Overview

The island of Jeju has many interesting and fascinating sights to check out, both in Jeju City and farther afield. The town is loaded with temples and parks and also has the nearby Hyeopjae Beach and Hallim Park, while Sunrise Peak and Manjang Cave owe their existence to volcanic activity and are also major sights.

Jeongwol Daeboreum Fire Festival

The Jeongwol Daeboreum Fire Festival is Jeju's biggest show and a major annual attraction. It stems from the traditional harvesting and mimics the winter fires used to destroy the grass-eating insects. The festival has been held since the 1990s during the holiday of Daeboreum, on the 15th day of the first lunar month, which is usually in February.

Hallim Park

Hallim Park is a stunning botanical garden in Jeju City that comes with 16 separate gardens, which include a tropical garden, a foliage garden and a garden loaded with stunning Washington palms. There are also a couple of caves onsite - Double Dragon Cave and Hyopje Cave - where you can go exploring.

Hyeopjae Beach

Hyeopjae Beach is a huge idyllic, white beach and one of the most popular retreats for tourists to Jeju. You will find the beach near Hallim Park in the western part of Jeju City and it is great for the whole family. Pine trees back the beach to provide wanted shade in the summer, plus washing and eating facilities are also onsite.

Yakcheon-sa

Jeju City has many temples worthy of a visit although none are quite like Yakcheon-sa, which remains untouched by renovators. The temple is simply huge and features two large towers, while inside are many gardens and pools. Be sure to check out the paintings on the walls and the breathtaking views of the sea from the towers.

Sunrise Peak (Seongsan Ilchulbong)

Sunrise Peak is a quirky natural attraction in Jeju, an ancient volcano on a peninsular which juts out into the sea. It is something like 100,000 years old and is more akin to a meteor impact site, with its concentric cliffs. You can get up to the rim from the north-western side which rises fairly steeply from Seongsan Village. A walk up here for sunrise is what it's all about.

Manjang Cave (Manjang-gul)

Manjang Cave is a massive lava cave that has the distinction of being the world's largest. It was created when Halla-san was an active volcano and stretches for a good eight miles into the hillside - only half a mile or so is lit and thus open to the public. There are stalactites and stalagmites galore, along with gigantic tubes that were created by the huge lava flows.

Seongeub Folk Village

Seongeub Folk Village shows the way people used to live back in the day and also how some people still live today. The houses are typically made of stone and come with thatched roofs and wandering pigs. You can buy authentic Jeju products here, such as horse-bone powder, honey, and traditional medicine.

Overview

Jeju has excellent options and great facilities for those into sports and activities, and especially for those who enjoy the outdoors. There are many fine beaches to go for a swim and a long walk, as well as a rugged, mountainous interior for more serious hiking. The waters around Jeju are also the focus for ardent scuba divers, surfers and windsurfers, while inland are numerous golf courses.

Hiking and walking

The best hiking on Jeju is up Halla-san peak, the highest summit in South Korea. The round-trip to the peak and back takes about eight or nine hours and you have the choice of two trails, plus another couple of trails that go elsewhere on the mountain. In addition, there are also hundreds of other extinct volcanoes on Jeju with easier hikes and treks, including Sonja Crater, Yongnuni Crater, Wollan Crater, and Byando Crater. A good coastal walk takes in the Sunrise Peak (Seongsan Ilchulbong).

Horseback riding

There are many horse ranches on Jeju Island that are invariably located in mountainous areas. The horses on Jeju are descendants of the Mongol invaders' ponies that were bred with Jeju's indigenous mares. While they are smaller than the average horse in the West, they are particularly hardy and can carry heavy loads. The Chowon Seungmajang Ranch in Seogwipo is one of the top ranches for taking a ride.

Scuba diving

The diving in Jeju is excellent, with a diverse coral and marine life that can be attributed to the combination of cold and warm ocean currents in this region of Asia. Underwater lava rock formations are all around and there are several prominent dive sites, with Udo off the east coast of Jeju being the best. Other sites include near Seogwipo, Sibling Island, Gwantal Island, and Chagwido Island. September to November has the best diving.

Windsurfing

Jeju has a couple of excellent spots for windsurfing between the rough September to March winter season. Shinyang Beach has the best windsurfing and facilities and comes with the Korean Windsurfing Association Cheju Training Centre, where you can rent out windsurfing boards and also go boardsailing. Hamdeok Beach is also good for windsurfing and lies on the north coast.

Surfing

There are several excellent breaks around Jeju owing to the swells it draws in from the Pacific. Jungmun Beach is the most popular surfing spot, although the next beach along under the Hyatt Regency is purported to have better rides. Sagye Beach is also a good bet. If you are here during the typhoon season towards the end of the year you will find the best waves in Jeju, with tubes up to 12 feet.

Dining and shopping

Jeju is famous for its seafood and although it is expensive to dine out, you will be amazed at the quality of the coastal restaurants. Jeju City has many high quality eateries, along with its hotels, and there are many authentic local specialties to try out. Jeju is also good for shopping, with its traditional markets, specialty shops, department stores, and glitzy boutiques. There are also many duty-free shops while volcanic items and products from the sea make great souvenirs.

Seafood is naturally the main foodstuff on Jeju Island and there are also many Chinese and Japanese restaurants. The saltwater fish is excellent and comes in soups and porridges (gruels), while pork and chicken are boiled and sliced, pyeonyuk. A noted local speciality on Jeju is pork from a black-haired pig, while the island is also well known for its local fruits, especially the mandarin orange.

There is good eating to be had around the island and especially in the seafood restaurants and markets of Jeju-si (Jeju City). Tap-dong Plaza is a great place to come for eating as well as for the entertainment value. It is located at the seaside in Jeju City and has street vendors galore (pojangmachas) along with raw fish restaurants on the west pier.

Another good place for a bite to eat in Jeju City is the Café Village, which is a strip of eateries between Iho Beach and Yongduam. In addition, most of the top-end hotels in Jeju come with decent menus that usually include Western favourites, although be aware that you will invariably be paying through the nose.

On the shopping front, Jeju City has many flashy areas including a large collection of markets. The island churns out numerous natural products and has especially high quality coral and mother-of-pearl, along with sculptures made from lava rock and shells. Locally-made sweaters and Jeju honey also make great souvenirs.

The most popular shopping area in Jeju City is Tap-dong, which features a huge range of women's fashion and can be found in the centre of town. Ildo District in Jeju City also has good shopping and eating options, while the older, more established Chilseong-lo has been revitalised and is a popular shopping spot.

There are many department stores along the streets of Jungjeong-lo in Seogwipo-si, including the popular Dongmyeon's with its branded products. The Everyday Market, or Maeil, is also in this area (between Jeongbang-dong and Jungjang-dong) and comes with many vendors on the street

There are also the so-called Five-Day Markets, which go off in different parts of the island every five days. They can be found at Jeju City (Jeju-si), at Seogwipo, Jungmoon, Hallim, Sehwa, Hamdeok, Daejeong, and Seongsan, among others. Seafood and mandarin oranges are the main buys at these markets, along with clothing.

Jeju is absolutely loaded with fine seafood eateries and Japanese sushi restaurants, and although the prices are generally a bit steep, there is no beating the quality. The best restaurants on the island are invariably in Jeju City and out at Seogwipo although you will find great places to eat wherever you look.

Overview

Options for getting to Jeju are fairly limited due to its being an island and also because it does not receive direct flights from outside Asia. It does have an international airport, however, and ferries come in from the mainland and from some Japanese ports. Getting about is by bus and taxi.

Airports

Jeju international airport (CJU) is the gateway to Jeju Island and is just a few miles from town. It is the 3rd largest airport in South Korea, behind Incheon Airport and Gimpo Airport, with flights mainly coming in from Seoul's domestic Gimpo Airport every 15 to 30 minutes. Jeju International Airport also receives flights from Chinese and Japanese cities, including from Tokyo's Haneda Airport, Osaka, Beijing, Shanghai, and Hong Kong.

If you are coming from Europe or the US you will need to go through one of these airports, which will invariably be Gimpo Airport in Seoul. Facilities at the airport include ATMs, currency exchange kiosks and a bank, along with shops, snack bars, restaurants, and even a gallery.

The airport is located just a few miles from Jeju City, with regular buses, an airport bus, and taxis all available for transfer. The Airport Limousine Bus (number 600) can be had outside gate 1 and runs to various locations, including Jungmun, Seogwipo and major hotels in the city. The Airport Limousine Bus runs every 15 minutes between 06:20 and 22:00. Regular buses (numbers 100, 200, 300, and 500) run to Jeju City Hall in town and are cheaper than the limo bus. Taxis are pretty expensive considering the short distance.

Public transportation

The only other option for getting to Jeju Island is by boat and ferry services run from the mainland, including overnight sailings. Boats come into Jeju from various ports on the South Korean mainland, landing at Jeju City Harbour with its three terminals. Terminals 1 and 2 are next to each other, while the international Terminal 3 is just down the road. Terminal 1 receives sailings from Incheon, Busan, and Mokpo; Terminal 2 from Wando and Yeosu; and Terminal 3 also has arrivals from Wando and Mokpo, as well as from selected ports in Japan.

Jeju is not as easy to get around as other major destinations on the peninsular, with buses and taxis the only form of public transport. There is no railway system on the island or subway in the main city, yet buses do cover the entire island fairly well and they are quite reliable. There are major bus terminals in Jeju City (north) and Seogwipo (south) and services generally run every 20 minutes.

Taxis are good for getting around Jeju City and Seogwipo City in quick time, although using taxis for complete island-wide travel will work out expensive. Renting a bicycle is a good idea in the summer months on Jeju and there are many places to rent bikes. Car rental is also popular and makes sense if you are here for a few days, in order to check out the fairly well dispersed sights. If you don't fancy hiring a car and have deep pockets, you could always charter a taxi for the day.