[KOREA] BAEGUNDAE PEAK, BUGAKSAN

My friend, CI Putri, asked how if we together go hiking, because it is too mainstream jsut go to shopping street or just eat. So we decided to plan our trip to hike BUGAKSAN MOUNTAIN, which is the highest mountain in Seoul. Bugaksan itself has so many peak, but we chose BAEGUNDAE PEAK, the highest peak among all, so It's the highest point of seoul, 836 meters above sea level. 

So we gathered in Gupabal station, I just suprised in this station has so many explanation about the mountain and hiking track well

So from the train station, we had to change taking a bus, to the Bugaksan National Park. hmm it was not that close we took around 20 minutes until we reached the national park. From the bus stop, you have to walk again around 10 minutes until you really see the national park main gate.

Don't worry for get lose, every branches way has a direction. Just follow to BAEGUNDAE PEAK, just 4km not so far, because before I had joint 5k running event #sombongdiawalbolehlahdikit HAHA

Along the way, your eyes gonna be treated by amazing view, mini waterflow, stone, and STAIRS

And if you already find like an information center with vending machine, don't worry it's still FAR WAY TO GO

IT WAS THE HARDEST TIME IN MY LIFE, JINJA!

the stone was getting biggest, as long you getting further, hahh i felt ashamed with all older people who could walk faster than me #koreanoldertypical. Already around 2 hours hiked, and I was dying. I took a rest many times compared with Ci Putri and Ci Catherine, I didnt feel it like 4KM, they must be joking

If you already found this stone gate, pray to God, say thanks because it is not that far to the peak, around other half hour ( for me ) because my tight is too heavy really.

I MADE IT YEAH!

NO NO NO not yet hana still few steps ahead, it just like side of the top, but not yet the highest top. Thanks to all blogger that I've read for this hiking nobody said this track gonna be super exhausting.

Nahhhhh this is the top, if you already see the korean flag, YOU REALLY MADE IT GUYS! total time I took to the top was 3 hours 30 minutes, because i was so slow and easily dying. And i thought it was over but IT WAS NOT, I took another 2hours and 30 minutes went down the peak to the main entrance gate. Welll but super exciting and worth view from the top, but I will doubt myself if  I have to done it one more time HEM

You can see the address here :

( P.S Google Maps totally helpful )

BAEGUNDAE PEAK
BUGAKSAN NATIONAL PARK

Mangwol-ro, Uijeongbu-si, Gyeonggi-do 

How to get here:

By Train, Gupabal MRT Station exit 1, Take bus No. 704
Get off at Bugaksan National Park Bus stop, and just follow ahjussi / ahjumma to the entrance

[KOREA] BUSAN : TRANSPORTATION

On this post, i will tell you easy and fastest way how to go to Busan. Actually you can do by flight and also bus, but flight is too expensive and Bus takes too long time. So i chose the middle one and most popular among Korean and Tourist, by TRAIN. Train to Busan has 3 different level, 1. KTX the fastest ( 2 hours 35 minutes ) only stop on 3 or 4 big station, and most expensive one ( ₩58000~85000 oneway) , 2. ITX, also fast but stop at more than 6-10 station  (  ₩58000~85000 oneway) so it takes longer time, and 3. Mugunghwa, the cheapest and the longest one( ₩25000~30000 oneway ) ( around 5 hours)

for schedule and price you can check www.letskorail.com

SEOUL TO BUSAN

If you feel unsecure in buying your ticket in the station, you can reserve your ticket online. But i just bought it directly from the station. It was not complicated at all. Just go to the ticket counter, and ask for what kind of train to Busan blablabla don't worry, they can speak Englist ( a little ). So me and my boyfriend decided to try KTX for Seoul to Busan, it priced ₩59800 / pax.  for departure time at 10.30 am

We had breakfast first at McDonalds, and then went into the train. The departure track is very clear near the ticket booth, there is the departure hall sign and there you can see what number line your train on. Then you take elevator down and taa-daaaa if you have much time, you can go to the end of the train to take photo with the train head? HAHA and then you can see your ticket with train car you are in.

The seat is very comfy, every like 10 minutes, train officer offers some snack or drink that you can buy. 2 hours and 35 minutes is not as long as I imagined.

NB : THE OFFICER DOESNT CHECK OUR TICKET, BEFORE WE ENTER THE TRACK OR EVEN INSIDE THE TRAIN. SO IF YOU DARE, YOU CAN GO WITHOUT TICKET LOL!

INSIDE BUSAN

Arrived at Busan, We immediately looked for MRT station. You have to take exit 1 to MRT station, and IT IS NOT IN THE BUSAN STATION BUILDING, So you have to go out passing a park? and you will see like bricks stairs to the basement, yes that's the MRT station. I felt like in Busan MRT is not as cool as Seoul, it looks old and not that clean.

For you asked," can we use T-MONEY like in seoul?? BIG NO!!!!

here in Busan they have their own transportation card, and I think not necessary to buy it, i suggest you to buy "ONE DAY PASS" ticket ₩4500 / ticket.  you can use it for whole day BUT just for MRT can't for bus or taxi. One way ticket MRT is around ₩1200~1400 so i think it gonna be so much cheaper when you buy a one day pass ticket.

And here the machine doesnt accept another bill than ₩1000 so if your money is ₩5000 or ₩10000, you can use money exchanger machine first.

BUSAN TO SEOUL 

When you arrive at Busan Station, go to 2nd Floor for departure. You can easily find a ticket booth when you go outside from lift. For this turn, we decided to try another type of train, we chose MUGUNGHWA, it priced ₩24300 / pax.  for departure time at 12.42 pm. and you know what WE DIDNT GET SEAT BECAUSE IT FULL BOOKED OH YEAH WE GONNA STAND FOR 5 HOURS. Me and my boyfie thought we gonna die we really die.

So we went inside the train and found TRAIN CAFE, where people buy food and drink, and we saw MANY PEOPLE, sat on the floor, and we thought," is that allowed?" so whatever we didnt think anymore and grabbed our seats HAHA and fortunately, another person newly come inside the train all did it, yess we didnt alone dont having a seat HAHAHA so funny! super new experience right!

5 hours was super long time! Me and my boyfie were super tired because sit for along time, so we went to toilet by turns. When i went to the toilet, i saw many people also sat near toilet, which very hot ( because no AC near toilet ) and also some people sat down behind booked seat, they were sitting like everywhere space available. 

NB : IT IS VERY CHEAP 1 KTX = 2 MUGUNGHWA TICKET. BUT DONT TRY GO IN WITHOUT TICKET BECAUSE IN THIS TRAIN, OFFICERS MANY TIMES CHECK FOR TICKET.

Hope this review can help you choose your transportation from/to busan and inside busan. Ciao~