The Romantic Jeju Island

Balmy temperatures, volcanic landscapes, gorgeous beaches, first class hotels and rich cultural history have made the beautiful island of Jeju-do Korea's top holiday destination.

Idyllic scenery at Jeju Island (known as the island of the gods), located at the tip of Korean peninsula and closer to Japan

The island is endowed with romantic seaside, spectacular seafood and superb tourist facilities that include international hotels, golf courses, hiking trails and sports-fishing grounds. Tourists can enjoy variety of activities at Jeju-- frolic around the ivory-comb beaches at sunrise and sunset, marvel at the breathtaking waterfalls and mountains, stroll around the museum, national parks and historical sites.

Asian Wall Street journal dubbed it as the "Bali of North Asia" (Bali is a world-class tourist spot in Indonesia with exotic and extraordinary beaches), others called it "The Hawaii of the Orient", recently, Jeju Island earned another monicker being "the honeymoon island" in North Asia.

This egg-shaped island, which is romantically surrounded with the stunning sceneries of flowers, plants, craters, national parks, Buddhist temples, shopping malls and rich cultural heritage, offers tourists a fabulous experience of relaxation and adventure.

Nam Gyu Ri visited Jeju Island after the filming of 49 Days, a top Korean drama (renamed Pure Love in ABS-CBN).

Nam Gyu Ri at Jeju Island

Sun-kissed beaches, ivory coastline, mountains, waterfalls, lava caves and countryside, temples, national parks await you at Jeju-do. 

Here are some of the island's best attractions.

Mokseokwon

Mokseokwon - a garden with unusual displays of Jeju stones, sculptures and dried tree roots. It is located south of Jeju city on the road to Hallasan.

Hallasan

Mt.Hala or Hallasan - at 6,400 feet, Hallasan is the highest peak in South Korea and a walk-up to the summit is one of the highlights of a visit to the island. It is an extinct volcano that stands at the center of Jeju Island and very famous for its scenic beauty. It is known as one of the "Samshinsan" or "One of the three mountains where God lives". Not far from the foot of the summit is Hallasan National Park.

Jeongbang Falls  

Jeongbang Falls - known as the only waterfalls in Asia that falls directly into the ocean, Jeongbang falls is located on the high cliff by the sea. An observatory is placed on the top of the cliff where visitors can get a fine view of the cobalt sea.

Hyeopjae beach

Hyeopjae beach -  covered with sugary seaside and sparkling aquamarine water that glitters against the shimmering sunshine.It is surrounded by pine trees, private lodging houses and restaurants.

Jeju Glass Castle

Jeju Glass Castle - a glass art theme park featuring an exhibition hall, garden and models made out of glass. It has six themed model parks: glass labyrinth, glass stonewall, glass ball, glass diamond, glass mirror lake and glass bridge. Visitors are allowed to try making glass artwork at the main hall. Jeju Glass Castle is open whole year round and tourists can save a lot if they go there as a group, preferably 30 persons.

Yak-cheon-sa Temple

Yak-cheon-sa Temple - called Medicine stream temple, it is Jeju Island's most spectacular Buddhist temple. It has an unusual modern exterior of the three saints shrine. Its main hall features monumental modern sets of the Buddha of Cosmic light with dragons embellished pillars. Its main stairway is adorned with protective dragons.

Itemized tourist attractions:

Landmarks:

 -  Geumneung Seokbul-won (Stone Garden),
  -  Cheonjaeyeon Waterfall,
  -  Daepo Seashore,
  -  Dumunpo Seashore,
  -  Seongsan Ilchubong (Sunrise Peak),
  -  Yongdu-am (Dragon Head Rock)
  -  Gimnyeong-gul and Manjang-gul (Caves),
  -  Cheonjiyeon Waterfall,
  -  Hangpadu-ri Fortress,
  -  Jeongbang falls
  -  Sanbang-san Mountain,
  -  Sangumburi Crater,
  -  Songak-san Peak,
  -  Suwol-bong Peak,
  -  U-do,
  -  Sarabong Peak,

Buddhist Temples:

  -  Cheonwhang-sa
  -  Yakcheon-sa

National Parks and Amusement Parks:

  -  Halla-san National Park
  -  Bija-rim Forest
  -  Halla Arboretum
  -  Hallim Park
  -  Mok Seok Won
  -  Sinsan Park

Museums:

  -  Folklore and Natural History Museum
  -  Jeju Education Museum
  -  Jeju Independence Museum
  -  Jeju Teddy Bear Museum

Historical Places:

  -  Jeju Folk Village,
  -  Residence of Kim,
  -  Cheong-hi,
  -  Samseonghyeol,
  -  Seongeup Folk Village

Cherry Blossoms during Spring Season at Jeju Island 

The best time to visit Jeju Island

Korea's location on the eastern edge of the Eurasian landscape results in a continental climate with cold winters and hot summers. Chilly weather kicks off during the months of December to March with occasional snowfalls. Spring season comes on April to June, while July to August the climate turns to blistering hot summer. September to October will be the start of the Autumn season followed by winter. According to several travel guide books for South Korea, the best months to travel to Jeju Island is on the mid of April to June where Cherry blossoms spread its magical beauty in the surrounding or at Autumn season around September and October where it offers a wonderful display of foliage.

Getting to South Korea

Foreign nationals entering the Republic of Korea are generally required to have a valid passport and a Korean visa. However, many are permitted visa-free entry for a limited time under certain conditions. They include:

● Citizens of the countries under the Visa Exemption Agreement (see Tables 1, 2, & 3)
● Citizens of the countries and regions under the Principles of Reciprocity & National Interest (see Table 4).

[Table 1] Countries under Visa Exemption Agreement: Diplomatic Passport Holders
Country (Period)	Country (Period)	Country (Period)
Asia & Oceania
Turkmenistan (30 days)	Uzbekistan (60 days)
Europe
Ukraine (90 days)
※ Visa period applies to diplomatic passport holders, unless otherwise specified.
[Table 2] Countries under Visa Exemption Agreement: Diplomatic/Government Official Passport Holders
Country (Period)	Country (Period)	Country (Period)
Africa & Middle East
Algeria (90 days)	Benin (90 days)	Egypt (90 days)
Iran (3 months)
Americas
Argentina (90 days)	Belize (90 days)	Bolivia (90 days)
Ecuador (Diplomatic: Unlimited, Official: 90 days)	Paraguay (90 days)	Uruguay (90 days)
Asia & Oceania
Azerbaijan (30 days)	Bangladesh (90 days)	Cambodia (60 days)
India (90 days)	PJapan (3 months)	Kazakhstan (90 days)
Kyrgyzstan (30 days)	Laos (90 days)	Mongolia (30 days)
Myanmar (90 days)	Pakistan (3 months)	Philippines (Unlimited)
Vietnam (90 days)
Europe
Belarus (90 days)	Croatia (30 days)	Cyprus (90 days)
Russia (90 days)
※ Visa period applies to both diplomatic and government official passport holders, unless otherwise specified. * Generally, 3 months = 90 days & 6 months = 180 days
[Table 3] Countries under Visa Exemption Agreement: Diplomatic/Government Official/Ordinary Passport Holders
Country (Period)	Country (Period)	Country (Period)
Africa & Middle East
Israel (90 days)	Lesotho (60 days)	Liberia (90 days)
Morocco (90 days)	Tunisia (30 days)
Americas
Antigua and Barbuda (90 days)	Bahamas (90 days)	Barbados (90 days)
Brazil (90 days)	Chile (90 days)	Colombia (90 days)
Commonwealth of Dominica (90 days)	Costa Rica (90 days)	Dominican Republic (90 days)
El Salvador (90 days)	Grenada (90 days)	Guatemala (90 days)
Haiti (90 days)	Jamaica (90 days)	Mexico (90 days)
Nicaragua (90 days)	Panama (90 days)	Peru (90 days)
Saint Kitts and Nevis (90 days)	Saint Lucia (90 days)	Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (90 days)
Suriname (90 days)	Trinidad and Tobago (90 days)	Venezuela (Diplomatic/Official: 30 days, Ordinary: 90 days)
Asia & Oceania
Malaysia (90 days)	New Zealand (90 days)	Singapore (90 days)
Thailand (90 days)
Europe
Austria (Diplomatic/Official: 180 days, Ordinary: 90 days)	Belgium (90 days)	Bulgaria (90 days)
Czech Republic (90 days)	Denmark (90 days)	Estonia (90 days)
Finland (90 days)	France (90 days)	Germany (90 days)
Greece (90 days)	Hungary (90 days)	Iceland (90 days)
Ireland (90 days)	Italy (60/90 days)**	Latvia (90 days)
Liechtenstein (90 days)	Lithuania (90 days)	Luxembourg (90 days)
Malta (90 days)	Netherlands (90 days)	Norway (90 days)
Poland (90 days)	Portugal (60 days)	Romania (90 days)
Slovakia (90 days)	Spain (90 days)	Sweden (90 days)
Switzerland (90 days)	Turkey (90 days)	United Kingdom (90 days)
※ Visa period applies to diplomatic, government official, and ordinary passport holders, unless otherwise specified. ** Italy: 60 days under Visa Exemption Agreement / 90 days under Reciprocity Principles (Effective June 15, 2003)
[Table 4] Countries & Regions Granted Visa-Free Entry under Principles of Reciprocity and National Interest
Country (Period)	Country (Period)	Country (Period)
Africa & Middle East
Bahrain (30 days)	Egypt (30 days)	Kuwait (30 days)
Lebanon (Diplomatic/Official: 30 days)	Mauritius (30 days)	Oman (30 days)
Qatar (30 days)	Republic of South Africa (30 days)	Saudi Arabia (30 days)
Seychelles (30 days)	Swaziland (30 days)	United Arab Emirates (30 days)
Yemen (30 days)
Americas
Argentina (30 days)	Canada (6 months)	Ecuador (30 days)
Guyana (30 days)	Honduras (30 days)	Paraguay (30 days)
United States (90 days)	Uruguay (30 days)
Asia & Oceania
Australia (90 days)	Brunei (30 days)	Fiji (30 days)
Guam (30 days)	Hong Kong (90 days)	Indonesia (Diplomatic/Official: 14 days)
Japan (90 days)	Kiribati (30 days)	Macao (90 days)
Marshall Islands (30 days)	Micronesia (30 days)	Nauru (30 days)
New Caledonia (30 days)	Palau (30 days)	Samoa (30 days)
Solomon Islands (30 days)	Taiwan (30 days)	Tonga (30 days)
Tuvalu (30 days)
Europe
Albania (30 days)	Andorra (30 days)	Bosnia-Herzegovina (30 days)
Croatia (30 days)	Cyprus (30 days)	Italy (60/90 days)**
Monaco (30 days)	Montenegro (30 days)	San Marino (30 days)
Serbia (30 days)	Slovenia (90 days)	Vatican (30 days)
※ Visa period applies to diplomatic, government official, and ordinary passport holders, unless otherwise specified. ** Italy: 60 days under Visa Exemption Agreement / 90 days under Reciprocity Principles (Effective June 15, 2003)
Jeju Island

Jeju Island can be reached through ferry with its six marine routes connecting to major sea ports like Busan, Incheon, Mokpo and Tongyeong. By air, you can travel from Seoul to Busan via Korean Air and Asiana Airlines.

The cheapest way to travel to Jeju is through inland, you can catch up a bus travel from Seoul to Busan or Wando. Korean won comes in 1,000, 5,000, 10,000 denomination notes and 10, 50, 100, 500 won coins.The most viable currencies to carry in Korea are Japanese Yen and US dollars.

For more information and details how to travel to Jeju Island, click the following links:
Jeju Tour Information
Travel to Jeju

With South Korea's flourishing economy and exciting landmarks, tourists will have a grand time visiting this country known as the Land of the Morning Calm. Korea is very famous for organic, naturally-made skin products, healthy herbs and classy fashionable apparels, so the next time you plan a foreign trip for leisure, why not consider South Korea?

Sources: 

1. Insight Guide Travel Book (published by the Discovery Channel)
2. The official site of South Korean Tourism and Trade
              

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