The Korea Herald

Germans seek solace from hectic lives on spa breaks

BERLIN (Reuters) ― Massages, steam baths and a rest from an increasingly busy lifestyle are drawing a growing number of Germans to spa breaks, one of the tourism sector’s fastest-growing segments.Tour operators boast above-average growth in spa holiday bookings and see no end to demand as Germans, the world’s biggest spenders on holidays, add more short “wellness” trips close to home to their annual vacation schedule.“After the crisis of 2008/2009 we saw that wellness picked up again,” Matthias

March 14, 2012

Grand Hilton presents chocolate buffet

The Buffet Restaurant at the Grand Hilton Seoul in Hongeun-dong, central Seoul, is preparing a feast of sweet, luxurious chocolate for a month-long celebration of indulgence. It features an array of 10 chocolaty treats including chocolate brownies, black forest cake, chocolate fudge and chocolate cheese cake laid out at the luxurious dessert corner. One can enjoy different dishes featuring milk, white and dark chocolate, as well as special chocolate-themed dishes at the live corner, including sa

March 9, 2012

Turkish airline launches landmark Mogadishu flight

MOGADISHU (AP) ― Turkish Airlines says it has started flying into Somalia’s war-torn capital, becoming the first international company to fly passenger planes into Mogadishu in more than 20 years. Turkey’s Deputy Prime Minister Bekir Bozdag announced the development Tuesday after arriving in Mogadishu with the Turkish national flag carrier flight from Turkey’s Ataturk airport. He said Somalis can now travel the world again. The Turkish Airlines flights are scheduled to fly to Mogadishu twice a w

March 9, 2012

Renaissance Seoul Hotel offers spring package

Renaissance Seoul Hotel in Yeoksam-dong, southern Seoul, is offering three spring packages. “Spring Weekend Package” includes one night in a deluxe room, a bottle of wine and one free in-room movie, and starts at 179,000 won. Specially designed for single guests, the “Spring Single Package” includes one night in a deluxe room, one free in-room movie, complimentary breakfast at buffet restaurant Caf Elysee or through room service and free Club Lounge benefits, and starts from 189,000 won. Targeti

March 9, 2012

Cheongchun high speed train runs to Chuncheon

The Intercity Train Express Cheongchun high speed train opened on Feb. 28. The ITX travels from Yongsan Station in Seoul to Chuncheon, Gangwon Province in 73 minutes. It has a top speed of 180km/hour. It departs Yongsan Station on the hour, every hour, and Chuncheon Station 10 minutes past every hour. The train stops at four stations ― Cheongnyangni, Pyeongnaehopyeong, Gapyeong, and Namchuncheon. It also stops at Sangbong Station in Seoul and Sareung and Maseok Stations in Namnyangju during rush

March 9, 2012

Palm trees and white sand ... in Philadelphia?

PHILADELPHIA (AP) ― If you are looking for palm trees and white sand to escape the remnants of winter, look no farther than Philadelphia.Visitors to the city’s International Flower Show can wander through a tropical paradise of sorts thanks to this year’s theme, “Hawaii: Islands of Aloha.’’ The weeklong horticultural extravaganza opens Sunday.Exhibits include a fantasy surf shack, a beach wedding, a 7 1/2-meter-tall waterfall and a tribute to Pele, the Hawaiian goddess of fire. Hula dancers and

March 9, 2012

Palm trees and white sand ... in Philadelphia?

Campsites add amenities to attract traveling families

LOS ANGELES ― At a wooded campsite in Santa Paula, north of Los Angeles, vacationers, stray deer and even peacocks must share the tree-shaded property with tractors, backhoes and stacks of lumber.Work is in full swing to transform the 76-acre Ventura Ranch Kampgrounds of America site into one of a fast-growing breed of affordable outdoor destinations or resort campgrounds.Workers have already added new lodges and upscale tepees and installed two 800-foot-long zip lines. Construction has begun on

March 9, 2012

Campsites add amenities to attract traveling families

Six major festivals to draw foreign tourists

Visit Korea Committee adds two more festivals to round off Visit Korea YearThe Visit Korea Committee announced on Monday plans to attract 1.1 million tourists this year and revitalize provincial tours. The year 2012 is the final year of the Visit Korea Year campaign which commenced in 2010. Last year, the number of tourists reached just under 10 million, according to the committee. The committee selected six major festivals to focus on this year, including two newly added to the list ― the Jinha

March 7, 2012

Six major festivals to draw foreign tourists

Dog survives 53 days in wild, reunited with owner

Barbara Bagley and her Shetland sheepdog Dooley (AP-Yonhap News)Barbara Bagley says she never gave up hope that her dog would be found alive in the Nevada desert after the animal bolted from the scene of a crash that critically injured her and killed her husband.But the Salt Lake City woman endured

March 5, 2012

Dog survives 53 days in wild, reunited with owner

Frozen cat doing well with three legs

A cat found frozen in a driveway in eastern Canada has left a veterinary hospital in Prince Edward Island minus one leg and its tail. The cat, now named Trooper, also underwent surgery to repair his pelvis at the Atlantic Veterinary College in Charlottetown, The Guardian of Charlottetown reported. T

March 4, 2012

Alex Kratena to bartend at Lotte Hotel Seoul’s Pierre’s Bar

Lotte Hotel Seoul’s Pierre’s Bar invites the world-renowned mixologist Alex Kratena to showcase his dynamic performance and diverse new-concept creations. The “Guest Bartending” event will be held from March 7 to 10. Kratena will visit Korea for World Class 2012, a major global bartender festival. He won in the preliminaries in the U.K. two years in a row in 2009 and 2010 and emerged as one of U.K.’s leading mixologists. During the event period, Alex Kratena will create diverse cocktails based o

March 2, 2012

Park Hyatt Seoul offers special dinners on White Day

Park Hyatt Seoul’s restaurants and bars, Cornerstone, The Lounge and The Timber House, present special set dinners on White Day for couples. Cornerstone presents special White Day set dinner starting from March 9, six days in advance of White Day. Offering a stunning nightscape, the limited tables for couples at The Lounge will be available on March 14. The live entertainment bar, Timber House, presents live performance by a pianist and vocalist, Brian McCarthy, from 8:30 p.m. to 1:00 a.m. on Ma

March 2, 2012

Holiday Inn parent to launch new hotel brand

NEW YORK ― Holiday Inn‘s parent company is developing a new hotel chain aimed at travelers who want to work out and eat healthy on the road. U.K.-based InterContinental Hotels Group PLC said Tuesday it will launch a hotel brand called Even for health-conscious travelers. The hotels will have guest rooms with space to exercise and amenities such as hypoallergenic linens and healthier food options. The mid-priced chain will have gyms in the lobby behind the front desk, as well as a “marketplace’‘

March 2, 2012

Day Trip from Gwangju or Busan to DMZ

Gyeonggi Tourism Organization launched a new tour program through which visitors can easily visit the Demilitarized Zone in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, from Busan or Gwangju. Tourists can board the train for the KTX-DMZ tour which starts at Busan or Gwangju Station and head to Seoul or Yongsan Station. From the stations in Seoul, a bus ride will take the travelers to Imjingak. After a tour around the DMZ and a quick lunch at the Jangdan Soybean Village, the tour continues to the 3rd Infiltration Tu

March 2, 2012

Agawa Canyon Snow Train takes a round-trip journey to stillness

AGAWA CANYON, Ontario, Canada ― There are no animals, no birds, not one moving creature, except for a man on a lake who raises his hand as we pass. It is overcast. Sky the color of cotton wool muffles the harsh rocky landscape; the snow and hills blend into a black-and-white panorama dotted with the drab loden of the pines. Snow falls in fits and starts. It is already more than 2 feet deep. Let spring come somewhere else; winter has settled here, as always.Last year, the Agawa Canyon Snow Train

March 2, 2012

Agawa Canyon Snow Train takes a round-trip journey to stillness

Into the wild

Gabon’s rainforests could be the next big destination for ecotourismLIBREVILLE ― It’s an extraordinary scene. As our small, twin-propeller plane flies over the the western coast of Gabon, the scale of the vegetation is magnificent.The trees, which look like an endless array of giant broccolis, are stretched along the coastline as far as the eye can see. Welcome to Gabon’s rainforests. Located on the equator in west central Africa, Gabon is bordered to the west by the Atlantic Ocean, to the north

March 2, 2012

Meditation in the mountains

One activity that always seems to make it on the to-do list of people planning a trip to Korea is taking part in a Templestay.A Templestay at the historic Sudeoksa in South Chungcheong Province, however, is anything but average.A temple two hours southwest of Seoul amongst the serene Deoksung Mountains, this 6th century national treasure is nestled in natural surroundings far from the hustle of city life.The activities and rituals available to visitors are far different from the everyday experie

Feb. 24, 2012

Book of unique accommodations

The Korea Tourism Organization published on Monday an English-language book introducing unique accommodations throughout South Korea. The book “Korea’s Most Unique Accommodations” offers 50 alternative hotels and other types of lodging, showing readers that there is more to Korea than stereotypical hotels. Divided into five themes ― Unique Designs Featuring Special Themes, When Comfort Meets Convenience, Discovering Korea’s Traditional Culture, Beautiful Places with Picturesque Views and Luxury

Feb. 24, 2012

JW Marriott Seoul launches spring Talk! Talk! Package

JW Marriott Seoul offers the “Talk! Talk!” weekend package, from March 2 to June 30. The Talk! Talk! package consists of two packages: “Healthy Talk” and “Wine Talk.” The Healthy Talk package brings guests a personal trainer and secret formula, created by JW Marriott Seoul, for creating the perfect body, while the Wine Talk package offers a bottle from a choice of three wines suggested by Jung Ha-bong, one of Korea’s best sommeliers, and a guide to their chosen bottle of wine introducing both th

Feb. 24, 2012

Benikea accepts reservations on 1330 hotline

Benikea, the hotel chain run by Korea Tourism Organization, can be reached at 1330, the nation’s tourism information phone number. Tourists can call 1330 and make reservations or get information about Benikea 24 hours a day, year around. Services are available in Korean, English, Japanese and Chinese. Following the trial period from Feb. 20 to 29, the service will officially launch on March 1. Foreigners who arrive through Incheon International Airport can also make reservations or get informati

Feb. 24, 2012