Korea Travelogue (Part II)

Besides exploring Seoul, my friends’ and I spent some time exploring the outskirts and other parts of Korea as well. Here are some of the places we went to!

JEJU

My friends and I embarked on a 4D3N trip to Jeju during one of the weekends, and it was an amazing experience. I highly recommend everyone going to Korea to stop by Jeju too! However, one of the most important things to note about Jeju will be the lack of public transport and long distances between attractions, so it’s best to go with friends who can drive or get a chauffeured driver!3

In our group of six, there were 2 of us who could drive, so we decided to rent a car for our whole trip from LOTTE rent a car. Driving in Jeju was relatively peaceful and easy as the sightseeing places are all out of the city, so most of the time you will be driving on highways!

*One great thing to take note of is that you just need to take note of the telephone number of the attractions/places you wish to go in Jeju, input it into the GPS (in your car) and you're set!

Day 1

성산 일출봉 (Seongsan Illchubong)

We woke up at 330am just to make sure that we will make it there and up to the peak for the sunrise, and despite the long tedious climb up as well as the bad weather (super foggy), we still managed to catch a small glimpse of the sunrise.

The clean air and amazing views made up for everything.

Seopjikoji (섭지코지)

Yet another lovely vast landscape that Jeju has to offer. They offer horse riding here too!

Yongnuni Oreum (용눈이오름)

The view here is to die for. The climb up the huge hills are exhausting and scary (for people like me with a fear for heights), but the view at the top is worth every drop of sweat! Don’t expect beautiful, outstanding landmarks - Jeju’s nature and the vast landscapes makes up for everything!

Day 2

Daepo Jusangjeolli Cliff (대포동지삿개)

There isn’t much to see here, and it was relatively underwhelming. However, the cliff was truly breathtaking and worth a visit if you have extra time during your trip!

Jeongbang Falls (정방폭포) & Cheonjiyeon Falls (천지연폭포)

Two beautiful waterfalls that I would definitely recommend going! Both of them are very different. Jeongbang Falls is located near rocks and the sea, while Cheonjiyeon Falls is located in a beautiful park!

Osulloc Museum & Innisfree Cafe

These two are located in the same area, so it’s wise to visit both at the same time!

I mean, can you truly say you have visited Jeju without going to the famous Osulloc Museum and green tea fields?

The innisfree shop had special items that were only available in Jeju, and the osulloc museum had a wider variety of products to choose from as well!

Day 3

Sangumburi Crater (산굼부리)

The area is filled with eoksae (weed like grass), and is a really nice place to walk and enjoy the sights and weather!

Manjanggul Cave (만장굴)

This was probably the most underwhelming sight of our trip! You could barely see in the cave, and it is a wet and slippery walk. 

JEONJU

Jeonju is great as a one day trip! Luckily for us, there was an event going on for foreigners, and we managed to take the free bus service to Jeonju and back! A lot of people go to Jeonju to roam the streets in hanbok, which we didn’t do as we planned to wear hanbok during winter!

Jeonju is filled with lovely and delicious street stalls (it truly is a trip to make your tummy happy), as well as traditional boutiques and stores. A few food choices to try would be the dumplings, chocolate pie, and bibambap! (other stuff to try would be the bingsoo, meatballs, macarons etc.)

BUSAN

Before the school semester started, my friends and I decide to pop by Busan for a short 3D2N trip! Busan was not really my type of thing. It was a nice short trip, but I would not return again any time soon. Simply put, I think is is more than enough to see the tourist attractions once, and there aren’t many places to go to as well!

Nevertheless, it truly is a 'healing place' as the pace of life truly is slower over there, it is a haven for seafood lovers, and the beaches and endless roads provide a sense of tranquility you normally can't find in a bustling city.

Gamcheon Culture Village (감천문화마을)

The best thing about this place would be the lovely murals and view! Along the way, there are also quirky cafes and food stalls! The little prince statue is near the top too.

Haeundae Beach (해운대해수욕장) & Gwangalli Beach (광안리해수욕장)

Would advice going to haeundae in the day and gwangalli at night! Both nice and beautiful beaches, but don’t expect anything out of the ordinary. Simply nice to just soak your feet in the sand and seawater, or take a slow stroll along the beach at night.

Igidae Park (이기대 도시자연공원)

This would be my favourite place in Busan! Lovely park surrounded by waters and rocks, with bridges connecting the different parts together. Quite a long path, so do prepare yourself mentally for this!