Local campground does away with resort-like services, offers raw natural beauty

The camping season is here and many are packing their bags with tents and fancy gear to enjoy outdoor barbecues. But Han Ho-jun, a 45-year veteran of camping, says the true charm of the outdoor life lies in bush craft.“You can truly feel the freedom of thriving in the wild, and obtain a sense of accomplishment by building your own shelter and tools with the materials you find in nature,” Han, 45, told The Korea Herald.  (Han Ho-jun)Bush craft is a term referring to wilderness survival skills, an

Seoul Grand Park Rose FestivalThe Seoul Grand Park Rose Festival is being held at Gwacheon Seoul Grand Park from May 26 to June 10. The festival’s programs include the Rose Beauty Class, Rose & Love concert, Rose Magic Show, Rose Photo Exhibition and carpentry activities. The festival is open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. from Mondays to Thursdays, and 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. from Fridays to Sundays, and on Memorial Day.Admission to the theme garden costs 2,000 won for adults, 1,500 won for teenagers and 1,000

With the full-fledged summer season just around the corner, South Korea’s water parks are preparing their staff for emergency handling.On Tuesday, theme park Everland’s Carribean Bay water amusement establishment carried out training sessions for their lifeguards at its artificial wave pool. The lifeguards, dressed in bright red-and-white uniforms for immediate recognition for visitors, demonstrated physical training, CPR and other rescue routines.Indoor water parks have increasingly become a co

The Korea Tourism Organization’s “46th Korea Tourism Photo Contest” will award a cash prize of 600,000 won ($560) to a winning international entrant.The contest, open to all who are interested, accepts up to five submissions per person. The submitted photos have to be in JPG format with dimension of at least 2,200 by 3,200 RGB pixels. Only the photos taken after January 2015 that have not been published or released elsewhere are eligible.Photos that feature tourists at popular attraction sites w

Koreans and foreigners aged 28 and under can travel to the nation’s islands at a discount rate starting June, according to the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, Sunday.In an effort to boost youths’ sea trips the ministry is opening up 77 ocean routes encompassing 51 relevant firms’ 121 ships for 20 percent discount rate during weekends and 50 percent discount rate during weekdays between June and September. Under this scheme, for example, the original ferry from Gangneung to Ulleungdo Island on

South Africa is a “rainbow nation,” where diverse people, cultures, languages and religions exist in harmony. It is also a land of magnificent wildlife, landscapes and vegetation, also a hotbed of thriving urban culture, music, festivity, food and wine.

The streets of Myeong-dong are once again bustling with Chinese tourists, thanks to a thaw in relations between Seoul and Beijing.Myeong-dong, a shopping district in central Seoul, is one of the most popular tourist spots in Korea. Just walking down the streets is enough to see that it is a foreigner-friendly zone, as you will be stopped by sales staff calling out in different languages. (Photographed by Park Hyun-koo/The Korea Herald)The number of Chinese tourists had been falling due to icy re

Seoul Grand Park Rose Festival The Seoul Grand Park Rose Festival is being held at Gwacheon Seoul Grand Park from May 26 to June 10. The festival’s programs include the Rose Beauty Class, Rose & Love concert, Rose Magic Show, Rose Photo Exhibition and carpentry activities. The festival is open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. from Mondays to Thursdays, and 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. from Fridays to Sundays, and on Memorial Day.Admission to the theme garden costs 2,000 won for adults, 1,500 won for teenagers and 1,00

Always bristling with tourists -- local and foreign, many dressed in modernized hanbok -- Jeonju Hanok Village is a top priority tourist spot in the North Jeolla Province city.The antique traditional residential district, however, is not just a photogenic theme park. It is living proof of Korea’s modern history in the early 20th century. It is also a symbol of balance which the ancient city has achieved between its traditional cultural assets and development.The hanok village originates from the

Samgwangsa Temple Lantern FestivalSamgwangsa Temple holds an annual lantern festival, attracting over a million visitors each year. It is known for displaying some 3 million lanterns of various types. The lanterns bear hope and sincere love toward Buddha and create spectacular views as the wave of lanterns lighten up the dark sky with their brilliant colors.The event is open to visitors of all ages, and will be held until May 22.Call the travel hotlines at 1330 for more information in Korean, En

Visitors were seen basking in early summer’s sunlight on Wednesday in the field of brilliant yellow canolas carpeting the Dangnamri Island in Daeshin-myeon, Yeoju, Gyeonggi Province.In a 140,000 square-meter field, canola blossoms began to blossom last week.The peak season for a trip to the small island is expected to be between May 12 and 22.Photo by Park Hyun-koo (phko@heraldcorp.com)Written by Lim Jeong-yeo (kaylalim@heraldcorp.com)

Cheongsando Slow Walking FestivalDesignated as the first Slow City in Asia, Cheongsando in Wando-gun hosts the annual Cheongsando Slow Walking Festival until May 7.The spring is the best time to enjoy the canola blossoms and barley with the sea in the background. During the festival, visitors can participate in various cultural events and exhibitions.The event is open to visitors of all ages, and there are separate charges for hands-on programs. Call the travel hotlines at 1330 for more informat

Lotus Lantern FestivalKorea’s designated intangible cultural property No. 122, Yeon Deung Hoe (Lotus Lantern Festival) will take place between May 12 and May 23 at Jogyesa Temple in Seoul. The festival includes Lantern Parade from Dongdaemun Gate to Jogyesa Temple between 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. on May 12, and a post-parade celebration that will include traditional group dance of ganggangsullae. On sideline of the event, “Eoullim Madang (Buddhist Cheer Rally)” will also take place on May 12 from 4:

Cheongsando Slow Walking FestivalDesignated as the first Slow City in Asia, Cheongsando in Wando-gun hosts the annual Cheongsando Slow Walking Festival, this year until May 7.April is the best time to enjoy the canola blossoms and barley with the sea in the background. During the festival, visitors can participate in various cultural events and exhibitions.The event is open to visitors of all ages, and there are seperate charges for hands-on programs.Call the travel hotlines at 1330 for more inf