Please support me with,
I went on a trip a lot in Korea with my gf. However, since the COVID-19 pandemic, we have not been able to go to trip for about two years, but recently, regulations on travel have been eased a lot and the risk of coronavirus has been lowered, so we went on a trip to Jeju Island, one of Korea's most beautiful travel destinations.
Why Jeju Island?
As mentioned earlier, Jeju Island is one of Korea's most beautiful travel destinations. And it is also the place where my gf wanted to go for a long time. But the reason we couldn't go was because neither I nor my girlfriend knew how to drive. Because Jeju Island is big, we thought we could only travel by renting a car and driving.
We still don't know how to drive. However, we decided to go on a trip boldly, believing in taxis and buses. And this trip was very successful.
Day 1
Depart to Jeju Island
It was the day we left for Jeju Island. We headed to Jeju Island from Sacheon Airport by an airline called Hi-Air. Hi-Air was the only airline from Sacheon to Jeju Island. It was a low-cost airline.
Can you see that cute, green airplane? It also had propellers on its wings. It was our first flight since we became adults, so we were very excited. The sound of the plane's engine and the blue sky from the window made us realize that we were going on a trip to Jeju Island.
Arrived at Jeju Island
We flew for an hour and arrived at Jeju Island. We took a lot of pictures on the plane, but we couldn't get a good one. Instead, there are pictures taken on the return flight, so please look forward to it.
We didn't know what the airport looked like because we had never been to it. Jeju International Airport, as you can see in the picture, all buses moved only in one direction. Buses with the same number but different directions passed. Therefore, you should check not only the bus number but also the bus stop you need to take.
We were able to avoid taking the wrong bus with the help of a local.
The first lodging, Urbanstay
Our first lodging was Urbanstay, a residence located in downtown Jeju. We stayed here for two days. The lodging was small but neat and cozy like our home.
Ujin Haejangguk
The first day dinner was Bracken Yukgaejang from Ujin Haejangguk, which is only found in Jeju Island. It's a place where you have to wait an hour or more if you are unlucky, but fortunately we were able to eat as soon as we arrived at the restaurant.
This was different from normal Yukgaejang. It was like a thick porridge and I didn't feel the spicy taste of Yukgaejang. This was enough for a dinner, but if you have to wait more than an hour to eat it, consider something else. It wasn't worth it.
Night market in Dongmun market
There is a night market in Dongmun Market in Jeju Island. It is open from 19:00 to 24:00 in May to October and from 18:00 to 24:00 in November to April.
When we visited, there were so many people that there was no space to step on.
The night market was small. I have visited the Vietnamese night market before, and it was quite disappointing compared to that.
Still, there are many things to eat, so it's not bad to visit at least once.
Day 2
The schedule for this day was the busiest, but I was most satisfied. We got up early in the morning and moved for a meal.
Ollae Guksu
Our first meal was Ollae Guksu. It is a restaurant that sells Gogi Guksu(Meat noodles), a local food of Jeju Island, and it has a different charm from Japanese Chashu Ramen, which has meat. If you have tried Korean pork and rice soup, you can feel a similar impression in Gogi Guksu.
If you don't make it on time, you may have to wait a lot of time for a meal here, too. We had to wait about 20 minutes even though we moved early in the morning. The early bird can eat Gogi Guksu.
Geum Oreum
Our next destination was Geum Oreum which is called small Hallasan or Baeknokdam. It took us over an hour to get there by bus and taxi.
Oreum is a Korean word for Monogenetic Volcano distributed throughout Jeju Island.
The reason why Geum Oreum is called small Hallasan or Baeknokdam is that after rain, a puddle forms like Baeknokdam. For travelers to see this properly, it must be after the rain before they visit, and luckily we could see the puddle after the rain.
The sky was also clear and wonderful while climbing Geum Oreum.
Sinchang Windmill Coastal Road
After coming down the Geum Oreum, we headed for the Sinchang Windmill Coastal Road. It was an attractive place with several wind turbines lined up between the blue sea and the sky.
It was so pretty, but it was a windy place as the huge wind turbines were running nonstop. Since ancient times, Jeju Island has been called Samdado(An island with many three things) because there are many women, stones, and winds.
We could really feel the wind of Jeju Island on this trip.
Geumneung Beach and Hyeopjae Beach
After feeling the wind of Jeju Island, we headed to our next destination. The next destination is Geumneung Beach and Hyeopjae Beach. Since these two beaches are connected to each other, we walked from Geumneung to Hyeopjae and captured the scenery.
Because it was a sunny day, many people were at the beach. Some sunbathe, some swim or surf.
What surprised us was the emerald sea color. We were captivated by the color that we couldn't see anywhere else in Korea, and we pressed the shutter button over and over again to capture it.
Cafe Yeonhee
We walked for quite a long time, so it was necessary to rest in a cool place to replenish our stamina. So we went to a cafe called Yeonhee, which we had researched beforehand. Cafe Yeonhee was located not far from Hyeopjae Beach.
To briefly summarize Cafe Yeonhee, it can be said that it was the most perfect cafe in my life.
There are many cafes with delicious drinks.
There are also many cafes with delicious desserts.
There are many cafes with good service, and there are many cafes with a good atmosphere.
There are many cafes with delicious drinks and desserts,
There are many cafes with delicious drinks and good service.
But drinks, desserts, service, and atmosphere are all perfect cafes I have never seen other than Yeonhee in my life. The coffee wasn't too strong or acidic, and it had a savory flavor that went well with both Americano and latte. The dessert was so delicious that we had to order another one, and we were also satisfied with the interior that made good use of the feel of a traditional Jeju house.
It was a cafe we would like to visit again the next time we visit Jeju Island.
Handam Coastal Promenade
Next we headed to the Handam Coastal Promenade. The Handam Coastal Promenade is about 1.6km long from Gwakji Beach to Aewol Cafe Street.
There is not much to see in particular, but it is a place where you can take a leisurely stroll and view the sea. And from that point on, my skin started to burn. My neck and arms were red, and my neck was particularly hot.
If you go here, don't forget to put on a lot of sunscreen on your exposed skin.
Cafe Knotted Jeju Aewol
At Aewol Cafe Street, we visited the Cafe Knotted, famous for their cream donuts.
Aewol Cafe Street is a place where you can feel the feeling of a resort. Various cafes are gathered in a place where palm trees are lined up, and since it is located in the western part of Jeju Island, it is also a place where the sunset is wonderful.
However, we did not have time to watch the sunset because we had to travel a long distance by public transport.
If you do not make a reservation in advance for Cafe Knotted, you may have to wait a long time or you may not be able to get the donuts you want. If you want to purchase with certainty, make sure to find a way to reservation before going. We were lucky enough to get the donuts we wanted without having to make a reservation.
Trulyhaus
For dinner on the first day, we ordered pizza from a pizza restaurant called Trulyhaus near the lodging.
It was an ordinary pizza, but it was perfect for dinner.
Day 3
The third day was mostly cloudy. There were moments when the clouds cleared in the morning, but in the afternoon there was only a gray sky and there was a little rain.
Whistle Lark Hotel
This morning, we moved to the Whistle Lark Hotel. The Whistle Lark Hotel had high expectations because we had booked an Ocean View accommodation. However, check-in was possible after 15:30, and we had a schedule, so we left our luggage and left.
When we came back later, we had no choice but to be disappointed. It was an embarrassing room to call it an ocean view because the number of floors was low, and it was hidden by the building next to it.
However, the hotel we saw at night was pretty good.
The room gave us a sense of stability. But there was a musty smell from the air conditioner. So we had no choice but to open the windows and ventilate as soon as we entered.
Woljeongri Beach
The first course of the third day trip was Woljeongri Beach. To be precise, we were eating at a place called Dambaeg located on Woljeongri Beach.
On this day, we did not move early in the morning, so we did not arrive at Woljeong-ri Beach until around 12:00. Like other restaurants introduced earlier, Dambaeg had to wait for a long time if the time was not met. Therefore, we arrived after lunch time and had no choice but to wait for nearly an hour.
While waiting, we took a picture of Woljeongri Beach. Like Sinchang Windmill Coastal Road, we could see many windmills here. And that meant that Woljeongri Beach was also very windy.
Dambaeg
When we entered Dambaeg after shivering outside for an hour, a warm energy and a delicious smell wafted through us.
Dambaeg is famous for pot rice. We each ordered cutlassfish pot rice and abalone pot rice, and we were able to eat as soon as we entered.
Although cutlassfish is a fish with many thorns, all the thorns have been removed so it is easy to eat. Abalone was served by rubbing the intestines with rice. The cutlassfish pot rice was excellent, but the abalone pot rice was even better.
Because of the small size of the restaurant, there were some people eating alone.
Seopjikoji
Our next destination was Seopjikoji. We found out that there is a rapeseed field in Seopjikoji during our preliminary research, and we visited to see it.
But as you can see in the photos, we couldn't see the rapeseed field anywhere. Perhaps we should have visited earlier in spring to see it.
We walked a distance of about 3km with strong winds.
Blue Bottle Coffee Jeju Cafe
Then we headed to Blue Bottle Coffee Jeju Cafe. Blue Bottle Coffee is a world-famous cafe, but there are only two locations in Korea: Seoul and Jeju Island.
Actually, I visited Blue Bottle Coffee in Seoul a few years ago. At the time, I wondered why people are so obsessed with Blue Bottle Coffee. And Blue Bottle Coffee Jeju, which I visited this time, was no different.
The reason I put this schedule in was to sit in a cozy cafe and enjoy the scenery. However, there were too many people in the cafe and there were not enough places to sit, and we had to wait in line to order drinks.
Fortunately, I liked the latte art of the latte I ordered and it tasted good. If there were fewer people, I think we could have had a more wonderful experience.
It was raining, but the scenery was beautiful.
Jeju Umu
After the tour, we returned to downtown Jeju. Then we visited a pudding shop called Jeju Umu. Jeju Umu is a place that makes pudding using agar-agar, and it is a place frequented by tourists.
There are four flavors of pudding in Jeju Umu. Custard, matcha, chocolate, and Udo Peanuts. On this day, we bought Udo Peanut Pudding. Udo is a small island attached to Jeju Island, and its specialty is peanuts.
If you've traveled often, you'll know that most of the snacks sold on the tour don't taste like much. That's why we bought Udo Peanut Pudding without much expectation. But when we tasted it for the first time, we couldn't help but be surprised. The strong peanut flavor and the sweet taste of the pudding were incredibly delicious and bouncy that it was made with agar-agar.
Admittedly, on our last day we bought another pudding from here.
Seoul Tteokbokki
This evening we ate at Seoul Tteokbokki located in Dongmun Market. While in Jeju Island, I don't know why the restaurant is called Seoul Tteokbokki, but people were lining up to take it out because there aren't many places that sell tteokbokki nearby.
We decided to eat inside because eating inside the restaurant could be eaten without waiting.
We ordered tteokbokki, tempura, and sundae and the taste was not bad.
Dongmun Market
After eating, we visited Dongmun Market one more time. Because on the first day, we simply visited the night market.
There was a lot to see at Dongmun Market that day. Even without the night market, we were able to feel the unique atmosphere of the market and see various foods and products.
Most stores in Dongmun Market close after 8 o'clock, so I recommend you go and see them before then.
Last Day
Malgogi Yeonguso
The morning of the last day was bright, and after checking out of the hotel, we moved to the Malgogi Yeonguso. Malgogi Yeonguso, which means Horse Meat Research Center, is a place that sells sushi using horse meat.
The logo of the Malgogi Yeonguso is in the shape of a horse, and it was created using the Hangul word ㅁㄱㄱ. ㅁㄱㄱ is the initial consonant of 말고기, meaning horse meat.
What we ordered were the Horse Sashimi Bugak Sushi and the Horse Bulgogi Bugak Sushi.
The horse sashimi was so tender that it melted in our mouths. The seaweed on the bottom of the sushi is called Bugak, which is dried seaweed and fried in oil. The crispy Bugak brought out the texture of the sushi.
If you visit Jeju Island, please try it at least once. The downside is that there is no place to eat in the restaurant, so you have to eat at a nearby park or lodging.
Alternatively, you can eat at a nearby cooperative cafe that opens at 12:00.
Abebe Bakery
Our next destination was Abebe Bakery located in Dongmun Market. Abebe Bakery sells cream donuts similar to Knotted donuts. Last night we tried to buy bread here, but we couldn't buy it because there were not many kinds of bread, so we visited here on the last day.
We each bought a few breads to eat and some breads for gifts.
Jeju Umu
After buying bread from Abebe Bakery, we headed to Jeju Umu again. We bought a custard flavored pudding there, and it was a very satisfying choice.
Doux Foret
After that, we had about 3 hours left before boarding the plane. So, we visited Cafe Doux Foret near the airport.
Doux Foret had a wonderful ocean view. Desserts were sweet and drinks were okay.
Also, you can take very nice photos of airplanes in flight. Flights pass by often, so don't be discouraged if you miss one.
Depart to Sacheon Airport
After finishing all the schedules, we boarded a flight from Jeju International Airport to Sacheon Airport. The plane on the way back was in hot pink, and it was cleaner and better than the plane we flew on the first day.
The only problem was that I and my girlfriend almost fell apart because I booked the wrong return flight. Still, thanks to the guidance of the airline staff, we were able to sit together in the emergency exit seat, and we were able to finish the trip safely.
Finish
Now our trip has come to an end. It was the first long-term trip with my girlfriend and the result was very successful. In this post, I tried to include as much information as possible about the places we traveled, but I don't know if it was delivered properly.
Thanks for reading and I'll see you in the next post.