South Korea 2018
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Arban Hotel, Busan, South Korea
Hotel Review Location: Busan is South Korea’s second largest city, situated on the south eastern tip of the Korean Peninsula and is noted for its beaches, mountains and temples. We had taken the Korail high speed train direct from Seoul arriving into Busan in 2 hours and 45 minutes. We were then pleasantly surprised to…
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Day 17. Korail Busan to Seoul, South Korea
Our five nights stay in Busan had come to an end and it was time to head back home. As we weren’t in a rush, we enjoyed a leisurely breakfast in the hotel’s 13th floor restaurant. The Arban Hotel had exceeded expectations and I would recommend it as a good place to stay in Busan.…
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Day 16. Korean National Maritime Museum, Busan
We woke to the sound of heavy rain beating on the bedroom windows so it was fortunate that we still had one museum we wished to visit during our stay in Busan. After a breakfast of dumplings, eggs, fruit and yogurt we set off for the nearby Seomyeon metro station with our umbrellas at the…
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Day 15. Gamcheon Culture Village, Busan Tower and the Oryukdo Skywalk
The hotel’s breakfast selection varied from day to day and this morning we started the day with bowls of beef bulgogi, yogurt and fruit. Feeling nourished we set off for the Gamcheon Cultural Village. To get there we took a Line 1 train from Seomyeon station. We then caught a local minibus from outside the…
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Day 14. Taejongdae Park, Busan and a visit to Nampo
I decided to try the Asian option for breakfast in the hotel this morning and started the day with dumplings and sweet and sour pork for a change which tasted good although probably better eaten for dinner. After several cups of coffee, we raised the energy to set off to explore Taejongdae Park in the…
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Day 13. Haeundae Beach, Busan, South Korea
Opening our curtains we were greeted with clear blue skies for our first full day in Busan. Leaving our room for breakfast it seemed strange taking the lift upwards as the hotel’s restaurant is on the top (13th) floor alongside the reception area. Stepping inside, the breakfast area was very attractive with large, sliding glass…
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Day 12. Taking the Korail train from Seoul to Busan
It was hard to believe that our stay in Seoul had come to an end. There were so many interesting places to visit that our days sped by all too quickly. We enjoyed one last breakfast in the Holiday Inn Express Euljiro which had been an excellent choice for our stay in Seoul. Well equipped…
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Day 11. Seoul Olympic Park and Naksan Mountain
I remembered watching the 1988 Olympic Games on television never expecting that almost 30 years later I would be exploring the Seoul Olympic Park. We took the metro to Mongchontoseong station on Line 8 and entered the Olympic Park through the World Peace Gate. This colourful entrance was built as a sign of peace and…
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Day 10. Jongmyo Shrine & International Horticulture Goyang Korea
We set off on foot this morning to the Jongmyo Shrine which was located not too far from our hotel. Admission to the shrine is included in the palace combination ticket (10,000 Won / £6.98) which we had purchased earlier in the week. The shrine houses the spirit tablets of the Joseon Dynasty and was…
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Day 9. Namsan Seoul Tower & Deoksugung Palace
Yet another clear, sunny morning so we thought it was a good opportunity to go up Namsan mountain. We took the metro to Dongguk University station (Line 3, Exit 6) and transferred to one of the circular route buses which go up to the mountain summit (either Numbers 2, 3 or 5 from this stop). …
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Day 8. Suwon Hwaseong Fortress
This morning we took the metro to Yongsan from where we transferred onto Korail Line 1 to Suwon, (the brown line). Line 1 splits at Guro so care needs to be taken to ensure you are on the correct train. Express trains only operate after Guro so any train can be taken as far as…
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Day 7. Seoul: Gangnam, Temples, Samsung, Taekwondo & The National Assembly
After a delicious hotel breakfast we returned to our room and turned on the television to watch live history being made when the leaders of both North and South Korea met at the DMZ. By 9.45 a.m. we had finished viewing and were ready to take the metro to Samseong in the Gangnam district of…
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Day 6. Gyeongbokgung Palace and the Royal Guard Change, Seoul
It was another warm, sunny morning so after breakfast we took the metro to Gyeongbokgung station so that we could visit Gyeongbokgung Palace. As we had purchased a book of tickets the previous day covering all of Seoul’s palaces we did not need to visit the ticket office. We had arrived at 9.20 a.m. in…
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Day 5. Seodaemun Prison and Bukhansan National Park, Seoul
We woke to clear blue skies so after our hotel breakfast we took the metro to the Seodaemun Prison History Hall near the Dongnimmun metro station, exit 5. After leaving the station it was just a short walk through Independence Park to the museum entrance, admission is 3,000 Won (£2.00). This former prison stands as…
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Day 4. Changdeokgung and Changgyeonggung Palaces, Seoul
We opened the curtains to clear blue skies and sun pouring into our room which was such a contrast from the previous two days. After enjoying a leisurely hotel breakfast we took the metro to Anguk Station, Line 3, Exit 3 so that we could visit the two royal palaces located near there. Soon we…
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Day 3. The National Museum of Korea
We woke to the sound of heavy rain beating against the windows and on checking the forecast it seemed to be set in for the day. Breakfast was again tasty with some different hot dishes from the previous morning. I spotted some cream of mushroom soup which isn’t something I would usually have for breakfast…
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Day 2. The War Memorial of Korea, Seoul
We slept really well in our comfortable bed, waking early at 6.30 a.m. due to the time change. Breakfast at the Holiday Inn Express Euljiro was served in the basement and we found a varied selection of hot and cold dishes to suit all tastes. Most diners were wearing smart business suits, appearing very formal…
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Day 1. The start of our South Korean adventure
The morning had arrived for the start of another Asian adventure and I felt very excited as I boarded my Virgin East Coast train to London King’s Cross Station. Our flight was from London Gatwick airport which is easily accessible from St. Pancras as it is located next door to King’s Cross station. I travelled…
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