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Korean Job Discussion Forums
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Ruthdes
Joined: 16 Oct 2008
Location: Seoul
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 Posted: Thu Jul 08, 2010 5:54 am Post subject: |
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I just got back from 5 days on Jeju. I stayed 2 nights at Hikers Inn in Seogwipo (22,000 won a night for a single room with a yeo). Then I stayed 2 nights in Seongsan (next to Ilchulbong) in a huge minbak room with 2 beds and brilliant views of Ilchulbong and the beach. It was 50,000 a night but I was sharing with a friend.
During my vacation I saw the waterfalls around Seogwipo, ate black pig sam gyeop sal, did 2 dives with Ralf of Big Blue 33, went to the Eros Museum in World Cup Stadium, ate sashimi, went to the Manganggul lava tube, did the hedge maze, climbed Ilchulbong (though not for sunrise), did the 20km hike to the top of Hallasan (Seongpanak Course), went to Loveland, and spent a few hours on Iho Beach.
The first 2 days in Seogwipo, I just caught the airport bus, but then I met my friend and we hired a car. I went to the desk at the airport with my shiny new Korean drivers licence, and the Korean companies wouldn't rent me a car because my licence was less that one year old. Luckily, Hertz would, and it cost 170,000 won for 3 days with full insurance for an Avante. I don't know if I could've gotten it cheaper. I did ask for a discount, but considering the other companies wouldn't help me at all, I didn't have much to bargain with. It was great being able to drive random places and using the Korean sat nav was fun too.
A tip about hiking Hallasan - only the eastern (Seongpanak Course) and northern (Gwaneumsa) trails go to the top. If you take the Seongpanak Course, it's 9.6km each way, and you have to reach the 7.2km mark (Jindalae Shelter) by 1pm. After that, you can't go to the top. We found this out after arriving at the start of the track at 11am, and had to walk pretty damn hard to make it on time. You then have to leave the summit by 2:30pm. It doesn't tell you this in the Lonely Planet Guide.
It wasn't really busy as it's not vacation season yet, and we were lucky with the weather too. I'm already planning to go back next year (though maybe in May) and do a bike trip around the island. |
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wormholes101
Joined: 11 Mar 2003
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| Posted: Thu Jul 08, 2010 5:04 pm Post subject: |
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You were busy!
By the way, your "new" Korean license - did you get that by swapping your license from home or is this actually your first license? If the former, how long had you had your home one? |
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Ruthdes
Joined: 16 Oct 2008
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Fri Jul 09, 2010 2:31 pm Post subject: |
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| wormholes101 wrote: |
You were busy!
By the way, your "new" Korean license - did you get that by swapping your license from home or is this actually your first license? If the former, how long had you had your home one? |
Heh, yeah I was pretty damn busy. There wasn't much sitting around to be done (unless it was accompanied by a beer!).
My new licence was the one I got by swapping my home licence (which I've had for 13 years). I think that this was the problem at the rental car companies. They were assuming that I was in my first year of driving. Unfortunately I had no way to prove that that wasn't true (because the traffic authority have my Oz licence), and my Korean and their English wasn't good enough for me really argue the point.
Luckily, Hertz helped me, otherwise I would've been really pissed off! |
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jin
Joined: 23 May 2008
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| Posted: Wed Jul 14, 2010 5:38 am Post subject: |
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| Ruthdes wrote: |
| wormholes101 wrote: |
You were busy!
By the way, your "new" Korean license - did you get that by swapping your license from home or is this actually your first license? If the former, how long had you had your home one? |
Heh, yeah I was pretty damn busy. There wasn't much sitting around to be done (unless it was accompanied by a beer!).
My new licence was the one I got by swapping my home licence (which I've had for 13 years). I think that this was the problem at the rental car companies. They were assuming that I was in my first year of driving. Unfortunately I had no way to prove that that wasn't true (because the traffic authority have my Oz licence), and my Korean and their English wasn't good enough for me really argue the point.
Luckily, Hertz helped me, otherwise I would've been really pissed off! |
Sorry if this a dumb question, but if you have a valid license from your home country (Canada in my case) are you able to rent a car? I used to work for a rental car company back home, but we would only accept foreigners if they had an international license.
Also, with Hertz, how was the service/price? |
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Ruthdes
Joined: 16 Oct 2008
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Wed Jul 14, 2010 1:59 pm Post subject: |
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No, you can't rent a car with a Canadian licence. You need a Korean or International licence. See above for the story of the Korean licence being less than one year old.
Hertz was fine. It was 170,000won for 3 days including full insurance. I'm not sure if I could've gotten a better price if I had had more flexibility to play them off one another, but by the time Hertz helped us, I was happy to just get a car to drive. I asked for a discount, but the lady was pretty adamant that she couldn't give me one. I have no complaints about the service. The car included a sat-nav (in Korean, but that was the fun bit!). |
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BrenSmith
Joined: 10 Sep 2009
Location: Bundang
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| Posted: Fri Jul 16, 2010 1:16 am Post subject: |
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| wormholes101 wrote: |
Honestly, there is accommodation available in every nook and cranny of the island. Just turn up and choose somewhere.
Your best bet is the "Minbak" unless you want to camp or stay in a hotel. |
This is what a friend and I are planning to do but we have been warned by a Korean co-teacher that it's going to be very busy when we go (Jul29-Aug3). Is it still safe to "just turn up" ? |
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BoholDiver
Joined: 03 Oct 2009
Location: Canada
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| Posted: Fri Jul 16, 2010 2:20 am Post subject: |
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Near the lava tube, there is a hedge maze. A little fun for 30 minutes or so.
| JBomb wrote: |
| I would personally recommend the lavatube. It is quite an amazing bit of geology. |
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wormholes101
Joined: 11 Mar 2003
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| Posted: Fri Jul 16, 2010 4:38 am Post subject: |
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| BrenSmith wrote: |
This is what a friend and I are planning to do but we have been warned by a Korean co-teacher that it's going to be very busy when we go (Jul29-Aug3). Is it still safe to "just turn up" ? |
Honestly, there is so much accommodation here, I'm sure you'll be fine. |
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Ruthdes
Joined: 16 Oct 2008
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Fri Jul 16, 2010 5:08 pm Post subject: |
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| wormholes101 wrote: |
| BrenSmith wrote: |
This is what a friend and I are planning to do but we have been warned by a Korean co-teacher that it's going to be very busy when we go (Jul29-Aug3). Is it still safe to "just turn up" ? |
Honestly, there is so much accommodation here, I'm sure you'll be fine. |
Yeah, in early July, Seongsan (next to Ilchulbong on the east coast) was a ghost town. Even given that early July isn't tourist season, I can't see that it would ever be full, even in peak time. There must be 100 minbaks in that town. It probably wouldn't be most people's first choice of places to stay, but it a pinch it could be a fall back. |
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randall020105
Joined: 08 Apr 2008
Location: the land of morning confusion...
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| Posted: Tue Jul 20, 2010 6:58 pm Post subject: re: camping |
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should i bring a tent, how does it all work? first come first served?
any particular places to go camping and how to get there? are
taxis quite accommodating with foreigners speaking no korean?
thanx 4 any answers.
R. |
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sundizz
Joined: 17 Dec 2009
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| Posted: Mon Feb 20, 2012 3:40 am Post subject: Jeju in February.. |
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I'll be heading to Jeju, for the first time this Friday. It'll be a short trip, Friday evening to Monday noonish. The weather forecast looks quite favorable.
My rough plan:
Friday night: Get a nice hotel room in Jeju City, have some drinks with friends, and just enjoy being somewhere new.
Saturday morning: Go to the Manjuggal Caves(lava tubes)
Saturday afternoon: Go to Udo island.
Sunday all day: Go to Hallasan and hike up it.
Questions:
1. Does my plan logistically make sense? Is there somewhere (close to the airport and en route to the caves) else besides Jeju City that would be a fun place to stay? Any particular hotels?
2. Can you rent scooters or ATV's on Udo Island without an international drivers license?
3. Do I need to pre-book hotels or will there be hotels/motels around everywhere and I can just grab one when I find the right spot.
4. What trail should I hike up Hallasan to best enjoy it?
5. Any other tips, or things I should see or do instead? Such as, horse races, sex park, etc? |
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davemon
Joined: 16 Jan 2011
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| Posted: Fri Feb 24, 2012 8:57 am Post subject: Re: Jeju in February.. |
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| sundizz wrote: |
I'll be heading to Jeju, for the first time this Friday. It'll be a short trip, Friday evening to Monday noonish. The weather forecast looks quite favorable.
My rough plan:
Friday night: Get a nice hotel room in Jeju City, have some drinks with friends, and just enjoy being somewhere new.
Saturday morning: Go to the Manjuggal Caves(lava tubes)
Saturday afternoon: Go to Udo island.
Sunday all day: Go to Hallasan and hike up it.
Questions:
1. Does my plan logistically make sense? Is there somewhere (close to the airport and en route to the caves) else besides Jeju City that would be a fun place to stay? Any particular hotels?
2. Can you rent scooters or ATV's on Udo Island without an international drivers license?
3. Do I need to pre-book hotels or will there be hotels/motels around everywhere and I can just grab one when I find the right spot.
4. What trail should I hike up Hallasan to best enjoy it?
5. Any other tips, or things I should see or do instead? Such as, horse races, sex park, etc? |
maybe a little late here:
1) yes, logistically.
2) yes.
3) unsure
4) all are uniquely good. I recommend going down a different trail than you took up.
5) On the way out to the caves, I'd recommend taking a few minutes to spectate Gimnyoung beach, one of my favorites on the island.
You'll have Sunday afternoon/evening free, Loveland is a novelty and since this isn't beach season, maybe a decent use of your time. |
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thrylos
Joined: 10 Jun 2008
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| Posted: Mon Feb 27, 2012 2:56 pm Post subject: |
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| Why would anyone spend the money to visit Jeju for more than one day (unless you're visiting friends) when you can easily go to the Philippines (or elsewhere) for pretty much the same amount? |
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