Time’s flying and March Break is simply across the nook. After our superior household journeys to Japan in 2023 and Hawaii final 12 months, we’re gearing up for an additional Asian journey – to South Korea! However because the youngsters completely fell in love with Japan final time, we couldn’t resist including a number of days there too. And because of a fortunate flight deal, we’re additionally squeezing in a fast cease in Taipei so I can try their meals scene that has been on my bucket listing ceaselessly.
The Journey
Spring’s really a fairly nice time to hit up Korea because the climate’s beginning to heat up with sunnier days to discover. Whereas April and Might are often the prime months, with two weeks of March Break, we couldn’t justify taking the youngsters out later. Solely draw back is we’ll most likely miss the cherry blossoms, which often blossom between late March and April.
We’re planning to journey between Busan, Jeju Island, and Seoul – mixing it up with some historic spots, diving into Korean tradition, consuming our method by means of native meals scenes, and undoubtedly squeezing in some procuring – a strong mixture of sightseeing and enjoyable actions to maintain each the youngsters and adults completely happy!
We’re kicking off our Korean journey with three days in Busan, Korea’s second largest metropolis. Regardless that March isn’t precisely seaside climate, we’ll take a stroll alongside Haeundae Seaside and hop on a Blueline Park capsule prepare for some views from above. Gwangan Seaside can be an excellent spot to look at the sundown and bridge lights.
We’ll take a day to go to the Haedong Yonggungsa Temple, Korea’s iconic oceanfront temple and Gamcheon Tradition Village, typically known as Korea’s “Santorini” due to all its colourful homes stacked up on the hillside. To finish off the day, we’ll head as much as Hwangnyeongsan Mountain.
No journey to Busan could be full with out visiting Shinsegae Centum Metropolis, the world’s largest division retailer. Us mothers can be sneaking off to Spa Land for some leisure time within the scorching spring baths, whereas the youngsters can role-play at KidZania, an interactive metropolis for teenagers, earlier than testing the Sea Life Aquarium.
Jeju is mainly Korea’s model of Hawaii, with laid-back island vibes and dramatic volcanic landscapes. We’ll be spending loads of time open air, mountaineering Hallasan Mountain, Korea’s highest peak, and a part of the beautiful coastal path known as Olle Path Course 7. There’s additionally black sand seashores, waterfalls, and lava tube caves to discover.
Different family-friendly sights embrace the Jeju Stone Park with its assortment of quirky stone statues, the lovable Snoopy Backyard that’s good for little ones to discover, and the artistic technoart exhibit Arte Museum Jeju (assume TeamLabs in Tokyo) makes an superior backup plan if the climate turns wet.
Seoul completely blends historic traditions with trendy metropolis. We’ll be spending lots of time visiting meals markets, like Namdaemun Market and Gwangjang Market for its road meals whereas we meander across the Myeong-dong district.
On the cultural facet of issues, youngsters can costume up in a standard hanbok once we go to Gyeongbokgung Palace and go to the normal Bukchon Hanok Village. No journey to South Korea could be full with out studying about its division from North Korea, so we’ll be embarking on a tour to the DMZ (demilitarized zone) to be taught in regards to the Korean Struggle, the truce, and reunification progress.
Past historic palaces and conventional markets, we’ll check out Seoul’s trendy facet by means of its futuristic landmarks, just like the COEX Mall complicated which options the well-known Starfield Library and and the family-friendly COEX Aquarium, and the Seoul Sky Observatory for breathtaking views from the world’s sixth-tallest constructing.
Lotte World has the world’s largest indoor theme park and can be an excellent place for teenagers to expend their power. For a little bit of down time, we’ll go to an animal or character-themed cafe.
The nice factor with travelling as a gaggle is that folks can tag-team childcare to permit one another some grownup time in Seoul. Whereas mothers have scheduled a pampering day to expertise Seoul’s famend magnificence scene (assume facials and hair makeovers), dads plan to take a look at the nightlife at Itaewon’s conventional Korean ingesting spots (pocha), providing every guardian some well-deserved downtime to discover their pursuits.
The Flights
When it got here to reserving flights, every household booked their very own. Whereas my associates booked their return flights by means of Aeroplan, I took a extra different method.
The beauty of award tickets, aside from the very fact they prevent cash, is that they are usually extra versatile with their change and cancellation insurance policies than with money tickets, which allowed me to alter our flights a few occasions to match some modifications in our itineraries.
Initially, we had opted to only go to Korea, so I booked the next flights:
- Toronto (YYZ) to Seoul (ICN) direct flight on Korean Air booked by means of Virgin Atlantic Flying Membership
- 3 x 37,000 factors + $77 (CAD) taxes and charges in financial system class
- 2 x 100,000 factors + $77 (CAD) taxes and charges in enterprise class
- Seoul (ICN) to Toronto (YYZ) with a layover in Los Angeles with Asiana and Air Canada booked by means of Aeroplan
- 5 × 94,100 factors + $92.74 (CAD) taxes and charges in enterprise class
The beauty of travelling inside Asia, is that locations are shut to 1 one other – so shut that it was too tempting not to return to Japan, a vacation spot the youngsters nonetheless can’t cease speaking about.
Money flights between Japan and South Korea have been round $250 (CAD) one-way or $400 (CAD) round-trip per individual. Fortunately we have been capable of finding the next one-way flights:
- Seoul (ICN) to Osaka (KIX) one-way on Korea Air by means of Virgin Atlantic Flying Membership (and the identical the identical for the return flight)
- 5 x 7,000 factors + $22 (CAD) taxes and charges in financial system class
We booked these flights virtually a 12 months out. Award seats on Korean Air may also be booked by means of Flying Blue, however availability is difficult to come back by.
Simply when our spring break plans appeared locked in, Starlux Airways dropped a bunch of enterprise class award seats. Starlux Airways has a stellar enterprise class expertise, and scoring even one seat may be tough. Additionally they formally permit youngsters between the ages of 5 and 12 to sit down in a separate cabin from their dad and mom with out an unaccompanied minor service.
Simply discovering these seats wouldn’t have been sufficient to shake up our plans, however I had been wanting to take a look at Taipei’s bustling meals scene. When these two alternatives lined up completely, I made a decision to make it occur and booked the next:
- Toronto (YYZ) to San Francisco (SFO) on Air Canada by means of Aeroplan
- 5 x 12,600 factors + $122 (CAD) taxes and charges in financial system class
- San Francisco (SFO) to Taipei (TPE) on Starlux Airways by means of Alaska Airways Mileage Plan
- 2 x 75,000 miles + $18.10 (USD) taxes and charges in enterprise class
- 3 x 37,500 miles + $18.10 (USD) taxes and charges in financial system class
- Taipei (TPE) to Osaka (KIX) on AirAsia on money for $89 (USD) per individual
For our flights inside Seoul, we booked Jeju Air on money as they have been fairly low cost, within the vary of $50–$90 (CAD) per ticket.
The Accommodations
Discovering resorts that may accommodate households with 4 or 5 individuals in Asia isn’t at all times simple. Korea was no exception. This time round, I used to be travelling with associates who had youngsters of comparable ages and who all had no less than Platinum elite standing with Marriott, which made selecting resorts a bit simpler.
In Busan, we booked the Park Hyatt Busan, utilizing a money+factors price of ₩363,000 + 6,000 Hyatt factors for a household suite as a substitute of shelling out ₩500,000+ per night time. My Globalist standing allowed me to reward my Visitor of Honor awards to my associates to allow them to take pleasure in free breakfast and a possible improve.
For Jeju Island, we picked the JW Marriott Jeju Resort & Spa over the Grand Hyatt, drawn by its coastal location and distinctive choices. We scored an incredible deal at 40,000-50,000 Bonvoy factors per night time (versus $1,000+ CAD money charges) and put my 35K free night time awards to good use, with Nightly Improve Awards utilized for a possible improve.
In Seoul, after debating between Le Méridien Seoul and JW Marriott Resort Seoul, we selected the latter for its spacious rooms and its quieter location close to Lotte World and COEX Mall, securing a one-bedroom suite with two doubles by means of one other strategic money+factors price of ₩341,000 + 66,000 Bonvoy factors, which was significantly better than paying the money price of over ₩1,000,000.
Transportation
Getting round South Korea is fairly simple. We’re flying between cities, although there’s the choice of the super-fast prepare between Seoul and Busan that takes simply over two hours.
For metropolis exploring in Busan and Seoul, we’ll be utilizing public transit. A useful factor to have is the T-Cash Korea Tour Card which is particularly for foreigners and work like tap-and-go playing cards for his or her transit system and may be purchased at comfort shops like Ministop, and 7-Eleven. They may also be used at choose shops and supply A digital model is out there on Androids, however sadly not for IPhones.
We’ll be downloading a number of apps to assist our travels, together with Kakao T for grabbing taxis, and Kakao Metro and Kakao Map since Google Maps doesn’t work effectively in Korea. Uber is one other transportation choice as effectively.
As for Jeju, we determined to hire a automotive as a result of the general public transport isn’t as developed because the mainland, and having our personal automotive will give us far more freedom to discover. Take observe that driving in South Korea does require an Worldwide Driver’s License.
We’re hopping round a bit and I’m completely happy that baggage switch providers do exist between Busan and Seoul, which our resort can be helping us with.
Conclusion
We’re within the closing countdown to March Break and I can hardly wait to expertise all that South Korea has to supply, whereas the youngsters are excited to return to Japan, and for myself, to take a look at Taipei 😋.
Though factors didn’t offset the entire price of our journey, it undoubtedly helped to scale back it. Reserving on factors additionally gave us the flexibleness to alter our flights when our plans modified. Flight redemptions by means of Aeroplan and Virgin Atlantic Flying Membership may be nice in case you want to fly with a Korean provider.
When reserving resorts, e book early and recheck for worth drops. A money+factors price can generally supply higher worth over a straight factors reserving and open up alternatives to e book higher suites or rooms at an affordable price.
Comfortable March Break travels to all!
