PHILADELPHIA (AP) ― If you are looking for palm trees and white sand to escape the remnants of winter, look no farther than Philadelphia. Visitors to the city’s International Flower Show can wander through a tropical paradise of sorts thanks to this year’s theme, “Hawaii: Islands of Aloha.’’ The weeklong horticultural extravaganza opens Sunday. Exhibits include a fantasy surf shack, a beach wed...

A “glamour tent,” part of the “glamping” experience at Ventura Ranch, a KOA campground is featured in Santa Paula, California, Feb. 9. (Los Angeles Times/MCT) LOS ANGELES ― At a wooded campsite in Santa Paula, north of Los Angeles, vacationers, stray deer and even peacocks must share the tree-shaded property with tractors, backhoes and stacks of lumber. Work is in full swing to transform the ...

Visit Korea Committee adds two more festivals to round off Visit Korea Year The Visit Korea Committee announced on Monday plans to attract 1.1 million tourists this year and revitalize provincial tours. The year 2012 is the final year of the Visit Korea Year campaign which commenced in 2010. Last year, the number of tourists reached just under 10 million, according to the committee. The committ...

Barbara Bagley and her Shetland sheepdog Dooley (AP-Yonhap News) Barbara Bagley says she never gave up hope that her dog would be found alive in the Nevada desert after the animal bolted from the scene of a crash that critically injured her and killed her husband. But the Salt Lake City woman endured plenty of frustration until her beloved 4-year-old Shetland sheepdog, Dooley, was tracked down ...

AGAWA CANYON, Ontario, Canada ― There are no animals, no birds, not one moving creature, except for a man on a lake who raises his hand as we pass. It is overcast. Sky the color of cotton wool muffles the harsh rocky landscape; the snow and hills blend into a black-and-white panorama dotted with the drab loden of the pines. Snow falls in fits and starts. It is already more than 2 feet deep. Let s...

Gabon’s rainforests could be the next big destination for ecotourism LIBREVILLE ― It’s an extraordinary scene. As our small, twin-propeller plane flies over the the western coast of Gabon, the scale of the vegetation is magnificent. The trees, which look like an endless array of giant broccolis, are stretched along the coastline as far as the eye can see. Welcome to Gabon’s rainforests. Locat...

One activity that always seems to make it on the to-do list of people planning a trip to Korea is taking part in a Templestay. A Templestay at the historic Sudeoksa in South Chungcheong Province, however, is anything but average. A temple two hours southwest of Seoul amongst the serene Deoksung Mountains, this 6th century national treasure is nestled in natural surroundings far from the hustle ...

A view of Sun Cruise Resort & Yacht (KTO) The Korea Tourism Organization published on Monday an English-language book introducing unique accommodations throughout South Korea. The book “Korea’s Most Unique Accommodations” offers 50 alternative hotels and other types of lodging, showing readers that there is more to Korea than stereotypical hotels. Divided into five themes ― Unique Designs Featu...