Exciting Winter at Korea’s Ski Resorts

Experience the magnificent snowscapes and exciting skiing and snowboarding in South Korea. Feel the thrilling speed and freedom of skiing. Take skiing and snowboarding lessons. Enjoy exciting performances and cultural events. Witness the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympic Games from 9 – 25 February 2018.

Gangwon-do, with the lush Taebaek Mountains and pristine rivers, is home to 18 beautiful ski areas. Dressed in pure white snow and boasting spectacular views, these ski resorts offer plush accommodations and slopes for a variety of skill levels, from absolute beginners to experts. Common amenities include sledding for children, gondolas and walking trails to take in the winter scenery, and relaxing spas.

 

YongPyong Resort

The YongPyong Resort, known as the ‘Alps of Korea’, is host of the alpine competitions for the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympic Games. The resort is equipped with 28 slopes, including a 7.4km round-trip gondola, and 14 lift facilities as well as a golf club, waterpark, and accommodation. From skiing and snowboarding lessons to cultural performances and exotic local cuisine, the ski season at YongPyong Resort from mid November 2017 to February 2018 is a truly memorable experience.

 

Phoenix Snow Park

Phoenix Park is known for its many valley-style slopes and high-quality snow. The resort features ski courses for beginner, intermediate, and expert skiers, as well as a snowboard park, complete with a half pipe, table top, round quarter, and rails. The restaurant located at the top of the slopes offers great views. Phoenix Park is open from mid November 2017 to 21 January 2018 before it closes to the public for official use as a venue for the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympic Games.

 

Alpensia Ski Resort

Tucked away in the mountains, Alpensia Resort is known for its excellent snow quality and sweeping views of the majestic Daegwallyeong mountain pass. The resort will not be operating a ski season this year, as it is the main venue for the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympic Games, and will host many competition events, including ski jumping, cross-country skiing, and bobsled. If you’re planning on watching the Olympics, be sure to check out the top-notch accommodation at Alpensia Resort!

 

High1 Ski Resort

High1 Ski Resort offers 18 fantastic slopes, each beginning at one of the park's three peaks. One of the peaks provides a 4.2km-long gently-sloping course for beginners. The resort is known for its convenient facilities for people with disabilities and special needs to enjoy skiing. Nearby attractions include Kangwon Land Casino, trekking routes, a sledding site and a golf course, making it a family-friendly ski resort. The ski season at High1 Ski Resort is from 15 November 2017 to 25 March 2018.

 

Ski Resorts close to Seoul

There are several Ski Resorts located close to Seoul, making it possible for visitors to enjoy a full day of skiing without having to stay overnight. Located in Namyangju is Star Hill Resort with six slopes, ranging in difficulty, each with its own exclusive lift. The Jisan Forest Ski Resort in Icheon has seven main ski slopes and three sub-slopes, open to both skiers and snowboarders. The Yangji Pine Resort Ski Valley in Yongin has ten slopes, for various skill levels, with night skiing on the well-lit slopes being very popular. The Konjiam Resort in Gwangju reserves six of its nine slopes for beginner/intermediate skiers and senior citizens, making it perfect for families. The ski season at these resorts is from early December 2017 to early March 2018.

Singapore’s Hidden Gems

Tucked away in its culturally-rich neighbourhoods, some of the island's best-kept secrets entice true explorers.

Singapore is a destination with incredible depth and breadth of discovery, offering visitors infinite possibilities to experience the country. What’s truly valued amongst explorers are the authentic connections with locals and cultures, as well as new, not-to-be-missed activities. A walk around these vibrant heritage precincts will lead visitors to some great finds and unforgettable hidden gems with a story to tell.

Joo Chiat and Katong

 

Best for culture vultures and those on the hunt for local bites

In the early 20th century, Peranakan (Straits-born people of Chinese and Malay/Indonesian heritage) and Eurasian communities moved into Joo Chiat alongside the Chinese, Malay, and Indian communities. Today, Joo Chiat’s multi-ethnic influences are most evident in its architecture and dining options. In the same vicinity is Katong, an area formerly located by the sea before land was reclaimed to the current East Coast Park.

While Joo Chiat and Katong are famous for local dishes such as laksa (spicy, coconut
milk-based noodle dish) and Peranakan cuisine, it has other gems. Keeping traditional methods alive is Kway Guan Huat Joo Chiat Popiah, famed for its popiah (fresh spring rolls) made with special hand kneaded popiah dough, based on a closely guarded generations-old recipe.

Visitors should also step into The Intan, a private museum that exhibits Peranakan artefacts from Malaysia, Indonesia, India, China and England within a modern home setting. This museum is open by appointment and visitors are personally hosted by owner, Alvin Yapp.

Not to be missed are the rows of eye catching, restored heritage shophouses with Peranakan influences. An iconic, photo-worthy sight, these unique, colourful pre-war structures along Joo Chiat Road feature ornate facades, intricate motifs, and gorgeous ceramic tiles in assorted patterns.

Tiong Bahru

 

Best for families, café-hoppers, and those with an eye for design

One of the oldest housing estates in Singapore, Tiong Bahru is now a cultural hotbed for the island's young and hip. Built in the 1930s, the neighbourhood has a look that sets it apart: low-rise buildings featuring a Streamline Modern-Art Deco architectural style.

Check out different indie stores in the neighbourhood. See the colourful murals titled ‘Pasar and the Fortune Teller’ and ‘Bird Singing Corner’ by local artist Yip Yew Chong, depicting scenes of old Tiong Bahru. 

For families with young kids, there is the Tiong Bahru Park Adventure Playground - one of the few remaining playgrounds with a large sandpit. Also experience Singapore's famous hawker culture at the recently refurbished Tiong Bahru Market and Food Centre, which is known for the wide variety of local delights available.

Jalan Besar

 

 

Best for hipster-type millennials who want a little bit of everything

Jalan Besar, began in the 1880s as a track through a nipah and betel nut plantation, before developing into a major road. As one of the oldest roads in Singapore, Jalan Besar has been gazetted as a conserved area to preserve and enhance its heritage.

In recent years, Jalan Besar and the streets around it have become a hip enclave with a growing number of independent boutiques, swish restaurants, and modern coffee houses. Explorers can experiment with their creative side through craft workshops at The Refinery. Later, they can check out The Refinery’s yakitori restaurant on the first floor and bespoke cocktail bar on the second floor.

Welcome to the Great White North

From the Aurora skies of the north, to the misty west coast, to the frigid Prairies, to the snowy expanses of Ontario and Quebec, to the blustery Atlantic - it's time to take advantage of the cold months while they last. Explore the best of winter in Canada.

When the seasons change and snow starts to fall, a plethora of unique recreation comes to life in Canada. Strap on snowshoes and stomp across powdery glades. Hire a dogsled musher to show you the ropes of traditional winter travel. Choose horsepower over dog-power and straddle a snowmobile. Ice skate across a frozen river hand-in-hand with your companion. Tour the luge tracks and ski jumps from two Olympic Winter Games. 

Here are some key winter experiences in Canada:

 

Ontario  

• Ice skate on the world’s largest outdoor rink - Ottawa’s eight-km-long Rideau Canal, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
• Take a helicopter from downtown Toronto to Ontario's Haliburton Highlands and experience a day-trip dogsled tour through remote wilderness.
• Explore Ontario’s network of 43,000 km of recreational snowmobile trails.

 

Alberta

• Explore the icy wonderland of Jasper’s Maligne Canyonand Banff’s Johnston Canyon—marvelling at crystalline waterfalls and ice caves as you trek atop a frozen river.
• Tour Calgary Olympic Park, home to the 1988 Olympic Winter Games; brave the luge track or ride along on a bobsleigh run.
• Cross-country ski through Edmonton's River Valley—home to more than 50 km of groomed trails in nine different parks.

British Columbia

• Experience a snowshoe tour under the full moon’s light at Vancouver's Mount Seymour.
• Play the part of an Olympian with a bobsleigh ride or skeleton run at Whistler's Olympic Park. 
• Head west for a Pacific Storm Watching tour; witness seven-metre-tall waves crash along scenic shores.

Manitoba

• Skate along 1.2 km of ice-trails within Winnipeg’s Forks National Historic Site, located right in the downtown core.
• Explore Winnipeg's snowy Grand Beach Provincial Park and ski five different cross-country trails, ranging from 2.6 to 13.3 km in length.

Newfoundland & Labrador

• Snowshoe or cross-country ski to the edge of a 500-million-year-old fiord at the Gros Morne National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
• Witness the Maritimes’ most extreme winter event: the 2,300-km Cain’s Quest Snowmobile Endurance Race.

Quebec

• Quebec, birthplace of the Ski-Doo, offers 33,500 km of groomed and marked snowmobile trails; Québec City's the White Triangle is the most popular region.
• Set out on a snowshoe or horse-drawn sled sugar-shack tour and sample maple syrup fresh from the tree.
• Stay the night in a hotel made entirely from ice—Hotel de Glace—and admire intricate ice carvings while you sip a cocktail at the cosmopolitan Ice Bar.

Saskatchewan

• Enjoy a skijoring session—a sport that merges dogsledding and cross-country skiing.
• Hire a guided snowmobile tour and explore 10,000 km-plus of maintained trails.

Yukon

• Spend a day at the home of a world champion dogsled racer, tending to spirited Alaskan huskies; set out on a guided Klondike dogsled adventure.
• Embark on an eight-day Arctic voyage with a journey along the Ice Road to Tuktoyaktuk.

Meet Santa Claus this Christmas at Singapore’s Garden of Wonder

Experience a Nordic Noel this festive season, as the Flower Dome at Gardens by the Bay is transformed into a wintry wonderland. Santa’s presence is everywhere, from his reading cabin and post office where he receives letters from well-behaved children, to a toy workshop manned by Christmas elves, and even a candy store. What’s more, on select days in December, you could meet with Santa Claus, who will be travelling to Singapore all the way from Finland.

Flower Dome 

 

The Poinsettia Wishes floral display from 10 November 2017 to 8 January 2018 transports you to the Nordic Region, where an oversized lavvu – a tent-like dwelling used by the Sami people of northern Scandinavia – takes centre stage ensconcing visitors within its cosy interior. Outside, a flower field of poinsettias, amaryllis and Christmas trees mark the festive season. At dusk, the floral display comes aglow with pretty lights while a projection of dancing Northern Lights weaves its spellbinding magic!

Explore the rest of the Flower Dome, the World’s Largest Glass Greenhouse, home to 9 different gardens with unique plants from across Africa, America, Asia, Australia and Europe. Take in the cool and dry Mediterranean climate as you wander amongst thousand-year-old olive trees and unusual African Baobabs. 

Cloud Forest

 

The Cloud Forest is a mysterious world veiled in mist, surrounded by over 60,000 plants. Explore the highlands amidst orchids, pitcher plants, ferns and floral gems from the Tropical Montane regions. Be amazed as you come face-to-face with the world’s tallest indoor waterfall at 35 metres! Go on a trek behind the waterfall and enjoy the refreshing cool air and majestic views of the waterfall below. Descend through the surreal mist-veiled Cloud Walk and Treetop Walk. 

Explore the 7 discovery zones for an interactive educational adventure – Lost World, The Cavern, Waterfall View, Crystal Mountain, Secret Garden, Earth Check and +5 Degrees. 

Supertrees & OCBC Skyway

 

Stand in awe of the towering Supertrees – vertical gardens that are home to over 150,000 plants from more than 300 species.

Take in panoramic views of the Gardens and the surrounding Marina Bay skyline. At a height of 22 metres, the OCBC Skyway which is a 128-metre long aerial walkway is an experience not to be missed. During the day, a stroll along the OCBC Skyway presents glorious photo-taking opportunities to capture the scenic beauty of the surrounding flora. 

As dusk falls, the captivating Marina Bay skyline emerges and the entire area comes alive nightly with the Garden Rhapsody – a free light and sound show at 7.45pm and 8.45pm.

Heritage Gardens

 

Experience the diverse history and culture of Singapore’s main ethnic groups during the Colonial period at the outdoor Chinese Garden, Indian Garden, Malay Garden and Colonial Garden.

Explore Gardens by the Bay this festive season for a magical holiday experience.