The wonderland that is Korea

The success of a familiarization tour is the result of having the right, efficient people handle the tour packages and flight arrangements.

Our recent familiarization tour to Seoul, Korea simply had the best of both, Aida Uy the dedicated owner of Fortune Travel and Han Sang Wook, the hands-on general manager of Korean Airlines who was ably assisted by sales manager Ann Momongan.

Traveling in style for a little over four hours with absolutely no hitches, we landed at Incheon International Airport where we were met by our knowledgeable guide, Kris Shin, who by the end of our stay had proved to be more than just a tour guide.

Perhaps unknown to many, Korea is not just about palaces and parks, ginseng and kimchi, shopping and sightseeing or lingering memories of a war over 50 years ago. Two world class attractions more than justify a visit to this land of wonder.

The first is the world’s largest indoor themed park called Lotte World. It is a huge complex of assorted diversions, including not one themed park but several, along with a hotel, shopping and entertainment booths, exciting rides, and sports facilities.

The park is a virtual kingdom of attractions and adventures. Cartoon characters come to life in a bold interactive way. You not only partake in the magic, but you are immersed in it.

You begin your journey at Adventure Land. Attractions include Camelot Carrousel, a romantic ride on 64 trotting white steeds, the 4-D theater that explores the fascinating sea and the exciting underground adventure of Sinbad. From there you can go on to enter the other entertainment environments such as Magic Island, The Folk Museum, the popular Pharaoh Fury, a high-tech multi-motion dark ride which maximizes the experience while the motion simulator system rocks, rolls and pitches you throughout the ride.

Many rides are geared for the young, but Lotte is anything but a kiddie park. The degree of detail, the surprisingly witty spiel of the guides, and the tongue-in-cheek signs that crop up in the oddest of places all contribute to a delightful sense of discovery that is far beyond the mere thrill of a ride.

Lotte’s evening parade is a glitzy spectacle. Cars and choo-choo trains wind their way in true tinsel town style with a motorcade of characters from the park’s many attractions.

 The second attraction is Everland Resort, South Korea ’s largest theme park in Yongin, a city in Gyeonggi-do province.

Often times compared to Disneyland by those who have visited both parks, it ranks 10th in the world for amusement park attendance. Along with its main attractions, Everland is divided into six distinct zones: Global Fair, European Adventure, Magic Land, American Adventure, Everland Speedway, and the popular Zoo-Topia.

Global Fair is an international market full of interesting shopping and is primarily a place for food, souvenirs and pictures as visitors make their way into and out of the park. European Adventure has many restaurants in various European architecture and styles. There is a flower garden encircled by a train, games and arcades. A favorite attraction is the Mystery Mansion where visitors can shoot at the ghosts. In March 2008, a new ride named, “T Express,” was added. It is the first roller-coaster in Korea to be constructed out of wood. Magic land is an elaborate array of buildings and rides. There is a portion called Aesop’s Village where the characters and themes are primarily drawn from the fables of Aesop. The ferries wheel here provides a spectacular view of the whole park. At the American Adventure, themes from American history are presented. There are old West rides and rodeo. The Double Rock Spin is a main attraction as live bands play near the roller coaster. Everland Speedway is the city’s first racing track. It has held racing events of various scales. It also gives opportunities to experience and enjoy race car driving for ordinary people with no previous racing experience. One of the star attractions of Zoo-Topia is a safari trip. Would-be explorers board large tiger tourist buses and enter a fenced in area reminiscent of Jurassic Park. Visitors come face-to-face with a pride of lions, roaming tigers and enormous bears in a contained habitat. It likewise features polar bears, sea lions, tigers and primates. The large bus windows provide a first-class seat to the exotic wild life.