The Korea Herald

Hyatt Regency Incheon named a top hotel by TripAdvisor

Feb 7, 2013

Hyatt Regency Incheon has been named one of the “Top 25 Hotels in South Korea” in terms of service and one of the “Top 25 Luxury Hotels in South Korea” by TripAdvisor, a hotel review and travel forum website. The “2013 TripAdvisor Travelers’ Choice Awards” ranked the hotel as the No. 1 service hotel in South Korea; fourth in the top 25 luxury hotels and fifth in the general top 25 hotels in the country. “It’s very pleasing to be awarded in the three divisions at the TripAdvisor awards,” said Pau
Cruises focusing more on food, family groups

Feb 7, 2013

NEW YORK (AP) ― Cruise trends as the 2013 season gets under way are shaping up to include a bigger focus on multi-generational groups, more specialty food offerings, and continued efforts to wow passengers with new onboard firsts like an aquapark, a glass walkway and a vertical garden. Here are some details on what’s new in cruising.The new ‘It’ shipsCruiseCritic.com editor Carolyn Spencer Brown says two of the hottest new ships debuting in 2013 are the Norwegian Breakaway, which will be the lar
Lotte Hotel Jeju’s He:on reinvents meaning of outdoor pool

Feb 7, 2013

Heated pool makes outdoor swimming possible year round on southern island
Calendar

Feb 7, 2013

Festivals“Samcheok Jeongwol Daeboreum Festival”: Koreans celebrate the first full moon day of the Lunar New Year to bring health and good luck to their families. The traditional event, celebrating the beginning of the Lunar New Year, will be held in Samcheok, Gangwon Province, from Feb. 22-24. Visitors can experience various folk games, including a tug-of-war, burning a bundle of twigs and other fun activities such as arm wrestling and a singing contest. The festival will take place at Expo Town
Korea readies for flood of Chinese tourists for Lunar New Year holidays

Feb 7, 2013

From guided tours to traditional and trendy spots in Seoul to a lucky draw event, Korea is readying for the arrival of more than 60,000 Chinese tourists during China’s week-long holidays starting this weekend. Expecting the number of Chinese visitors to increase by about 25 percent from the previous holidays, the state-run Korea Tourism Organization has been preparing events for the large influx of tourists. It is holding a welcoming event at the Incheon International Airport, providing welcomin
Get sucked into Seollal

Feb 1, 2013

As the cities empty, Lunar New Year is a great time to experience Korean sights and try cultural events
Common traditions, varied details

Feb 1, 2013

A common image of Korean cities at Seollal is of streets gone quiet, with tourists and expats left to their own devices, free of family obligations.But tradition doesn’t always split things so neatly.One Korean who won’t be braving the Lunar New Year traffic is Hong Mi-kyung, who is looking forward to enjoying Seollal at her leisure. “We either go on a trip or we rest, because while everyone is traveling to their provincial towns for 10-12 hours, we’re sitting here in Seoul City and it’s quite d
Lotte Hotel opens new hotel in Guam

Feb 1, 2013

Lotte Hotel announced it would open a new hotel in Guam at the end of the year. The hotel is remodeling the Aurora Resort and Spa and transforming it into one of its chain hotels. As part of Lotte’s goal of creating the “most luxurious hotel” in Guam, the hotel invested about $9 million in remodeling the existing resort building, which currently features 242 rooms, four restaurants, three ballrooms, an outdoor swimming pool, a spa and a chapel. Lotte Hotel said it will send its Seoul staff to Gu
Singapore hosts Lunar New Year festival

Feb 1, 2013

Chinatown in Singapore celebrates the Lunar New Year from the beginning of January to March 11. The streets of the city capture the eyes of global tourists with the sounds of traditional music, red lanterns and food sold at many street stalls. One of the highlight of the New Year events is at the River Hongbao, which will feature lively street performances, lanterns and fireworks. Another popular event is Chingay Parade, scheduled to be held from Feb. 22-23 on the grounds of the Formula One Pit
Gyeongbokgung Palace app offers guided tours

Feb 1, 2013

A guided tour of Gyeongbokgung Palace is now available at tourists’ fingertips with the release of a mobile application on the Joseon palace. The application, developed by a Korean venture company, will make a tour of Gyeongbokgung Palace more fun and educational with quizzes provided to visitors at each spot and basic information about the buildings combined with episodes of famous period dramas such as “Moon Embracing the Sun.”The app-guided tour is expected to take about an hour. The applicat
Airbnb announces Korea launch

Feb 1, 2013

The online accommodation information service Airbnb announced its official service launch in Korea on Tuesday, as part of its expansion plan in Northeast Asia. The peer-to-peer service matches spare rooms at homes of local residents and tourists looking for accommodation. The business model has received much attention as an example of the “sharing economy.” At the press conference held on the day, cofounder and chief product officer Joe Gebbia said Korea was growing faster than any other Asian m
A spirited journey across France

Feb 1, 2013

Light mist cloaked the ancient hills in Upper Normandy, and from somewhere within this tapestry of seaside cliffs and pastures of flowers, I expected a fire-breathing dragon or a white-haired wizard muttering ancient incantations would come bounding out of the forest at any moment.Upper Normandy, in the northwest corner of France, is just the place that would summon a dragon or wizard or two with its castles, monasteries, moats, and stone fences. But it also summons spirits, the kind you find in
London Olympic Park to host rock concerts

Jan 25, 2013

LONDON (AP) ― London’s Olympic Park will partly reopen to the public this year for a series of summer rock concerts, officials announced Tuesday.The London Legacy Development Corporation said the east London park will host the Hard Rock Calling and Wireless festivals in July under a deal with events promoter Live Nation Entertainment.Headliners for the festivals have not yet been announced.Live Nation also will hold other concerts in the park’s Olympic Stadium over the summer after gaining exclu
Chinese tourists travel Korea in rental cars

Jan 25, 2013

A group of 120 Chinese tourists are on a four-day tour across Korea in rental cars as part of the Korea Tourism Organization’s initiative to promote a self-drive tour program in Korea. The experienced drivers are visiting major travel destinations, including Jeonju, Suncheon, Geoje, Busan and Daegu starting Friday. They are expected to be back in Seoul on Jan. 28. The KTO said it will launch a variety of travel courses for tourists who wish to travel using rental cars. They said the programs wou
Air Busan launches Busan-Xian service

Jan 25, 2013

Air Busan announced it will launch a regular service between Busan and the central-northwestern city of Xian, China, from April 3. The company said it would operate regular flights on Wednesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays. The flights will depart from Busan at 10:05 p.m. and from Xian at 2:20 a.m. The historical city of Xian is the second Chinese destination that the company is serving after Qingdao. Air Busan offers round-trip tickets at 260,600 won, including tax and fuel charge, to cel