The Beaches of Ulsan
By Deirdre Madden Beach culture in Korea is slightly different to what many of us are used to at home. Many Koreans only go to the beach during “swimming season” which is roughly the month of August. This month sees some beaches, like Haeundae in Busan, crammed to capacity with hundreds of thousands of people. You can rent sun-umbrellas, which are typically set up touching each other, so you can sit together with your friends in the shade along...
Read MoreJune Festivals around Korea
By Deirdre Madden There is so much to do this summer, you won’t have enough weekends to fit it all in! Here are the highlights (in my humble opinion) from the Korean Tourism sites’ festival listings. Now – August 12, 2012: Gwangyang World Art Circus Festival Located in Jeollanam-do, Gwangyang is cashing in on the flow of visitors to the nearby Yeosu World Expo, by offering this interesting look at international circuses. Performers from the US, UK, Spain, Slovakia,...
Read MoreBest of Ulsan – Things to Do
This category includes Festivals, Museums, Galleries, and People Watching. Best Festival – This was a close race, but ultimately, readers voted the Whale Festival, held at the end of April each year, as their favourite, with 50% of the vote. A close second was the World Music Festival, held in October, with 42%. Best Museum – A scant few years ago, if you wanted to spend a day being cultured and learning about history, you had to either leave...
Read MoreBest of Ulsan – Places to Go
We asked our readers to weigh in on their favourite places to go in and around the Ulsan area. Here’s what they have to say about Best Beach, Best Travel Spot in Ulsan, Best Travel Spot in Gyeongsamnamdo, and Best Road Trip. Best Beach – The clear winner of this category is Jinha Beach, with 62% of the vote. With it’s long, sandy beach, it’s a favourite haunt in the summer, as it’s easily accessible by car, bike, scooter...
Read MoreYeosu World Expo 2012 – May 12- Aug 12
By Deirdre Madden The first World’s Fair was held in London, England in 1851. Since that time, many World’s Fairs and Expos have been held in countries around the globe, to showcase state-of-the-art technology (the telephone was first introduced at a World’s Fair), present an opportunity for cultural exchange, and allow countries to showcase themselves. It’s also an opportunity for architects to go hog-wild, and while many exhibits are temporary, a number of structures have gone on to become iconic...
Read MoreIt’s Blossom Time!
By Deirdre Madden After a long, dreary, dull winter, the magnolia trees are bursting into bloom, cherry trees are blossoming, grass is sprouting, leaves are budding, heck, there’s even a few dead worms on the sidewalk for my dog to roll in. Spring has arrived. And with it comes many festivals to celebrate that colour has returned to our world. There’s a whole list of Spring Festivals all around Korea listed here, but I’ll mention some of the highlights for...
Read MoreExploring the Korean Winter
It’s easy to just curl up under your blankets and sleep the weekends away when it’s cold outside, but remember – many of us came to Korea not just to work, but to experience a different culture half a world away from home. So bundle up and head on out to different corners of this wacky little country to check out how the locals celebrate winter! Here are some of the upcoming festivals in February, from the Korea Tourism...
Read MoreSnow Sports in Korea; or how to enjoy the winter
A few years ago, if you wanted to hit the slopes in Korea, there were few options. Then skiing and snowboarding became a popular pastime for wintry weekends, and now there are seventeen resorts, mostly in the Seoul or Gangwando areas. Korea has become the winter ski destination for the emerging middle classes in China and South East Asia, as it’s far less expensive than a trip to Japan or Europe. Though Korean ski hills tend to be crowded...
Read MoreRainy Day Guide to Ulsan
As the prospect of yet another rainy weekend looms before us, I thought I’d run through the options of what you can do to entertain yourself in the Ulsan area, without getting too wet. There are always places like the department stores, the covered street in Shinae, and cafes to wile away the hours on a rainy day, and Korea offers a few other things to do in the form of the various “bang”s (방), such as Nouraybang (song...
Read MoreSeoul Lantern Festival
Beginning this Friday, and running for just over 2 weeks, the Seoul Lantern Festival will be lighting up the Cheong gye cheon (stream) in Myeongdong. This year is the third annual Lantern Festival in Seoul, and the theme will be the city’s long history and traditions. Over 30,000 lanterns will be placed in and around Cheong gye cheon, including displays from 25 countries, a ½ scale model of Namdaemun (the Great South Gate), and superheroes, like Batman, Superman and...
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