Kathy Pham
If you’re coming to South Korea, Jeju Island is a must see location! Jeju Island has so many beautiful scenic sites and just being on the island was wonderful in itself. What I can say is that Jeju Island is breathtakingly beautiful and when I say breathtaking, I mean it, literally.
With all of the walking and hiking I had to do in Jeju, my breath was definitely taken away from my lungs! But, the view was all worth it! In this article, I will highlight some tips that I have learned on my Jeju trip!
First, if you’re reading this article before the beginning of the fall semester, I suggest you look into flight tickets as soon as possible! There is Korean thanksgiving (Chuseok) sometime near the end of September (I would check Hanyang’s calendar) and this is when you should visit Jeju! I booked my flight tickets at the end of July and it was extremely cheap! However, I met people who thought of going to Jeju in September and could not find any flights! And if they did find any, it was terrible!
Second, I would research the different spots you would like to visit and find your accommodation based on this. For our group, we booked an Airbnb in Seongsan, and it was about an hour away from most places we visited by bus! This was a lot closer than the first Airbnb we booked. However, this area had no convenient stores that opened past 9PM! Which brings me to say that Jeju Island tends to go to “sleep” around 9PM, this includes their transportation system! So, taxis at night are a great way to get around.
When I was in Jeju I visited many places, such as Jeongbang Waterfalls and even a spot we could swim in! We also hiked up Seongsan Ilchulbong mountain, which is a volcano that erupted many years ago, which is where I lost my breath! And, my friends hiked Mount Hallasan, which is the highest mountain in South Korea, while I visited Seogwipo Everyday Olle Market! I do warn you that Mount Hallasan caused a lot of leg pain within my friends as it was a difficult hike, so if it’s your first time hiking, they would not recommend it!
Some foods that I would recommend is eating their raw and fresh fishes, their famous orange tangerines, black pork, and aged kimchi! Personally, I find that I like aged kimchi more than the regular kimchi offered in Seoul as it tastes more fermented and authentic! As for the black pork, I cannot describe how it Is different from regular pork, but it is the way you eat it in Jeju that is delicious! When we barbecued the black pork, we would also dip it in a salty/fishy sauce before eating it, which was the game changer!
Overall, Jeju Island was a great experience and if you’re going to be visiting South Korea, it is a must go! The culture is so different in Jeju versus Seoul, despite them both being in South Korea and you will learn so many different things travelling here!
myHUBS 
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