Travel Bits

Korail is offering train tour packages to city slickers seeking to get away from their city lives and travel to rural areas to experience their food and farming culture this month.
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, check 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, check http://www.srilanka.travel.

Philippines still open to Korean tourists

The Philippine Department of Tourism said that it will not toughen its immigration process for Koreans or other visitors traveling from Korea, currently facing a Middle East Respiratory Syndrome outbreak,
Korean travelers will only have to go through the ordinary process of filling out three forms – immigration, customs and a health declaration – when arriving at the Philippines airport.
In the health declaration form, as usual, visitors will only have to jot down the name of 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 this year as “Visit the Philippines Year,” said that it hopes that Korea will overcome MERS soon and normalize its economy.
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.

Visit Fiji at Grand Hilton Seoul

Tourism Fiji has forged a partnership with Grand Hilton Seoul to offer summer getaway packages enabling local tourists to feel like they are in Fiji while staying at the hotel.
The “Happy Island Fiji Package,” which will be offered until July 31, will allow guests to relax at the hotel with beautiful artificial plumeria flowers and aromatic handmade soap from Fijian cosmetic brand Pure Fiji.
The package offers a discount coupon to the Tropical BBQ Festival at the hotel’s restaurant and outdoor terrace.
Furthermore, Tourism Fiji Korea and Grand Hilton Seoul will hold a lucky draw event for package guests, and one lucky couple will receive a voucher for a studio room and breakfast for three nights at the Hilton Fiji Beach Resort & Spa on the island.

Caribbean Bay to unveil ‘Mega Storm’ 

Caribbean Bay, the world’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 start its soft opening (the attraction will run for limited hours) on June 13, with its grand opening on June 20. Caribbean Bay is located in Yongin-si, Gyeonggi Province, next to the Everland amusement park.