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\nKorea \u2014 When visiting South Korea, exploring its capital Seoul often comes to the top of mind.
After all, the city has everything \u2014 from shopping, food, and sights. Not to mention the tons of exclusive and limited edition Korean pop (K-pop) merchandise for avid fans.
When I had the opportunity to visit South Korea for the first time, I knew Seoul would be at the heart of my itinerary.
But as I dug deeper into the country\u2019s history and culture, I found myself wanting to explore and learn more about it beyond the confines of the capital.
And it was worth it.
South Korea is home to what was once the 4th largest city in the world in ancient times, Gyeongju.
Also known as Seorabeol, which means capital in English, it served as the capital of the Silla Kingdom during Korea\u2019s Three Kingdom period, even when all three kingdoms became united in what Koreans referred to as the \u2018Unified Silla Period\u2019.
Historians regarded Gyeongju as an important site not only for the hundreds of cultural properties and historical treasures found there. But also, it became one of the major hubs for the Silk Road, the famous network of Euroasian trade routes that connected the East and the West.
Gyeongju \u2013 or Seorabeol in this case \u2013 enabled the South Korean peninsula to participate in various trades around the world, with merchants, monks and envoys visiting this city by land or by sea.
But one of the most distinct characteristics of Gyeongju is the influence of Buddhism. <\/p>\n

The Silla Kingdom is known for helping spread Buddhism in the peninsula and here in Gyeongju, visitors can see up close real artifacts and works of Korean Buddhism. Like the Bulguksa, a temple complex built in the 8th century which was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Owing to its rich history, and the thousands of artifacts, archeological sites and heritage properties scattered around the city, UNESCO described Gyeongju as the \u2018museum without walls.\u2019
From the tombs of the royal families in the Korean Peninsula \u2014 including that of Queen Seondeok \u2014 to one of the oldest observatories in Asia.
Some of the most iconic landmarks in the city were also rebuilt and restored to its former glory like the Woljeonggyo Bridge, which was burned down during the Joseon Dynasty.
Today, the Woljeonggyo Bridge is South Korea\u2019s largest wooden bridge, and attracts thousands of tourists, day and night.
Around 80 kilometers south of Gyeongju lies the city of Busan, the second largest city in South Korea.
Busan may be well known today for its scenic beach \u2013 with the city skyline as its backdrop and the picturesque cliffs by the coast. But this bustling metropolis has a lot to offer.
Busan was also part of the Greater Silla Kingdom before so it won\u2019t come as a surprise for those coming from Gyeongju to see tourists and devotees alike flocking to Buddhist temples in this city.
It is in Busan one can find what many described as the \u2018most beautiful temple in Korea\u2019 \u2013 the Haedong Yonggungsa. And it is one of the fewest temples in Korea built by the sea.
It is also in Busan where one can find South Korea\u2019s largest fish market, the Jagalchi market, where vendors offer the freshest seafood catch to be cooked right inside the market.
Some of the famous delicacies found in Jagalchi Market are the famous king crab and snow crab, and raw, live octopus.
Aside from the sea\u2019s bounty, Busan\u2019s storied past led me to meet the milmyeon noodles.
During the height of the Korean War, a lot of citizens from present-day North Korea fled to the south \u2013 particularly in this coastal city.
Milmyeon is a variant of North Korea\u2019s naengmyeon noodles, which are made from buckwheat flour and soaked in cold meat broth.
But at that time, buckwheat was scarce so war refugees instead used the wheat flour being rationed by the U.S. Army as substitute. So Milmyeon noodles was born.
Milmyeon is usually eaten during the hot summers in Korea, with cold broth providing a refreshing respite from the heat, but it has become one of the most sought out dishes in Busan that anyone can eat anywhere and anytime.
In many parts of the world, the Cold War may have ended.
The Berlin Wall, the infamous wall border that divided the German capital between capitalists West Germany and communist East Germany, was demolished more than three decades ago.
But in the Korean peninsula, the fallout of the Cold War rages on.
While there is no huge concrete slab standing on the borders of South and North Korea, the dozens of soldiers patrolling the kilometers-long boundary, wired fences, and towering military outposts made it clear \u2013 even to tourists \u2013 that a wall existed.
And anyone who tried to cross it may face grave consequences, including death.
We all know about the Demilitarized Zone or DMZ. Also known as the 38th Parallel. The border between South and North Korea. A stalemate between warring superpowers during the Cold War that no one, particularly ordinary Koreans, expected to last nearly eight decades.
Popular culture often depict the DMZ as terrifying, with the presence of checkpoints, gun-toting soldiers and high, prison-like fences.
But it\u2019s also a sad and heartbreaking reality about the impact of war on ordinary people.
A trip to the northwestern tip of South Korea, one can find Gyodong Island which locals described as the \u2018loneliest and saddest island\u2019 in the country.
Here, the old and frail continue to cling on to the hope that they can return to their loved ones after fleeing North Korea during the Korean War \u2014 thinking that it might be over soon, only to find themselves unable to return home for years.
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Gyodong Island is connected by a single bridge to Ganghwa Island, which is located closer to mainland South Korea.
In Ganghwa stood the Ganghwa Peace Observatory, a mixed civilian and military facility that allows visitors \u2013 including foreign tourists \u2013 to take a peek on the nearest North Korean villages. It felt surreal, similar to spying on what your neighbors have been up to.
As a tourist and outsider, a trip to Korea\u2019s DMZ was more of a sobering and grounded experience as it serves as a reminder of the devastation that immediately follows during war.
For first-time travelers in South Korea who had the time \u2014 and more-than-enough budget to roam around the country for a week or more \u2014 getting the Korail Pass is your key in unlocking destinations outside Seoul.
It\u2019s a ticket granting foreigners special use to Korail Corporation\u2019s expansive network of trains, including the famous KTX \u2013 Korea\u2019s bullet trains.
Meanwhile, the Mactan-Cebu International Airport (MCIA) currently serves multiple direct flights from Cebu to Incheon International Airport, the major gateway in South Korea.<\/p>\n