A holiday in South Korea will leave you utterly charmed and mesmerised

The city of Seoul, the capital of South Korea, is both — charming and fascinating. There’s so much to discover and explore, and so much to learn. That’s true of any place, you might think. There is, however, something genuinely so special — and spectacular — about Seoul. What strikes you the moment you arrive is the neatness, the cleanliness of the city, with residents taking immense pride in keeping it absolutely spic and span. And you appreciate the city simply because it is overcoming challenges and obstacles, paving the way for tremendous opportunities and whatever it takes to make it look good. 

Not surprisingly, this “good-looking” country unfolds itself to you with a tremendous sense of wonderment and awe. With its numerous sights and sounds, and remarkable tourist attractions, this is a destination worth exploring, worth experiencing. 

Interestingly, dear reader, now is the best time to visit this charming country. The cherry blossoms are in full bloom and several of the national parks of South Korea are carpeted by a blushed pink colour, a sight you wouldn’t like to miss. In fact, if there would be a survey of sorts on “the best views of nature in various countries”, the richly coloured cherry blossoms would be on the top of the list. Such is the warmth, the glow of these cherry blossoms that simply viewing it is considered one of the favourite pastimes of the locals. Filmmakers from all over the world, globally renowned photographers and tourists are known to visit South Korea simply to capture the beauty of the cherry blossom trees. 

It’s also relevant to understand why these cherry blossoms are important in understanding the culture of South Koreans, given that a growing number of them follow the philosophy of Buddhism, which emphasises overcoming obstacles, seeing them as opportunities and turning poison into medicine. In the case of cherry blossoms, for instance, you need to know that the flowers have to undergo harsh winters to blossom beautifully during the spring season. The more severe the winter (read, challenges), the better colour there is when the cherry trees flower and blossom. 

The city of Seoul — and other parts of South Korea -- wrapped in the warm glow of white, red and pink cherry blossoms, serves as a perfect backdrop while you explore the city to understand what gives it its unique identity, making it vibrant and so alive. It’s a city that’s packed with adventure, heritage, culture, creativity and inventiveness. If the numerous lanes and bylanes of the Myeong-dong market, packed with some of the most extraordinary cosmetic brands, is an invitation for you to sample the luxury market of skincare and cosmetic industry, the Cheonggyecheon stream, a 3.6 mile stretch, is an example of how, if a nation wants to achieve restoration to newer heights, a dirty, clogged drain with shanties around it, can be converted into a free-flowing clear stream. 

Then there’s the uniquely designed Lotte World, the largest indoor amusement park in the world. While there’s an outdoor amusement park called Magic Island, Lotte World also consists of an artificial island inside a lake linked by monorail, shopping malls, a luxury hotel, a Korean folk museum, sports facilities, and movie theaters. Some of the rides are not for the faint-hearted but this place is a must for those visiting with children. 

The five grand palaces of Seoul, including the Gyeongbokgung Palace, the first royal palace built by the Joseon Dynasty, mesmerises you with its rich architecture and history. The palace, built in 1395, is also the largest of the five grand palaces, which served as the home of the kings. Though destroyed by raging fires in a war, it was restored later, becoming, eventually, a fitting tribute to the architectural principles of ancient Korea. 

The similarities between the palace and the temple architecture get clearer when I experience a temple stay programme in Jingwansa, a traditional Buddhist temple in Seoul. As I delight in the simple, delicious temple food, including deep fried seaweed, steamed tofu chunks served with kimchi, a bowl of clear soup, sticky rice, among other delicacies, I learn about the significance of Jingwansa Temple — one of the four major temples around Seoul, dedicated to Preceptor Jingwan in 1010 BC by King Hyeonjong, the 8th king of the Goryeo Dynasty. Though it was destroyed and reduced to ashes during the Korean War (fought between North and South Korea from 1950-1953), a decade later, the various buildings in the temple complex were painstakingly restored. 

From amusement parks to temple stays to shopping sojourns, a vacation in Seoul exposes you to the character of the city. 

A walk through Nanji Island is a must-do, which used to be Seoul's landfill site for 15 years until 1993 (and filled with about 92 million tons of garbage), and was converted into an environmentally-friendly World Cup Park over an area of 272,000 sq meters. The World Cup Park, in turn, is made up of five smaller parks. As you breathe in the clean air, watch the trees in a dazzling yellow hue (Japanese Dogwood), a white spectacle of cherry blossoms, gorgeously inspiring sunflowers, you find it hard to believe that this place was once an unforgiving dumping zone. 

And that’s the magic of Seoul. It’s the city that charms and welcomes you with open arms, in all its beauty and grace. This vacation, be nowhere else but in Seoul.