Jeju Island, you've officially been crossed off from my South Korea Bucket-list. However, this blogpost is completely overdue and so will the next several upcoming travel blogs. If you're an expat living in South Korea or just traveling through and want to explore this beautiful country but have no idea where to begin, I'd recommend booking a trip through an adventure/travel group. There are so many in South Korea and two of my favorite ones are Bangawayo or Adventure Korea. I've been on several trips with both groups so far and have loved each of my experiences with them. And if you're in Korea by yourself, don't be afraid to join in on one of these trips alone. Hands-down, it's one of the best ways to meet people and make new friends. Now, onto the 4-Day Jeju Island trip... I've been wanting to visit Jeju Island since I arrived to South Korea over a year ago, but I either didn't have the chance to or the flight tickets sky-rocketed during the holiday weekend that I had off. So when Bangawayo offered a trip to Jeju, I was all over it! Johnny (the owner) was such a great tour guide and despite there being changes in our itinerary due to an expected Typhoon, he made it such a fun and amazing experience for everyone and went above and beyond to accommodate and ensure that everyone was enjoying themselves. And although the commute getting to the island was an EXTREMELY long one (5 hour bus ride to Wando Ferry Terminal + another 5 hour ferry ride to Jeju Island), it was completely worth it! To kick off our Jeju trip, we made our first stop at the Jeju Love Land Sex Museum and although I don't have any photos from the museum, let's just say the artwork was quite provocative to say the least. Afterwards, we went to Gwakji beach (곽지과물 해변) and then had a BBQ and of course washed it all down with some good ol' soju (grape flavored soju is the best!). On another note, whenever I'm on vacation, I try to spend most of my time outdoors, soaking in as much of nature as I possibly can. I made an effort to still get in my morning runs and catch a glimpse of the morning sunrise. There's just something so therapeutic to me about being able to feel the breeze and enjoy nature peacefully all the while everyone else is still sleeping. On the second day, we took a bus tour through the west coast of Jeju Island which included a tour to Yongmeori Beach (용머리해안), Daepo Jusangjeolli Cliff (주상절리(대포동지삿개)), Hwangwooji coast (황우지해안), Jeongbang Falls (정방폭포), and Hyeopjae Beach (협재해변). The third day was spent biking all around Udo Island (우도). Considering the island was pretty small, there was still a lot to do there: beaches, black sand beach/caves, horse back riding, and a quick hike up a small mountain for a better view. My attempt to swim there was a complete fail though - it was freezing cold. AND...some parts of the island were absolutely beautiful while other parts were extremely disappointing. It was a little disheartening to see how much litter there was everywhere. The black sand beach had so much potential to be breathtakingly beautiful, but most of it was covered in trash. Apart of me just wanted to grab a huge trash bag and begin picking up the litter I saw laying everywhere. BUT on another note, the entire island wasn't like this. I think the best scenic view was being at the top of the mountain and being able to see the entire island and the ocean from higher grounds. On the fourth day, we were suppose to bike toward Gimnyeong Seonsegi Beach (김녕 성세기 해변) for the best view of seacoast roads in Jeju, but unfortunately the typhoon got in the way. So instead, we woke up early and hiked Seongsan Ilchulbong Peak [UNESCO World Heritage] (성산일출봉) and visited the Manjangul Lava Tube Cave [UNESCO World Heritage], which was still a great experience. WARNING - Although the weather may feel extremely hot outside of the cave, LITERALLY, as soon as you enter the cave and begin trekking down the stairs, the temperature will immediately drop. Be sure to bring a jacket to keep yourself warm while you're exploring the caves down under. The only downfall to this trip was that I didn't get the chance to hike Mt. Hallasan. But aside from the natural turn of events that got in the way of that, I would definitely recommend visiting Jeju Island if you're in South Korea. Don't expect to be on a tropical island like you would in Hawaii or Southeast Asia, but it's still a great and quick getaway from Seoul. Disclaimer: Some of these photos weren't taken by me. A few were taken by other people that went on the trip as well. We were all in a group chat and exchanged amazing memories and photos with one another via Kakao.
Yours truly, Cery
1 Comment
5/14/2024 01:10:41 am
Your traverse guidance leads fellow explorers on a path of discovery and wonder! Through rugged terrain and unknown territories, your expertise shines as a guiding light. Your willingness to share your experiences and offer practical advice ensures that every journey is filled with excitement and possibility. Here's to many more thrilling adventures under your expert guidance.
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AuthorJust a girl with a wandering soul and a burning heart filled with desire to discover the world around me and within myself. Archives
January 2017
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