Korea, Busan: How to get to Taejongdae Resort Park (태종대 유원지)

Taejongdae Resort Park is small park south of Busan in on of the many islands around Busan.

We had our difficulties finding it because we used the official sightseeing map of Busan which was not helpful at all.
If you look at a map, you will get the impression that the island is mostly nature and forest. In reality it's mostly city apart from the resort park and the hill in the middle. Also it's pretty big so you really do want to either use a car or go there by bus.

More detailed information about the park can be found at the official tourism site of Kora.

The easiest way of getting there is from Busan Station. They are currently rebuilding the area around Busan station so you might need to ask around to find the right bus stop.
You can take the following busses: 66, 88, and 101 with the final stop Chagoji (차고지) and get off at Taejongdae (태종대). It will take 40-45 minutes to get there.
Please note that even though the directions are shown in English on the outside of the bus, neither the bus stop signs nor the station map inside the buses are English so you should definitely learn the Hangul characters or go and ask the bus driver.
Taejongdae is the final stop so just stay seated until the end.
You can take the same buses to get back to Busan station. The bus stop "Busan station" will also be announced in English.

Once you reach the Resort park, you can either walk or take the small train to get you to the sightseeing spots. Please note that the train will only run every other 20minutes and if you get off in the middle and try to get back on, you might have to wait a while.
The train always runs in circles, so no matter where you get off, you always pass all spots.

Source: http://taejongdae.bisco.or.kr

 There are 5 sightseeing spots along the way. It's a pretty long way up the hill to spot no. 3 but not very long between 3 and 4 and 5 is 1 km away from spot no. 4. As you can hop off and on the train any number of times you want, you can alternate between walking and taking the train.

The 5 sightseeing spots are:
1. A beach
2. Gumyeongsa temple
3. Observatory
4. Lighthouse
5. Taejongsa temple

You should definitely get off at the lighthouse as you not only have a wonderful view over the sea but you also have access to a beautiful cliff where you can rest a for a while and enjoy the power of the ocean.

Korea, Seoul: How to get to the Coffee Prince café

Today's post is about how to get to the café that was used for the K-Drama Coffee Prince.

It's actually pretty easy to find, if you get the right exit.
The café is located in Hongdae, so you want to go to the Station Hongik University (Subway line 2 (green) and AREX A (light blue))  홍대입구역.

Source: http://map.naver.com/?menu=route&mapMode=0&lat=37.5564664&lng=126.9272555&dlevel=12&slng=126.9241893&slat=37.5569337&elng=126.9292551&elat=37.5545201&pathType=3&dtPathType=0&sText=7JWE66aE64uk7Jq06rCA6rKM&eText=7Luk7ZS87ZSE66aw7IqkMe2YuOygkA%3D%3D&enc=b64

Once you're at the station, follow these directions:

1. Take Exit no. 8
2. Follow the street to your right.
3. At the 5 way intersection walk straight to the end
4. Turn left, walk for about 30 metres
5. Turn right into the next possible street. There is a small square and the second house should be a conbini
6. Walk straight, the street should go up a slope towards the end. You have to walk for a couple of minutes
7. Almost at the end of the street, the café will be at your right hand side.

Coffees are a bit expensive here but the waffles are really good and before you leave, one of the waiters will take you to the second floor if you want, from where you can take more photos.
Please be advised that you are not allowed to take photos from within the area if you don't order anything.

Korea, Busan: Geumjeongsan Mountain (금정산)

(This post gives you information about Geumjeong, a mountain located north of Busan and worth a visit.
This spot is famous for its fortress wall and the gates you can visit and a temple.
There are two ways of reaching the top:

1. Using the hiking trail, that leads you through the temple and towards the gate. I have not used the hiking trail so for detailed information please refer to the official Korean tourism site.

2. Using the cable car. You will still have to walk a bit to reach the south gate. Also the path is not safe for buggies and make sure to wear proper foot wear if you plan on starting your hiking trip from the cable car.

To get to the cable car from the station is actually not very tricky if you follow the right signs. As for all places in Korea, the best way of finding your way is you use the Naver Map as it works a lot better than Google Maps. If you cannot read Hangul it's a bit more difficult but it proved to be the most reliable source of information.

Here is the route to get from the station to Geumgang Park, where the cable car is located. If you want to look it up yourself, type 온천장막썰어횟집 (Oncheonjang) as your departure and 금강공원 (Geumgang Park) as your destination.
It will take you around 20minutes from the station to the cable car. The good thing is, that you can see the cable car almost all the time, so even if you don't find the right crossing, you can still see it and try walking towards it.

2014.6.6 | 지도 크게 보기 ©  NAVER Corp.

So, how to get there:
1. Take the train to Oncheonjang Station (온천장막썰어횟집)
2. Take Exit 1 and turn left and walk straight for a while until you reach the next big intersection with traffic lights.
3. Turn right, cross the street, walk straight
4. At the next 5-way intersection, walk straight.
5. At the next bigger intersection, take the street at the most left side, it will lead half left.
6. Walk straight for about 10 minutes, up a hill until you reach a  3-way intersection where you cannot walk straight anymore. You have reached Geumgang Park.
7. To your right you can cross the street and enter the Park.
8. Take the center road, it will lead you up a hill through the park for a couple of minutes until you will reach the cable car.

Once you'r§ up, you might want to follow the actual hiking trail for a bit.
For example, you can follow the sign towards the south gate. If you follow it correctly, it will take around 20-30 minutes at most to reach that point.
1. When you leave the cable car turn right, towards the toilet.
2. Take the left road towards "South Gate" and keep right until you reach the top.
3. Turn right, pass the small toilet house and downhill up until you come to a crossing.
4. Turn left downhill and walk for a bit
5. There is a small crossing with one path leading downhill and the right path straight. Take the right path. If you can read hangul, the sign will tell you to walk straight but this will actually only lead you to a small town, not to the gate.
6. Follow the small path until you reach a house, pass that hous up the hill
7. Turn left and walk straight towards the South gate.

Korea, Seoul: How to use the subway

Seoul provides an extensive subway system which is very easy to use, once you know how to use it.

Knowing Hangul is definitely an advantage but not necessary as long as you stay within the metropolitan area.

Unfortunately, you cannot rely on a map on paper since those on the internet may be old and you cannot get them at the station.
So if you want to get from A to B you either need to use this website: Cyber station and memorize the transfer and destination points or you use a smartphone and install the app Subway Navigation.

The Subway Navigation app is very easy to use and provides you with all necessary information to guarantee a quick and easy transfer.

First you need to know how the subway works in general:
All lines have a number or a letter and a color. Each line has always has its own platform so basically all you need to do is follow the signs with the color of your line. If you have to transfer to another line, you will always have big signs on the floor or the wall painted in the color of your next line.
Don't get confused if your direction or actual destination is not shown, just follow the color for starters.
On most stations, there is one platform for both direction but in some stations platforms are opposite each other so it's best to always remember the final stop of the line you want to use so you know which direction to go to. If you don't know the final stop you will always have a map of that line down at the platform.
Also, don't get confused if you don't find the final stop when following the signs, as sometimes they will only show the next major station. In these cases, ignore the station names and just follow the color.

When in the subway, music will play whenever you reach a station where you can transfer to another line. On major stations announcements will be made in Korean, English, Japanese and Chinese and you will always have a display either at above the doors or in the center showing the next stop and transfer information in at least Korean and English.

Using the subway and transfering is much easier with the Subway Navigation app.
To use the app, open it and you will get the complete subway map. You can choose between a couple of cities, "Metropolitan" being Seoul. In the settings you can switch between Korean and English station names, choose whatever suits you best.

Source: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=net.orizinal.subway

In this map, you first click on the station you want to depart. A context menu will open with different options such as "Departure", "Destination", "Add Favorite" and "View station info".
The last option will give you real time information about the next trains. This will only work if you have internet.
Choose "Departure" and then proceed to click on the station you want to get to and choose this as "Destination".
A new window will open showing the lines and transfer points.

Source: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=net.orizinal.subway

Sometimes, there are different routes, so at the top left you can switch between the route that takes the shortest time and that needs the fewest transfers.
Next to that you can switch between Holiday and Workday and look for the first or last train on that route.

The next line shows the departue time. Per se this is always the current time. By clicking on the arrow you can choose a different time. Same goes for the field "Arrival" to set your desired time of arrival.

Then you see the actual route. It shows the start station and beneath that in smaller letters the final stop on that line. This is very important because this station shows you which direction you have to go.
Next to your start station you will see the color and number of the line you have to take and next to that the time of departure.

If you have to transfer, the next line will indicate something called "Quick transfer". This is very helpful because it shows you what wagon you have to get into in order to be closest to the stairs that will get to you to the next train. The wagon number is also always located in front of the doors at the platform so you can already go there.
This line will also show you how many stops you have to take and how long it will take.

And from then on the same information will repeat with the next transfer until the last line containing the destination station and the time of arrival, the duration and the fare.

For more information about using the Subway Navigation App, go to the Android Play store.




As for tickets, I suggest you buy the T-Money card upon entering Korea, since this will give you one less thing to worry about when traveling by subway. You can use the card in all major cities.
If you go to Busan and plan on using the bus system there, I advise you to get a card provided by the Hu Metro, which is the local subway provider.

If you don't want to buy the T-Money card you can always by individual tickets for every trip.
All you have to do is go to a "Ticket Vending and Card Reload Device".
Select your language.
Click the left button to buy a single fare ticket.
Choose your destination. Destinations are sorted alphabetically.
Enter the number of passengers you want to buy tickets for.
Pay the amount shown on the screen.
Wait for a moment, then receive the credit card sized tickets.
Go through the security gate by placing your ticket at the security card reader and exit at your destination the same way.
Once you exit through the security gate, look for a machine called "Deposit Refund Device". Put your single ticket into the machine and receive the 500Won deposit.

Buying individual tickets seems more expensive at first but you will get a 500Won deposit when returning the ticket. Still, I recommend buying the prepaid T-Money card or one of the other available passes, especially if you plan on using the public transportation system for a couple of days.

You can find information about how to get a subway ticket for Seoul subway at the Official Korean tourism site

Korea, Seoul: T-Money Card

The best way to get around with public transportation is by using the T-Money card. It's a prepaid card that allows you to use the subway and buses within Seoul and a couple of other cities within South-Korea. You can also use it to pay in certain convenience stores.

The T-Money card comes in different kinds and shapes, the standard being a card the size of a normal credit card. You can also find shapes for your key chain or phone chain, always depending on where you buy it.

How to get a T-Money card? It's actually very easy as you can really buy it in almost any convenience store. On the internet it says that you are to look out for the T-Money sign but that is not always true. It's best to look for a convenience store in or near a station, go to the counter and ask the clerk for a T-Money card. They will then either give you one or send you to another store that does have a card.
The easiest way is probably to go to a store right at the airport as I am sure they have those cards there or at least know where to get them.

The card costs 5000Won and apparently you can get it refunded when you leave the country.

Once you bought the card, you need to charge it first. To do so, all you have to do is go to the station and look for a machine that says "Ticket Vending and Card Reload Devices".

First you choose your language and then click on the menu item at the right side.
Place you card at the recharging pad.
At the next menu, choose the amount you want to recharge. One trip in Seoul is about 1050Won - 1150Won for an adult.
Pay the amount and wait until recharging is done.

To use the card, just place it at the security card reader when entering and exiting. You will see two numbers at the screen. The number at the top indicates how much this trip will cost you, the number at the bottom shows you how much money you have left on your card.
If you try to enter although you don't have enough money, you will get an error and the security gate will close. You will then have to recharge your card first.
If you try to leave and you do not have enough money left on your card, you will also get an error and the security gate will close. But not worries, there are always recharge machines next to the gates inside the station where you can recharge as well.

More detailed information about the T-Money card and other cards and pictures are found at the official site of Korea tourism.

Korea: Getting around using the KR railpass

As many countries do, Korea also offers a rail pass that allows you to travel around by train without any limit.
This rail pass is very cheap, comes in different versions and I recommend you using it whenever you travel at least twice.

The KR website offers information about the different types of rail pass, so you can choose whichever you need.

You can use the rail pass when you are a tourist. If you live in Korea as foreigner, you can also use the rail pass but you need to make sure to use the "Happy Rail pass" instead.

There are different types of this rail pass so you need to plan ahead:
Types

I, for example, went with my friend to Busan for a two day trip so we chose the 3-day Saver pass for 167,000Won which was cheaper than individual tickets.

You can reserve the pass in advance via their website. You need to enter your name, the ID of your passport and your credit card information. Reserve rail pass
 You then need to print out the reservation details and bring them with you to Korea. You can also reserve the rail pass while being in Korea already.

Then you have to go to a major KR station such as Seoul or Busan, that has a KR information center. Caution, this is not the ticket window, you need to go to the information center.
At Seoul station the information center is located at the center of the arrival hall in front of Lotteria and the entry to Lotte department.

You will then have to show your reservation and your passport. They will ask you for the start date of the rail pass which should be the first day of your travel.
You then proceed to pay with the credit card you used for the reservation and that's it.


I recommend looking up the trains you want to take in advance since you can also reserve trains here as well and don't have to go to the ticket office to get a reservation. Check train schedule

If you don't know when to travel or the dates change, no worries. All you have to do is go to a KR ticket window, show them your exchanged pass and reserve a train.

You will then get a receipt containing the train information and your reservation information. The departure platform will be announced at the bill board in front of the train platforms up to 15 minutes in advance.

If you don't know whether you'll end up using the rail pass at all, no worries. Your credit card will only get charged when you actually exchange the rail pass.
If you reserve it but do not exchange it within one month, reservation will become invalid.

If you have questions or you need further information, let me know and I will try to help.

For further and detailed information, please visit the official Korail website