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The Top 50 Experiences in South Korea

As my time in South Korea is almost at its end, and since I have always been a huge lover of lists, I present here a list of my top 50 favorite experiences in this small but incredible country. It's by no means an exhaustive or definitive list, since there are lots of major sights here I haven't visited yet (I'll mention some of them at the end of the list).

In any case, I hope there's enough here to give readers a sense of the sheer diversity of experiences on offer. Korea doesn't have any big "wonder of the world" type sights. There's no Eiffel Tower, or Pyramids of Giza, or Taj Mahal. As a result, it doesn't have quite the fame or reputation that other Asian countries have acquired, and many backpackers often skip it in favor of Japan, China or Southeast Asia. That's unfortunate, because there is so much to see and do, and I've had some of the most enriching experiences of my life here.
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Koh Rong - Cambodia's Paradise Island

After saying goodbye to wonderful Kampot, Angela and I took a bus to Sihanoukville before ferrying over to the island of Koh Rong. So many travellers we'd met had told us to go there, as it has dozens of pristine white beaches and azure bays, and is relatively quiet compared to the more well-known island hotspots in Southeast Asia. In fact, it only started opening up to tourists in the last decade, and has been described as "like Thailand 20 years ago." There are no roads, cars or cash machines, and electricity only runs for five hours a day, so once again we had to say goodbye to air conditioned rooms and embrace the humidity, sweat and bugs just like we did at Ganesha.
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Haridwar - City of Colors

It's pretty cool that after leaving Varanasi, which must have been the greyest, gloomiest, most shadowy city that we visited in India, our next destination was Haridwar, easily the most multicoloured, vibrant city on our journey. Like Varanasi, it's a holy city where people from all around flock to bathe in a river, though up here in the mountains of Uttarakhand, it's a much cleaner affair. In Varanasi, the Ganges looks like a fetid, moving swamp, whereas in Haridwar it's much cooler and more crystalline. Granted, this is India so I'd be surprised if it's that clean, but at least it looks the part. In any case, while it might not have the same wow-factor as Varanasi, it's a much more accessible, relaxing place for a tourist to explore, with fewer touts and a much more sanitary atmosphere.
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Thailand's Railway and Floating Markets

Last Thursday we went on a trip just outside Bangkok to visit two famous markets. One was a market built over a still-in-use railway track, the other a floating market where people barter from boats.
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Hue - Imperial Capital of Vietnam

The next stop on our south-to-north journey through Vietnam was Hue, the former imperial capital before the monarchy was abolished to make way for Ho Chi Minh's communist revolution in 1945. It has a rich past and was once home to hundreds of historic buildings and artefacts, though most of these were unfortunately destroyed during the Vietnam War. There remain, however, numerous tombs and a huge citadel that continue to draw tourists to the city.
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Spa Land - Korea's Best Jjimjilbang?

Back in March, I made a post about my first time in a jjimjilbang, and since then I've been to several more of these lavish Korean-style bathhouses. Dragon Hill Spa remains my favourite one in Seoul, but Angela and I recently visited an even better jjimjilbang in Busan called Spa Land. Having been there last year, Angela was adamant about revisiting, and I can see why. It has a huge variety of different saunas, bathing areas and other facilities, is laid out in clean, contemporary interiors of polished marble staircases and oak-pannelled walls, and it cost a mere 13 dollars each for the four hours we spent there.
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