Solo travel trip with personal business (friend pre-nup & wedding). It started with a reality TV show and being an avid GDRAGON fan and viola! Jeju trip!
Flights and Accommodation
Since there’s no direct flight from Manila to Jeju, I took a flight to Kuala Lumpur and transfer plane to the one that will take me to Jeju via AirAsia X. The whole flight cost (round-trip) of this route was around 19K PHP. My plane tickets to and from Manila even my flight from Jeju to Hongkong via Jeju Air were all with seat sale. Even though Jeju is a visa-free island for Filipinos, I decided to get my Korean visa a month prior to my trip just in case I decided to pass by in the mainland.
I pencil booked a 6-bed dormitory type hostel in Jeju City via Agoda and got a bed for ~2500 PHP all 4 days and 4 nights stay in Yeha Guesthouse. The hostel have incredible staff whom you can ask for directions and suggestions where to eat around Jeju. No need to learn Korean language since they are all fluent in English.
They also have brochures, pamphlets, bus routes and schedules to help you get around the city. They have a dining hall just beside their reception area where you can also access their PCs for surfing the net. They offer self-served free rice, eggs, bread and jam for breakfast. It’s so fun to chill in the morning and at night since you’ll get to meet a lot of tourist. I even got friends with two Japanese (Aika and Shiku) and some Koreans who were going on a hike in Hallasan the next morning.
Highlight Itineraries
Jeju Shinhwa World
If you know me and my fangirl shenanigans, then you’ll know why exactly I came here first. Yeah that’s right. This is my BIGBANG-GDRAGON fangirl heart walking.
Jeju Shinhwa World is a newly built resort in Seogwipo, an hour away from Jeju City. You can ride a bus number 282 if you are from Jeju City. Shinhwa world also have a free shuttle service from airport.
Jeju Shinhwa World is where my first priority destination —Untitled 2017 cafe — is located. Untitled 2017 is a cafe owned by G-DRAGON, one of the phenomenal superstar of Korea. It was opened last February 2018 just few weeks before his mandatory military enlistment. It was his second cafe —the first one is Monsant de Aewol— which I visited on the 3rd day. Around the area also was ACIIIT bowling alley — also owned by GDRAGON and have his artistic touches all around its premises — and Shinhwa Theme Park were artists like GDRAGON and Sandara Park often visit for recreation.
ACIIT bowling alley has 3 type of rooms for bowling: Public area, GD room, and Artist room. I forgot the rate for public area since I took the GD room coz ya know GD touches. Heh. Anyway, you have to buy a drink from ACIIIT for 15000 KRW to access GD room or the Artist room.
Play KPOP
This is my fangirl walking again. And half an hour from Jeju Shinhwa World is Play KPOP which is located inside Jeju Jungmun Tourism Complex where Teddy Bear Museum and Chocolate Orange Farm are also located.
Admission cost around 12000 KRW (600 PHP). There are a lot of exciting areas inside and you can take virtual photos with a lot of idols. (I did a lot with BIGBANG and i even kissed GDRAGON! heartue heartue chOUR!)
Lee Jung Seop Street and Seogwipo Olleh Market
Lee Jung Seop Art Street is one of the most famous street in Jeju also around Seogwipo. This street is named after one of their national artist, Lee Jung Seop where his house during the Korean war is also located.
This streets host a lot of artisan and souvenir shops. A lot of cafes and galleries also thrive here.
Just downhill of Lee Jung Seop street is the Seogwipo Olleh Market. Since it was already dark and I’m so famished walking through Seogwipo, I indulged myself with a lot of Korean dishes inside the flea market. They served most of the well-known Korean street foods like tteokbokki (rice cake), odeng (fish cake), kimbap and pajeon (vegetable pancakes).
Seongsan IlChulbong (Sunrise Peak)
Seongsan IlChulbong is located in the east part of Jeju. One hour from Jeju city is a scenic area. For only 1000 KRW (50 PHP), you can enjoy the breeze and the sea. The area also offers an exhibitions from Hanyeo which are the female Korean divers. This divers are usually old and only have limited diving equipment. Most of their catches are abalones, seashells, sea urchins, and live octopus which you can request to be cooked and enjoyed on the restaurant beside the sea.
Hyeopjae Beach
Hyeopjae Beach is located on the east side of Jeju. You can pass by the area if you are going to Seogwipo. It’s a 30-minute ride from Jeju City and you can take any bus that takes you to Seogwipo and then get off in Hyeopjae Beach station.
Funny thing about this is that I got lost going to this area since I got off two stations before Hyeopjae Beach. Good thing my Korean skills came in handy and I got some help and directions from a local steamed gogoma (sweet potato) vendor. So I got to the beach with a gogoma on hand and saw fireworks as I sit on the sand contemplating about life.
Aewol and Monsant
Definitely GDRAGON-inspired AGAIN. Two stations from Hyeopjae Beach is Aewol where a lot of cafes (Monsant, Twosome, Bonmal and etc.) are located with a scenic view of Jeju’s westside sea!
Monsant de Aewol is located between Bonmal and Hi-Class Jeju. This was GDRAGON’s first cafe where a lot of Korean celebrities have also visited. There are several tables outside the cafe where you can sit and sip while taking in the beauty of the sea in front. And just beside the cafe is a seafood house that serves delicious grilled abalones!
Other notable destinations
Other notable destinations in Jeju where you can enjoy the fresh air, tea ans earth elements in its finest.
- Loveland
- Osolluc Tea Farm
- Innisfree Studio
This Jeju trip is so close to my heart since this was my first solo trip and, to add to it, one of my fave person’s go-to place. There are still a lot of places to see in this small island that I couldn’t fit in my short stay but there’s one thing that I have concluded after this: I’d rather go to Jeju rather than in mainland Korea. Haha
