South Korea Tourist Entertainmnet Guide

All over South East Asia, getting fairly good food cheap isn’t difficult- there are invariably lots of food stalls, simple makeshift stalls without menus and fancy service, but serving wholesome food at less than half the price you’d pay in a deluxe restaurant. South Korea is no exception- all over the country you’ll be able to get good budget meals (local food, of course) at food stalls. In larger cities and popular tourist destinations, you’ll also find a wide range of other eateries, including bars and cafés where continental, Chinese, Japanese, and other cuisines are well represented. Prices are obviously higher than what you’d pay at a food stall.

South Korea is a good option for anybody who likes to be entertained- in fact, you’ll be spoilt for choice. There’s usually a wide range of recreational facilities available, from traditional Korean performing arts to more Western style `nightlife’. For the latter, Seoul, Pyongyang and other large cities are perhaps the best places- they have a number of discotheques, bars, cabarets and nightclubs- all bright, vibrant and alive.

Korea’s traditional performing arts are also often seen at various cultural centres. Musical performances- both of Changak (court music) and of Minsokak (folk music) are held at the National Classical Music Institute, while the National School of Music is basically centred around Western music. Dances, too, are very varied: shaman dances, Buddhist and Confucian dances; court dances, folk dances and masked dances; there are about 40 traditional Korean dance troupes, besides modern dance ensembles which perform regularly at venues, especially during festivals. Theatre, both native (including puppetry and pantomime) and Western, is also an option.

For listings of cultural shows, check the daily newspapers and travel related publications- a few of them are in English.