Jeju Island: Little Paradise

Long time no blog post (only like 3 months!)

Procrastinating from exam study, I have decided to post about a few more trips I made during my stay in Korea.


If you're in South Korea for a longer holiday, make time to visit Jeju Island. This place is renowned for being the number one destination for a little piece of paradise and is not too far from Seoul at all. From memory it was around a 2-3 hour plane ride. I took Jeju Air which was quite spacious and not too turbulent. Once you land on the island you can definitely notice clearer air and a more relaxed vibe than the packed city of Seoul. We all arrived to the island at different times due to our class schedules so I took the plane by myself and arrived at the guesthouse via bus. It wasn't too difficult to navigate and find my way around. If you are travelling in a group, I recommend staying at a guesthouse or share-house as it's cheaper and easier to accommodate for more people. We went as a group of six.

From above

What to do:

1. Jeju markets
There's a huge array of markets that espouse Jeju tradition whether it's delicacies or souvenirs.  

The Hanllabong (kind of like an orange) juice- it was amazing, worth a try.

 Famous Jeju black pork 

Do your research and find the best ones if you want to eat this. It's a trademark food in Jeju Island but it doesn't mean they all taste good. Keep in mind it's on the more expensive end. 

Food in Jeju Island was slightly more expensive than Seoul. An average of 15,000 won for a meal. 

2. Beaches/Sightseeing

 Go to Gwangali Beach. We didn't make it there due to shortage of time and how far away it is, but its sand is a beautiful white with a large array of cafes.
Instead, we checked out the pier area near our stay.

Beach- we took a taxi to this area 

3. Hiking
One of the island's main attraction is Hallasan- the highest mountain in South Korea and is a shield volcano. If you are planning to hike this please go in full preparation. It's actually quite dangerous, you need proper hiking equipment and shoes. Unfortunately, we did not realise the extent of brutality of the hike and literally trudged through the unexpected rain. We did climb to the peak (went up at 9am and came down at around 6pm) The hike probably doesn't take THAT long for other people. If you are relatively fit, you can come down at around 4pm. Bring food to eat but there is one rest stop where you can buy food and several toilet stops. A very difficult hike if you go to the peak, but you can take other routes which are easier and probably more enjoyable. This involves seeing the volcanic crater which is really picturesque in good weather.

 Extra pictures

 Jeju Island is really beautiful but I feel like I didn't get to fully experience what it had to offer. The main reason for this is that we did not have a car. Public transport is not ideal on the island and I strongly recommend you to hire a car. That way, you can fit in a lot more places. I believe there are no trains, only buses which can be very time-consuming and uncomfortable.

Worth seeing if done properly!

Yeouido Cherry Blossom Festival

This is a very belated post, but if you ever find yourself in Seoul in April, go to the Cherry Blossom Festival! It usually runs for a week and the dates are tentative every year as the fullest bloom differs. This year the dates were 10-14 April. I recommend going around the beginning as there's lots of performances and events although that means a huge crowd. I went at the beginning and at the end of the period, the latter being pretty much empty (as it was drizzling) but a better chance to take photos!
The festival involved food stalls, artists offering portrait drawings (which were really good) and lots of buskers. The atmosphere is really beautiful, especially with cherry blossom petals raining down.
How to get there: Best way is to take the subway train to Yeouido Station (Line 5 or 9). You will see a whole hoard of people, and it's literally right near the station. You can also get off National Assembly Station (Line 9, Exit 1). It's also right near the Han River, where a group of us had a picnic with ice-cream, chicken and beer.

 Sorry for the really long absence but I've been travelling and moved out of my dorms! I will be in Korea until early August. My semester at Yonsei has ended, but I have lots more posts lined up!

Things to Do in Busan- Weekend Trip

I spent two nights and three days in Busan which is about 2 hours from Seoul via KTX train.
Here's a tip, avoid taking the bus unless you take one before 8am because traffic is crazy. There were no KTX spots available so I took the bus which meant I arrived in Busan SIX HOURS later.

Due to classes, my trip was very limited. Luckily, there isn't a huge amount to do, but it really depends on the individual. The weather wasn't that great, it still being the transitional period into summer.

1. Hiking in busan
I wouldn't say I love hiking (or walking even) but if you are a hiking enthusiast, definitely do it in Busan. The air is really clear and there's lots of hiking trails. I went to Beomosa Temple which is a temple in the mountains. It's a popular hiking spot and if you go the whole way it takes about three hours altogether.

 This point was 697m above ground

The view is really beautiful. I would even say it was worth the hike. Unfortunately, I was not aware that hiking would be involved so I was wearing Converse and a trench coat, resulting in a very very exhausted me who had foot pains for the rest of the week. If you plan to go hiking, obviously, be prepared.

2. Haeundae Beach/ Haeundae Market
This is clearly a tourist spot so it's a good idea to find accommodation here. It doesn't really compare to Australian beaches but I can imagine it'd be a lot nicer and upbeat during the summer.

 Haeundae Market

 Lots of food

3. Famous food 

This place (called Won San Myeon Ok?) is specialised in cold noodles and has been around since 1953. It was so packed and busy given its fame so it's clearly worth a try. 

 This is the name of the place haha

I tried the cold mixed noodles (so with no soup but you can choose to get that as well). The noodles itself were really stringy and chewy and the other ingredients of egg, slice pear, chilli paste and cucumber were a perfect concoction.  

The seafood is a winner in Busan. Definitely try the sashimi and clams.  

4. Other beach: Gwangalli Beach (I think) 

Fairly sure below is Gwangalli Beach. It's the perfect spot for late summer nights for drinks, bar food etc. It was really cold when I was there but still managed to get an afternoon meal by the beach. 

Diamond Bridge

I'd recommend a 2-3 nights in Busan, but if you want to do more activities like jet-skiing, parasailing or other water activities and actually want to lounge on the beach, 3-4 nights would be more ideal. Summer is definitely more exciting but there would be HEAPS of people. Travelling around in taxis is a little cheaper than Seoul, the starting price being 2,500 won. 

Don't just stay cooped up in the capital but go down to Busan. It's not too far by KTX and everything is affordable!