The Hitchhiker’s (mini) Guide to South Korea

Deeson Arnibal

12 years ago

Officially the Republic of Korea, South Korea is a great destination for someone looking for a new and exciting adventure&period; Although it is one of the most densely populated countries in the world, there are many activities for all ages, from bustling cultural centers to peaceful nature sites&period;&NewLine;Korea, like the United States, has four distinct seasons, with Spring being the best time to visit Korea due to the mild temperatures and cherry blossom blooms&period; Autumn is a close second for similar reasons, cooler temperatures and fall colors make Korea a beautiful place to be&period;&NewLine;Here are some of the top cities to visit&colon;&NewLine;Seoul &&num;8211&semi; the capital of South Korea, this 600 year old city is dynamic and diverse, blending a great fusion of old and new&period;&NewLine;<address style="text-align&colon; left"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-9721" alt="southkorea" src="https&colon;//medusamagazine&period;com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/southkorea&period;jpg" width="729" height="485" /></address>&NewLine;<h6 style="text-align&colon; center" align="center">Seoul – Photo source, http&colon;//www&period;flickr&period;com/photos/stuckincustoms/306184554/</h6>&NewLine;Incheon&&num;8211&semi; this city holds the country’s largest international airport, and is the second busiest port in the country, making this a very large commercial center&period;&NewLine;Chuncheon&&num;8211&semi; this beautiful city is the capital of the Gangwon province&period; This is an ideal location for the nature enthusiast, as it is surrounded by stunning mountains and lakes&period; It also boasts a great cultural cuisine and is known for local dishes&period;&NewLine;Also be sure to check out the Seoraksan National Park, a great place for all of those looking to get out of the bustling cities and into quiet rural life&period; It is a very large and renowned park, spanning four counties, and featuring a beautiful mountain range&period;&NewLine;<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-9722" alt="southkorea2" src="https&colon;//medusamagazine&period;com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/southkorea2&period;jpg" width="758" height="506" />&NewLine;<h6 style="text-align&colon; center">Seoraksan National Park – Photo source, http&colon;//www&period;flickr&period;com/photos/daniellemharms/4819255283/</h6>&NewLine;South Korea is becoming more and more of a tourist destination, and with more tourists comes more commercialism, a drawing attraction to the growing cities such as Seoul&period; Check out the busier parts of town for the best food, clubs, bars, night life, shopping, and more&period; Some retailers offer tax free or tax refunded shopping&semi; merely take the voucher they give you to customs to get a large part of taxes returned&period; There are also great amusement parks in South Korea such as Caribbean Bay in Yongin-si and Ocean World in Hongcheon (both being water amusement parks)&period;&NewLine;South Korea is relatively expensive compared to most Asian countries, but fortunately is relatively inexpensive compared to most Western countries, so those looking to not spend a lot of money will do well in Korea, as many fun things can be done with not a lot of money&period;&NewLine;No matter what you are looking to do, South Korea has it all, from shopping and dining, to hiking and sightseeing&period; South Korea is a great and inexpensive trip that anyone will enjoy&period;&NewLine;