Korea only being a quick 2 hour flight away from Tokyo, it’s an easy and popular destination for a lot of people that live in Japan. I’ve been to Seoul 3 times, and each time I found myself getting a more nuanced view of what Korea is like beyond what I see in Korean dramas and movies (which I’ve been known to binge from time to time). Having shared a long history (most of it tumultuous) with Japan, there are a lot of similarities between the cultures and the languages. But the more I visit, the more I’ve been able to experience the rich culture, and this time visiting Jeju Island, I got to see another, more relaxed side of South Korea.

I have a group of friends in Tokyo that, like me, really love to eat so we made a dining group that meets around once a month to discover a new restaurant or cuisine that we wouldn’t normally go to. This time, we decided to make a whole international trip out of it. One member of the group is half-Korean and his grandmother was gracious enough to let us stay in her home in Jeju, so we jumped at the opportunity to go for a little escape from Tokyo.

There’s something about visiting Korea that doesn’t even feel like I’m leaving the country it being so close, and this time felt even more so. On a clear day, they say you can see Jeju Island from Kyushu. I always feel a sense of reassurance and ease when I’ve visited Korea, and this time was no different. I think there’s also something about visiting an island destination that immediately puts me in a relaxed state of mind.

Although it was already late October, it was quite warm when we landed. We rented a couple cars and drove from Jeju City to Seogwipo, a smaller city on the opposite side of the island where our accommodations were. My first impression as soon as we got out of the main city was how lush and green the landscape was with winding roads through near mystical forests, and it felt almost enchanted. I was excited for what the week had in store.

We got really lucky with weather on the first day with beautiful sunny blue skies. We walked to our first meal of the day, a family-run blowfish hotpot restaurant. It was delicious, and the waiter was really hot. There’s something about young Korean men, maybe because they’re all required to do military service, but they’re all very fit and take good care of their appearance, or that’s my impression at least.

After lunch, we walked towards the harbor and visited Cheonjiyeon Falls, a beautiful waterfall in the middle of a lush green park. Although it’s walking distance from the main part of the town, it feels like you’re deep in nature, and it was a nice introduction to the natural beauty Jeju has to offer. After the waterfall, we walked towards the coast and across a bridge that takes you to a small nature reserve. The view out to sea and of the volcanic rock coastline was breathtaking.

That afternoon, we walked around the town and explored the local market, as well as stocked up on some Korean skincare goods at Olive Young. I wasn’t aware of this store, but my friends were well versed and introduced me to all the must-haves. They have literally anything you could think of, and I was overwhelmed with the selection. I stuck to what I knew and got a bunch of face masks calm and hydrate my skin.

Later that night, we went to a boiled pork restaurant run by a family friend of our host. She had a very outgoing personality, which it seems like a lot of people in Jeju had, and she even spoke some Japanese. She colorfully explained to us the best way to eat the boiled pork, and it was definitely a unique experience. Although I liked it, some of the cuts of pork were very fatty, and still had a thick layer of gelatinous skin on it which I wasn’t a huge fan of.

After dinner, we stopped by an adorable café that turns into a wine bar at night. While my friends bonded with the owner over wine, I indulged in some blackberry cheesecake and local herbal tea which was delicious. I started to get tired and headed back to the apartment early, doing one of my face masks before heading to bed.

The next day was kind of rainy and gray in the morning so we had a bit of a lazy start before heading to lunch which was chilled noodles and BBQ pork. (So much meat!) Although there were only six of us, we probably ordered enough to feed 10 and ate almost everything. Since we rented two cars and had a lot of different options of activities, after lunch we decided to split up and do the activity that we found more interesting. Me and two others decided to go to Yakcheonsa Temple, a Buddhist temple about 20min drive away.

Anytime I visit somewhere new, I love to visit spiritual places, no matter what kind of philosophy they might be apart of. Korea being a majority Christian country, there were churches everywhere, but I was excited to find a Buddhist temple which is more my vibe. Compared to a lot of Buddhist temples in Japan, this one was relatively new, and very colorful both on the exterior and interior.

Japanese temples tend to me more austere and understated, focusing on the materials and the craftsmanship of the building, while this temple was ornately painted in vibrant colors all over the place. Still, you could see the mutual influences Korea, China, and Japan had on each other by the fundamental design principles employed in the architecture, and it was beautiful in it’s own way. We explored the multiple levels, looking at the frescoes that illustrated the life of the temple’s founder, and wandered through the surrounding gardens before moving onto our next stop.

Not too far away from the temple, there’s a lookout point on the coast that’s on a pebble beach surrounded by volcanic rock formations. By this time the sun had come out, and we ventured along the beach to explore. The beach being entirely rocks and pebbles, it was really hard to walk and maintain balance, and you could easily sprain an ankle if you’re not careful. It was windy, but there was something about the coast that felt magical. I think because volanic rock comes from deep inside the earth, they must hold a lot of power, and that power is palpable in Jeju.

Later in the afternoon, we reunited with our friends at the Bonte Museum which houses both historical Korean art and artifacts as well as more contemporary international artists like Yayoi Kusama. I finally got to see one of her famous installations, The Infinity Room, and was mesmerized by the infiniate lights and mirrors. It really makes you feel like you’re floating out in space, and it allowed me a little moment of reflection, and how art can make us experience things that can’t be explained in words.

While wandering through the rest of the exhibits, we stumbled upon an installation piece that really moved me. It was an immersive experience that took up an entire room, and there was a sculpture of a lone tree that had projection mapping and sound that brought it to life. It illustrated the cycle of life from birth, to growth and maturation, juxtaposed with images and videos from the artist’s life, and ultimately ended in the death of the tree and something that resonated with me as ascension into a higher dimension. It really showed the fleeting nature of like and how ephemeral time is, and it really made me grateful for my own life and experiences, and made me appreciate the present moment.

The next day was rainy and gray, so one friend and I decided to book massages on the other side of the island. It was a bit of a drive, but it was nice to see the lush landscape throughout different parts of the island. The spa itself was near the coast and had a nice view overlooking the water. The massage itself was great, and I felt so relaxed. On the way back home, we stopped by an outlet mall and I got some new yoga wear and gifts for my baby nephew.

Another reason for this trip was to go to a beauty clinic and get some treatments done. Korea is well known, especially in Japan, for having the best (and very affordable) beauty treatments in Asia. After another delicious local lunch, we headed off to our afternoon at the clinic. I got botox, which I’ve done many times before, as well as a fat-dissolving injection under my chin, and a skin booster that contains salmon DNA that is supposed to induce collagen production and improve your skin’s appearance. It was the most painful experience of my life, but the results were worth it.

Since Jeju is well known for it’s nature, I really wanted to do more nature activities and visit some well known natural spots, but because of weather and the other activities that we prioritized, the last day was the only time we had. Luckily, there was a well known nature trail very close to where we were staying, and it did not disappoint. Two of us took a taxi out to one of the furthest points along the trail, and started back towards the town on the trail. Almost immediately we were greeted with sweeping views of the coastline and volcanic cliffs surrounded by lush nature. The trail itself wasn’t too challenging and was the perfect dose of fresh sea air. It’s times like this that I truly feel grateful to be alive and to be where I am, and I know I will be back to experience more.

Watch my trip:

See how I packed for my trip:

Jeju: An Island Escape

Watch my trip:

See how I packed for my trip: