Jeju Island Paradise: Unveiling the Beauty of South Korea's Gem
- Bernadett
- Aug 21
- 4 min read
Jeju, the largest island in South Korea, is a popular holiday destination for Koreans. The island is covering an area of 1,833 meters squared. It was formed due to volcanic activity. The Hallasan Mountain is a volcano itself, which is the tallest mountain in Korea and located in the centre of the island. The island is split into two big cities. Jeju-si, which is the north side, and Seogwipo-si to the south side.
Jeju island is a great choice to get away from the bustling big cities and spend more time in the nature. Aside from the big cities, you can explore the Korean countryside, as the island is full of beautiful natural attractions. We were here for just 4 days, but I wish we had more time because the island was so magnificent.
Travelling to Jeju
There are multiple daily flights from Gimpo Airport Seoul to Jeju Internation Airport. The flight lasts just 1 hour. We flew with Asiana Airlines, what was fine. We were able to check in a 20kg suitcase per person.
Where to stay
This time we choose an apartment in the countryside. We stayed at Dalthor Pension, and we were very satisfied. The house was stunning, and we could see the sea through the large windows. Moreover, there was a hot jacuzzi, what we could use once during our stay.
The island is big, so I highly recommend renting a car. We rented a car from SK rent-a-car, which is a partner of Avis. I suggest booking the car in advance through their webpage. You will need an international driving license if you would like to drive in South Korea. We didn't have any issues with this car rental; everything went really smoothly.
What to see
Osulloc Tea Museum
Exploring the Osulloc Tea Museum was an amazing experience for us! The whole place was breathtaking! We could drink the local green tea, what was very delicious. Furthermore, they are creating cosmetics from tea leaves under their own brand, Innisfree. There was also a shop at the tea museum, but the products are available at every drugstore in Korea.
Tea production dates back to 1979 when one of the Korean companies began this journey to revive the Korean tea production. Osulloc is Korea number one tea brand now. They mainly producing green teas.
The tea museum was established in 2001 to show the tea farm and share the history and culture of the Korean tea. Many of their teas has certified as organic agricultural product.
Camillia Hill Botanical Garden
Camillia Hill is an arboretum, what is covering on 172 000 square meters. There are 6000 Camilia trees and another 500 different other flowers and plants including palm trees, wildflowers. The whole arboretum was so magnificent. It bowed our mind.
The admission ticket was 10 000 won = 6 EUR/ person for the adults, and it was free below 3-year-old. I really recommend this botanical garden, if you are planning to go to Jeju Island.
Hallim Park
Hallim Park was close to where we were staying, so we decided not to miss it, and it turned out to be the right choice. This park was also very well-maintained with very beautiful flowers and plants.
Hallim Park is reaching 100 000 square meters, so this park is also big. There were thematic areas inside the park like Jeju Stone and Bonsai Park, Subtropical Bonsai Garden etc. It's worth spending time on it because it's really huge. I can't choose between Hallim Park and Camellia Hill because both were incredibly beautiful.
Cheonjiyeon waterfall
Cheonjiyeon waterfall is one of the main tourist attractions on Jeju Island. The waterfall is situated close to Seogwipo on the island's southern coast. The admission ticket was 2000 won = 1.25 EUR/ adult, and it was free below 7 years old. The waterfall was extremely beautiful, so it was definitely worth a visit.
Jeonbang waterfall
Jeonbang Waterfall is just a 5-minute drive from Cheonjiyeon Waterfall. The admission ticket price was the same as that of the other waterfall. This waterfall is situated at a height of 23 meters and depending on the amount of rain, it can be up to 8 meter wide.
Aerospace Museum
The Jeju Aerospace Museum combines education and entertainment, focusing on aerospace and the science and technology. The museum is a great option when the weather is rainy. The exhibition is entertaining for children because it includes an exhibition specifically for them. Additionally, there is a playground within the museum. The restaurant in the building was quite affordable. We had to pay a certain amount but then we could take as much as we wanted. The admission ticket was 10 000 won = 6.3 EUR for adults, and it was free for our 2-year-old son.
Gamttanam Café
Jeju Island is famous for its tangerines, which was the reason for visiting this Instagram-worthy café that also operates as a tangerine farm. We tried a tangerine juice that was incredibly delicious. It's definitely worth trying if you're visiting Jeju!
We spent just four days in Jeju, but the island has so much more to explore. It was our favorite place in South Korea. The nature was stunning, and I loved driving around. Our next and last stop in South Korea was Busan.
To be continued with Busan.
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