korea – Miseongii

This summer, I returned to Jeju Island for the third time, but it was a special trip—my first time back since the pandemic. It had been a long-anticipated getaway with my boyfriend, who, like many, struggles to get vacation time approved at work. Originally, we had planned a couples’ trip to Yeosu, another beautiful beach destination in Korea, but unfortunately, we had to cancel last minute when he couldn’t get the time off. I have to admit, I was pretty disappointed, thinking our chance for a vacation might slip away entirely. But, just when I thought all hope was lost, we managed to make it work! On August 9th, after he finished work around 6 PM, we boarded a late flight to Jeju with Jeju Air. It felt like the perfect spontaneous weekend escape.

But let’s start from the beginning. Minjun and I met halfway, since his office was on the way to Gimpo International Airport. On the way, he surprised me with a beautiful hat (though, I chose it myself, haha). We caught a late Jeju Air flight, and I was excited for this much-needed getaway.

To save some money, we took the bus instead of a taxi (only less than 2,000 KRW per person, compared to a 20,000 KRW taxi fare). The bus ride took about 35 minutes, while a car would’ve been just 20. By the time we got on the bus, it was past 10 PM, and most places were already shut for the night.

We finally arrived at the hotel, and that’s when things got a little… disappointing. We chose Grabel Hotel which is a modern, 4-star hotel. We chose this hotel actually because it was the closest one to the airport as, well, time was limited. Plus, the hotel has a rooftop pool with amazing ocean views, which I had been dying to check out.

But.. the staff wasn’t very friendly, and we didn’t feel very welcomed. Maybe it was because we didn’t look too fancy (to be fair, we were just two tired travelers), but it felt like we were treated as though we didn’t belong. For example, when we checked in, we weren’t given any info about breakfast. So, when I asked the front desk guy where breakfast was served and how it worked, his response was: “Wait… you have breakfast? Really?” Like, seriously? Dude, it’s your job to know this.Whatmore, the hotel didn’t allow food in the rooms (seriously?) unless it was room service, and if we wanted to eat in the room, we’d have to pay a 20,000 Korean Won cleaning fee. The all in experience was a bit of a letdown.

The good news was that we were able to book a nice suite in the hotel, thanks to some luck with Booking.com Genius rewards and discounts! Our room was actually amazing—on a high floor with a spacious bathroom, a big bathtub, a dining area, a lounging space, a TV, and, best of all, a direct view of the ocean. Another great perk was the lounge on our floor, open daily from (I think?) 3 PM to 6 or 7 PM. They had cakes, snacks, cookies, drinks, and even unlimited beer—all free of charge. A total win!

We were starving by this point, so we decided to head out in search of food. After some searching, we found a little local spot and grabbed a bowl of what I think was kimchi jjigae—it was comforting and delicious, of course, both of our phone batteries had died by then, so we couldn’t even capture the moment. After a satisfying (and late… very late) dinner, we headed back to the hotel, where I took a much-needed bath while dreaming about the next day.

By the way, a quick tip for anyone visiting Jeju: restaurants, cafes, and eateries close really early!

The next day Saturday was all about the beach and endless ocean time—and honestly, I couldn’t wait to dive in! Our day started with a quick breakfast and then we took the bus to our first beach destination.

This felt like a bit of an adventure, as we were relying on public transportation to explore the island. Luckily, the bus stop was right in front of the hotel, making it super convenient. Oh, and by the way, I have to mention—I really loved the dress I was wearing. I got it back in 2018, but it’s definitely one of my favorite holiday pieces!

Located about 20 minutes away from Grabel Hotel, Gwakji Beach is known for its warm waters and beautiful scenery. We were excited to spend the day soaking up the sun and taking in the stunning views of the coastline. If you’re planning to visit, here’s the location on Naver Maps for easier navigation. Definitely worth the trip! Obviously we took a stop at the local juice stand to get some tangerine fresh pressed juice (before we stopped at the pharmacy to get some extra allergy pils for me….).

After a fun time at Gwakji Beach (곽지해수욕장), we were pretty sandy and definitely not in the mood to put on our regular clothes. But before hopping on the bus to our next stop, I realized I wasn’t quite comfortable running around in my bathing suit (even though it wasn’t a bikini). So, I quickly popped into a local shop and grabbed an “Fantastic Jeju” shirt—problem solved! Haha.With my new shirt on, we caught the bus to Geumneung Beach (금능해수욕장) in Hallim-eup (한림읍), Jeju. The temperature was a sweltering 34°C, but with the sun cranked up, it felt more like 40°C—definitely a scorcher! You can find Geumneung Beach on Naver Maps if you’re planning to go!

After our second beach trip and a lot more ocean water to cool off, we were definitely feeling tired. But that didn’t stop us! We went to explore the area and found some pretty cute cafes. By the way… I got a pretty bad sunburn… which hurt sososososososoosos bad…

We headed straight to the rooftop pool at the hotel, grabbed some cocktails (which were actually included—score!), and relaxed while enjoying the stunning sunset.

By the way can you feel the pain of my sun burn…? >.< The day wrapped up with us enjoying some of the hotel’s facilities, and of course, I ended it perfectly with a relaxing bath.

The next morning, we had breakfast again and set off to explore more of Jeju. Unfortunately, I couldn’t swim in the ocean anymore because, well… it was that time again. But instead, we made the most of the day—we went horseback riding, visited a gallery, and even took a canoe out on the shore. Even though I was pretty sad about missing out on another ocean swim, the day’s highlight more than made up for it! But before I get to that—first, let me show off my OOTD because I absolutely loved it. Here are some pictures, haha!

Our first stop was the horse farm, and wow, it had been a long time since I last sat on a horse! I used to ride when I was little—around 5 or 6 years old—back when I lived in Hungary. Later, I took horseback riding classes again in boarding school in Denmark. But believe it or not, the last time I was actually on a horse was ten years ago! And a random fun fact—one of the zombie attack scenes from the Korean Netflix drama Kingdom was actually filmed on the other side of the horse farm! Haha, kind of wild to think about while casually riding a horse.

Then, the super nice guy from the horse farm—or actually, his wife—drove us to the gallery. She even recommended some great local restaurants that only the locals know about. Such a sweet gesture!

We saw a really unique exhibition on Jeju artist their life, and also 해녀 (haenyeo)—the legendary female divers of Jeju. These incredible women free-dive deep into the ocean without oxygen tanks to harvest seafood, carrying on a centuries-old tradition. It was fascinating to learn more about their history and way of life!

Then we headed to a so-called “hip” area near Hamdeok Beach (함덕해변), known for its charming cafés, trendy restaurants, and cute shops that attract tons of tourists. The vibe was super lively, and it was fun just strolling around and soaking it all in! Eventually, we caught a glimpse of the canoes and decided to give it a try. At first, it was super fun, but at some points, the waves got pretty intense, making it a little scary. At least they gave us these cute waterproof skirts to keep us from getting completely soaked—haha, a small but much-needed fashionable accent… who knew canoeing could be this stylish? 😂🚣‍♀️ Oh, and before hopping into the see-through canoe, they also gave us slippers to change into—because, obviously, wet shoes are not the vibe

After such an adventure, we definitely needed something sweet to cool down, lift our spirits, and reward ourselves for all the excitement (and slight terror) we had just experienced on the water! So, of course, we went on the hunt for a cozy café to indulge in some well-deserved treats. To be honest.. we went to two cafes..

Finally our highlight of the trip! Minjun had the best idea—renting Kakao Bikes to ride back to the hotel. We thought it would be a quick and easy ride, but we totally misjudged the distance. The bike paths were set in a way that took us on a much longer route, and we ended up biking for nearly two hours! But honestly, it was breathtaking—riding along Jeju’s coastal roads felt like paradise on earth.

For those who don’t know, Kakao Bikes are shared electric bikes you can rent through the Kakao T app. They’re super convenient, and you can pick them up and drop them off at designated spots around the city.

I must admit I have never seen something this beautiful. That was until the sun started to set… 😬 After about 40 minutes of biking, even with the help of the electric motor, things got a little too intense. It got dark fast, and at times, the path was way too close to the cliffs—like, we could hear the waves crashing 300 meters below, just centimeters from our wheels. And guess what? No real fences. OMG, way too scary. The moment we found a return station, we ditched the bikes and took the bus for the last three stops. But oh god… the bus was packed! We were exhausted, squished like sardines, but at least we made it back in one piece. What a ride!

The day ended with some room service and we enjoyed the last night of our vacation.And the next day came in a blink of an eye.

Then, eventually, we finally took a taxi (wow, we actually didn’t take the bus this time, haha) to the airport. We grabbed some coffee, and of course, I couldn’t resist picking up some cookies only available in Jeju from Paris Baguette (save my soul). The nutty caramel smell was absolutely driving me crazy while I was waiting for boarding.

We boarded the flight, and I was off to get a “vacation for my vacation,” while Minjun had to head straight to work—yep, we took the morning flight, and he had to dive right into a couple of overnight shifts. He works in news for a broadcasting station, helping with camerawork, so there was no rest for him!

And this was it for the trip to “paradice on earth”

P.s. very random fact—the first time I ever heard about Jeju Island was through the K-drama Paradise Ranch (파라다이스 목장). It’s an old-school rom-com from 2011, set against Jeju’s stunning landscapes, and follows a young couple who impulsively marry at 19, divorce soon after, and then fatefully reunite years later. Classic K-drama chaos! I remember watching it and falling in love with Jeju’s scenic beaches, green fields, and horseback riding scenes—who knew I’d actually experience all of that myself one day?