Jongno Street as the main thoroughfar of Seoul is a commercial and shopping district that connects Sejongno and Dongdaemun, the Great East Gate. Many landmarks are located in or near Jongno Street, and it continues to play a significant part in the city’s cultural and social life.

Jongno Tower, a 33-story office building and one of Korea’s tallest structures, gives a outstanding view of the street as well as the rest of the city. In order to get a view through the restaurant and bar at the top, however, you need to order a drink, and it can be expensive.

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Posted in Korea, Things to do |

Korea’s Demilitarized Zone, a tourist attraction? The no-man’s-land that divides communist North and democratic South, the place where that heat ray blasted in the James Bond movie Die Another Day? Who would be crazy enough? If you’re a fan of modern history and warfare, or just curious to experience one of the last remnants of the cold war, then the Demilitarized Zone may be just the attraction for you.

The DMZ is a 4 kilometer-wide zone that stretches along the 458-kilometer long Military Demarcation Line (MDL). The governments of both North and South Korea have agreed to withhold areas occupied by the other back in 1953, at the informal end of the Korean War when the armistice was signed. Now home to some 2 million soldiers, the DMZ acts as a buffer zone between the two sides, and is one of the most heavily fortified borders in the world.

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Posted in Attractions, Korea |

Caribbean Bay, a theme park located at the Everland Amusement Park in the city of Yongin Gyeonggi-do (Gyeonggi Province), opened its doors to the public back in 1996.  It was the first of its kind then and because of this, people from the metropolis who were looking for a different kind of recreation started flooding in from Seoul, South Korea.

It is very popular that it had more than a million visitors last year. Accessibility was no issue too because of buses that drop off passengers at Caribbean Bay, which is only an hour drive away from Seoul.  All you have to do is take the Gyeongbu expressway then exit at Singal Interchange.  From here, you can take the Yeongdong expressway and exit to Maseong Highway.  You will know that you have arrived when you pass through toll gates with a big sign that says “Welcome to Everland Resort!”.

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Posted in Korea, Things to do |

Busan is South Korea’s largest port city as well as the second largest Korean city after Seoul. A narrow city, Busan (formerly spelled Pusan)  is situated between the neighboring mountains and the shore, and rests of the southern tip of the peninsula. The city is vying for the honors of hosting the 2020 Olympics, so it is best to visit Busan in the next few years before prices go up.

Here are a few places to visit while in Busan.

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Posted in Attractions, Beaches, Korea |

Due to its predominantly Buddhist population, Korea has never officially recognized Christmas as a holiday for many years. It was just a decade ago when only a few homes put up Christmas trees, and only the biggest stores decorated their interiors with lights during December, which was of the plain uncolored variety back then. It is only recently that this major Christian holiday has been celebrated in Korea, if only for its commercial aspects. Perhaps it is the increase in disposable income that has led to its popularity.

Gift-giving is an interesting ritual in Korea, as money is he most popular form of gift, given during Christmas, birthdays, and anniversaries. Actual presents are starting to be given in recent years, but money is still widely used as presents. Christmas dinner is very Korean in nature, with plenty of kimchi, red bean paste, and spicy dishes. Korean barbeque is a popular choice of viand during this festive occassion.

One of the earliest and grandest adopters of Christmas in Korea are the theme parks.

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Posted in Events, Korea |

If you’ve ever watched a Korean romance movie, you may notice that the onscreen lovers will spend time to travel to Jeju Island. There, they will visit a theme park, or simply stroll along the beach hand in hand, slowly falling for each other.

That is the magic of Jeju Island, a volcanic landmass south of South Korea whose warm, subtropical climate, white sandy beaches, and multiple attractions have made it a favorite honeymoon vacation spot for newlyweds. Indeed, for a land that only has agriculture as the only other major industry, the residents of Jeju have gone out of their way to welcome not just young couples but tourists of all kinds, both local and foreign alike. Jeju is sufficiently distant from the rest of Korea to develop a culture distinct from the mainland. It boasts heritage sites, national parks, Buddhist temples, theme parks, museums, beach resort, and lots more so that visitors will come back again and again and still find something new.

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Posted in Attractions, Korea |

For a Christian holiday, Christmas gets surprising attention in a continent dominated by Muslims, Hindus, and Buddhists. For some countries, it is an after-effect of centuries of Western colonialism and Christian missionary work. For others, the commercial aspects of gift-giving and festivities encourage department stores and markets to dress up for the holidays. Still others see it as a romantic season, a time for couples and lovers to share intimate moments together.

Whatever the reason, Christmas is still celebrated the world over, and nowhere is this fact more proven than in the following major Asian cities.

Tokyo, Japan - less than 1% of Japan’s population are Christians, and December 25 is not a national holiday here. Christmas is seen more as a commercial season, a time for romance between couples and for corporations to deck their offices in lights. December is also a time for oseibo (end-of-the-year gift exchanges between companies) and boukenkai (”forget the year”) parties, and Christmas-themed parties tend to get mixed in with the celebrations.

Seoul, South Korea – South Korea recognizes Christmas as a public holiday, with 30% of the population being Christians. Even non-Christian Koreans engage in gift-giving, card-sending, and plastic tree-decorating at this time of year, and engaging lights beautify the City Hall area for people to enjoy. What’s surprising is the locals treat the season to be a romantic affair, much like Valentine’s Day.

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Posted in Asia, Events, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Korea, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam |

South Korea is starting to appeal to tourists not only because of the rich culture that it possesses, amazing cuisine that you can sample or because of the great shopping adventure that one may experience during each visit. Nowadays, Korea is starting to be known to a specific group of travellers for its numerous hot springs. These travellers are specifically those who seek rest and relaxation during their vacation and they make it a point to sample the massage parlors and aromatherapy clinics of the country that they are visiting.

In South Korea, one may find quite a number of hot springs that offer not only rejuvenation but a lovely scenic view of countryside that can already help melt your tiredness away. These natural hot springs are produced when the water from the underground is heated by geothermal forces and mixed with cold water on its way to the surface of the earth. These hot springs are becoming popular to tourists as the water is believed to have a lot of medicinal properties that have therapeutic powers over diseases.

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Posted in Korea, Things to do |

Whether its a zen trickle that soothes the soul or a spectacular gush that arcs in the air, fountains are a wonderful mix of nature and engineering that enchants everyone who witness its splendor. Some fountains rely on the latest technology to create more intricate dynamic sculptures while others are ancient contraptions that still operate to this very day. All of them rely on the notion that life’s basic necessity can be coaxed into becoming one of life’s source for enduring entertainment.

Taj Mahal Water Devices, Agra - the fountains surrounding this tomb for a beloved Indian princess is as astounding feat of irrigation engineering that continues to work after centuries of operation. To maintain and even pressure for all fountains, each were built with a copper pot between the feed pipe and the outlet. This ensures even pressure at all times. It takes 40 minutes to fly from New Delhi to Agra, after which rickshaws may take you to the Taj Mahal.

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Posted in Asia, Attractions, China, India, Korea, Macau, Singapore |

Some Asian delicacies are so one-of-a-kind, they are served only on special occasions. Some of these are made available as a culinary highlight of the festivities, while others are so culturally significant they are the very center of many celebrations.

Here are 7 eastern food fares that are served especially during Asian festivals.

Mooncake

The Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival, also known as the Mooncake Festival, is celebrated on the 15th day of the 8th month every year in Chinese communities. It coincides with many harvest festivals which occur in Western societies. It is during this time that mooncakes, a sweet moon-shaped pastry dish made with sesame seeds, lotus seed paste, and salted duck eggs, are served and exchanged as gifts.

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Posted in Asia, Food, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Korea, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Taiwan |