Arriving in Busan
Flying from Tokyo to Busan is more expensive than flying to Seoul and it can be even cheaper taking the KTX bullet train from Seoul to Busan. But I didn’t want to spend too much time in planes and trains, so I took a direct flight. Gimhae Airport is much smaller than Incheon Airport (serving Seoul) and is connected to the city by busses and taxis, though a train connection is under construction.
The airport bus had the additional benefit that it was stopping near my hostel, the Actor & Tourist Guesthouse. The hostel is between Namcheon subway station exit 2 and KBS. Of course taking a cheap flight usually means arrival in the evening so it was already dark by the time I arrived in Busan.
While that also meant that exploring the city was out of question, I could still go to the beach. Gwangalli Beach is just a 5-10 minute walk away and is just one of the famous beaches of Busan. Each beach is special in its own way, with Gwangalli best visited in the evening because of the illuminated Gwangan Bridge (nicknamed “Diamond Bridge”). There are a variety of illuminations depending on the date or special events. Many bars are near the beach too making it a great place to have a beer and then doing some noraebang (Karaoke).
