It was time to book our Vietnam trip for Vietnamese New Year Tet.
Due to booking our flights to Vietnam late, the price for roundtrip tickets became too expensive. We decided to break the trip up into one way flights as it would be slightly cheaper. This also presented an opportunity to add another leg to visit another country.
2024 was a whirlwind of adventures in my life. We were navigating several big life changes in our lives, and I was stressed and tired.
I promised myself that I would take it easy in 2025. Simply, I will do minimal planning, make no commitments, and purely relax.
Where to take the last leg of the trip? Thoughts of Thailand, Japan, Philippines crossed my mind. Then, I remembered Korea. We finally decided to visit Korea because I wanted to show Cuong.
Tacking on a trip to Vietnam and Korea was going to be interesting with my new resolution to taking it easy. I missed the vibrant energy in Korea. I remembered feeling at home wandering around in Seoul. I really wanted to show Cuong someplace new. Also, tickets were super cheap to fly from Vietnam to Korea, around $130!
Planning for Working Remotely
Because I worked in EST hours, when traveling, I worked hours at night and planning to work remotely in an opposite time zone (12 hours difference to Vietnam).
During my Vietnam trip three years ago, I agreed with my company to work four hours synchronously and four hours asynchronously. It turned out to be too difficult to maintain decent work life balance.
This year, I requested my manager to work two synchronous hours in EST, and the remaining six hours during the day in local time. This adjustment was a total game-changer. I only had to start my day around 9pm in Vietnam time and 11pm in Korean time. This kept my energy up as I had adequate sleep and I was able to easily manage my workload during the day.
We plan for one general activity per day, which ensures we’re never rushing and can be spontaneous during or after our plans!
Traveling in Busan
I had to ensure getting to Korea prior to my working hours at 12am (midnight) Korea time. I was a bit nervous making moves to travel from Vietnam to Korea. If our flight had delayed, I risk not getting to work in time. Therefore, I chose a day where it is light on meetings and work prior to hopping on a flight.
Flights from Vietnam to Korea were quite cheap and especially to Busan. Having never been to Busan, we decided to go there then, take a train to Seoul.
We spent three days in Busan, and stayed near the Nampo (night market) area. Busan felt quiet, smaller, and felt more authentic. I wish we could have stayed longer!
Here are four of our favorite activities in Busan:
Stop 1: Gamcheon Culture Village
Stepping off the bus at Gamcheon Village, I was stunned by the hundreds of houses in bright colored houses. We wandered around the narrow alleys for hours, allowing ourselves to get lost amidst the houses. There were many surprises and many rabbit holes to follow as we walked.
There were many signs to warn visitors not to bother locals who live there.
The Crazy Cafe: A Fever Dream in Gamcheon Village
While wandering the Gamcheon village, we stumbled upon the Crazy Cafe. It is the wildest cafe with all the craziest, most random, things in it. From motivating notes to crude signs to creepy statues, to crazy party lights, it had everything. I was chilling on a hammock one moment, then was jump scared while walking through headless mannequin bodies in the next. The cafe was a maze that seemed to keep going, spanning three floors and two buildings. I was eventually concerned that we wouldn’t be able to find our way back out of this fever dream.
There were ducks, too. When we bought our coffee, the guy gave us some kernels to feed the ducks. One of the ducks tried to peck at Cuong, so he drew some trauma art.
Stop 2: See the Gwangalli Drone Light show
A surprising highlight of our trip was the Gwangalli Drone show right on the Gwangalli beach. It is the first and largest permanent drone light show in the country held every Saturday evening. It is a highlight of Busan, and an subway train ride to see it. We arrived with some time to spare, and there were already lots of people there. We stood a bit further out to have our own space and it was perfect.
There were thousands of drones in the sky forming complex 3d animations. It was stunning. Some were very romantic, and there was even a proposal!
Stop 3: Go to the Night Market
Outside of eating at restaurants, we love getting street food in Busan. Because we don’t often get to try street food, we took advantage of the energy and lively scene.
Stop 4: Shopping
In our spare time, we enjoyed shopping underground at the subway stations. We came from Vietnam, so Korea was a big change for us. Luckily, I was in for getting more winter gear at cheaper prices. We spent a lot of time at Uniqlo and Top10, and similar stores. They were high quality clothing with great sales!
We also frequented Daiso and Olive Young! I wish I spent some more time getting cute stuff from these stores. Luckily we didn’t, because I had already maxed out all our luggages for the flight back!
Traveling from Busan to Seoul
Cuong has never seen the famous Korean horror movie Train to Busan. Of course, I made him watch it during our downtime in Busan.
We took the Mugunghwa train from Busan to Seoul. It is the slowest train type, taking 5.5 hours, and we chose it because it is the more relaxed, scenic, and authentic ride. This specific train is eventually to be replaced in the future, so we took the opportunity to see the sights. Because it makes more stops, the Mugunghwa train goes through the Korea countryside. It was pleasant to be able to take public transportation across the country.
Traveling in Seoul
Seoul is a beautiful, bustling city. There was a lot, everywhere. Here were some of our favorite activities!
Walking the neighborhoods
The best part of traveling is see the sights and people watch. Each neighborhood had a different personality. Hongdae had nice shopping, hip activities, and young energy. Myeongdong was full of people, lots of tourists. Insa-dong neighborhood is a beautiful neighborhood with traditional teashops, clothing, and culture.
Visiting Gyeongbokgung Palace
I stepped into a old Joseon era. Picturesque views of the large palace and the lake, as visitors in hanbok walk by. Peacefully strolling along and pretending I am a palace princess.
The weather was cold, but beautiful. We encountered minimal crowds as it was off season.
Visit Hanok Villages
Outside of the palace, you can still go to Hanok Villages to stroll through traditional Korean houses. Though not as grand as the palaces, it has it’s own charm. Nestled amongst modern buildings, it is an experience to visit one.
Final Thoughts & Reflections
The beauty and energy in Korea, both Seoul and Busan, has my heart. I felt inspired, motivated, rested and revitalized. Walk amongst old villages and palaces amidst modern skyscraper.
Don’t hold back. Until next time.
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