Having heard great things about the small island of Jeju, Dojeon Team Member, Lewis decided to travel to the "Hawaii of South Korea" himself. To say the least, coming from the UK, hungry for some winter sunshine, he was not disappointed. Lewis shares his experiences on why you're missing out if you don't plan a trip to this magnificent island!
Jeju Island, or Jejudo is South Korea's largest island. Only a one-hour flight from Daegu on the mainland, I decided to take a short trip there. Of course, since this is a domestic trip, flights are often really cheap, so I paid 60,000 KRW ($45 USD) round trip.
Many Koreans travel to Jeju, as it is famous for its black pork, oranges, and warmer climate and volcanic landscape. Coming from the UK, it reminded me of Lanzarote & the Canary Islands which are part of Spain.
For the most part, you will need to hire a car on the island, as public transport is few and far between, outside of its capital city, though as I stayed on Hamdeok Beach, I decided to take a taxi from the airport and stay local during my stay.
Hamdeok Beach, is around a 25-minute drive from the airport, boasts a beautiful scenic coastline, and has many restaurants, bars, and coffee shops! The beautiful harbor area was a selling point for me, as I love to be by the water!
Now, of course during the season that I visited the weather was windy and cool, however, I was still able to take a walk along the beach and enjoy being outside which is great! I enjoyed taking a hike to a viewpoint along the beach where I could look out across the bay and take some photos, enjoying a hot coffee as I walked up.
For a day trip, I went to Manjanggul Cave, as I heard that it was a must-visit destination! To get here, I took a taxi, though depending where you stay on the island there are buses also.
When I descended into the cave, I was taken aback by the natural beauty and lava stones which made some parts of the cave look like a turtle. I would recommend spending around 2 hours at the caves afterward and exploring the nearby restaurants afterwards, for some local foods and a traditional experience.
Of course, Jeju Island has lots more to offer, from "Snoopy Gardens" to plentiful hiking and diving spots, or if you like Matcha, then you should check out its famous O'sulloc Team Museum and tea fields!
Let us know in the comments below if you have been to Jeju Island and what your favorite things are to see and do there! Also, comment which K-drama is your favorite that was filmed on this beautiful island!