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72<br />
exploring...<br />
Korea<br />
Despite holding last year's Winter Olympics, Korea remains under the radar of many Asia<br />
bound travellers - but there's a wealth of reasons for visiting, says Anna Maria Espsäter<br />
Oh dear, I am running late for my<br />
bibimbap cooking lesson. That's<br />
perhaps not surprising given that<br />
so far today I’ve tried my hand at<br />
learning Korean drumming, sampled<br />
various rice wines and dressed up for a<br />
traditional wedding - as the bride!<br />
There’s no end to the fun to be had at<br />
the Traditional Cultural Centre in Jeonju,<br />
a city in western Korea well-known for<br />
its Hanok Heritage village, an area of<br />
traditionally-built houses.<br />
I am spending the day exploring the<br />
city, complete with cultural and culinary<br />
delights. My day starts with an amble<br />
around some of the 800-plus hanok<br />
buildings, followed by a visit to the<br />
Traditional Wine Museum, giving a good<br />
introduction into the history and process<br />
of rice wine-making.<br />
There is some sampling, of course, just<br />
in time to increase my confidence before<br />
the drumming lesson.<br />
This is not for the faint-hearted as much<br />
shouting in Korean ensues to get us<br />
all warmed up and ready to pound the<br />
drums, all of which are on the large side.<br />
I actually find the traditional wedding far<br />
more relaxing, and dressing up is plenty<br />
of fun. Last, but not least, there is food,<br />
even if I have to cook it myself.<br />
Pots and pans at the ready, I learn how<br />
to make the classic rice dish, bibimbap<br />
and, much to my relief, it is not too hard.<br />
Rounding off a hard day’s learning, I tuck<br />
into a hearty dish and some soju rice wine.<br />
NAMHANSANSEONG MOUNTAIN FORTRESS<br />
SEOUL'S LOTTE WORLD TOWER<br />
A great alternative<br />
Korea may not be topping any trending<br />
lists but that’s all the more reason to sell<br />
it before it does.<br />
“South Korea provides a really great,<br />
cost-effective alternative to its neighbour,<br />
Japan,” says Paul Ingram, Product &<br />
Category Manager at Kuoni.<br />
“You can get similar experiences,<br />
including amazing cuisine, natural hot<br />
springs, modern cities, historic towns<br />
and villages, plus fast and efficient public<br />
transport. Visit in the spring for inspiring<br />
cherry blossom or head there in the<br />
autumn and experience the stunning<br />
colours of the autumn leaves,” he says.<br />
Must-sees<br />
Korean history spans over 5,000 years<br />
and there are plenty of sights dotted<br />
across the country that are well worth a<br />
visit. Many, from palaces and temples to<br />
shrines and fortresses, are included on<br />
the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites.<br />
Firmly in touch with its history, Korea is<br />
SUNFLOWER TRAIL, GANGJU VILLAGE<br />
KOREAN COUNTRYSIDE<br />
also well and truly moving with the times<br />
and its technology is second to none.<br />
The country is compact and easy to get<br />
around, with high-speed trains linking<br />
all the main hubs. Korea is a populous<br />
nation, but it’s still possible to get away<br />
from it all and head out into nature.<br />
Although a comparatively small nation,<br />
there are 22 national parks to choose<br />
from, most of them in mountainous<br />
areas.<br />
The oldest, Jirisan, celebrated 50 years<br />
as a protected area in 2017.<br />
Visitors shouldn’t miss the exciting<br />
capital, Seoul, for its wonderful mix of<br />
ancient temples and modern sky scrapers<br />
and is crammed with fabulous, bustling<br />
night markets.<br />
Must-dos<br />
One of the absolute must-dos in Korea is<br />
sampling the country’s fantastic, varied<br />
food scene. Markets can be a good place<br />
to start, as long as your clients are feeling<br />
brave and don’t expect everyone to speak<br />
sellingtravel.co.uk