I travelled to Jeju last month and the response I got most of the time was;
"I've never heard of people going there! Is there anything to do?"
And to answer this question, yessss there is and I really liked it!
But before I go into specifics like where you should eat and what to do.
Here are some things you may not know about Jeju:
1. Jeju is bigger than Seoul.
So the common misconception is that Jeju is this tiny island away from Seoul.
It's true it's an island but it isn't tiny! There's so much to do there!
2. It's the best place for nature lovers!
There's fun outdoor things to do throughout the year from hanging out in the beaches during summer to skiing during the winter. The views are breath taking! And really the stuff of movies and uhm videos they play in the store to show you how clear their TV is. It's unreal.
If you're looking to shop, while there are street shops and pockets of shopping areas, Seoul is probably a better choice. Jeju wins hands down for nature!
3. It's incredibly clean.
And I mean everything is clean! The air, the water, the streets, the toilets (??)
Apparently people on Jeju live for a very long time because it's so clean!
Women divers are as old as 94 and they still dive in the winter without any equipment!
4. Speaking of clean,
I went for a press conference and the mayor was there to tell us about his plans for Jeju.
To be honest, it really impressed me how much he cares about the island and how much passion he spoke with. He went on about how beautiful Jeju is and how they're doing all they can to preserve it while building it up to make it more accessible.
In the coming years Jeju will be a carbon free island and electric cars have already been introduced this year by the thousands. There are also plans to make Jeju completely connected with wifi throughout the island. #isthisthereallife? #isthisjustfantasy?
5. Mandarin oranges. everywhere.
And Mandarin flavoured everything!
Malaysia = Durians . Jeju = Mandarin Oranges.
6. Black Beaches
It's a volcanic island so everywhere it's black rocks against the bluest waters and skies.
It's gorgeoussss!
7. A UNESCO natural heritage site
Apparently even the rocks are a natural heritage so you can't keep the sand in your pockets guys. Just letting you know in case you try something funny. lol. But really, even the sand is coral sand and it's really pretty!
8. Plenty of places for photo ops.
Jeju is a hot spot for wedding photographs! Best part is it's not limited to just a beach or just a horse (who knows what you guys are into) but there are hills, caves, mountains, volcanos, craters, trees, busy streets and Sagumburi! (more on this next time).
Photo above is taken by Jian who said it looks like a scene from a korean soap opera. Truth is I'm eating overpriced ice cream and the wind is so strong it's blowing my hair into said ice cream. But hey, the picture turned out pretty good. So you see what I mean? haha! This place is screaming "Take a picture! You'll look great!"
9. There aren't any direct flights to Jeju. yet.
So we travelled to Seoul, took a bus to the domestic airport and then an internal flight to Jeju.
KL -> Incheon (the main airport) took about 6 hours.
Incheon -> Gimpo (domestic airport) took about 40 minutes.
Gimpo -> Jeju took about 1 hour.
A little bit of a journey, but it really is worth the trip!
And I'll elaborate on why in my next post.
p.s. Thanks Syamil & Jian for the pictures!
x
Here are some things you may not know about Jeju:
1. Jeju is bigger than Seoul.
So the common misconception is that Jeju is this tiny island away from Seoul.
It's true it's an island but it isn't tiny! There's so much to do there!
2. It's the best place for nature lovers!
There's fun outdoor things to do throughout the year from hanging out in the beaches during summer to skiing during the winter. The views are breath taking! And really the stuff of movies and uhm videos they play in the store to show you how clear their TV is. It's unreal.
If you're looking to shop, while there are street shops and pockets of shopping areas, Seoul is probably a better choice. Jeju wins hands down for nature!
3. It's incredibly clean.
And I mean everything is clean! The air, the water, the streets, the toilets (??)
Apparently people on Jeju live for a very long time because it's so clean!
Women divers are as old as 94 and they still dive in the winter without any equipment!
4. Speaking of clean,
I went for a press conference and the mayor was there to tell us about his plans for Jeju.
To be honest, it really impressed me how much he cares about the island and how much passion he spoke with. He went on about how beautiful Jeju is and how they're doing all they can to preserve it while building it up to make it more accessible.
In the coming years Jeju will be a carbon free island and electric cars have already been introduced this year by the thousands. There are also plans to make Jeju completely connected with wifi throughout the island. #isthisthereallife? #isthisjustfantasy?
5. Mandarin oranges. everywhere.
And Mandarin flavoured everything!
Malaysia = Durians . Jeju = Mandarin Oranges.
6. Black Beaches
It's a volcanic island so everywhere it's black rocks against the bluest waters and skies.
It's gorgeoussss!
7. A UNESCO natural heritage site
Apparently even the rocks are a natural heritage so you can't keep the sand in your pockets guys. Just letting you know in case you try something funny. lol. But really, even the sand is coral sand and it's really pretty!
8. Plenty of places for photo ops.
Jeju is a hot spot for wedding photographs! Best part is it's not limited to just a beach or just a horse (who knows what you guys are into) but there are hills, caves, mountains, volcanos, craters, trees, busy streets and Sagumburi! (more on this next time).
Photo above is taken by Jian who said it looks like a scene from a korean soap opera. Truth is I'm eating overpriced ice cream and the wind is so strong it's blowing my hair into said ice cream. But hey, the picture turned out pretty good. So you see what I mean? haha! This place is screaming "Take a picture! You'll look great!"
9. There aren't any direct flights to Jeju. yet.
So we travelled to Seoul, took a bus to the domestic airport and then an internal flight to Jeju.
KL -> Incheon (the main airport) took about 6 hours.
Incheon -> Gimpo (domestic airport) took about 40 minutes.
Gimpo -> Jeju took about 1 hour.
A little bit of a journey, but it really is worth the trip!
And I'll elaborate on why in my next post.
p.s. Thanks Syamil & Jian for the pictures!
x
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