The next best way is to travel by KTX from Seoul station to Busan. The speed train journey is about 3hrs. I booked the luxury of first class just to avoid interruption by other commuters but that was where I noticed the worst attitude of the Korean elders. They are rowdy, pushy and crude. Let's not forget unhygienic. I soon realized the Korean culture where elders are the most respected and somehow they are taking it to their fullest advantage.
After almost 12hrs of throbbing journey, I finally checked in to Toyoko Inn which was just beside Busan Station. An excellent location for convenience to find food and transportation.
Getting around Busan is quite easy with the vast subway system. I wanted to get the T Money card, a cashless payment system to use for transportation and even purchases at shops. However I was unable to find it while in Seoul. Busan uses Hanaro card similar to T Money but can only be used in Busan. So I had to pay by cash for all my transportation. All fares cost below SGD 2.
Along the way, I noticed the much talked about Haeundae Market however many shops were closed. Majority that were opened were the diners or some clothings store.
Moving on from Haeundae, I've planned for a spa treat in Busan's largest shopping center, Shinsaegae Centum City. The mall is huge with many great brands. I was reluctant to go into the spa(찜질방) due to time constrain. I was awestruck by the mall that I enjoyed shopping instead. I shopped like crazy at the very start of my trip.
Once I completed my shopping, I returned to the hotel to drop off my purchase and a change of jacket as the day grew hotter (still below 20 degrees Celsius) and headed out to Yongdusan Park where the Busan Tower stood. The attraction is 3 stops away and on top of a hill. Thank god there are escalators to get to the top.
The entrance for the tower is approximately SGD 4 and the 360 view of Busan is spectacular. Since it's spring, cherry blossoms were blooming and it was gorgeous. Many were taking photo with it and so I did too.
At the foot of Yongdusan is a great shopping street Gwangbok-Ro which I have to walk pass to get to Yongdusan Park. Many great brands were lined up along the street but none of the luxury type. The highest end I encountered was Calvin Klein Jeans which had a great sale (up to 70% off) similar to majority of the other stores. In the alleys are night markets stalls selling fake luxury goods which I have to admit are very close to its original counterpart.
Gwangbok-Ro is also an avenue for movies where Pusan International Film Festivals (PIFF) are normally held. There are a number of cinemas along PIFF square together with tons of street food delights. Majority of them are either deep fried or spicy which I'm unable to savor due to my stomach condition.
Across Gwangbok-Ro is another Lotte departmental store. There aren't many high-end brands but the prices area still 5-15% cheaper than Singapore. Longchamp however is way cheaper than Singapore.
A metro stop away from Nampo (where Gwangbok-Ro and Lotte is located) is Jagalchi station where the Jagalchi market is located. It's actually less than 5 mins walk away from each station. Jagalchi Market is known for the freshest catch and also fresh cuisine. I was searching high and low to try the raw baby octopus but unable to find a place that serves it. I managed to get it at Seoul instead.
Toyoko Inn check-out time is at 1000hrs and my flight out at Gimhae is at 1700hrs. I went to check their other shopping district Seomyeon which was a disappointment because a lot of the shops were closed on Monday. So I just sat at Starbucks waiting for the time to pass when I realized that there's a Chinatown across Busan Station.
I made my way back and was let to another disappointment. There wasn't much hype at the Chinatown. There are chinese eateries and some shops but majority are closed. Seems like Busan is mostly closed on Monday. Luckily like most Chinatown, there is a massage parlor where I continued to waste my time. They were Chinese owned and they got me right as a Malay instead of Filipino. They were even amazed that I spoke to them in Mandarin. So I managed to relax for an hour for about SGD 30 and returned to the hotel to collect my luggage.
Gimhae airport is accessible by subway and transfer to monorail but from Busan Station, I have to transfer twice which is tedious with a luggage in tow. With the excess expense for Busan, I decided to take a cab over and it cost me approximately SGD 18 for a distance from Orchard to Changi Airport with traffic.
I love Busan as it was quite laid back. Check out more photos of Busan. Moving on to Jeju-Do where the misadventures begins...