MANILA, Philippines - By plane, by bus, by train. Yes, we tried all kinds of ways to get to Yeosu, the site of the World Expo 2012. And what a pleasant surprise Korea turned out to be. With a simple guide in hand, one can go on an adventure to see Yeosu.
I booked our plane tickets back in December and, after consulting a map, looked at Busan as the nearest place to Yeosu. Well, yes, and no.
Yes, it looks nearer on the map but in reality, there are more fast trains to Yeosu from Seoul than from Busan, if there is a train service at all...
So, we spent a couple of nights in Busan, took a city tour on a hop on/hop off bus for only 10,000 won (less than $10). It was a pleasant surprise. Busan has nice beaches, a great shoreline and lots of restaurants and clubs. There are a myriad of eating places and a must stop is the world’s largest department store as certified by Guinness Records – the Shinsegae Department Store.
You can stop at the Busan Museum of Modern Art and the Busan Aquarium. The bus tour has two loops which could take you the whole day, if you did not hop off except to change loops at Busan station. The buses come every 30 minutes like clockwork.
After a few nights in Busan, you can take a cab to Sasang Bus Terminal and buy a ticket to Yeosu. The ticket costs about $17 per person, and they take credit cards. The bus, even with just nine passengers on board, will leave on schedule and after a few hours – three and a half (with a quick 15-minute stop midway for restroom and snack break) to be exact – you arrive at Yeosu Bus Terminal. From here, you will have to take a taxi to your hotel.
Spend a day or two at the World Expo and enjoy Yeosu’s old downtown and new downtown.
From Yeosu Expo Station, you can take the fast train called KTX to Seoul. The fast trains take only three hours and a few minutes and you will soon land in Yongsan Station in the northern part of the city.
From Seoul, you can choose to go back the same way to Busan (train, then bus) or choose to fly from the Gimpo airport in Seoul. Gimpo is the domestic airport which takes you to Busan in less than an hour for about $80. We did the latter and it was a breeze taking a flight in Seoul’s domestic airport. We arrived in Busan fresh and comfortable, ready for our trip home.
So, it’s your choice of destination and travel route. You can reach Yeosu flying into Incheon airport, taking a cab to Yongsan station and taking the fast (KTX) train to Yeosu Expo Station.
You may also stay a few days in Seoul and make Yeosu a day trip, and as long as you start early, you should be able to cover a lot of ground. You can also make Seoul your home base and go on a 2-day trip to Yeosu.
In six days, the ECHOtrio covered a lot of ground and got immersed in Korean culture. It of course helped that we had two guides, one from Busan to Yeosu and one in Seoul. But have no fear. There are maps and signs all over and, thoughtfully, for the expo, they have made announcements in English on the train, plane and bus.
I suggest you bring along a Korea guide book to at least learn the basic do’s and don’ts of the culture, learn a few terms when ordering food and write down directions to hotels and destinations.
Korea is more than just bulgogi and Koreans learning English. Koreans are about the warmest people who will open their homes to you. We were invited to have dessert and tea at a Korean home, a nice warm cap to our winter visit.
So, whether you choose to take the train, bus or plane, put Korea on your travel list. Better yet, put Yeosu on your travel list and visit the Philippine pavilion.Kamsamida!