Ssamziegel Complex in Insadong district, Seoul First Visit: July 2012 My Country #25
I have been to South Korea several times but the first time I was there was in July 2012 thus making it my 25th visited country. Here are some of the places me and Mike visited during our visit to this beautiful and amazing country.
Gyeongbokgung Palace (Palace Greatly Blessed by Heaven): The palace was built in 1395. We were lucky to witness a parade during our visit so it is advisable to know which times they have it.
This picture was taken during the parade ceremony.
A short video of the parade inside the Gyeongbokgung Palace 😉
Geunjeongjeun (Throne Hall) for court officials audiences
Deoksugung Palace: It is a walled compound of palaces that was inhabited by different Korean royalties.
Seoul Tower: Also known as the Namsan Tower, it is a communication and observation tower.
War Memorial of Korea: Opened in 1994, it is located on the former site of the army headquarters to exhibit the military history of Korea. Definitely a must visit when travelling to Seoul.
Taking the KTX 125 from Seoul to Singyeonju: It is not the Japanese bullet train but still fast enough to get you to your destination.
Cheomseongdae Observatory: This is an astronomical observatory in Gyeongju. The name cheomseongdae means star gazing tower in Korean. It is also the oldest surviving observatory in East Asia.
Bulguksa: Classified as Historic and scenic site number 1 by the South Korean government, Bulguksa is a head temple home to 7 national treasures of the country.
Inside the Bulguksa Temple
Seokguram Grotto: This is part of the Bulguksa Temple complex.
Our next stop was Busan. The photo above was taken during our visit to Sea Life Busan Aquarium.
Busan Tower: This is a 118-meter high tower at Yongdusan Park and built in 1973.
Jagalchi Fish Market: This is a fish market located on the edge of Nampo Port, Busan.
Gwangan Bridge: This is the second longest bridge in South Korea.
Haeundae Beach: If you love the beach, then this is the right place for you.
From Busan, we took a short flight to Jeju Island and stayed there for a few days. We hired a private car for two days, doing the first half of the island on the first day and the other half on the second day before flying back to Seoul with Asiana Airlines.
Pictured above is the Hyeopjae Beach which is part of the Hanrim Park. The white color of the sand comes from the large amount of crushed seashells that have been mixed in with the sand.
Jae-Am Folk Village: A must visit if you want to see the traditional Jeju life. We were informed by the guide that families still live here although it looked like a museum to us.
Sanbangsan Mountain: Sanbangsan literally means "a cave inside a mountain".
Dol Hareubang: The stone Godfather
Cheonje Roo: Bower
Seonim-gyo (Nymph Bridge): An arch bridge over Cheonjeyeon Waterfall that has seven nymphs carved on both sides.
Columnar Joints in Jungmun Daepo Coast, Jusangjeoolidae: It was formed when the lava from Mt. Hallassan erupted into the sea of Jungmun.
Jeongbang Waterfall: This waterfall is 23 meters high and is very close to the ocean.
Cheonjiyeon Waterfall: The name cheonjiyeon literally means sky connected with land.
Oedolgae Rock: This rock which is 10 meters in circumference protrudes 20 meters skyward.
The second tier of the Cheonjeyeon Waterfalls.
Manjanggul Lava Cave: This is one of the finest lava tunnels in the world. Definitely a must visit in Jeju.
Seongsan Ilchulbong or Sunrise Peak: This is the most famous of the hundreds of beautiful parasitic volcanoes in Jeju Island. Just make sure you have the stamina to climb to the top.
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