K-Pop Destinations: Discovering Jeju, South Korea's Island Paradise [Part 2]
This past November, the KpopStarz Malaysia team traveled to South Korea's island province of Jeju to attend KCON 2015 Jeju with the help of the Jeju Tourism Organization. Located off the southwestern coast of the Korean peninsula, Jeju, with its temperate climate and lush natural attractions, is a popular destination for honeymooners, film crews, and Korean culture fans from around the world. They spent a few days soaking in the sights around the island and hit up the first manifestation of the Hallyu culture convention to be held within South Korea's borders. KCON 2015 Jeju took place Nov. 6-7 following the event's expansion from Los Angeles to Japan and New York City earlier in the year.
See what kind of fun the KpopStarz Malaysia team had on their visit to Jeju Island and get some travel ideas of your own with this travelogue. Be sure to check out the K-pop-themed Part 1 HERE.
Jeju Island's Coastlines and Nature Sights
(Photo : Aisyah Roslan)
Being an island, Jeju Island is of course famous for its coastlines. There are visual treats everywhere you go. The blue and turquoise colors of the sea stretch as far as the eye can see and black volcanic rocks pepper the coastline adding to the unique charm of the island. We visited the Aewol coastline and it looked beautiful even though the weather was a bit gloomy that day. I can just imagine it would be even more beautiful when the day is bright with the sun in the sky.
Besides the sweeping coastlines, Jeju Island is the place to go if you want to spend some time just to convene with nature. One such place that we visited called Sangumburi Crater was just gorgeous, especially in autumn where you can find an abundance of Eulalia flowers, also known as silver grass, which provided many photo opportunities. It was windy while we were there so to see a whole field of them blowing gently in the breeze was a sight to behold indeed. It was an easy walk uphill to the site of the crater and the view was really gorgeous, especially when we could see some of the autumn foliage from the lookout. (Note: Entrance fee to Sangumburi Crater is 6,000 KRW for adults and 3,000 KRW for children)
Another nature site we visited was Seosokkak Estuary, where sea water meets fresh water. The most special thing about the estuary is that you can ride transparent canoe to enjoy the picturesque view. However, it was drizzling while we were there so the operation for the canoe ride was closed. It was still a beautiful sight though, but make sure to visit when the sun is out to fully enjoy what the attraction has to offer.
(Photo : Aisyah Roslan)
A Visit to Unique Udo Island
We also got to visit Udo Island, a small island off the Jeju coast, which apparently got its name from its unique shape that is said to look like a cow lying down. To get to Udo Island, we had to take a 10-minute ferry ride from Seongsan Harbour to Cheonjinhang Harbour. Upon arrival, we took a shuttle bus, one of the easiest ways to move around the island. Visitors may also opt to rent scooters or, perhaps more interesting, mini cars that can only fit two passengers. Just make sure that you have your driver's license ready!
The weather on Udo Island was perfect - a bright, happy day that definitely called for ice cream. We indulged in the local treat of hallabong ice cream while looking out over the spectacular views of Udo Peak, which was mesmerizing from any point of view. We could have spent hours just looking at the view but we had other places to go to.
Next, we headed over to Biyangdo Island, Jeju's youngest island and located just offshore from the popular Hyeopjae Beach. Upon reaching the island, we were greeted by not one, but three horses in the grass field, which can be hired for a ride. However, we opted to just walk around the island and take in the magnificent view of the coastline. The experience was calming and and the perfect end to our jam-packed day of island-hopping.
It was definitely worth a trip to Jeju Island just to enjoy the scenery and nature - beautiful even when the weather is gloomy and gorgeous when the weather is good. KCON and the K-pop attractions we visited were an added treat and add to the appeal of South Korea's island province for tourists.
When we met with the Jeju Island's Mayor, Won Hee Ryong, he expressed hope in further developing Jeju Island to make it more accessible, especially in terms of transportation, while at the same time still maintaining the nature and eco-friendly system that Jeju Island is famous for.
We hope to have many more lovely trips to Jeju Island in the future!
Special thanks to the Jeju Tourism Organization for making this trip possible.
Photos and article by Aisyah Roslan | Contributor: Rasyidah Roslan
