A little island south of mainland Korea, favored by many Chinese and Koreans is Jeju-do. The island is super chill, and there are many things to do such as surfing, picking oranges, hiking a volcano, visiting the beautiful waterfalls, eating black pork (specialty) and more.
It's a quick getaway for people living in Korea, but on long weekends, plane tickets are sold out months ahead of time! If you are thinking of visiting Jeju, book your tickets as soon as possible or go with a tour group (less hassle of looking for flights, hotels, transportation, etc.).
My first time going to Jeju was with a tour company, geared towards English-speaking foreigners, called WinK Travels. It was a good experience with one exception: taking the company's chartered bus from Seoul to the ferry terminal (located at the southern tip of Korea) was not fun. The 5-hour bus ride was long and grueling (I am not a bus person). The company offered flight options, but that meant I would have missed out on some parts of the trip, such as going to Udo Island. Unless I flew out on Friday night and met them the next morning at the ferry terminal in Jeju, which meant I would have to get additional accommodations, and transportation to the ferry port. Plus, the flight option was more $$$.
Once, we got on the ferry it was smooth sailing! The ride took about 3 hours, and I slept the whole way there. As soon as we got to Jeju, we put our stuff on the private bus and got on another boat (20 min boat ride) to Udo Island. All the ferry fees were included in our package.
Udo Island's got its name because its shape resembles a cow lying down.
The island is pretty small, and any individual can cover it in less than a day. There are hop on and hop off buses around the island for a small fee. The bus station and ticket booth are located on the left from the ferry port.
We spent half the day frolicking around Udo, which was more than enough time.
For lunch, we had some cold noodle dish and paired it with some peanut makgeolli (rice wine). For dessert, we had some peanut ice cream. The island is very well known for their peanut flavored edibles. Both were delicious!
Later in the afternoon, we met up with our awesome tour guide, Ryan, by the ferry dock and made our way back to Jeju-do.
Here are some highlights of my trip in Jeju-do:
The Jusangjeolli Cliffs are on the southern coast of the island. The hexagonal rock formations are pretty cool, which were formed by lava. It has breathtaking views of the ocean, with crystal blue waters.
The Manjuggal Caves is a long lava tube/tunnel. It was a bit cold and dark walking through it. It is dimly lit, making it easy to walk through it. Since it is a cave, it is very damp so proper shoes should be worn. Bats live in the caves, but I didn't see them. I did see stalagmites and stalactites, which was pretty awesome.
Loveland Park: If anyone knows, Korea is very prudish and hush-hush about sexuality. Therefore, I was very interested in checking out the sex park. There are many tasteful erotic sculptures, as well as other types of artistic work. Be aware if you have young ones with you!
Jeongbang and Cheonjiyeon Waterfalls are both located in Seogwipo area. These are two wonderful waterfalls. The Jeongbang waterfall is the only one in Asia that the water goes directly into the ocean. The Cheonjiyeon (meaning a waterfall connecting the sky (Ch'eon) and land (ji)). The hike is a bit longer, and there are stairs. The scenic view on the walk down is picturesque. Both waterfalls are beautiful and mystical. There is a third waterfall called Cheonjeyeon aka as "God's Pond," but we did not get to visit this waterfall.
Seongsan Ilchulbong, "Sunrise Peak" looks like a cone crater. Supposedly it was formed when the volcano erupted under the ocean. Many people visit to see the sunrise but be careful because it's a bit of a hike up with lots of stairs. If you are lucky, you may be able to see "haenyo divers," which are Korean mermaids. These women can dive up to 20 meters, holding their breath for several minutes as they harvest for abalone, sea urchin, octopus, and seaweed.
Sanbanggulsa Grotto is a natural stone cave that houses a Buddhist Statue. Inside the cave, water drops from the top to a drinking well. Legend has it; the drops of water are tears of love. Supposedly, it is good luck to drink it. The walk up to the grotto there is a temple as well as a giant gold Buddha statue. The view from the top is beautiful.
Jungmun Beach is a famous beach area with fairly decent size waves. If you're a surfer, this area is perfect for beginners or intermediates looking to get some quick rides.
TRANSPORTATION
The island is huge! There are a couple of options for traveling around Jeju.
- Rent a car (check out major 3rd party booking websites)
- Rent a motorbike (http://www.jejubike.co.kr/)
- Rent bicycles (http://www.jejubike.co.kr/)
- Taxi's (base cab fee rate is 1,000) then $ per km.
- City Buses (Seoul T-money metro cards are useable in Jeju. Unfortunately, Busan,
Daegu, Daejeon metro cards cannot be used on the island)
#701 runs every 20 mins (Jeju – Sehwa – Sungsan – Seogwi) along east Jeju
#702 runs every 20 mins (Jeju – Hallim – Daejung – Seogwipo) along west Jeju
#780 runs every 15 mins (Jeju – Sungpanak – Seogwi – World cup stadium – Jungmun – Jeju) inner circle of Jeju
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#730 runs every 20 mins (Jeju – Namwon – Seogwi) it is the fastest way to go Seogwipo
#755 runs every hour (Jeju – English education city – O’sulloc – Moseulpo)
#967 runs every 1 hour (Hanrim – O’sulloc) – takes 30 mins from Hallim to O’sulloc
TIPS
City center buses have routes throughout the island but will take some time. Also, when you are going to a remote place, you will need to take a bus then a cab.
Black pork is a must. I am not a big pork eater, but I heard so much about it. It was delicious! There is a road that is famous for serving black pork. It's called 흑돼지 거리. They all serve the same thing, just need to find one that looks clean. Usually, a place that looks packed is a good giveaway.
Hallabong is a popular citrus fruit. There are many yummy drinks made with this fruit, so if you are in Jeju get your hands on the fruit, dessert, and/or drinks. The Hallabong Makgeolli is absolutely delicious!
Hostels, Guesthouses, and Hotels sell out quickly during the summer and long weekends so book ahead of time.
If there are tour groups from Seoul going to Jeju island, it is best to book through them. If you are on a budget, use WinK Travels or GohTravel (foreigner friendly as well as caters to a younger group of individuals). Other great local tour companies (foreigner-friendly) are Adventure Korea and Enjoy Korea. Personally, I like Adventure Korea because their trips are very well organized, but all of them are great and are accommodating.
If you are visiting Korea, I highly recommend taking a couple of days and checking out the island! It's worth the hour flight from Seoul. If you are traveling in the winter time, the island is still great! It's less crowded, and you can climb the famous Hallasan Mountain. It's a great hike! Surely, a winter wonderland!
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