Day 4, 5 & 6 – Jeju Island, South Korea

Once we arrived in Jeju at our hotel on the Harbour, it was 7pm. After having stayed in a hostel and guest house, and being on the move every 24 hours, we were relieved to be staying in a nice hotel for a few nights.

We unpacked our bags and then wandered down the road to a local pub called Magpie Brewing Co. We’re a little ashamed to admit that it was an American style spot. However we have no regrets, because the fried chicken and pepperoni pizza that we shared was absolutely delicious. Despite not being traditional cuisine, it was a popular place for the locals and had great reviews online. It didn’t disappoint!

Day 4

The next morning we picked up a double brew coffee from the coffee shop outside our hotel. Having never had one before, we found the mixture of cold drip and espresso especially delicious. Shortly after this, we were picked up by a local tour guide who would drive us, and a Dutch girl, around for the day.

First we visited a local beach where we were supposed to visit some lava tubes but they were closed. We stopped here for half an hour to dip our toes in the cool water and relax on the fine sandy beach. Next, we went inland to experience a foot bath. Here, we each were allocated a small bath in the floor to rest our feet in warm water which we brewed some special green tea in. We were then shown how to use salt to scrub our feet before rubbing them in a tangerine scented oil.

For lunch we were provided a local delicacy, black pork, and grilled fish. Afterwards, we drove half an hour to Seongsan Ilchulbong National Park. This park was formed after a volcanic explosion 500 years ago and is where we witnessed the customary woman divers. As Jeju is in the middle of the ocean, the men used to have to go to sea to fend off pirates. Many did not return, which left women to do all the house hold chores, including diving without breathing apparatus to catch abalone and other sea creatures to feed their families. Today, there are 4000 women divers remaining; the youngest is 56 and the eldest is 85 years old.

Our last stop prior to heading back to the hotel was a folk village which now houses most of the elderly women remaining in Jeju. The eldest woman here is 106 years old. The buildings here are build low to the ground to protect them against strong winds and are made from volcanic rock and clay with thatched roofs. We were also offered to have a taste of a local drink made by the women from blueberries and honey that has been fermented for 3 years. It was pretty tasty.

Day 5

The next day, we ventured out on our own to see the Osulloc Green tea fields. Here we read about the history of tea and how it spread throughout the world. We were also very pleased to finally have found somewhere to purchase some great tea. We bought 4 different types of tea and a packet of green tea flavoured chocolate.

After a wander through the green tea fields, we caught a bus to Hallim Park which was an hour north east of where we were. Here we wandered through various kinds of gardens for an hour or so and finally got to experience a lava cave. Dotted along the paths are statues of what the Jeju people call Dol hareubang, which means “stone grandfather”. These statues are made from volcanic rock and are placed outside most houses to fend off evil spirits.

After a 2 hour trip back to our hotel, we stopped in at a local restaurant for Korean fried chicken before taking a taxi to Love land. Love land is a park full of sculptures based around a sex theme. The park consists of 140 sculptures designed by twenty graduate art students and was originally to help educate and inspire newly wed couples in arranged marriages.

By 9pm we were back in Jeju and ready to try some Korean desserts before heading back to our hotel for a good night sleep. We found a cafe on a street near where we were staying that sold a range of small cake looking things. We bought one of each kind, 4 individually wrapped desserts, for about 8000 krw. The first was a gooey sticky green substance rolled in red beans and formed into a cube. The second, and favourite, was a soft and chewy cake like caramel and chocolate ball coated in peanuts. The third was similar to the first but an orange flavour instead of green. The final dessert was what seemed to be two small pancakes sandwiches together with chocolate and cream in between.

Day 6

The next day, our flight was due to leave at 2pm and with us both being fairly worn out after a big week, we decided to make the most of the late check out by having a sleep in.

We stopped in at a cute little cafe a few minutes walk from the hotel before catching a taxi to the airport and waiting to board our flight to Seoul.

Check in soon for our last post from our enjoyable trip to South Korea!