Jeju Island or Jeju-do is an island in Jeju Province, South Korea. It’s one of nine provinces in Korea and if you travel by plane from Seoul city will takes about 1 hour to island. There are also direct flights from Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya, Fukuoka, Shanghai and Hong Kong to Jeju or you can travel from San Busan, Incheon, Yeosu or Muk Poe by ferry. Because this province is separated from the mainland but have romantic atmosphere as tropical country with four seasons with warm weather. The average temperature is around 15 degrees Celsius throughout all of the year and in the summer time the average temperature is only 22-26 degrees Celsius which not hot. Many married couples and tourists like to visit this island.
There are many place that you can visit but today I will take you to top 10 places that people visits there.
1. Hallasan National Park
Hallasan National Park is the highest mountain in South Korea and consists of volcanoes that have been long extinguished. Jeju Hallasan Mountain is 1,950 meters high and has been selected as the 182nd natural beauty destination in Korea. This place established as a national park since 1970 and be registered as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve and five years later has been appointed as the World Natural Heritage Site. You will take experience on the beauty Mountains. Some place may have snow covered with white color like a fluffy cloud.
There are 7 routes to reach on the Hallasan Road as:
1. Eoseungsaengak Trail is 1.3 km distance and take about 30 minutes walk.
2. Seokgulam Trail is 1.5 kilometers distance and take about 50 minutes walk.
3. Yeongsil Trail is 6.1 kilometers distance and takes about 2.30 hours.
4. Eorimok Trail is 6.8 kilometers distance and takes about 3 hours.
5. The Donnaeko Trail is 7 kilometers and takes about 3.30 hours.
6. Gwaneumsa Trail is 8.7 kilometers distance and takes about 5 hours (to reach the crater).
7. Seongpanak Trail is 9.6 km distance and takes about 4.30 hours (reach the crater).
2. Manjanggul Cave (만장굴)
Manjanggul Cave is one of the most famous natural lava cave tunnels in the world and is registered as a World Heritage Site (UNESCO World Heritage). This cave is caused by the lava in deep underground when Erupted and the lava flowed out. In lava cave tunnel that interior consists of many lava rocks such as the stone pillar that extends on the side, and similar shapes of turtles. You will find the beauty of stalagmites, stalactites and strange rock formations around the cave. When you visit cave most of cave around the world will see different format of rock. This place is also bats home. While you walk inside you will get cold, comfortable, suitable for exploring the caves because the temperature is about 11-21 ℃. This tunnel has length about 13,422 meters but they open for visitors only 1,000 meters. You can walk around the cave about 40-50 minutes.
By get to Manjanggul Cave by bus. You will take bus from Jeju Bus Station on bus No. 990 to Jeju Hamdeok Gimnyeong then Get off at Manjanggul Cave on Bus Stop. or By car about 1 hour and walk to entrance cave in 5 minutes.
3. Seongeup Folk Village
Seongeup Folk Village is a traditional cultural preservation area on the way of life in Jeju Island. Inside the village will see low-style house with some strange appearance on a roof that covered with grass and wall made of lava from the volcano. People in the past built houses in this form because Jeju Island surrounded by sea water and causing strong winds with frequent rain so when they was build a house in this style will help effect on wind to rain well. If you are person who likes to learn about their way of life will not miss to visit villagers.
This village is not just an ordinary exhibition village but still an ancient village over 300 years and still has residents. The uniqueness of building is use to clay mixed with horse droppings and hold the stones with bricks together. If you have come to visit South Korea and have seen various jars at their home then you can guess that jar making from “Kimchi” or Korean pickles. But this island that jars are lined up in house here and well known as jars for fermentation of “Omja” or Black Eclipse. This is available only this island and this villagers use jar for wild berries with honey and fermented for 3 years before eat. This happen during the past but today used for treat patients for product sell to visitors.
4. Seongsan Ilchulbong Peak (성산 일출봉)
The Peak is a volcanic eruption of about 100,000 years ago that crate like a giant crown with diameter of about 600 meters. Seongsan Ilchulbong Peak is a popular tourist destination that people like to get experience of the beautiful sunrise in early morning. The most beautiful view that you can take picture is during spring time and canola bloom all over the mountain. This area will be good point of view to see and can not miss. Also, each viewpoint can experience different scenery and atmosphere.
At this point you can soak up with the sky and blue sea around the city of Jeju Island. Therefore this place being regarded as one of the 7 new natural wonders of the world.
5. Yakcheonsa Temple
Yakcheonsa Temple is the oldest temple in Jeju. The temple was built since the beginning of the Joseon Dynasty with area more than 3,305 square meters. The Temple is divided into 3 parts including the temple, shrine and Chedi. At Yakcheonsa Temple are 3 Buddha images enshrined in the past, present, and future. There are people pouring in and praying for many blessings.
6. Haenyeo Museum or Female Divers
The Haenyeo Museum is a female diver who collects seafood around the coast of Jeju Island. This is the Korea traditional methods and some people gave that Haenyeo as a mermaid of the sea. Inside the museum you will find the Hanai photos that reflect on strength of women on Jeju Island by the display format that building and an object that tells the story of the way her life shown by used homeowner such as dressing. In the past, Haenyeo costume was a loose dress that looked comfortable. Haenyeo also most importantly in the island. The costume of Haenyeo will be on full dress and similar to black diver with equipment on waterproof, sickle, mesh bag and lead-hundred stone.
7. O’sulloc or Seogwang Tea Garden
Seogwang Tea Garden or O’Sulloc is a land that receives natural gifts from making high quality of green tea plant and exports green tea products be exported to sell worldwide. This is place to show on the history and culture of various teas including processed products from various teas such as green tea, with excellent quality and other products including green tea cookies, green tea soup, face mask, green tea and shampoo etc. Inside the café sells hot and cold green tea, green tea ice cream and green tea rolls.
8. Orange Farm
This farm is magic that creates to nature farm in Jeju Island. This is only place in Korea that can grow the best and the most delicious citrus in the country. The orange in Jeju Island has strange shape called the “Hollabong“. The reason for the name of this citrus is because is grown very much at the Hallasan Mountain with Korea’s warmest area. Hollabong is thick on orange peel and sweet taste. The orange garden is also location of many famous Korean series such as My Girl (Love, Love, Glance).
9. Sanbangsa Temple
Sanbangsa Temple is located on Mountion of Sanbangsa which is facing to the sea. On the way that you will hear the monks praying and inside enshrined of large Buddha image. This is a sacred Buddha image of this villagers on Jeju Island. The Buddhists status and Guan Yin statue are faces to the sea. The temple also has a statue of Sangkhajajin with rubbed on belly that rich in gold. You will find their ways of making merit that are different form from other culture. By popularizing rice as food for monks and showing on the abundance that offer on candles for. This temple can see the beautiful sea view of the dragon cape that extends into the ocean.
10. Song Ak Mountain
Song Ak Mountain is another beautiful volcano on Jeju Island. You can see the sea view Hallasan Volcano and sea islands. There is rocky beach by the sea and beaches in here is not white sand but black stones instead. As exotic black sea that be popular for diving spot. In the part this will be a channel where Japanese soldiers force to Korean people during excavate since World War II. In order to park their ship as the secretly for destroy America’s ships by making boat that can attached to bomb. This is happen before they open for viewing and landslides. This spot also used for made film of “Dae Jang Geum” series when being exiled and very popular Korean TV drama.
11. Seopjikoji (섭지 코지)
Seopjikoji is located on a high hill and be path up to the lighthouse. This is beautiful viewpoint that can overlooks to Seongsan Ilchulbong peak. When you look the peak from here will looks like elephant. During the month of April when Yellow rapeseed flowers bloom throughout the area will be intersect in the sky and sea. This grassland is wide and sea is beauty of strange rocks. This is popular attraction for Korean drama such as F4 series, BOYS OVER FLOWERS, IRIS (2010), Gingko Bed, The Uprising, and One Thousand and One Nigh.
You can get to Seopjikoji by bus from Sokwipo bus station then take the Intercity bus that runs to the east side. or Take a car ride for about 1 hour 20 minutes then get off at Seongsan-eup Goseong-ri. From there you can take about 5-10 minute on taxi ride.
Note: that Bus schedule are from 6:30 am – 20:30 pm with bus time every 20 minutes.
12. Yongduam Rock or Dragon Head Rock (용두암)
Yongduam Rock or Dragon Head Rock located in the north of Jeju Island arises from the wind and the waves splashing into the rocks. The Rock sharp is looks like a dragon’s head with another of natural charms in Jeju Island. If you visit Island and not visit this place then they think that you haven’t visit island before. This dragon’s rocks are caused by the erosion of sea breeze waves then people in here think that format is same as dragon with open his mouth, screaming and trying to spring up from the sea to ascend into the sky.
