Busan, South Korea

Busan is the second largest city in South Korea after Seoul, and is located in the southern part of the country. After opening the country's first international port, it became the number one trading hub in  South Korea and also happens to be a popular tourist destination. Historically, it served as the capital city during the Korean war and many people from the north sort refuge in the city. 

You can get to Busan from Seoul using various means of transportation, but the fastest and most convenient way to get to the city is by the high speed KTX Train which takes less than 3 hours. It's advisable to buy tickets in advance as they can sell out especially during high season when there is so much demand.

My friend and I decided to visit for a weekend and by the end of our trip we wished we could have extended the trip by an additional day because we really had a good time and wanted to explore more of the city. Since we were both first time visitors, we wanted to maximize our stay by taking a tour that would take us to all the city's highlight's and give us an introduction to what it has to offer. These are some of the spots that we visited, there was so much more but I'll settle for these:

Haedong Yonggungsa Temple - This is a beautiful Buddhist temple located by the seaside and was first built in 1376 (there have been reconstructions over the years). 

Blueline Park Sky Capsule - We took a cable car so we could could see and aerial view of the city, the other alternative was a train.

Daritdol Observatory - Get to walk above the sea at this observatory that's 66 feet (20 meters) above sea level and 238 feet (73 meters) long toward the sea. 

Gamcheon Culture Village - It was formed by refugees of the Korean War and with its rows of colorful terraced houses along the mountainside, it's referred to as the "Santorini"of South Korea. 

UN Memorial Cemetery - This is the sole UN cemetery globally, established to inter soldiers from the Korean War. Soldiers from 11 countries have been laid to rest here. 

That's is folks! we really enjoyed Busan and had a good time. Aside from visiting different sites around the city, we also got to enjoy the food and I can honestly say that Korean food has now become one of my faves! I had never eaten Korean food till I visited the country and I can't believe what I was missing out on!