Busan Wins Most Memorable City

Since Seoul is now a popularized must-visit destination, it is mostly what we see representing the South Korean nation on social media. However, very different from the hustle and bustle of Seoul culture, is South Korea’s second largest city, Busan. Busan is incredibly memorable due to its differences compared to Seoul. First and most notable is the famous dialect difference and the structural differences of Busan and Seoul. Compared to Seoul, Busan is a city famous for its many ports, beaches, hot springs, vibrant fishing culture, and for being the closest location to Japan from Korea. 

My favorite memories definitely come from Busan’s spectacular views of the beaches from various cafes, and especially the “Machu Picchu” village called Gamcheon cultural village. Gamcheon cultural village features a vibrantly colored village full of vibrant cafes, murals, and artists, which gives a colorful Santorini-feeling to the city. It was such a memorable location that I recommend anyone who is planning to come to Korea to add it to the top 3 places they must visit in the country. Plus if you love taking photos, this is an Instagram-worth photo location you won't regret exploring.

The absolute highlight of our trip was at the restaurant called King Kong Sushi which gave me the best lip-smacking, heavenly sushi i’ve had in my life. This restaurant is a place I have wanted to go back to from the second we left because the sushi was so incredibly flavorful and fresh. It had the perfect texture and even better the chef specialty plate was only 20,000 won for this unforgettable experience and quality. As someone from Indiana, no one is surprised that the sushi I grew up loving was mediocre at best, so to have incredibly fresh seafood from the neighboring waters in Busan simply took my Indiana palette to cloud nine. 

The amazing gastronomy that Busan holds is truly worth exploring and was certainly the highlight of our trip. The food was so affordable and had unbelievable flavor and quality. The Taste of Busan guide is absolutely something I recommend to those who are foodies like myself and are looking for affordable, life-changing food recommendations. Since we were only in Busan for two nights I wish I could have explored more, but the restaurants we went to included 88 Grilled Spareribs (88돼지갈비) a marinated K-BBQ place that specializes in a certain cut of meat for only 10,000 won per person. The meat had an incredible flavor that truly was unlike anything I have had before. After enjoying this restaurant, the next day we explored a lovely cafe next to the water named Etereu (에테르) which had incredible donuts that I will think about forever (no joke) because they are practically a croissant shaped donut that was packed with flavor. Alongside their donuts they also offer a classy brunch before 2pm with items like lobster tail for only 25,500 won while overlooking the waters. 

Busan also holds the largest department store in the world named Shinsegae. If you love shopping you should definitely check it out, but know that it’s made mostly of luxury stores for budgeting purposes. Busan is also home to one of the largest film festivals called “Busan International Film Festival.” In fact during our trip my friends went to the Busan Film Festival and loved it because it featured international award winning films from around the world, which was on a scale they had never experienced before. While in Busan, if you like living on the wild side and want to try crazy seafood then you should check out the Jagalchi market. But if you have a queasy stomach like I do, maybe check out some other locations like the famous Haedong Yonggungsa Temple, which is a Buddhist temple overlooking the ocean. And if you are looking for more sight-seeing activities, then I recommend going to the Haeundae Beach Train or the Sky capsule which take you on a scenic route along the beach. 

I would also like to give CIEE the credit they deserve because I had an amazing vacation in Busan due to the staff's hard efforts. Seoul-CIEE Staff bought all the KTX tickets, organized getting hotel rooms for everyone, and organized tour groups around Busan for us all to enjoy. This was the best vacation ever for me because all I had to do was pay a 10,000 won deposit and take the train in the morning to Busan to enjoy everything already being set up for us. Truly a luxury that was a joy to experience. All the Seoul-CIEE staff are so kind and helpful that if you ran into any issues they were there to help at any time so you could feel especially safe and comfortable as well.

The moment we left Busan, we all began planning where we would go the next time we visit. Now that is how you know it was a truly memorable experience. I hope if you are a foodie, seafood lover, beach or nature lover, or someone who just loves to take mind-blowing Instagram photos that you’ll take the time to travel to Busan because you will make life-long memories even if it’s just for a few days.