3. Jeju Island - Tour of the East Side
I've wanted to visit Jeju ever since I became a K-drama addict. This was way back in 2008 which means it only took me 10 years to get here! Living in Hong Kong, Jeju island is only 3 hours flight away. A week in mid-October freed up which seemed a perfect time to visit Jeju and enjoy its autumnal charms. Jeju is a large island and you really need a car to get places. We did the 2nd best thing and took a couple of tours round the island. Both tours were amazing but the 1 day east coast tour with Funtasy Trip felt like a fun outing with friends. Kee is the owner and main tour guide of Funtasy Trip. That day, we joined the tour with one other couple which made for a cosy trip of 5 people.
Setting off from Jeju City, our first stop was Sangumburi Crater. It was a beautiful sunny but cool October day and the silvery pampas grass made for some beautiful photos with Halla-san in the background.
Our next stop was the Seopjikoji coastal walk where we stumbled into Tadao Ando's glass house (left in the photo). The glass house has the Mint restaurant on the 2F. If you love korean dramas, I'm sure you would have seen lots of romantic conversations happening at a restaurant with expansive sea views on either side! These were filmed at Mint.
Our guide thought long and hard about a lunch venue that will suit Paul’s dietary restrictions. He ended up taking us to a restaurant specializing in knife cut noodles with pork which was delicious - no MSG in the broth at all. Lunch was included in the tour price.
After lunch, we stopped by a small pier so that Kee could explain about Sunrise Peak. Lo and behold - there were women divers (hanteo) working. We hung around a bit and as they came in, one of the women who was carrying a heavy load asked for help! It was a great experience to see them in action - and not just doing a demo for the tourists. Our guide informed us that usually they don’t like photos when they are seriously working but it seemed we got a break.
After this, we climbed up Sunrise Peak for the obligatory photos. Unfortunately, the clouds started to roll in so our photos were not as bright as the ones we took in the morning.
Our next stop was the Manjanggul Cave which is a must-see destination. This cave is a lava tube or tunnel stretching over 13,000 meters. Only 1km is open to tourists but enough that you get a sense for the space. The tube is always a cool 12 degrees celsius, no matter how cold or warm outside. The tunnel was fairly rough walking and it took about 40 minutes to walk to the end and back again.
Finally, since we were making good time, Kee suggested we grab a coffee at the hipster trendy part of Jeju at Woljeongji Beach to relax. Grabbing a matcha latte and cake in the late afternoon sun by the beach - it was a perfect finish to the day.
Setting off from Jeju City, our first stop was Sangumburi Crater. It was a beautiful sunny but cool October day and the silvery pampas grass made for some beautiful photos with Halla-san in the background.
Our guide thought long and hard about a lunch venue that will suit Paul’s dietary restrictions. He ended up taking us to a restaurant specializing in knife cut noodles with pork which was delicious - no MSG in the broth at all. Lunch was included in the tour price.
After lunch, we stopped by a small pier so that Kee could explain about Sunrise Peak. Lo and behold - there were women divers (hanteo) working. We hung around a bit and as they came in, one of the women who was carrying a heavy load asked for help! It was a great experience to see them in action - and not just doing a demo for the tourists. Our guide informed us that usually they don’t like photos when they are seriously working but it seemed we got a break.
After this, we climbed up Sunrise Peak for the obligatory photos. Unfortunately, the clouds started to roll in so our photos were not as bright as the ones we took in the morning.
Finally, since we were making good time, Kee suggested we grab a coffee at the hipster trendy part of Jeju at Woljeongji Beach to relax. Grabbing a matcha latte and cake in the late afternoon sun by the beach - it was a perfect finish to the day.
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