South Korea travel

Overview

The Korean Peninsula, located in Northeast Asia, is bordered on the north by China and Russia and is extended towards Japan to the southeast. It has nine provinces, with Seoul as the capital city. About 70 percent of it is mountainous, with more than 3,000 islands dotting the coastline, and rivers in the south. A country proud of its cultural history, South Korea contains several palaces, shrines and ancient gardens for tourists to explore. The country also has several dozen national and provincial parks, renowned for their natural beauty, folk villages, and scores of magical little enclaves of the bygone days hidden in the forests and atop the mountains.

Apart from the colorful traditional and religious festivals in Korea, there are plenty of contemporary events to experience as well, including dance, music and sports festivals.

The contrasts between a progressive, dynamic nation and one still attached to old traditions and customs is what makes Korea a fascinating place.

Basics

Time
GMT + 9

Electricity
220 volts

Weather
The climate of Korea is characterized by four distinct seasons; autumn (September to November), a cold winter from December to March, spring (April to May), and a hot humid summer from June to September. The extremes of temperature are greater in the north and interior regions than they are in the south and along the coast. Temperature in January drops below freezing; while the July average is over 25 ̊ C. 70% of the rainfall is during the summer monsoons.

Local Customs
When visiting any foreign country it will help to have an idea about local customs and perhaps learn a few words of the language.

In many restaurants and private homes shoes and footwear has to be removed. It is impolite to blow your nose in front of others. Koreans may sometimes be offended if their hospitality is refused. The giving of gifts is appreciated and often reciprocated.

Tipping is generally not necessary or expected. A 10% service charge is usually added to the bill in restaurants and hotels.

Korean food
It is essentially hearty, salty and definitely spicy. Red pepper, garlic, soy sauce and salt are used liberally. A typical Korean meal consists of rice, soup, and eight to 20 side dishes of vegetables, fish, poultry, eggs, bean-curd and sea plants. Barely tea is taken with a simple meal and with meat and fish dishes, beer, rice wine or stronger alcoholic drinks are usually served.

Visas
For British, Australian, Canadian, USA, Japanese, and some of the EU nationals, no visa only passport valid for a minimum of three months is required.
Note: Passport and visa requirements are liable to change at short notice. Travelers are advised to check their entry requirements with their embassy or consulate before leaving home.

Currency and Money Matters
The basic unit of currency is the won (W), which comes in 1,000, 5,000 and 10,000 won bills, and 10, 50, 100 and 500 won coins. ATMs work 24 hours a day, but the instructions are in Korean.
Foreign Currency and Traveler’s Cheques can be exchanged at banks in only large towns and cities. Credit Cards are accepted in large department stores and hotels, but not by many smaller shops in cities and rural areas.

Flights
The country's two major airlines, Korean Air and Asiana Airlines have scheduled direct flights every week from Korea to major cities in North America, Europe, the Middle East and Asia. The international flights land at Incheon International Airport, some 60 kilometers west of Seoul, Gimhae International Airport in Busan and Jeju International Airport on the island of Jeju-do. Departure tax of KRW10, 000 is levied on international passengers except on transit passengers and infants under two.

Accommodation
Majority of the top hotels in Korea are western-style. They have twin rooms and a small number of Korean-style rooms with “Ondol” (heated) floors. Other accommodations include motel/inns called yeogwans and minbak, youth hostels, condominiums, and guest houses. Hotels accept cash, major credit cards and traveler’s checks; most all other accommodations take only cash.

When to go
Try to get to South Korea in autumn (September-November) when the foliage is at its most colourful. Unless, of-course, you’re into skiing and the majestic snow-draped temples, which would bring you to the country over winters. Summer is hot, muggy, crowded, wet, typhoon-prone and expensive. Spring, of-course, is the best time to check out the Cherry Blossom Festivals in April.

Places to see

Seoul
With multi-lane highways, neon lights, skyscrapers and 24 hour shopping. Seoul nevertheless offers visitors a wealth of historical and cultural sights including five royal palaces and several UNESCO World Heritage sites.
Itaewon is one of the most famous shopping areas with over 2000 shops while Insadong Antiques Alley, lined with antique shops, art galleries and Korean tea houses has a more traditional atmosphere. Very near Seoul are the Bukhansan National Park with its granite peaks and deep valleys, the Korean Folk Village, Incheon Ceramic Village and some theme parks such as Everland.

DMZ (Demilitarized Zone)
The Demilitarized Zone is the area that separates North and South Korea. Here you can walk into the Third Tunnel of Aggression (dug by North Korea to infiltrate the South), stand on the Freedom Pavilion (where you can see North Korean soldiers looking at you through binoculars) and enter the room where the two sides still hold negotiations.

Gyeongju
Gyeongju has been called a “museum without walls”. Sights include the 8th century, Asia’s greatest Buddhist shrines with a magnificent seated Buddha under a granite dome, Bulguksa Temple, a masterpiece of Silla architecture, and Tumuli Park with tombs of the Silla Royal Family. Other places of interest include the Gyeongju National Museum, Handicraft Village and the Yangdong Folk Village consisting of 160 traditional houses between 200 - 500 years old. While visiting Gyeongju, you can either stay in the city centre or the nearby Bomun Lake Resort, with deluxe hotels, pleasure boats and hot springs.

Busan
Busan is South Korea's largest port and second-largest metropolis. Here, the Busan tower offers a nice panorama of the city and the surrounding islands. Visit the Beomosa Temple which is one of the five special Buddhist temples in Korea, the Yi Sun-shin statue, the Jagalchi fish market, the beaches, or the famous hot-spring spas. Hundae Beach just outside Busan is the premier holiday resort on this coast.

Insa-dong
More than 100 antique shops and countless art galleries are tucked away here. From ancient Chinese pottery to yellowed books and delicate jewelry, most visitors manage to find a treasured souvenir or special gift among the quaint stores. There are also plenty of restaurants, taverns and traditional teahouses in the area.

Myeong-dong
Paradise for shoppers, Myeong-dong is Seoul's retail haven with massive department stores, boutiques, restaurants, fast-food outlets and malls.

Jeju Island
It is the largest and most famous of Korea’s 3000 islands. The island's primary attractions are beaches, fishing, casinos, scuba diving, botanical gardens of Hallim Park, lava caves, the hot springs and its coastal waterfalls.
Festival lovers should come here in early October for Cheju's cultural festival. Other adventures include hiking through the world's longest lava tube, mountain climbing, hunting, scuba diving, horse riding, fishing and golf.

Onyang
It is a hot-spring resort which is reputed to be about 600 years old. It also has the Sudeoksa Temple and the Onyang Folk Museum. Also, a 14m high sitting Buddha is worth seeing near Cheonan, east of Onyang.

Seoraksan National Park
120km north-east of Seoul, it’s a beautiful mountainous area with caves, waterfalls, clear streams and magnificent beaches. In spring the slopes are covered in blossom and azaleas while autumn brings bright yellow and crimson foliage. Many scenic trails lead to lonely hermitages and temples, such as the seventh century Singheungsa Temple, the oldest Zen meditation temple. There is also a cable car which rises 1100m to Gweongeumseong Fortress.

Songnisan National Park
Other than the beautiful scenery, the park has the most magnificent temple of the country, Beopjusa ; home to Korea's tallest Buddha statue (33m high).

Hallyeo Waterway National Park
Park is made up of picturesque coastlines, 368 islands, hundreds of temples and assorted historical relics. The coast offers lots of opportunities for deep-sea fishing as well.

Activities

Festivals & Events
The majority of the festivals are held during spring or at the start of summers. Popular festivals include Lotus Lantern Festival, Dano festival with processions of shamans and mask dances, and Cherry blossom Festival along with various other dance, music and traditional sports festivals like wrestling, archery and kite flying.

Water sports
There are plenty of facilities for water sports along the southern coast and islands which include swimming, paragliding, whitewater rafting and scuba diving. Organized fishing trips windsurfing, water-skiing and boating are also widely available in all coastal resorts

Golf
There are more than 181 golf courses in Korea. Facilities for accommodation and other sports (such as swimming pools) are often also integrated within the golf complex.

Skiing
There are 13 ski resorts all within four or five hours of Seoul. The principal ones are the Dragon Valley International Ski Resort and Chonmasan Ski Resort.

Pottery and ceramics centers
Korea’s pottery and ceramics centers offer visitors the opportunity to participate in ancient pottery-making techniques.

Shopping
Korea is a shopper’s paradise with loads of good quality merchandise. Popular shopping items include hand-tailored clothes, sweaters (plain, embroidered or beaded), silks, brocades, handbags, leatherwork, jewelry, ginseng, paintings, costume dolls, musical instruments, brassware, lacquer ware, woodcarvings, baskets, scrolls and screens. Prices are fixed in department stores, but may be negotiated in arcades and markets. Major cities have duty free shops as well.

Nightlife
Korea is full of life even after the working hours with many restaurants, cafes, bars and pubs that are always full of people. Large cities also have nightclubs and casinos. Larger hotels have their own private theater restaurants. Beer halls are also popular places to drink and meet friends. Operas, concerts, performances of Korean classical music, dances and plays are also held at many places.