Jeju Island was one of my favorite
places to visit in South Korea. During my GKS application for 2025, I chose
Jeju National University as my second choice for the scholarship; however, I
ultimately decided to enroll at Ajou University, as I received admission there
first and it was my top choice. I had been trying to find time to plan a visit
to Jeju.
Fortunately, on January 22, 2026,
my teacher, Kim Yeong-jin, informed us about an opportunity from Ajou
University’s Center for International Education (CIE) program that would
support travel costs for students willing to explore within Korea during the winter
break. My Indonesian friend, Hafiz, suggested that we apply together with our
Jordanian friend, Mohamed. We didn’t hesitate to take the opportunity and
agreed to choose Jeju as our destination. We submitted our application and were
fortunate enough to receive an acceptance email by February 2, 2026. Ajou’s CIE
provided us with the chance to explore Jeju Island while covering all flight
and accommodation expenses.
On Wednesday, February 11th, we had
a travel day. We packed our bags the day before, and early in the morning, we
made our way to Gimpo Airport in Seoul. We took an airport bus from Suwon and
safely arrived at Gimpo airport. The check-in process was smooth, as we had
completed our boarding passes online. Our boarding time was set for 12:15 PM,
and we landed in Jeju at 1:40 PM. During the descent, I was amazed by the
beauty of the airport surrounded by the sea and its impressive size.
Upon landing in Jeju, we noticed
the airport was quite crowded, as it is a popular destination for tourists at
this time of year. We inquired about a pick-up service from our hotel, but
unfortunately, they did not make any arrangements. The hotel was located on the
other side of the city and far from the airport. However, since public
transportation in Korea is affordable and easily accessible, the hotel staff
recommended we take the bus. Thankfully, we were able to use our T-money card,
a rechargeable transportation card commonly used in Korea. After nearly two
hours, we arrived at our hotel, which was situated near Hamdeok Beach.
In the afternoon, we took some time
to explore the beach and stroll along its beautifully decorated pathways. The
beach area is surrounded by roads, mountains, and buildings, making it a
popular spot for people to enjoy walks in both the morning and afternoon. I
would have liked to swim, but while there were swimming areas available, the
weather was quite chilly for winter, with temperatures ranging from 6 to 11
degrees Celsius, which made it a bit challenging. Despite the cold, although it
was warmer than in other cities like Seoul, my friends and I had a great time
at the beach, visiting local markets and trying various street foods.
Fortunately, most of the seafood options available were halal for us as
Muslims.
Later that night, we returned to
our hotel and began planning our itinerary for the next day, including the
areas we wanted to visit. We agreed to visit Hallasan National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and
one of the highest mountains in South Korea, with a distance of 153.1KM squares
it`s a tourist hotspot and everyone`s to-visit list while visiting Jeju Island
an area best for hiking and the scenic views of nature, as it has an untapped and
well-preserved forest in the area.
The next morning, we planned our
travel to explore Jeju, particularly starting from Hallasan National Park, as renting
cars is mostly recommended to make it easier for your trip and exploration, since
we didn't have a driving license, and the only person our Jordanian friend, whose
international driving license expired. We opted to take the buses as they are accessible
everywhere in the Island, during the trip to Hallasan, I have enjoyed the eye
catching views in the road as I chose to sit the window the scenic view of the
Mountainous land with tall trees and the white snow gives the mind energy and relive
while watching until I hear the announcement of the bus that the next stop is Hallasan
National park, after we arrived unfortunately we were late for few minutes as
they close 11:45 am due to prevention measures as the time of hiking and return
is estimated 8 to 9 hours after that we moved with our plans further by going
to some other destinations we have planed to visit in that day.
We have continued our exploration
and made our way to the Jeongbang Cheonjiyeong waterfalls. The beautiful and
scenic views reminded me of my hometown, Isha Baidoa. One waterfall cascades
from a rocky mountain into the ocean, while the other flows from a forest that
resembles Isha Baidoa.
Henceforth, we met Myung Sook Suh, a
retired Korean journalist and a well-known figure who founded the Jeju Olle
Foundation, which built the Jeju Olle trails—a 437-kilometer-long path that
surrounds Jeju Island. She shared her experiences in journalism and community
service, as well as how she is enjoying her retirement. Myung was energetic and
charismatic as she shared her unique story, impressing our diverse team
comprising members from three different countries with varied educational
backgrounds in medicine, computer science, and business administration. She
later guided us through the local markets, recommending some local food for us
to try.
 |
| With Myung Sook Suh, from right to left, Hafiz, Myung, Mohamed, and me |
Later, before sunset, we discovered
Oedolgae, a famous rock formation in the sea and a popular evening spot. The
view of the sunset against the seawater and the mountainous rock was incredibly
relaxing and reminded me of a well-known Somali song by the great singer Hassan
Adan Samater; the beauty of the view could only be truly captured in that song.
Afterward, we explored downtown before returning to our hotel to review our
plans for the next day before going to sleep.
On Friday, we discovered an
Indonesian community-run mosque and joined them for prayers. Later, we found a
Yemeni restaurant where we had lunch. After that, we spent time at Ilchulbong,
another UNESCO World Heritage site. This location features a unique combination
of sea views, volcanic rock formations, well-maintained hiking trails, and
stunning sunsets. Due to its popularity, it was quite crowded, but we patiently
waited to witness the sunset, which beautifully blended with the lake and the
vibrant flowers, a scene often depicted in Korean movies.
On our last day, 14th of February 2026, as we prepared to return to Suwon for our 4 PM flight, we planned to tour mandarin farms, as Jeju is famous for its mandarin production. During our exploration, I observed that despite having limited agricultural land, there is a wide range of urban farming across the island, and the production methods seem quite effective. Unfortunately, it started to rain in the morning, so we decided to explore other areas near the airport instead. We found an Indonesian restaurant where we enjoyed some delicious cuisine before making our way to the airport. In the evening, we landed at Gimpo Airport in Seoul.
In conclusion, visiting this
beautiful island was a dream come true, made possible by the support of Ajou
University's CIE, where I am currently enrolled in a Korean language program.
Although a few days is not enough time to fully experience Jeju, this trip was
incredibly worthwhile in fulfilling one of my dreams. I hope to have more time
and opportunities to explore this beautiful island and other tourist
destinations in South Korea in the future. Spending time in places like these
rejuvenates me during semester breaks.
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