The Korea Herald

Public art aplenty in Boulder City, Nevada

BOULDER CITY, Nevada ― Your savvy, but ultimately foolhardy, tourist on his way to Hoover Dam will take a sharp left on the Highway 93 bypass and avoid this city’s “historic” downtown altogether.Yet what the traveler saves in time and gas mileage, always important in these frugal times, he will lose in the immeasurable realm of the sublime. He will miss a lovely Art Deco-drenched, Depression-era town forged by the New Deal, a town that takes aesthetics so seriously in its urban core that it coul

Dec. 19, 2014

Public art aplenty in Boulder City, Nevada

TV programs sway Koreans’ choices of overseas travel destinations

More than half of Koreans said the recent hit travel reality shows “Youth over Flowers” and “Grandpas over Flowers” affected their plans for overseas travel, according to a recent survey conducted by the Korea Tourism Organization. The Korean overseas travel pattern survey showed that about 84 percent had watched the TV series and more than 64 percent said the series had affected their decision to travel overseas. The tvN series featured groups of celebrities traveling in European countries, Tai

Dec. 19, 2014

Lotte Hotel Seoul named best hotel in Korea by Global Traveler

Lotte Hotel Seoul has been named the Best Hotel in Korea by the U.S.-based travel magazine Global Traveler for the year 2014. The selection is based on the magazine’s annual readers’ survey. More than 26,000 readers participated in the survey on the best hotels, airlines, credit cards, duty-free shops and more. Lotte Hotel Seoul topped the best hotels list in Korea, followed by Park Hyatt Seoul, W Seoul Walkerhill, The Shilla Seoul and Grand Hyatt Seoul. The five-star hotel in Seoul has top rest

Dec. 19, 2014

Oahu combines big city buzz, history, rural beauty

Although some visitors head straight for other islands when visiting Hawaii, thinking they’ve done and seen it all on Oahu, Hawaii’s most populous island is always worth another visit. Oahu has the buzz and attractions of a major city combined with solace and scenic beauty just a short drive away.Don’t get me wrong. I love the other islands, too: Lanai and its two Four Seasons resorts, where I stayed when the properties first opened under different management 20 years ago, and recently revisited

Dec. 12, 2014

Oahu combines big city buzz, history, rural beauty

Hike, soak in a natural hot spring in New Mexico’s funky Jemez area

Fair warning, hikers. If a little nudity makes you squeamish, steer clear of the picturesque little hot springs scattered in the hills around the Jemez area of New Mexico.But if you’re all for taking a dip in the wilderness and don’t mind a bare bun or two, you’ve got plenty to choose from.The volcanic activity that formed the Jemez Mountains created an array of hot and cold pools, some of them within easy hiking distance, where you can soak tired legs under a canopy of pine trees. More refined

Dec. 12, 2014

Hike, soak in a natural hot spring in New Mexico’s funky Jemez area

Japan budget carrier Skymark eyes ANA, JAL support

TOKYO (AFP) ― Struggling Japanese budget carrier Skymark Airlines said Wednesday it was considering asking for help from domestic giant All Nippon Airways, even while eyeing a tie-up with ANA’s rival Japan Airlines.“We are considering asking for assistance” from ANA, Skymark spokesman Hiroyuki Sakata said.Skymark could ask for code-sharing as the main pillar of that assistance, as would be the case if a JAL tie-up is agreed, he told AFP by telephone.Selling flights under JAL or ANA’s codes would

Dec. 12, 2014

LAX sees silver lining with fine food fare

Don’t mourn for Los Angeles International Airport.America’s third-busiest airport has taken its lumps recently. It was ranked the sixth most frustrating airport in the country to use and the fourth most difficult to get to in a Bloomberg study that relied in part on an online survey of more than 3,000 travelers.In addition, LAX was snubbed last year by the annual Skytrax World Airport Awards. LAX ranked 109th among 395 airports worldwide. The ranking was based on a survey of 12.1 million travele

Dec. 12, 2014

Japan budget carrier Skymark eyes ANA, JAL support

TOKYO (AFP) ― Struggling Japanese budget carrier Skymark Airlines said Wednesday it was considering asking for help from domestic giant All Nippon Airways, even while eyeing a tie-up with ANA’s rival Japan Airlines.“We are considering asking for assistance” from ANA, Skymark spokesman Hiroyuki Sakata said.Skymark could ask for code-sharing as the main pillar of that assistance, as would be the case if a JAL tie-up is agreed, he told AFP by telephone.Selling flights under JAL or ANA’s codes would

Dec. 12, 2014

City tour in search of history and stories

A center in the southeastern part of the Korean Peninsula, Daegu is a city with abundant historical and cultural heritage. As it is also a geographical hub in the region, the Silla Dynasty once attempted to move its capital to Dalgubeol (currently Daegu) from Gyeongju. During the Joseon Period, the Gyeongsang Provincial Office was located in Daegu, making this location the political, economic, military and transportation center of the Yeongnam area.With such a long history, the cultural and hist

Dec. 11, 2014

Lufthansa to launch budget long-haul carrier next year

BERLIN (AP) ― German airline Lufthansa has announced plans to launch budget long-haul services at the end of next year in collaboration with SunExpress, a joint venture with Turkish Airlines.Lufthansa’s supervisory board gave the go-ahead to expand the company’s low-cost operations on Wednesday, a meeting that came amid a battle with a union representing pilots at the airline. The union, Vereinigung Cockpit, said it would hit Lufthansa’s long-haul flights on Thursday with its second strike this

Dec. 5, 2014

Best hanok lodgings in Korea

Winter is the low season for travel in Korea. Day temperatures remain below freezing and snowfalls cause traffic jams, often paralyzing major cities. But it’s one of the best times of the year to enjoy the scenic winter views in the provinces. “Hanok” lodgings across the country offer true relaxation for those who wish to get away from the crowds at ski resorts or hot springs and look back on the year. The Korea Tourism Organization has recently recommended top hanok accommodation for winter tra

Dec. 5, 2014

Mexico federal police, troops to patrol Acapulco

MEXICO CITY (AP) ― Federal police and soldiers will take over policing duties in the resort of Acapulco to ensure the safety of tourists amid a wave of violence and protests that has scared away visitors, Mexican authorities said. Troops and federal police will also take over policing in 20 more townships north of Acapulco in a region known as Tierra Caliente, or the Hot Lands, which is plagued by drug cultivation, trafficking and cartels. The region covers parts of the states of Guerrero, Micho

Dec. 5, 2014

See splendid Turkey on a budget: Take the bus

CAPPADOCIA, Turkey ― If all of Turkish history were on this bus, I’d be sitting next to sultans, whirling dervishes, Silk Road caravanners, Greek shopkeepers, apostles and olive growers.Instead, I’m sitting next to a guy from New York and a couple from Toronto. We’re coming up on a bathroom break at a rest stop in central Turkey.“Fifteen minutes!” our guide says as the bus doors swing open. “Do not be late.”I join the crowd hurrying to the ladies’ room, passing shopkeepers’ shelves of merchandis

Dec. 5, 2014

See splendid Turkey on a budget: Take the bus

A day in Manhattan’s Greenwich Village

Tucked away from the honking horns and crowded sidewalks of midtown Manhattan sits Greenwich Village, a downtown neighborhood that spans west of Broadway to the Hudson River.Although only a quick subway ride from bustling Grand Central station, Greenwich Village (known simply as “the Village” to locals) seems almost like a different city entirely, its streets lined with ivy-covered houses and candlelit restaurants.While many New York City tourists don’t venture beyond the likes of Times Square a

Nov. 28, 2014

Schweitzer ski resort: Big on powder, light on parties

For ski vacations, I often make a beeline for British Columbia, where lots of ski resorts have exactly what I want. Resorts such as Whistler Blackcomb, Sun Peaks and Big White are within a day’s drive of Seattle and offer fun ski villages; ski-in, ski-out lodging; and lots of varied terrain.But I decided to break out of my B.C. rut last spring and try a ski area that, happily, doesn’t involve the often-slow border crossing between the U.S. and Canada. I drove east to Idaho’s Schweitzer Mountain

Nov. 28, 2014

Utah ski industry gets jump start from Vail

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) ― Skiers and snowboarders traveling to Utah this winter will find the same jagged mounting peaks looming just east of Salt Lake City and many familiar trails at the state’s 15 resorts. But they may also notice a few signs of the significant changes that occurred in the off-season. The most prominent was Vail Resorts Inc.’s purchase of the state’s largest ski area, Park City Mountain Resort. The $182.5 million acquisition resolved a messy legal battle between Vail and Powdr Co

Nov. 28, 2014

Bangkok offers most affordable transportation

What determines your first impression of a city may be the transportation you use to get from the airport to downtown. Hotels.com Airport and Transportation Insider found out which cities offer the most convenient transportation from the airport to your final destination among 20 destinations around the world.Bangkok offered the cheapest means of transportation for the route. Options are diverse, including shuttle buses, shared rides and limousines, with an average price of 2,103 won ($1.90). Th

Nov. 28, 2014

Korean tourism agency partners with China's Baidu to use big data on travelers

South Korea's state-run tourism agency said Wednesday it will work with Chinese Internet giant Baidu Inc. to use its mobile search traffic data on travel to attract more visitors from China. The Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) and Baidu signed a memorandum of understanding to jointly collect and analyze big data derived from China's No. 1 search engine to more accurately gauge market trends and introduce customized tour programs. South Korea has become one of the most popular destinations

Nov. 26, 2014

Korea Grand Sale kicks off in December

Driven by the rising popularity of K-pop and Korean TV dramas, shopping in Korea has become a special experience for a growing number of foreign tourists.The best season for them is winter, when the annual Korea Grand Sale campaign is held. Bigger discounts and more gifts and events are on offer during the campaign than any other time of the year. “This year’s Korea Grand Sale will present a variety of promotions from December to February, which will heighten the festive year-end mood. The event

Nov. 24, 2014

When in Aspen, ski, shop, dine and hunt for shrines on the mountain

ASPEN, Colorado ― Stevie Ray Vaughan is hidden somewhere here on Ajax Mountain, and we’re on a mission to find him.Finally, following directions scrawled onto a scrap of paper, we steer our skis toward a little hollow in a grove of trees. We dip into the hushed alcove and find a single laminated picture of the Texas blues guitarist tacked to the bark of a towering pine.The Vaughan memorial is one of about 70 shrines that have popped up here in the past 30 years. Some are simple, just a few photo

Nov. 21, 2014

When in Aspen, ski, shop, dine and hunt for shrines on the mountain