Glorious Jeju Island
I dun think I'll be posting any pix for this post...I'm sure you guys can find many pix of Jeju island anywhere on the web. So, we decided to go to Jeju on May 2, 2011. We took off reallllly early..like really early...Since our flight is at 8am, we need to be at the airport 2 hours before departure. From our place to gimpo airport by arex is about half an hour. and walking from guesthouse to the train station also needed some time...so we decided to wake up at 4am in the morning!! So off we go to Jeju..
Gimpo airport is very modern...well, in terms of the toilet...huhu...the toilets are ever so comfy..u just gotta try it to know it...huhu...thinking of gimpo made me remember the many dramas shot here...but gimpo is not that big..not that things can be seen either here. We took jeju air, one of many flights to jeju..there are asiana, korean air, etc...we booked online before going to seoul. but one of us took aseana and paid about the same price as us..we thot jeju air is cheaper but it turned out that the price to jeju is standard and can be bought even during the time you want to fly with it since there are sooo many airlines to jeju...it cost about RM400 return...
In Jeju, we stayed at Yeha guesthouse. We have read very gud reviews and I'm really happy with our stay. The staffs are very helpful and they understand the muslim quite well. they have a different section of muslim utensils and fridge. impressive!! many malaysians have also stayed here, by looking at the many ringgit notes being displayed on the "money from your homeland" board. We booked for a six people bedroom. Every room is equipped with its own bathroom and toilet. This is really not like any other hostels around. They even have family room, so basically, not only young people stays here. i really recommend this place to everyone visiting jeju...you just have to go there to believe me...
our first day here, we walked leisurely around jeju island..in our quest to find halal food...there were none actually, so we have to resort to seafood...buat after reading in the net, the seafood is quite expensive here in jeju...but we have no choice...i wudn't want to go hungry here....after asking the staff in yeha, lena, she told us about a great seafood place which is within walking distance to yeha. when we get there, we early, before 12 pm...they didn't open for business yet, so we took a bus to the nearest market, dongmun market. here, they sold fish, kimchi (yeah, almost everywhere you can find this), and also jeju fruits. the fruits here dfntly look different from wat we normally see. and some are not even available in malaysia. the strawberries are darn cheap and juicy!!! we bought like a LOT!! and we thot we had enuff to eat. but somehow, we decided to try the seafood restaurant. Before ordering, we had strictly told the cook that we cud not take liquor and any meat here. at first he was quite surprise. maybe coz he wud put it in the dish, but somehow he complied (i hope so!).. there are 7 of us, 6 of us ordered (since 1 of us didn't want to eat). each of us ordered a meal. we thot that what we ordered is wat we get..WRONG!! we ordered like noodles, sushi, etc...but somehow when he served us with soooo many unknown food, we were quite dumbfounded. Erk, is sumthing wrong with the menu? coz we only ordered 3 noodles and 3 sushi but why there are about 10 dishes on the table?? it turned out that watever we ordered comes with side dishes...wowwww....and you know wat...we almost finish all....i luv you uncle! (forgot the name...huhu...but ask lena to guide you...)
that's not the end of our day here...we went to a "secret place" also...err...maybe i won't mention it here coz we promised to keep it to ourselves....huhu...at first, many objected but we sumhow agreed to just go and enjoy ourselves....it's quite entertaining actually...huhu...
the next day, we decided to take a tour around jeju with van since we didn't think it is wise to go from places to places by bus or taxi. since there are 7 of us, taking a minivan with driver is quite cheap. for 8 hour journey, we only need to pay less than krw 30,000 each (about rm 81 each)..this is considered cheap since taking a trolley bus cost around krw75,000!!...our driver doesn't speak english but he can communicate with sumone from his phone if he didn't understand us. for an english speaking driver, he will cost us another krw10,000. well, still, sooo cheap!! we went to 4 places, manjangul tube lava, inchulbong san, seopji koji and jeju folkd museum...my main aim to jeju is to take pictures with yellow royal azalea. this is bcoz i've seen so many of my friends taking pix with this flowers..they are soo many and gorgeous!!...this flower can be found along the road from inchulbung san and seopjikoji...people actually grow this flower! if you see a sea of royal azalea, just ask the driver to stop and take pictures. this is because, when i asked the staff, lena on location of yellow azalea, she told me at seopjikoji...it turned out that this location during this time (it was early may, spring almost over), the flowers almost gone from seopjikoji...luckily, i asked the driver to stop along the way. if not, there goes my dream in the drain!...i was ecstatic to take pictures here....they are just sooo pretty!! other than the royal azalea, the other highlight is the beautiful jeju...inchulbung san has pretty view. and so is seopji koji...many dramas are filmed here...for kdramas fan, this is like living a dream!..i luv jeju!!
the day ends after jeju folks museum...we exceed our 8 hour duration by half an hour. by rules, every hour late we have to pay additional krw 10,000...we wanted to pay the driver but he didn't want to take the money...so kind of you uncle!
we were hungry since we didnt stop anywhere for lunch. we prepared bread and eggs for breakfast and lunch...this is bcoz, it's almost impossible to tell the driver about the halal food...once we reached yeha, to the seafood uncle we go!! he was surely delighted to us again since he served us more food this time!! everything finishes!! hoho...thank you uncle....
the last day of jeju was spent within the city of jeju...walking around with no proper direction. initially, we wanted to search for a masjid or muslim center...but that place is no longer there (we cudn't find it)...so we went to shilla duty free and around jeju city...it's almost time to go back to seoul...and we missed jeju already....
So long Jeju, may we meet again....
Gimpo airport is very modern...well, in terms of the toilet...huhu...the toilets are ever so comfy..u just gotta try it to know it...huhu...thinking of gimpo made me remember the many dramas shot here...but gimpo is not that big..not that things can be seen either here. We took jeju air, one of many flights to jeju..there are asiana, korean air, etc...we booked online before going to seoul. but one of us took aseana and paid about the same price as us..we thot jeju air is cheaper but it turned out that the price to jeju is standard and can be bought even during the time you want to fly with it since there are sooo many airlines to jeju...it cost about RM400 return...
In Jeju, we stayed at Yeha guesthouse. We have read very gud reviews and I'm really happy with our stay. The staffs are very helpful and they understand the muslim quite well. they have a different section of muslim utensils and fridge. impressive!! many malaysians have also stayed here, by looking at the many ringgit notes being displayed on the "money from your homeland" board. We booked for a six people bedroom. Every room is equipped with its own bathroom and toilet. This is really not like any other hostels around. They even have family room, so basically, not only young people stays here. i really recommend this place to everyone visiting jeju...you just have to go there to believe me...
our first day here, we walked leisurely around jeju island..in our quest to find halal food...there were none actually, so we have to resort to seafood...buat after reading in the net, the seafood is quite expensive here in jeju...but we have no choice...i wudn't want to go hungry here....after asking the staff in yeha, lena, she told us about a great seafood place which is within walking distance to yeha. when we get there, we early, before 12 pm...they didn't open for business yet, so we took a bus to the nearest market, dongmun market. here, they sold fish, kimchi (yeah, almost everywhere you can find this), and also jeju fruits. the fruits here dfntly look different from wat we normally see. and some are not even available in malaysia. the strawberries are darn cheap and juicy!!! we bought like a LOT!! and we thot we had enuff to eat. but somehow, we decided to try the seafood restaurant. Before ordering, we had strictly told the cook that we cud not take liquor and any meat here. at first he was quite surprise. maybe coz he wud put it in the dish, but somehow he complied (i hope so!).. there are 7 of us, 6 of us ordered (since 1 of us didn't want to eat). each of us ordered a meal. we thot that what we ordered is wat we get..WRONG!! we ordered like noodles, sushi, etc...but somehow when he served us with soooo many unknown food, we were quite dumbfounded. Erk, is sumthing wrong with the menu? coz we only ordered 3 noodles and 3 sushi but why there are about 10 dishes on the table?? it turned out that watever we ordered comes with side dishes...wowwww....and you know wat...we almost finish all....i luv you uncle! (forgot the name...huhu...but ask lena to guide you...)
that's not the end of our day here...we went to a "secret place" also...err...maybe i won't mention it here coz we promised to keep it to ourselves....huhu...at first, many objected but we sumhow agreed to just go and enjoy ourselves....it's quite entertaining actually...huhu...
the next day, we decided to take a tour around jeju with van since we didn't think it is wise to go from places to places by bus or taxi. since there are 7 of us, taking a minivan with driver is quite cheap. for 8 hour journey, we only need to pay less than krw 30,000 each (about rm 81 each)..this is considered cheap since taking a trolley bus cost around krw75,000!!...our driver doesn't speak english but he can communicate with sumone from his phone if he didn't understand us. for an english speaking driver, he will cost us another krw10,000. well, still, sooo cheap!! we went to 4 places, manjangul tube lava, inchulbong san, seopji koji and jeju folkd museum...my main aim to jeju is to take pictures with yellow royal azalea. this is bcoz i've seen so many of my friends taking pix with this flowers..they are soo many and gorgeous!!...this flower can be found along the road from inchulbung san and seopjikoji...people actually grow this flower! if you see a sea of royal azalea, just ask the driver to stop and take pictures. this is because, when i asked the staff, lena on location of yellow azalea, she told me at seopjikoji...it turned out that this location during this time (it was early may, spring almost over), the flowers almost gone from seopjikoji...luckily, i asked the driver to stop along the way. if not, there goes my dream in the drain!...i was ecstatic to take pictures here....they are just sooo pretty!! other than the royal azalea, the other highlight is the beautiful jeju...inchulbung san has pretty view. and so is seopji koji...many dramas are filmed here...for kdramas fan, this is like living a dream!..i luv jeju!!
the day ends after jeju folks museum...we exceed our 8 hour duration by half an hour. by rules, every hour late we have to pay additional krw 10,000...we wanted to pay the driver but he didn't want to take the money...so kind of you uncle!
we were hungry since we didnt stop anywhere for lunch. we prepared bread and eggs for breakfast and lunch...this is bcoz, it's almost impossible to tell the driver about the halal food...once we reached yeha, to the seafood uncle we go!! he was surely delighted to us again since he served us more food this time!! everything finishes!! hoho...thank you uncle....
the last day of jeju was spent within the city of jeju...walking around with no proper direction. initially, we wanted to search for a masjid or muslim center...but that place is no longer there (we cudn't find it)...so we went to shilla duty free and around jeju city...it's almost time to go back to seoul...and we missed jeju already....
So long Jeju, may we meet again....
Comments
So sorry, havent visiting my blog for soo long....guess u've been to jeju!