All by Nannette Holliday
With some countries opening up in Asia, but no way to get there because many airlines have grounded their international flights, small group travel on private jets offers a way around the restrictions for those who can afford it. We take a look at what one Singapore charter operator is doing to help travellers get around the region.
If you crave for spicy Korean food and would like to learn how to cook it, then leave time for a cooking class when you are next in South Korea. The country’s capital, Seoul, has many classes on offer, but major cities like Busan – Korea’s seafood capital – have classes available too. This class will have you cooking Korean dishes like an expert.
The South Korean city of Busan is home to the world’s largest department store, Shinsegae, which also houses one of Korea’s largest spas, Spa Land, catering for up to 1,500 people at a time. This is not a spa for those with inhibitions because many of the areas within the spa require patrons to be naked. But for those willing to embrace Korean culture and go naked with the locals, a visit to Shinsegae Spa Land might well be one of the most memorable experiences of a trip to South Korea.
Volunteering is a rewarding way for older travellers for whom traditional sightseeing no longer appeals, but who want to experience new places and new cultures — and especially for those interested in biodiversity, environmental and wildlife conservation issues. It’s an ideal way to meet people of different nationalities who share the same interests, and to see parts of Asia that are well away from the usual tourist haunts.
South Korea’s capital city, Seoul, has a lot to offer the older traveller with many historic places and cultural events to see, unusual foods to try, beautiful parks and urban walkways for leisurely strolls and fascinating markets in which to browse or buy. This guide to one of the most the vibrant cities in East Asia will ensure you don’t miss out on the best places to visit or experiences to enjoy.
South Korea is not often thought of as a wine-producing country. But it does have one large winery producing some surprisingly good wines. And then there’s soju — the world’s top selling spirit — which comes in a range of fruit flavours and can be drunk like wine. This comprehensive guide to Korea’s wines and spirits will help those visiting the country to choose a drink that will most suit their palate.
TIME magazine’s 2018 World’s Greatest Places listing featured many places to visit, eat, drink and stay in Asia. We reviewed the list and came up with the top 20 places that we think will be of most interest to older travellers. These include some diverse and interesting places that have only opened in the past year.
House sitting offers retirees without time constraints the opportunity to visit other countries and save on accommodation costs. It enables travellers to enjoy new cultural experiences and live like a local. House sitting has been popular in the US, UK and Australia/New Zealand for many years, but is now taking off in Asia.
A great way to absorb yourself completely in a culture is to take a cooking class, and food-obsessed Hong Kong has many to choose from. Whether you want to learn how to create sweets, pastries, traditional Asian fare or Yum Cha, it’s all there for the picking, cooking and, in the end, eating.
Food, glorious food — we all have to eat and drink, but for many older travellers, age ensures that they appreciate the experience of every morsel even more. Food is a point of differentiation for many destinations and Hong Kong, where East meets West, is no exception. It’s a city where every gastronomic appetite can be whet.
Hong Kong has always been a popular stopover destination, and much can be seen and done within a couple of days, but this hardly enables visitors to scratch the surface of this many-layered, world-class city. Hong Kong is a destination that can be exceptionally rewarding for senior travellers who have the time to explore it further.
