We checked out in the morning and took a flight to Jeju Island through Eastar Jet. The weather forecast predicted that weather would be warmer than Seoul but we soon find out that might not be the case. Not only it rained on the first day, it was very windy on the next. If you’re unfamiliar with winter, it’s the wind that really gets into you. More on that in the next post.

TAE GONG GAK GUESTHOUSE

During our research back in October (Actually an ex-colleague of mine was planning for a trip in November then, so we were trading information back and forth), we found a guesthouse in Seogwipo City (Centralized and accessible to both tourist spots in the east and west) that was unusually rated highly on Tripadvisor. Even in the highest rated hotels, you would normally find the odd negative ones but TGG had zero! Thus it was a no-brainer for us when it came to accommodation.

True enough, the owners Sylvia and Peter were very hospitable and helpful. Ask anything about Jeju and they will tell you all you need to know and more. On our final day, Sylvia helped to book a full day taxi tour for us and listed recommended every place we should visit. Her passion for Jeju was without question impressive. It also helped a lot that the rooms were clean and towels were being replaced each day, rarity in guest houses. The breakfast prepared was complete and you are always spoiled for choice – cereals, bread, yoghurt, fruits and instant noodles etc.

On a side note, Sylvia mentioned that before last year her customers from South East Asia are mostly Singaporeans but since then there has been a surge in Malaysian travelers. It didn’t occur to me immediately that it was actually due to the introduction of the Air Asia route. Come to think of it, it puts the tagline “Now Everbody Can Fly” into perspective.

안거리밖거리 ANGEORI BAKGEORI

As we arrived at the guesthouse late in the afternoon, Sylvia recommended that we have lunch at a nearby local restaurant called Angeori Bakgeori. She gave us clear directions (Complete with photos at every intersection) and told us to order the Jungsik set meal (7,000 won per person), which includes local Jeju produces such as snapper and pork. It didn’t take us long to find the place and it was easy for us to order as there were only 2 items on the menu – Jungsik and Bibimbap. The order came almost immediately and the table was filled with lots of Korean side dishes. It’s not the tastiest meal we’ve had but it was a great introduction to Jeju or Korean food in general. Plus, for the amount of side dishes we were given, it’s really cheap.

JEONGBANG WATERFALL

The Jeongbang Waterfall is situated in Seogwipo City and is a mere 15 minutes walk from the guesthouse. It wasn’t the most spectacular waterfall around but being so close, there’s no harm dropping by for a photo or 2. After the waterfall, we walked to a nearby market and decided to call it a day at around 7pm. The rain never stopped ever since we touched down and thus we went to bed early with hopes that the rain will go away the following morning.