Jeju 제주도 Island

An escape from the bali bali of Seoul, Jeju is a 713 square mile subtropical island located off the southern coast of the Korean peninsula. The “Hawaii of Korea” was formed by volcanic eruptions and showcases a diversity of natural beauty. It’s the premier vacation/honeymoon destination in the country and has a subculture all its own.

There was no else I’d rather experience Jejudo with than my two favorite beach bums. However, it turns out that Jejudo is much more than just nice beaches. In fact, our beach bumming turned out to be rather minimal. Korea in turbo-drive continues…here goes Side Trip #1.

Leading up to Korea, my parents received frequent text messages reminding them to get their international drivers licenses. Of course, it wasn’t until we were picking up the rental car that we became aware of misdated paperwork, nearly denying us our vehicle. We were eventually trusted and on our way with complimentary ramen noodles. Our Hyundai (of course) came equipped with GPS (of course) in which phone numbers would lead us to our destinations. So many mapping headaches saved.

We set out to follow a clockwise perimeter around the island over the course of five days beginning and ending in Jeju City. Having a rental car gave us so much freedom and flexibility. And really allowed us to really…maximize…our time. The footnotes will give you an idea…

It was hard to believe by the time we went to bed at 9pm our first night that we had only been on the island since our morning flight landed. When your day begins at 4am, it is a little disorienting even without seeing a host of new sights like one of the longest lava tubes in the world. But off to bed we went because we were in for another early one. It didn’t even matter that I was sleeping on a Korean-style mat. I slept like a Jeju volcanic rock.

A choir of iPhones woke us at 4am to hike a volcano and meet the sunrise. And we weren’t alone because Seongsan Ilchunbong sunrise peak is one of the most quintessential Jeju experiences. Hazy skies thwarted the dramatic red I had hoped for but how empowering to complete a hike before daybreak. At the bottom a soymilk latte and soy whipped cream waited for me, a perfect morning. Starbucks looking out for us international vegans.

On our second day we ferried off to the northeast cow-shaped Udo, a much smaller island with a small town feel, but not without a concentration of tourists. And a great many of these tourists seemed to be gaggles of high school boys. It usually went something like this: one shy boy worked up the courage ask for a picture with me, I agreed, his forty friends cheered, we posed, I achieved celebrity status. And then my parents took pictures of them taking pictures…duh. Maybe living outside of Seoul would be good for my ego.

When I envision Udo I see the endless garlic gardens enclosed by short stone walls. I see dramatic coastlines and tucked away caves best viewed from a little boat offshore. I imagine a ferry full of tired but cheerful garlic farmers in mismatched floral smocks and bonnets. And I think of peanuts which we were sure to sample in the form of peanut ice cream on a unique coral beach.

I must mention Jeju cuisine (surprise!) which I went to great lengths to fully experience. It's impossible to overlook the plethora of hallabang (orange-tangerines) roadside stands and seafood restaurants. For five days we sustained ourselves on grilled fish, rice, and banchan, occasionally mixing in seafood stew, abalone porridge, haemul pajeon, or Korean buckwheat pancakes. GS25 made for scenic lunches on the road. I loved the moments that Korea pleasantly surprised my parents, such as learning how cheap, satisfying, and healthy a Korean convenience mart meal can be. Kimbap and kimchi on the go!

On the third day we trekked on to the southern side of the island, near Seogwipo City. With so much in the vicinity it was a great homebase for day trips. Our pension was in a quiet neighborhood of fruitless citrus orchards with an ocean view a ways in the distance. It came equipped with a kitchenette allowing me to use our limited ingredients of hallabang and ramen to become…breakfast? Thanks for looking out for us, rental car company. After breakfast it was straight to a coffee shop. I won’t say who took the longest to get going…but it wasn’t me or Dad. Among my favorite memories in Jejudo are the serene mornings of crashing waterfalls, Americano in hand.

Coincidentally our pension was very close to Yakchunsa Buddhist temple. With a pocket of free time one evening we stopped by, and I’m thankful we did. We arrived at dusk and roamed the tranquil temple grounds. Yakchunsa has one of the most elaborate altars in Korea, I was utterly entranced. We were invited to eat, but it took me a while to realize it was an invitation. Not wanting to presume we were being offer a free meal, as many temples offer, I used my limited Korean to ask how much it cost. The response: laughter.

Dad’s birthday happened to fall during the Jeju trip. I know it's hard to believe he is 65 (such a pup) but he ensured every ticket counter gave him his "oldster" discount. While the most Korean thing would have been to buy a cake and the appropriate numeral candles from Paris Baguette, we opted for birthday bingsu. With Mom as my decoy, I purchased the candles and subtly requested that the patbingsu (red bean shaved ice dessert) be lit when delivered. Sneaky sneaky!

After our morning waterfall the fourth day, we journeyed inland. First, a quick detour to Sangumburi volcanic crater before heading on to Hallasan National Park. Hallasan is the tallest mountain in (South) Korea and hiking it would have been a full day activity. Instead we completed a shorter trail within the national park that provided a cloudy but impressive view of the mountain. Everyone made it to the little summit!

The last stop of the day was a rejuvenating one, the jimjilbang. This particular bath house was unique in that it featured carbonated water and outdoor co-ed baths. The jimjilbang Korean experience I insist every foreigner should have. Though I thought I gave clear instructions about jimjilbang locker room protocol, I waited and waited in the outdoor baths for Dad. It appeared he had made himself quite comfortable in the segregated indoor baths…what a pro! We also made use of one of the steam rooms in our incredibly attractive jimjilbang outfits.

Water, wind, and women. The three Ws that encapsulate Jejudo. On Day 5 the skies opened and strong gusts nearly blew us off a cliff. The Ws are no joke. But most noteworthy are the haenyo (sea-diving old women) that shape Jeju subculture. It's a dangerous but breadwinning profession that led to the matriarchal family structure on Jejudo. The haenyo descend depths of 60 feet and hold their breath up to two minutes, catching seafood and avoiding the unfriendly sea creatures. It's no wonder the island has a reputation for having strong women. We were lucky to catch them in action as we cruised the coastal road!

Our final and (only) rainy day we completed our coastal loop, stopping at a few beaches and coastal rock formations along the way. But there was so much to enjoy right through the windows of our adored Hyundai, especially with seat warmers. I tried but failed to conceal them from Mom, out of kindness of course, because I wasn't giving up the navigation seat. Dad and I didn’t let the intermittent downpour stop us from braving one last incredible set of waterfalls, though. Before returning to the airport we stopped at the iconic Dragon Head Rock, as any responsible Jeju tourist must do. I was content to return to Seoul, feeling fully experienced. Maybe one day I’ll return, but for now Jeju remains a magical memory.

Hi ho, hi ho, it's off to Jeju we go!

An 800 year old tree at the Bijarim Nutmeg Forest

Roadside squid drying

An island comprised of scenic coasts

Greeting the sun on a volcanic peak

I wish you could have been here

Someone likes their silly pictures...

Seeing Udo from all angles

Jeongbang Waterfall

Exploring all Jeju has to offer

Yakcheonsa Temple

It seems I'm often out of the country in May

but happy to celebrate in Korea!

Oldster discounts...

Cheonjeyeon Falls

The Footnotes:

Day 1: Early morning flight out of Gimpo airport, Manjanggul Lava Tubes, Bijarim Nutmeg Forest, Seopjikoji coastal cliffs, Seongeup Folk Village

Day 2: Sunrise hike up Seongsan Ilchunbong, a ferry to Udo Island (cliffs, lighthouse, Seokbinbaeksa red algae beach, boat ride to Juganmyeongwol cave)

Day 3: Jeongbang Falls, Swesokakk estuary, bridge and nature walk, Jungmun Beach, Yakcheonsa Temple and dinner

Day 4: Cheonjiyeon Falls, Sangumburi crater, Saryeoni Forest road, Hallasan National Park and hike, outdoor/co-ed/carbonated jimjilbang

Day 5: Oedolgae rocks and Olle walking trail, World Cup Stadium, Cheonjeyeon Falls, Geumneung and Hyeopjae beaches, traditional five-day market, Dragon Head Rock