Comments on: Korea: Great Travel Destination? Or Not?

By: Amanda

Amanda — Tue, 04 Sep 2012 06:09:37 +0000

Love the comparison! I agree, Korea is a fantastic place to travel. People just need to get here first, and then they will see.

By: Ryan

Ryan — Mon, 03 Sep 2012 11:29:12 +0000

I lived in Korea for 5 years, and I loved it there! …and if I still lived there I would definitely recommend that people come and visit. Many people did visit me there and they loved it!

That being said, there is a reason it’s overshadowed by Japan and China–those places have lots more to offer. I guess Korea is kind of an acquired taste–like kimchi! It’s sort of sour and difficult to eat at first, but after a while you take it in by the bowlful!

By: Amanda

Amanda — Thu, 16 Aug 2012 07:40:37 +0000

It is so frustrating. Something like taking a bus, which I’ve done a million times without failure in other countries, becomes an issue here. I couldn’t imagine how hard it would be if you didn’t speak or read any Korean. Tara and I talked about this a million times on our trip. For the casual traveler (ie not English teacher living here), traveling in Korea would be HARD.

By: Sheryll

Sheryll — Thu, 16 Aug 2012 01:27:50 +0000

TOTALLY agree! I was just talking to Johnny about this while we were in China. I totally don’t see Korea as a tourist destination for all the reasons you have listed. Now that I live here, I realize how great it is (and having awesome coteachers DEFINITELY helps), but if I was a traveler, I’d be SO frustrated.

Johnny and I needed to take the airport limo from Bundang. After receiving 5 different times and bus stops, I took it upon myself to PHYSICALLY go to each bus stop and see if they had times/stops listed. When I finally thought I had it figured out, the bus didn’t even stop at the designated bus stop. I was so beyond frustrated. Even something as simple as having very clear signage and times for the airport buses would be SUCH a great help for travelers. (and also having these buses available 24 hours).

By: Ulleungdo, Korea’s Mysterious Island - Farsickness: A Travel Blog | Farsickness: A Travel Blog

Tue, 14 Aug 2012 10:57:16 +0000

[...] to purchase these tickets proved to be nearly impossible, so much so they inspired this post about travel in Korea. The website, which was all in Korean, showed no availability and when I tried to call I got stuck [...]

By: June Wrap Up - Farsickness: A Travel Blog | Farsickness: A Travel Blog

June Wrap Up - Farsickness: A Travel Blog | Farsickness: A Travel Blog — Thu, 05 Jul 2012 06:05:33 +0000

[...] Korea: Great Travel Destination or Not?: The pros and cons of traveling in South Korea. [...]

By: Amanda

Amanda — Tue, 26 Jun 2012 03:29:45 +0000

I agree, I had no desire to visit Korea before I came but now I’d recommend it to just about anyone. I’m hoping to make my way around more of it before I leave in 7 months. Good luck to you on your travels

By: Audrey | That Backpacker

Audrey | That Backpacker — Fri, 22 Jun 2012 03:55:14 +0000

I definitely think it’s a place worth visiting (though I didn’t think so before moving here)! I really love the southern part of the country. Jeollanam-do is so scenic! I’m slowly making my way around the country.

By: Amanda

Amanda — Thu, 14 Jun 2012 12:23:33 +0000

I’ve heard that Yeosu has been a disaster, especially regarding accommodation. The whole thing sounds rather ridiculous and poorly planned. I was thinking of going down there, but now I’m not sure I want to deal with the headache. I’m glad they were able to go, though, and hopefully they were able to enjoy the experience once they were there!

By: Amanda

Amanda — Thu, 14 Jun 2012 12:21:01 +0000

I agree that it has changed the way I have to travel. It is pretty rare that reserving seats on buses ahead of time is necessary, usually only on holidays or particularly busy weekends, but I like the assurance of knowing that if I want to go to Gyeongju this weekend on the bus, I can. And not have to go down to Express Bus Terminal and pick up the tickets.

I think, and hope, that Korea will soon realize how 21st century travel works and come around. I didn’t even think about Chinese, but that is a great point. Thank you for the comment and your experiences!