The Korea Herald

Whale vomit worth 72 million won found by schoolboy

English schoolboy Charlie Naysmith, 8, found a 600-gram chunk of ambergris, the official name for whale vomit, while walking along the beach near Bournemouth, England, according to news reports. Ambergris is yellowish beige, feels waxy, and exudes a sweet perfume. Years of floating and exposure to the sun and salt turns the vomit into what looks like smooth rock. Perfume makers highly sought ambergris years ago because it helps prolong the scent of perfumes. Nowadays, perfume makers substitute t

Aug. 31, 2012

Sheraton Macao Hotel to open in September

Sheraton Macao Hotel will open on Sept. 20 in Macau’s new resort complex, Sands Cotai Central, the Starwood Hotels and Resorts said.The company said the 3,863-room Sheraton Macau Hotel will be both the largest hotel in Macau and Starwood’s largest hotel.The hotel features an extensive selection of guest room categories, all offering the hotel’s signature Sheraton Sweet Sleeper queen- and king-sized beds, 42-inch LCD TV, a refreshment center and spacious bathrooms. Restaurants offer a diverse arr

Aug. 24, 2012

Singapore Grand Prix to open in September

One of the Asia’s biggest sports and entertainment festivals “Grand Prix Season Singapore” will be held during the Formula 1 SingTel Singapore Grand Prix from Sept. 21-23. Singapore is one of the 20 cities where Formula One Grand Prix is held this year. Various events are planned along with the Grand Prix event including concerts featuring top singers such as American rock band Maroon 5, American singer Katy Perry and Chinese actor Jay Chou. For more information, visit www.singaporegp.sg.

Aug. 24, 2012

Cancun Palace Hotel rebranded as Hard Rock Hotel Cancun

Hard Rock Hotel in the resort city of Cancun, Mexico, opened in August, following the rebranding of Cancun Palace Hotel. The hotel with 601 rooms features a luxurious interior themed around rock ‘n’ roll and a beautiful view of Cancun’s famous white-sand beaches. The hotel offers all-inclusive services featuring convention centers, a bar and lounge, an outdoor swimming pool and five restaurants including its newly opened Brazilian steak house. For more information, visit www.hardrockhotels.com/a

Aug. 24, 2012

Alaska Tourism Board opens Korean website

The Alaska Tourism Board launched its official Korean website this week to introduce famous tourist destinations, transportation and accommodation information as well as offer detailed information on travel spots frequently visited by Korean tourists. Korean visitors to the website can order a copy of the Alaska guide book in Korean for free. Travel agencies and media can also download free online newsletter and images after going through a simple registration process. For more information, visi

Aug. 24, 2012

Israeli biblical park outfits donkeys with Wi-Fi

HOSHAYA, Israel (AP) ― It was nothing like this 3,000 years ago.An Israeli attraction meant to immerse tourists in an authentic, ancient biblical experience has outfitted its donkeys with wireless routers.At the historical park of Kfar Kedem in northern Israel, visitors decked out in biblical robes and headdresses ride donkeys through the rolling hills of the Galilee, learning how people lived in Old Testament times.Now they can also surf the web while touring the land of the Bible on one of the

Aug. 24, 2012

Israeli biblical park outfits donkeys with Wi-Fi

Montenegro travel: Diamond in the rough

TIVAT, Montenegro (AP) ― A newly developed luxury resort village called Porto Montenegro may finally be helping Montenegro’s image catch up with its overly glamorous portrayal in the 2006 James Bond film “Casino Royale.” Porto Montenegro ― sometimes called the Monte Carlo of the Adriatic ― has upgraded this tiny Balkan state from a favorite destination of average Russian and Serbian tourists to a mecca for some of the world’s wealthiest people.Located on the southern corner of the Adriatic Sea,

Aug. 24, 2012

Google buying Frommer’s travel guides from Wiley

HOBOKEN, New Jersey (AP) ― Google is buying the Frommer’s brand of travel guides.Google Inc., which bought the Zagat restaurant review service in September, plans to use Frommer’s guides to hotels and destinations around the world to complement the Zagat listings.Google is buying Frommer’s from publisher John Wiley & Sons Inc. in a deal that includes John Wiley’s other travel-related businesses. Financial terms were not disclosed in Monday’s announcement.Frommer’s got its start in 1957 with the

Aug. 17, 2012

Four Seasons Resort Koh Samui to hold annual World Gourmet Festival

The luxury resort in Thailand will hold the annual World Gourmet Festival on Sept. 10 with award-winning American celebrity chef Michael Mina.Mina will present a special dinner course to the selected 25 customers. The dinner course will consist of modern American cuisine paired with top wines. The resort also offers a special accommodation package at the luxury villa with a private pool, breakfast for two and two tickets to Mina’s special dinner for tourists coming for the gourmet festival. For

Aug. 17, 2012

KTO publishes traditional market guide book in Chinese

The Korea Tourism Organization has published a traditional market guide book for Chinese tourists as part of its efforts to revitalize tourist visits to traditional markets in Seoul.The guide book focuses on Gwangjang market, Tongin market and Gongdeok market and suggests interesting experiences available there through a format based on SBS’ famous entertainment show “Running Man.” The book consists of different missions that can be completed by visiting food vendors or different stores.

Aug. 17, 2012

KORAIL holds vacation package contest

Korea Railroad Corporation will hold a vacation package contest for college students to come up with creative vacation packages and a better way to promote the rail company. University students can apply for three categories ― vacation packages ideas, video promotion for KORAIL and poster promotion. Entries for the contest are open till Sept. 2 at www.korail.com.Winners will be announced on Sept. 12 on the website. Winners will receive awards of 1 million won, 500,000 won and 300,000 won in the

Aug. 17, 2012

Visitors come to Mount Airy for Mayberry

MOUNT AIRY, North Carolina (AP) ― In the town of Mayberry from “The Andy Griffith Show,’’ a small-town sheriff and his trusty deputy always outwitted big-city crooks, and problems never got much bigger than a trigger-happy kid with a slingshot. But while Mayberry was fiction, it was inspired by a real place: Mount Airy, North Carolina, the late Andy Griffith’s hometown. And more than a half-century after the series first aired, fans are still coming to Mount Airy, looking for a glimpse of small-

Aug. 17, 2012

Visitors come to Mount Airy for Mayberry

Seattle, beyond the usual tourist haunts

SEATTLE ― Pike Place Market. The Space Needle. Pioneer Square. Check, check and check.If you’ve hit these obvious Seattle destinations, you’re not a newbie. But maybe you’re not an insider either.So, this Seattle checklist is for you. It skirts those three attractions and several other popular stops to make more room for Ballard, Capitol Hill, Fremont and the University District ― four asset-rich Seattle neighborhoods my family and I explored on a visit last summer. Our list starts with three st

Aug. 17, 2012

Seattle, beyond the usual tourist haunts

Air Busan increases international services

Air Busan will operate charter flights between Busan and Xian, China twice a week, on Tuesdays and Fridays, from Sept. 28-Nov. 20 to meet growing demand. The budget carrier is also adding one daily round trip flight between Busan and Fukuoka and between Busan and Osaka from November and increasing round trips between Busan and Cebu to seven flights a week.

Aug. 10, 2012

KTO to conduct survey on popular tourist sites

The Korea Tourism Organization is conducting a survey of favorite tourism destinations that Koreans wish to visit for summer vacation. Participants can vote through Aug. 31 for their favorite places among the 29 places in the poll at korean.visitkorea.or.kr. The KTO said it will offer special prizes of a robotic vacuum cleaner and tickets to water parks to respondents.

Aug. 10, 2012

15% off at Benikea hotels for Hyundai Card, BAI

The Korea Tourism Organization is offering a 15 percent discount on accommodation at Benikea chain hotels for employees of Hyundai Card and the Board of Audit and Inspection of Korea. From August, about 6,000 employees of two organizations are expected to receive discounts up to 15 percent when they make reservations at 29 Benikea chain hotels across the country. Benikea chain hotels are a group of reasonably priced hotels in Korea whose services are approved by the state tourism agency.The hote

Aug. 10, 2012

Mexico aims to become key tourist destination for Koreans

Despite the long distance, Mexico has become one of the most sought-after travel destinations for Koreans, a high-ranking Mexican official said Thursday.The Mexican Tourism Board saw 15.3 percent increase in the number of Korean travelers to the Latin American country from 34,965 in 2011 to 40,303 this year. It attracted a record 23.4 million tourists from around the world in 2011, making it the 10th most visited country in the world. “Korea is a strategic market for Mexico. As this year celebra

Aug. 10, 2012

Mexico aims to become key tourist destination for Koreans

Deconstructing Norway: A tune for travel, on backroads and byways

LILLEHAMMER, Norway ― The visitors touring Maihaugen Heritage Village were itching with curiosity. They’d wandered the site’s narrow lanes and peered inside the 200-year-old log cabins. They’d explored the craft shops and traditional hand-hewn barns brought from far-flung farms and forests and reassembled here, under the trees. Now they wanted to know if any of Norway’s leading figures ― statesmen, film makers, painters or artists ― had their roots in these humble huts.“What about Thor Heyerdahl

Aug. 10, 2012

Deconstructing Norway: A tune for travel, on backroads and byways

Natural phenomenon turns French lake red

A French lake that transformed into a deep shade of red has surprised many tourists. The color change is a natural phenomenon believed to stem from the salt crystals surrounding the lake in Camargue, southern France. The sight was captured by a Russian photographer Sam Dobson, who stumbled across the scene by chance while driving through France. “I’d read a lot of things about Camargue but I’d never heard anything about this,” he said. Sam went on: “The salty crystals can be seen everywhere. Eve

Aug. 10, 2012

Natural phenomenon turns French lake red

Oktoberfest at Grand Hilton

The Grand Hilton Seoul is hosting its annual traditional German Oktoberfest on Sept. 8.The hotel, located in Hongeun-dong, northern Seoul, invites guests for an evening of celebration with beer and traditional German food. The festival is Korea’s largest Oktoberfest event, which draws more than 1,000 people every year. Originated in Munich, Germany, Oktoberfest is the world’s largest festival attracting about 7.5 million people every year. The origin of the festival is known as the celebration p

Aug. 8, 2012