Busan travel guide

Jeju Island

Jeju Island is one of the most popular holiday destinations in South Korea and can be reached by ferry from Busan. Found off the southern tip of the Korean Peninsula, it enjoys relatively warm weather throughout the year. Visitors generally flock to its beaches, as well as the volcanic Mount Hallasan.

The island is home to a number of interesting museums, including the Folklore and History Museum, the Independence Museum, and the fascinating Haenyeo Museum which provides valuable insight into the tradition of the Haenyeo women divers of the island.

Jeju Island has many fascinating natural wonders, including the Gimyeong Maze, the Manjanggul lava tube cave, the hexagonal-shaped Jusangjeolli cliff, and Cheonjiyeon Waterfall. Iho Beach is made up of both yellow and dark grey volcanic sand, creating beautiful patterns in the tidal waters.

Visitors to Jeju Island can go on numerous tours of the island or they can relax on the beaches or at hot spring resorts. There are many hiking trails and going scuba diving is definitely one of the top things to do on Jeju Island.

The island has a broad range of hotels and accommodation options and there are many small restaurants serving up regional delicacies ranging from live squid to mandarin oranges, mushrooms, abalone, and wild boar.

Beaches in Busan

Busan is home to a number of excellent tourist sites. Yet its standout attractions must be its beaches, which are famous throughout Korea and draw tens of thousands of vacationers annually to the busy port city.

Busan's beaches are best experienced in spring, autumn, and winter, as between mid-June and the end of August (Korea's official beach season) they can become unpleasantly overcrowded. Busan's main beach is Haeundae, which sports a good amount of fine golden sand and good swimming conditions.

The area surrounding Haeundae Beach is also full of trendy bars and restaurants, a wealth of shopping opportunities, and lots of accommodation options, making it the perfect base for a weekend getaway in Busan. The next beach down the pecking order is Gwangalli, which has a great view of the Gwangan Grand Bridge, and on any given day will play host to a number of informal volleyball games.

Slightly more remote beaches, which might not suffer too much from overcrowding, include Songjeong with its cleaner waters and bigger waves (ideal for surfing) and Dadaepo, located in a river estuary about five miles (8km) from downtown Busan which features shallow waters and outstanding natural scenery.

Busan Aquarium

Korea's largest aquarium and one of its most talked about tourist attractions, the Busan Aquarium is a sure-fire winner guaranteed to delight visitors of all ages. The aquarium is a major operation and spread over three levels, with its main tank containing an astounding three million litres of water.

The Busan Aquarium is home to roughly 35,000 marine animals from more than 250 species, and features special exhibitions to showcase rare and exotic creatures such as jackass penguins, clawed otters, electric eels, sharks, piranhas, giant turtles, and an assortment of colourful sea jellies.

Visitors largely view the sea life from the confines of an impressive 260-foot (80m) underground tunnel, through enormous acrylic windows that allow for photography. Of particular interest to younger visitors is the aquarium's 3D simulator located on the first floor, a cutting-edge piece of technology that gives you a taste of what it must be like to explore the ocean floor on foot.

One of the best things to see in Busan and a must for family vacationers, the Busan Aquarium is a delightful way to spend a few hours marvelling at the ocean's riches before heading upstairs and out onto Haeundae Beach to catch some sun.