Jeju journey: Once on this island
MANILA, Philippines - Rakso Travel & Tours flew 180 tourists from the Philippines, myself included, to Jeju Island, South Korea recently via an Air Asia Zest chartered flight from Manila.
We didn’t go to Jeju to honeymoon as a lot of couples do, what with the island’s romantic, idyllic ambiance. And we didn’t really go there to do some “stargazing,†as some Filipinos do, for Jeju is a popular location for many a Korean telenovela. We went to Jeju to discover its many natural jewels.
One of nine provinces of South Korea, Jeju lies in the Korean Strait, of which it was a part before it became a separate province in 1946. So, what dialect do they speak in Jeju? No, it’s not Jejumon; it’s the Korean language, of course!
Among this island’s hot attractions are the Jeju Volcanic Island and Lava Tubes, which UNESCO named as World Heritage Sites.
After a smooth flight that took three hours and 15 minutes, we landed on Jeju Island, which welcomed us with its breezy 16ºC temperature. Local time was 12:45 p.m. — time for lunch so we headed straight to a restaurant where we had our fill of our favorite Korean beef bulgogi.
And then it was time to unravel the mystery of the Mysterious Road, a.k.a. Dokkaebi Road, which lies on a hill at the foot of a mountain and connects two major highways on Jeju Island. It’s called Mysterious because objects and liquid appear to roll and flow up the hill instead of down. Talk about defying gravity. But the truth is, everything is just an optical illusion rendered by the seemingly high surroundings. The place is surrounded by volcanic stone architecture.
ICE, ICE, BABY!
A really cool treat awaited us at the Jeju Ice Museum, where we were thrilled (or was it chilled?) to find humongous, perfect ice carvings amid zero temperature. Picture ice carvings of different animals, an ice castle, and ice car carvings. In the same building is the Bucket List 3D Art (Trick Art) Museum that houses a new genre of paintings that create optical illusion. Yes, go ahead and touch what you see and take photos inside the museum. You can take pictures that can fool you into thinking that you’re part of the painting.
It’s springtime on Jeju Island and canola flowers are in bloom! We feasted our eyes on endless fields of canola flowers. Spring turns the majestic meadowlands into blankets of yellow blooms as far as the eye can see. April is the perfect month for nature lovers to see canola fields bursting with postcard-pretty yellow blooms.
We capped a perfect day with a perfect dinner at Donna-Donna restaurant, where we pigged out on black pork that comes from a breed of domestic pig with black skin.
After dinner, we proceeded to Cordelia Resort, our home for our four-day stay on the island.
On our second day on the island, we passed by the Tangerine farm. Tangerine is Jeju’s signature fruit. This Mandarin orange is sold in every local shop and makes a beautiful backdrop for photo ops while hanging from endless tree branches.
A peek into sunrise peak
Then we took a peek at the Seongsan Sunrise Peak, which rose from under the sea during a volcanic eruption over 100,00 years ago. Located on the eastern end of Jeju island, it measures some 600 meters in diameter and 90 meters in height, with a huge crater on top. Looking like a gigantic crown, Seongsan Sunrise Peak was designated as a UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site in 2007.
Up next was Seongeup Folk Village, a showcase of the unique culture of the island — the windscreen stone wall (black lava rock), the straight but curvy ollae (narrow alley) to block the wind, and the stone grandfather statues (hanubang) which have become the prime features of the landscape.
There’s probably nothing like this on the face of the planet: the Aqua Planet, which houses about 48,000 aquatic animals and 500 different species in a state-of-the art facility. The place is divided into three sections: the aquarium, a performance hall, and a special education for children.
As if in keeping with the day’s aquatic theme, we had grilled mackerel for lunch.
Next on the day’s itinerary was a visit to yet another UNESCO World Heritage Site: Manjanggul Cave, one of the finest lava tunnels in the world. A lava tunnel is formed when the lava that’s deep in the ground spouts from the peak and flows to the surface. The inside of the tunnel has a temperature of 11 to 21ºC. Manjanggul Lava Tube is one of the largest lava tubes in the world, measuring 7,416 meters long. The tube consists of passages of two levels: The main passage has a width of up to 18 meters and a height of up to 23 meters.
On our third day, we had a glimpse of the Jeju Folklore & National History Museum’s exhibit of the history of Jeju-do. These historial remnants were excavated and displayed in 1984. The exhibits included diving gear used by the haenye (women divers) and farming tools used by farmers plus some volcanic rocks.
A lava affair
After a hearty buffet of barbecue and salad, we marveled at the amazing Jungmun Daepo Columnar Jointed Lava. A cultural monument of Jeju Island, this must-see tourist wonder was formed when hot lava flowed from the volcano and rapidly cooled when it reached the sea, building layers and layers of stone pillars like natural stairs.
After a photo spree at Jungmun Daepo, we succumbed to the charms of the Charm & Charm cosmetics shop. Most of the products here are for women’s facial needs.
Another bear-y pretty attraction on Jeju, especially for the young and the young-at-heart is the well-loved Teseum (Teddy Bear Museum). It’s the first museum in the world to exhibit all sorts of teddy bears and stitched dolls, including those shaped like wildlife and marine animals.
In the evening, we were treated to the popular Fanta-Stick show. I was lucky to have been chosen to join the group who participated in the dance number. It was an exciting experience for me. The show was a combination of traditional Korean and percussion music with modern touches. Truly fantastic!
With the nonstop drum performance at Fanta-Stick still reverberating in our ears, we had a most heartwarming dinner consisting of Korea’s most popular samgyetang or ginseng chicken soup.
On our last day, we dropped by the ginseng center, where we learned how ginseng could cure hundreds of bodily pains and diseases.
For our last stop before catching our flight home, we visited the amethyst factory. Amethyst symbolizes sincerity, peace, and idealism. One of the world’s six greatest gems and birthstones, Korean amethyst is distinguished as the best in color, luster, and transparency.
Indeed, this bejeweled island never fails to dazzle local and foreign guests alike.
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For inquiries on the four-day package tour via Air Asia Zest chartered flight, call Rakso Travel International at telephone number 812-9667 local 330 to 337. Photos by FELIX SUERTE
