South Korea

Korea has gone from underrated to unmissable. Seoul for street food, nightlife, design, and 24-hour energy; Busan for coast and a lighter pace; Jeju for nature; the DMZ for history. Hiking culture is huge — there are proper mountains within Seoul itself.

A first trip is mostly Seoul, and that's correct: mornings at Gyeongbokgung, afternoons in Seongsu or Euljiro, barbecue and a second round of fried chicken at midnight. Take the KTX to Busan — under three hours — for Haeundae beach and raw fish at Jagalchi market, with Gyeongju's tombs and temples an easy stop on the way. Food and transport stay cheap; accommodation in Seoul is the line item that climbs.

Don't come in midsummer: July and August are a humid monsoon sauna, and late winter is bitter. English thins out fast beyond Seoul, menus included — a translation app is mandatory equipment. The nature is pleasant rather than spectacular; if mountains are your priority, Japan does them better. What Korea does best is the city itself, and it does it as well as anywhere: nobody leaves Seoul calling it overhyped.