Jeju Island- Jeju-si
Samseonghyeol garden and place
where the demi-Gods landed
You can see all that needs to be seen at Jeju-si in one day, or spread out over the course of several mornings or afternoons. There’s not too much to see here so don’t freak out if you don’t have enough time. I would definitely prioritise the natural attractions over those found in Jeju-si.
One attraction in Jeju-si that I quite enjoyed was Samseonghyeol, which is this temple/shrine thing dedicated to the three founders of Jeju. Legend has it that three demi-Gods came to Jeju and settled down. The Samseonghyeol shrine is where they supposedly landed. Its only 2000wan to enter and there’s a fun 15minute cartoon explaining the mythology (it’s a lot better than it sounds). An hour here is probably all you need.
Close to Samseonghyeol is the Natural History and Folk Museum. This is one of those museums that try to pack too much into too little a space and as a result, nothing really has much substance. They cover everything from the volcanic history of Jeju to the life of historical Jeju people to the dolphins and whales of Jeju. The displays are looking a bit tired and are basically mannequins with a text box. If you have absolutely nothing to do and really need to kill some serious time because you’ve done all the sleeping you can, go to this museum. There are other museums on the island like the Jeju National Museum (which was closed when I wanted to go) so that could be more worth it. Note though that it's a little bit further away from the other attractions mentioned here.
Jeju-si has a pretty decent market where they sell fresh food and clothes and theres also a few really tiny restaurants. It’s called Dong-mun Market. Worth a visit when strolling around Jeju-si as some of the produce is a little weird. While they have the usual stuff like copious amounts of kim chi, lots of local citrus and cartoon Psy socks, they also have eviscerated fish with their guts exposed for sale. Beautiful. If you find that too off-putting, the tiny restaurants they have sell some nice lunch like dumplings and rice cakes .It might set you back 2,000won for a meal though so watch out (insert sarcastic tone). The market has many different entrances so it shouldn't be too hard to find, even when walking.
Also in Jeju-si is the Dragon Rock along the north coast. It’s pretty much a rock that’s pointy and sharp that potentially looks like a dragons head if you squint hard enough. I went cause I had time to kill…I encourage the same.
One attraction in Jeju-si that I quite enjoyed was Samseonghyeol, which is this temple/shrine thing dedicated to the three founders of Jeju. Legend has it that three demi-Gods came to Jeju and settled down. The Samseonghyeol shrine is where they supposedly landed. Its only 2000wan to enter and there’s a fun 15minute cartoon explaining the mythology (it’s a lot better than it sounds). An hour here is probably all you need.
Close to Samseonghyeol is the Natural History and Folk Museum. This is one of those museums that try to pack too much into too little a space and as a result, nothing really has much substance. They cover everything from the volcanic history of Jeju to the life of historical Jeju people to the dolphins and whales of Jeju. The displays are looking a bit tired and are basically mannequins with a text box. If you have absolutely nothing to do and really need to kill some serious time because you’ve done all the sleeping you can, go to this museum. There are other museums on the island like the Jeju National Museum (which was closed when I wanted to go) so that could be more worth it. Note though that it's a little bit further away from the other attractions mentioned here.
Jeju-si has a pretty decent market where they sell fresh food and clothes and theres also a few really tiny restaurants. It’s called Dong-mun Market. Worth a visit when strolling around Jeju-si as some of the produce is a little weird. While they have the usual stuff like copious amounts of kim chi, lots of local citrus and cartoon Psy socks, they also have eviscerated fish with their guts exposed for sale. Beautiful. If you find that too off-putting, the tiny restaurants they have sell some nice lunch like dumplings and rice cakes .It might set you back 2,000won for a meal though so watch out (insert sarcastic tone). The market has many different entrances so it shouldn't be too hard to find, even when walking.
Also in Jeju-si is the Dragon Rock along the north coast. It’s pretty much a rock that’s pointy and sharp that potentially looks like a dragons head if you squint hard enough. I went cause I had time to kill…I encourage the same.
Dragon rock. There, you've seen it. Cant even get a good photo with a hotel in background
If you’re looking for a night-time activity, the area around City Hall has quite a large concentration of bars and clubs so head in that direction.
Getting around the place
All of the places mentioned above are within walking distance of each other. Maybe 20-30minutes max from the most polar sights. It's not that difficult to navigate around the city so just get a map and go for gold. Of course, you can always take a taxi.
