Fish supply is secret to festival’s success

Although the Hwacheon Sancheoneo Ice Festival runs for 23 days in January, preparations are made virtually all year round, with nearby fish farms raising nearly 130 tons of sancheoneo fish. “There have been complaints about other ice fishing festivals not having enough fish. But we plan ahead and prepare enough fish for visitors,” Oh Se-bin, the festival planning director, told The Korea Herald.  Sancheoneo fishOrganizers make sure visitors get a bountiful catch by releasing 1 to 2 tons of fish

Jan. 28, 2015

[Weekender] Ice climbing in Korea scales new heights

About 70 percent of South Korea is covered in mountains. Gushing out of these mountains are spectacular waterfalls of all shapes and sizes, a boon to sweaty hikers in the summer and a godsend to athletic ice climbers in the winter. Ice climbing has been enjoyed in Korea since the 1970s. Local climbers often start through climbing schools or alpine clubs. The increasing popularity has motivated many districts to create “ice climbing parks” ― artificial icefalls made by pumping water over cliffs.

Jan. 23, 2015

[Weekender] Winter hiking not for experts only

For Kim Sun-bok, a member of a local hiking club, the coldest among 10 years of Sunday excursions was a trip to Mount Hallasan on the southern island of Jeju. “At the beginning of the hike it was not too cold, but as we got closer to the top the wind picked up,” she said. “The wind was blowing so hard I was almost knocked over and my legs were shaking from the cold.”Though for most of the year hiking in Korea is a casual pursuit, in wintertime thorough trip preparation and appropriate gear may h

Jan. 23, 2015

[Weekender] Beaches attract seasoned surfers with relentless, uncrowded waves

Sunbathing on a warm summer beach sounds tempting in this season of freezing wind and heavy snow. That’s why warm, exotic resort destinations always top Koreans’ lists of dream vacation spots. But increasingly, Korea’s winter beaches are being warmly greeted by surfers seeking thrills and fun in the billowing winter waves. The hard-core surfers paddle out in the cold water to catch biggest waves of the year. Surfing is not a popular sport in Korea although the three sides of the peninsula are su

Jan. 23, 2015

[Weekender] The charms of wintertime camping

Winter is a time to curl up at home, safely away from the freezing cold, with a nice thick comforter and a hot mug of coffee. Or is it?For those increasing numbers who fancy wintertime camping, winter is, on the contrary, just the right time to venture into the wilderness. What, then, is the appeal? Why choose the cold open over the warm, fully furnished indoors?“The snow,” said Kim Han-soo, a longtime camping enthusiast. “Snow is what sets winter camping apart from summer excursions.” Above all

Jan. 23, 2015

[Weekender] Head to Taebaeksan for frost, rime

With the cherry blossom season still months away, outdoor enthusiasts here are braving the elements to view a more delicate type of flower ― one that thrives in high places under harsh conditions. “Nunkkot” (literally “snow flowers”) can be found on branches, rocks and railings, and the same chilly wind that helps create these crystal blooms can make it challenging ― or even dangerous ― to enjoy the experience. In recent weeks, the upper elevations of the national parks of Seoraksan and Jirisan

Jan. 23, 2015

Battling the cold in true winter fashion

While the plummeting temperatures cause some people to rush indoors and shield themselves from the icy breath of winter, for some this is the best time to head outside and dabble in what the icy waters and snowy landscapes have to offer. Whether it’s trudging through packed snow in the winter wilderness, literally chilling in a tent for a rugged night of camping, or grabbing a body suit and gloves to catch some arctic waves, the cold shouldn’t scare off those looking for a little winter adventur

Jan. 23, 2015

How dueling 1915 expos in San Diego, San Francisco shaped them

SAN DIEGO ― A hundred years ago, San Francisco had something to prove.Its leaders wanted the world to know they had rebuilt since the earthquake and fires of 1906, and they wanted to woo the travelers and commerce that would be headed west through the just-completed Panama Canal. So they decided to throw a global party.San Diego had something to prove too. It had about 40,000 residents ― about a tenth of San Francisco’s population ― but no cable cars, no Gold Rush glamour, no Mark Twain quotes.

Jan. 23, 2015

Italy’s Giusti Garden is magical mix of chaos and order

VERONA, Italy ― A huge angry stone face looks down on visitors through giant spires of cypress trees at Giusti Garden. The intimidating mascherone was originally designed to breathe fire, probably the only thing that could make it more foreboding. It was just one of the surprises I and 32 other gardeners found on a 10-day trip in September to visit gardens of Northern Italy.Gently sloping trails led to a grotto at the top of the mascherone. On the way, we saw an array of beautiful plants, some o

Jan. 23, 2015

It’s a hoot hanging out with owls at Tokyo cafe

TOKYO (AP) ― In the U.S., hanging out in a cafe with animals is such an exotic concept that people can’t get enough of it. A pop-up cat cafe in New York last year had lines down the block. Online reservations for another Manhattan cat cafe are almost fully booked more than two months ahead. But in Japan, cat cafes are just the start. You can hang out in rabbit cafes or have coffee in Tokyo with two goats. And you’re not limited to domestic animals. You can also spend an hour at a cafe holding a

Jan. 23, 2015

Foraging and beef tendon snacks part of new age of austerity in dining

Caviar, foie gras, inch-thick veal chops, baby vegetables as tiny as your pinky finger, first-growth Bordeaux and California cult Cabernets ― once these were the hallmarks of fine dining.But today, even at great restaurants, you’re likely to encounter ingredients that a few years ago might not have been served even for staff lunch. Pork belly and sardines, kale and Brussels sprouts, wines made in garages in regions you couldn’t point to on a map ― this is the new face of fine dining.Forget the o

Jan. 23, 2015

New, stricter rating system for hotels

Korean hotels will be reviewed under a new, stricter rating system on par with international standards, the Korea Tourism Organization said. According to the state-run tourism organization, the new hotel rating system is based on a scale of 1-5 stars, not the national flowers currently in use. Since 1971, Korean hotels had been reviewed under the mugunghwa flower-based system that ranks hotels into five categories based on points received, but was not strictly comparable to the international fiv

Jan. 16, 2015

Huge luxury suite on ship will run $5,000 a person per night

The living room from a one-of-a-kind luxury suite on the cruise line’s forthcoming ship, the Seven Seas Explorer, which is expected to debut in the summer of 2016 (AP/Regent Seven Seas Cruises)NEW YORK (AP) ― A new luxury cruise ship debuting in 2016 will have one of the largest and most expensive suites ever offered at sea. Regent Seven Seas will charge $5,000 a night, per person, for a luxury suite the size of a house ― with 360 square meters) of space ― onboard its new Regent Seven Seas Explo

Jan. 16, 2015

Sand dunes, camels and clay castles in Moroccan desert

ERG CHEBBI, Morocco (AP) ― The bright black silhouettes of our three-camel caravan shone against a tall sand dune like a background drawing of the Three Kings in a Nativity scene. While Georgie, as I had nicknamed my blonde dromedary camel, plodded through this remote corner of Morocco at the edge of the Sahara Desert, I was transfixed by our reflection ― because it was well past sunset and there was no moon. With the complete lack of artificial lights, the vault of stars was bright enough to ca

Jan. 16, 2015

That’s Italian: Meats, cheeses, bread and wine are part of best lunch ever

VERBANIA, Italy ― Serendipity and a chance encounter on my recent trip to this Mediterranean country led me to the very best lunch I’ve ever eaten ― anywhere.It began back in September as I sat exhausted on a stone garden bench at Villa Della Porta Bozzolo in Casalzuigno in Northern Italy.Eight days into a 10-day tour of Italian gardens and villas and all the travel had finally caught up to me. I took a break from my tour and sat outside with Anna Maria Massimi, who was guiding another group tra

Jan. 9, 2015

Two men attempt world’s most difficult rock climb at Yosemite

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) ― Two men are roughly halfway through what has been called the hardest rock climb in the world: a free climb of an 900-meter section of exposed granite in California’s Yosemite National Park.Tom Evans, a climber and photographer, has been chronicling Kevin Jorgeson, 30, of Santa Rosa, California, and Tommy Caldwell, 36, of Estes Park, Colorado, as they scale the wall using only their hands and feet.El Capitan, the largest monolith of granite in the world, rises more than 900 m

Jan. 9, 2015