South Korea's capital set to lure stopover travellers

South Korea's stylish metropolis Seoul offers travellers to destinations such as Australia, Fiji, Hawaii and Vietnam a great chance to stopover and see the sights of the capital.

Located along the Hangang River, Seoul has many ancient palaces, gates, shrines, gardens and art collections to see alongside all the skyscrapers and traffic of the modern city.

Among the top visitor attractions are the ancient royal palaces of the Joseon Dynasty, which have traditional Korean landscaped gardens dotted with beautiful architectural structures, ponds and streams.

The main palace Gyeongbokgung located in the northern part of Seoul, has grand granite walkways that were made for the king to enjoy the gardens, which are noted for their flower-covered wall and an ornate 'guldduk' - a traditional outdoor chimney.

The palace's beautiful lotus ponds are another eye-catching attraction for visitors, which have been used to wow foreign dignitaries and hold special festivals.

To learn more about South Korean history and see more of Gyeongbokgung palace you can visit the National Folk Museum, which has displays encompassing Korean living throughout the ages.

Shopping is a major past-time in Seoul, and its 10 million residents are served by the large Namdaemun market, which has a thousand shops selling watches and other accessories, clothing, and just about anything you can think of.

If you are looking for electronic goods, then the Yongsan Electronics Market is in a district dedicated to electronic products.

A popular area for more upmarket shopping is Insa-dong, which has antique shops, book shops, art galleries, traditional teahouses and restaurants.

A good way of finishing off your stopover and getting a grasp of all the places you have seen is to go up Seoul Tower in Mount Namsan Park. The lofty structure has the best views over the city, as well as its own observatory and restaurant at the top.

Airlines offering stopovers in Seoul include Korea Air and Asiana Air

For more information, including accommodation, see www.tour2korea.comXXX