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Relive the magic of Jeju Island's third day! From tranquil forest walks to thrilling horseback rides and the unique beauty of Udo Island, this itinerary delivers authentic Korean experiences.
Day 3...
Writing a travelogue like this (!),
it feels like I'm going back to that time and place,
experiencing it all over again,
and I love it so much!
Breakfast - Jeju Souvenir Shop - Saryeoni Forest Path - Horseback Riding Experience - Airang Hon Performance - Seongeup Folk Village - Lunch - Udo Island Tour - Dinner
Thinking I might have arrived a bit too early yesterday,
I woke up at 6 AM today,
and went for breakfast
at 6:30 AM.
But...
the line stretched all the way to the emergency exit!
That day, I brought my phone and took some pictures of breakfast.
Today's breakfast menu was also simple, haha!
scrambled eggs, bread with jam + butter, sausage,
various salads, yogurt, soup, porridge, and more.
I filled my plate with all my favorites!
The soups, porridges, and Korean dishes change a little every day.
And since today we were departing first from the hotel we were staying at,
they told us we had to leave even earlier.
So, after breakfast, I packed my bag and headed straight out.
Jeju Souvenir Outlet
Our first stop was the souvenir center.
When we got on the bus, they gave each team
all the photos they took yesterday, printed out!
I was truly grateful,
and so proud because the photos turned out great.
On the way to the souvenir center,
our guide gave us another explanation.
She said this souvenir shop was helpful for their performance targets,
so she hoped we would buy something, if possible.
She even joked that the photos they gave us were a 'bribe'!
Her personality was so straightforward,
and since she spoke so honestly,
it really made me feel like I *had* to buy something.
She's not a veteran for nothing.....
Her persuasive skills are truly top-notch!
She told us not to bother buying things that could easily be found elsewhere,
but there were some things that were especially good to buy *only* here.
She mentioned we'd be going to an agricultural and marine product market later,
so if we wanted chocolates, we should buy them there.
She also said she'd tell us what else to buy there.
1. Horse Leather
The guide even said she bought a backpack made of it and carries it around, explaining it was a recent switch for her.
She said horse leather products are great because they're really light and durable.
She even asked us to hold it,
so the people in the front touched and held it, haha!
Especially when carried as a backpack, it frees up your hands,
and she even wore a horse leather belt to show us.
She said the design is sleek for men and makes a great gift.
(Mentioning Kang Ho-dong, she said products with horses bring good fortune and a winning spirit,
symbolizing continuously advancing luck.
She strongly recommended buying horse-related products.
(My husband also has a horse-shaped keychain that I got for answering a quiz,
and he hangs it on his laptop bag~
It's surprisingly cute, haha!)
2. Amethyst
Amethyst is one of the five precious gemstones,
and she advised us never to waste money buying it abroad,
as it's better to buy it in Jeju Island.
It blocks electromagnetic waves,
emits far-infrared rays, which are good for people with weak hearts,
and helps warm the body.
She even mentioned that Germanium doesn't have the same benefits.
To boost immunity, raise your body temperature by 1 degree Celsius, right?
She talked about things like that
(there's a book about it).
3. Camellia Oil, Gamtae Shampoo, Magma Black Stone
Camellia oil has a lovely scent and is great for the skin,
so she recommended buying it, especially since it's used in cosmetics.
She also said Gamtae shampoo is good.
Apparently, it's great for hair loss.
She warned that you wouldn't notice a difference after just one or two uses of Gamtae shampoo,
but if you use it for over 6 months, your hair will thicken,
and your scalp will become healthier.
As for Magma Black Stone,
she said buying horse keyrings or similar items made from it would bring good luck.
(To be honest, I either wasn't interested in this one,
or my attention started to wane,
because I stopped writing about it mid-sentence;;;
I can't remember.....ㅠㅠㅠㅠ)
Anyway,
we ended up buying Gamtae shampoo.
Was it ~$25 for one bottle...?
We bought it because the price was the same as online.
Originally, I was planning to buy kelp shampoo because I heard it was good,
and kelp shampoo was also in the ~$21 range.
We also bought a few other camellia and hydrangea-related products.
The kids bought keyrings and such.
Spending money is always the most fun, after all!
I haven't tried the Gamtae shampoo yet.
But my husband and I are somehow really looking forward to it!
Saryeoni Forest Path
Next, we headed to Saryeoni Forest Path.
Thankfully, even though we heard it was pouring rain in the central region,
it didn't rain that day.
In fact, it felt like the weather was clearing up after the rain.
Saryeoni refers to cedar trees, which are apparently common in Japan.
They were originally planted for windbreak purposes, but I heard they produce a lot of pollen in the spring.
Apparently, many people struggle with allergies due to the high pollen count.
Since it's such a famous spot, we went to check it out,
and because cedar trees naturally grow tall and straight,
stepping into the forest feels incredibly refreshing and beautiful.
We walked around for about 30-40 minutes,
took some photos, and then left.
(I kept looking around so I wouldn't lose track of our group, haha!)
Of course, the photos turned out amazing too.
We captured many 'once-in-a-lifetime' shots of the kids.
Horseback Riding Experience
After that, we headed straight for the horseback riding experience.
Everyone was already lined up, waiting like this.
I guess our bus was a bit late;
We were told to wear helmets and put our belongings in a separate basket,
and then we lined up.
If you didn't want to ride a horse, you didn't have to.
A photographer took pictures of each family,
and printed them, framed them, and gave them to us right away.
They were selling them for ~$24.
Way too expensive!;;;;
(If it hadn't been so pricey, I would have bought it as a souvenir....)
Since we could just take pictures of each other riding from a distance,
(for the blog, of course!)
we lined up separately in pairs.
to take photos of each other...
Later, they asked why our family rode separately, boohoo. ㅠㅠ
Oops, sorry about that;;
The horseback riding experience involves a person holding the horse's reins and walking it around a loop,
so you only ride for a very short time (about 10 minutes?).
(Sorry, horses, boohoo ㅠㅠ)
The people leading the horses with reins looked tired,
and the horses seemed tired too.....
They were also selling two carrots for ~$1 as horse feed,
and I considered letting the kids try feeding them,
but we had to get back on the bus, so we just left.
Arirang Hon Performance
After getting back on the bus,
we went to see the Arirang Hon performance.
Many international performance teams come here for circus shows,
but they said that Korean performances are also gaining traction,
and that it would be entertaining.
Since it was billed as a Taekwondo performance,
(I'd seen similar shows a few times in our apartment complex),
I honestly didn't have high expectations;;
But it was much more entertaining than I expected!
I even felt a sense of pride,
and seeing our young people working so hard,
I hoped they would do well.
The Taekwondo performance included (Poomsae demonstrations, board breaking, etc.),
a bit of comedic skit,
and even featured dancers.
It was actually quite well-decorated, more than I expected!
Much better than the circus.
(After seeing the circus, it felt strange because even young kids performed, and I always had a slightly uneasy feeling.)
Seongeup Folk Village
Seongeup Folk Village is a place where Jeju's traditional thatched-roof houses and culture are perfectly preserved.
Since actual Jeju residents live here,
each household takes turns doing promotions like this.
Our guide mentioned that this place isn't related to their performance metrics,
so we should just buy something if we genuinely needed it.
Unfortunately, you can't actually see the inside of the thatched-roof houses,
you only get a peek at the exterior ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ
Yes.... this is also a shopping spot.
This time, they said it was for the Jeju residents.
One Jeju resident, who was on promotion duty, came out to take care of our team.
So, we followed them again,
and they briefly told us about the Haenyeo (Jeju's women divers) culture (apparently, there's still a Haenyeo over 90 years old living in this village!),
the poignant lives of Jeju women due to the Jeju 4.3 Incident, and more.
They also talked about the Ieodo Sana (a mythical island), even though our guide had already explained it.
The Haenyeo's lives were so difficult,
that they created an ideal island in their minds and sang songs about it.
During the 4.3 Incident, it's said that 30,000 men died.
(I'm just jotting this down, not sure how accurate the exact number is..)
They would perform ancestral rites for 50-70 families.
Because men had to hide in the mountains or caves to survive,
men became rare, and women had to independently manage their lives.
The person explaining it even mentioned her mother-in-law had three mothers-in-law.
However, they don't have traditions like *jaegi* (ancestral ritual bowls) or *gimjang* (making large batches of kimchi).
They mainly eat *geotjeori* (fresh kimchi) because their cabbage is watery, and they don't have a side dish culture...
Jeju Island lacks fresh water, so they had to draw spring water (now known as Samdasoo, a famous brand of mineral water).
After diving, carrying heavy jars of spring water was incredibly arduous,
so asking a man to carry it was practically a demand for divorce.
Since men were scarce, women had to take on all these responsibilities.
Haenyeo couldn't properly recover after childbirth,
but they would eat *malgol* (horse bone extract) made from Jeju pony placenta.
It apparently prevented bone chilling and raised their body temperature.
Even now, many people raise horses (for Jeju pony and beef).
They said a single horse starts from ~$20,700....
There are many 'horse millionaires,' and some even own horses worth ~$1,242,200!
Horse millionaires!
Jeju is a volcanic island with limited water, so farming was difficult.
Because there was no rice straw, they used eulalia grass for their roofs.
Many grubs (large beetle larvae) would appear in the roofs, so they had to be replaced every year.
These grubs aren't from the ground (like longhorned beetles), so they're clean,
and people reportedly eat them as medicine.
And then,
they introduced us to horse bone pills, grub pills, and Omija (schisandra berry) products.
They said *malgol* (horse bone extract) is a product mixed with placenta,
and it's only available in May and June, so they gave us a generous sample to try.
They encouraged us to eat horse meat, saying it's best as sashimi.
It's supposedly great for gout.
Omija is also said to be very effective.
They mentioned that cultivated wild ginseng can only be sold in Seogwipo; it's illegal here.
It's apparently good for varicose veins,
vascular diseases, and immunity.
Listening to all this, I really wanted to buy some for my parents.
Here too, with horse bone pills, Omija drinks, and grub pills,
tasting and sampling,
and listening to their explanations,
my ears were really perking up~~
But then, the price was ~$276 ㅠ
They claimed they originally proposed selling it to the government for ~$621,
but lowered it to ~$276.
The grub pills were also ~$276.......
We didn't buy any since we didn't have the money haha.
Once you hear the price, it's easy to change your mind quickly lol.
Many others who had the means bought a lot, though!
They said the position of the Dol Hareubang's hands indicates whether it's a civil official or a military official.
So, listening to all these product explanations at Seongeup Folk Village,
we didn't really get to explore the village at all ;;;;
It was basically just scratching the surface.
And just like that, it was lunchtime!
Yay~~
I love mealtime!!!
Lunch
Traditional Pork Bulgogi & Millet Makgeolli
When we entered, it must have been a side door,
because I didn't see the signboard.
Later, we found out it was called Wangilbeonji Restaurant.
It was pork bulbaek with bracken fern.
The bracken fern was so tender and delicious!
Millet makgeolli was also served, but
my husband happily claimed it all~~
The side dishes were generally delicious, and
fearing there wouldn't be side dishes for the kids,
our guide kindly prepared fried eggs and seaweed for them.
(So heartwarming~)
After the meal, some people
bought some bracken fern from here.
(I wouldn't know how to cook it, so I skipped~)
As we rode the bus again,
we spotted a buckwheat field.
(Our guide pointed it out to us~)
They described it as a white buckwheat field, as if dusted with salt.
Udo Island
And just like that, it was time for our Udo Island adventure!
It was a bit cloudier and windier than earlier, but
the weather was just perfect!
Time to hop on the passenger ferry, let's go~
The line was quite long, but
once we boarded the ferry, it felt like no time at all.
The ferry to Udo Island was a car ferry, so it was absolutely massive!
And because it moved slowly,
the kids kept saying yesterday's cruise was more fun;;;;
We arrived at Udo Island in no time!
After arriving, we transferred to another bus.
They told us this bus would be our primary way to get around Udo Island.
Udo Island is the largest of the surrounding islands,
and it's said to be called Udo (meaning 'Cow Island') because its shape resembles a cow.
We also heard that it's famous for its peanuts
(though the driver's voice was a bit soft, so I didn't catch everything;;)
We saw the charming stone walls,
and even some horses here.
And of course, our next stop was for some delicious peanut ice cream!
Our guide told us that the peanut ice cream here was the best, so they led us to this spot.
And since our guide is such a veteran...
But then,
I found out that if you pay by card here,
they charge VAT separately;;;;
(Do places like this still exist these days?;;;)
Thankfully, our guide lent us some cash, so we paid with cash.
The kids and I were super excited,
I took photos while eating,
and although the kids left some of the peanuts,
it was just amazing that my second child, who usually doesn't eat peanuts, actually ate them!
Next, we walked towards Udobong Peak.
I took out my selfie stick and snapped away diligently.
The photos turned out great.
I managed to get several good shots here too.
The wind was blowing so hard it covered my entire face.
Thanks, wind! Haha~
As for Geommeolle Beach,
the sea fog was incredibly thick,
and they said the cave was shaped like a human face;;;;
but I couldn't quite tell where.....
After taking tons of photos with the kids,
we stopped by a souvenir shop and then got back on the bus.
The wind was blowing so hard,
I ended up with 'ghost hair' in my photo too.
I took off my hat so it wouldn't fly away,
and my hair looked like a broom...
Back on the bus, and off we went!
Sanho Beach (Coral Beach)
We arrived at a famous beach in Udo with a difficult name to remember.
(I even wrote it down in my notepad as 'Hongdo-dangae-mueosun-haebyeon-haesuyokjang' haha)
It turns out it's called Hongjodangoe Haebin! lol~
It's one of Udo's 8 scenic wonders, a beach where coralline algae (like red algae, or coral) has been washed ashore by waves and deposited.
This Hongjodangoe Haebin is also known as Seobinbaeksa,
which refers to a beach scene with white sand.
I remember hearing there are only 3 such beaches in the world, but I couldn't recall, so I looked it up.
That's why it's strictly forbidden to take any out,
they even tell you to shake out anything that gets into your shoes! haha
My eldest daughter got scared and furiously shook out her shoes! haha
A beach formed by the accumulation of coralline algae that has been washed ashore by waves is called a Hongjodangoe Haebin (Coralline Algae Beach).
The sediments that form Udo's beaches are almost 100% composed of this coralline algae, making their academic value extremely high.
In Korea, sediments composed solely of coralline algae are found uniquely in Udo, Jeju Island,
and it is a very rare phenomenon worldwide. In particular, beach sediments around volcanic islands like Jeju Island that are composed entirely of such coralline algae are considered unique globally.
[Naver Encyclopedia of Knowledge]
There was seaweed, like miyeok (brown seaweed), washed up on the shore,
so we took photos and played higher up on the beach.
We spent a long time playing and taking photos here.
The kids always turn out great in photos~
My pose when taking photos of the kids haha
(Our guide took this one for me)
Now it was time for dinner,
and it seems they were tired too, because they crashed on the bus....
Dinner: Abalone Porridge
Abalone porridge was served as a basic complimentary dish,
and for sashimi plates, you just pick whatever you want and take it,
then they bring a card reader to each table to settle the bill.
Our guide highly recommended the mackerel sashimi.
They told us to grab the mackerel sashimi first... (~$21)
Most plates were in the range of ~$14 to ~$21.
Since we aren't big seafood eaters,
my husband only brought back soju and live octopus (sannakji).
My second child was too deep in sleep to wake up,
and my eldest daughter only ate a few pieces of sannakji and refused the abalone porridge ㅠㅠ
So my husband and I each had two bowls.
The abalone porridge was absolutely delicious!
And now, it's back to the hotel we go!!
(The kids went back to the hotel and grabbed cup noodles and triangle kimbap from the convenience store to eat;)
All in all, we made the most of today!
Explore Jeju Car Rentals
The guide recommended horse leather products, amethyst, camellia oil, sea algae shampoo, and magma black stone. The sea algae shampoo was mentioned to be ~$25 per bottle, which was the same as the online price.
We spent approximately 30-40 minutes exploring Saryeoni Forest Path. It's composed of cedar trees, making it a refreshing place that's great for photos. In spring, there's a lot of pollen, which can cause allergies.
During the horseback riding experience, a photographer took photos of each family, and the cost for printing and framing them was ~$24. The experience involved a person holding the horse's reins and walking it around a track, taking about 10 minutes.
At Seongeup Folk Village, horse bone extract pills (Malgolhwan) and grub pills (Gumbenghwan) were introduced, each costing ~$276. It was mentioned that Malgol is a special product available only in May and June.
At the peanut ice cream shop recommended by the guide, an additional VAT was charged for card payments. It was advisable to pay with cash, and if cash was not available, the guide could assist with a cash payment.
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