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South of South Korea

mrbrown takes a plane to Busan

By Kin Mun "mrbrown" Lee

January 3^rd, 2017

I have been to South Korea a few times, you know, the usual Seoul and Jeju Island. But when I was invited by the Korea Tourism Organization to visit Geoje, Tongyeong, Yeosu, Suncheon and Jeonju, I had to Google the locations. Ah, these are cities in the south of South Korea.

When I mentioned where I was heading to my Korean friends, they all recognized the places. Obviously, locals know these spots. Now it was time for this foreigner to check it out.

We landed in Incheon on the first day and promptly hopped on a Plane to Busan (and encountered no zombies). Busan in the south, is the most convenient airport to land at, because our first stop was Geoje Island.

Geoje

Windy Hill (바람의 언덕) in Geoje lives up to its name. It was very windy but the views are lovely. The iconic windmill is there, and if you have the time, you should totally check out the sunsets there.

We had a healthy Korean buffet lunch at buffet at Ochaedam (망고플레이트) in Busan and stayed at the Samsung Hotel Geoje for the next two nights. Yes, those Tom Bihn bags were all I carried for the 7-day trip. I am pleased to report that the bed was very comfortable.

Tongyeong

From Tongyeong Ferry Terminal, we took an early ferry to Camellia Island and Jangsado Sea Park 장사도 해상공원 / 长蛇岛海上公园. I love taking ferries. You can tell from my previous trips that even a 24-hour ferry ride doesn't faze me. This was a much shorter ride, of course.

Jangsado is where some famous Korean drama was filmed. I am not the world's foremost expert on K-dramas so I won't be able to remember what show was shot where. But I believe "You Who Came from the Stars" was filmed here. Basically, every place I visited during this trip had some K-drama significance. Leave a comment below if you K-drama fans spot any of them.

Lunch was at Tongyeong Seafood Table. They mean it. The entire table is filled with seafood. This is one of the perks of dining near the southern sea of Korea. I had enough oysters to last a lifetime.

Dongpirang Village (동피랑마을) is home to the Dongpirang Mural Village. The winding narrow streets are filled with colourful murals and you manage to make it to the top of the hill, after stopping at just about every mural to snap a photo, you are rewarded with a great view of the city.

Needless to say, my poses with the murals were not always appropriate. I shall only share the safer photos here.

I am a sucker for markets. So even though it was already drizzling, we visited Tongyeong Jungang Market (통영 중앙시장), a market with more than 400 years of history. If I could carry the seafood home, I would have bought everything.

Suncheon

We encountered a real wedding at Naganeupseong Folk Village (낙안읍성), and kind of gatecrashed it. This folk village in Jeollanam-do Province is a popular venue for weddings and yes, some K-drama was filmed here too. I think it was Moonlight something. Oh wait, it was an episode of Moonlight Drawn by Clouds.

The little old ladies in costume are performers at another cultural performance within the village, I think. I thought they looked very cute.

There is also a spot in the village where they depict the traditional court and punishments for criminals. I think I enjoyed this part of the village a little too much. I wasn't the only one.

Being autumn, the views at Naganeupseong Folk Village are just a riot of red and orange beauty.

Nagan Fortress of Suncheon is within this village. And you can walk the walls of the fortress for some awesome views. Real people live in this heritage village. The villagers look after the village, grow their own crops and sell them to tourists too.

I lost a camera battery at Suncheonman Bay Wetland Reserve (순천만습지). It dropped from my backpack into the marshes when we were walking along the boardwalk and there was no way to get it back without being waist-deep in the mud and wetlands. Still, the walk was worth it. We all took obligatory Person in the Midst of Tall Grass photos here too.

The Suncheon Bay Garden is so big, we could not see it all. There are themed gardens throughout, and musical performances too. I was wondering why these people were going round and round this hill. Later I found out there is a Christmas tree display at the top.

Yeosu

From our Yeosu MVL Hotel (where I saw a photo of Minister Grace Fu on the wall of VIPs), we took the Yeosu Maritime Cable Car (여수 해상케이블카). From the cable car, you get some spectacular views of the Dolsandaegyo Bridge. My Crystal Car was the one with the glass floor. Not for people who are afraid of heights.

Odongdo Island (오동도) is a camellia flower lover's paradise. If you come at the right time, the ground is covered by these blood-red flowers. The first quarter of the year is a good time to see this but check online first.

Odongdo Island is also home to a Penis Tree (photo not shared here, go and see yourself), which is supposed to make you attractive to women if you touch it. I abstained from touching it because I am already married. Also popular is the Dragon Cave (not related in any way to the Penis Tree). It is a grotto by the sea and a great spot for photos.

I have done rail bikes before but the Yeosu Ocean Railbike (여수해양레일바이크) one takes you along the coast and then you enter some disco um-chi um-chi tunnels too. There is no electric-motor-assist, so make sure there are no slackers in your group.

Namwon

The gorgeous Gwanghalluwon Garden (광한루원) is the site of the famous Korean love story between Lee Mong-ryong and Chunhyang. Many actresses have acted as the virtuous Chunhyang in countless movie adaptations of their story and there is even a Miss Chunhyang beauty pageant every year.

Namwon is a really beautiful city and even outside Gwanghalluwon Garden, the city is stunning, especially at sunset.

Jeonju

One of the highlights of my trip was Jeonju Hanok Village (전주한옥마을). I got to stay in a Hanok, or a traditional Korean house. It is a little basic, but an authentic experience. They had wifi though, much to my relief.

The hip thing to do in Jeonju Hanok Village is to rent a traditional Korean costume and do your sightseeing in said costume. Like all day. I was told I looked like the evil uncle in a K-drama who plots to take over the throne. I was hoping to look like a friendly yet brilliant Crown Princess leh.