Jeju 2013 Self-drive Guide

Jeju is one of the new 7 wonders in the world, with many UNESCO heritage sites, and I'm proud to say I've been there!

Sadly, my 3D2N itinerary is too short. Whoever told me Jeju is boring and only needs 2 days at most?!?!?!?! GRRRR
Even through self-drive, we didn't manage to cover a lot of scenic spots! :(
Hopefully I'll get a chance to go back there someday again - only Jeju, nothing else.

How to move about Jeju?

Rent a car

I guess the most convenient way would be to rent a car and self-drive. You can hire a taxi driver too, if you're worried about left-hand driving or etc, but I think for my bf, the self-drive experience was unique. Although, he did say it was really stressful driving there.
We really had to rely on our GPS because the roads there are ??? to us, sometimes we got lost.
So, if you are renting a car, my advice is, NOTE DOWN ALL THE PHONE NUMBERS OR ADDRESS of the places of interests you're going.
AND, rent a wifi. You really need internet at times like this!

Places of interest

With a car, getting to places are much more convenient. Although Jeju is a small island, you need to plan your routes properly in order to minimize the time spent on travelling to and fro!
Since we were staying in Jeju-si / city, getting to the nature spots were rather troublesome since they're far away.

Note: all descriptions of the destinations are taken from the visitkorea website.

1. Seongsan Ilchulbong Peak 성산일출봉

Seongsan Ilchulbong Peak rose from under the sea in a volcanic eruption over 100,000 years ago. Located on the eastern end of Jejudo Island, there is a huge crater at the top of Seongsan Ilchulbong Peak. The crater is about 600m in diameter and 90m high. With the 99 sharp rocks surrounding the crater, it looks like a gigantic crown. While the southeast and north sides are cliffs, the northwest side is a verdant grassy hill that is connected to the Seongsan Village. The ridge provides an ideal spot for walks and for horse riding as well. The sunrise from the crater is magnificent. Also the Seongsan Ilchulbong Peak surrounded by bright yellow colored rapeseed flowers in the spring is truly a sight to behold.

This is probably the most popular attraction in Jeju. Jeju is full of mountains so be prepared to hike. For seongsan, we climbed for around 20-30 minutes to reach the top? Thankfully there was cooling breeze, so it felt a little better. Can't imagine climbing up in hot sweltering summer! Upon reaching the top it was cold, so remember to layer your clothes there! Sometimes you'll need to pull off and put on your sweater!

Enjoy the breeze and beautiful scenery at the top of the peak!

Here, you can also see Haenyo's driving demonstration. We caught the 3pm show. Truthfully there's nothing special about their performances, however, it is interesting to see how these ahjummas in their late 50s being so energetic! I'm sure I can't beat their fitness levels! Look at the amount of stuffs they dig underwater!

2. Manjangul Cave 만장굴

Manjanggul Cave (만장굴) is one of the finest lava tunnels in the world, and is a designated natural monument. A lava tunnel is formed when the lava that was deep in the ground spouts from the peak and flows to the surface. Manjanggul Cave has a variety of interesting structures inside including 70cm lava stalagmites and the lava tube tunnels. Only 1km of the 13,422m Manjanggul Cave is open to the tourists. The inside of the tunnel sustains at a temperature of 11~21℃, creating a comfortable atmosphere. There are rare animals such as bats living in the tunnel, which makes this tunnel valuable for researchers as well. The stone pillars and stalactites are widely spread and the tunnels shows off the cave’s topographical features. The Stone Turtle is especially eye-catching because it is shaped like Jeju-do Island.

This is a place that doesn't entice me, but with my bf's plead, we decided to head there. Anyway, he's the one driving, I can't say no right?
We didn't take much photos there because it's dark in the cave.
But, please bring a sweater with you because it gets cold the more you walk. And, there's water dripping around so be careful!
This is what we took at the final destination if I'm not wrong.

3. Gimnyeong Beach (김녕해수욕장)

Thereafter, we went to the Gimnyeong Beach which is rather near the cave.

The clear waters that are highlighted with cobalt-blue and the clean sand of Gimnyeong Beach (김녕해수욕장) steal the hearts of visitors every year. The beach is popular with fishermen who enjoy rope fishing from the rocks. This area is known to be good for catching striped beakfish and spotty belly greenlings. Not far from the beach is Manjanggul Cave, which offers a welcome escape from the daytime heat.

By the way, if I'm not wrong, we witness people putting in white sands on the beach. This means that all the white sands you see in that beach is imported and not natural! :O

4. Seopjikoji All-in House

I didn't watch the drama "All In" before, but that doesn't deter me from visiting it! All I know is, the natural scenery would be awesome, and of course, it doesn't disappoint.

5. Stop anywhere to watch the sunset

The benefit of having a car and self-driving is that you can stop as and when you want. Our destinations were rather impromptu - if we see nice beaches or scenery, we would alight and go take some photos, before heading back to the car.
Awesome isn't it? :)
So, upon seeing the sun setting - which was really beautiful - we alighted near the highway, to take some pictures!
The colours from my photos don't really do justice to the magnificent view we saw :(

6. Hamdeok

7. Mysterious Road Dokkaebi Road

The Jeju Mysterious Road, also known as Dokkaebi Road, lies on a hill at the foot of a mountain, and connects two major highways on Jejudo Island. It has earned its name, as objects and liquid appear to roll and flow up the hill instead of down, when, in fact, such image of gravity defiance is an optical illusion rendered by the seemingly high surroundings.

I think both of us were really fascinated when we reached there. My bf put his car on netural mode and the car began to move upwards, although it's (looks like) an upwards hill! He kept saying, "omg, this place is worth to visit".
A kind security uncle also demonstrated the "special" powers of this road, by using a water bottle and rolling it up. It was a good experience, something you won't ever see in any other roads!

haha ugly pants and ugly shoes!

 

took this from my video screen capture

8. Cheonjeyeon falls

Cheonjeyeon Falls (천제연폭포), named 'The pond of God', consists of 3 parts. Around the falls, a variety of plant life thrives, such as the rare ‘solipnan’ reeds. To the east, there is a cave where cold water pours from the ceiling to create a waterfall. The water from the first waterfall becomes the second and third waterfalls and flows into the sea. In Cheonjeyeon Valley, there is the “Seonimgyo Bridge” (arch bridge that has 7 nymphs carved on the side) and the octagonal “Cheonjeru tower”. The Seonimgyo is also called “Chilseonyeogyo”(meaning seven nymphs) and it connects Cheonjeyeon with the Jungmum Tourist Complex. On the surface of the Cheonjeru Tower, there is a painting that tells Cheonjeyeon’s legend of the nymph and mountain god. Every even-year in May, the Chilseonyeo Festival is held here.

I highly recommend a visit here because the place is just so pretty, especially the lakes! You can even see different shades of blue in the water! awwww

9. Dongmun Market

We headed here because we wanted to see what was special about Jeju's market. Hmm, turns out there wasn't anything interesting for us. But you can head here if you want to purchase their local produces and chocolates (which I bought)!

10. Yongduam Rock 용두암

You may wanna visit this place when you're near Jeju City!

Situated to the north of Jeju City, Yongduam was created by strong winds and waves over thousands of years. However, there are plenty of other stories of how it came to be. One legend has it that a dragon stealing precious jade from Mt. Halla was shot down by an arrow from the mountain deity. When he fell down on Yongduam, his body immediately sank into the ocean and his head rapidly froze looking at the sky. Another legend has it that a white horse, who dreamed of being a dragon and ascending to the sky, came to be caught by a soldier and froze into the rock.
From Yongduam, visitors can see Haeneo women divers working on catching seafood. Near the rock are various cafes, bars, and restaurants. The coastal road between Aewol-eup and Yongduam is a popular spot for couples. Cafes and seafood restaurants began to appear there five years ago and now form a pleasant café village. 

 11. Jungmun beach

Jungmun Beach (중문해수욕장) has a sandy shore so fine that it is called Jinmosal. The white sand beach is 560m long and the water has an average depth of 1.2m. Different shades of black, red, and grey are beautifully mixed into the white sand of the beach. This helps to accentuate Jeju-do Island’s black Hyeonmuam stones. To the right side of the beach is a natural sea cave called Haesikgul Cave. This area is often used for TV commercials, and the turbulent water is great for windsurfing and other water sports.

12. Hamdeok beach

This was our last station before we return our rental car. Saw a lot of resorts nearby, and also teenage boys running around playing sports.
It sure feels good to enjoy our last beach breeze under the moonlight :)

Located 14 km east of Jeju City, Hamdeok Beach is famous for its clean and shallow water, attracting many family visitors during summer vacations. The beach offers great scenery with its emerald-blue water, an arched bridge over black basalt and a red lighthouse. It boasts excellent amenities including dressing and shower rooms, guesthouses, hotels, and a camping site. In addition, motorboats, onboard fishing, waterskiing, and banana boats are available.
Shielded from wind by Seoubong Peak, both sides of the beach are quite calm despite the change of wind directions, making it an ideal place for kayaking. Further out, wave kayaking is also popular during windy days.