Jeju Island - A Resort Paradise to Retreat

JeJu is the largest island in Korea, considered by tourists as a resort paradise. Here are suggestions for those who are planning to explore this beautiful island.

I- Jeju Island’ Recognization Award Titles 

New 7 Wonders Organization (New 7 Natural Wonders of the World) has selected Jeju Island as one of the new natural wonders of the world.  The results were approved in November 2011.  Previously, Jeju was recognized by UNESCO with three titles:

1- World Biological Conservation Area

Recognized in 2002, the reserve includes Hallasan National Park, natural monuments: YongCheon, HyodoCheon, Museom, Beomseom, Seopseom.

2- World Natural Heritage

Jeju is the first natural world heritage site in Korea, recognized in 2007. The site is recognized as "Jeju volcanic island and lava cave", formed by the Hallasan mountain nature reserve area, Geomun oreum and Seongsan Ilchulbong lava cave system.

3- The World Geopark

UNESCO recognized this title of Jeju since 2010. The park includes the whole of Jeju Island, Hallasan Mountain, Manjanggul Cave, Seongsan Ilchulbong Peak, Seogwipo Paleolithic, Cheonjiyeon Waterfall, Jusangjeolli Cliff, Jungmun Daepo Coast, Sanbangsan Mountain, Yongmeori Coast, Suweolbong Peak, Udo Island, Biyangdo Island, Seonheulgot Forest (Dongbaek Dongsan).

II- 7 Mystical Landscapes 

According to the Jeju travel guide of the Korea National Administration of Tourism, visitors coming here should not ignore Udo Island - the place to welcome the beautiful sunrise;  Hallasan volcano seen from mandarin orchard;  Cheonjiyeon waterfall seen from Chilsimni Seogwipo Park;  Manjanggul cave;  Jusangjeolli cliff;  Jisatgae disc rapids and Jungmun coast;  Hyeopjae beach - the place to welcome the brilliant sunset.

ph: Jeju Tourism Association 

The dormant Hallasan Volcano is also the highest mountain in Korea.  This place is also a biosphere reserve with many rare creatures living.  At the foot of the mountain, there is a lake, green trees create a quiet space.

Jusangjeolli cliffs are actually thousands of dark gray rock columns that line up completely randomly along the coast.  Seen from above, this cliff looks like a giant ancestral nest with many stone pillars of different shapes.

Seongsan Peak is a tourist attraction because of its beauty created from volcanic lava thousands of years ago.  The texture of Seongsan Ilchulbong made the place even more impressive at dawn.

Manjanggul Cave has been recognized by UNESCO as a world natural heritage with mysterious beauty and rich specimens.  Manjanggul is made of volcanic lava, bringing natural beauty, attractive and brilliant.  It also contains up to 30,000 specimens of bats including the rare Jeju cave spider.

It is impossible not to mention the long and windy beaches when it comes to Jeju Island.  Jungmun is one of the most beautiful and famous beaches here.  Not only attracted by the crystal clear water, this beach is also attractive by the soft sand and cool green grass dunes.

As the end of a stream, Cheojiyeon waterfall has a height of more than 20 meters and possesses an impressive natural landscape.  The white waterfalls flowing down from above create a majestic and wild beauty.

III- 7 Architectural Works 

Not only beautiful nature, Jeju also has many modern and ancient architectural works.  If you love mossy features, you can visit Seongeup ethnic village, Jeju Mokgwana building, Yakcheonsa temple, Podo hotel. And to explore modern life on the island, you should not miss the Jeju Modern Art Museum, the World Cup Stadium, Daum Media Company headquarters.

Jeju World Cup Stadium is a 35,000-capacity football stadium located in Seogwipo City.  The pitch is designed in the shape of a crater based on the natural environment of Jeju Island.  The roof of this Stadium is shaped like a traditional fishing net.  Jeju hosted several matches of the FIFA World Cup in 2002.

Podo in Korean means grape.  Like the name, the rooms of this hotel are also designed like the shape of a bunch of grapes.  From the first step into the lobby, you can smell the faint aroma of grapes.  The hotel offers from traditional room types to Western style rooms.  What delights guests is that the hotel is surrounded by a large and beautiful garden.  You can listen to the sounds of nature while lying in a hotel bed.

ph: Jeju Tourism Association 

Carrying inside a peaceful and quiet beauty, Seongup ethnic village is considered an open-air living museum that faithfully and vividly recreates the life of Korean farmers hundreds of years ago.  This village is famous for its stone houses covered with straw roofs, the fences are round stones arranged neatly covering the fields of pure white canola flowers.  The open-air living museum officially opened on October 3, 1974.  Coming here, visitors will be able to observe firsthand the traditional houses in the ancient architecture, the artifacts created hundreds of years ago.

IV- 7 Experiences you should try

1- Climbing Hallasan

Mount Hallasan has an altitude of 1,950 m.  The mountain is located in the center of the island, so when the sky is clear, you will be able to see this majestic mountain no matter where you stand.  For those who enjoy outdoor activities, especially mountain climbing, the experience of conquering Hallasan cannot be missed.  This place is also famous for many beautiful scenery that captivates visitors.

2- Olle Forest walk

If you want to explore the countryside in Jeju Island, you can go for a walk on the Olle trail.  Olle in Korean means winding and narrow streets.  Today, Olle is used to refer to the coastal walking paths that stretch across Jeju Island.  Visitors can stroll along the winding paths through the straw-roofed houses while looking at the rocky coastlines.

3- Driving along the Beach 

If you don't like walking, you can choose to explore the island by driving along the coastline.  You'll find Iho Tewoo beach, where the black rocks contrast with the turquoise ocean, or beyond the Hagwi coast and Aewol port.  You can stop at Aewol port, where there are large and small seafood restaurants and dozens of fishing boats come in and out every day.  From this port keep going further, you will come to Hyeopjae beach, which will make you overwhelmed by the beautiful picture painted by the blue of the sea and white sand.

4- Experience Life in the countryside

Out of the city center, you will have the opportunity to enjoy the feeling of relaxation in the peaceful countryside.  Besides, to better understand the life of the people here, visitors should not miss activities such as picking tangerines, harvesting hawk ferns.  These are all famous specialties on Jeju Island.

5- Leisure at Sea 

Located about 14 km from the center of Jeju city, Hamdeok beach is famous for its clean and clear sea water and gentle sand.  This place is also a stopover that attracts a lot of Koreans on summer days.  Coming here, visitors can participate in leisure activities such as canoeing, fishing boat, water skiing or banana boat ride.

V- Walking around the Island 

No need to go far, you can take your time to tour around the island. The coffee shops or the lovely houses of the people on the island will make you excited.  You can take advantage of taking all kinds of photos from these idyllic little angles.

1- Horde Ride

It would be remiss if you skip the horse riding experience when you come to Jeju Island. The people of this island are also famous for their ability to breed and ride horses.  The popular horse kind on the island named Jorangmal is also highly regarded in the horse racing world.  You will easily find a horse riding spot on the island.  Traveling by horse on green grass fields with cool atmosphere will be an unforgettable experience.

2- Moving Vehicles

If from Gimpo Seoul Airport, visitors can choose to fly with Jeju Air or Jin Air, each flight is 30 minutes to 1 hour apart.  This is a domestic airline with many flights, fares from 30 USD to 70 USD depending on the flight time frame.

At Jeju airport, you can take a bus or taxi to your hotel.  Currently, buses on the island have many routes to serve residents and visitors.  The price from the airport to the center is about 4,000 KRW.

To travel on the Jeju island, you can choose a taxi or a bus.  If you have an international driver's license, you should try renting a private car to be proactive in moving and save maximum costs.

3- Simcard

You can buy a sim card directly when you arrive at the airport.  There are many packages for visitors to choose from according to the duration of the trip.  For example, an one-day sim costs about 5,300 KRW; a 10-day sim costs more than 30,000 KRW.

4- Weather

Jeju Island has 4 seasons, but visitors will feel the most obvious difference in winter and summer.  Summer lasts from June to September, the temperature is about 20-28 degrees.  At this time, the climate on the island is cool and fresh, the sea is always blue.  Winter in Jeju lasts from December to March, the temperature is only about 3-10 degrees.  Romantic Jeju winter with calm sea and light waves.