Traveling in Our 60s: A Slow and Beautiful Getaway to Gijang

A peaceful sunset over Gijang — exactly the kind of slow and beautiful travel we have come to love in our 60s.

Traveling Differently in Our 60s

Our first trip together to Yeosu left us with such wonderful memories that it didn't take long before we started asking each other,

“So… where should we go next?”

This time, we chose Gijang, Busan.

Busan itself felt a little too big for the kind of trip we wanted.

Now that we are in our 60s, we no longer feel the need to rush from one famous attraction to another or check everything off a long sightseeing list.

Instead, we wanted something slower.

A beautiful place to stay.

Good food.

A peaceful place to walk.

Plenty of time to rest.

And most importantly, enough time to simply be together.

Gijang turned out to be exactly that kind of place.

There was no need for a complicated itinerary.

We simply enjoyed each place — and each other.

It was slow. It was simple. And it was beautiful.

Five old friends, one beautiful blue sea, and the beginning of our second trip together.

Beginning Our Gijang Journey by the Sea

Our Gijang getaway began where it should — by the sea.

Under a brilliant blue sky, the ocean sparkled in the sunlight, with a bright red lighthouse standing against the blue.

Of course, the five of us couldn't simply walk by without taking a picture. 😊

One person standing, another crouching, someone making a playful pose...

Even taking one group photo somehow became another reason to laugh.

And that quickly became the rhythm of our trip.

Walk a little.

Look around.

Take a picture.

Laugh a lot.

The sparkling Gijang coast — peaceful, blue, and wonderfully unhurried.

There is something about looking out over the ocean that makes everyday worries feel a little smaller.

I never seem to get tired of watching the sea.

It may be the same ocean, but somehow it looks and feels different every time.

And Gijang felt surprisingly peaceful.

Although it is part of Busan, it felt far removed from the energy of the big city.

There were beautiful new places appearing along the coastline, yet much of the area still felt quiet and relaxed.

For the kind of trip we wanted, it was perfect.

When the Ocean Became a Painting

For a moment, the Gijang sea looked like a painting hanging on a white wall.

This became one of my favorite photo spots from the trip.

The blue ocean seen through the white rectangular opening looked almost like a painting hanging on a wall.

Except, of course, it was real. 😊

At this stage of our lives, this is becoming one of our favorite ways to travel.

We don't always need another attraction to visit.

Sometimes we just want a beautiful place, a cup of coffee, and enough time to enjoy the view.

Two red chairs, endless blue water, and absolutely nowhere we needed to hurry to.

Blue sky.

Blue water.

White walls.

Two bright red chairs.

Looking at this photograph now reminds me how little we actually need to feel like we're on vacation.

Sometimes a beautiful view and nowhere to hurry to are enough.

One of those places where you sit down for a moment and somehow stay much longer than planned.

We were lucky with the weather too.

The sky was clear, the sun was bright, and the ocean seemed to stretch forever.

When I was younger, I might have thought,

“Okay, what's next?”

Now I am much more likely to think,

“Why don't we stay a little longer?”

Maybe that is one of the nicest things about traveling in our 60s.

Becoming Girls Again by the Sea

Leaving a little piece of ourselves behind on the beach in Gijang.

We walked down to the beach and left a little message in the sand.

Nothing important.

Nothing planned.

Just another small moment that made us laugh.

And somehow, these are often the memories that stay with us.

Five shadows on the sand — more than 45 years of friendship in one simple photograph.

This may be one of my favorite photographs from the entire trip.

You can't see our faces.

No one is posing perfectly.

There are simply five long shadows stretching across the sand.

And yet, somehow, it captures us.

We first became friends as middle school girls more than 45 years ago.

So much life has happened since then.

But when we're together, something funny happens.

No matter how old we become,a part of us becomes young again.

Good Food, Good Friends

A warm Korean meal after a day by the sea — simple, comforting, and even better when shared.

Of course, a good trip needs good food.

After walking, sightseeing, talking, and taking far too many pictures, sitting down together for a warm Korean meal felt wonderful.

There are meals that taste good because the food itself is special.

And then there are meals that taste even better because of the people sitting around the table.

This was one of those meals.

These days, we don't need every meal to be elaborate.

Something warm, fresh, delicious, and comfortable can be exactly what we want after a day of exploring.

Walking Through the Bamboo at Ahopsan Forest

Walking beneath the towering bamboo at Ahopsan Forest — one of our favorite discoveries in Gijang.

One of the most memorable places on our Gijang trip was Ahopsan Forest.

The atmosphere seemed to change the moment we entered.

Tall bamboo rose high above us.

Sunlight filtered through the leaves.

The air felt cooler and quieter.

One of my friends had already visited Damyang, which is famous in Korea for its bamboo forests.

Before we came here, she naturally thought of Damyang whenever anyone mentioned bamboo.

But after walking through Ahopsan Forest, she surprised us by saying,

“I think the bamboo here is even more beautiful.”

And I could understand why.

Ahopsan Forest has provided its beautiful natural scenery as a backdrop for Korean film and television productions.

Ahopsan Forest Entrance

The forest also has a wonderfully cinematic quality.

It has been used as a filming location for Korean productions, and its bamboo scenery became especially recognizable to many viewers through the Korean drama The King: Eternal Monarch.

That made walking through the forest even more fun.

It wasn't difficult to imagine why filmmakers would choose this place.

Some parts of the forest already looked like a movie set created entirely by nature.

When the scenery is this beautiful, stopping for pictures is part of the walk.

We spent about two hours walking through the forest.

And of course, we didn't walk continuously for two hours. ㅎㅎ

We stopped.

We talked.

We took pictures of the forest.

And then we took pictures of one another.

Lots of them. 😂

Still walking side by side — just a few decades older.

This is another photograph I especially love.

Five friends walking away together through the trees.

We started walking beside one another when we were teenagers.

Life took each of us down different roads.

And more than 45 years later, here we were again.

Still walking together.

We didn't need to rush through the forest.

We didn't need to see everything.

We simply enjoyed where we were.

And I think that is one of the biggest ways travel has changed for me.

Traveling more slowly doesn't mean enjoying less.

Sometimes it means noticing more.

Where Five Friends Could Stay Together- NewCZ Osiria Residence

Our home in Gijang — enough space for all five of us, with the sea right outside our windows.

Finding accommodations for five women traveling together isn't always easy.

We didn't really want to split up into separate hotel rooms.

After all, one of the best parts of our trips happens after sightseeing is over.

We wanted somewhere all five of us could stay comfortably together.

For this trip, we chose NewCZ Osiria Residence.

The residence had three bedrooms, giving the five of us plenty of room while still allowing us to share the same space.

For a group of longtime friends, that was ideal.

And then there was the view.

The beautiful Gijang sea was right outside our windows.

One of the best views of our trip was waiting right outside our window.

As the day began to fade, the view outside changed completely.

The sun slowly disappeared, and the blue sky softened into shades of gold and orange.

There was something wonderful about not having to go anywhere to see it.

After spending the day exploring, we could simply come home, relax, and watch the evening unfold from our residence.

Sometimes the accommodation isn't simply where you sleep.

It becomes part of the travel experience itself.

Sightseeing was over for the day. The talking definitely wasn't.

This is exactly why we wanted to stay together.

We came back, changed into comfortable clothes, made something to drink, and sat around talking.

You might think five women who have known one another for more than 45 years would eventually run out of things to say.

Apparently not. 😂

Old school memories.

Our families.

Things that happened years ago.

Things happening now.

And occasionally:

“No! That's not how it happened!”

followed by five people laughing.

These late-night conversations became just as much a part of the trip as the places we visited during the day.

As Gijang grew quiet outside, our conversations continued inside.

Outside, everything became quiet.

The bright blue Gijang of daytime had turned dark and peaceful.

Inside, however, five middle school friends were apparently still not ready for bed. ㅎㅎ

What Traveling in Our 60s Means to Me

A quiet ending to a beautiful day in Gijang — sea, sunset, and a tiny crescent moon.

Looking out at the Gijang sea that evening, I thought about how much our idea of a good trip has changed.

When we were younger, we might have measured a trip by how many places we visited.

Now?

A comfortable place to sleep.

A beautiful view.

Good food.

A peaceful walk.

Time for coffee.

Lots of pictures.

And enough time at the end of the day to sit together and talk.

We didn't do anything extraordinary in Gijang.

We looked at the sea.

We walked through a bamboo forest.

We shared meals.

We took photographs.

We talked late into the night.

And we laughed.

A lot.

Maybe this is what traveling in our 60s is really about.

Not seeing more, but feeling more.

Not rushing toward the next destination, but enjoying the place where we are.

And not counting how many places we have visited, but being grateful for the people who are still beside us.

We met as girls. We grew older together. And now, in our 60s, we travel together.

Our first trip was Yeosu.

Gijang became our second.

And by the time we returned home, there was really only one question left:

“So… where should we go next?”

The answer would be Geoje.

There are still so many roads to walk, meals to share, sunsets to watch, and memories waiting to be made.

We may travel a little more slowly now —but perhaps we see the beauty more clearly. ❤️

Coming Next

Traveling in Our 60s: Five Old Friends Explore Geoje Island

Our next journey took us to Geoje — another beautiful Korean coastline, another adventure, and another chapter in a friendship that has lasted more than 45 years.