J+L in Transit

Hallim Park

Hallim Park has a little bit of everything Jeju. The park was established as a tropical garden in 1971 and has grown since to include stone and bonsai gardens, lotus gardens, flower gardens, two lava tube caves, and a traditional folk village.

Pond in the Hallim Park Flower Garden

Statue of a Haenyo Woman -- Haenyo are the "Women Divers" of Jeju, Who Free-Dive for Clams and Fish Up to 60 Feet Underwater

These Grandfather Statues are EVERYWHERE in Jeju

Lava Tube at Hallim Park

Lin Exits the Lava Tube

Many Small Statues in Hallim Park

Hallim Park Bonsai Garden

Hallim Park Bonsai Garden

Thatched Roof House in the Traditional Folk Village

Interior of One of the Folk Village Houses

Houses of the Folk village

Mackerel from the Traditional Folk Village at Hallim Park

Bibimbap from the Traditional Folk Village at Hallim Park

One of Many Varieties of Lotus in Hallim Park

O’Sulloc Green Tea Museum

Jeju Island is one of the best places to grow green tea, and the O’Sulloc company has a museum amidst their tea farm. We visited the field and sampled some tea. Inside the museum are some interesting antique pieces of Korean pottery.

Visiting a Field of Green Tea

Drying Out the Tea Leaves

Sanbangsan Temples

Sanbangsan is a mountain near the seacoast of Jeju’s south shore, near the city of Seogwipo. The name Sanbangsan means “cave within a mountain” and as you might expect, there is a cave located 400 feet up the mountainside. There are Buddhist temples on either side of a staircase leading up to the cave, as well as a temple altar inside the cave itself. The view of the ocean from the temples, especially the mountainside cave, is incredible. At the base of the mountain, below the temple entrance, is a super trendy coffee shop called Lazybox. By luck, we went inside and were surprised to find that they make their own delicious yogurt ice cream.

Temple at Sanbangsan

Buddhist Statue at Sanbangsan Temple

Many Small Statues Flank the Larger Statue

Temple Bell and Ocean View

Sanbangsan Temple Grotto, 400 Feet Up the Side of the Mountain

Altar in the Temple Grotto

View of the Ocean from the Temple Grotto High on the Cliffs of the Sanbangsan Mountain

Giant Golden Buddha at Sanbangsan Temple

Altar at Sanbangsan Temple

Buddhist Statue with Sanbangsan Mountain in the Background

Lazybox Coffee at the Base of the Mountain

Handmade Ice Cream and Cafe Americano from Lazybox, WOW

Jusangjeolli Basalt Columns

The Jusangjeolli Basalt Columns in Seogwipo are some interesting geological structures created by the island’s volcano. The columns are almost perfect hexagons and look somewhat similar to the Devil’s Postpile monument in California.

View of the Jusangjeolli Basalt Columns

Lin at the Jusangjeolli Basalt Columns

Cheonjiyeon Waterfalls

Located in Seogwipo, the Cheonjiyeon Waterfalls are part of a stream that flows from the center of the island out to the sea. There is a huge (and very steep) pedestrian bridge spanning the river valley.

James at Waterfall #1

Top of Waterfall #2

Waterfall #2

Side of the Bridge

Steep Bridge!

Us Overlooking the Waterfall

Jungmun Beach

Jungmun Beach is one of the most popular beaches on Jeju Island, and is in the city of Seogwipo. We visited the beach at sunset and relaxed on the sand.

Sunset at Jungmun Beach

Relaxing on the Sand at Jungmun Beach

Jeju City

At night, we wandered around the streets surrounding our hostel in Jeju City. Jeju City has so many trendy restaurants, bars, and coffee shops that it was hard to pick where to have an evening drink and snack. While exploring, we saw a group of 3 talented karaoke singers entertaining a small crowd of about 20 people with Korean songs. They said hello to us “foreigners” through the mic and dedicated Stevie Wonder’s “Isn’t She Lovely?” to us.

These Talented Karaoke Singers Dedicated a Song to Us - "Isn't She Lovely?"

McDonald's Bulgogi Burger, Only in Korea

Comfort Food in Jeju - Bulgogi with Rice and Cheese + Soup

Trip Planning Over Coffee and a Honey Bread