The Jusangjeolli cliffs in Jeju are columnar lava rock formations. — Photos: ERIC KWAN
In the Korean suspense drama Squid Game, a major character has a dream: she is from North Korea, and she has always wanted to go to Jeju Island in South Korea.
That dream saved her life – for one more day, that is. But ever since then, I too have always wanted to visit Jeju. What is it about this southernmost part of South Korea that has been the romantic backdrop of so many K-dramas?
There’s a lot, actually.
Jeju is a conglomeration of natural wonders, man-made delights, casinos, and delicious delicacies to get you to stay for as long as possible and keep coming back. It is possible to see Jeju in three days, but it would be a pretty rushed vacation. I think the optimal duration is around five days.
If you want to throw in some activities, like hiking Mount Hallasan, scuba diving, or horse-riding in many of the horse farms that pepper the island, then prepare to take as many as 10 days off.
If climbing Mount Hallasan is not for you, then try hiking to the Sangamburi Crater.
Currently, there is no direct flight from any of the Malaysian airports to Jeju, but you can make your way to Singapore first, and get on one of the non-stop flights to the island from there. Another option is to fly to Seoul, then take a domestic flight to Jeju.
Once you are there, the best way to get around is to drive. The car rentals are not too expensive. You can get a sedan for around US$100 (RM468) a day. The car navigation systems are superb and can be converted to any major language. Electric charging ports are abundant too for those who prefer to save the environment.
If you are nervous about left-sided driving, you can get taxis everywhere. There are tourist buses (#810-1 and #810-2) that ply the entire coastal routes of Jeju, both east and west. A full day ticket costs KRW3,000 (RM11), but they don’t take you to the doorstep of many good attractions.
Your base camp
You probably have friends who went to Jeju. They all have different advice, such as: “You need to pack your bags and move around from east to west, experiencing a different hotel each time.”
Or, “No, you should stay in the south. Seogwipo city is the best!”
But honestly, Jeju island is not that big. It’s only 2.5 times the size of Singapore. It is perfectly OK to choose one base, preferably either north in Jeju city or south in Seogwipo city, where many of the waterfalls and spectacular cliffs are located.
Traversing from north to south or north to east will only take you one to one-and-a-half hours of driving. And yes, there can be plenty of traffic at peak hours.
Mount Hallasan forms the centre of Jeju. It is 2,000m high, and you will need to take a day off for the hike, which is strewn with wildflowers in spring and autumn, I hear. On the days that I wanted to visit Mount Hallasan, it rained like there was no tomorrow. When it wasn’t raining, it fogged.
You will hear from many people that the best itinerary for Jeju is to have no itinerary at all. In my experience, it is best to have some sort of daily itinerary, or you will end up being inefficient with your time and fuel consumption.
Therefore, I have divided my explorations into the following geographical sections.
Head to the Dongmun market for some street food and snacks.
North
Jeju city itself lies in the north and boasts a lot of shops. Do check out the Dongmun traditional market, where you get to sample Jeju street food at its most showy. Vendors dance to BTS hits as they flame-grill cheesy lobsters for as low as KRW9,000 (RM32), and you can get large meat-and-kimchi stuffed rolls and skewers for KRW10,000 (RM35).
I would advocate trying a bit of everything, if you can share it out. Beware: food portions here are huge.
There’s also the hallabong tangerine native to Jeju, a fruit which resembles a little tufted hill. Cold hallabong juice is a fresh, light and non-sweet version of orange juice. There is a hallabong-flavoured version of everything, including cream puffs, chocolates, and even cold noodles.
Jeju is famous for its home-bred black pigs, akin to Iberico. There is actually a Black Pork street. If you are hoping that it is a showcase for the best Korean pork BBQs, you will be sorely disappointed as it is a tourist trap. Go instead to one of the many BBQ restaurants on the streets where locals gather, and you will find something to suit your palate and wallet.
Look out for the silver cutlass fish (galchi), whose flesh is as soft as cotton.
Stroll down the north coast promenade with its picturesque wharves and rainbow-coloured fences. Sit down for a bingsu or hotteok (pancake) at a cafe overlooking the sea.
Seongeup Village
North-east and East
There are plenty of Unesco World Heritage sites to see here. Most spectacular of them is the Manjanggul lava tube. At 7.4km long, it is one of the longest lava tubes in the world, but you are only allowed to explore 1km of it. It is a fairly easy hike, with lamps to guide you along so that you don’t trip on the uneven lava terrain. It can get pretty cold underground, so you may want to bring a coat.
Stop for lunch at Myeongjin Jeongbok, said to be the most famous abalone porridge on the coast. For KRW30,000 (RM106), you can dine on a large platter of succulent grilled abalones. They even throw in a whole grilled mackerel for free. The green porridge is made out of abalone and a flavourful rice soup.
If you don’t want to climb Mount Hallasan but are up for some adventure, Seongsan Ilchulbong is a Unesco world heritage volcanic crater with a tuff cone. This resembles a huge dog bowl from above – filled with grass in its centre. It took me 30 minutes to get up and 15 minutes to get down.
Meanwhile, a hike up Sangamburi crater will take you about eight minutes. This pretty volcanic attraction, lined with fir trees and black pine, has many Instagram-worthy spots.
There is so much to see in the east that you probably need to spend two days here. Check out the Seongeup Folk Village, a medieval Joseon dynasty village with well- preserved stone houses and thatched roofs. People still live here, unlike the more touristy Jeju Folk Village.
The modern attraction that I would recommend here is Snoopy Garden. Yes, you are doing an eye-roll, but the gardens are spectacular.
Jeju’s man-made attractions pull out all stops to rival or outclass the United States, and that’s not saying it lightly.
The Jeongbang waterfall is located in Seogwipo, Jeju’s southernmost town.
South
The city of Seogwipo is Jeju’s southernmost town. It is worth at least two days’ exploration. The main waterfalls are here, such as the Jeongbang waterfall which falls from a cliff directly into the sea, or the three-part Cheonjeyeon falls that necessitate an hour’s hiking. Most romantic are the Jusangjeolli cliffs, columnar lava rock formations seen in only very few places in the world.
There’s also Hello Kitty Island, a very pink, three-storey dedication to our favourite mouthless character.
Seogwipo harbour is filled with boats, a submarine attraction and a bridge to take you to Saeseom island, where you can do an easy coastal hike to view two lighthouses: red and white.
It was in Seogwipo that I saw the women divers of Jeju, called Hanyeo and designated a Unesco cultural heritage. Some of them are over 80 years old. They free dive down to a depth of 30m to catch abalone and shellfish.
When I spotted them, it was evening, and they were coming in from the sea with nets filled of abalone.
Hot tip for spotting them: Look out for small orange buoys in the sea. They anchor their nets there, and you will occasionally see a flash of yellow flippers as they dive.
West
Because west Jeju doesn’t have a lot of natural attractions, this is where most of the museums and theme parks reside. There appears to be a museum for everything – from aerospace to contemporary art to vintage cars and pianos to Greek mythology (!).
Head to the Ossuloc tea museum, where you get to see tea being roasted, and sample delicious matcha lattes and matcha sand.
Next to Ossuloc is the Innisfree museum, where you can make your own soap and stamp your name on it.
The theme parks here are also not run-of-the-mill. There is the Shinhwa theme park for kids, and Loveland theme park strictly for adults. Everything is well-maintained, world-class, and worth the ticket price, so it all depends on your interests and what you want to spend your precious hours on.
