Jeju Island is always a popular destination for those in South Korea. It is close enough to Seoul to be a viable weekend trip. The flights to Jeju are not terribly expensive even during those times that everyone has a vacation. Activities on the island suite a variety of tastes. This, my third trip to Jeju, offered the opportunity to explore far more of the island than on either of my previous trips allowed. With seven full days and a rental car to ferry us around, we covered a lot of ground.
Beaches
A big reason that my girlfriend and I went to Jeju was that we would be able to spend time on the sand soaking up the sun. We laid on Hyeopjae Beach as well as Jungmun Beach. If I were to recommend one, it would be Hyeopjae. The water was beautiful, the sand clean and fine, and there was a little more space to swim. At Jungmun, there was only a small portion of the beach that you could swim in without the lifeguards rousing which crowded all of the visitors into one spot and left the majority of the beach sadly unused. At both, however, the allowed space to swim didn't go out into deep water with the deepest being about five feet. Crowding was also an issue at both. There are many people who go to these beaches during the peak summer season.
In spite of these issues, it is quite enjoyable to rent an umbrella, lie on a towel, and take a nap while listening to the waves. If you don't mind not being able to go in the water, you can set up away from the swimming area and enjoy a more relaxed beach-side experience.
Mountains
Seongsan Ilchulbong
There are various mountains scattered around the island. The main two that we visited were Hallasan and Seongsan Ilchulbong.
We hiked Hallasan on our fifth day. Our hike started with a 4:30 am alarm and a short drive to the start of Gwaneumsa trail. Looking online, this trail came up as the most difficult and that's why we picked it. It took us three hours and forty minutes to make it to the top. Along the way, we passed out of the tree line and were greeted with the white of being in a cloud. A great benefit of starting so early and picking the difficult trail was that we almost had the trail to ourselves. No one was coming down yet and no hikers were on the same area that we were. Even though visibility was poor, it was good to get out and enjoy the fresh air and exercise. After 1400 meters of ascent, we made it to the top, took our picture, and went back down because it was cold and we couldn't see anything.
So, after nearly two years in Korea, I can joyfully say I have completed its highest mountain. I'd rate the difficulty as moderate.
The second significant mountain that we spent time at was Seongsan Ilchulbong, or Sunrise Peak. The remnant of a long extinct volcano, this dramatic feature of the landscape grabbed my attention and I could spend all day shooting it. Gwangchigi Beach offers a great place to photograph the peak from at sunrise. At low tide, the rocks act as great leading lines.
If you get to the park early enough (right after sunrise), there will not be anyone manning the tickets booths to the park and you can walk right in. The tour busses don't get there until a little late so the park is quite and very enjoyable. From there, it is a short distance and a good amount of stairs to the top. The view is better from the bottom or the beach.
Udo
Udo Island is an attraction that I have wanted to visit since before my first visit. This small island is wonderful and seems completely different from the main island so close to it. After walking around for a bit, we rented electric bikes that made getting around the island very easy. It took about an hour to get around the island at a leisurely pace. Along the way, there are a large number of cute cafes and restaurants. We stopped at one to get peanut ice cream as it's one of the most popular things to do.
Lonely Tree
This, the most romantic spot for photos on the island, is a single tree with two small mountains to the sides of it. Along with the tree, there is beautiful grass flowing in the wind. While there are often many couples coming to take selfies in front of the tree if you wait there will be windows where you can grab a photo without anyone in the frame.
At sunset during the summer, there is wonderful soft light and it really lends itself to grabbing a portrait.
