Traveling to Fukuoka and Taipei

Before You Travel During the Semester

Before anything else, it’s important to know that once you arrive in Korea you cannot travel internationally until you receive your Alien Registration Card (ARC).

This process takes several weeks after arriving in Korea, submitting your application, and completing fingerprinting. Many students were unable to travel internationally until mid-October.

I strongly recommend not booking flights until you physically have your ARC. I overheard multiple panicked conversations between exchange students and immigration officers after students booked trips too early. If you leave Korea before receiving your ARC, your ARC process gets cancelled-- making it impossible to continue the rest of your semester abroad without a student visa.

Because of this, some students chose to travel internationally before arriving in Korea. However, I decided instead to prioritize domestic travel during my first two months.

I visited Busan, Gyeongju, Jeju, Chuncheon, and Suwon, which allowed me to maximize long weekends, avoid airport stress, and travel comfortably within a system I already understood.

Trip 1: Fukuoka, Japan

Honestly, I didn’t know much about Fukuoka before booking the trip. I knew it was a popular destination among Koreans due to its proximity to Busan, and I was curious how it would compare to my previous experience in Tokyo.

Logistics

• Flights ranged from $200-$300, departing on Thursday and returning on Monday.
• Accommodations in the city were surprisingly expensive, so my friend and I booked an Airbnb farther from the city and split the cost.
• The main downside was a 40-minute bus ride each way, but staying in a quiet residential area ultimately contributed to the calmness of the trip.

Itinerary

• Because this trip fell on a weekend with several team meeting deadlines, I brought my laptop and took meetings in cafes and sometimes returned to the Airbnb earlier than I would have liked.
• We explored areas such as Canal City, arcade districts with gacha machines, vintage shopping streets, and Dazaifu.

• The highlight of the trip was a day trip to Hita (Oita Prefecture), which features Attack on Titan statues, museums, cafés, and exhibits-- as the author grew up there.

Overall Experience

Fukuoka felt like a medium-energy city, much calmer than Tokyo and Seoul. I think 3–4 days is the perfect amount of time to enjoy Fukuoka during the semester. If you can handle Seoul’s bus and subway systems, traveling in Fukuoka will feel quite familiar.

Trip 2: Taipei, Taiwan

I left for Taipei the day after my last final and spent six days there with a friend. This was my first time in Taiwan, and I had almost no time to plan due to finals and moving out. I didn’t even figure out public transportation until I arrived (don't be like me).

Logistics

• Because the trip was last-minute, flights were more expensive than if I had booked earlier. I paid around $250 roundtrip.
• Due to the late planning and specific accommodation requests, our Airbnb was slightly more expensive than expected, though still cheaper than Fukuoka.
• We stayed in Ximending, which was the best central location.

Itinerary

• Since we were there for six days and I was recovering from an all-nighter on move-out day, I took each day slowly.
• We explored Ximending and Zhongshan for shopping, visited the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial, and spent evenings at night markets.
• A major highlight was our day trip to Jiufen (the “Spirited Away” town) and Shifen.

Overall Experience

Despite my lack of preparation, Taipei was incredibly easy to navigate-- even if you don’t speak the language. If you can handle Seoul’s transportation system, you can handle anything.

What stood out most was how kind people were. Transit workers walked me directly to the platforms instead of just explaining directions. A kid at a restaurant used a translator app to recommend a sauce for our noodles and even brought us juice. A restaurant owner let me eat almost for free when I didn’t have enough cash. This level of warmth was unlike anything I had experienced before.

Another reason I fell in love with Taipei was how much it reminded me of Colombia, my mom’s home country that I’ve visited every few years. Life moved at a slower pace. It was comforting to see people spending time together in restaurants and parks. After finals, it was exactly the type of experience I needed. I spent my first two days mostly resting, leaving only to grab cheap fruit teas from shops open until 4 a.m.

What I Would Have Done Differently

The biggest challenge for me was luggage. Traveling after moving out of your study abroad housing means either carrying all your luggage with you to another country or paying for luggage storage in Seoul.

I chose the first option and carried 30kg up four flights of stairs. I was sore for the entire Taipei trip.

If I could redo this, I would have planned luggage storage earlier, chosen an Airbnb with an elevator, and/or budgeted extra for overweight baggage fees.