Busan looks a bit rough around the edges, but dive in and it quickly starts to sparkle. It is vibrant and colourful, and this is especially the case with Gamyeon. This town within the city is made up of narrow, winding streets and houses painted a variety of colours. Hidden amongst the houses are works of arts, murals interesting little shops and lots of fantastic photo opportunities. It is touristy, but still worth a visit, especially early in the morning or later in the day when there are less people.
We arrived very early and were the first in the tourism office to pick up a map of the neighbourhood. For 2000 this map allows you to collect stamps at different points which helps you see all that there is to see. I’d recommend starting at the top near the tourist office and winding through the streets, down the hill, ending up in the fish market for some fresh fish (you can pick your live fish downstairs and then bring it upstairs for them to cook, or, if you are courageous, try the live octopus which you eat while it is still wriggling!).
Three things I’d recommend doing first thing before the tourists arrive. First, stop at the Cafe Wooin, order anything and bring it upstairs to enjoy on the rooftop terrace. From here you get an amazing view of the area. The hot chocolate was actually not bad, only lightly sweetened and had a nice chocolatey flavor. But don’t order the marshmallows which have a horrible artificial and overly sweet flavor to them. Second, visit the flipbookstudio downstairs. In only 10 minutes, you can create a flip book memory to take home of your time in Busan and it is a lot of fun to make. Third, head to Gamcheon Bakery to try their famous salted bread.
Cafe Wooin, 2-202 Saha-gu, Busan South Korea. Hours: 9:00-20:00
