Getting the flavour of…
A culinary tour of South Korea
South Korean cuisine “combines the best of east Asia”, says Liz Boulter in The Guardian. It’s “healthier and less oily” than much Chinese food, and “spicier, sharper and chewier” than Japanese. To sample some of the best at source, try Intrepid Travel’s new Real Food Adventure trip. In Jeonju, the country’s “foodie capital”, guests eat bibimbap prepared by Kim Nyeon-him, who has been declared an “intangible cultural asset” by the government for her skill in cooking this national rice dish. There’s also a chance to prepare kimchi – cabbage fermented with garlic, shallot, ginger and a chilli paste called gochujang – as well as gochujang itself. Other highlights include the “pillowy soft tofu” made with the waters of Bomun Lake, the spicy beef short ribs served with “fishy side dishes” in Daegu, and a microbrewery visit in Busan. An eight-day tour costs from £1,629pp, excluding flights (0808-274 5111, www.intrepidtravel.com).
Ice-swimming in Sweden
Reaching to within a whisker of the Arctic Circle, the top end of the Gulf of Bothnia – the slice of the Baltic between Sweden and Finland – freezes over in winter, locking 4,001 forested islands in “a rigid embrace”. On a half-day cruise from the Swedish port of Båtskärsnäs aboard the Polar Explorer, a 2,200-tonne icebreaker, you can see this “mesmerising” icy world, says Ian Belcher in The Sunday Times – and even swim in it, in a channel the ship has cut. For that, you have to don a bright orange neoprene survival suit that makes you look like a Teletubby. Floating on your back in it is like “well-insulated regression therapy” – “gloriously snug” and “ridiculously fun”. Off the Map Travel (0800-566 8901, www.offthemap.travel) has a three-night trip from £1,469pp, including the cruise, but excluding flights.
A Canary Island pilgrimage
Connecting two churches dedicated to St James, Gran Canaria’s Camino de Santiago is far shorter than its continental namesake, the trail to Santiago de Compostela across Spain. But this 77km pilgrimage route passes through “astonishingly varied” scenery, says Martin Symington in The Times – “a raw and wild volcanic hinterland” that is in welcome contrast to the “mega-resorts” on the island’s coast. Setting off from the church in the village of Tunte, you cross brushland sprinkled with prickly pears, and pass through “lichen-draped” pine forests and around the rim of the immense Caldera de Tejeda before arriving in Gáldar. Break the journey at the island’s highest village, Tejeda, with a night at the “charming” Hotel Fonda de la Tea. Gran Canaria Natural & Active (www.grancanarianaturalandactive.com) can arrange guided trips.