5D4N with 2.5yo tot to Busan, South Korea
DAY 1 - Arrival and checking in to Ramada Encore by Wyndham Busan Station
This trip was a continuation with my mum-friends who left South Korea for home in Singapore while I continued my journey to Busan, South Korea for 4D3N via KTX. For convenience, I stayed at Ramada Encore by Wyndham Busan Station which is just a mere 3 minutes walk as you exit the train station. Although the rooms are small (27sqm) and a little dated, the location was unbeatable for its proximity to the train station and it was reasonably priced at about SG$130 per night. I knew I’d be taking a taxi everywhere I went so it wasn’t necessary for me to stay at any particular tourist-friendly area far away from the Busan train station. I use Kakao Taxi in Korea for its convenience in terms of payment and booking and more importantly, for safety, as its trackable (real time location service) and drivers do not detour for extra fares.
DAY 2 - Gamcheon Culture Village, Shinsaegae Centum City
20 minutes away from our hotel is Gamcheon Culture Village, our first stop for the day. It’s a hilly, colourful neighbourhood with maze-like streets, countless street art and murals, art installations and quirky sculptures and statues at every turn. There are plenty of quaint cafes and handicraft shops waiting to be discovered in the charming alleyways.
The taxi stopped at the top of the residential village (thank goodness) and we walked downhill, past all the food stands, cafes, and picture spots, each taking up bits of our time and before we knew it was time for lunch, a pretty appropriate time as it also began to pour. We had our meal at a local home-style coffee shop with Korean staples like Kimchi Fried Rice and Seaweed Soup.
The weather that day wasn’t in our favour so I went into my default city-mum mode and headed to their largest shopping mall, Shinsaegae Centum City which I later realised is registered in the Guinness World Records as the world’s largest department store with superb retail, leisure and entertainment experiences and facilities.
Don't forget to snap some photos at the popular "Little Prince" statue, a favorite spot for visitors seeking the perfect Instagram shot.
DAY 3 - Haeundae Beach, Blueline Park and Gunam-ro
A visit to Busan wouldn’t be completed if you hadn’t had their seafood hotpot and that was what we went for first, on the second day there. There are lines of seafood restaurants by Haeundae Beach so you’d be spoilt for choice there. We took about an hour to stroll along the beach from the restaurant to the Blueline Park, making stops to play with sand, watch the busker’s performances and soak in winter sun. Frankly I went there for the sole purpose of taking the cute Sky Capsule rides but they were fully sold out for the day when we arrived so I’d strongly encourage you to book your tickets on Klook, with a one day tour or KKday at least a week prior to your arrival. The beach train tickets were still available at the ticketing booth so I bought a return ticket. We started from Mipo Station, and you can alight and board at every beach station (Dalmaji Tunnel, Haewol Skywalk, Cheongsapo, Daritdol Skywalk, Gudeokpo and finally, Songjeong) for its various scenic views.
I opted to forgo the return ride as it was a long wait and the scene would be the same so I took a public bus back to its main walking street Gunam-ro for the evening. I’d highly recommend heading there at night as it lights up to a bustling scene of retail shops, restaurants and cafes and buskings. I bought a seafood pancake at a random stall along the Haeundae Market, a traditional market with lots of live seafood restaurant and stalls selling dried seafood. We settled for dinner at Haeundae Somunnan Samgyetang which warmed up our cold bodies before heading back to the street to immerse in the lively atmosphere.
DAY 4 - Lotte World Adventure Busan
Lotte World Adventure Busan opened in March 2022 and in my opinion much better than Lotte World Seoul which opened in March 1990. Its new, clean and located at the east, beyond Haeundae Beach, making you feel like you’re transported out of the city into a magical land with the blue skies and fluffy clouds at the horizon.
We bought our tickets online as its cheaper than at the entrance and it was difficult to navigate through its official website which displayed only Seoul’s ticketing page. It was a weekday in winter so the Adventure Park wasn’t very crowded which made the experience even more enjoyable. Baby A was 2.5 years old and about 90cm tall at that time and there were plenty of rides we did together and attractions suitable for her.
Rides: Candy Train, Dancing Pony, Run Goat, Swan Lake, Fly on Chickens
Entertainment: Lorry Castle, Talking Tree, Kidstoria, Lotus Magic Forest Parade (We watched both day and night)
We left as soon as the night parade was concluded at about 5pm and walked across to Lotte Premium Outlet Mall where she had another round of fun at the children’s playground at Level 3 and I did my adult shopping after dinner. The mall had a good mix of luxury shops like Gucci, Saint Laurent and Balenciaga to sports and outdoor shops like Descente, Patagonia and Callaway. You can find more information here.
DAY 5 - Back to Seoul (but if i had more time…)
Travelling with a toddler means you cannot maximise your travel adventures even if you wish to. We checked out by noon and was on KTX back to Seoul at 2pm. If I do return to Busan without my daughter or perhaps when she’s older, I would definitely visit the places that I’ve missed like Gijang Crab Market, Haedong Yonggungsa Temple, Oryukdo Haenyeochon, Songdu Skypark, most of which can be covered in these tours if you’re not keen on planning. There’s much more to be discovered at this beautiful seaside town.