November 06, 2009. After more than three hours on a flight from Manila, we arrived early in the morning at the Korean city of Busan, South Korea’s second largest city.

Some of us may know Busan as the host of the annual Pusan International Film Festival. It also played host to the 2002 Asian Games and the 2005 meeting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC). It is being marketed intensely by the Korean government as an ideal venue for conventions, cultural festivals and sporting events. In fact, it is preparing for a serious bid for the 2020 Summer Olympic Games.

Busan is also considered one of Manila’s “sister cities” but Busan can, perhaps, be likened more to Cebu City in the Philippines, the country’s own second largest metropolis offering its own beaches and pleasant travel and leisure activities for local and foreign tourists.

We were booked in a hotel at the city’s Haeundae district, right next to its beach, famous among Koreans especially the summer season when tens of thousands flock to this port metropolis for its subtropical climate. Haeundae, however, was just one of the city’s handful of beaches. Haeundae has a boardwalk lined with hotels, cafes, bars and restaurants along the beach.