MY MEMORIES of the Land of the Morning Calm, South Korea, are etched with beautiful images of falling snow, strange hotpots and spectacular tombs and temples.

Arriving in Seoul, my friends and I took a connecting flight to Jeju Island, a popular honeymoon destination.

With its magnificent volcanic landscapes, scenic waterfalls, dramatic cliffs, lush greenery and sandy beaches, the island nicknamed Hawaii of the Orient provides a stunning backdrop for the wedding couples. Even in winter, the temperature is mild, and it seldom snows. But, on my trip there, it did. It was sheer magic waking up to my first glimpse of snowfall.

Among the natural sights worth visiting on Jeju is Yongduam or Dragon’s Head Rock and Manjang Cavern — the world’s longest lava tube.

If the weather is not too cold, you may be able to catch Jeju’s famed mermaids in action. These haenyeo or diving women, for hundreds of years, have been diving off Jeju’s coast to collect shellfish, seaweed, sea urchins and octopus. Till today, most of them still dive just by holding their breaths. The only apparent change — they now don sleek black wetsuits, a sign of modernity.

Seafood is almost a staple on Jeju. Spicy hotpots — ubiquitous on most Jeju restaurant menus — are a pungent concoction of strange shellfish, seafood (both the familiar and unidentifiable). But, they offer a somewhat welcome respite from the cold.

From Jeju, we travelled to the busy port city of Busan. One of its main attractions right on the waterfront is Jagalchi Fish Market. Here, I was caught up in a frenzy of sights, smells and sounds as fish mongers and customers hassle for the freshest seafood at the best prices. For those who swear by the maxim that you only live once, try eating a live baby octopus. Be sure to aim it entirely into your mouth though, for tentacles suctioning your cheeks are not a pretty sight, or feeling.

Then, we headed to the historical city of Gyeongju, located about 50km north of Busan. Once a centre of power in the Silla Dynasty, Gyeongju is spotted with granite statues, shrines, palace and fortress ruins. Dominating most of Gyeongju’s landscape, however, are numerous massive burial mounds.

These imposing hills, some rising tens of metres above ground, contain the tombs of former Silla kings. At Dumulli Park, more than 20 mounds can be found within walking distance and an excavated tomb allows visitors a peek at the jaw-dropping treasures buried with one of the kings. Nearby sits an ancient astronomical observatory tower which is one of the world’s oldest scientific structures that was built around 650AD.

A half-hour bus ride later brought us to South Korea’s most famous temple, the spectacular Bulguksa. Almost perfectly restored, the sprawling complex sits on a beautifully manicured hill. Together with neighbouring Seokguram Grotto, these two important Buddhist sites were bestowed Unesco World Heritage status in 1975.

From there, we made our way to Seoul, where you can sample the best of Korean cuisine. Local specialities to savour include ginseng chicken soups , Korea n BBQs, fast food fried chicken and soju, the alcoholic beverage of choice here.

Most of South Korea’s best ski resorts are in Gangwon province, including the very popular Yongpyong Resort where the popular drama Winter Sonata was filmed.

However, there are a number of established ones on the outskirts of Seoul where anyone can learn to ski or snowboard within a day, at reasonable rates. It sounds embarrassingly silly to admit that I broke both my skis on my maiden attempt. But, at least, now I can proudly say that I did try.