[Travel Bits] Festivals, sights across Korea

Roses, freesias at Manorblanc

Featuring roses, freesias and Scotch brooms, Manorblanc beckons tourists to Jeju Island. The garden is open for free to visitors who purchase at least one drink from the namesake cafe.

Those who don’t feel like drinking anything can also enter for a fee of 4,000 won. The garden is open all year round from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Entrants have to be at least grade schoolers or older, with no exceptions.

Pets are welcome as long as they are on a leash and weigh less than 10 kilograms. To find out more, go to manorblanc.modoo.at.

Jeju Canola Flower Festival

While on Jeju Island, check out the Canola Flower Festival. Through April, visitors to the island, which recently finished festivities involving camellia flowers, will be greeted by the change of season.

At Hueree Park, a field of yellow canola flowers will be joined by red plum blossoms and hydrangeas, which are set to bloom from as early as April, as the flower bed renders a more springlike atmosphere. Pets have to be on leashes.

Admission ranges in price from 10,000 won to 13,000 won. For details, check m.hueree.com.

Spring blooms at Everland

At the Sky Garden in Everland, South Korea’s largest theme park in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, a 5,000 won ticket is all it takes to enjoy the harbingers of spring.

A walk on trails lined with spring flowers -- 11 different types of plum blossoms -- is what visitors can expect, plus discounted tours to a museum nearby. Ticket holders can enter the Hoam Museum of Art at a 50 percent discount and also save on admission to the amusement park.

The trails will be open from Friday until March 26. Online reservations are open now.

Cheongdo Light Festival

A park dedicated to installations and attractions in Cheongdo, North Gyeongsang Province, is welcoming those looking for memorable snaps of their lifetime, through November.

The park, which opened in 2012, touts scenic views unmatched by any other light festival in the country. Open all year round, the park charges 13,000 won for middle schoolers and older and 9,000 won for those younger.

Admission does not include the cafes and restaurants. Indoor activities like archery and camping also cost an additional fee, so check out the latest updates at cheongdo-provence.co.kr.

Strawberry picking, smelt fishing

Sumi Village in Yangpyeong, Gyeonggi Province, is the perfect getaway for children and parents alike, both for picking strawberries and fishing smelt.

Those interested should make reservations at springfestival.kr. Picking strawberries is priced at 18,000 won per guest, with a separate fee of 10,000 won for ice cream.

Smelt fishing is priced at 9,000 won, which includes a small dish prepared on the spot. The village is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and the programs are available until May 19.

By Choi Si-young(siyoungchoi@heraldcorp.com)