I would say one of my best memories of 2017 is when we visited Jeju Island in South Korea. The place is known to be the honeymoon capital of Korea with its natural wonder, stunning beaches, tropical climate and gorgeous theme parks, this is definitely worthy of all the hassle you might experience along the way (meaning, our story haha). For newlyweds or just group of friends who would like to explore, Jeju Island should be on your list of places to visit.
We stayed there for 5 days and 4 nights. Two nights in Seogwipo and the other two nights were in Jeju City. Seogwipo is situated on a rocky volcanic coastline in the southern part of Jeju Province, and the second-largest city of Jeju Island. Jeju City is the largest city of Jeju Island and the capital of Jeju Province, served by Jeju International Airport.
SEOGWIPO
We landed at Jeju International Airport thus we needed to travel by land heading to Seogwipo. From the airport, there were various means of transportation to the southern part of Jeju but we opted to take the Airport Limousine (route #600) bus. The cost was KRW5,500 per person with the journey time of an hour and a half.
Where to stay?
We stayed at the R Hotel located in the heart of Seogwipo. The hotel offers free breakfast, has a spacious kitchen and a pool board to enjoy for those who can actually play. The room was clean with comfy beds and huge bathroom. Sidestory, we kind of experienced a bit of difficulty finding the hotel, but one local woman was nice enough to offer us a ride to the hotel. Hotel staff are lovely and welcoming!
Where to eat?
Restaurants are everywhere in Seogwipo, literally, you can find them along the streets as you go wandering or exploring the city. Cute coffee shops as well deserve a shoutout. Price changes from KRW7,000-8,000 per head, you’ll have the main dish (the standard, pork or fish), a variety of side dishes and kimchi, soup, and rice. Affordable and the best based on freshness and taste. Oh, and they serve unlimited water for free, no option for sodas unless you’ll ask for it. That made me so happy!
Go to Seogwipo Maeil Olle Market
Seogwipo Maeil Olle Market is a local food market. They sell fish, fresh fruits and street foods. Perfect to be wandering around with a camera on one hand and a doughnut on the other hand, smiling at strangers and asking them for a picture (haha).
Go to Cheonjiyeon Waterfalls
Cheonjiyeon Waterfalls is one of the many attractions of Seogwipo. You’ll walk through a long trail of stairs before you reach the waterfalls. Then, through the garden and semi-forest and finally, you’ve reached the waterfall. The place is instagram backdrop friendly with its beautiful flowers and the ambience is so peaceful with its fresh air. You can also find souvenir shops with cute little things to have. The entrance fee is KRW2,000.
Saeyeongyo Bridge
Saeyeongyo Bridge, one of Seogwipo’s tourist attractions. The scenery, especially at night, is so peaceful with all the lights lit on all over the sea area. Apparently, it is the first single cable-stayed bridge ever created in Korea.
JEJU CITY
We travelled back to the city on the 3rd day, took the same bus and stayed at Check Inn Hotel. The Hotel is located in the centre of the city about 3 kilometres away from the airport. The hotel is clean and cozy with a bar/lounge that enables the tourists to enjoy their free welcome beer and friendly staff. Amenities are great, again comfy beds and fresh clean linens. The location is amazing and so convenient, close to underground shopping malls and great foods.
Visit Jeju Mokgwana
It is a historic site known as Jeju Government Office destroyed during Japanese rule and has been reconstructed. The ticket price is KRW1,500. Inside you can find the cluster of historical buildings and displays of centuries-old martial arts. It is even possible to dress up like ancient warriors, take epic photos that look exactly with those lads we see on tv saving good guys and ending bad ones (haha). If you’re watching korean dramas, you know what I mean.
Visit Jeju Loveland
Okay, I must say, this is the weirdest theme park I have ever seen in my entire life. I don’t think there is more graphically illustrated sex stuff out there than those 140 sculptures they have in Jeju Loveland. The admission ticket is KRW9,000 and the whole time I was inside the park and the gallery with the same stuff in it was a total nightmare. I am aware that the concepts behind it are for artistic expression and perhaps some sort of education in a cool and funny way, and I am not hating or anything, it’s just that I couldn’t find pleasantry in it. It made me so uncomfortable (haha). I did manage to snap some pictures though, ones that I thought aren’t that intense and all the way up there.
Shop at Jungang Underground Shopping Center
Jungang Underground Shopping Center, located in downtown Jeju. The centre sells clothes, shoes, accessories, glasses, watches, pieces of jewellery, purses, headpieces, flowers and more. If you fancy korean products especially for skin care, this is the place to go. The facilities inside the centre make the shopping experience pleasurable, and if you ever feel hungry worry no more because you can find fast food chains and restaurants inside.
So there’s that. I highly recommend visiting the beautiful Jeju Island. If you’re a Filipino traveller, you don’t need to secure a visa when you land at Jeju International Airport. There’s a possibility you’ll be asked to report to immigration officers for further assessment of your documents (passport and related identification cards like licenses etc) and discussion of your main purpose entering the country. You shouldn’t be alarmed or anything like that, just answer the questions honestly and make sure to have sufficient funds that can cover the duration of your stay because you might be asked to declare the amount of money you have in hand. Lastly, always have your money at least in dollars if not in Korean currency because currency exchange there is a bit difficult to find.
Thank you for stopping by and I hope you’re having a great day!
Love,
Jinky xx
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