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| Jungmun Beach in early evening |
Taking a cheap red-eye flight to Jeju meant arriving in Jeju City airport around 5.30am with only 3 hours sleep. Bleary-eyed and bone-weary, we arrived at the Hyatt Regency Hotel far too early to check into a room. Sure, the Hyatt Regency is a little dated but its location is still spectacular. Plus, I couldn't resist seeing the hotel where the 2008 hit korean drama "Boys Before Flowers" was filmed. Although incredibly tired, our energy levels perked up when we saw the back garden of the hotel. Perched on a cliff with ocean views, the hotel also has the Olle 8 walking trail through the grounds. Hotel rooms with ocean views can hear the rhythmic roar of the waves and look across expansive Jungmun beach. We were blessed with a room upgrade to ocean-view and balcony and it made our vacation. We would wake up and stand in our balcony - taking in the gorgeous views of the coastline. At night, we could see the twinkling lights of trawlers and ships sailing past the south coast of Jeju Island.
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| The Olle 8 walking trail from our hotel room |
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| 7am at the Olle 8 trail behind the Hyatt Regency Hotel |
There are walking trails called "Olle" throughout Jeju Island - which are handy for visiting Jeju landmarks, views and slices of life, at walking pace. Hardy walkers buy the stamp collection book and collect the stamps as they walk the trails. Nowhere near so hardcore, we only managed to walk some of Olle 8 during our stay. We dedicated one warm, sunny morning for our 4 hour walk. Starting at the hotel, we spent a while walking on the sand of Jungmun beach - watching the surfing students and listening to the waves.
Shortly after the beach, the coastal trail takes you to "The Cliff" which is a large coffee shop with plenty of outdoor seating.
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| Coffee with ocean views |
Continuing on, the trail runs through The Seaes Resort which is where the "Secret Garden" bench is located. Secret Garden was a popular 2010 korean drama where the main couple have an awkward kiss sitting on a beach, overlooking the ocean. To this day, you can sit on that same bench for photos. They conveniently mark the bench so you know which one.
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| The "Secret Garden" bench |
A popular point of interest on the Olle 8 trail are the Jusangjeolli Cliffs - black volcanic rocks eroded into hexagonal pillars. It was quiet when we arrived at this spot - we were the only people there. So we spent a few minutes skipping stones - just absorbing the views and great weather.
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| Black cliffs |
After a few lost turns, the trail moved away from the coast and turned inland to its final destination - Yakcheon Temple. Jeju 'grandfather' statues mark its entrance. Apparently, the temple lights up at night which we didn't get to see. We couldn't resist a convenience store pit-stop during the walk but it was truly time for lunch!
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| Approaching Yakcheon Temple |
Continuing on, the trail runs through The Seaes Resort which is where the "Secret Garden" bench is located. Secret Garden was a popular 2010 korean drama where the main couple have an awkward kiss sitting on a beach, overlooking the ocean. To this day, you can sit on that same bench for photos. They conveniently mark the bench so you know which one. 
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