South Korea

South Korea is a country that full with green, prodding its stony fingers skyward, and the Koreans are a people obsessed with nature, and with mountains in particular. Wherever you travel, you'll see Koreans out in the open air, clad in the latest adventure fashions, pushing ever onward and upward.

Seoraksan National Park

Top of the charts in the Korean national park scene, Seoraksan is spectacular. Near the DMZ on the east coast, this is a land of high craggy peaks, lush forests, tremendous waterfalls, boulder-strewn white water rivers, beaches and ancient temples. Colourful Autumn is the best time to visit.

Gyeongju

For 1000 years, up until the 10th century, Gyeongju was the capital of the Silla dynasty. Nearly 1000 years later, Gyeongju is an open-air museum masquerading as a small, provincial town littered with ancient rubble. Those keen on Silla culture or archaeology will be in heaven, fossicking through the remains of temples, tombs, shrines, palaces, pleasure gardens and castles, but more ordinary folk will probably find Gyeongju only has a day's-worth of entertainment

Korean Folk Village

It sounds cheesy, but the Korean Folk Village is actually a very tasteful way to immerse yourself in rural Korean life. The village has examples of traditional peasants', farmers' and civil officials' housing styles from all over the country, as well as artisans' workshops, a brewery, a Confucian school, a Buddhist temple and a market place. This is a real village, not just a tourist show - the people you see working here live here all the time. There are regular dance performances and parades held every day. Buses go here every 20 minutes from Seoul.

 

 Samcheok Beaches
The beaches to Samcheok's south are gems set between steep cliffs and rocks. Geundeok Beach has terrific scenery. Yonghwa Beach has a freshwater stream, lots of minbak (rooms in private houses) to stay in, and plenty of seafood to eat. Imwon Beach is small but dramatically set in a cliff-lined cove, with many sea caves.

Dadohae Haesang National Park
Off the southwest corner of the peninsula, this marine national park is made up of over 1700 islands. Hongdo and Heuksando are the most popular. Hongdo is worth visiting for its sheer cliffs, bizarre rock formations, spectacular sunsets and wooded hillsides cut by steep ravines. Heuksando is more populous and flatter.