Want to travel, discover South Korea

After two years without being able to travel, the countries of the world are gradually reopeneding their frontiers to tourists, an opportunity to discover new places! One of my dreams is to visit Asia. After an inevitable visit to Bali, with its rice fields and heavenly beaches, I would head for South Korea, with its modern cities, its historical heritage and its volcanic landscapes. This article is an opportunity to share with you some of the places I wish to discover and help you discover them!

Go back in time the Gyeongbokgung Palace

There is no better way to start a trip to South Korea than to visit the Gyeongbokgung Palace. It is one of the five palaces of Seoul, located in the north of the capital, it was built in 1395 and covers more than 400,000 square meters. It is the main palace of the Joseon dynasty, which lasted more than five centuries. This vast palace is composed of multiple pavilions, the king's flats, libraries, gardens, museums and the majestic throne room. The palace is open to the public for guided tours or walks. You will also find shops where you can rent "hanbok", the traditional Korean garment.

Strolling through Seoul's bookstores

If you are a book lover, the South Korean capital has just what you need! In the centre of the Gangnam district, the COEX Mall is home to the recently opened Coex Starfield library, 28,000 square metres on two floors, four imposing 13-metre high library columns, housing 50,000 books, as well as over 600 magazine and newspaper titles. With its impressive architecture, the site also contains mini-markets and an auditorium. There is also a cultural programme including readings and concerts. If ever you want to keep it in a more traditional way, Seoul also has more traditional bookstores, where browsing will become a pleasure.

Savouring the Jeju landscape

Moving away from Seoul, the magnificent island of Jeju is a must-see. Accessible by plane or boat, this volcanic island, less than 2000 square meters, offers sumptuous landscapes, but is also very famous for its blacks pigs, as pork meat is very appreciated by the Koreans. It is also known for its "Haenyo", these women who used to fish underwater, holding their breath. It is a seaside resort with a subtropical climate. You may totally enjoy this subtropical beach resort, but there are also many others spots to visit such as the Manjanggul Cave (an 8 km long lava tunnel), Mount Hallasan, the Seongeup Folk Village, the Jeongbang Waterfall and the Tea Museum.

South Korea is a peninsula rich in historical and cultural heritage and it offers breathtaking landscapes. It is impossible for me to talk about all the places I would like to visit in one article although I hope I managed to give you the opportunity and desire to discover this country that you may not know yet!