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Japan + South Korea 2023Japan + South Korea 2023
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A 25-day adventure by Alicia Brookes Read more
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  • TravelerJapan + South Korea 2023
    Day 20

    Busan to Jeju

    July 25, 2023 in South Korea ⋅ ☁️ 28 °C

    This morning I went to a cute local cafe for coffee and breakfast. I then jumped on a couple of trains and made my way to Busan Airport for my flight to Jeju Island! It was a small but nice airport. My flight did end up being delayed by one hour though. Thankfully it was only a short 50min trip as there were many screaming kids on board!

    Once in Jeju, I made my way to my hostel then wandered around the nearby streets and shops.    Read more

  • TravelerJapan + South Korea 2023
    Day 21

    Jeju - West Side

    July 26, 2023 in South Korea ⋅ ☁️ 29 °C

    Today I joined a tour of Jeju that took me through some of the highlights on the west side of the Island.

    First stop was Hyoepjae Beach. It had white sand, lava rocks and lots and lots of hermit crabs! It also had a view of the ocean and nearby islands.

    Next up was Hallim Park, a massive area where we walked through two caves (Hyeopjae Cave and Ssangyong Cave), a bonsai garden, a replica folk village and a flowering lily garden. Although the outside air was really hot and humid, the caves were cold! The park also had a mini zoo area with some peacocks, ostriches and reptiles. After walking through this, we had a Korean buffet lunch.

    O'sulloc Tea Museum and Tea Fields were next. This place is known for growing green tea, the museum showed the process of how tea leaves become tea. I was able to walk through the big tea fields.

    The next place we visited was Songaskan Mountain. We walked up the mountain a short way and had beautiful views of the ocean, local towns and Mt Sangbansan. We also drove a bit more to get a closer look at Mt Sangbansan and the temple that lies at the bottom.

    The final stop of the day was to Cheonjeyeon Falls where we went to a lookout area, crossed the Seven Nymphs Bridge and saw 2 different waterfalls.

    I was then last to be dropped off in downtown Jeju after a 2 hr drive, and headed to my hostel.    Read more

  • TravelerJapan + South Korea 2023
    Day 22

    Jeju - East Side

    July 27, 2023 in South Korea ⋅ ☁️ 29 °C

    Today I joined another day tour, this time exploring the highlights of Eastern Jeju.

    First location of the day was Jeolmul Natural Forest. It is an area of 300 hectares filled with many cedar trees. We walked a short track seeing a pond and the reconstruction of a temple.

    Next was a quick stop to a distillery where I tried a drink made from millet. It was strong like sake but tasted more like a fizzy white wine. I also had a nice red bean snack!

    The third stop of the day was Seongeup Folk Village, where a number of people still live. This is a small village with many traditional Jeju houses, gates and some temples. Each house has a traditional gate with three logs. Depending on how many logs were fixed into the gate, Jeju people were able to tell if and or when the homeowner would return.

    Next up was a quick stop at Gwangchigi Beach. There was a nice view and heaps of different crabs!!

    We then drove a bit further to Seongsan Illchulbong to see Haenyeo, the women diver show. This is a historical practice where women free dive for abalone, conch and seaweed. They perform a dance before each dive. Many of these divers are aged between 60 and 80, with fewer younger generations choosing this job.

    I then joined a couple of others from the group and walked up to Seongsan Illchulbong Peak (aka Sunrise Peak). It took about 20 minutes to hike to the summit, there were a lot of stairs and although the track itself was not very hard, it was fully in the sun and very very hot!! It was 32 degrees (with Google saying it felt like 39!) It was worth it for the gorgeous views! I treated myself to an ice-cream afterwards.

    The final tour stop of the day was to Manjanggul Lava Tube. The whole tunnel is massive and stretches close to 7.5km, the 12th longest in the world. 1km is open to the public, this section is roughly 20m wide and 20m tall. Inside the tunnel it was very dark, wet and cold (only 10 degrees). Here we saw a 7.6m lava column, the tallest known in the world.

    It was then about a 1.5hr drive back to downtown Jeju and I briefly walked through the Dongmun Markets before making my way to the hostel.    Read more

  • TravelerJapan + South Korea 2023
    Day 23

    Jeju City

    July 28, 2023 in South Korea ⋅ ☁️ 28 °C

    For my last day in South Korea it was very windy and very rainy!! My plans for the day were just to wander around Jeju city.

    I first visited Samseonghyeol shrine. I walked through the small woodland area and through an exhibition. This shrine is known for the Samseonghyeol Holes where legend states three demigods first appeared. These demigods are believed to have married three princesses who brought livestock and seeds that established agriculture in Jeju.

    I then walked over to Jejuhyanggyo Confusion School, a heritage site with some traditional buildings, pavillions and a statue of Confucius.

    Next I stopped at a cafe recommended by someone working at my hostel. I had an iced coffee made with coffee beans that tasted like peaches! The barista then recommended me a bakery where I went and bought some snacks.

    I then made my way to Yongduam Rock via the Yongyeon Valley River and suspension bridge. From Yongduam Rock there was a view of the ocean, Jeju City and as it was near the airport it was a good place for plane spotting. I also grabbed a strawberry soft serve nearby!

    I did some brief souvenir shopping and visited one of the locations of the Araria Museum. This is a contemporary art museum that featured works from Korean artists, Keith Harring, Andy Warhol and many more.

    To finish the day I quickly made my way up to Sarabong Peak to try and catch the sunset. As it was very cloudy there wasn't much of a sunset, but the city view was nice!

    On my way back to my hostel for dinner, drinks and packing my bags, I passed a little water fountain show!    Read more

  • TravelerJapan + South Korea 2023
    Day 24

    Heading Home - Jeju to Seoul

    July 29, 2023 in South Korea ⋅ ⛅ 33 °C

    It was a full travel day today. After brekkie at the hostel I made my way onto a bus and to Jeju Airport for a 1.30pm flight (which ended up being delayed). It was a very busy airport!!

    The flight took me to Gimpo Airport and I grabbed my bags and hurried over to the train to transfer to Seoul's other airport, Incehon, for my connecting flight. I made the flight and settled in for the next 10 hrs on the way to Sydney.Read more

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