Jeju, South Korea

City Guide
Introduction   |   Attractions   |   Museums   |   Nature   |   Nightlife and Eating Out   |   Shopping   |   Cyber Jeju   |   Tours   |   Getting from A to B   |   Events   |   Useful Websites

Take the mellowness of Calfornia and spice liberally with gimchi (national dish of pickled veg) throw in a casino or eight, as many golf courses and a dozen beaches, garnish with a bit of unusual shopping and serve with some splendidly bucolic landscapes. Not so much a single course as an entire buffet, the island of Jeju is South Korea's premier playground, a role it fills effortlessly and with a certain panache.

Dramatic landscapes

While taking all this into consideration, Jeju is no ersatz theme park, (although there are a few kitschy parts). A rich and distinctive history and culture ensure that this is Korea - but with a difference. There are Chinese and Japanese influences at work here, and a certain elemental aura that is 100% Jeju, helped along by the island's volcanic genesis. The honeymooners who descend in their hordes here may pose and giggle in front of the iconic Dolhareubang (grandfather stones) but they are also aware that Jeju is proud heir to its very own traditions, style of dress, architecture and dialect.

The chief pleasure of the island is its diversity. You could spend the entire time packed onto a beach, or wander like the proverbial lonely cloud along the more remote trails. Some come here to spend their entire vacation hunched over a roulette table, others to indulge in the arts and museums. While most foreign visitors are Asian, everyone should feel welcome here.

Just so nobody gets confused: Jejudo is the island, simply referred to as Jeju (for added confusion formerly Cheju), while its capital (pop 300,000) is Jeju-si. Jeju-hyphen-do is the province - got it?

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Jeju's beaches and golf courses speak for themselves. Jungmon is surrounded by some of the island's best resorts such as the Shilla, Hyatt and Lotte, while Hamdeok looks amazing when the nearby wild mustard fields bloom. For golf, Ora Country Club, is the largest with 36 holes, while Pinx has a very well designed club house. But what else?

Jeju's beaches

Group activities go down well in Korea, so you can guarantee pretty much anywhere you go, there'll be at least a coach-load of others making whoopee. Perhaps the best-known icon of Jeju is its women divers, known locally as Haenyeo or Jamsu. Able to stay under water for up to 120 seconds, they are phenomenally hardy and work well past middle age. They dive off a number of beaches around the island, starting work early and finishing around midday in their search for shellfish and sea urchins. They are used to, and quite proud of, the touristic attention, but can get extremely ratty if too many lenses get shoved in their face.

Other marine-related fun includes the Dongbok-ri Fishing Pond with adjacent kitchen facilities, and clam fishing at Jongdai-ri. The Daekuk Submarine travels for about three kilometres (one hour) with specially adapted portholes so you can see coral and marine life at first hand under water.

The Isidol Ranch was built by Irish Jesuits in the 1950s, as part of a programme to kickstart the Korean economy. Cattle continue to be farmed here, and it is open to visitors free of charge.

The other main animal to make an appearance here is the horse - both at the Jeju race track and on horseback safaris across the island, which employ the indigenous Jorang pony known for its endurance and speed.

Iconic Dolhareubang

Between the beginning of November and the end of February, large swathes of Jeju turns into a shooting gallery as the hunting season gets into full swing. Chief targets are kkwong (pheasant), crows, duck, wild pigeon and the doyo or Far East curlew. Note that certain areas are off limits to hunters, and there is a restriction on the number of birds you are allowed to bag. Visitors arriving between March and October may try the Daeyu Hunting Ground, where you can shoot wildlife year round; there is also a rifle range.

One of the oldest buildings on Jeju is Gwandeokjeong, in the middle of Jeju-si, which originally functioned as something like a town hall. It's guarded by one of the original Dolhareubang, and features on most organised tour itineraries. Equally photogenic, the nearby Five-Storey Pagoda is made from black basalt and was originally erected by the Mongols. Many of these structures will seem familiar even to first-time visitors as they are illustrated in nearly every item of tourist literature!

Just by Jeju's outsize "aliens-have-landed" conference centre, the Jusangjeolri seashore presents one of Jeju's most amazing sights. Waves breaking over molten lava helped form hexagonal-shaped rocks that look as if they have been carved by hand. The rocks are easily viewed from wooden platforms, and as a bonus there are usually a few Haenyeo at work as well. Plus a legion of tangerine sellers (see shopping below) lines the approach route.

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Museums
A bit of a mixed bag; museums here tend to concentrate on the folk side of things - there's the Jeju Folk, the Jungman Folk, the Jeju Folklore and Natural History, and the Jeju Folk museums, as well as a Folk Village (probably the most user-friendly). Mention should be made of the Jeju Sculpture Park and there are also a number of noteworthy galleries. Be warned that the "world's largest" teddy bear museum is located near Jungmun Beach. Miniature Mini World might appeal to tiny minds, but the Sinyeong Jeju Film Museum is intelligently curated and well worth seeing. The island, incidentally, has been used as a location for numerous local movies.

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Nature

Flowers ablaze around the isles

This is very much Jeju's strong suit. The dramatic beauty of the island, underscored by its volcanic past, is one of the reasons so many Koreans come here to celebrate their nuptials. Just about everywhere you go has a marvellous backdrop, the islanders set aside special days to celebrate azaleas, eulalia and fernbrake (called gosari) and even the hotel gardens are a blaze of neatly planted, ditto labelled, flowers and shrubs. Horses graze the mountaintops, while a year-round water temperature of 20-25 degrees makes the coral gardens and lava rocks off the Seogwipo coast very popular with scuba divers. Dolphins, penguins and sealions put on daily shows at Pacific Land in Jungmon however this sort of aquatic circus may not suit everyone's taste or conscience. Many visitors agree that climbing the 1,950-metre Mount Halla is one of the best things to do on Jeju. The Hadori Sanctuary for migratory birds is also worth visiting, as are the island's waterfalls and cave systems.

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Given that many of Jeju's visitors have only just got married, it's understandable that there's not a wealth of boy-meets-girl type bars. You come here as an established couple, not as two prospecting singles. Perhaps the prime focus of Jeju's nightlife is in its casinos, which are not open to Korean nationals. These are all co-located with major hotels, and offer the usual darkened, smokey interiors, a range of gambling games, and a clientele that is predominantly Chinese or Japanese.

Jeju's race tracks open at night in July and August - a spectacular evening out with the highly enthusiastic spectators providing as much entertainment as the horses.

In Jeju-si the action centres on Tap-dong Plaza, a seaside performance centre which is also a general outdoor hang-out - street vendors called pojangmachas sell drinks while raw fish restaurants do a - well - roaring trade on the west pier. The nearby Jeju World 21 funfair is very popular. For something a little less active, check out The Café Village, the strip between Yongduam and Iho Beach.

Diving for shellfish and sea urchins

Naturally, seafood has a strong influence on Jeju's cuisine. Chinese and Japanese restaurants cater to the island's main visitor market, but it's really worth getting stuck into the local fare, much of which comes loaded with a promise of good health if you eat enough of it, and particularly if consumed in season.

Okdom is a type of fish found only in the sea off Jeju and Japan; it's sometimes broiled with a sesame oil basting, or served as a soup with seaweed. Abalone is reckoned to be at its best in summer, and is often served in a porridge. Mom-guk is a non-fatty seaweed and pork broth, and Haemul-ttuk a highly spiced seafood soup. Much is made of local horsemeat and black pork, which some might find too chewy. Jeju's nutty buckwheat pancakes, filled with radish or red beans, are really good, however the bouquet and finish of Omegi wine, made from glutinous millet, might not suit all palates. There are loads of pheasant dishes, reckoned to be best in the autumn. The flavour of the Jari, a small fish like a perch, is thought to peak from May to August.

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More wonders offshore

Tours
It would be rank folly to visit Jeju and not pay a visit to some of its offshore islands and other natural wonders, which are most easily accessed on an organised tour. Some of the most interesting include Udo (Cow) Island, Seongsan Ilchulbong - a plateau-like basin which is the crater of an extinct volcano - and Sangumburi Crater which is in the middle of a vast grassy plain. Oreums - "parasite volcanoes" are also found in many parts of the island. Small cruise boats also take in some of Jeju's more scenic coastline, while you might also try a kayaking expedition.

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Events
Jeju kicks up its heels with abandon throughout the year, celebrating music, sport and nature in equal measure. Blossoming cherry trees in April are the highpoint of spring, while a marathon in June, plus the Night Beach and Big Band fests mark mid summer. The island's folk culture is brought into sharp focus at the autumnal Halla Festival and the spectacular Saebyeol Oreum is set ablaze in winter to ensure bountiful crops in the forthcoming year.

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Useful Websites
KNTO www.knto.or.kr/eng/
Eco Tours http://jejueco.com/eng.htm
General http://1stopkorea.com/

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