After 5 times of visiting South Korea, I went back and finally stopped by Jeju Island!
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This was me at almost 6AM going to Gimpo Airport to catch my 8AM flight. It was my first time at Gimpo so I didn't wanna take my chances. And I will never test airport theories 🤣 I can never be late for the airport or I will k*ll myself with anxiety and extra expenses 🤷♀️
I still can't believe I went back to Korea during summer when I literally live in a tropical country.... But I do have an agenda for coming again (aka concerts, yes, with an S). And the thing with traveling during summer is I don't have to pack coats and everything. But of course I definitely prefer cold weather over hot 🥵
Anw, I flew with Asiana Airlines for the first time~ Searching for Seoul to Jeju flights, I was really amazed how cheap they were. My one-way flight cost me around ₱2,000 or ₩48,000, and it already includes 20kg checked in baggage and 10kg handcarry. LIKE HELLO!? There are even cheaper options like Jeju Air. I only chose Asiana because I have never tried this top airline, and I don't think I ever will if not for this time, as a budget traveler 😅
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As soon as I entered the plane, it was really different and classier than all the ones I've ever ridden. Unfortunately for me, I was assigned the middle seat (which has happened for most of my flights recently, like WHUT), but the seat was still very comfy and the wide leg room was such a treat 😊
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For this flight, they offered a drink, and I got orange juice. It was basically Minute Maid 😅 But it's free, so.... And it was such a quick ride I couldn't even take a nap or I was just too excited~
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I did get a proper window view and snaps of Jeju especially when we arrived because the ahjussi sitting on the window seat let me 🥹 I mean, some people do hog the window.... I needed some beach therapy SO bad that seeing the ocean got me so frickin excited, I'm not even kidding.
And yay, WELCOME TO JEJU, me!
♡〜٩( ˃▿˂ )۶〜♡
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The Hello Jeju sign is as simple as it gets, but since I've seen it on many shows, especially dating shows 🤭, it was delightful to see it in person~ And then I got a taxi via Kakao to get to my accommodation. This was already almost 11AM, and I thought that if I was able to check in early, I would take a short nap then start exploring.
Unfortunately again for me, I could really only check in by 3PM, so I took some essentials and left all my luggage. The guesthouse was super near the Jeju Bus Terminal, which was one of the reasons I booked there. Yes, I had only travelled by bus around Jeju, and it's totally doable!
My first stop was Seongsan Ilchulbong, and travel time was, guess what, almost 2 hrs.... YES, TWO 🤣 Jeju is actually bigger than you think~ Anyways, I took this as a time to sleep, though I did set an alarm so I don't miss my stop. That's one of my hacks as an experienced solo traveler 🫡
📍 Seongsan Ilchulbong
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The uphill slope actually kinda scared me as an unfit person 🤣 But it was not bad at all. The entrance fee was ₩5,000 won, but it's amazing no one really checks your ticket. Korea and their trust system 👌
WOULD YOU LOOK AT THIS BEAUTY!??
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Photos can't give it justice.... I swear to god.... It's so much bigger and even more breathtaking in real life 😍 The thing is I was alone, so I couldn't really take proper photos of myself, sigh. I will come back with my fam and / or my boyfriend, I promise!! I know this was just one spot, but I totally fell in love with Jeju here 🥹
@kfangirlontour This video doesn't give it justice 😅 but wow 🤩 The almost 2hr bus ride was worth IT 🏷️ #seongsanilchulbong #jeju #jejuisland #추천 ♬ original sound - Abelsﾒ0
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I also went down to watch the female divers' show and get closer to the rock formation. I was able to set up my tripod here so I got "proper" and whole body snaps~
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The walk back to the bus stop was like, 5 minutes, so I made sure to time when the bus arrives. That's the trick with travelling by bus around Jeju! And Naver Maps has always been accurate time-wise.
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📍 Hamdeok Beach
Soooo like I said, I wanted to go and swim at the beach, and I didn't expect I would do it in SK, out of all places. I looked up beaches in Jeju, and Hamdeok Beach was one of the top results. It's also on the way back to my guesthouse.
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To be honest, I had high hopes because of the TikTok videos I saw, but the beach waters did not amaze me that much. I don't know if it's just because of the timing? This was 4PM - it was sunny then became cloudy.... But I expected more beautiful blue. I wonder if it's different if I went in the morning 😕
But the water was cold and it was such a nice swim for me~ I was alone amongst all the families though. And while the culture of Korea of leaving their belongings and still those being safe is awesome, I still kept looking at my things while swimming. Filipino instincts kicked in ofc 😅
I got new culture shock though: After swimming, I went to the paid showers, and lo and behold, everyone was naked. Like, bathhouse naked. I was imagining individual stalls to shower and change, right?? Boy, was I not ready for mature roles 😭🤣 I mean, sure, no one knows me anyway. I should be fine. But PLEASE, I had to calm myself down and accept it because did I have a choice at that point 😂 I did have my own towel so I made do. Thank goodness, the showers weren't full, too, so that was less shame for me.
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I went back to take more photos, especially with my hair color changed! Got my hair dyed pink as usual but it flopped and turned out very bright pink with a hint of purple. The sea washed it out so I was really happy 🥰
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Afterwards, I ordered takeout at a nearby Mom's Touch for my dinner, then hurried back to see the sunset. Well, the sunset was THE REAL DEAL. I'm annoyed with myself now because I did not take more pics and vids of myself with it, but I also wanted to take in the moment. As someone who flew from my city, it took 3 flights to get to this island.... I just wanted to take everything in 🥹
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This was already 8PM, and I was already hungry, I still had to ride a bus for 50mins then check into my room. It was a loooong day, but it was really great and funny (remember the showers 😆), but ofc also tiring. I woke up at 5AM, after all~
I do have to say, 1 day in and Jeju Island already had me on a chokehold. I mean, why did I not go here on my previous trips!?? I can't wait to see it in other seasons! (I have not yet visited Korea in spring, I need to schedule that ASAP)
Day 2 Jeju itinerary next!
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