Thailand

In the vast courtyard of the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial, before a giant statue of the late dictator, hundreds of young people gather as a strident and amplified female voice commands them to pay attention. My heart sinks as I wait for the rally to begin, regretting my decision to come here at all. "Yeow!" screams the loudspeaker, and an earsplitting rock version of Yankee Doodle pierces the air (and my eardrums). The kids are dancing, I realize, boogying with wild gyrations, certainly not in any kind of order, and each dancing alone. I am shocked, then delighted, to see such happy goings-on right in front of the altar to the dour old martinet who brought so much misery to his people in years past. The Republic of China, which we know better as Taiwan, is a real democracy now, and what I had feared might be a vestige police-state rally was in fact a Transport Ministry festival to promote road safety for kids. Booths around the plaza offered information (on first aid, for instance), contests, and prizes. The sponsor's efforts obviously paid off -- though I recently saw thousands of scooters and motorcycles in the streets of Taipei, I noted not a single rider or passenger without a helmet, including a tiny poodle on a scooter with its old master, mistress, and young master, all wearing matching headgear. The kids at the memorial, the family on the scooter, and adults dining at outdoor markets were representative of dozens of people who called out to me during my last visit, mostly just, "Hello" but sometimes, "Have a nice day" and even, "Are you hungry?" as I gazed at their plates. To the American visitor, the Taiwanese are extremely friendly. Perhaps because they are diplomatic outcasts, shunned in favor of mainland China, perhaps because Taiwan doesn't get many American leisure visitors . . . whatever the reasons, a lot of people showed they were glad to see me. Taiwan should be more popular with Americans, not only because we are liked there but because the island nation has much to offer. Moreover, it's not expensive. We're not talking "cheapest places on earth" here, but you can find a marvelous two-course lunch for $3, a clean and comfortable hotel room for under $30, and have lunch at one of the nation's best hotels for under $10 or take tea with chamber music at a leading first-class hotel for less than $10. Potent reasons for vacationing in Taiwan Why visit Taiwan? Because you'll experience a real China, as genuine as the one on the mainland but with a few bonuses. In fact, you'll be able to experience through Taiwan's dynamism and daily life some aspects of China that are discouraged on the mainland, such as devotion to Confucianism, strong family affinities, and religious practices no longer encouraged or allowed in China. And you'll encounter, as I did, an affable group of people, quite a few of whom speak English and are only too eager to tell you how proud they are of "their" China. The biggest advantage of visiting Taiwan is that you can get a glimpse of what the mainland could be with a democratic government. Since the end of the Kuomintang dictatorship that ruled the island for 40 years, Taiwan has experienced a surge in freedom of expression and creativity. If Beijing's China were like this, the world would stand back in awe of Chinese achievement. Another bonus is a most delicious aspect of Taiwan's Chinese culture, its food. Based on my own recent experiences and the testimony of many travelers and residents, I can swear you will eat better on this island, on average, than you will in Beijing, Shanghai, or Suchow. You'll find small restaurants better than their counterparts in the Big China across the strait, and fancier ones as good or even better. (The only exception to this is Hong Kong, which still has the best Chinese food on earth, thanks to its chefs' longtime existence under the prosperity and leniency of British rule.) A final plus is Taipei's National Palace Museum, where the greatest collection of Chinese art in the world is maintained. While the newly opened Shanghai Art Museum has its own treasures, the National Palace Museum in Taipei still has it beat by a long shot in terms of the number of astounding pieces available. You could pleasurably spend days here. While anyone wanting to understand the modern world should also visit Beijing's China, that's an entire -- and different -- story in itself. Getting there Major airlines serving Taipei include EVA Air, China Air Lines, Cathay Pacific, Northwest Airlines and more, and their published round-trip airfares run around $950 from the West Coast, and $1,300 from New York. But consolidators -- and budget tourists should always use consolidators (discounters) -- have seats to Taipei for as low as $700 to $750 round-trip from New York and $539 to $650 from the West Coast, often sinking to even lesser levels (occasionally to a rock-bottom $650 from New York and $500 from the West Coast). These or similar prices are available from Air Travel Discounts (tel. 212/922-1326), using China Air Lines, Korean Air Lines, and Cathay Pacific; Tour East Holidays (212/964-6530) using China Airlines, EVA Air, and other major carriers; Travel-Link (310/445-7705), Travel Shoppe of America (310/247-8995), and Travel International (310/327-5143), all using the very same well-known carriers. The chief attractions Taiwan's capital city, Taipei, has the major sights, which begin with the awesome National Palace Museum (see below) but also include the busy streets of the more traditionally Asian northwestern sector of the city (especially around Tihua Street), the famous night markets (I prefer the older Huahsi to the modernized Shihlin), an amazing selection of restaurants, and many traditional structures. The latter include the venerable Lungshan Temple, with its separate Buddhist and Taoist altars to Kwan Yin (goddess of mercy) and Matsu (goddess of the sea); the fascinating Lin An-tai House, a good example of a rich property-owner's abode; and the aforementioned Chiang Kai-shek Memorial, particularly on Sundays, when there is bound to be some kind of activity there. The Champs-Elysees of Taipei is Chung Shan North Road, a tree-lined boulevard flanked by tall, modern buildings and fronted by elegant shops, luxury hotels, and power-status businesses. Just behind the avenue, though, on either side, are little lanes crammed with older buildings, moderately priced restaurants, and small shops, evocative of an earlier time. For getting around, a taxi ride of even a half hour's duration costs only NT$90 ($2.90). There are more than 38,000 taxis in Taipei, more than double the number of cabs in New York City, where the population is itself more than double that of Taipei! Your budget-priced lodgings Affected by a recent downturn in Taiwan's economy, the current asking price for rooms is almost universally 20 percent less than the published rates of hotels. I've quoted the discounted rates below, which are the "walk-in" rates, so don't settle for higher quotes if you try to reserve ahead. If you really are a walk-in, you can sometimes get 30 percent off. You'll want to stay, I firmly believe, in the northwest quadrant of Taipei, the older part of the city, where most of the important sights are and where you can experience a feeling of the classic China. And in a moderate price bracket (I'll quote cheaper properties below), you'll surely like the Hotel Leofoo, 168 Changchun Road, tel. 2507-3211, fax 2508-2070, an older property full of Chinese character and beautifully situated in the heart of the Old Town, where it charges NT$2,400 ($77) for a double room, including breakfast for two. Though the Leofoo is ten stories high and has 232 rooms, it feels more "Old China" than its nearby competitors. Runner-up and more expensive at NT$3,800 ($122.79) per double room is the Taipei Fortuna Hotel, 122 Chung Shan North Road, Section 2, tel. 2563-1111, fax 2561-9777, e-mail fortuna@ms9.hinet.net; taipei-fortuna.com.tw, with its 14 floors and 304 rooms of first-class ultramodern amenities, including three restaurants (one revolving), a health club, and more. And consider the Hotel Capital, 187 Changchun Road, tel. 2507-0168, fax 2507-4620, another modern property with 11 floors and a lobby waterfall. When I last stopped in, the Capital offered me a 30 percent discount, making the twin room rate NT$3,040 ($98). In the budget category ($45 to $59 per room), my own favorite is the Kilin Hotel, 103 Kangding Road, tel. 2331-8133, fax 2314-7070, on a busy commercial street of old shops and various businesses and close to the popular Lungshan Temple; it has two restaurants and 154 slightly old-fashioned but clean rooms at NT$2,200 ($71) per double, tax and service charge not included. Try, alternately, the Green Peak, 18 Lane 77, Chung Shan North Road, Section 2, tel. 2511-2611, fax 2563-8765, a modest six-floor building housing both the hotel and an excellent Taiwanese restaurant (separate entrance), with 45 small but comfortable rooms starting at NT$1,980 ($64) for a twin. In the rock-bottom category (under $40 per double room) are several pleasant spots: The Royal, 5-1 Hwaining Street, is located next door to the Paradise (see above) and is a neighbor to the excellent Shang Ping restaurant (see below). Phone them at 2311-1668, fax 2331-7299, and expect to pay NT$1,250 ($40) for a big double bed, NT$1,460 ($47) for twins. Gwo Shiuan, 10 Jinjou Street, tel. 2521-5205, fax 2551-8006, has a good location near the pricier Fortuna and 56 tiny rooms from as low as NT$1,170 ($38). There's also the Paradise, adjoining the Royal, at 7 Hwaining Street, tel. 2331-3311, fax 2381-3586, with a gloomy lobby but adequate rooms renting from NT$900 ($29). Finally, there's the reliable Taipei Hostel, 11 Lane 5, Lin Shen North Road (6th floor), tel. 2395-2950, fairly clean and very bright, charging only NT$250 to $550 ($8 to $17.77) for its dorm beds and rooms, respectively. Budget dining in Taipei One of Taiwan's chief delights is an abundance of different styles of Chinese cuisine, especially in Taipei, reflecting not only the influx in 1949 of mainland Chinese from every part of the country but a determined effort by these Chinese regional groupings to preserve their culture in all its aspects. Most Chinese restaurants do not have English-language menus, but many display photos of their dishes so that you can point and pick in the event that you and your waiter or the owner can't communicate with words. To economize, look for the business lunch -- main course, soup, tea, and rice often for only NT$200 ($6.45). I quote lunch prices below, dinner being about 20 percent higher, maximum, in my experience. Remember that pork and chicken are cheaper, beef (imported) and seafood more costly. A first regional choice: for the hearty cuisine associated with Shanghai, visit Shang Ping, 1 Hwaining Street (next door to Keyman's Hotel), where shredded beef and green pepper are NT$198 ($6.40), pork with garlic NT$188 ($6), and steamed or fried tofu NT$158 ($5.10). For Beijing-style cuisine, try Celestial, a well-known spot at 1 Nanking West Road (2nd-4th floors, 2563-2171), where shredded pork with vegetables costs NT$200 ($6.45), beef with scallions NT$220 ($7), green onion cake NT$25 (80¢), and dumplings only NT$12 (40¢) each. For Hunan food, try Charming Garden, 16 Nanking East Road, Section 1 (2521-4131), for its famously spicy dishes; and for Cantonese, Ya Yuen Seafood Restaurant, 26 Changchun Street, 2nd floor (2543-5513), where deep-fried grouper balls with pickle sauce run NT$190 ($6.10), as does sauteed shredded pork with vegetables. Elsewhere, Mongolian barbecue, a wonderful do-it-yourself process, can be had at Tan Kung, 283 Sungchiang Road, 2nd floor (2502-6762), featuring all you can eat for NT$299 ($9.65). You pick the raw ingredients at a bar (English-language signs denote pork, beef, lamb, veal, and vegetables), which are then cooked for you. Chinese culture As we said earlier, perhaps the most important reason to visit Taiwan is the National Palace Museum, containing the single best collection of Chinese art in the world. Brought from Beijing just before the Communists captured it in 1949, these works of art are from the Forbidden City and were once the property of the emperors of China. There are excellent guided audio tours in English, with good English booklets and maps at the information desk to the left, just inside the entrance, as well as English-language tours at 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. Admission: NT$80 ($2.50). Take buses 255 or 304 to reach the famous museum. And bear in mind that frequently changing exhibits of Chinese art are also presented at the Taipei Fine Arts Museum, 181 Chung Shan North Road, Section 3 (2595-7656), and at the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) Cultural Center, 54 Nanhai Road, Monday through Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturdays from noon to 6. At the National Fu Hsing Dramatic Arts Academy, you can see a Chinese opera such as the Drama of the White Snake following an explanatory film in English every Monday and Thursday from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The cost is NT$400 ($12.90). You get to the academy, at 177 Neihu Road, Section 2, by taxi, about NT$200 ($6.45) from downtown Taipei, or by city bus 247 or 287 from the main railway station. You can try to learn Mandarin Chinese in private lessons at NT$350 per hour ($11.30) or in small groups at NT$200 per hour ($6.45) starting every Monday or Tuesday at My School, 126-8 Hsin Sheng South Road, Section 1, 2nd floor (2321-7826, fax 2394-5750). Evening entertainment On a recent visit, no fewer than four venues -- -the National Theatre, National Concert Hall, Recital Hall, and Experimental Theater -- presented 64 different events in music and dance over a one-month period, ranging from Taiwanese opera to the Philadelphia Orchestra to the Zen Dance Theatre to a "Gala Concert for Flutes." And there are night tours of Taipei offered by Edison Travel (2563-5313) for a reasonable NT$1,200 ($38.80), considering that the price includes a full Mongolian barbecue dinner, visits to the Lungshan Temple and the Hwahsi Night Market, and a night view from atop the Taipei Observatory. Side trips If you have the extra time, you might enjoy a day trip from Taipei to Danshuei, a typical small Taiwanese village full of history, to the northwest of the capital, on the ocean. It can be reached easily in about 40 minutes on the MRT rail system from Taipei's main station, and trains run every six to eight minutes. A second day trip might be to Sanshia, just one hour south of Taipei, where an army of artists and construction workers has for years been rebuilding the Sanshia Tzushr Temple in traditional style, the work still not quite finished but dramatic enough to make this trip worthwhile. Also an hour away, at Lungtan, is "Window on China," the second-largest collection of miniature structures in the world (after Holland's Madurodam), displaying famous sites from all over the world, including China's Great Wall and Forbidden City. The best public transport here is by the Taiwan Bus Company, departing frequently from the Far Eastern Department Store on Paoching Road or on Gueiyang Street near Soochow University's downtown campus. Simply scanning the street scene is an endless source of fascination. The area code for Taiwan is 886, and the city code for Taipei is 2. To reach any Taipei number from the United States, dial 011-886-2, then the numbers we've listed. The rate of exchange inthis article is NY$31 to one U.S .dollar.

Just another loud, bustling afternoon in Seoul's hip downtown shopping district of Myong-dong. Gigglesome schoolgirls yak on designer cell phones as they stroll arm-in-arm down crowded lanes lined with clothes shops (goodness, so much black this season) and eateries -- both Western fast-food and local. One store blasts Korean-language hip-hop out onto the street, while down the block a Christian evangelist tries to compete by bellowing his spiel interspersed with slurred, off-key snatches of "Auld Lang Syne." Another guy's selling a boxful of adorable fuzzy pups (for pets, not lunch). Amid all this sensory overload, suddenly a blotch of red and green zigs and zags through the throng: a woman in a traditional silk hanbok, Korea's answer to the kimono or the sari. Who knows what the deal is there? A bride late for her wedding picture? A gonged-out refugee from a folkloric troupe? No matter -- it's like glimpsing the ancient soul of the nation flitting silently through the noisy modern megalopolis. Modern and mega certainly do describe this capital of 11 million -- yet unexpectedly dotting the glass, steel, and concrete sprawl are lovely tucked-away pockets of the "land of the morning calm," the Korea that was: palaces and gardens and marvelously atmospheric old neighborhoods. And beyond Seoul other gems await. Topping the list are Kyongju, the old imperial capital with a millennium's worth of awesome antiquities, and Cheju Island, a semitropical offshore haven with its own singular culture and feel. For a very different kind of history -- the Cold War -- there's nothing else in the world like the DMZ, where U.S. and South Korean troops still tensely guard against the still real menace of Stalinist North Korea (you can't go on your own; day tours from Seoul start at $40). Many of the relatively few Americans who visit do so as a stopover on the way to "bigger fish" like China and Japan. But this particular minnow still manages to pack enough to see and experience to fill at least a couple of weeks. Its cuisine and culture are fascinating -- uniquely Korean forms whose flavor lies somewhere between Japanese and Chinese. The same could be said for its geography -- half of a peninsula hanging down from Manchuria -- and prices that, thanks to the Asian economic crisis that started in the summer of 1997, range from refreshingly affordable to downright amazing for Americans. The U.S. greenback just recently bought more than 1,175 won (everywhere abbreviated as W) compared to 890 in May 1997, which though not as high as a year ago still means a major boost in Yank buy power. Whether shopping for an extraordinary bargain in custom-tailored clothing, enjoying a deluxe hotel for less than $100 a night, or gorging on a 20-course dinner for under $12, this is the time to experience another, truly one-of-a-kind side of Asia. SEOUL SEARCHING The capital of it all is a souped-up mix of past, present, and future. But just as you think you're about to drown in canyons of steel, you stumble into oases like the gargantuan palace complex Gyeongbokgung (entry fee W1000, or 85¢), reminiscent of Peking's Forbidden City, or the smaller, even more gorgeous Changdeokgung ($1.96). Then, too, there are low-slung old quarters like Insa-dong, with its teahouses, crafts shops, and antiques stores, graced with sweeping pagoda-style tile roofs. Explore on your own using the very navigable subway system (60¢-70¢), or grab a bus tour ($27 for a half-day guided tour). Traditional culture's also very much alive and kicking; don't miss one of the spectacular (sometimes downright acrobatic) performances of ancient court and folk music; ticket prices range from $17.50-$25.50 for the superb Chongdong Theater to just $6.80-$8.50 at the National Center for Korean Traditional Performing Arts. Jock-watchers might appreciate an exciting bout of traditional wrestling or a battle between the Samsung Lions and the Haitai Tigers for $5-$8.50 (baseball is a passion here as in Japan). Then of course there's that great American (and Korean) sport, shopping -- and Seoul boasts some world-class options at bargain-basement prices. In choosing a base of operations for all this, you'll find a plentiful supply of budget-friendly lodgings. The Hamilton Hotel, a brick box on the foreigner-popular shopping and entertainment avenue of Itaewon, offers amenities including a pool and its own mall for a reasonable $99. Over in Myongdong, doubles with private bath at the Savoy start at $116 nightly, and nearby the Metro offers much the same for $68. If you're really looking to stretch that won, consider a yogwan (sometimes translated as "inn," sometimes as "motel"). Comparable to the European pension, they range from disgusting fleabags run by shady characters to simple but well-maintained family establishments. The Korean National Tourism Organization can provide a list of budget inns, but two winners in the charming old Insa-dong area are clean, right off the main street, and offer a night in a double room with bath, A/C, phone, and TV for $21. The Han Hung Jang is run by friendly Shin Kyu Park and her son and (English-speaking) daughter-in-law, while several doors down Kyong Guk Kim operates the Kwan Hoon Jang with his wife and son -- and they'll also feed you for about $3 a meal. CAPTIVATING GYEONGJU Not to be confused with other similarly named places like Kwangju, this eastern city is a national treasure well worth at least an overnighter from Seoul. Yes, it's now got high-rises, a commercialized downtown, and a resort district at Pomun Lake jammed with hotels and an amusement park. But Gyeongju is also home to two of Asia's most magnificent ancient monuments, both UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The eighth-century seated Buddha at Seokguram Grotto ($2.50) is awe-inspiring, as is the nearby sixth-century Bulguksa temple ($2.50), where you can (discreetly) watch real Buddhist monks and nuns going about their devotions. Other must-sees include huge mounds housing royal tombs, the Gyeongju National Museum with its 11-foot-tall "Divine Bell," and compounds where residents have added a fridge here and a TV there to a lifestyle otherwise little changed in centuries. You can see it all on a bus tour ($47 with a local outfit, including lunch, or $250 overnight from Seoul, including meals and hotel), or rent a car for $42 per day. A good lodging choice downtown is the salmon-colored yogwan Bomun Shillajang, where a double runs $21 a night. If you're feeling adventurous, blow an additional $8.25 on an ondul, a traditional Korean-style room where you have to take off your shoes to walk on the floor (covered with thick paper, oiled and varnished) and your bed is a futon on the same; practically every hotel in the country offers ondul rooms, but caveat dormitor: make sure your back is up to the experience. Most Gyeongju hotels are out at Pomun Lake, a $6.75 taxi ride from downtown or 35¢ to 60¢ by public bus. The Samgwang Grace has modern, pleasant, and comfy doubles with baths and amenities for $42 (plus all meals served for $5 to $8.30 each), but right up the road at the Swiss Rosen, $68 will buy you something similar in a much snazzier designer hotel. No, there's nothing particularly Swiss about the place (they just liked the name), but it's a beaut for the bucks. The Koreans like to think of this 42-by-24-mile isle (also referred to as Jeju-do) as their very own Hawaii. Well, the palm trees are imported, but they do have several things in common: impressive scenery, volcanic origins, a balmy climet (Jeju's average year-round temperature is 60 degrees), and an ancient, separate language and cultural tradition. Or to compare with Japan, if Seoul is the Tokyo of Korea and imperial Gyeongju the Kyoto, then Jeju's not unlike Okinawa. It's a vacation and honeymoon getaway mostly for Koreans and Japanese, but one that hasn't yet been paved over. Apart from loads of natural beauty (lovely waterfalls, lava formations including the world's longest lava tube, South Korea's highest peak), there's plenty of evidence of the Mongol-influenced local culture to explore. Burial mounds encircled by walls of lava rocks dot the hillsides. Mysterious harubang-ancient humanoid statues pop up all over the place (originals, copies, and images on everything from buses to harubang-shaped phone booths). Groups of distinctive, white-garbed women divers plumb the coasts for sea critters. Old-style mud-and-thatch houses can still be seen right in the main towns; the rest are in the touristy but still lived-in village of Songup and the Colonial Williamsburg-style Jeju Folk Village (for an entry fee of $3.40 a great visit). And don't forget the botanical, from one of Asia's largest gardens to the Bunjae Artpia ($6), an impressive one-of-a-kind park filled with 2,000 bonsai trees. You can rent a car for$48 a day(the roads are quite good); take a daylong tourist association bus tour for $27; or even book a package from Seoul (a typical two-nighter might cost around $170, including air, hotel, and daily breakfast). Naturally, there's no shortage of hotels and restaurants, and the exchange rate translates into great bang for your buck even at top-end spots. But budget options are pretty good, too, especially in the capital, Jeju-Shi. The blue-and-white, three-year-old City Hotel is a stylish choice where a double goes for $42.50. Just down the hill, the also newish Hotel Jeju Core offers comparable rooms and amenities (plus a slightly better location closer to downtown) for $33 per double. Seoul for sale The quality of Korea's manufacturing and the strength of the U.S. dollar make for some incredible Seoul savings, especially leather and clothing for both sexes. Check out hip Myong-dong and the Nam Dae Mun street markets; for top-quality custom-made duds (how about $225 for an entire men's suit?), look up the better tailors in the Itaewon shopping/entertainment district. Korea counseling All calls to South Korea need to be preceded by 011-82, then the area code minus the initial zero. There's a 13-hour time difference from the U.S. East Coast, 10 hours from the West Coast. For general information, contact the Korean National Tourism Organization (with branches in Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York): 800/868-7567; knto.or.kr. In Seoul, 10 Da-dong, Chung-gu; 02/757-0086, fax 02/777-0102. Getting there Six airlines have service from the U.S., including nonstops on KAL (800/438-5000; koreanair.com) and Asiana (800/227-4262; asiana.co.kr); others include United and Northwest. Current consolidator and online fares can be as low as $700 from the East Coast, $500 from the West. Getting around Intercity ground transport is reasonably priced. The trip from Seoul to Gyeongju, for example, takes about four to four-and-a-half hours, with one-way bus fares starting at $13.40 and train at $24.40. The one-hour flight to the nearest airport, at Busan (an hour's drive from Gyeongju), costs $53 each way. Flying is the only practical way to get to Jeju Island from Seoul; it also takes an hour and costs about $63 one-way. Vouchers for the Korea Rail Pass can be purchased in the U.S, through America Tour Consulting (212/643-0766, ustravel.co.kr); a three-day pass good for travel on any train in the country costs $47. Lodging leads Korea Hotel Reservations Center (in U.S., 800/251-4848, fax 914/426-7338; khrc.com). Korean Youth Hostel Association (02/725-3031, fax 02/725-3113). LABO homestay programs (02/817-4625; fax 02/813-7047; labostay.or.kr). Korea Budget Inns Reservation Center (02/757-0086; fax 02/777-0102; knto.or.kr), Korea Lodging Reservation Center (ktell.com) Seoul hotels (area code 02) Hamilton Hotel (119-25 Itaewon-Dong, Yong San-Ku. 794-0171; fax 795-0457). Han Hung Jang Yogwan (99 Kwanhoon-Dong, Jongro-Ku. 734-4265) Kwan Hoon Jang Yogwan (95 Kwanhoon-Dong, Jongro-Ku. 732-1682). Metro Hotel (199-33, Eulchi-Ro, 2-Ka, Choong-Ku. 752-1112; fax 757-4411). Hotel Savoy (23-1, 1-Ka, Chumgmu-Ro, Choong-Ku. 776-2641; fax 755-7669; savoy.co.kr). Seoul restaurants Morangak (corner of Chungmuro and Fashion Streets, Myongdong. 777-2343). Myongdong Kyoja (25 Myongdong 2-ga. 776-5348). Myongdong Chigae (off Myongdong 2-ga. 752-6800). Sok Jung (193-1 Insa-dong, Chongnogu. 734-0916). Gyeongju hotels (area code 0561) Bomun Shillajang (243-5 Hwangoh-dong, downtown. 749-6622). Swiss Rosen Hotel (242-19 Shinpyong-dong, Pomun Lake. 748-4848; fax 748-0094). Samgwang Grace Hotel (242-14 Shinpyong-dong, Pomun Lake. 745-0404; fax 745-0409). Gyeongju restaurants Chang-u-dong (89 Nodong-dong, downtown. 772-2692). Won Pung (Hwangnam-dong, near downtown. 772-8630). Jeju hotels (area code 064) Hotel Cheju Core (304-13 Yon-dong, Cheju-Shi. 744-6600; fax 747-7001). City Hotel (306-13 Yon-dong, Cheju-Shi. 749-1851; fax 744-8945). Lions Hotel (803 Sogwi-dong, downtown Sogwipo. 762-4141; fax 733-3617). Hotel Napoli (587-3 Sogwi-dong, downtown Sogwipo. 733-4701; fax 733-4802). Jeju restaurants Gin Go Gae (319-23 Sogwi-dong, downtown Sogwipo (opposite Hotel Top. 733-5089). Jin Ju (313-10 Sogwi-dong, downtown Sogwipo. 762-5158).

The Grenadines are prized among yachties, but even the sailing challenged can take a $6 ferry from the "mainland" of St. Vincent, where Pirates of the Caribbean was filmed, to Bequia (BECK-wee). This squiggle of an isle has a charming port, a thriving artist's culture, and these don't-miss highlights. Untouched beaches As befitting a place you haven't heard of, the seashore is virtually pristine. Hail a water taxi to Princess Margaret Beach (she swam there in 1958, and it seems like few people have since) or go overland (dollar mini-trucks with bench seats) to laid-back Lower Bay Beach. There, when you're tired of playing in the calm turquoise water, check out the tropical watercolors and silk paintings at Claude Victorine's studio at the end of the beachside road. Hamilton fort On the hill above the pastel clothing boutiques, grocery stores, and cafés of Port Elizabeth, a few cannons stand as a reminder of the French, who fortified the site in the 18th century, and the English, who later held it. The battery's mostly gone, but the view of sailboats anchored in Admiralty Bay is still worth fighting over. Oldhegg turtle sanctuary As a boy, Orton "Brother" King watched his grandfather hunt sea turtles off Bequia. After years as a diving fisherman himself, he realized he had to do something to help the dwindling species. Follow the road past Industry Bay to visit the shelter where King has rescued more than 680 baby hawksbills since 1995. Model sailboats At the Boat House, above Friendship Bay, Kingsley "Prop" King carves gum boats (named after the wood of which they're made) of up to three feet long. Most Sundays, owners of the larger gum boats race near Paget Farm, the fishing community on the south coast. The Thursday night "jump-up" Every week, there's a barbecue and free steel-pan music at the harborside Frangipani Hotel, a noted watering hole. You're guaranteed to see everyone you've met on Bequia. The old fort One of the island's oldest buildings is a fortified-stone French plantation house from the 1700s, now a six-room country inn. It's a walk to a beach, but there's a pool and a stirring panorama of the nearby islands. $95 to $140 for a double, 784/458-3440, theoldfort.com.