Busan (South Korea)
10 July - 11 July 2025
I had originally set out for
Korea with the simplest of plans: ten days in Seoul, nothing more. I had it in
my head that the capital was big enough, bold enough and brimming with enough
energy to keep me entertained…it was enough, or so I thought. But if there’s
one thing I’ve learned about myself, it’s that travel rarely stays confined to
something so neat and compartmentalised. That restless wanderlust is always
bubbling beneath the surface, just waiting for the smallest spark, and the
ignition point is mighty low. It doesn’t take much for inspiration. Mine came
in the form of a picture , somehow I stumbled across these quirky, upright sky
capsules gliding along an elevated seaside railway, like a string of brightly
colour tic-tacs set against a horizon of endless blue. Where was this whimsical
scene? It didn’t take me long for my travel guidance system to lock in - Busan,
South Korea – the second-largest city in the country, a port town flung
across the other side of country, perched dramatically on the edge of the Sea
of Japan. A little investigation uncovered
an inviting city with beach or two and what seemed to be a totally different vibe to Seoul. I had to
be there.
That one image cracked my plans wide open, now Seoul alone
wasn’t enough. Busan promised a whole different flavour of South Korea , beaches where locals flock for sunrises,
sprawling seafood markets where tanks of live crabs and octopus slosh under
neon lights and hillsides tangled with colourful houses that tumble down
towards the harbour. It wasn’t just another stop; it felt like it would be that
counterpoint to what I understood to be the relentless urban drive of Seoul — saltier, more relaxed and touched
with a raw coastal charm. In that moment, my trip stretched itself outwards and
I knew I had to take a ride of one those sky capsules and see where this detour
would take me.
Everything in Seoul functions with
a seeming effortlessness. Even if you’re a foreigner, there’s logic to the way
things are constructed and throughout. My post work afternoon escape to Busan
involved a couple of metro stops and then a very easy connection at Seoul
Central on the KTX. Obviously purchasing a ticket online was simple and
arriving at the station, and then leaving was as ‘easy breezy’ as you would
like. I boarded the KTX (Koreas High Speed Rail Train) as is stopped for its
allocated 8-10 min duration on platform 14 at the Seoul Central Station – and
then the next thing you knew, we were out. All it was going to take was 3hrs to
get me as fully ‘far-flung’ as you could be from Seoul, across the country in
an instant.
As the KTX train sped south out
of Seoul, the city’s skyscrapers gave way to rolling green hills, sleepy
villages, and the kind of landscapes that made it clear I was headed somewhere
entirely different. In less than three hours I’d be at the southern edge of the
peninsula, in Busan — South Korea’s second-largest city, but one that couldn’t
feel more distinct from the capital. Where Seoul is sharp-edged and relentless,
Busan has an untamed quality to it, shaped by its coastline, its ports, and its
people’s easy relationship with the sea.
Stepping out of the station, I felt it immediately. The air
carried that salt-air feel
I jumped onto a now familiar
metro, stop 113 – Busan station – with my ultimate destination being Haeundae,
Busan’s most famous beach, what I mentally dubbed as the ‘Copacabana’ of
South Korea. A long golden strip of captivating sand and high rises that on
paper looked a little bit like the Gold Coast but somehow a lot more inviting.
My first impressions were formed by a relatively long walk from Haeundae
station that upon exiting dropped me straight onto Gunam-ro, the main
thoroughfare of Haeundae, cutting through the beating entertainment heart of the
sea-side suburb. It was like getting swept into a living tide, neon lights
blazing overhead, restaurants full, with the air thick of wonderful aromas and
the streets buzzing with energy. There was immediately something alluring and
mesmerising about it. It was a little bit Vegas, a little bit Dubai and a
little bit wonderful. By the time I had mentally tick-boxed about 20 places
that I wanted to try for dinner or drinks, I’d been expelled out the other side
of Gunam-ro and was onto the beach in search for my place of accommodation for
the next (3) nights.
And surely, there it was, South
Korea’s very own Copacabana. The promenade was alive with pedestrians, joggers
chasing the last light, and revellers spilling into the evening, lured by the
glow of neon, the hum of bars, and the irresistible pull of bustling
restaurants. My home for the next few nights, the Mipo Oceanside Hotel, sat
perfectly at the top end of the beach , a fabulous perch to soak it all in.
After checking in, I made my way to the rooftop bar, where with a drink in hand
I gazed down the sweeping curve of the beach, letting the rhythm of the place
wash over me. For a country that had never sat high on my travel radar, South
Korea was already surprising me these first steps felt fresh, exciting, and
unexpectedly delightful.
Working indoors during my stay in
Korea was hardly a challenge because I knew that once 4pm rolled around that I
was only mtrs away from the something new. In Huaendae I was a short hop from the beach and
the immediate attractions of the areas. Within my immediate vicinity was Mipo
station, the boarding location for the Sky capsules that had initially drawn me
to the city all those months earlier, and just as close by was Busan X the
Sky, the largest observatory in Korea, located in the Huaendae LCT Landmark
tower. This was where I decided to go first. After purchasing my tickets for
a the leisurely ride on the Sky capsule
(due to the 2+ hr waiting times), I made my way to the tower and up the 411
mtrs to the top of the second tallest building in Korea.
Wow, and what view it was,
spectacular without doubt. From looking out onto the ocean to the immediate surrounds
of the city, there was definitely an appeal to Busan. Occupying prime location
on the shoreline, the city looked as though it had truly utilised its gifted
aesthetical qualities to achieve a visual appeal that made you take notice. I was lucky to have come up on a very clear,
blue sky day that was kind enough to punctuate the view with its own style.
Very impressive.
Making my way down from the X, I
walked around 15 mins to Mipo station and to the start of my little Sky capsule
escapade.
These little capsules were my
first introduction to Busan. I recall seeing them on some random YouTube video
and thinking that they were surreal, strikingly offbeat but somehow cool.
Seeing the colourful capsules slowly traverse the coastline just forced me to
imagine myself there, and now, here I was.
Boarding these little ‘bite-sized’
transporters you realise that there’s nothing more to them than novelty and
location. They’re not overly functional but they’re beguiling enough that you
just don’t concern yourself with the why, you simply enjoy the ride – and
they don’t move at any startling pace, literally pedestrian like, you can certainly
walk faster than these travel pods, but
also, it allows you to engage with the coastline in a very unique. Sure, maybe they’re
gimmicky and a one-time event but by the time I got to the end-point,
Cheongsapo station (Songjeong) beach, I was more than enough satisfied.
The walk back into Haeundae was
an equally pleasing experience. With the sun slowly beginning to sink lower in
the sky, and the ocean beating against the rocky cliffs, I walked alongside the
sky capsule track and the coastal train blue line back to Huaendae beach –
which in turn offered me enough time to make the most of a Friday night evening
in this beach side locale.
That evening in Huaendae was a
blast, slowly making my through some bars that were beachside and then into the
seafood markets that ran for what seemed like forever, just off Gunam-ro. With
that said, I can’t exactly answer when or why my love for seafood has dwindled in
recent years but had this had been another time, perhaps 10 yrs ago, this area
would have been an absolute paradise. As it was, the seafood bonanza and the
‘show’ was such a great source of entertainment but not a drawcard for my
palette. On this evening I made my way to a Korean BBQ joint which until now,
somehow, I had never tried – and my
friends, it was love at first bite! There was something about cooking a mix of
meats and then wrapping them in a green leaf or two that has a mix of
associated condiments that it both satisfying and moreish. It was subtle at
first, but with an accompanying shot or 10 of soju, the oil and fat of the meat
paired perfectly with the drink to make this just a wonderful combination. So
much so that still, nearly two months after my adventure I’ve ditched most of
my bread for leaves of Wombok and Iceberg – every bit of meat is wrapped and ingested,
South Korean style.
A wonderful Friday evening extended
out to perhaps 11pm or 12am. I didn’t have the internal fortitude to push out
any longer but I also knew that I had a Saturday up my sleeve to go and explore
Busan a little bit more. From what I had seen thus far, I was certainly already
looking forward to it!
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