Located in East Asia, South Korea is a highly developed nation whose name means ‘Land of the Morning Calm’ and its capital is Seoul, a major metropolitan city and the second largest in the world. The Korean Peninsula itself is located in a temperate climate with terrain that is quite mountainous. While winters can be relatively cold in South Korea, the summers are warm and balmy, punctuated by a short monsoon period called ‘jangma’ which takes place mostly in the month of July. With rolling hills and river basins, there is much natural beauty in this land and, in fact, the country has 20 national parks and natural places to enjoy such as the Suncheon Bay Ecological Park and the Boseong Tea Field. For most people, the preferred season to visit South Korea is during the autumn season which spans from September to November. Within these months the air is crisp, the humidity drops significantly and foliage turns to brilliant shades of orange, red and gold. Between April and May, spring arrives and many global travelers prefer to visit during this season to catch the sights of many trees and flowers in full bloom.

Being a nation that has warmly embraced high technology, South Korea is exceptionally advanced among nations in terms of transportation so you will definitely find the expected modes of travel such as air travel, motor ways and trains. In fact, Korean Air served over 21 million passengers in 2008 alone and South Korea’s Incheon International Airport has been named the “Best Airport Worldwide” every year since 2005. Frequent high-speed train service runs between all major cities, courtesy of Korail and subway systems are in these large cities, as well.

While South Korea’s culture has been said to be influenced heavily by its western neighbor, China, it does maintain quite a unique culture all its own. With 9 UNESCO World Heritage Sites in South Korea, there are clearly plenty of historical sites to visit. Pop culture has a strong following in this nation, with many popular television shows and styles of music having quite eager fan bases. Another surprise for visitors is the intense popularity of online games such as Starcraft, which is often televised in South Korea. With an estimated 90% of Koreans owning mobile phones, this is clearly a land of people on the go.

Korean cuisine is nearly as storied as that of its neighbors China and Japan, based primarily on rice, tofu, noodles, fish and meat. Kimchi, a spicy fermented vegetable dish is often served with each meal and soup called ‘guk’ is traditionally enjoyed as a main course. If you enjoy spicy foods then you will be happy to know that Korean food is typically heavy in seasonings such as sesame oil, garlic, ginger and hot pepper.

Clearly, South Korea is a country with a clean atmosphere all its own with something to offer everyone.

Beijing (also known as Peking), which literally translates to “Northern capital,” is one of the Four Great Ancient Capitals of China. Beijing will be the home of the Summer Olympics in 2008. As the name suggests, Beijing is located in the northern section of China. It is a fairly mountainous area with rivers running through it. Monsoons affect the climate there. Summers in Beijing are hot and humid while its winters are very cold and dry with strong winds. Three quarters of the rainfall takes place in the summer months. Beijing also experiences frequent dust storms due to the erosion of the deserts. At times, rain is unnaturally induced by the Beijing Weather Modification Office to lessen the effects and aftereffects of said storms. The best time hands-down to visit Beijing is in the fall as that is when the weather is at its best, or as a second place option, during the spring. The weather is also favourable, but the dust storms can be impeding. If you can handle the harshness of China’s winters, the snow does wonders to brighten the beauty of the city. Try to avoid traveling there during peak vacation times for China as traffic becomes heavily congested.

Beijing’s modes of transportation of course include air travel and roads that accommodate both cars and buses. In addition, the city has a five-line subway system. Two of the lines are run on land and three run underground. Several more are under way. There are also railways, the two main train stations being the Beijing Railway Station and Beijing West Railway Station. Taxi services are of course available, as well.

Beijing is home to countless incredibly beautiful attractions, some old and some new. The Great Wall of China needs no introduction and is of course a must-see while visiting the city. One particular section of The Great Wall at Mutianyu called JianKou is what you might call wildly beautiful. It is more unkempt than many other sections, set amongst the mountains with nature abounding. Another pin in the map that absolutely should not be surpassed is the Forbidden City Imperial Palace. Built in the 1400’s, this palace is breathtakingly beautiful from the gardens up to the rooftops. Also, check out the Jingshan Park-the highest point of Beijing city, to get a view of the Forbidden City from above. Some other incredible attractions include the world’s largest town square-Tiananmen Square, the National Museum of China, the Ruins of The Old Summer Palace, and the Temples of Heaven, Earth, Sun, and Moon. These are only a tiny percentage of the amazing sights the city of Beijing has to offer.

The cuisine of the city has long relied greatly on mutton-be it boiled, fried, minced, or steamed. Pork is also what you might call a staple food item in Beijing. Some other favorites are fish and (of course) the Peking duck. One of the more widely used seasoning-type foods is the onion. Beijing has many fabulous restaurants to feed your appetite during your travels there. Some widely recommended examples include Fangshan, Quan Ju De, Alameda, Huang Ting, and Din Tai Fung. Beijing will be a vacation you will remember forever.