TRAVEL: Tatyana Kildisheva takes us on a cycling tour of South Korea.

If you love cycling and crisp autumn air, head to South Korea in October to ride the bike paths winding through the most gorgeous scenery and quirky towns. During that time of
year, weather in the region is generally dry with lots of sunshine and temperatures of 15-20C, which make for very pleasant cycling conditions.

Somewhat overlooked by many tourists heading mostly to Seoul and DMZ, the Four Rivers Cycleway from Seoul to Busan runs southeast for over 600km. Most of the way, it’s a designated, well sign-posted cycling path, equipped with a few tourist information centres and even certification centres, where a cyclist can pick up a special passport to get stamps at booths along the way as proof of completing the route. Afterwards, a special certificate is issued by the authorities and a medal is presented to the finisher. It’s not a race though, so it can be done in any amount of days. You set your pace.

Three of us – my partner John, our friend Denis and I – landed in Seoul on a fresh morning in mid-October and took a train one stop up from the airport. We removed our bikes from their boxes, and after an hour of assembly, we were good to go.

We did not know really what to expect from the path and from cycling in South Korea at all. The only information about the route we had was pretty generic and just taken from the Four Rivers Cycleway official website.

However, seeing South Korea on a bicycle did not disappoint. The cycleway runs from north to south diagonally in the middle of the peninsula, which affords many sightseeing opportunities of cities, smaller towns, villages and the glorious landscape. Due to flooding in the past, many rivers are controlled by dams now, which run across bodies of water and are only accessible to cyclists and pedestrians with no cars allowed. It was such a nice surprise to have such freedom of movement on super wide dams with no motor traffic.

Each dam had a distinct design for its towers; some looked pretty futuristic, but some had funny figurines and bike silhouette engravings. The path itself and the facilities looked sparkling new and very clean with lots of local cyclists around on the weekends but mostly deserted during the week.

Being foreign tourists, we attracted lots of attention. Despite most people speaking little-to-no English, and us lacking in any knowledge of Korean whatsoever, we were still able to communicate in signs and gestures. The great language of travel, right? The locals smiled and expressed their approval of our long cycling journey in their beautiful country. Some were eager to take photos with us, and on many occasions we were given different Korean treats, which was very endearing. A few local cyclists rode along with us making small talk and sharing tips on cycling in the area. They were always welcoming, friendly and helpful.

It was incredible to see the country open up in front of our eyes. We passed by mountains and cycled through canyons, over rivers and alongside reservoirs. While we were traveling, the weather got colder and the leaves started changing colour to the most beautiful shades of yellow, orange and red.

After finishing the cycleway near Busan, we decided to go on and complete the loop by going north on the west coast of the Korean Peninsula, making it a 1,442km cycle route through the stunning country over 18 days.

The geography of the Korean peninsula is quite varied. While the country is very densely populated with many cities, towns and villages, we saw a lot of nature too during our ride. We had a chance to admire local agriculture with endless rice, soybean, cabbage and carrot fields, and the sweet smell of apple orchards and persimmon trees travelled with us along the road. Since it was harvest time, the streets in the villages were partially taken up by long tarpaulins full of rice, left out for drying on the road.

It was amazing to discover that even away from the Four Rivers Cycleway, lots of the towns were equipped with designated bike paths and cycling was quite easy with the roads proving perfectly smooth. When we left the paths, we ventured into the mountains on our bikes and hit a few climbs of over 500m, the most notable of which was Jirisan Mountain. Every view we were treated to was simply breath-taking.

Korean food also deserves a special mention in this article! First of all, we noticed that restaurants can be found everywhere, even in places one would not expect to find eating establishments, like in the middle of nowhere alongside a field. The fare was incredibly varied with different textures and tastes, at times spicy and pungent. The dishes we ate were (mostly) great with lots of fish, different meats and vegetables. We developed a special love for dishes that were tiny in portion size yet large in numbers, which often arrived free of charge with the main meal: all kinds of vegetable pickles, kimchi, potato salad, fermented beans and chestnuts, and even deep fried fish spine! However, we did have a few fiascos ordering: when not being able to read anything on one of the menus, we resorted to pointing to the dishes the local patrons were having. Once, this resulted in ordering a huge dish with raw squid bathed in very spicy ice cold broth. We just couldn’t master eating that one!

At the end of our journey, we rode north from Seoul to the DMZ area, seeing triple barbed wire fences everywhere. We then visited the Unification Museum and gazed through a binocular to the North. The views did not differ much from the peaceful pastoral landscapes of South Korea, but we definitely sensed some Cold War breeze coming our way.

The trip was wonderful and we are planning our return to cycle the west coast of Korea in the future. We suggest you give it a try too.

FEATURED PARTNER: Allied Pickford’s Mel Syers, Regional Manager – Consumer, Asia & Middle East.

Why is it so important for Allied Pickfords to work with the ANZA community?
Allied Pickfords Singapore has been a long-time partner of ANZA and in turn the ANZA community has become very important to us. We believe in supporting our customers, not just physically from one location to another, but helping them make the most out of the experience they have throughout their time spent in their adopted country. As ANZA’s membership represents multiple nationalities and cultures, we feel the organisation has a great synergy with our global customer base.

What do you feel are the major trials facing expats when moving to Singapore?
A relocation anywhere in the world is considered among the top stressors in a person’s or family’s life – up there with a bereavement or a divorce. Although Singapore is a modern metropolis, some will face cultural trials and yearn for home – particularly if this is your first overseas posting. My advice? Get involved with groups and organisations like ANZA to build yourself a network, and make sure you use a reputable and accredited moving company to ensure that your precious household goods are treated with the utmost care.

Classic Singapore Story that sums up life as an expat on the Little Red Dot?
After living here in Singapore for 16 years, it is hard to choose just one!  For me, the most iconic Singaporean pastime is that of “Choping” – particularly prevalent in the city areas. Being able to reserve your table at a food centre with no more than a mini packet of tissues- and that everyone else around respects your reservation – just shows what a harmonious and considerate place Singapore is. Further to that, who could deny that Changi Airport is one of the most functionally amazing airports in the world – where else can you have wheels down on the tarmac, bags collected and be walking through your front door within 45 minutes?

Top 3 activity recommendations for families…
Singapore can be expensive, but there are ways to have fun on a budget. Surprisingly, there is a lot to see on the Little Red Dot.

• HortPark and Southern Ridges Walk – a great walk through the treetops.
• Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve – a mangrove forest teeming with wildlife activity.
• Singapore Zoo and Night Safari – a must see; possibly the best Animal reserve in the world

Hidden gem when travelling this part of the world with the family?
A great little holiday spot for the whole family is Ao Nang Beach in Krabi, Southern Thailand. Away from the bustle of places like Phuket, the pace is slower and the local people are extremely friendly. It also has easier access to the nearby islands by bum boat than Phuket.

Why is Singapore so great for families?
First and foremost, the safety of Singapore is the envy of many countries who would like to establish themselves as a business or tourist hub. However, on personal level, it is the freedom of letting my children talk to people on the street, to catch public transport safely on their own, and knowing I can get in a cab on my own at any time of the day or night and have confidence that I will reach my destination safely. I am also always in awe of how everything in Singapore is accessible to families – restaurants, public transport, public housing, condominiums, shopping centres etc – all seem to cater to the needs of families.  It shows that the country has deep seeded family-centric values.

ANZA Action and Casual Coffee are delighted to be supporting the Singapore Cancer Charity with their annual Biggest Morning Tea! Read how this charity helps those in need.

Mdm Irmawati, 40, was diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer in 2013. And she was 32 weeks pregnant…

Mdm Irmawati first discovered a lump in her left breast at the age of 20 which was non-cancerous. In 2011, she found a lump in the right breast. Thinking that the lump would also be non-cancerous, she ignored it. Two years later she felt multiple lumps and went to consult a doctor who advised her to go for a biopsy. But just before her biopsy, she found out that she was pregnant with her second child.

She decided not to go for the biopsy as she did not want anything to affect the foetus. But as the months went by, her back pain became unbearable and she was strongly advised by her doctor to do the biopsy test. Mdm was diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer.

She was given morphine daily to manage the pain and she underwent a C-Section at 34 weeks. After giving birth, she underwent six cycles of chemotherapy (once every three weeks) and hormone therapy for six months.

Despite intensive treatment, sadly she suffered a relapse and was treated with a higher dosage of chemotherapy again weekly. Her family supported her very closely throughout her ordeal with her young children giving her the motivation and will power to overcome their struggles.

These struggles included financial difficulties. Which is where the Singapore Cancer Society (SCS) could offer help.

SCS has been supporting Mdm Irmawati with SCS Cancer Treatment Fund (CTF) for her CT scans, blood tests and chemotherapy since April 2015. Her daughter, who is in Secondary School, receives aid from our SCS Education Financial Assistance Scheme and tuition (under the SCS Help the Children and Youth Programme).

Patients are referred by their doctors or medical social workers for SCS CTF. Since the inception of CTF in 2005, more than $15.4 million has been disbursed to more than 4,635 cancer patients.

Cancer diagnosis can impose a tremendous financial burden on the patient and family especially for needy families. SCS provides a range of assistance schemes to alleviate the financial burden for needy Singaporeans and Permanent Residents. They provide cancer patients with avenues for assistance at every stage of treatment: from pre-treatment, when they are first diagnosed with cancer, during treatment and beyond.

You can help with the great work of the SCS by supporting ANZA Action and Casual Coffee’s Biggest Morning Tea. Come along to the event at the Australian High Commissioner’s Residence on Friday 29 June. Mark it in your diaries and support Singapore Cancer Society. Register here.

With thanks to Singapore Cancer Society for sharing Mdm Irmawati’s story.