Korean Job Discussion Forums

[sligo]

So, a friend of mineis coming over to Korea for a holidaay to coinccide with my week off that contains my biirthday. So i thought a few days in sunny busan wouuld be perfect. So as i live in Cheongju, and haven't had time to fullly explore Busan, and believe that the lonely planet always ignores the best places, i believe the good folk of this forum would be best suited to construct a day in Busan.

The criteria:

A goood and cheeap place to stay for a couple of nights

A good place for lunch

A good place for an evening meal (the stranger the better)

A selection of great bars to investigate (directions and / or maps would be helpful)

The best beach to chill out on whilst supping a few ice cold beers.

A few places to go and tthings to do to maximise the enjoyment factor of the place.

Anything else that may be noteworthy.

I like Busan, and havee had a few great weekends there, but i feel that by using a lonely planet guide, i have missed out on a lot of the fun. Please help me to put that right.

Thank you.

[Bibbitybop]

A goood and cheeap place to stay for a couple of nights


There are lots of motels and love motels near Haeundae beach, and a lot of expensive ones. I prefer the Sante Fe Motel. Go to the Aquarium and walk away from the beach. Go down 2 or 3 blocks and look on the right for Sante Fe. Lots of others to choose from, aim for 40,000 won. Sante Fe is (or was) 40,000 and has in room PC, Internet, flat screen TV and lots of free movies, not all porn, but mostly Korean.

A good place for lunch

Tons of restaurants near Haeundae and near the port. Freshest fish in Korea.

A good place for an evening meal (the stranger the better).

Ok, maybe go for the fish here. Or the still-moving octopus.


A selection of great bars to investigate (directions and / or maps would be helpful)

PNU station is the university area, foreigners in that area, too.


The best beach to chill out on whilst supping a few ice cold beers.

Don't care much, if I want to relax, I don't go to Busan.


A few places to go and tthings to do to maximise the enjoyment factor of the place.

On the far end of the beach (walk to the end so the beach is on your right), you can walk up a mountain to some restaurants a moon-gazing areas. Fun to get drunk on that walk, bring your own drinks.


Anything else that may be noteworthy.


I like the cheap 1 hour cruises around the area, they leave from the small port at the far end of the beach. Bring your own beer and snacks for seagulls.



I'm not a Busan expert, so get advice from others.

[D.D.]

Get off at haeundae station- look for a big red sign that says SaVe Zone. Right in front of there(beach side) is a little clean love hotel called Paradiso. About 40000 a night and close to beach, U2 bar, mexican food, Starbucks, Papa Johns, TGiF, Indian food, casino,..........

[Kikomom]

Do the temple hike up Mt. Hwung Ryrung (in the middle of the city) and get some Samgyetang, chicken ginseng soup .

[soviet_man]

Across the street from Busan KTX, follow the Russian signs into many fine establishments

[Kikomom]

Nice story map of Busan that might give you a few ideas:
http://etour.busan.go.kr/12_storymap/index.jsp

[sligo]

Thanks fpr the suggestions. Any more?

[theatrelily]

There's a hotel down at the end of Haeundae beach that's pretty decent. It has recently changed ownership but in the past it was 50,000 a night with a view of the beach. If you walk down the beach towards the Hanguk Condo building, it's in the buiding just past it, on the 3rd or 4th floor.

It has large picture windows and a great view.

If you don't mind something a little pricier, there's the universe motel. It's in behind the ferry pier at the same far end of the beach. The VIP room has a sitting area, jacuzzi tub and a steam shower with internet and an ocean view for 70,000 per night.


Places to eat:

Sfunz building has a seafood buffet on the 7th or 8th floor...it's 29,000won (roughly) and has a great selection.

Places to Drink: Near Haeundae there's The Fuzzy Navel, Thursday Party and U2.
(Don't have exact directions right now but the first two are near Haeundae station)

Have fun.

[sjv8603]

For the busiest night life in Busan, go to Kyungsung Uni. Take subway exit 5- take a right across from the Paris Baguette, walk down the street 100 or so metres. There's a lot of foreign and Korean bars such as Ol' 55, Thursday Party, Ghetto club (which has 1000KRW tequila shots), etc. Also some hookah bars and cheap places to eat.

Pusan Uni. does have some bars but it's usually less exciting than other areas unless there's a bar crawl and very remote from the rest of the city.

If you're looking for a laid back beach with thinner crowds, I'd say avoid Haeundae and head to Seongjeong, proly 3000KRW by cab or take bus 181 from Haeundae station. There's also a temple built into the sea cliffs not far past Seongjeong.

Jagalchi is in the LP and is worth seeing, just go earlier in the day when it's busier.

have fun mate.

[sligo]

Thanks to all those who have suggested things, and to those who may add to this. I usually use the lonely plannet, but i am sick of being frustarated by all the best bits missed out, and theh sketchiness of the directions. I usually find that people are better to ask, than a guide book where the information is just transfered from one edition to another.

[Aelric]

The would tell you to spend your afternoon and early night in Gwangalli, then head of the Kungshun U a little after dark. The next day, Go to Dongnae and take the cable car up the mountain and hike your hangover away. Then go to Haeundae for Tacos at Taco Senora (the only good tacos in Busan I've found) across the street in the ally from the Beauty Zone near SfunZ. Then relax head to the Modern Art Museum or the Aquarium, kick it on the beach a spell and repeat the last nights run.

Enjoy Busan, apparently, we're Dynamic!

[sligo]

I thought it woud be worth mentioning that i will be arriving in Busan on Wed April 22nd and leaving on the 24th just in case there were any special events happening during that period.