If you are planning to visit Busan, why don't you put Geoje on your itinerary? Geoje is an island which is about 100 kilometres away from Busan. It takes about one and a half hours by express bus.
The reason why I recommend you visit Geoje while you visit Busan is that there are beautiful places in Geoje. One is Oedo Botania, the stunning arboretum you have to enter by ferry, and the other is Maemiseong, the sea walls that look like a castle.
Geoje's transportation is not as convenient as the ones in Seoul or Busan, so you may need an entire day to visit those two places. You only have buses or taxis as options to get around. However, it's worth it to spare a whole day. The amazing views really paid off. They did, for me at least.
1. 외도 보타니아 (Oedo Botania)
I took a bus from Gimhae International Airport to the Jangseungpo terminal because I went to Busan by plane, and I pre-booked a ticket to Oedo Botania on the Jangseungpohang Port website. If you arrive in Busan by train or bus, Take an express bus for Geoje at Sasang Terminal.
One good thing about pre-booking tickets on the website is you can get discounts on the ticket price. As of July 2022, a return ticket for an adult costs 20,000 won, but I booked one for 14,000 won there.
For your information, the ticket only includes the ferry fare. You need to buy an entrance ticket to Oedo when you check in at the port in person. The entrance ticket costs 6,000 won per person.
The entire journey takes about 3 hours and 20 minutes. You spend 80 minutes in total on the ferry(back and forth), seeing the views around with explanations from a guide, and two hours on the island.
The guide may suggest you leave your stuff on the ferry before entering the island. Do as he says because you may not want to carry your heavy belongings with you all along. Plus, the air on the island is pretty humid. Be prepared to sweat a lot if you visit in summer.
Oedo had been an uninhabited island until the married couple, the founders of the arboretum, purchased it and started landscaping. For over three decades since 1976, the desert island has turned into a beautiful botanical garden through a lot of effort from the couple. With their dedication, over 20 million visitors have enjoyed their time on the island so far.
[ADDRESS]
Jangseungpohang Port (장승포항): Jangseung-ro 138 Geoje-si Gyeongsangnam-do
Jangseungpo Intercity Bus Terminal: 98 Jangseung-ro Geoje-si Gyeongsangnam-do
[Websites]
Tickets: 장승포외도유람선 (bluecitygeoje.com)
For more info about the garden(in the Korean language): OEDO BOTANIA
2. 매미성 (Maemiseong Fortress)
Maemi, out of Maemiseong, literally means cicada. The name, Cicada, was given to the typhoon which struck the Korean peninsula in 2003. Maemiseong Fortress is the seawall that Mr Baek Soon-sam has been building up himself to protect his farm since the typhoon left it devastated. The square rocks, put together with cement, have shaped a castle that associates people with the European medieval era.
It is said that Mr Baek Soon-sam has built up the seawalls without a blueprint and design plans, which surprises its visitors. It is still under construction. Not complete.
The beach is made of pebbles, not sand. The views from sitting on the fortress are gorgeous, and the atmosphere is quite silent to turn off miscellaneous thoughts or worries popping up in your mind.
[ADDRESS]
Bokhang-gil Jangmok-myeon Geoje-si Gyeongsangnam-do
[Bus from Maemiseong to Hadan Station, Busan]
Bus 2000
WORDS BY
Minsu Kim - koreaonthescreen@gmail.com
PHOTOS BY
Minsu Kim - koreaonthescreen@gmail.com
@koreaonthescreen
@walkitecture_
@walkitecture
@koreaonthescreen
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