Day 1:
Can you guess where am I heading to when you see me carrying 2 luggage?
Self-checking in. I guess the airline gives a big hint on where we are going!
Put all my clothes into the small luggage and put the small luggage into the big luggage!
This trip is with Joyce and Matilda.
Movie time.
And yes, year 2023 starts off with a trip to Korea!
After filling up the immigration card, time to say good night!
Breakfast time.
While everyone trying to rush out, we are here taking a welfie! Haha.
I saw my luggage while waiting for them to clear immigration!
Out of immigration, collected our luggage and off we go to Seoul by the Arex Express train.
If you are not sure where to take the train, look for the signage that says Rail & Bus.
Take the escalator down to B1.
And as for the price, 9500won (=SG10) for Express train, T-Money (Korea transportation card) are unable to use and 5350won (SG$5.60) for the All stop train.
As always, I will choose the express train if I'm heading to Seoul station.
The gantry for Express Train is also in orange and blue for All Stop Train so it's easier for everyone to find.
Oh ya, in case it's your first time to Korea and need a transportation card, you can get from the convenient stores, or you can look out for the vender machine.
I will be sharing another new card call Namane later, so you can compare which card you would prefer.
Waiting for our train now.
On our way to Seoul. Bear with my bear face (thank God for the mask).
The train journey is about 50mins, and we grabbed some coffee and food at the airport convenient store.
Reached Seoul station and we will be taking KTX to Busan next.
Follow the sign to the KTX station.
I forgot to bring my contact lenses but luckily, I remember there is a contact lenses shop at Exit 15, call eyeBalance. There are a few different brands available here.
Crowded KTX station as usual.
If you are interested, first, you have to download the Namane app. From the app, you can load the picture you want to print on your card and there will be a QR code for you. The QR code is for you to scan at the Namane kiosk.
You can find the Namane kiosk right at the end of the Seoul KTX station (near to the exit to subway station).
Once you scan your QR code, your card will appear on the screen and if no changes, just click ok.
Price of the card is 7000won (=SG$7.30).
Printing in progress and it only takes less than a minutes!
After gotten the card, time to top up cash into the card.
This card is good for loading your cash, so that you do not want to carry the cash around, but I will advise not to load all your cash in because traditional market mostly only accept cash payment.
So, there is 2 options, the Pay Card (similar to cash card) and transportation card which you can top up differently.
You choose the amount you want to top up. Not to worry if you load too much cash for the transportation card, you can transfer to the pay card through the Namane app.
Gotten 2 cards, 1 for myself and 1 will be used as common fund card.
Exchanged our ticket at the counter. You can actually make the ticket reservation and print the ticket online, but we are not sure if we can reach in time, so we went to the counter instead.
Oh ya, we bought our Korail pass from Klook. Korail pass is only for tourist, and we will enjoy unlimited KTX and any train that is operate by Korail, subway not included. This pass is worth if you are traveling to more than 1 city or state in Korea.
Book or understand more here: KORAIL Pass In Korea - Klook Singapore
(not sponsored ya!)
Have to order take away at Lotteria from the KTX station (located at the opposite of the ticket counter) because all table there are taken.
Operating Hours: 4am to 12am (Sunday to Friday)
4am to 1am (Saturday)
Order through their kiosk so not to worry if you can't speak Korean!
Boarded the train and ready to go!
Off we go!
Lunch time!
After 2.5hrs train ride, here we are at Busan station!
Usually, I will stay in this area whenever I comes to Busan for the same reason why I prefer to stay around Seoul station, KTX and Metro station is there, very convenient!
Checking in our Airbnb located at The Port Hotel & Residence, which is just 5mins walk from KTX and subway station.
Check it out here: ★Rosado House★ Beam Project (Netflix), massage chair, BusanKTX2min, up to 9 people - Serviced apartments for Rent in Dong-gu, Busan, South Korea - Airbnb
Big and clean apartment.
A walk-in wardrobe once we enter the house.
No Tv but comes with projector and netflix.
Balcony.
Mini pantry.
Kitchen.
Bedroom 1 comes with Tv and a massage chair!
Bedroom 2 and also comes with a Tv.
Bathroom.
Settle down and rest for a bit, time to head out for dinner.
There is a Namane Station here at Busan KTX station too!
And I decided to load some of my cash into the card.
Here we are at Jeonpo station. Exploring Jeonpo Dong area.
We exit from the Jeonpo station exit 7 because there is a cafe street and shopping street here.
Many cafes, restaurants here at the Jeonpo area!
Before shopping, we decided to have an early dinner because we are all starving.
Saw this Korean restaurant with not a single English word written outside, and usually this kind of restaurant serve the most authentic local food!
Only when we went into their Instagram, if not we will never know the name of the restaurant is call Daesujeong.
Operating Hours: 11am - 9pm (Monday to Sunday)
The staff could not speak English but luckily, they do have English menu.
So basically, they serve Korea BBQ.
They also serve some other food like stew.
A very nice lady helping us to cook.
Oh yes and it taste so good!
And spicy noodle and it's a cold noodle!
All the food is yummy here!
Past by this cafe call the Vintage 38 located next to Daesujeong, which my Korean friend, Gemma brought Joyce and I here before in 2019. Nice industry vibe, big space, coffee is good too most importantly they close late (it was 24hrs in 2019).
Operating Hours: 9am - 2am (Wednesday to Monday)
9am - 11pm (Tuesday)
After a happy dinner, we have the energy to start shopping!
Drop by Olens to help friends to get some contact lenses.
After shopping around, time for supper!
Oops or should I say second dinner since it's still early for supper.
Oops or should I say second dinner since it's still early for supper.
Anyway, how can I not bring Joyce and Matilda to my favorite fried chicken restaurant, Outdark right?
Operating Hours: 3pm - 2am (Monday to Sunday)
This plate of sauce is so familiar to me! Can't wait for our chicken to be served!
The same menu that I have seen again and again and again. Haha!
Cheers for our first night in Korea and first time to Korea for Matilda!
Time to head back to rest.
By the way Seomyeon station is nearer to Outdark.
Back home, Netflix and relax.
Oh ya, Daiso Korea has a big section for pet and some of the treats are cheaper compared to the other pet store in Korea! They have many pet accessories too so before you head to the pet store to check their product, you might want to go Daiso instead.
Ok, time to say good night!
Day 2:
The day starts with a coffee!
Saw this AndGRAY Coffee Roasters nearby our hotel and just walk in to get some take away coffee.
Basically, nobody in here.
Gotten our coffee and off for lunch.
For a strong cafe culture country like Korea, this coffee is not good so I will not recommend, therefore no address of it is shared.
On our way to Chinatown, which is just opposite Busan Station for lunch. And look! There is also a Hidilao here! I wonder what's the price is like here.
You know you are in chinatown when you see all the red signboards!
Chinatown Address: 1209-13 초량제1동 Dong-gu, Busan, South Korea
We wanted to eat Jjajangmyeong so we just randomly choose one Chinese restaurant to try.
The exterior of this Jangchunbang (장춘방) look very authentic so we decided to just go with this.
Address: Busan, South Korea (google map has no address detail but click the link to see the location)
Operating Hours: 10.30am - 8pm (Monday to Sunday)
Nobody in the restaurant.
Jjajangmyeong (a.k.a noodle in black bean sauce)!
Jjamppong (a.k.a spicy seafood noodle soup)
Tangsuyuk (a.k.a sweet and sour pork)
Boiled Mandu (a.k.a water boiled dumpling)
Overall food is not bad.
Ready to explore!
Yes, we will be exploring Haeundae today!
We are going to take the Haeunde Blueline train, a sightseeing train that runs along the coastal.
Learn more about Haeunde Blueline Park here: https://www.bluelinepark.com/eng/
If you are taking the subway like us, you exit from exit 7 of Haeunde Station.
Cross the road to the bus stop (red arrow) in the middle of the road and take either bus 39, 100, 141, 200 or 1003.
The journey is about 42mins to 50mins depend on which bus you took.
Alight at the Mipo Mountain Road bus stop.
Pass by a cute cafe that is hidden within the residence area.
That's the building we will be heading to.
Here we are at the Haeunde Blueline Park, Mipo station, where the ticketing counter is.
Operating Hours: 9am - 8.30pm (Monday to Sunday)
Website: https://www.bluelinepark.com/eng/
The price.
We wanted to take the cute capsule sky train, but the ticket is sold out, so we ended with the normal beach train. We took the one-day pass at 13000won (=SG$13.60), so we can travel to all station and return back here. If you want to take the capsule sky train, you need to be early. Not too sure if online reservations are allowed because I read somewhere saying only locals with local number can make the online reservations from their website.
Queuing in the air conditional area, waiting for our train to arrive.
Continue queuing outside to wait for the passenger to alight.
Ready to board! Hopefully we can get a good seat.
This is a sightseeing train; therefore, all the seats are facing the full-length glass window.
Look at the view outside the train!
Let's go!
While walking towards the Songjeong beach, we saw this store selling Tteokbokki (spicy rice cake) and Eomuk (fish cake) soup.
Since the weather is a little chilly now, we decided to have some warm soup and rice cake to warm us up a little.
This is the Eomuk soup that you basically can see people selling on the street during winter period. Trust me, this soup can save your life when the weather is really cold!
And Tteokbokki is good! Spicy enough but not the numbing kind of spicy.
Done with the short break and here we are at the Songjeong Beach.
Jump shot with the beach! Took us quite a while to get a good shot as we are using timer! Haha!
Off to the next station!
Oh ya! Remember to keep you ticket since it's a one-day pass. Once you lost the ticket, you will need to walk back by yourself.
Time for a coffee break!
There are many cafes along the Haeundae Blueline trail but off all, this Old Mug caught my attention when I'm doing my research. It gives a Nostalgic vibe here.
Operating Hours: 6.30am - 12am (Monday to Sunday)
Nearest station, Gudeokpo Station: 919-2 Songjeong-dong, Haeundae-gu, Busan, South Korea
They sell their coffee beans too!
Cute signage so must take picture with it!
Quite a wide range of pastries to choose from.
What a view while enjoying our coffee and cake!
And we decided to brace the cold and take the outdoor sitting so have a closer and better view of the sea.
Cheesecake. Not bad but it's not the burnt cheesecake I wanted, those with lava cheese in the middle, this is more like a New York Cheesecake.
Dirty chocolate croissant (I think it's more like plain au chocolate)
After a nice coffee, time to head off to the Cheongsapo Daritdol Observatory.
We alighted at the Daritdol Observatory Station.
Operating Hours: 9am - 6pm (Monday to Sunday)
Before entering the observatory deck, all people need to wear a shoe cover, and you can just borrow at no charge at this counter.
Tada! Shoe all covered up.
Look at the skyline!
Only certain part at the end of the deck is see through so, it's not that scary for those who might be afraid of height.
Thanks to the wind, I can't even have a nice picture of myself with the beautiful view! Haha!
We then slowly walk over the Cheongsopo Station because that's the shortest walking trail in between 2 stations and also because the waiting time for the next train seems to be a little long.
Beautiful sunset view from the train.
Back to Mipo station.
Now we are going to walk towards that tall building.
My dog?
What is that tall building we are heading to?
Tada! It's the Busan X the Sky, the highest building in Busan!
Operating Hours: 10am - 9pm (Monday to Sunday)
Website: http://www.busanxthesky.com/
Ticket is 27000won (=SG$28.40) per person to reach the highest level of this building, the 100th floor.
On our way up!
And here's the view from 100th floor!
I've been to Busan many times, but this is my first time up here!
Isn't the night view of Busan so beautiful?
There is a see-through walkway, but I think you can skip walking this way if you are afraid of height.
Looking down 100th floor is no joke! Haha even I do not have height phobia, it still looks kind of scary.
Another side of the view.
The other attraction in this building is the highest Starbucks outlet located at the 99th level!
You need to still buy the ticket in even though you just want to visit the Starbucks ya!
Nice view outside but the reflection can only see us! Haha!
They serve using glass cups for people who drink inside the cafe like many other fast-food restaurants now, so if you order a takeaway coffee, you are not allowed to sit inside the cafe.
Ordered their seasonal drinks.
Ok, we just wanted to use the washroom but to our surprise, you are able to see the view in each cubical!
Since there is no one else here at this timing, we can take our own sweet time to take picture! Haha!
Taking bus back to the train station again.
My phone batt is totally dead, and I need it to contact my Korean friend but thank God for the free charging station at the train station.
Anyway, it's dinner time!
Our ex Korean colleague, Sejin brought us to this restaurant call Yooga Somssi for Dakgalbi (Stir fry spicy chicken)
Operating Hours: 11am - 11pm (Monday to Sunday)
Website: http://yoogasomsee.com/
It's been a while since we met!
They serve steam egg! Korean steam egg is on another level! Not easy to make so not many places serve this dish.
Can't wait for the steam egg to be cooked!
The Dakgalbi here are different from the normal Dakgalbi I know! This is more like fried rice and noodle with chicken and cheese unlike the normal one I know is just stir-fried chicken with no rice and cheese.
And tteokbokki again!
Cheers!
Look at the cheese!
Had so much laughter tonight and time to head back home!
Thanks Sejin for driving us back!
Home and good night!
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