Travel Bits

AirAsia, Malaysia’s budget airline, will offer special discounts to those seeking to plan their autumn and winter travel vacations early.

The airliner’s “Early Bird” program will enable travelers to take advantage of its discount when going to international destinations such as Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok and Manila from Korea’s Incheon between Oct. 1 this year and Feb. 14, 2015.

The program also includes special offers for flights from Incheon and Busan in Korea to Sydney and Melbourne in Australia.

Travelers can purchase tickets to direct flights from Korea’s Incheon to Kuala Lumpur and Bangkok starting at 149,000 won, and from Incheon to Manila at 83,000 won.

For more information on the Early Bird airline program, visit www.airasia.com by June 21.

‘Mega Storm’ at Caribbean Bay

Caribbean Bay, Korea’s largest indoor/outdoor water park, is getting set to introduce the world’s largest funnel water slide ― “Mega Storm.”

The new attraction is only the second of its kind in the world, following Yas Waterworld’s Dawwama ride in Abu Dhabi. Caribbean Bay’s Mega Storm measures 355 meters, roughly 1.5 times bigger than the Dawwama.

The large-scale inner tube waterslide will take riders through an exhilarating series of heart-stopping quick drops before ending with the attraction’s main draw ― a water-filled mega funnel that will have riders sliding back and forth in a wide pendulum swing at speeds of up to 50 kilometers per hour.

Mega Storm will open on June 20. Caribbean Bay is located in Yongin-si, Gyeonggi Province, next to the Everland amusement park.

Train ride to rural Korea

Korail is offering train tour packages this month to city slickers seeking to get away from their city lives and travel to rural areas to experience Korea’s food and farming culture.

In partnership with government agencies such as the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and the Rural Development Administration, Korail’s “Rail Green” train tour will enable travelers to visit traditional farming villages.

The train will take them to places such as Gwangyang, South Jeolla Province, to experience the taste of its delectable plums or Damyang in the same region where they can make and try traditional Korean sweets and cookies. They can also take the train and hike up mountains such as Mount Seoraksan and Mount Odaesan.

The Rail Green tour is part of state-run rail operator Korail’s “Rail-Ro” tour program, which also includes train rides to coastal areas. For more information, visit www.letskorail.com, or call 1544-7788 or 1588-7788.

Sri Lanka offers ‘Eight’ program

Under the slogan of “Eight Wonderful Experiences in Eight Wonderful Days,” Sri Lanka is offering tourists the chance to visit its golden sandy beaches shaded by palm trees.

As part of the Eight program, travelers will be introduced to its UNESCO World Heritage Sites such as the Dambulla ancient temple.

Sri Lanka tourism officials said travelers will be able to enjoy and relax with meditation and herbal treatments after taking in its natural and wild landscapes and mountain ranges. They will be treated to Sri Lanka’s traditional Ceylon teas and well-spiced food.

The island below the southern tip of India had a record 1.5 million tourists in 2014, and it aims to attract over 2 million this year. For more information, visit www.srilanka.travel.

Philippines still open to Koreans

The Philippine Department of Tourism said it would not toughen its immigration process for Koreans or other visitors traveling from Korea amid the Middle East respiratory syndrome outbreak.

Travelers from Korea undergo the ordinary process of filling out three forms -― immigration, customs and a health declaration -― when arriving at a Philippine airport.

In the health declaration form, as usual, visitors list the countries besides the Philippines and Korea they visited over the last two weeks and if they had any particular symptoms such as headache or difficulty breathing.

The Philippines tourism, which is marketing 2015 as “Visit the Philippines Year,” said it hopes that Korea will overcome MERS soon and see its economy normalize.

The two countries have maintained their friendly relationship since both sides established diplomatic relations in 1949, and Korea helped the Philippines recover in 2013 when Typhoon Haiyan hit the Southeast Asian island country.