Today was quite tiring, but it was also the most fun I’ve had in a while. I haven’t had the opportunity to meet new friends lately so being able to take part in Global Wow Korea’s Influencer Tour is really a blessing. All the international friends and Korean managers I met today are so daebak! I’m just really happy to be here.
It started with the waiting game at Incheon Airport. Since all the members of the tour come from different countries, our flights arrived at different times. In between we had some “breakfast”. It was heavier than what I usually eat back at home but it restored some much needed energy in me.
Once everyone arrived, we transferred to Gimpo Airport via the AREX or the Airport Express. I’ve mentioned before during my previous trip to Korea how much I like the AREX. (You learn to appreciate these things when you have to ride the LRT in Manila. 😂) It’s spacious and the seats are really comfortable to rest in!
On the plane to Gimhae Airport in Busan, I was mostly asleep because I had been awake since yesterday. I didn’t really keep track of the time anymore. Before I knew it we were there already, and after a quick meal we headed off to our first must-visit in Busan.
If you think about it, Busan seems like a perfect location since it sits between the ocean and the mountains. Busan was once the capital of South Korea for a time in the Korean war, and today it is still one of the most populated areas in South Korea.
Busan has certain attractions that make tourists want to visit it, and one is the Gamchon Cultural Village. It is not much different in concept from the Ihwa Mural Village I visited in Seoul. And since I enjoyed the Ihwa Mural Village, I liked this one a lot too.
It’s a very historic village in Busan that is the home of many refugees from the Korean War, but to keep people’s interest for tourism in the area they decided to make it alive again through art. The pictures below are just a little sample. I’ll share more pictures later on. 😊
The view of all the colourful houses is just incredible.
Moving on, we paid a little visit to Jagalchi Market and BIFF Square. The fish market wasn’t as busy as I imagine it would’ve been in the morning but you can see all the seafood laid out looking fresh still. The ahjummas selling here don’t joke about the quality of their seafood.
Across the street from the fish market is the Busan International Film Festival Square. More than that it’s lanes upon lanes of street food. You can see Lydia (Wow Korea Supporter from Singapore) and Ece (Wow Korea Supporter from Turkey) enjoying some warm odeng, which is perfect for a cold day like today.
Dinner was a buffet of Korean food, many of them spicy. To cut all that heat off I ended my meal with some sweet delicious sikhye. Highly recommended when you visit Korea!
And of course when you’re sitting with Wow Korea Manager Max, you can be sure you’ll always be laughing. Borrowing this picture from him because I like it a lot! I’m sitting beside Elizabeth (from Singapore) here.
Our last stop before heading to the hotel was the Bay 101. I’m always a sucker for views like these so I enjoyed some quiet time staring at the rippling lights on the water.
To be honest, the fact that I was going to this trip didn’t really sink in to my mind until the moment I was actually boarding my plane. I guess I was in a state of disbelief the whole time about being given this opportunity! It just goes to show that sometimes you like something enough and you’ll get rewarded for it. In this case, a trip to Korea for being a lover of the Korean culture. Can’t wait for what’s in store tomorrow! For now I must sleep because I’m exhausted haha!
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Gamchon Cultural Village 부산 감천문화마을
203, Gamnae 2-ro, Saha-gu, Busan
부산광역시 사하구 감내2로 203 (감천동)
Hours: March-November 09:00-18:00 // December-February 09:00-17:00 (Visitors can tour the village all year round but they should be quiet and Keep order as the village is a residential area.)
Contact Nos: +82-51-291-1444
Website | More information
BIFF Square / BIFF 광장
20, BIFF gwangjang-ro, Jung-gu, Busan
부산광역시 중구 비프광장로 20 (남포동6가) 일대
Hours: Open all year round
Contact Nos: +82-51-253-8523
Website | More information
This post was brought to you by the Korea Tourism Organization.
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