Here are your travel contests for this week. You can win trips to Seoul, South Korea; Jamaica or Turks & Caicos; New York City; Paris, France; San Francisco, California; a Caribbean Cruise; Bordeaux, France; Cancun, Mexico; San Francisco, Brooklyn, Nashville, Austin, New Orleans, or Detroit; a concert in Miami, Florida; and more. Good luck & be […]
In September-October 2016, I traveled to South Korea for the first time. On my way, I also decided to visit Japan for a few days. My flights were mostly booked with American Airlines AAdvantage miles. I flew in first class between San Francisco & Tokyo in both directions thanks to mileage awards. I then spent […]
The first leg of my journey back home was a flight from Seoul to Tokyo. I flew on Japan Airlines in Business Class on a Boeing 787-800 from Seoul Gimpo to Tokyo Haneda, both being each city’s smaller, closer airport. The ticket was booked as part of a larger award using American Airlines miles, and […]
Prior to my flight from Seoul to Tokyo, the second lounge I visited was the Air Lounge Hue Seoul Gimpo. Like the KAL Lounge Seoul Gimpo, the Air Lounge Hue Seoul Gimpo is also landside. I had access to it thanks to having a Priority Pass card. It’s a bit of a maze to get to the […]
With my time in South Korea complete, it was time to head back home. I had managed to get myself a nice long layover in Tokyo so I could have a day in the city. First, I needed to fly there from Seoul. My flight was from Seoul’s smaller Gimpo airport to Tokyo Haneda on […]
My final hike in Seoraksan National Park was to Heundeulbawi Rock, Gyejoam Grotto, & Ulsanbawi Rock. The trail to these landmarks is just past Sinheungsa Temple & its giant Buddha. Saving the temple for my return journey, I crossed the new stone bridges & headed up into the hills. The trail to Heundeulbawi Rock is 2.3 […]
On my 2nd day in Seoraksan National Park, I did two hikes. The first was to Yukdam Falls, then Biryong Falls, then finally to the Towangseong Falls overlook. The second hike was to Heundeulbawi & Ulsanbawi. I decided to do the hike to Biryong, Yukdam, & Towangseong Falls first because earlier in the morning the […]
I arrived back at the main entrance to Seoraksan National Park around 3pm. My hike to Biseondae and back had taken up most of the day. In the morning, I had passed the cable car station that takes visitors up to the top of Gwongeumseong Peak & Seoraksan Castle, also known as Gwongeumseong Fortress. Many […]
I could have stayed in central Sokcho for my visit to go hiking in Seoraksan National Park, but instead I decided to stay as close as possible to the park entrance at a place called Goodstay Smile Resort & Guesthouse. Bus number 7 or 7-1 goes from the Intercity Bus Station out to this area […]
Sokcho, South Korea is the gateway to the beautiful Seoraksan National Park. Every fall, hundreds of thousands of people flock to Seoraksan to see the leaves changing colors. I traveled from Busan to Sokcho by bus as part of the final leg of my trip to South Korea. Since it was a busy time of […]
Gyeongju, South Korea, is a major city in world history, yet comparatively few people are aware of its rich background. During the time of the Silla Dynasty, which lasted from 57 BC – 935 AD – a remarkable length of time, Gyeongju served as its capital. Around the year 750, Gyeongju was the 4th largest […]
Busan is South Korea’s second largest city. While not as massive as Seoul, Busan still has a vibrant modern edge to it. There are several great breweries & places to drink craft beer in Busan. Most of them are congregated in two sections of the city, Gwangan & Nampo. Here are the best places I […]
Late during my previous day in Busan, after having spent the afternoon exploring Gamcheon Culture Village, I had learned that Typhoon Chaba was going to be hitting South Korea overnight. The bulk of the storm hit in the early morning hours, but by the early afternoon, the skies were clear. I had spent the storm […]
I spent two full days hiking in Seoraksan National Park, exploring four different areas from the entrance near Sokcho. On my first day, I took the bus into the park from my hotel around 9am. There is just one way into the park, and it is a dead end, so the bus didn’t get too […]
One of the highlights of Busan is Gamcheon Culture Village. In recent years, artists & residents have turned what was once a hilltop slum into a beautiful lively neighborhood. Gamcheon is located outside of central Busan, but it’s fairly easily accessed by the city’s metro system. I took the Metro south from Beomnaegol station, which […]
