Jeju has been our famliy's annual summer vacation spot for the past 4 years (except 2021 due to the pandemic). Here are some highlights from our trip. Due to my wife's xenophobia (towards foreigners), she does a really good job of finding restaurants and activities that aren't popular with expats and tourists but popular with locals. With that said, it's impossible to keep everything a secret in Jeju, as thousands of tourists every week continue revealing all the secret gems of Jeju.
A Google Map I made with the places we visited. Check out all my Jeju 2022 photos here π·.
Jeju Circus Worldβ
A team of Chinese acrobats (1 girl group and 1 boy group) perform here. A blend of martial arts, gymnastics, acrobatic moves, and pop music. The final performance is a thrilling, high-risk motorcycle show inside a small spheric cage.
Hyeopjae Beachβ
Across the street from Hallim Park, you'll find one of the larger and more popular beaches. All the a la carte services are available for moderately-priced fees (showers, snacks, fried chicken, beer, tube/tent/umbrella rentals, etc.). Parking is free, though it can be hard to find a spot due to the flood of tourists. You can also pay 50,000 Won to rent a gazebo, which comes with your own parking spot. The views, mild waves, and the early afternoon low tide offers plenty of mini-crabs (κ½κ²) for children to catch and keep them busy.
Group Fishing Tour from μ°¨κ·λ λ¬λλ°°λμβ
I told my wife to find a fishing tour for the family, and she came through. We went to a place called μ°¨κ·λ λ¬λλ°°λμ. You should call and book a time slot 1 or 2 days before going, especially during summer and busy tourism seasons. The kids really enjoyed the experience, even though the fish outsmarted me that day and I was not able to catch anything.
Two nice blog posts written by Korean travelers about their experience with μ°¨κ·λ λ¬λλ°°λμ:
Arte Museumβ
I actually didn't see the exhibit. My wife and kids went, and I waited in the Arte Shop (gift shop). The shop is a nice oppotunity to see Jeju, the Brand, as it contains a collection of Jeju-fied products - ranging from snacks, chocolates, ramen noodles, to t-shirts, toys, and office supplies. My wife told me the art collection inside was similar to the Chicago light displays at the Magnificent Mile, so I don't think I missed out on too much.
Father's Garden (νλμ€κ°λ )β
This place had a little bit of art, lots of flowers and botanic gardens, and a small petting zoo where you can buy some carrots and let the kids feed some animals (though my kids preferred feeding the cute family of Shiba Inus).
Best Pizza and Pasta on the Islandβ
Hard to find, located in a tight residential alley just a few miles east of the aforementioned beach, is a tiny pizza & pasta joint called μΉν¬83. Not only is it hard to find, with their limited hours and limited space (just 4 tables), if you don't arrive a few minutes before 5pm, you will almost certainly be waiting outside.
The pastry-crust pizza is amazing! Light, flaky, and fluffy croissant-like crust. The pasta and the rice dish were also crazy delicious.
Best Donuts on the Islandβ
Tiger Donut (μ μ£ΌνΈλμ΄) should also be added to the UNESCO World Heritage list. The donuts are made in house and filled with crazy-delicious cream. I could not imagine leaving Jeju without having tried these donuts.
Jeju Dongmun Marketβ
If there's one traditional market worth visiting in Jeju, it would be the Dongmun Market. I could be wrong, but I believe it is the oldest on the island. With an awesome variety of delicious seafood and streetfood, you can find most of Jeju's famous and popular foods here.
