Our lovely pension owner gave us a lift to the bus station and we bought tickets to go to Suncheon. I think the ticket cost around six or seven thousand won. We almost ended up on the wrong bus, but the staff at the station were lovely and told us which spot our bus would pull up into. My friend remarked about how country this place felt. It is a real contrast to the city. The bus journey took about an hour and we were on one of those luxury VIP style buses with big padded reclining seats. And there were only three of us on the bus. We arrived in Suncheon at about 9:30 am. My friend was happy as there was a Dunkin' Donuts in the bus station. Apparently, they don't have them in ... read more

With a few hours to spare in the Gangnam area, I decided to head to these royal tombs. They are easily accessible from Seollung subway station, which is connected to both Line 2 and the Bundang Line. The tombs are about a five minute walk and you can see the car park first, which lets you know you are in the right place. The entrance fee was 1,000 won, a complete bargain. I paid my entrance fee and picked up an English leaflet. I have been to the royal tombs in Hwaseon, so I was curious to see how similar these ones would be. The trees were looking lovely with the autumn colours coming through. I came across the first tomb that of King Seongjong, he was the 9th ruler of the Joseon Dynasty. I was ... read more

I have been to the temple at the top of the mountain before, a few years ago. However last time I cheated and took a minibus part way up the mountain, so I only had to walk for about 10-15 minutes to reach the temple. Coming back to Namhae, I couldn't resist heading back to this temple, as it has some of the most stunning views I have seen in Korea. Seeing as I a bit fitter than I was a few years ago, I was more than happy to do the hike (also there was no other option this time). We left our pension around 6 am, it was only about a ten minute drive to the starting point for our hike. I don't know why I bothered packing my headtorch as it was really ... read more

Busan International Film Festival is held every year, normally in early October. This year,the 20th film festival ran from the 1st to 10th October. This was the third time I have been to the film festival. The first time I just turned up and bought tickets on the day, last year I was slightly more organised, and this year, I think I cracked it. The film catalogue is released on online in mid-September. so you can see what films take your fancy. This is a huge selection, there are films from all over the world, with a special focus on Asian film. There is also a great timetable that shows what film will be shown on each day at each cinema. I find this invaluable when it come to planning. The cinemas are Busan Cinema Centre, ... read more

I slept so well last night, my bed was like a little cave with the curtain as it blocked loads of the light out. I even managed to fall asleep with the main room light on. Despite there being only one shower on the floor in the hostel there was no queue, so it didn't take too long to get ready. A cup of green tea and we were off. My friend had found this place online that was close to Umeda Station, where we would be getting the train. It was a beautiful morning and we had a good walk looking for the cafe. There were lots of people on their way to work and my friend commented that people from Osaka are always in a hurry compared to those in Tokyo, as they jaywalk ... read more