Annyeonghaseo! Today, I will take you back to Korea and explore Busan. I will share all the yummy foods I had, beautiful places to go, and where to stay (budget version) β¨ β¨ β¨
At first, I wanted to start writing about my Egypt trip. But then I got my period and by the time I’m writing this, which is Day 3, I still feel like eating all the time, haha…
I had wonderful memories in Busan, with its scenery, delicious foods, and snacks. So yeah, I want to write it down as my digital diary aka travel blog post π π π
This blog post will be a combination of my Busan trip with the One Life Adventures group tour and my own extended days in Busan.
Lion Hotel: Where to Stay in Busan on a Small Budget
Ok guys, if you read my previous blog posts about my Korea trip, you’ll know I had a small budget for this trip. Since the group tour only spent 1 day in Busan, I extended it by 2 more days myself.
Hotel prices in Busan are lower than in Seoul and other big Korean cities. However, I found Lion Hotel to be a steal. It was only KRW 106,564 (around RM289.55 / 73.45 USD) for 2 nights, 1 person!
Alright, there are good and not-so-good things about the Lion Hotel, Busan.
The good things are:
- Good price
- Nice bed! I slept so well~
- Huge, clean, and comfortable rooms
- Very huge bathrooms, with a bathtub
- There’s an extra washbasin outside the bathroom
- Strategic location (walking distance to Lotte Mall, subway stations, shopping and food area)
The not-so-good things are:
- The alley is a bit dirty
- It looks dodgy from the outside
- Small lobby with only one long sofa, a fridge, a microwave, and luggage scale
I found out about the Lion Hotel when I searched for the nearest hotel to my Busan day trip’s meeting point. I was lucky!
I took a bus and used my GPS (Naver) to find the hotel. At first I was sceptical, thinking I had been duped by the photos I saw online.
But then it was just the hotel’s alley and lobby that seemed dodgy, the room was LEGIT. My room was the same, no, much better than the photos. I also liked the soap and shampoo in the bathroom! π
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What to Eat in Busan BIFF Square and Nearby
What’s better than delicious and hearty snacks when you’re on your period?? Oooh take me back to Busan International Film Festival Square, please! π π π
Nangman Donut and Boiled Fish Cakes Near Jagalchi Fish Market, Busan
Jagalchi Fish Market is just opposite the BIFF Square’s main entrance.
When I heard about Jagalchi Fish Market, Busan, I thought I could eat fresh fish. But there were no stalls cooking and selling fresh fishes at the market.
Instead, I found donut and fish cake stalls that were always busy with local customers. Believe it or not, I ate two big, fried donuts at Nangman Donut!
Yes, they were fried and unhealthy. But who cares? It’s not like I would return to Busan in the near future! JUST EAT AND BE HAPPY π π π
With so many options and a small belly, I didn’t know which ones to buy. Since it was a sinful snack, first I bought a donut topped with crispy sticky rice and sprinkled with sugar.
It was freshly fried and was still hot. The texture of the donut was chewy, yumm~ I enjoyed it well while waiting for the black glutinous rice donut. I’d been there since the guy kneading the dough, haha…
Finally, he fried the black glutinous rice donut and served it. I quickly bought it, waited for a while, and ate it while it was hot. OMG… It was crispy, chewy, a little bit sweet, and so nice! π π π
Next, not far away from Nangman Donut was a shop selling fresh, frozen, and cooked fish cakes. I was still feeling very full, so I only had the tester, pizza fishcake. Yummy~~
This Famous Donkatsu in the BIFF Square
Alright guys, I don’t know the English name of the donkatsu (pork cutlet) restaurant, but here’s the map link: https://naver.me/xJaX7sAr
This place was recommended by my local tour guide, Cheong An. Besides donkatsu, it also sells pizza, pasta, hamburg, and omelette rice.
When I saw the place, I thought the food would be pricey because the place was big and nicely decorated. They even had a real wood fireplace to bake the pizza!
But it turned out that the price of the donkatsu was similar to other places. I think it was around KRW13,000 (around RM35 / 9 USD).
The portion was huge! I had mushroom soup and salad for starters, followed by a HUGE piece of donkatsu, white rice, 1 piece of mushroom, and a small baked potato.
It was really nice, but I couldn’t finish them. I wish I had someone to share the food with, hehe!
Ssiat Hotteok in the BIFF Square
Hotteok is a popular Korean street food and my favourite comfort food when in Korea. They are fried, chewy pancakes filled with melted brown sugar and cinnamon.
In Busan, the most famous hotteok is Ssiat Hotteok, located in the BIFF Square. It’s different than the normal hotteok because you can opt for mixed seeds topping.
This stall is near the entrance of the BIFF Square and the queue is always long. Right after you pass the entrance gate, walk straight, and you’ll see the stall on the right.
Will you wait for a long time? Don’t worry! Although the queue is long, this stall is very organized, hence you won’t wait for too long (and the business is very good).
Just for this one stall, there are around 4 people with their own roles: someone to take orders and receive payment, someone to knead the dough, someone to fry the hotteok, and someone to fill the hotteok with melted brown sugar + mixed seeds.
Since it’s combined with mixed seeds (sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, and peanuts) on top, Ssiat Hotteok tastes salty at first few bites, then gradually sweet.
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The Famous Yangsanjip Pork Broth Stew in Kkangtong Market
I guess this is the only small restaurant in Kkangtong Market where you have to queue online to get a seat! My local tour guide recommended Yangsanjip and this place was legit.
When I reached there, there were more locals in the restaurant than tourists. The place was small, so customer had to queue online and wait until their turn to enter the restaurant.
While waiting, I observed how they cook the pork broth. Cheong An said this restaurant cooked the pork broth for days. Oh yes, give me the collagen!! β¨ β¨ β¨
I ordered boiled pork slices set menu. It came with rice, pork broth soup, and boiled pork slices in a stone pot (separated from the soup). You can refill the kimchi and other side dishes.
Been eating broth soup in Malaysia, I feel Yangsanjip pork broth soup is bland. The soup is undoubtedly healthy and rich in collagen, but tasteless. Maybe I should mix the chilli paste into it? π€
Oh, I want to give a shoutout to the manager/owner! Since my table had no electric socket, I asked him if he could help me charge my phone. Surprisingly, he lent me his own power bank!
Kamsahamnida~~ π π π
Yangsanjip is walking distance from the BIFF Square, here’s the map: https://naver.me/5Lod24bY
Watch a Drone Show at Gwangalli Beach, Busan (Saturdays only)
Some friends and I were on taxi, on the way to our dinner place, when the taxi driver said,
“Soon there’ll be a drone show at the beach. It starts at 9pm.”
Well, it was around 10 minutes before 9pm, so we decided to hop off to watch the drone show, and later walk to the dinner place (it was nearby).
The Gwangalli M Drone Light Show (its official name) was no joke! It featured hundreds of drones that created some shapes above the sea.
The view was beautiful and the atmosphere was very warm (or romantic, if you came with your bae). The show lasted around 10 minutes and we enjoyed every minute of it.
Here’s the drone show schedule (every Saturdays):
- March β September (Summer): 20:00 and 22:00
- October β February (Winter): 19:00 and 21:00
Enjoy Live DJ with the Locals at Millac The Market, Suyeong-gu, Busan
Just walking distance from the Gwangalli Beach, there’s a cool place named Millac The Market in the Suyeong-gu area. Here’s the map: https://naver.me/5zX1qy9i
Locals who come here are mostly youngsters in their 20s and 30s. Usually, people come here for the live DJ, enjoying the atmosphere, sing along together while drinking and eating.
If you like taking photos, the interior and exterior of this place will make you happy. It gives off the vibe of Sentul Depot (Malaysia), but more comfortable and modern, plus AC.
Cheong An, Laura, and I grabbed some pizzas and beer, then later met some of the tour members and joined their table. It was nice to see the locals singing and enjoying themselves, including Cheong An π
Oh, the bulgogi pizza was really good and cheesy, by the way. If only it had more and bigger meat chunks!
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Yonggungsa Temple, the Most Beautiful Temple in Korea
Ok guys… Starting from this post is about my day trip in Busan. I booked this trip online, met the group at the designated meeting point, and transported with a comfortable bus.
My tour leader, Naon, was a cool lady who could also speak Japanese. As there were some Japanese in the group, she switched between English and Japanese throughout the tour.
Naon said Yonggungsa Temple was the most beautiful temple in Korea. I only went to three temples during my Korea trip, but I agreed with her. Let the photos show you why π
Cheongsapo Daritdol Skywalk, Seafood Lunch, and Must-Do Haeundae Sky Capsule
Next, we stopped by Cheongsapo Daritdol Skywalk. It was a beautiful glass bridge, where we could see the sea waves clearly.
This place is located in Cheongsapo fishing village, so afterward we had around 1.5 hours free time for lunch.
There weren’t many restaurant options, and I spent some time deciding, hopping from one restaurant to another to check out the menu because I had a small budget π
Finally, I found a restaurant at the end of the road that served a fish set for 1 person, with a reasonable price (it was around RM30 / 7.60 USD). When the food came, I was shocked.
It was a fish set for 1 person, but I got 3 grilled fishes from different types of fish. They were caught fresh from the sea and grilled perfectly – crispy on the outside yet not burnt, with juicy flesh.
The set came with white rice, side dishes (refillable), and packed crispy seaweed. Yummy π π π
Afterwards, I rushed to meet the group for Haeundae Sky Capsule. It’s a must-do activity when in Busan, because it’s very relaxing and the view is beautiful!
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Visit The Little Prince at Gamcheon Culture Village
Gamcheon Culture Village is very famous thanks to the Little Prince and the fox statues. If you love taking photos and exploring small, beautiful villages, you MUST visit this place!
There’s no correlation between the famous character and the village. It was a great idea to install the famous statues at a great spot (the lookout point), in a romantic village filled with colourful houses.
Did you know that people (including me) are willing to queue for around 30 minutes just to take photos with The Little Prince in the Gamcheon Culture Village? #thepowerofinstagram πͺ πͺ πͺ
So, if you plan to visit this village, I feel 2 or 2.5 hours would be nice. You can take your time strolling the village, stop by at a cute cafe, do a little shopping, take photos, and eat some snacks.
I was still full, otherwise, I would get an iced matcha latte and roasted marshmallow ice cream π
Then, in the evening, explore the village again for a while, as the lights will be on and the atmosphere will turn more romantic π π π
Eat Butter Croffle with Ice Cream at Lots Cafe, Huinnyeoul Cultural Village
There’s nothing much to see in Huinnyeoul Cultural Village, BUT there’s a very nice butter croffle with ice cream at Lots Cafe π π π
So, for visitors, there’s a very long alley by the sea, filled with cute little cafes and accessory shops. The old houses in this village were remodeled in December 2011, painted in white and blue.
Although it’s just a narrow, long alley, the location and surroundings are great, giving off a Santorini vibe.
I passed by this cafe and saw the promotional poster mentioning “butter croffle”. I went inside and liked the interior design and atmosphere, so I ordered the butter croffle.
When the cafe owner was still carrying my butter croffle and walking towards me, I could smell the butter. And boy, it was a VERY NICE butter croffle!! π π π
By the way, this cafe used HΓ€agen-Dazs ice cream for the croffle π
Ok guys, I hope you enjoy our Busan trip. Have a wonderful week ahead, and may your February be lovely πΈ πΈ πΈ
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