My fifth day in South Korea was our last day on Jeju Island and we tried to wrap up our trip that day by visiting as many attractions as possible. I could hardly remember much of it because that day was quite packed and rushed, but I did recall that we rented a taxi for a day. It cost me an arm and a leg, but perhaps the experience was well worth it.
LAST DAY IN JEJU ISLAND
The taxi driver was also our guide that day, and on our first stop, he brought us to this beach in the south of Jeju Island. There were not so many people or tourists at the time, and the beach was also quite mediocre So we just did a quick tour, took some photos, and left.
Seongsan Illchulbong
Off to our next Stop, it’s the mighty Seongsan Illchulbong! I can’t forget this one for sure. This place has a breathtaking view, even just looking at it from across the beach, you just knew it would be amazing.
Seongsan Illchulbong is a peak on Jeju Island that was formed by an eruption of Mount Halla, Jeju’s only active volcano. Seongsan Illchulbong means “Sunrise Peak” in English because the peak is said to be the most beautiful place on Jeju to watch the sunrise.
The peak is 183 meters high and forms a crater that is 600 meters wide. The crater rim is almost vertical and rises sharply from the surrounding plain. The sides of the crater are covered with ferns, cypress trees, and other plants.
If I were to visit Jeju island again, I wouldn’t mind going back there because we didn’t get the chance to hike to the top of it, we just didn’t have much time. So we just walked around for a bit, took pictures, and were off again to our next destination.
THE OLD LADY DIVERS
Our next stop was not really far from Seongsan Illchulbong. In here, we could meet the island’s ‘haenyeo’ or the old lady divers, it was a remarkable sight to see. These brave women are mostly in their 40s and 50s, they dive into the ocean to harvest seaweed and other seafood in order to support their families.
What is even more impressive is that they do this despite the fact that the water is often incredibly cold and murky. The Seongsan Illchulbong lady divers are a testament to the strength and determination of the Korean people. I am really impressed!
lunch
At lunch, our taxi driver took us to this seafood restaurant. We invited him to come sit with us and gave him full authority to do the ordering for us. He ordered this big pot full of seafood that I wouldn’t say was cheap, but it was indeed really good. The seafood tasted really fresh, and we really enjoyed our lunch that afternoon
Jeju Folk Village (Minsokchon) in seogwipo
After we were done with lunch, we were brought to this Jeju Folk Village. We didn’t ask the taxi driver to take us to this place but he did it nonetheless, I guess he’ll get some kind of commission if he could bring some tourists there. It was a bit forced, but we were already there, so might as well checked it out.
The folk here were selling honey, which from the way he’s selling it to us, sounds quite like a scam, but of course, we bought some, hahah. The spoke person in this place told us the stories about Jeju Island, Jeju’s women, and their culture, about their berries, horse calcium, and stuff. He was really persuasive, even if it’s really a scam, I got to give credit for his effort.
hallasan national park
Our next stop is also the place that I would love to go back to if I were to visit Jeju Island again in the future. Hallasan National Park is located in the center of the island and is home to Hallasan, the highest mountain in South Korea. The park was established in 1970 and has been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The park is huge, but you can only visit a certain park depends on what season you are in right now. I was hoping to visit Sunflower park, but apparently, they’re only blooming in the Summertime. Nonetheless, the view we got to witness when we visited Hallasan in Autumn was breathtaking, it was honestly one of the most incredible views I’ve ever seen in my life.
Really pretty right?
ECO LAND
Eco Land in Jeju Island is a tourist attraction spot that was made to be environmentally friendly. All of the materials used to build the park were locally sourced and the park runs mostly on solar power. There is a small lake in the center of the park that is home to many different kinds of fish and there are also walking paths and bike trails that wind their way through the park.
We went sightseeing by a small train like in a theme park. The train would stop at all of its destinations, and the train kept coming and going in a scheduled manner, so we can hop on anytime they come by.
the mysterious road
After Eco Land, we went to this mysterious road. The road is a short, one-lane path that winds its way up a small hill. If you have your car on that road with the gear in a neutral position, your vehicle will continue to move forward on its own. I’ll remind you again, the road is uphill!
We got out of the car and placed our mineral water bottle laying down on the road, and instead of rolling down the hill, the bottle kept going upward on its own as if magnetized. Quite creepy, hey?
According to legend, the road was created by a dragon that wanted to help locals transport goods to the top of the hill. The dragon created a road that would wind its way up the hill, making it easier for locals to transport goods. To this day, the Mysterious Road remains a mystery.
love (Sex) museum
Not too far from the Mysterious road, we stopped at this Love (Sex) Museum, which was both amusing and unusual. I can’t show you all of the pictures, because they contain nudity and sexual content. I don’t know how old are all of my readers, but yeah, it was quite an experience going to this museum.
That’s all for Jeju Island Trip! See you in my next post
xoxo
