The Korea Herald

KTO publishes travel guidebook for Muslim tourists

The Korea Tourism Organization has published a travelguide book and a revised version of its restaurant guide for Muslim tourists. The guidebook titled “Korea, Free and Easy” provides general information on tourist attractions and shopping routes favored by Muslim tourists in Korea. The restaurant guide, revised from the 2012 edition, offers information on restaurants serving halal food as well as reviews on food quality and service written by visitors who have been to the restaurants. The book

April 4, 2014

Around the Hotels

Seasonal Korean caviar at Millennium Seoul HiltonMillennium Seoul Hilton’s French restaurant Seasons is offering a special promotional menu that features seasonal Korean caviar for the month of April. Caviar refers to salted roe of sturgeon or other varieties of fish usually found in the Caspian and Black Seas. South Korea is one of the top producers of quality caviar, made with imported sturgeon from Russia. The restaurant’s special menu will celebrate this gourmet dish. The caviar tasting menu

April 4, 2014

Incense on a spring breeze

Daegu, Korea’s “City of Apples,” is not generally known for its hiking, and yet a street in the northern outskirts of the city shows that the pastime has taken root, blossomed and begun to bear fruit. Both sides of Palgong-ro are lined with outdoor apparel stores, from foreign brands like Northface, Merrell and Mammut to local companies like Centerpole, Kolping and K2.The commercial enclave is a testament to the popularity of Mount Palgongsan. Like many of Korea’s cities and natural features, th

March 28, 2014

Tracing communist history in Budapest’s landscape

BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) ― The toppling of statues and monuments during times of political upheaval has been a well-documented act in Eastern and Central European history. Among the cathartic gestures following the fall of communism in 1989, many of Budapest’s granite and stone giants were swiftly uprooted and later carted off to a field 30 minutes away from central Budapest that has become a sculpture park for the scorned monuments. Save for a cubist rendition of Marx and Engels flanking the entr

March 28, 2014

Asian travelers pick cellphones as must-carry item

Travelers from Asia selected cellphones as the travel item they least want to forget on vacation, according to a recent survey conducted by the hotel promotion site Agoda.com. The survey was completed by more than 50,000 customers visiting the site in February this year. Forty five percent of Asian respondents picked mobile phones as the item they least want to forget while packing for a vacation, followed by credit cards at 29 percent, laptops or tablet PCs at 11 percent, and a good book and to

March 28, 2014

Average hotel room rates fall in Korea

According to the Hotel Price Index released by the hotel booking site Hotels.com, average hotel room prices for global travelers to Korea fell by 21 percent on-year in 2013. The average room price foreign tourists paid was 150,295 won ($139). The price drop resulted from the decrease in Japanese visitors due to the depreciation of the yen. Meanwhile, the average price of a hotel room for global travelers rose by 3 percent in 2013 from the previous year. The report said the fall in room rates mad

March 28, 2014

Korail to launch hallyu-themed train for overseas fans

The Korea Railroad Corporation said it will operate a hallyu-themed train that will take overseas fans of K-pop to tourist destinations in Korea. The state rail company said it will develop programs for overseas K-pop fans with SM Entertainment, which manages TVXQ, EXO and Girls’ Generation. Korail and SM Entertainment signed a memorandum of understanding for the development of a “hallyu tourism program” on Monday. On the same day, Korail ran a train trip with TVXQ members and 250 of their fans

March 28, 2014

Wando puts final touches on int'l seaweed expo

With less than 20 days to go, South Korea's southern island of Wando is putting the final touches to the country's first international seaweed-themed expo, organizers said Tuesday.The Wando Seaweeds Expo 2014 will be held on Wando, a remote island off the nation's southwestern coast, from April 11 for a month, organizers said. The expo, under the theme of "seaweeds and their role in mankind's future," will provide a chance to raise awareness of the importance of seaweed as an alternative food so

March 25, 2014

Finding history at colorful Kaymoor in West Virginia’s New River Gorge

FAYETTEVILLE, West Virginia ― My first on-land visit to historic Kaymoor was before trails existed.Friend David Arnold led me on a killer bushwhacking hike in the 300-meter-deep New River Gorge 30 years ago to get to the old coal camp and take photographs of the mining equipment and infrastructure.It was one of the most visible old mining communities along the New River. There was a large coal operation from 1900 to 1962 at what was called Kaymoor No. 1 mine.Its headhouse near the entrances to t

March 21, 2014

Finding history at colorful Kaymoor in West Virginia’s New River Gorge

Morocco sees record 2013 tourism; 10m visitors

RABAT, Morocco (AP) ― Morocco’s tourism minister says a record-breaking 10 million people visited the North African country in 2013, indicating the industry is recovering from the setbacks of the Arab Spring revolutions.After several years of flat growth, Morocco on Tuesday reported a 7.2 percent increase in arrivals since 2012.Morocco, with beaches, exotic cities and pristine mountains that are popular among Europeans, relies on tourism for 10 percent of its GDP, the second-largest contributor

March 21, 2014

Photograph scenic places in Korea

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced the 25 top photo-worthy places in Korea. Among them are Mt. Cheonmasan in Busan; Suseong Lake in Daegu; Farming Village in Daejeon; Jeongja Port and Daewangam in Ulsan; Namhansanseong Fortress in Gwangju, Gyeonggi Province; and Gosam Lake in Anseong, Gyeonggi Province. The ministry announces photogenic spots every year from among scenic or historically valuable but little-known places. They are picked by tourism, geography and ecology experts

March 21, 2014

A new luxury boutique resort opens in Fiji

Fiji opened a new luxury boutique resort in the island’s adventure capital, Pacific Harbour, about a three-and-a-half-hour drive from Fiji International Airport. Nanuku Resort and Spa is the latest private resort set in lush tropical gardens over the pristine waters of Beqa Lagoon. Designed with Figian motifs, all suites and residences offer floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the Beqa Lagoon. The resort’s five beachfront residences are just a step away from the soft white sand beach. The resor

March 21, 2014

A mountain with friends in high places

The granite peak of Mount Geumosan rises prominently above a reservoir of the same name west of the city of Gumi. It’s rather on the fringes of the Taebaek Mountain Range, just as Gumi is decidedly off the radar of tourists. For many KTX passengers, Gumi is nothing more than a short stop on the way to Daegu or Busan. In fact, it’s the second-largest city in North Gyeongsang Province, behind Pohang, and helps power South Korea’s export economy through its production of cellphones, TV screens and

March 21, 2014

Around the Hotels

Gourmet French dining at Millennium Seoul HiltonMillennium Seoul Hilton’s French restaurant Seasons is offering the 74th “Gourmet Circle Dinner” on April 4-5. The dinner promotion, which began in 1996, is offered four times a year during each season. Every time, the executive chef creates a special menu that is paired with a selection of wines. This year’s spring promotion begins with a champagne reception at 7 p.m., followed by a 7-course meal featuring bright, fresh and seasonal ingredients as

March 21, 2014

Trafalgar launches service in Korea

Trafalgar Tours, a travel company providing guided tours in more than 200 destinations worldwide, has launched services in Korea. The travel company runs travel programs led by a local travel expert. The programs are well-known for offering the choice between arranged package trips and individual trips. The guided tour programs offer hundreds of itineraries in Europe, the U.S. and Canada, Australia and New Zealand, South America and Asia. Each package includes accommodation, transport, must-see

March 14, 2014

Hana operates ice-breaking cruise tour in Hokkaido

Hana Tour is running a five-day ice-breaking cruise, the itinerary of which includes Abashiri and some of Japan’s most well-known natural wonders such as the Kushiro Wetlands, Lake Mushu and Lake Kussharo. The tour package also includes visits to hot springs and the Abashiri Prison Museum, all-night stays at hot spring hotels and traditional Japanese kaiseki meals. The tour departs on Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays throughout March. The cost ranges from 899,000 won to 999,000 won. For m

March 14, 2014

Norway promotes land of ‘Frozen’

The Norway Tourism Organization in Seoul recently kicked off its latest “Powered By Nature” campaign to encourage more travel to the country, which boasts breathtakingly scenic Nordic views ― views that may remind some of a particularly popular animated movie. As the box-office smash “Frozen” continues to take the world by storm, the Norway tourism agency has decided to latch onto the country’s undeniable obsession with the Disney flick, which recently became the highest-grossing animated film i

March 14, 2014

Art tours promote lesser-known tourist sites

Tired of stereotyped sightseeing in Korea? Then, try lesser-known places such as Seoul Fortress or an art-themed tour offered by a provincial city. Anyang, a city in Gyeonggi Province south of Seoul, will kick off the Anyang Public Art Project in April. Participants in the guided tour, now in its fourth year, will be able to view artwork, visit local parks and walk along promenades in the city. Art experts will accompany the tours. In Seoul, the Gangnam-gu District Office is running a trolley bu

March 14, 2014

Gunsan old and new

It was late Saturday morning and still smoggy when we left Seoul on an express bus for Gunsan. We were going to this west coast port to reach a nearby island famous for its sunsets, though with all the fine-particle dust the possibility of a sunset was still up in the air. The atmospheric conditions were unchanged by the time we’d arrived and caught a taxi. The talkative driver, wearing black faux-leather pants, a puffy black jacket and black sports sunglasses, said that Gunsan was the hardest-h

March 14, 2014

Oklahoma Panhandle: Rural and quirky

KENTON, Oklahoma (AP) ― The Oklahoma Panhandle has never been for the faint of heart. Before becoming a part of Oklahoma Territory, this strip known as No Man’s Land was a haven for outlaws and land squatters. Later, during the Great Depression, severe drought and blinding dust storms turned the region into the Dust Bowl. The strong survived, and today the Panhandle of Oklahoma is made up of dedicated ranchers, a growing Hispanic population and awe-inspiring views of rural life at its finest. Th

March 7, 2014