Luxury Vacations in South Korea

Culture swings dizzyingly fast in South Korea; only here can the day begin with a Buddhist tea ceremony and end in nightclubs pounding with K-pop hits.

Seoul sums it all up: virtually razed during the Korean War, the capital is now a thumping, shimmering metropolis, where the ornate curves of hanok houses meet slick modern architecture. Suwon is a city wrapped in a 17th-century fortress, while Busan shines in the south-east, barbecue smoke mingling with sea-salt breezes. A love of food is a binding thread throughout the land, be it bulgogi, bibimbap or kimchi, the punchy staple that graces every table from Chuncheon to Gwangju.
The landscape is a feast of green: mountains, bamboo forests, turquoise tides. Over three thousand islands line the coast, snagged from the mainland like stolen jewels. Jeju is the largest: a lush volcanic remnant, beloved by Koreans for its fine beaches and bays. Urban or rural, South Korea fascinates, its time-old traditions served with an effervescent new sense of self.