TRYING to find a new holiday destination without going too off the beaten track can be a difficult find.
But there is one destination looking to be big this year – and there are direct flights from the UK.
Around 12 hours from the UK, South Korea is looking to entice more Brits than ever.
Tourists often need to pay for the K-ETA, a visa waiver.
However, this has been scrapped until the end of 2024, in a bid to increase tourism.
And you can fly their with direct daily flights with Korean Air, who was named the Best Airline Cuisine in Global Traveler’s 2023 Tested Reader Survey awards.
The best months to travel are in April and May for their cherry blossom seasons. or in September to October to avoid the humid summer months.
If you’re not quite brave enough to explore alone, Intrepid has launched it’s brand new 18-35 range of trips, including the nine-day Essential South Korea excursion.
I was lucky enough to join Intrepid ahead of them launching the new experience later this month.
As the home of K-pop including BTS and Black Pink, the land of kimchee and the birthplace of football star Son Heung-min, here’s how to explore the country this year.
The country’s capital city lies just 35 miles from the border with North Korea.
Start early and visit Gyeongbokgung Palace – we were there by 9am in time for the 10am changing of the guard performance, a 20-minute event that recreates the original ceremony.
However, it’s not called the Land of the Morning Calm for no reason – I was hard-pressed to find any shops or cafes open before 10am, with the city coming alive at night instead.
So instead we filled our days exploring the towns unique districts, such as Hongdae – the university district – or Seongsu-dong, dubbed the Brooklyn of Korea thanks to its trendy bars.
We fell straight into Korean culture on our first evening with a classic fried chicken and beer night.
A bottle of local beer can be found for just a few pounds – and we made sure to add some soju, a local rice wine, to your beer too.
And a visit to Korea is nothing without a K-pop dance class, where we danced to New Jeans at Frzm Studio, before partying into the early morning at a karaoke booth, also known as noraebang.
A few hours south of the capital, Jeonju is known for it’s traditional ‘hanok’ houses with more than 800 in the city.
Most tourists rent a ‘hanbok’ (traditional dress) and stay at the hanoks, often sleeping on the heated floors as the usual method.
I somehow lucked out and was in one of the few rooms with a real bed, so opted for a quick try of the floor before retreating to the thick mattress.
Jeonju is also the home of bibimbap, a rice dish with vegetables and egg.
But it’s kimchee that is becoming popular in the UK, with kimchee and cheese toasties popping up on the high street.
We fell in love with Kim, Myeong ok, a 67-year-old Kimchee Master who taught us the best ways to make it before finishing with a delicious kimchee pancake (and some secret tips on how she had such amazing skin… spoiler, it was wearing SPF).
The second largest city in South Korea is Busan, found on the south coast.
Yet is is easy to get to, with a day trip from Seoul simple thanks to a high speed train taking between 2-3 hours.
With the rain rolling in when we arrived, we headed straight to Spa Land, a huge indoor spa centre found in Shinsegae, the world’s largest department store.
You can stay for four hours (tickets start from £10) but you might need more, with 13 rooms as well as pools and spa treatments.
I was left clean, if not slightly bewildered, after an aggressive naked Korean body scrub by some laughing locals.
If spas aren’t your thing, make sure to try out a taekwondo lesson, with the Korean martial art becoming an Olympic event back in 2000, and becoming the national marital art for the country in 2018.
And Instagrammers can rejoice thanks to the Gamcheon Culture Village, dubbed the Machu Picchu of Korea due to the many multicoloured, photogenic houses lining the cliff side.
Make sure to spot the many BTS murals (two of the members are from Busan) and try the many street snacks including salt bread and raindrop cake made from agar.
Visiting in the summer? Make sure to check out the beach at Haeundae, with the best views found on floor 100 at Busan X the Sky, the second tallest building in Korea.
Flights with Korean Air start from £420 one way, and take around 12 hours from London Heathrow to Seoul.
Intrepid’s nine-day Essential South Korea tour starts from £1,043pp.
Brits no longer need a K-ETA to visit until December 2024.
The UK Foreign Office states the following regarding passport validity: ” “If you are visiting as a tourist for up to 90 days, your passport must have an ‘expiry date’ after the date you are leaving South Korea”.
The local currency is South Korean Won, with £10 around 16,800 KRW.
Most places accept debit or credit card, although local currency is needed for some smaller street stores and for using the metro.
