace is the
major royal palace of Daehan Empire. Even if smaller than the other palaces, on
its grounds there are many traditional palace buildings, beautiful gardens and
the National Museum of Art.
DMZ Tour from Seoul
Taking a tour to the DMZ or
demilitarized zone is a must do experience when visiting Seoul. We booked our
tour online through Viator before departing to Seoul. We paid also to see the
Red Suspension Bridge which was optional. There is a mandatory requirement for
the tour to have your passport with you as there will be check points before
getting into the DMZ, where military personnel will check the passports of all
passengers. The drive from Seoul to first stop takes about one hour.
The itinerary of our tour
took us to the following places:
Our first stop was at the
Tourist Information Center where the guides submit the requests for permit into
DMZ zone. While waiting for approval we visited the park, which was
built to console the refugees who left North Korea during the Korean War. Among
the many attractions found in the park are the Freedom Bridge, a bridge with
the temporary purpose of exchanging 12,773 POWs of the Korean War, and the
Steam Locomotive, a symbol of the division of Korea, bombed and derailed during
the Korean War.
This attraction is also
optional and possible to be done while waiting for the DMZ permit. This is the
world’s first gondola that operates on the Civilian Control Zone (CCL). The
gondola passes above Imjin River and offers good views of the DMZ. On the other
side we visited Camp Greaves, a former military base transformed into a museum.
The ticket for the ride was KRW 9,000 per person.
The tunnel, discovered in
1978, is 1,675 meters long, 73 meters deep and it is one of the four known
tunnels under the border between North Korea and South Korea. Tourists can only
explore 265 meters from the entrance. It is said that has the capacity of
moving an entire division per hour. Before going in you have to put all your
belongings into lockers (no pictures allowed), pass through a detector and get
equipped with a hard hat.
A village of around 160
families and the biggest of the three villages within the Civilian Control
Zone.
Red Suspension Bridge (Gamaksan Suspension Bridge)
After the bus stopped we
took a short hike up from the road on a well maintained trail and reached a
viewpoint offering beautiful vistas of the bridge and surrounding area. The
bridge is 150 meters long and when it was open it was the longest suspension
bridge of South Korea.
Odusan Unification Observation Deck
This observation deck is
only 2 km distance from North Korea. For us this was the highlight of the DMZ
Tour, being able to look at North Korea side through powerful free binoculars
and listening to the weird interference noises coming from the speakers in
North Korea.
Located in the heart of
downtown Seoul, Myeongdong Cathedral is the seat of Archbishop of Seoul and the
symbol of the presence of the Catholic Church in Korea.
Chong Da Wae – The Blue House of South Korea
The place served as
official presidential residence and office between 1948 and 2022. In order to
visit we had to make reservations 4 weeks in advance and the entrance is free.
On site tickets are available too, twice a day, at 9:00 and 13:30 at the
Tourist Information Center at the main gate but in limited number. Once inside
we visited the Main Building which was used for the president’s office, the
First Lady’s office, but also for receptions, press conferences or high rank
ministers and officials Cabinet meetings. All the buildings were built in the
traditional Korean style and the main office roofs were beautifully designed
using blue tiles that gave it the name Blue House. Walking around on the paths,
surrounded by greenery and old trees and with Bugaksan mountain in the
background, was a pleasure.
Lotte Tower is a 555
meters’ tall skyscraper, located in Songpa district, south of Han river, and is
the sixth tallest building in the world. The Seoul Sky Observatory is located
at the top of the building offering amazing 360 degrees’ views of the city. It
is opened daily and a ticket costs KRW 31,000. On the tower’s floors there also
retail stores, an aquarium, a cinema and a hotel.
The library is located in
Gangnam district, inside the underground COEX Mall and is open to all book
lovers or tourists like us coming to admire its futuristic design with ceiling
high shelves arranged around the walls. The light that passes through the
all-glass roof and windows gives the library a higher spatial dimension adding
to its beauty.
Gangnam’s Yeongdong-daero Street
The term Gangnam means
“south of the Han river” and Gangnam district is the third largest district in
Seoul and one of the most famous Korean districts in the world. A walk on
Yeongdong-daero street is very pleasant as the street is flanked with imposing
office skyscrapers and interesting statues and monuments.
A short walk from the Starfield Library we visited Bongeunsa Temple, a Budhist Temple with a long history, founded during United Shilla Dynasty. The temple and its gardens are a peaceful and tranquil place amidst the modern and busy Gangnam neighbourhood.
This traditional market is
one of the best places to taste cheap local food in Seoul. The market alleys
and streets are lined up with lots of food stalls, shops, clothes, flowers,
kitchenware. You can basically find almost everything here at a better price
than anywhere in Seoul. The market is open daily between 9 am-5 pm but we
visited on some days even later and there were still plenty of vendors selling
their goods.
This free museum was beyond
our expectations. With so many indoor exhibitions displayed in the museum’s building
but also outdoor exhibits like aircraft, warships, tanks and other large
weaponry, we spent a whole morning here. The place was established to
commemorate the military history of Korea and the sacrifice of all those that
put their lives on the line to help the Korean people.
One subway station away
from the War Memorial we visited two museums located next to each other, both
with free entrance, National Hangeul Museum and National Museum of Korea.
Hangeul Museum is a museum dedicated to the evolution and history of the Korean
alphabet named Hangeul. We did not spend too much time inside as the exhibits' descriptions were all in Korean alphabet characters.
This is the most
representative and the largest museum in South Korea. Relics and artifacts from
ancient to the modern times are displayed on its three floors, with the left
side representing the past and the right side of the museum representing
future. The space in the middle, is called “the path of history”, the bridge
that connects the past and the future.
Banpo Bridge and Seoul Floating Islands
Banpo Bridge is a major
double-decked bridge over the Han River and a major attraction mostly for its
Moonlight Rainbow Fountain and light shows. We crossed the bridge during the
day to see the three man-made floating islands, a culture complex used for
restaurants, water sport facilities, performances, exhibitions and conferences.
After more than half a day
in the museums we walked through the Itaewon District, another famous
neighbourhood in Seoul, known for popular restaurants, cool pubs and lively
atmosphere in the evenings.
Various other places in Seoul
Travelling by train from Seoul Station to Busan
As our next destination was
Busan, south of the country, we decided to make the trip there by train. We
purchased tickets online in advance, from Korail website, the national railway
operator in South Korea. After doing some research we realized that the cost of
the tickets offered by Korail is almost half than those offered by Rail
Ninja website, therefore we paid KRW 42,600 per ticket on the Express train and the
ride took 5 hours. The departure started at Seoul Station, the major train
station in Seoul, a spacious glass and steel structure and the main hub for the
high speed trains.
2 Days in Busan
Busan is the second largest
city in South Korea and a large port known for its beaches, temples and
mountains. Being very hilly and spread out we had to rely more on public
transportation. We spent two days in Busan but we wish we had more.
Considered the largest
seafood market in South Korea, Jagalchi Market is housed in a new modern
building with glass walls to emphasize transparency and opening to the city. The
place is huge and you can find a large variety of fresh fish and all sorts of seafood.
The vendors are on the first floor and if you want to taste anything, you can
choose your food and they cook it and serve it to you in the restaurants
upstairs. But you can also go and eat directly to the upstairs restaurants and
order straight from them for a cheaper price. Visiting the market was a
different experience, taking in all the strong smell and colourful sea
creatures in the containers, some we never even knew they existed. Also, all
the alleys around the market and along the waterfront were filled with vendors selling
fresh and dried fish and seafood, vegetables, traditional Korean spices and
other products.
Walking along the
waterfront, we came across this nice square, offering the best views of the
Jagalchi Market and of Yeongdo Bridge, the first and only bascule bridge in
South Korea and East Asia. We had fun taking photos with the square’s mascot,
the Laughing Lighthouse.
On the first full day in
Busan we went to Seongdo Marine Cable Car for a ride but arrived too early.
While waiting for the ticket office to open we spent some time walking around
on the Songdo Cloud Trails, a beach skywalk with nice coastal views, which was
located across the street.
Songdo Marine Cable Car
From Songdo Bay Station to
Songdo Skypark we had an enjoyable 20 minutes ride taking in the amazing
surrounding scenery of the ocean, the city and the natural cliff formations.
The round trip for a person was KRW 17,000.
Amnan Park and Songdo Yonggung Suspension Bridge
Songdo Yonggung Suspension
Bridge, also called Cloud Bridge, connects Amnam Park with the small Dongseom
Island. It is another place with beautiful 360 degree views for only KRW 1,000
entrance fee for person.
Amnam Park is a coastal
ecological park and a forested area, reachable by the Songdo Cable Car, with
many criss-crossing well maintained walking and hiking trails, with suspension
bridges, photo spots and observatories.
After the ride back with
Songdo Cable Car we took a stroll on Songdo Beach, a man-made public beach. The
beach and the surrounding attractions, Songdo Cloud Trail, Songdo Cable Car,
Songdo Yonggung Suspension Bridge, all went trough major transformations to
bring in more tourists. You can spend a pleasant half day in the area visiting,
hiking and enjoying the nature.
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It was first established as
a refugee camp for people running away from the devastation of the Korean War
in the 1950s. The village offers a glimpse into how Busan looked like decades
ago, with houses that line the foot of the mountain and maze-like stairs. The
exterior of the houses and the alleys are beautifully adorned with colourful
murals transforming Gamcheon Culture Village into one of the most popular
attractions. Some shops even sell maps showing all the important spots not to
be missed and the village is buzzing with tourists wandering around trying to
reach and take a photo with all of them.
The street was established
after Korea’s independence in 1945 by refugees and evacuees from North Korea,
who going through hard financial times, started to sell their possessions and
books but also books and magazines left behind by the American soldiers. This
attracted students and intellectuals also in need to buy books at affordable
prices. The alley is still filled with second-hand retailers and is regarded as
a major cultural and historical place in Busan
Gukje Market and Bupyeong
KKangtong Market in its vicinity, is a place where you can find everything,
from clothing or souvenirs to kitchenware and fresh vegetables or have a
delicious meal of typical Korean food.
Busan Diamond Tower and Yongdusan Park
Yongdusan Park is located
on Yongdu Mountain and Busan Diamond Tower stands on top. Throughout the park
there is a flower clock, a photo zone, monuments and the “Citizens Bell” which
rings every year in March on Liberation Day and also at the end of the year.
Busan Tower is 120-meter-high and is just an observation tower with panoramic
views of Busan Port. To get to the park you can either hike on the road or use
its colorful lighted escalators which connect Nampo-dong area with the park.
BIFF Square is located in
Jung district and is the birthplace of Busan International Film Festival (BIFF)
held here annually, the home of the first cinema in Korea and of the first film
production company. The square is also packed with food stalls and dining tents
making it one of the best places to eat street traditional food in Busan.
Haeundae Sky Capsule
We started our second day
in Busan with a ride on the Haeundae Sky Capsule located in Haeundae district.
The Sky Capsule is a coastal train with colourful capsule wagons that runs on
an elevated track between Mipo, Cheongsapo and Songjeon Station near Haeundae
Beach. The ticket for 2 persons between Mipo Station and Cheongsapo Station is KRW
35,000. Tickets are sold mainly online but as much as we tried we were not able
to do it. They also sell a limited number of tickets at the ticket office and
we went early to make sure we get them. The ride between the two station is 2
km and the train runs with an average speed of 4 km/hr. It takes about 30
minutes one way, therefore plenty of time to enjoy the coastal scenery and to
take plenty of pictures from your “private” capsule. There is also a Beach
Train that operates between the stations and some people choose to go by sky
capsule train one way and take the beach train for return. The weather was very
nice so we chose to walk back to Mipo Station. There is a wooden walking path built
between the railway line and the sea and with secondary trails to observation
decks, or down to the beach. Walking back gave us the opportunity to enjoy the
views at our own pace and to take pictures of the sky capsules that run side by
side with the path.
Haeundae Beach is the most
famous beach in Busan and one of the most popular attractions in the city.
A short walk from the beach
we went to Haeundae Market, one of the cheapest places to eat in Busan, popular
with locals and tourists.
Dongbaek Park is located at
the southern end of Haeundae Beach, on the Dongbaekseom Island and is known for
the natural landscape of camellia and fragrant pine trees. It is a nice place
to take a walk on the island’s Coastal Trail.
Registered in the World Guinness
Book as the largest store in the world, the place has high end retail stores, a
relaxing roof garden, a spa, an ice-skating ring and even an impressive 60 tee
golf driving range.
Seomyeon Shopping District
Spread out on the streets
and boulevards around Seomyeon, Bujeon and Jeonpo subway stations, this lovely
and bustling area is packed with restaurants, bars, coffee shops, department
stores and underground malls.
Other various places in Busan
Must-See Attractions in Jeju
Jeju Island, the largest
island of South Korea is a volcanic island located south of the Korea
peninsula. Due to its natural beauty and unique landscape, such as Hallasan
Mountain, the highest mountain in South Korea, the world’s longest underground
lava tube or the crater-marked landscape, it was recognized as a UNESCO World
Natural Heritage Site and a Global Geopark and Biosphere Reserve. The island is
also known for its unique local cuisine and for its sweet and juicy
mandarins. We spent 3 days in Jeju but you can easily spend more days, the
island being sprinkled with stunning attractions and the famous Grandfather
Stones. These are black rock statues of different sizes made by local masons
over the centuries and it is believed they provide fertility and protection,
being considered guardians of the island. We had to take the bus every day
but that was not a problem because the bus network features more than 45 lines
of express, tourist and regular buses that cover the entire island at an
affordable price.
Located at the outskirts of
the Sarabong Park, the lighthouse offers clear views of the Jeju Port and of
the city.
Sarabong Park situated on a 143-meter-high hill, is highly frequented by the locals
for walking and hiking. On our walk we also came across a nice temple and some
historical monuments.
While visiting Jeju City is
nice to take a stroll along the city’s waterfront, starting at the Red
lighthouse, then pass by Seobudo Myeongpum Raw Fish Street, a popular spot to
eat live seafood, pass by Tapdong Plaza, a hangout public space favoured by
local residents or just walk along the esplanade, beautifully designed with
colourful sea creatures patterns and statues.
Yongyeon Suspension Bridge and Yongduam Rock
The bridge overpasses a
small river and Yongyeon Pond and many tourists walk the path that goes over
the bridge and along the area’s cliffs on their way to the famous tourist
destination, Yongduam Rock. This cliff formation is called also the “Dragon’s
Head” and it is said to be the head of a dragon that lived in the Dragon’s King
Palace beneath the sea who was turned into stone when attempted to reach
heaven.
Jejumok Gwana Government Office
This is actually the area
where the original government offices were located in the past. After the
remains of the buildings were found as a result of excavations, a restoration
project started and these buildings from the time of Joseon Dynasty were
restored. We really enjoyed the place as we wandered around and explored the
inside of each building allowing our minds to travel to the past for few
moments.
Dongmun Market is the oldest
permanent market in the city and is open all day long, from 8 am to 9 pm. It is a very
popular place with tourists, you can shop here for everything, souvenirs,
vegetables, fruits, the island’s famous fresh mandarins, juices or chocolates
containing mandarins or you can sample various local treats at the many food
stalls.
We spent our second day on
Jeju Island on the southern coast visiting Jusangjeollidae Cliff and
Cheonjiyeon Falls. To get there was easy, we took a local bus to Jeju Bus
Terminal, which is the main hub for buses in Jeju and from there we took bus
600 to Jeju International Convention Center, and then we had a pleasant 500
meters walk to the Jusangjeollidae Visitor Center. On our walk we passed by the
African Museum, which is housed into a building with a similar look as the
Great Mosque of Djenne in Mali. The entrance fee to the Jusangjeollidae Cliff
was only KRW 2,000. The Cliff’s name, Jusangjeolli, means in Korean “columnar
jointing” which describes perfectly how this volcanic rock formation looks
like. The waves that crush into the hexagonal pillars create a spectacle for
the eyes and even blowholes pushing the water up to 20 meters into the air,
emphasizing the nature's power and beauty.
Walking to Cheonjiyeon
Falls we came across Beritnae Oreum Trail, a very well maintained 1 km loop trail,
surrounded by abundant vegetation and with nice views of the coast at the top.
Seonim Bridge is a
beautifully red and white painted bridge that stands out from a distance
surrounded by the green landscape. The bridge crosses over Cheonjiyeon
waterfalls and offers nice views of the stream and the valley below.
Cheonjeyeon Falls is a
series of three waterfalls, one more beautiful and spectacular than the other.
The path taking you to each one of them is well maintained and very well marked
and each one of them has an observation deck where you admire the waterfalls
and take plenty of pictures. Visiting all three waterfalls involves a lot of
going up and down stone-like stairs and requires good hiking shoes as it could
be very slippery. It makes for a good workout with amazing views.
Nuwemaru Pedestrian Shopping Street
A nice place to take a
stroll is the pedestrian shopping street in Yeon neighbourhood, where our hotel
was. The street is lined up with restaurants, bars, souvenir shops and the
Night Market located here is a cheap place to eat local food.
Seongsan Illchulbong Tuff Cone
We fell in love with Jeju
many years ago while seeing pictures of the Seongsan Illchulbong Tuff Cone. To
get there you can take either Bus 101 or Bus 111 from Jeju Bus Terminal and the
ride is about 1 hour and half. This UNESCO World Heritage Site is situated on
the east coast of Jeju and is one of the most beautiful tourist sites on the
island. Formed thousands of years ago through a series of volcanic eruptions
which created a big bowl-shaped crater covered in lush vegetation, it attracts
lots of tourists. As soon we passed the ticket booth we found ourselves on a
well maintained moderate trail that took us to the summit. We visited on a
rainy day but still enjoyed the breathtaking beauty of this natural attraction.
The admission fee was KRW 5,000.
After we finished the hike
to Seongsan Illchulbong we walked the path to the right and down a series of
stairs to the waterside. Here is the place where the Haenyeo Divers Show is
usually held with shows daily at 1:30 pm and 3:00 pm. Unfortunately, the day of
our visit fell during the Chuseok holiday (the Korean Thanksgiving Day) and
there were no shows. Haenyeo are women divers over 60 years old and they have an old
history on Jeju island. They dive to depths of 10-20 meters in wetsuits and
without use of any breathing apparatus, to collect abalone, octopus, clams or
seaweed, an old tradition from the times when rice was difficult to grow in
Jeju and seafood was the main source of food. Nowadays the number of haenyeos
is diminishing but they still attract a lot of tourists. Not being able to see
the show, we went to Haenyeo’s House, a small restaurant at the base of the
stairs and had a delicious abalone porridge prepared by them and after that wandered
around the rocky shore nearby enjoying the stunning views of the cliffs around
us.
Seongsan Village Coastal Walk
We continued our walk along
the beautiful shores of Seongsan Village, and by the Haeilri Pool and Spa Hotel. The hotel has few nice structures on its grounds set up for taking
pictures by its guests or by the tourists wandering around the village.
Various pictures taken on Jeju Island
Incheon International Airport and How to travel between Banpo and Incheon Airports
We left South Korea on our way to Tokyo by flying from Jeju Airport with a stop over in Seoul. But we arrived first at Banpo Airport and had to change airports as the final departure was from Incheon Airport. We managed to get from one airport to the other by using the AREX Airport Railroad Train. The AREX train is located on B1 Floor and to get to it you just have to follow the blue AREX signs and to buy your ticket at a ticket vending machine. If purchasing a single ticket, an additional KRW 100 will be added to the fare. There is also a KRW 500 deposit charge that will be added but this is refundable at the destination station using the refund deposit machine. The fare is KRW 4,650 one way per person.
Incheon Airport is the main international airport in Seoul and is housed in a nice modern building. Our layover went by quickly as the airport has various performances happening near the gates to promote Korean culture. We were able to watch a musical performance on “gayageum”, a traditional Korean musical instrument and even the re-enactment of the formal changing of the royal guard ceremony. These are not the only ways to spend your time at the airport, there is also a casino, a golf course, a spa, a museum, indoor gardens and even an ice skating ring.
Our tips when travelling to Korea
Download the Naver Map or Kakao Map App
Google Maps App does not
work in Korea because of government regulations which don’t allow the export of
Korean map data for national security purposes. So downloading either the Naver
Map App or Kakao Map App becomes necessary. We used Naver App and found it to
be easy to use, you can see when your bus or subway is arriving or see the
schedules of all modes of transportation. The app language can be changed
somewhat to English but the destinations will sometimes be in Korean. It is
best to save the places you are going to visit before travelling.
Buy a T-Money card
The card can be used on all
buses and subway lines across Korea but also on taxi, attractions, in the
convenience stores and anywhere where the T-money logo is displayed. The card
is a time saver by not having to buy tickets for each journey and also for the
fact that more and more buses moved away from accepting cash payments.
Carry some cash
Exchanging some of your
money in Korean currency is recommended as many street vendors will only accept
cash.
Learn some basic words and greetings in Korean
This shows respect for the
Korean culture and the locals will really appreciate it. Many Koreans speak and
understand English but a translation app will also help if you travel in more
rural areas in the country.
2 Days in Tokyo
Getting from Narita International Airport to Tokyo
downtown
The cheapest option to get
to downtown Tokyo is to travel by the airport bus TYO-NRT, it takes 65 minutes,
depending on traffic but only cost us Y1,500 per person to Tokyo Station. The
bus leaves from the bus platforms in front of Narita Airport and the final stop
is at Tokyo Station Nihonbashi Gate. To get from Tokyo to Narita we took the
bus from Tokyo Station Yaesu South Gate, platform 7,8 or 9. The buses run every
10 min and tickets for these buses can only be purchased at Narita ticket
counters which are usually located inside the airport, close to the platforms.
When at Tokyo station the tickets can be purchased inside the station, at
vending machines close to the bus platforms.
Top attractions in Tokyo
Being our second time in
Tokyo and having only two days to spend, some of the attractions were new while
some we enjoyed the most last year, we revisited.
Tokyo Station is the
largest and the busiest train terminal in Japan. It is an entire
complex of buildings, malls, major bus terminal and an extensive system of
underground passages merging with commercial buildings and shopping centres nicknamed Tokyo Station City. The original red brick building station is
located in Marunouchi business district near the Imperial Palace grounds and it
was opened in 1914. The original building was completely destroyed during WW2
but the replacement station was renovated in 2012 to resemble the original
building’s great architecture.
Even if we visited the
garden on our last year trip to Tokyo we enjoyed it as much as first time as
this is one of the best green spaces in Tokyo, and is located in front of
Imperial Palace. While walking you can enjoy the Kuromatsu pine trees, rest on
a bench or enjoy the historical castle gates and moats on one side and the
skyscraper panorama on the other side.
The Imperial Palace in
Tokyo can be visited by advance registration or with same-day tickets which is
riskier, because of the limited spots available online and at the gate. That is
why we could not visit the palace on our last year trip to Japan. The tour
started with gathering into the Visitor’s House where we listened to the
history of the palace and were told the itinerary. The
tour is offered in multiple languages, English, Spanish, Chinese and Japanese.
After that we were divided in groups based on the preferred language. Our
English guide was very friendly and knowledgeable and shared with us a lot of
details about each building we visited. The tour does not include a tour of the
interior of the buildings because the location is an active official site. The Imperial
Palace with its grounds is actually located on the site of the former
residential palace of the Tokugawa Shoguns in the Edo Period.
Among the most important
buildings we visited were:
Fujimi-yagura, a three
storied keep, reconstructed as a watch towers and one of the oldest remnants of
Edo Castle.
Imperial Household Agency Building, which is the head office of the Imperial Palace
Kyuden (The Imperial
Palace) that includes Seiden State Function Hall, Homeiden State Banquet Hall,
Chowaden Reception Hall and the Emperor’s daily office.
Seimon-tetsubashi Bridge,
commonly called “Nijubashi”.
At 634 meters, Tokyo
Skytree is the highest free-standing broadcasting tower in the world and also the 3rd tallest structure in the world. The
admission fee is Y2,100 for Tembo Deck (350m) and Y3,100 for a combo ticket
that includes also Tembo Galleria (450m). In the evening the Skytree has an
illumination schedule, visible even from a distance. The views from the
observation deck are amazing and the food court located on the third floor is
one of the cheapest and our favourite place to eat in Tokyo.
A nice place to revisit,
this shopping street leading to Senso-ji Temple is lined up with many shops
selling souvenirs, traditional Japanese items and sweet and savoury treats and
is always crowded with tourists and locals. The whole neighbourhood near
Nakamise-dori Street and Senso-ji Temple is filled with shopping streets, shopping
arcades and beautiful gardens.
Senso-ji Temple is the oldest
Buddhist Temple in Tokyo. Located in Asakusa district, the temple is dedicated
to Kannon, the Buddhist goddess of mercy. Its large red Kaminarimon Gate
lantern, the five-storied pagoda, the Main Hall of Sensoji and the Denboin
Garden adjacent to it, make this temple one of the most photographed and
busiest attraction in Tokyo.
Located near Shinjuku
Station, Omoide Yokocho is a bar district of narrow alleys with food and drinks
stalls that offers a glimpse into the past, dating back to post war period.
Located in Shinjuku, this
is Tokyo’s biggest red-light district. Regardless being a very crowded area
with host and hostess clubs, love hotels, shops, restaurants and a bustling
nightlife it is still considered very safe to visit and while in the area you can
take also take a peak at the Godzilla Head at Hotel Gracery Shinzuku which
became a landmark in Kabukicho.
Azabudai Hills is a huge green urban area and complex of buildings, some with a curving
gridded roof structure resembling hills, with beautifully landscaped grounds,
art galleries, nice restaurants and high end shopping. Upon completion of the Minato neighbourhood development in 2023, the Azabudai Hills Mori JP Tower
became the tallest building in Tokyo and Japan. In the same neighbourhood, we discovered
Nishikubo Hachiman Shrine, a
beautiful and peaceful Shinto shrine, a piece of history surrounded by towering
modern glass skyscrapers.
With a height of almost 333
meters the tower was built as a symbol of post war recovery in 1958. At the
time of construction, it was the tallest tower in the world, even higher than
Eiffel Tower used as inspiration. The tower has two observation decks, the Main
Deck at 150 meters for Y1,500 and the Top Deck Tour that includes 150 meter and
250 meters and costs Y3,500. It is said that on a good clear day you could even
see Mt Fuji from here. The tower is painted in orange and white to conform with
air safety regulations stating that buildings over a certain height must be
painted in these colours.
Close to Tokyo Tower,
Zozo-ji Temple is an over 600 years old Buddhist temple. The temple has a Main
Hall, a Treasury Gallery, a Bell Tower and a spectacular main entrance gate.
What makes it more recognisable though, is the Unborn Children Garden at the
cemetery, where there are rows of stone statues of children representing unborn
children. Parents can choose a statue and decorate it with small clothing and
toys and a gift for Jizo, the guardian of unborn children to ensure they are
brought to the afterlife.
Located also in Minato
district, in walking distance from Zozo-ji Temple, we visited Kyu-Shiba-rikyu
Gardens, one of the oldest gardens, built during Edo period. The garden is
designed as a circular pond with four little islands bordered by boulders, and connected
through small bridges. Many Japanese black pine trees complement the
beautiful landscape. The garden is full of wildlife such as turtles, fish, egrets or
ducks. There is a fee to visit the gardens but is only 150 Yen and is
well worth it.
A major tourist attraction
in Tokyo, this market is one of the best places to experience traditional
Japanese street food and fresh seafood dishes. Spread out on few narrow alleys,
you can find here wholesale and retail shops as well as many restaurants, all
buzzing with crowds of tourists as well as locals in search of tasty treats.
Tsukiji Hongwan-ji is a Budhist temple located one block away from Tsukiji Market. The temple’s
architecture is similar with that found in India and other Asian countries. The
impressive building is decorated with carvings of creatures and its round roof
resembles the leaf of the sacred Bodhy tree.
With more than 400 stores
selling everything from clothes, shoes, prepared food, fruits, this street is
one of the most famous open-air markets in Tokyo
This pedestrian street is a
very busy shopping street, lined up with lots of fashion boutiques,
mostly for teenagers’ taste, restaurants, sweets shops, funky items shops,
souvenirs. Last year we visited during the day so we decided this time to come when
was even more lively and busy.
Shibuya Scrambling Crossing
is famous as being one of the busiest intersections in the world. Hundreds of
people cross it at the same time, in all directions and somehow still being
able to dodge each other. While here we also took a pic of Hatchiko Dog Statue, the faithful Akita dog who waited at Shibuya
Station every day for his master, even after his death. The intersection is
surrounded by colourful electronic billboards, the whole are resembling Times
Square.
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