TIPS TO GET AROUND JEJU ISLAND
JEJU ISLAND ON RAINY AND CLOUDY DAYS
Tips to get around Jeju island – South Korea
As everyone knows, Jeju is the biggest island in South Korea, and is also one of the most popular destination for tourists and travelers around the world. The island of Jeju was formed by volcanic eruptions 2 milion years ago, with its famous Hallasan volcano located right in the center of the island. This beautiful island is famous for both its fantastic natural scenery and heritage, as well as its skillful female divers and amazing beaches.
[How to get around the island]
Since it is an island, you cannot expect to move from place to place quickly by subway as in Seoul, and the only public transportation is bus. If you have a driving license, it is easy and cheap to rent a car with only 15.000~30.000won per day. Rental car is the most popular option for Korean tourists. However, as foreigners, your licenses might not be accepted. When driving is not your option, there are still other ways to get around.
Firstly, you can take buses. Bus system is quite developed in Jeju, especially in their big cities as Jeju city or Seogwipo. The buses are quite new, modern, clean and has the stations’ names written in English on their screens, so that you can easily track your journey without missing any stop. There are also express buses that can take you to main destinations and Jeju airport. However, besides city buses, most of the popular destinations are located in the suburb with buses coming in every 30 or even 50 minutes. So in order not to waste too much time on waiting for the bus, you should use Jeju apps (제주버스정보, 제주 시외버스 시간표 – in Korean) to check the correct bus schedule. If you cannot read Korean, Kakaomap also works fine in showing direction and which bus to take, but the estimating arriving time for buses are usually not correct.
Secondly, if you are an active person, you can try rental bike and cycle on coastal routes. It might take more time but also is an interesting way to explore the island. In Jeju, you can easily find bike shops with electric or road bikes for rent, the price starts from 12,000~50,000won per day depending on the type of bike. At Jeju city, you can also get free public bikes the ride around the city and along the coastal routes. There are many stations with English instruction lying around many areas of the city and you can drop it off at any station without returning to where you got it.
[Must-see destinations & Must-try food]
There are so many natural attractions and volcano related heritages on Jeju island such as Seongsan sunrise peak, Manjanggul lava tube, Hallasan etc. You can check travel information on https://www.visitjeju.net/en or various blogs online. If you are a nature lover, you will be in love with what Jeju can offer. Moreoever, as an island, Jeju has so many beautiful beaches for you to enjoy a great tan and swimming, as well as surfing and diving. For the food, black pig meat and seafood are everywhere and they are just so fresh and delicious. However, if you travel alone or if you are on a budget, local restaurants are always good option. You can try black pig sausage for 3.000won at Seongsan, or pork noodles (고기국수) in Jeju city, and maybe Stone macarons and peanut ice cream as desserts. Do not forget to try sweet Hallabong juice to add some ‘Vitamin Sea’ ?
[Things to do on rainy days]
On Jeju island, everybody is familiar with sudden rains and windy storms. If you happened to go on those days, make sure to prepare for your indoor plans. The rain in Jeju usually very light and last for a long time. Bringing a rain coat or an umbrella would be a good idea. Jeju offers you tons of interesting museums to visit in case of wet days such as Automobile museum, Chocolate museum, Teddy bear museum, Trick Eye museum, Tea museum, Love land (the sex museum) etc. These theme museums are so cool and fun that you could spend the whole day exploring without getting bored. If you are more into cultures and history, there are also Folk village museum, and tons of other historical museums to check out. The tickets for these museums are also very cheap and you can find discounts deal on websites like Klook, Gmarket and even on their websites.
http://www.jejuloveland.com/language/eng.htm
http://www.osulloc.com/kr/en/museum
https://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/ATR/SI_EN_3_1_1_1.jsp?cid=268190
[Tips for Accommodation]
In my experience, it is the best to stay in different places on the island in order to visit all of the attractions. Staying in Jeju city on the last day will help you get to the airport easily and try local food, as well as visit nearby beaches. Meanwhile, You can visit the Eastern part of the island with Seongsan sunrise peak, Udo island, Manjanggul cave by staying at Seongsan area. Also, beautiful beaches and the famous waterfalls are located at the Southern part of the island. Therefore, staying at Seogwipo city in this case is more convenient. If you want to see museums, you should stay on the Western side. Planning your accommodation together with your itinerary would be helpful to save your time. Aside from Airbnb, you can also find cheap hotels by the beach. I managed to stay at a 4-star hotel near Seongsan with only 40,000won per night, even on the weekend. So keep your options open for anything and you can easily manage your budget on this fantastic island.
Christie
