Surrounded by oceans and covered in mountains, during the summer adventure opportunities in South Korea are endless — mountain hiking and sea kayaking around the many coastal islands top of the list.

But take a bike and you’ll be free to explore the world’s longest and most highly engineered network of car-free paths. The multi-million-dollar bike network currently covers 1,677 miles and will, when finished, extend to 3,106 miles, through forests, down river valleys and over mountain crests. The routes are dotted with guesthouses and eateries to keep cyclists sustained along their way.

Koreans prefer to lay mats on the floor to sleep, although the more Westernised hotels have rooms with beds. While there are some good four-star hotels in the area, including the Dragon Valley Hotel in YyongPyong and Intercontinental in Alpensia, one of the best ways to experience South Korea properly is with a local family in a homestay, the traditional accommodation option for visitors.

During the Winter Olympics around 900 local PyeongChang families have been accredited to offer “homestays”, generating huge income in the area. As a result of this, the Organising Committee PyeongChang Organising Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (POCOG) has been awarded the ISO20121, an international standard for minimising the burden on local communities and maximising the benefits.

Thirteen local temples across the Gangwan region have also been opened to accommodate visitors for the Games, staffed with volunteer translators, and around the country South Korea’s Temple Stay programme is gearing up to host increased numbers of tourists — and offer visitors an insight into Korean Buddhism.

Where To Eat In Pyongchang

Base lodges on the slopes are also fairly devoid of character, but they offer an incredible change to the usual ski resort fodder: steaming bowls of noodles or the nation’s unofficial national comfort food bibimbap (mixed rice, vegetables and broth) — tasty, healthy and hearty lunches for around £4 a pop.

“Never lose your plastic hotel key card — hefty fines will result, and you risk upsetting your hosts.”

Where To Drink In Pyeonchang

South Koreans aren’t huge on drinking. You shouldn’t try to order alcohol without ordering a side dish (see box) and you have to be seated to drink.

While in Pheonix Park there are several different nighclubs in the basement of its fairly unattractive high-rise hotels, in the country’s largest ski resorts, YyongPyong, nightlife is centred around a food court, arcade games area, huge bowling alley, singing room “fun” and karaoke “square” but the “pub” is a pretty soul-less, brightly lit affair with little character and not somewhere you’ll while away the hours drinking beer after beer.

Local Tips For Pyeonchang

Don’t ever lose your plastic hotel key card — hefty fines will result, and you risk upsetting your hosts.

Take your shoes off when entering a room — that includes hotel rooms, tea rooms, homes, restaurants.

Don’t order alcohol without a side dish of food, and don’t drink standing up.

Getting There

British Airways flies directly from London Heathrow to Seoul’s Incheon Airport (ICN) in just under 11 hours.

Ski Safari offers a combined trip with South Korea and Japan called the Ski Asia Safari, prices from £2195.

Exodus offers a 12-night cultural tour of South Korea including a temple stay from £3995

For more information on visiting Korea, see www.gokorea.co.uk

Read more from our February Olympic issue here.

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