Korea is a country full of kpop music, fashion, beauty, coffee shops, and the list goes on and on. But what a lot of people forget is that South Korea has a lot of beautiful nature only island of Jejudo.
Jejudo is a little island off the mainland and a lot of people from Seoul fly over to Jejudo to ‘clear’ their minds from the business of the big city. When I finally arrived in Jejudo, there were nothing but big crowds – young and old. I met up with one of my unnies, Ke, in Korea, and she took me around part of the island. Shout out to Ke – she know all local spots & recommendations – food, trails, views and hikes. If you guys want to ask Ke any questions, feel free to reach out to her through her Instagram – @jungkeee
Jejudo is probably one of the most colorful cities that you will ever visit. Every corner you turn, you would be hit with mural drawings on the walls, artistic coffee shops, unique architecture, and a hint of the suns rays reflecting off the buildings. Halmoni’s will be selling clementines on the streets, and you will probably make a few stops in the middle of the highway to take a picture of the sunset. But in between all the colors and waters, you will see hundreds of mountains and hills. These hills are called oreums and you should probably hike a few while you’re in Jeju. But before you get excited…
Remember to follow these 3 important tips before arriving to Jejudo Island:
1. Get an international driving license
Before flying over to the island, go to the closest AAA and get an international driving license. It’s $20 to make and it will save your life on the island. Without a rental car, it is almost impossible to get half of what you’d probably like to get done during your trip. I did half of the island in 2 days, and the other half in another 1.5 days.
The drivers wheel is on the left side, so keep that in mind!
Another tip before going to AAA – bring a picture of you or have it on your mobile phone. Make sure the background is white and your whole face is showing. If you bring this picture, you can avoid the $15 picture-taking fee. Also, make sure that your international driving license is stamped on Section B. This cardboard piece of paper is valid for 1 year and I have used it to drive in other countries as well.
2. Bring hiking or tennis shoes
I’d like to assume that if you are traveling over to the island, you are a nature-y person. Jeju is full of Oreums, trails, mountains, and other outdoor activities. I participated in strenuous activities 2 out of 3 days I was there and my tennis shoes were enough. However, I do wish I brought hiking shoes – my feet were full of blisters 🙂
Remember that along your hiking or tennis shoes, bring long socks. I was surprised that I didn’t get any bug bites during my hikes, BUT you definitely want to cover your ankles.
3. Check sunrise and sunset times
You came to the most beautiful island in Korea. If you don’t catch at least one sunset or sunrise, there is an issue.
All angles of the island are beautiful, but since you are on an island, the sun rises and sets quicker than your eyes can blink. I always had to be on the lookout for the sun since it’s window is literally no more than 30 minutes.
Dependent on when you go, the sunrise & sunset times will change. I visited around the end of October & these were the times:
Sunrise is around 5:20AM – 5:40AM
Sunset is around 5:45PM – 6:00PM.
If you visit the island during the summer time, you may catch the sun for longer hours. Good luck!
Follow these 3 tips before going to Jeju, and you will feel the most prepared during your visit, promise! Now, onto the fun part. Now that you know what to do prior to your trip, what about once you’re in Jeju? There are 9 unbelievable attraction spots that you must go to during your visit. Hitting all these spots made me love Jejudo for the island itself, and is easily my favorite city in Korea.
