Jeju is the largest Island in South Korea, and a popular tourist destination for Koreans and travelers all over the world. The island features a dormant volcano at its center, with a variety of hiking trails around its base and up to the summit. The island seems to have everything you could ask for in vacation destination – bustling cities with incredible food and night life, hiking to mountain peaks, waterfalls, crater lakes, relaxing beaches, and hot springs. This was our very first vacation from school – and we HAD to take advantage! We had Monday – Wednesday off for Children’s Day in Korea, and took a trip from a Saturday – Wednesday afternoon. We certainly did not get to see all of the things this island had to offer – and this trip, we focused on the North Side of the island near Jeju City.

Jeremy and I are living in Busan, South Korea – and the flight to Jeju City is an hour flat. It was super easy to get to the Busan airport and hop over – I’m so excited to go back for quick trips as much as possible! We arrived in Jeju City at 5:30pm and took a taxi to our Hotel. I can’t emphasize this enough – taxis are incredibly cheap in Korea (compared to the United States). We arrived at our hotel and after settling in, headed out for some dinner and drinks! We came upon a great sushi restaurant, and indulged in a sushi and sashimi platter. It was delicious – seafood here is phenomenal. I couldn’t recommend it more!

After, we met up with some friends from school along the beach. South Korea is pretty open in comparison to the United States and other western countries, but Covid restrictions only allow for groups of four at bars and restaurants. There were five of us, so we took a trip to a convenient store and loaded up on Mackgeolli and snacks and hit the beachfront! This time of year in Jeju is pretty cold – we bundled up in the 50 degree weather along the coast and enjoyed some laughs and snacks! Jeju is known for their Hallabong tangerines, and we had the most amazing tangerine Mackgeolli, a raw Korean rice wine. It was a great way to kick off vacation!

The next day, we took advantage of sleeping in. I mean, we’ve been working HARD – we deserve some rest 😉 After a slow morning, Jeremy and I made our way to Cafe 901 – a gorgeous vegan cafe just outside of the city. We came to discover that it’s also a pension that offers peaceful accommodations and yoga classes – next time, I will absolutely be staying there 🙂 We ordered a smorgasbord of food – a smoothie bow, both brunch sets, warm ciabatta and guacamole, and a savory scone. It was divine – the perfect nourishment for the adventure to come.

Vegan Eats at Cafe 901 – Check out their instagram here!

We happened to be directly across the road from a very popular Jeju attraction – Jeju Loveland. This is something that Jeremy and I absolutely had to see! Loveland’s website describes the park as, “a theme sculpture park with the theme of sex, which raises awareness of correct sex culture and is fully decorated with works of art with a contemporary sense of art sublimation.” It’s a beautiful garden that features both gorgeous and kitschy sexual sculptures. We had a blast roaming through the gardens, taking photos, goofing around, and getting friendly with the statues – take a look for yourself, it’s worth the trip! 🙂

Fun at Jeju Loveland! Check out their website here!

We wondered down the road after Loveland to a local tap house and enjoyed some beer before heading to the Halla Arboretum. We were able to climb a bluff and take in some views of Mount Hallasan – it was the perfect ending to our day spent outdoors!

The next day, we were “up and at em” for a hike to Mount Hallasan. There’s multiple options for hiking the Mountain – ranging all different levels of difficulty. We settled on the Eorimok Hiking Trail, which was easily accessbile from where we were staying in Jeju City. If you want to hike to the peak, you need to enter on another side of the mountain and reach certain check points at certain times. For this trip, we weren’t ready to commit that much – but the Eorimok Trail was anything but easy! The trail starts with stairs that take you a kilometer straight up the mountain – ya, that’s a LOT of stairs. It’s been 4 days since the hike and my butt is still sore! It was incredible though – the hike features forests, views of the northern and southern coasts of the island, and an up-close look at the base of Mount Hallasan. We are contemplating a backpacking trip through Jeju on foot our next trip – we’ll see if we pull that off 😉

That evening, we bopped around to different restaurants and bars to drink and graze over different foods. We went to a wine bar for an assortment of wines and tapas. After, we went to a Korean restaurant and tap house – it was splendid. We sat crosslegged under an outdoor gazebo with candlelight and enjoyed a big pot of Mackgeolli! We also ordered and egg dish that was delicious – the perfect light bite to end the night!

The next day was a stormy one, and we did not plan very well. We slept in until 11:30 (and by we, I mean me…) and slowly rolled out of bed to a sweet vegan coffee shop for sweets and soy lattes. We then took a taxi to the National Museum of Jeju, where we discovered that we needed a reservation. Without one, it was going to be over an hour wait – and we weren’t up for that. We taxied back to our hotel and spent the day soaking in the comfy bed and watching a movie 🙂 After, we met up with friends for dinner at a delightful vegetarian teahouse called, “Dasoni.” We had tea and bibimbap while sitting crosslegged on the floor. We watched the rain out the windows and sipped on hot tea – it was healing and cozy. We said goodbye to two friends after dinner and went to a wine bar nearby with another friend whose flight was canceled due to the storm – it was brilliant! A great ending to a wonderful trip 🙂

Jeju Island has so much to offer, and while it’s considered sinful that Jeremy and I didn’t make it to the tropical south side of the island, we were so happy with this trip! We thoroughly explored Jeju City and the north side of the island, and had the most wonderful vacation. I have a hard time taking a “vacation” and not a “trip” while I’m traveling, and I’m proud of myself for letting myself rest, sleep, and take things slowly. This won’t always be the case, but rest was essential on this jaunt out to the island. I’m excited for future trips to Jeju – I’m already thinking about the next one 🙂 Until next time, Jeju Island <3

Much Love,

Lex