The Korea journal is where the planning starts: what has changed, when to go, what it costs and how it compares. Read here, then move to the things-to-do and tours pages when you are ready.
Articles
Why South Korea is having its moment for Australian travellers
Direct flights, a strong dollar against the won, and a country that went from “stopover” to destination in five years. What changed and how to plan around it.
- Seoul, Busan, Jeju, Gyeongju
- Visa-free entry for Australians
- Best months: April–May and October
- Read time about 12 minutes
Japan vs South Korea: which should you visit first?
Two hours apart, sharing a time zone, and often travelled together. A side-by-side on cost, food, transport, seasons and the first-trip case for each.
- Costs compared in AUD
- Rail and city transport
- Where they overlap
- The combined itinerary
Why a Korea journal
South Korea used to be the place Australians changed planes. Incheon was a convenient hub to Europe and the transit lounge was as far as most people got. That has flipped. Direct flights from Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne, a won that has been kind to the Australian dollar, and a food-and-culture profile that arrived through television, film and music before anyone booked a ticket have made Korea a first-choice destination rather than an add-on to Japan.
The journal is where we answer the questions that come before a booking: when to go, whether Seoul is enough on its own, how Busan and Jeju fit, what a week costs, and how Korea compares with Japan for a first trip to North-East Asia. Articles link down to the Asia things-to-do and tours pages when you are ready to plan.
What we are writing next
Seoul in four days · Busan and the south coast · Jeju Island for Australians · Gyeongju, the Silla capital · A Korean food guide for people who are not sure about the spice · The DMZ tour, and whether it is worth a day · Korea in cherry-blossom and autumn seasons · Costs for a ten-day trip.
Where this leads
Blog attracts, things to do informs, tours convert — in that order.