• What we did: Sailed in from Japan, then bused across a land of hyper-modern cities, ancient culture, flamin'-tasty food and almost too friendly people.
• What we learned about travelling with kids: In South Korea, foreign kids are an incredible attraction. Prepare for your children to be mobbed, cuddled and constantly plied with inappropriate sweeties.
• Overall rating:
  • Adults: 4.5
    (+) Cheap and efficient public transport.
    (+) Super-fast internet - even in dubious 'Love Hotels'!
    (+) Friendly, helpful and child-friendly people.
    (+) Spicy-but-so-tasty food.
    (-) Overcrowding: 'remote' temple visits always accompanied by thousands of Koreans (in North Face jackets and sporty trainers!)
  • Kids: 4
    (+) Adulation and being treated like royalty wherever they went.
    (+) Lots of free sweeties (see above!).
    (-) Most of the food was too spicy.

Bright lights in bustling, bawdy Busan, Korea's southern metropolis.

Street food comes fresh and spicy, be it al fresco or in an orange covered impromptu street bar.

Korean food is so spicy that Maxwell even took to blowing on bowls of cold plain rice to cool them down...

Korean 'Love Hotels' are wonderfully crammed full of amenities - fridges, TV (complete with saucy channels), computer, etc.

But was an plan to install a mini-bar misinterpreted as 'mini bath'?!

Or are Korean lovers just very small?!

Kept alive in remote seats of learning like the gorgeous Haein-Sa temple complex.

Zoe's cuteness takes South Korea by storm: every outing morphs into a photo opportunity for her local fans.

...when you can simply pop out for a curative cup of ginseng or a funny shaped mushroom or two from the medicinal market.

Zoe shows admirable faith that Maxwell knows what he is doing.

Traditional Korean houses: for the masters and the servants (who grow the cabbages!).

Where's Ernie?

South Koreans are fitness freaks: a walk in the park provides an ideal opportunity to tone up at one of the many fitness stations.

Zoe shows the way at a Korea's slightly bizarre Everland theme park.

Meanwhile Maxwell takes his first horsey ride - no problem!

Weird and wonderful visions of the night.

The red leaves fall around us and temperatures plummet as the bitter Korean winter approaches.

Time to get out of here - next stop New Zealand!

If you want to see even more photos of our trip in South Korea, check out the Full South Korea Album on our photo album site.