Korea - Seoul, Gwangju and Busan

As a family we traveled from Taipei to Seoul in the summer of 2023.   We stayed in Seoul for a few days before taking the train to Gwangju and Busan for 3 days and back to Seoul for two nights.   It was a wonderful exploring the landmarks with girls and experienced the food, shopping, and culture.  A few apps you may need to download: Naver for map, KakaoTalk for corresponding/communication, KakaoTaxi for taxi reservation.

Stay:
Seoul: Josun Palace, Gangnam.   If we were to choose again, I would preferred to stay near Myeong-dong instead of Gangnam because Myeong-dong is more central.  For us to head to the landmarks, we had to walk 10 minutes to the train station and at least 45 minutes on the train.  Sometimes it was faster and more cost effective to take the taxi instead of the train.   The hotel itself is very high end with wonderful breakfast buffet, indoor pool, and amenities.   Very high-end

Busan: Park Hyatt Haeundae.  Lovely central hotel in Hongdae.  We had an amazing view of the Busan bridge and spacious corner room.   

Activities:
Seoul:
- Gyeongbokgung Palace
- Bukchon Hanok Village
- Insadong
- Starfield library
- Myeong-dong Night Market
- Namdaemun Market
- Seoul Tower
- Lotte World (not our favorite, lines for rides were too long)
- Lots of shopping at Kakao Friends and Line stores
- iPark Mall for shopping, Doreamon cafe, and movie theater

Busan:
- Gamcheon Culture Village
- Haeundae Beach
- Busan Seafood market
- Busan Sky train

Restaurants:
Seoul:
- Namdaemun Market
- Traditional crab restaurant (Michelin star): 49-3 Jedong, Jongno-gu
- Jeju pork bbq in Gangnam: one of our fave and great kimchee fried rice
- Yeoksam The Signature Korean BBQ: amazing high-end kbbq in Gangnam
- Baskin-robbins in Gangnam have lots of flavors and tasting menu
- Cafe Onhwa in Gangnam for souffle pancakes 

Gwanju:
- Yoseokgung Palace 1779


Busan:
- Busan seafood market
- Soy Sauce Marinated Seafood restaurant

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