Commodore Hotel

Nakdonggang Estuary Seasonal Bird Migration Site

by jEnbiannce

The Lower Nakdonggang River Seasonal Bird Migration Site was designated as a natural monument on July 13, 1966, and it has a large river-mouth, sand dunes, delta, Ilungdo Island, Eulsukdo Island and other islands. The snipes and waterfowls stop by when they pass Korea during the fall and spring, and the ducks and geese find their way here in the winter. This area, where the Nakdonggang River and the South Sea meet, has over 150 species of birds, which visit between October and March. You're most likely to see swans, and even raptorial species like eagles and white-tailed eagles. It is a large area with thick groves of reeds, which make it hard to approach by land. In order to watch migratory birds, you should take a boat from Myeongji-dong harbor and get a local guide to help you. The ideal time for bird watching is between 9am and 4pm. Eulsukdo Island is one of the places you absolutely cannot miss. It is a delta island, and is well known as a paradise for over a hundred thousand birds. It is an amazing sight to see some ultra-rare species of birds like the whitenaped cranes, the blackfaced spoonbills, and the white-tailed eagles, as they arrive and spend the winter.

Directions :
From downtown Busan, take Bus No.58, No.58-1, or No.58-2 and get off at Eulsukdo Rest Area. Walk down or go to Myeongji-dong Port and rent a boat.

Admission Fees :
Free

Local Transportation :
-Subway + Bus(30 minute ride) : At Hadan Station (Busan Subway 1) Exit No.5, take bus No.58, 58-1 or 300 from downtown Busan. Then get off at Eulsukdo Rest Stop and walk for a while.(Buses run every 20 minutes.)
-Taxi : From Gimhae Internation Airport it is 20-minute ride.

Information :
- Gangseo-gu County Office General Affairs Office Tel : 051-970-4061-3 (Kor)
- Admission Fee : Free
- Regular Round trip : Approximately a ride every hour from 9am to 4pm. One-way ride: 2,000 won
- Boat Rental Service : 9am- 4pm, About 100,000 won
Try to get help from the locals at the Hagu-eon fishing village or at Myeongji-dong Port.

Busan: Amusement Parks Pt 1.

by Intrepidduck

Busan has no shortage of theme and amusement parks, 99% of them are completely unamusing. They are "sub-kitsch" - meaning that they have no value on even rating as being kitsch. In the Grand Children's Park main amusement park at the end of the artificial lake with it's artificial swans one finds these fun rides.

Best Mexican South of Seoul

by DSwede about Senora's (formerly "Taco al Puebla")

This restaurant is literally a hole in the wall place. There is a small counter, behind which is the kitchen. There are about four sitting stools on the side of the bar, but you have to walk single-file to reach them.

Alternatively if it is a nice day, or the place is busy (which it almost always is!), there are a couple chairs outside in the narrow street.

Open 11am to 9pm.
Closed Mondays. The menu is fairly limited, but the dishes are all excellent. Honestly speaking, the best Mexican in Busan, and possibly south of Seoul.

The burritos are superb! And if you care for it, they have guacamole, which in Korea is not easy to come by!

To get there: start at the Haeundae train station. If you walk out the station, cross the main street and turn left. Walk past the small bus terminal. Take your first right at the large stop light intersection. Walk straight down this road. After you pass the ~5-way intersection, it should be the 3rd alley to your left. ~150m down the alley.

Taejongdae Cliffs, aka The Suicide Cliffs

by amambaw

Taejongdae is a beautiful area with a bit of a morbid history. The cliffs jut out into the ocean and are one of the arms that embraces Busan harbour. The cliffs are absolutely beautiful, and must be 10-15 stories high (this is a personal guess). Although we haven't gotten to it yet, there is also a park that you can walk through and visit a observatory that sits on top of the highest cliffs. There are several other points of interest within the park.

We took a short ferry ride in order to get some seaside pics of the cliffs. The ferry costs 6000W, which is a little pricey for the quality of the ride, but worth it if you take your camera. You can get some magnificent photos.

The cliffs are nicknamed the Suicide Cliffs because of the number of young Koreans who have thrown themselves off of them. Koreans live in a very stressful society, with lots of pressure on their young people. For many teenagers and young adults, it is to much for them to handle. In order to prevent future suicides, the local government erected a stature of a mother watching over the cliffs. The government hoped that by seeing the statue and thinking of their mother, young people would be deterred from jumping.

Also a good activity to do at the cliffs is fishing. On any given day you can see dozens of people casting their flies in hopes of catching that elusive big one.

Busan in the parents

by limmerda

"The parents experience a korean temple"

It was a drizzly day but that made it nice in a Korean summer. The temple's name is Beomeosa. It is on a hill above Busan. It is a rather large temple. They offer a temple stay. For those of you new to temple stays, it is where you spend the night at the temple, do what the monks do and eat their style of food. Definitly a good experience.

The drizzle makes the picture a little distorted.

"Temple food anyone?"

Temple food is very all natural. Baically it is rice and I variety of vegetables. Not bad really.