March 8 - 11, 2017I can’t believe it’s been almost seven years...





















March 8 - 11, 2017

I can’t believe it’s been almost seven years since I’ve been to Jeju-do, a volcanic island an hour flight from Busan. I bought my mom, boyfriend, and myself three roundtrip tickets for 135,000₩ altogether on JejuAir. The trip was really affordable and the island pretty empty because we went in early March, as it’s still a bit chilly and it’s before Membership Training (MT).

Renting a car from AJ Rentacar on RentalCars.com was really simple online. The smallest car cost 76,839₩ for all three days. There was an AJ shuttle bus from the airport (just outside Gate #5 - cross the street and turn right and the AJ shuttle bus was at parking number “3-1″). The bus runs every 10 minutes. You do need an international or Korean driver’s license + your passport.

We stayed at the Happy House Pension (해피 하우스 펜션), three nights for $161. The airport is on the northern coast and Happy House was a 1-2 hour drive south. 

Here are a few things we enjoyed on our trip:

  • The Starbucks drink special to Jeju Island, a honey peanut latte (제주꿀땅콩라떼) for 5,500₩.
  • Jusangjeolli (대포주상절리), impressive rock formations from cooling lava long ago. Worth the ticket of 2,000₩ a person. Easy to head to Jungmun Saekdal Beach (중문색달해변) afterward.
  • Kimbap made of all local ingredients at 오는정김밥 (Dongmundong-ro, Seogwi-dong, Seogwipo). Hours are 10 am - 8pm. Call beforehand +82 64-762-8927 - as you may have a 2-hour wait.
  • Watch the sunset at Hyeopjae Beach (협재해수욕장).
  • Admission to the museum, Hello Kitty Island (헬로키티아일랜드), is 12,000₩ a person. I also spent 20,000₩ at the cafe at the top (4,000₩ Americano, 5,000₩ caramel latte, and 11,000₩ chocolate cake).
  • We enjoyed spending some time at the Lotte Hotel Casino (롯데호텔 제주 카지노) and having lunch at Mugunghwa (무궁화), which was 138,000₩ for three people.
  • Of course we had to eat the regional dish of black pork (흑돼지 갈비), which was 41,000₩ for lunch or dinner.
  • We walked up Seongsan Ilchulbong (성산일출봉), a beautiful UNESCO heritage site. Admission is 500₩ a person. It means “sunrise peak” in Korean but we still enjoyed it well past this time.
  • Cheonjiyeon Waterfall (천지연폭포) at 2,000₩ a person was worth the visit, especially to eat the tangerine bread (귤하르방) just outside the gate.

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About 

Hi, I'm Stacy. I'm from Portland, Oregon, USA, and am currently living in Busan, South Korea. Check me out on: Tumblr, Twitter, Instagram, Lastfm, and Flickr.