The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps
Our trip to Phuket was planned to be a relaxing one, one that doubled up as a birthday trip for Grace. So it was–we mainly hung around, used the facilities and swam at Avani+ Maikhao and its sister resorts. The two girls are water babies …
We spent a whole week in Seoul, and that meant lots of time to try out different restaurants! Click and jump to your preferred restaurant: MiGaBon 味加本 (Porridge) Bon-Juk (Porridge) Myeongdong Kyoja (Noodles and Dumplings) Tosokchon Samgyetang (Ginseng Chicken Soup) Jinwonjo Dak Hanmari (Chicken Soup) …
In beautiful Jeju, there are many trails to hike and climb, sea breeze to feel against your face, and mountain top experience to revel in. The focus of our trip was nature and the pace was to go slow. Turns out, my itinerary was still overly packed. We had to skip a few attractions because we had to go even slower with Baby EX. At 16 months, she couldn’t really do much of the walking and hence we carried her most of the time. Nature isn’t that stroller friendly.
Because we wanted to immerse Baby EX in nature, we skipped attractions such as Teddy Bear Museum. Also, with Loveland being R21, we didn’t think of bringing a young toddler there. I went 10 years ago because a local guide brought us there. The park is a novelty but not somewhere I will recommend, unless you like looking at the different sex and penis sculptures.
We didn’t make it to Udo island even though I researched quite a bit on it. More on Udo below. Another place squeezed out from our itinerary are Oedolgae Rock and Hwanguji Pools. A friend recommended us a swim in these natural rock pools and they look fun, especially for teens and young adults. And if you are an outdoorsy person or a hiker, you may want to consider doing all or part of Jeju Olle Trail.
So, where did we go?
Day 1 (19 October) – Seogwipo
Day 2 (20 October) – Seogwipo to Jeju City (Southwest route)
Day 3 (21 October) – Jeju City (Northeast route)
TIP: To easily locate an attraction in your GPS, you will need its phone number. I have consolidated all the numbers of Jeju attractions and restaurants in “Guide to driving in Jeju”. These numbers are like coordinates or postal code to locate a place more accurately than names in the GPS or APP. You’ll realise that Google maps or Apple maps don’t give a driving route around Jeju.
Jeongbang Falls, Cheonjeyeon Falls, and Cheonjiyeon Falls are the 3 famous waterfalls of Jeju island. They are located in Seogwipo, the southern part of the island. You can read more about them in my post “3 Famous Waterfalls of Jeju with a Baby“.
On hindsight, I didn’t think the falls were stunning compared to other nature spots of Jeju. I have seen better waterfalls. Oh, but the view from Seonimgyo Bridge at Cheonjeyeon Falls was breathtaking.
Perhaps, just choose one waterfall to tick off the list?
From Cheonjeyeon Falls, it’s about 6 minutes drive to Jusangjeolli Cliff. It was formed from the lava that erupted from Hallasan Mountain and flowed into the sea of Jungmun. These hexagon shaped pillars look carved out by stone masons.
We had to take many steps down to the viewing platform of the cliff. Definitely NOT suitable for stroller. The cliff structure is interesting and we spent only 5-10 minutes on the crowded platform to admire and take photos with it.
After the climb back up, we roamed around the park and took photos with Dol Hareubang (“grandfather made of stone”). They are stone statues carved from the island’s porous volcanic rock and often attributed to the island’s shamanic traditions. You can find these stone statutes around Jeju Island, but this was the only place we saw them.
Near the entrance, there are shops selling souvenirs and Hallabong (tangerine) juice in stone grandfather’s bottle.
Compared to Mt. Hallasan, of Jeju, Songaksan Mountain is less talked about. It is also called 99 Bong (translated “99 Peaks”) due to its 99 small peaks. This mountain is perhaps one of the places in Jeju that is not so well-known. We were there in the morning and the crowd is not as crazy as other parts of Jeju.
Is the place not nice? Surprisingly, it turned out to be the highlight of our Jeju trip. The beautiful view of the ocean took our breath away as we headed up the slope.
I’m not sure if I would recommend a stroller here. There are long stretches of road, sometimes bumpy, so a stroller would be helpful. You’ll come to a crossroad, think it’s at the second intersection, where you can choose to take the coastal or the inland route. If you choose to walk the coast for all the awesome view, be prepared for many, many, many steps. If you trek inland, there should be fewer steps but you will miss out on the scenery.
Still, one parent can carry the stroller and the other the baby. It makes climbing the steps easier. However, Baby EX fell asleep as we pushed her along. Hence, hubby had to carry the stroller and the baby up and down the many steps. Hurt his back for a while after this trip. Thanks hubby for the hardwork! I was exhausted from all the steps, can’t imagine hubby with his heavy-weightlifting.
TIP #1: When you first arrived, you can
TIP #2: Once you arrived, you might need to use the toilet. You can walk a distance to the end of the official carpark but it means a longer walk to and fro the mountain. Unless you’re super urgent, I would suggest you climb a bit more where you will find cubicles not far up the slope.
Seongsan Ilchulbong or the Sunrise Peak (“Seongsan”) is a UNESCO World Natural Heritage which rose from under the sea during a volcanic eruption over 100,000 years ago. Located in the east of Jeju island, people would wake up super early to climb the Peak for a gorgeous sunrise view. A huge crater lies at the top of Seongsan, and with 99 sharp rocks surrounding it, it resembles a gigantic crown.
Right before you start the hike, you can catch the performance by Jeju Women Divers (Haenyos), at 1:30PM and 3:00PM daily. The divers would sing and dance before they geared up to dive in open sea. They are known for their independent spirit, iron will, and their ability to be underwater for a long time without oxygen tanks. Apparently, you can buy their fresh catch from the performance and get the “restaurant” nearby to cook them.
Look out for the sign pointing to where the performance will take place. You have to climb down a steep flight of stairs to reach where the divers are. Many just stayed at the top to watch from afar, while we made it halfway down. Near enough to see what they are doing, and not so bottom to save some energy for the hike up Seongsan. We thought the whole performance was quite uneventful, except for the singing. Perhaps we were not near enough to see it, or they just had a bad catch day, diving away and catching nothing.
Early morning gives you a more cooling hike while later evening means fewer people and none of the midday sun glare. Bring a sweater as it might get colder at higher altitude. This didn’t apply to us though as we were there about 1:30PM and it was a sweltering hot climb for us all the way to the top. Do bring water bottles along, because you will definitely need it. There’s one shop that sells water and snacks at the beginning of the hike. Needless to say, prices are very marked up.
It takes about 30 minutes for the fit to head straight up to the peak without stopping for rest or the view. But for us, we took 60-90 minutes to climb up the well-maintained trail. To give us credit, we were carrying a 10-kg baby and a big diaper bag. The trail is almost circular in which you don’t descend from where you climb up from. Unlike the ascent, the climb downhill comes with a wondrous view of the vast blue ocean.
Wear covered sports shoes. The hike starts off with gentle slopes, and then steep flight of stairs, one after another, always one around the corner. The final stretch of twists and turns without railings can get a bit challenging if you are on heels. Along the way, rest your feet at one of the pavilions with benches.
Three-quarters uphill, I thought we had reached the top. We rested at the pavilion and enjoyed the beautiful scenery. Interesting to spot the tombolo (photo above) that connected Seongsan tuff cone to the main island. After resting, we were ready to descend, only to come face to face with another set of steps. Jaw drop. I popped the champagne too fast.
The last lap proves to be the hardest part of the climb, no thanks to our tired legs. But we have to get up there to descend from another more scenic route. The view at the peak is not as breathtaking as the one three-quarters uphill. So take your time there to enjoy the impressive sight.
Seongsan is about 1 to 1.5 hour drive from Jeju City or Seogwipo city. So if you set aside 30 to 60 minutes to climb, you have to leave your accommodation at least 2 hours before sunrise! 3:00AM?
Other than the sunrise timing, check the weather forecast for the day. An extra jacket would help if it is a windy or rainy day.
After Seongsan, we had some time left in the late afternoon. Cape Seopjikoji was nearby and so off we went! Protruding from Jeju’s eastern shoreline, Seopjikoji is super popular. The huge crowd said it all. Easy and short walk but it was like squeezing my way through a crowded shopping mall. I didn’t remember if I came here a decade ago, but the moment I embarked on the journey, memories came back.
It must be the white chapel built specially for the 2003 drama, All In, that brought us to Seopjikoji then. One of my first few favourite Korean shows. But alas, a typhoon destroyed the beautiful chapel in 2013 and is now replaced by a ghastly gingerbread house.
This place garnered 4.2 stars of Kakao app at the time of writing. We don’t really see why. Yes, the dramatic coastline and extended plains have their beauty. However, add in the crowd, and there was no chance for us to be melancholic and take in the scenery. And it’s not in the season when flowers are in bloom.
Innisfree Jeju House and O’Sulloc Tea Museum are in the same compound and are generally recommended by young people in their twenties. I reckoned it is because everything from the interior design to the food are instagrammable. Perhaps I had high expectations for them that I was kind of disappointed by them. Its saving grace was the drinks, food and desserts. They were quite appetizing. More about them in “What to Eat in Jeju“.
Innisfree Jeju House’s wooden and minimalist interior design exudes warmth, cosiness and calmness. The beautiful set up of its products brings another added layer of style and charm. I can see why young people flock to this place, as they have a keen appreciation for beauty. However, this appreciation might be thwarted by the crowd jostling with you.
Perhaps we would enjoy this place more if we didn’t have a toddler with us. We could have joined in their natural soap making classes, make-your-own-mask activity, or self-interactive activity of designing the postcards provided.
O’sulloc Tea Museum was the first tea museum in Korea when it opened in 2001. It aims to introduce and promote Korean tea culture and history. Instead of a tour around the tea museum, we went up to an observatory for a bird’s eye view of the tea plantations. Before that, we had their yummy dessert and drinks and shopped in their crowded retail shop. At regular intervals, free tea tasting is available.
We bought a few boxes of tea, with wedding tea recommended to us by my sister in law. The tea is generally good with my preference of some flavour over others. However, if you can’t get what you want, you can still check out their retail shops in Seoul. They also sell green tea milk spread, cookies and chocolates. Gift sets are available too.
Udo, Cow Island, got its name because its shape looked like a cow. is a beautiful place, at least that’s what I imagined to be. The small island is a short 15 minutes’ ferry ride from Jeju’s Seongsan Port.
I researched quite a bit on the place and planned a half day trip for it. Sadly, we had to shelf the plan at the last minute because we simply ran out of time, and we didn’t want to rush through. A trip to Udo Island can usually be paired off with a trip to nearby Seongsan Ilchulbong. I would recommend checking it out if you have three or more full days on Jeju Island.
If you are leaving Jeju city to catch an early morning ferry and looking for some breakfast, you might want to stop by the en-route A Factory Bakery/Cafe for croissants and coffee.
At Seongsan Port (+82 64-782-5671), you can park your car in the nearby multi-storey carpark and then cycle or walk around Udo island. Otherwise, board the ferry with your car and drive around Udo.
The round trip charges are:
For ferry schedule and fares, this article proves to be useful: takingflights.com/passenger-and-car-ferry-schedule-and-fares-to-udo-island.
We had wanted Hallasan fried rice for brunch on Udo before heading to Seo-Bin-Baek-Sa (Sanho Beach) for the island’s famed peanut ice cream as dessert. Some blogger suggested black pork burgers for lunch.
After Sanho beach, there’s Geommeolle the black (728-3394). A small black-sand beach surrounded by rocky cliffs. Hire speedboats for scenic views around the bay and through the Dongangyeonggul Cave (cliff with a cave) during low tide.
As you trek up Udobong Peak (728-2742), wild grass and lalangs along the way will create a dreamy feel. But don’t be deceived as it gets difficult for those with inactive lifestyle. If you have limited energy, skip this for the climb up for Seongsan Ilchulbong, that is if you are going on the same day. There are a few paths to choose from and one will lead you to the lighthouse and another to an underwhelming view.
Other recommendations I found online:
Located in the northwestern coast of Jeju, Aewol Coastal Road is a winding road that stretches from Hagwi-ri to Aewol-ri. We drove in the general direction of Aewol-ri and turned into what seemed to be an area of bustling activity. We inched our way in to find ourselves in a cluster of restaurants and cafes.
As we squeezed through the heavy traffic in narrow roads, we came face to face with the magnificent sunset that illuminated the sky in a bright orange hue. Couldn’t stop to marvel for long as our car had to move on and not block the way. Carpark was full. By the time we found an empty spot by the road to park and catch the sunset, we passed the golden hour. And so after a few snaps, we drove off.
If I can turn back time, I would have probably cut our time at Innisfree and spend more time in this cosy area.
That’s all folks! Let me know if you have other fun places in Jeju to recommend. :) For more Korea travel tips, refer to our itinerary of our South Korea trip (Jeju and Seoul).
You will have no lack of food options in Jeju. In any case, there’s McDonald’s to fall back on. Here’s a list of those food that we have tried, plus others that were on our list but our stomachs have no more space for them. …
Update: 22 Dec 22 Jeju’s intercity bus system has improved since I was there ten years ago. Still, taking a bus is inconvenient — waiting time is long and bus stops are sparsely located around the island. Hence, driving in Jeju is a popular option …
Jeongbang Falls, Cheonjeyeon Falls, and Cheonjiyeon Falls are 3 famous waterfalls of Jeju island. They are located in Seogwipo, the southern part of the island. To find the exact locations, key in the following GPS phone numbers* into the GPS of your rented car or Kakao Map APP:
*Why GPS phone numbers and why not Google Maps? Refer to my ‘Guide to Driving in Jeju‘. :)
Of the three waterfalls, we skipped one, and the other two were not too bad. Spot the mini rainbows found in a few of the photos! Sadly, these places are definitely NOT wheelchair nor stroller friendly.
A little background, we visited Jeju in October, during autumn as a family of three, including a 16 month old toddler. The autumn weather was supposedly good for trekking, not too hot and not too cold. But while we were there, the sun was scorching hot. So with the sun, stairs, and a baby in the carrier, our trek and climb got tiring at times. Hence, if Seoul is going to be in your itinerary, I recommend going to Jeju first before relaxing in Seoul.
Based on what I gathered from online reviews, Cheongjiyeon Falls is the most lackluster among the three. Hence we skipped this to stretch our limited time for other Jeju attractions.
Be sure not to confuse this Cheongjiyeon Falls with Cheongjeyeon Falls, the difference is in the ‘i’ and ‘e’.
Water of Cheonjiyeon Falls falls from a height of 22 metres and into the pool that’s 20 metres deep. As the water appears to be falling from heaven, it got its name Cheongjiyeon, which means “sky connected with the land“. Other than clear and deep waters, you can also find Mutae eels, and a great variety of rare plants in this area.
From the entrance, take a leisurely walk of about one kilometer to reach the falls, admiring flowers and plants, and photographing ducks and heron in the stream beside the path. As you approach the falls, you will hear the roaring of the waters falling from the sky. Walk a little further and Cheongjiyeon Falls, enveloped by a lush forest, will come into view.
When you are ready to leave, take a separate path designated for exit, so to prevent overcrowding. You might want to schedule an hour to explore Cheongjiyeon Falls, or half an hour if you are a fast walker and not a nature lover. This waterfall closes late and illuminates at night, so if you have nothing plan for the night, this might be a choice.
Jeongbang Falls was only 10 minutes drive from our Airbnb (located in Ocean Palace Hotel) and so that’s our first stop before we set off afar to other parts of Jeju. Had wanted to visit Jeongbang Falls the day before, along with Cheonjeyeon Falls and Jusangjeolli Cliff. But alas, our schedule over-ran.
Almost gave Jeongbang Falls a miss, but since it’s near us and a mini attraction that requires about half an hour in total, we went ahead. It is anyway the only waterfall in Asia to have waters falling directly into the sea.
Apparently this waterfall is the easiest and fastest to access among the three, with a well constructed staircase leading you to it. Even though it’s not a long flight of stairs, it’s still relatively steep and there’s the climb up to consider. If you are not up for such exercise, you can stay at the top and admire from afar – it’s still quite magnificent.
One key highlight of Jeongbang Falls is that you can step on slippery wet rocks and go near to the waterfall and experience the grandeur of falling waters. Be careful of wet and loose rocks! It’s dangerous for hubby who was baby wearing our daughter, and hence he stayed behind at the safe area while I hopped to the front.
During your hike down to and up the stairs from Jeongbang Falls, look out for people congregating under a shade, along the rocky coast. It is said that there are aunties selling fresh catch from the sea over there and for a fee, they will prepare raw sashimi dish with this catch.
Visit Jeongbang Falls if you are nearby or passing by, otherwise there’s no need to drive one hour for a half hour attraction.
The name ‘Cheonjeyeon‘ suggests “Pond of the Heaven’s Emperor”. It’s what you get when you put together Cheon-Je-Yeon, which means heaven, king and pond respectively. The name is also said to originate from a folklore. Seven nymphs descend from the heavens at night, by a violet cloud bridge, to bathe and play in the waterfall’s pond, before returning.
Cheonjeyeon Falls, is actually a three-tier waterfall. Waters will flow into Cheonjeyeon pond and from there cascade into a second and third waterfall, and eventually into the sea.
You will be able to visit all three falls, provided you have the time and energy for all the steps. No joke! It’s steps, steps and more steps! This place is definitely not for stroller nor wheelchair. The climb was so tiring for us, even for my hubby. Caveat, we were taking turns to carry our 8kg baby as we climbed up and down the stairs. Good thing was that most part of the walkway is naturally shaded by the trees.
Blink blink. “Where’s the waterfall? Is this the first one?” I asked hubby.
“Look there.” Following his finger, I saw water spouting out from the rocks! (Right of photo below). The scene reminded me of how Moses in the bible struck the rock, and water came out for the people to drink. It also looks like a natural drainage. Interesting.
Like Jeongbang Falls, visitors thread carefully on the rocks just to get a closer look and a better photo opportunity. Position your camera well and you will get a beautiful shot of the lagoon with its blue tinge. However, the difficulty level to walk across the waters seems higher than at Jeongbang Falls, with the rocks spaced further apart. You wouldn’t get as near to the front too.
Climbing out of the first falls, I was already catching my breath. Nevertheless, we continued on towards the general direction of the second, third falls and the bridge.
With the gentle trickling of waters at the first falls, we were not expecting this massive waterfall. We marveled at how it wasquite impressive and grand. While we were there, a rainbow hue seemed to be perpetually cloaked across the waters.
I leaned against the railings to take a breather, waving my hand to ask hubby to walk on, “I’ll catch up”. With longing eyes, I looked at him carrying our baby up the million of steps, and wished I was the one being carried. The steps. I took a deep breath.
In between the second and third falls, there’s the Seonimgyo Bridge (“Bridge”). By the time we arrived at the Bridge, hubby and I were completely exhausted! Even hubby. It’s not the end though. We had to return the way we came from, and there was going to be many steps up the slope. I shuddered at that thought.
It takes a Niagara falls level to make me continue my journey on from the Bridge to the third falls. Perhaps, that wouldn’t even cut it. Good thing, I did some research and found that the third is underwhelming. Otherwise with my see-it-all desire, I might have lugged my tired hubby and cranky baby along to the third, only to be sorely disappointed. With that, we decided to skip the third falls and save our legs!
Seonimgyo Bridge is worth a section of photos devoted to it. Although we were drained, I found this part of the journey the most impressive. The bridge itself is picturesque from different angles and the scenery from the peak is breathtaking.
Carved on the side of Seonimgyo Bridge are the 7 nymphs from the folklore I mentioned. We saw the side of this arch bridge through an obscure lookout when we walked from the second falls, before the Bridge.
This bridge is massive, and that also means we had to climb a steep slope to get up to the top. I know, it looks deceptively like a gentle slope in the photos. We climbed halfway to the top and turned back. It’s too big a bridge for the tired us to cross. But is definitely worth the climb up.
We lingered at the top of the arch to take photos with the gorgeous view, the sea and lush greenery on the horizon. Everything became smaller on a high vantage point. We peered down from the great height and realised how high we had climbed.
Apparently if we had walked across the Bridge, we will find the Fountain of Five Blessings. These five blessings are longevity, wealth, honour, love and posterity, each of these is represented by an animal that spouts out water at the fountain. Nearby is the Cheonjeru Pavilion and on it is a painting that tells of Cheonjeyeon’s legend about the 7 nymphs and the mountain god.
It is also said that the Bridge connects to Jungmun Tourist Complex. So if you have a wheelchair or stroller, you can explore the option of visiting the Bridge via Jungmum Tourist Complex. Perhaps there are no steps on the other side. I thought I saw the carpark on this falls side, but couldn’t find it on the map, probably I was hallucinating already. Nevertheless, I was sure the bridge was beautiful as it basked in the bright sunshine of autumn.
Overall, its’s crazy tiring, but worth the views. For more travel tips, refer to our itinerary for our South Korea trip (Jeju and Seoul).
This is my fourth and final post about Nami Island! Can’t believe I wrote so much about a tiny island. I wanted to specifically dedicate one post for children, because of how child friendly Nami Island is. It was designated the 14th UNICEF Child-Friendly Park …
The rain poured the moment we stepped foot on Nami Island. Light drizzle was still fine for us, but the sky had other plans. We needed a shelter soon. We were hungry too – didn’t have breakfast. Without any research, we didn’t know what to …
