Jeju Island is a gem with many natural scenery to explore. Despite having 6 days there, we still felt there were many places we had missed out on like visiting the Manjanggul Cave, horse riding at Seongsan Village, Soap Making at Innisfree Flagship store, Green Tea plantation at the famed Osulloc Museum, Teddy Bear Museum at Jungmun Beach, etc.
To be fair, travelling in such a big group was no mean feat and a few of the places were unsuitable for lugging such young children along. Plus, we had lost a full day to the rain too… So we had to make the best out of everything! So here are some of the places we DID go that are worth mentioning… YAY!
*** SEOGWIPO SUBMARINE TOUR ***
Probably the fun-nest activity we did, especially for the kids, was the submarine tour. We had to take a ferry 10mins out to transfer to the sub. With Korean and Chinese translations, we could make sense and follow the tour well. You need to however, manage your expectations that the corals and fishes are not the most colourful nor beautiful, but it was still kinda fun even for us adults, I guess because of the novelty of being in a submarine for the first time. And there was a wow moment with the Diver Show and the school of fishes that followed. (See the video here)
Overall, we felt it was really worth the money. Plus to sweeten the deal, they gave each of us a certificate and photo from the experience!
*** HALLASAN MOUNTAIN ***
Here is the team of the very brave and optimistic bunch who for whatever reason, delusional-ly thought that we could conquer and hike up the glorious Hallasan Mountain. Well, we did-kinda-sorta reach the peak, considering there are many peaks to a mountain… Ok nevermind, totally unconvincing! :p
I’m sure if you got high enough, it would have been beautiful. But the journey up was quite arduous despite the cool weather! See the different grounds you needed to tread through.. And admittedly, i was so not dressed in the proper attire. I mean, common on!! with my 4inch ‘sports’ wedges (which i later changed to my bling slippers – not any better)… Who was I kidding! See the last pic below – I sheepishly make way for these pros!
*** JUSANGJEOLLI CLIFF / JUNGMUN LAVA COLLUMNS ***
Jusangjeolli Cliff was formed when the lava from Hallasan Mountain erupted into the sea of Jungmun. The rock pillars shaped like cubes or hexagons of various sizes are unreal! Almost as if stone masons had carved them out. Watching the waves crashing into the side of the cliff was mersmerizing breathtaking view of the ocean surrounding the pillars.
*** JEONGBANG FALLS / CHEONJIYEON FALLS ***
To get a decent view of this beautiful waterfall area, you’d have to climb down a long flight of stairs, conquer uneven ground and balance your life on a whole set of giant rocks. My parents in their 60’s wisely sat out on this one and waited for us while we attempted the impossible. With my 13 month son strapped to me in a baby carrier, there was no way to get the million dollar shot too, so here’s a super decent pic of it and other shots from Korean Tourism Organization!
Another must visit is also the Cheonjiyeon Falls! This was easier to access than the Jeongbang one… though a smaller one!
*** SEONGSAN IICHULBONG PEAK (aka SUNRISE PEAK) ***
We traveled early for a shot at this despite the rainy conditions but unfortunately, had to give it up due to its view being fogged up. So we returned another day but didn’t have much time nor strength left to scale this huge crater. So we took a walk around but didn’t get too high up. If you do go for this, I’d suggest you try to catch their Women Diver performance at the foot of the peak and try fresh seafood from them. Also, you could do Horse Riding at the nearby Seongsan Village!
*** TRICK EYE MUSEUM ***
Due to the on-off-rain the whole day, we had to cancel our outdoor activity and find ways to keep the children entertained. So we decided to bring them to Trick Eye Museum. It is mainly different from Singapore’s I think… with some key features like the mermaid, angel wings etc modified.
LOL-ing at how I forgot that i was holding onto the diaper when the hubs called for a picture. Totally owning it, gurl! Hehe #momlife
For food, you have to try their 100cm hairtail fish… We had ours at Jeju Madang Restaurant and tried them in their famous spicy soup and also simply grilled… both super yums and fresh!! Other Jeju specialties you must try are Black Pork Korean BBQ, Abalone Porridge and Abalone Hot Stone Pot, Black Pork Tofu Kimchi Hotpot with Ramen and Fried Chicken! Enjoy!!!
