[Travel Bits] Festivals, sights across Korea

Haeundae Lighting Festival

Streets, markets and shops close to the popular Haeundae Beach in Busan will be lit up every day from 05:30 p.m. through midnight during the Haeundae Lighting Festival, which runs to the end of January.

Visitors can get snaps at the photo zone and have them developed right away for a fee of 1,000 won or 2,000 won, depending on the size. Those who make a purchase at nearby markets and shops will receive raffle tickets.

For more information, visit haeundae.go.kr/tour/index.do.

Go-karting & virtual games on Jeju

Jeju Island’s 981 Park is the place for go-karting, both indoors and outdoors. Four outdoor tracks with different levels of difficulty are available, along with a virtual, indoor experience.

Indoor programs include shooting arcade games and 3-point contests. For those who want to feel their hands on the wheel but are not keen on the chilly winds outside, bumper car racing is also available.

Fees are 49,500 won for adults, or 79,500 won for one adult and one child. The park is open every day, but outdoor activities may be canceled due to weather conditions.

Those born in the Year of the Dragon -- 2012, 2000, 1988, 1976 and 1964 -- are eligible to receive gifts if they visit the park from Feb. 9-12.

More details are available at 981park.com.

Hwacheon Sancheoneo Ice Festival

Since 2003, the Hwacheon Sancheoneo Ice Festival has been the place to go ice fishing, ice skating and sledding, while enjoying ice sculptures like slides. Sancheoneo refers to cherry trout.

Held from Jan. 6-28. in Hwacheon County, Gangwon Province, the annual festivity runs programs from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., charging them differently.

For fishing, there are no fees for children who have yet to go to grade school. But they are 15,000 won for middle schoolers and older, and 10,000 won for the following: grade schoolers and those aged 65 and older; war veterans; other veterans recognized by the government and their spouses; conscripted soldiers; people with disabilities; and foreign nationals. ID is required.

Skating is priced at 5,000 won for an hour, while sledding also costs 5,000 won for five runs down the slope on weekdays and three times on weekends. For other activities and more information, visit narafestival.com/01_icenara.

Jeju Camellia Festival

Winter on Jeju Island would not be complete without camellia flowers, a symbol of the island itself. The resort island invites visitors tired of the freezing cold to its Camellia Festival, which runs to the end of January next year.

At Hueree Park, visitors will be surrounded by blooming camellias in lush greenhouses, gardens and trails. Jeju tangerines add a flavor that makes the trip all worthwhile. Fees for adults are 13,000 won, or 10,000 to 11,000 won for those younger, depending on age.

Tickets do not include the citrus fruit, sold additionally for 8,000 won. The park opens at 9 a.m. and closes at 6 p.m., though visitors often leave the place a little past 5 p.m., as the sun sets earlier on the island in the winter. Visit hueree.com for updates.

Rides & farm at E-World

At E-World in Daegu, a one-day pass at a cost of 49,000 won, the most expensive of the ticket options, will give visitors access to everything they might want in a theme park, from attractions and a cinema to a farm and a park.

Attractions include classics like go-karts, roller coasters, monorail tours and merry-go-rounds. Arcade games and a cinema, as well as periodic parades to entertain younger guests, are available. There is even a farm and a park for alpacas and birds.

All-day tickets for those aged 20 and above are 49,000 won. Those aged between 14 and 19 years old will be charged 44,000 won, while admission for those under 14 is priced at 39,000 won. Starting at 05:00 p.m., prices are reduced to 35,000 won for adults and 33,000 won for teenagers and children.

All shows are subject to change, so check for the latest updates at eworld.kr.