The breathtaking greenery of Hampyeong and an array of butterflies and balmy flowers become the perfect backdrop to the 10th annual Hampyeong Butterfly Festival that started in April and will go on till June 1, 2008 in the north west coast of south Jeollanam-do province in Korea.

Regarded as the best festival of Korea, the internationally promoted event combines environment, culture and tourism. The festival presents visitors an unforgettable and fantastic experience as the large-spotted butterflies, white butterflies, and yellow butterflies flutter among the yellow and purple flowers.

Special experiences for the tourists at the event are Butterfly mosaic puzzle, use of chopsticks etc. The eco friendly event holds various programs for the tourists such as pavilions of herbal medicines, dragonfly fantasy tunnels, shampooing in water infused with sweet flags silk worms, natural dyeing etc. A folk festival can also be enjoyed which showcases, traditional folk games, butterfly pottery, traditional straw craft, rice cake cooking, traditional food exhibition and much more.

For Further information, please contact TRAC Representations at 011-23730136.

Homestay horrors and how to avoid them

Anticipating the trend of city folks craving an exotic location, outdoor adventure and an experience of living in the lap of nature, many home stays/resorts with fancy cottages have sprouted in and around Coorg, Chikmagalur and Sakleshpur over the last few years. While some may think that this would boost tourism revenues for the state and also generate employment locally, there are other issues that are yet to be resolved. For one, there is no regulatory authority or association that keeps checks and balances on these so-called “homes” away from home.

Secondly, since the demand for such vacation stays outstrips the supply, almost all resorts exploit this situation by insisting on complete payment of tariff for the entire holiday stay while making the booking. The room tariffs at home stays/resorts are on the higher side ranging upwards of Rs 1200 per person per night. However the facilities in some of the fancy resorts and cottages are not worth the high price they command.

While travel guide books and attractive websites may paint a rosy picture, many tourists have come across dirty rooms, rats and cockroach infestation, poor service and bad food. Needless to say, most resorts include a “no refund policy” in their booking voucher, making it impossible for customers to cancel their stay in case of emergency. Some of the resorts are run by people who don't have the slightest clue about what the hospitality business and customer service entail, but are in the business to make a fast buck. These unscrupulous people try to keep their running costs by hiring child labour and having inadequate skeletal staff to look after guests. Reviews on travel websites present some of the bad experiences that people face.

My husband and I had a bad experience at a homestay we went to recently, but the District Forum of the Consumer Court passed an order in January 2008 in our favour and ordered the homestay to compensate us with the entire tariff amount.

These tips should help you choose a reliable home stay/hotel on your holiday:

- Don’t be fooled by fancy brochures and websites
- If the resort insists on full payment during booking, say that you will make partial advance payment and pay in full once you are at the resort
- If you are travelling with children ensure that you carry snacks, first aid and other supplies since most home stays are in remote locations that are not easily accessible by road.
- Carry a travel guide book so that you can shift to Plan B (look at alternative places nearby) in case you are stuck in a hell hole.

Priya Padmanabhan