Busan

Taking its name from the Busan International Film Festival, BIFF is certainly at its liveliest during this esteemed annual event, but remains a happening area throughout the rest of the year. It's best known for the street food stalls lining the 400+ metre-long stretch, where a plethora of Korean specialities are cooked up by skilled vendors. Our top pick among these would have to be the 'hotteok' pancakes stuffed with a sweet mix of crushed seeds and brown sugar. Evening is the best time to come. Nampo-dong is the greater area around the street itself, packed with a dizzying array of restaurants, shops, cafes, movie theatres, and more.

This Guinness Book of Records-listed shopping complex (it's the largest one in the world as of late 2019) is a shopping paradise for those with a penchant for upper-range to luxury brands. The basement food hall is an attraction in its own right, offering up a complete selection of all and any Asian and international culinary delights imaginable. Busan's best spa complex, Spa Land is also located here, alongside other entertainment facilities like a skating rink.

Lotte is an iconic Korean department store brand with locations all across the country. This particular one is noteworthy for the spectacular views of Busan harbour from its rooftop, plus a great food court on floor 10. As with every branch, there is a vast array of goods here, from Korean cosmetics to esteemed international brands in everything from personal care to kitchenware. The on-site Lotte Mart hypermarket is a discount chain that stocks a huge variety of local, Asian and international foodstuffs, and can work surprisingly well for souvenir shopping.

A sprawling market to shop for anything one can imagine. Haggling is often expected and may prove fruitful here at Gukje Market. The main attraction is the food street stretching across it where Korean street food specialities are represented in abundance.

Fishcakes have a long tradition in Busan, and Samjin Amook is Busan's oldest operating fishcake factory. Its main outlet is a fishcake bakery that features an observable production line, a store where multiple varieties of fishcake are on sale at surprisingly low prices and even a museum on the top floor. There is a cafe of sorts across from the store, where your "catch" can be cooked into a full noodle dish. Fresh cakes sell out quick, so arrive early for best assortment.