Jeju Island: Nature’s playground

MANILA, Philippines - On Jeju Island in South Korea, there is always a large crowd of people lining up to ride the island’s only train – more like a tram – that takes you around Ecoland Theme Park. Unlike other theme parks, the wonders of nature are what Ecoland offers up as attraction, with the Forest Train sweeping through Gotjawal forest to different stations on the vast property: Eco Bridge Station; Lake Side Station; Picnic Garden Station; Lavender, Green Tea and Rose Garden Station.

Instead of roller coasters, there are nature walks, paddle boats and several playgrounds for kids to run around in – with different themes that encourage imaginative play, including a huge pirate ship.

At every turn, guests appreciate the beautiful flowers, especially the new blooms that emerge after a cold winter. Visitors wield their trusty selfie sticks to capture the colorful display all around them.

Most of all, what everyone seems to marvel at is the abundance of wide, open space. With big urban cities becoming congested, it is no wonder that tourists from Seoul, Busan and elsewhere in the world are seeking out nature.

Natural attractions abound on Jeju Island, which has been declared a Biosphere Reserve, a World Natural Heritage Site and a Global Geopark. “Jeju is the only place on Earth where UNESCO has designated all three,” says Kangil Rhee, Overseas Marketing Department chief marketing manager of the Jeju Tourism Organization.

He adds, in 2011, the whole island was declared one of the New Seven Wonders of Nature, alongside Palawan’s Underground River.

Jeju Island, which is three times the size of Singapore at 1,800 square kilometers, is where many people choose to retire and settle down in, says Rhee. Some people from the bigger cities even quit their jobs and come live in Jeju to be closer to nature, he says. “It’s a lovely place to live.”

Jeju’s natural attractions have become all the more accessible to Filipinos. There is no visa required for Filipino citizens traveling to the island and Philippine Airlines has recently launched charter service from Manila to Jeju.

Perhaps even more exciting is that the Korean government is implementing a new policy that allows visitors who are part of a package tour through Jeju to visit Seoul and Busan for five days without a visa.

The special deal has been offered to citizens of the Philippines, Vietnam and Indonesia. However, it will only be available through tourist packages of designated travel agencies. According to Rhee, the Philippine government has yet to designate a travel agency.

Many of Jeju’s tourist attractions make good use of nature – most museums built on large plots of land have an outdoor component, including the O’sulloc Green Tea Museum with its green tea plantation and the Glass Castle with its own glass-bedecked forest. Even the the Teddy Bear Museum has an outdoor area, with statues of picnicking bears.

Worth seeing is Jusangjeolli Cliff, a wonder of nature with its cubic and hexagonal stone pillars that look like they were hewn by man or machine. On the contrary, the perfectly symmetrical basalt columns were formed by crystallization in water.

Jeju being a volcanic island, Jusangjeolli Cliff was formed from lava from a Mt. Hallasan eruption. As the hot lava met the cold sea of Jungmun, the rapid cooling effect resulted in the formation of columns.

Seongsan Ilchulbong Peak, located on the Eastern seabed of the island, is also the result of a volcanic eruption. The imposing rock formation is called “seongsan” which translates to “fortress mountain.”

Be sure to come in your walking shoes because more physically fit visitors can hike all the way up – some 180 meters – to see the mountain’s 600-meter crater that is surrounded by a crown of 99 sharp rocks.

Tourists of all ages flock to Seongsan Ilchulbong. The paths are friendly and offer a way out if you decide you’ve had enough halfway up. Those who aren’t up for a leg workout can choose to walk down to the sea, where demonstrations of Jeju’s haenyeo are held.

The haenyeo are women divers who, much like our own Badjaos, are trained as children to hold their breath under water for over two minutes without any special apparatus. UNESCO has declared haenyeo as part of the Intangible Culture Heritage.

Also known as Sunrise Peak, a hike up to Seongsan Ilchulbong Peak is one of the main activities of the Seongsan Sunrise Festival.

Many of Jeju’s festivals, which are spread throughout the year, are centered around nature. There is the Winter Festival in December, various flower festivals starting in April and the Jeju Fire Festival in March.

Recently, the boughs of cherry trees were heavy with blooms as the island celebrated the Cherry Blossom Festival, as well as the Canola Flower Festival. The bright yellow canola flowers could be seen everywhere, and the best thing is, it’s completely normal for people – locals and tourists – to stop, get out of their cars and take photos whenever they see beautiful flowers, even by the side of the road. Couples in matching attire don’t hesitate to visit their local park to take photos and OOTDs among the cherry blossom trees.

Jeju’s majestic mountains, colorful flowers, wide plains and fresh air surely prove that among the many attractions to be seen around the modern world, it is still nature that remains the most amazing of them all.

This trip was made possible by the Korea Tourism Organization, Jeju Tourism Organization, Rakso Travel and Philippine Airlines. Photos by IDA ANITA Q. DEL MUNDO