SUNCHEON, South Jeolla Province ― As one of the cleanest cities in country, Suncheon in South Jeolla Province provides visitors with countless opportunities to experience nature at its finest. Suncheon strives to be green, and has Korea’s lowest emissions of greenhouse gases. It also won the right to host the 2013 international garden exposition organized by the International Association of Horticultural Producers.The 2013 Suncheon Garden Expo Korea, the first of its kind to be held in Korea, wi

April 12, 2013

The hotel offers a spa package which includes one night in a Mountain View room, a breakfast buffet for two at Terrace Caf, a 40-minute Aqua View Spa treatment for two, a 30 percent discount at sauna, a Jeju discount coupon book, and complimentary trekking equipment rental service until June 30. The theme of Aqua View Spa is based on Jeju’s natural resources of air, water and stone, the perfect way to rejuvenate. There may be additional charges for other programs. The packages start from 299,000

April 12, 2013

JINHAE, South Gyeongsang Province ― The view of thousands of cherry blossom trees blanketing the streets of Jinhae, showering the air with floating pink petals, is beyond picturesque. The small seaside town in South Gyeongsang Province attracts some 2 million local and international visitors every year around the end of March and the beginning of April for one sole reason: to bask in the abundance of lush cherry blossoms that engulf the town during Jinhae’s annual Gunhangje, or naval port, festi

April 5, 2013

After a grueling long-haul flight across oceans and continents suffering hours of dry cabin air, nothing is more welcoming than the sight of your hotel room, preferably with pristine, plump, fluffed up duvet and pillows, and the prospect of a nice hot shower.If you have booked one of the 38 hypo-allergenic rooms, or Pure Rooms, at the Grand Hyatt Seoul, you will be hit by the clean, crisp scent of tea tree oil as soon as you open the door to your room.In fact, the purifying scent is the first si

April 5, 2013

GLACIER NATIONAL PARK ― Jagged peaks, a lucky glimpse of a bear or moose, and, of course, glaciers ― these sights are just the tip of the iceberg at Glacier National Park in northwestern Montana.Red, blue, yellow and white wildflowers fill the alpine meadows, even into August, and a few mountain goats or bighorn sheep may be grazing, too. The melting snow and rocky terrain create plenty of waterfall photo ops, and the glaciers carved out several large, windy lakes where visitors can take a boat

April 5, 2013

SYDNEY (AFP) ― Australian travelers have become so demanding of their foreign ministry when they encounter trouble overseas, officials are struggling to deal with their requests, a new report has found.Research by the Sydney-based Lowy Institute has found that the expectations of what Australian diplomats can and should do for distressed travelers are not only climbing, but becoming “more unrealistic.”“The growing incidence of Australians overseas demanding that government intervene in their cas

March 29, 2013

ROME ― “SILENZIO!” says the sign just past the massive bronze doors marking the entrance to St. Mary and the Martyrs Catholic Church in Rome, one of the two or three most important churches in Christian history. The sign reminds all that this is a house of worship. Indeed, visitors from around the globe flock to the Piazza della Rotonda to see its austere, columned portico.But the true beauty of the church is inside, where a geometrically perfect sphere could fit between ceiling and floor. A thi

March 29, 2013

Seoul City government and the Seoul Tourism Organization jointly held a travel fair in Paris in a collaboration project to attract interest in traveling to Korea.Korean Air and Asiana Air’s French branches and specialized Europe inbound travel agencies including Jane Tour & DMC and Kims Travel participated in the event to introduce Korea tour packages to some 100 French travel industry workers. Featuring traditional “hanok” houses, the Gangnam district including Cheongdam-dong, Apgujeong-dong an

March 27, 2013

“Yoga,” “healing” and “tranquility” are words Koreans often link to India. The movie “Eat, Pray & Love” portrayed a peaceful and meditating Indian lifestyle, as the main character was filmed praying about her worries and finding an answer to her anxieties. These dreamy images of India, however, were shattered by the gang rape of an Indian girl on a bus in south Delhi last December. Shortly after the incident, the alleged drug rape of a Korean college student and gang rape of a Swiss woman have f

March 25, 2013

MEXICO CITY (AP) -― Mexico’s top tourism official said the country may drop out of the world’s top 10 tourist destinations, a spot it has held for years.Tourism Secretary Claudia Ruiz Massieu hasn’t said why the drop occurred, but there were declines in 2012 in two areas that have been affected by violence: border tourism and cruise ship stopovers.The number of cruise ship passengers stopping in Mexico dropped 3 percent in 2012 and more than 15 percent over the past two years. The number of bord

March 22, 2013

The allure of southern China’s Hainan Island is finally getting some long-deserved attention by virtue of its pristine beaches and clear blue waters along over 1,000 kilometers of coastline that encircles virgin rainforests atop central highlands.From Singapore to Seoul, the tropical island is fast becoming the answer to the holiday puzzler: Where can couples find that affordable but luxurious golf getaway? At the top of the expansive list of Hainan’s resort destinations is Mission Hills Haikou,

March 22, 2013