Korean Job Discussion Forums

[pangaea]

Looks like I'll be on my own for summer vacation and I think I will probably head to Busan. I need a few tips on where to stay and what to do while I'm there. I know I want to go to a beach, the aquarium, the fish market, and probably Beomeosa temple. As for a hotel, I want something decent but not overly expensive. Something around/under 50,000 per night would be within my price range. A bathtub would be great but not necessary. I chose Busan because I am going by myself and ease of transportation is a must. I would like to find a place near a subway stop and places to eat and preferably close to a beach. If anyone has any suggestions on a good place to stay and anything else to do while I'm there, it would be appreciated!

[mcviking]

Best palce is either Haeundae or Gwangali by your needs. There are lots of hotels in these areas, with every price range. Do a little bit of shopping around. In Gwangali there is a place right by BBQ that is relatively cheap and right next to the beach. The room isn't fabulous, but it isn't a love motel either. For an extra 10,000 there are semi decent places in Haeundae that have bath tubs even! If you stay in Haeundae you will be close to the Aquarium and the clubs there. I would also recommend going to Gwangali on a Friday or Saturday night. Also for shopping and randomness check out Gukje market near Jalgachi Station. For nightlife if you are into that sort of thing, head to Seomyeon or Kyungsun University area. The clubs in Haeundae and Womb at Gwangali are also pretty good if you are into clubs, but its a hit or miss sometimes. Temples aren't really my thing, but there is one a little past Haeundae that by the water, I forget its name though, it pretty sweet looking. Hope this helps.

[milspecs]

most love motels jack up their prices in the summer season. almost double what they normally cost

[Donkey Beer]

I hear Texas Street in Chinatown has some excellent night life.

[PigeonFart]

http://www.hotelwide.com/english/main.asp

[gmarthews]

My wife has covered Busan quite a few times in her love motel blog, this post is probably the most appropriate but there are other posts for Busan too.

http://lovemotelguide.blogspot.com/2010/04/luke-and-i-are-probably-going-to-busan.html

[InDaGu]

I don't know when/how long your vacation is, but you could look into taking sailing lessons with the Busan Sailing Club, if you think that's something that would interest you. I'm planning on doing it in August.

http://www.busansailing.com/

[NYC_Gal]

If you like really fresh seafood, check out the jagalchi fish market. It's incredible. I stayed at a love motel there that had a pool table in my suite. My friend's suite had a nintendo wii. We stayed in Jagalchi, but it was a mere 10 minutes to get to the center of town, and about a half hour to get to Haeundae. We went in the winter, so it was really cheap, though.

[PatrickGHBusan]

Jagalchi is one of the places to be for great seafood.

But you can do equally well in other areas of Busan and be in a location that is closer to busy areas.

Texas Street is however a complete dump....but some people like to party there.

If you want interesting nightlife hit PNU, Somyeon, Kyungsung Dae or even Haundae. All better than Tx Street.

I agree from the OP that the best place would be Haundae or Gwangangli. You can also target areas near those and usually end up paying less for a Yogwan.

Temples: visit Bomosa, it is worth the trip.

Shopping: nampodong has a huge open air market where you can find a lot of things.

You can also visit the numerous nice spas in Busan. Take in Onchonjang, it is al older but very nice spa.

If you want a newer spa, try Spaland , in Shinseagea department store (Centum City subway stop). Right across the shopping centre is Bexco convention centre where you can usually find decent exibits.

Haeundae is a nice beach but it gets mighty crowded. You can check out sonjong beach, a little further out but less crowded.

[pangaea]

I think I will probably stay at Haeundae. I think I would like the convenience of being near the beach, the aquarium, and the subway. When is the beach the most crowded? I tend to avoid the sun in the middle of the day. I will probably only want to be at the beach in the morning and late afternoon, probably no sooner than 3pm. I am not really interested in bars. I am really more interested in shopping, restaurants, and cultural attractions. A spa would be nice.

I will probably look for a motel once I get off the train. When I get off the subway at Haeundae, which direction do I go? Will I be right at the beach where the motels are?

[Smee]

For the sake of convenience, and increased readership, I'll put my post about Haeundae motels here, too.

http://briandeutsch.blogspot.com/2010/07/haeundae-motels.html

http://briandeutsch.blogspot.com/search/label/Motels%20and%20hotels

Pangea, I mentioned on the other thread that it's best to head out Exit 5 of Haeundae (subway) Station. There are plenty of options around 50,000 and 60,000 won, in addition to the dozen mentioned in the post.

I've always enjoyed Haeundae for the scenery, the people watching, and the water. If you're not really into sun, it's still a lively and pretty area at night (as is Gwangangli).

But it's also worth mentioning that it's a little far from the major shopping areas of Busan. You'll surely find motels around Seo-myeon and Nampo-dong, though likely not as swanky as around Haeundae. For a normal business-style hotel, the Toyoko (Japanese chain) has two locations in central Busan with rooms starting at 50,000 won.

http://www.toyoko-inn.com/eng/

I've stayed at the one nearest the ferry terminal (Joongang-dong) twice and can recommend it as clean and quiet. It should be noted that you get a cheaper rate when booking on the computer than when going in person . . . so if you go in person, go first to the computers in the lobby and make a reservation, then go across the lobby to the desk.

http://www.toyoko-inn.com/e_hotel/00178/index.html

Texas Street, aka "Chinatown," is a dump, they're right.

[kimdeal54]

[pangaea]

Yeah, Haeundae looks less than relaxing. I know it will be crowded but what I meant to ask was what time of day is the best to avoid most of the crowd. I would only be on the beach before 11am and after 3pm.

Is there a subway exit for Gwangangli?

[pangaea]

What station does the KTX arrive in in Busan?

[Donkey Beer]