On March 2nd, I embarked on my longest journey so far – a journey that took me through…
Times visited: 1 (10 days in 2016)
Cities visited: Busan, Seogwipo and Seoul
Villages visited: Gimpo and Paju
UNESCO sites visited: Changdeokgung Palace Complex and Jeju Volcanic Island and Lava Tubes
Something about South Korea had always fascinated me. I don’t know what really, as I was never really into Kpop music or culture, but one of my best friends really was, so I think she sparked my interest at a young age. So when I travelled around Asia for 3,5 months in 2016, I knew I had to include South Korea on my itinerary, so I could see what the country was all about.
Two nights before my planned ferry journey to South Korea, an earthquake hit Kumamoto in Japan. I was in Fukuoka, 92 km from the epicenter, but it shook me and everyone else in the hostel awake. A bigger earthquake hit the following night. I was lucky to have a ferry booked for the next morning to Busan, my safe haven in South Korea. After two sleepless nights, I had to be shaken awake when we docked 😅
I had no set plan for South Korea, other than finding peace after the horrible experience in Fukuoka. Spontaneously, I decided to leave Busan in the early hours of the morning to fly to Jeju, an island that felt like paradise. I spent four days exploring its unique natural sites. I walked through a lava tube, hiked to several waterfalls, went searching for sea stacks and climbed a volcano, Mt Hallasan, which is the highest mountain in the country. And on the summit, I met a wonderful new friend who I’ve since visited in Oklahoma.
I then flew to Seoul, the gorgeous capital, where I took a break from sightseeing and instead spent most of my time climbing mountains within the city limits. And before leaving the country, I had a peek into North Korea at the DMZ!
