Korean Job Discussion Forums

[OnPoint]

I'm going to Jeju-do next week for a 4-day/3-night mini-vacation. I'm thinking of renting a car; has anyone done this? Are the taxi/bus services sufficient? Any absolute "must-sees" while I'm there (besides Hallasan)?


Thanks,
OP

[thinker]

The bus system is older but still pretty good, however they only go to certain places, I was lucky to hitch a couple of rides, like to the Japanese kamikaze bunkers. . .I would go for the car rental if you don't mind spending the cash, the traffic is easy going, as are the locals, and you could see the entire island if you wanted to.

[elmer]

[The Great Wall of Whiner]

When I went, I never used a car. Consequently, there were some things I wanted to see I never had the chance to.

We did a bit of taxiing around to get to where we wanted to go at times, and even that was a bit frustrating.

Yes, as others have said, rent a car. It will be well worth it.

[weatherman]

http://www.activejeju.com/eng.htm

http://www.jeju.go.kr/vill/eng/

Maybe these will get you started.

[mokpochica]

I've gone without renting a car twice and one time did rent a car. I found that taking the bus was just more time consuming, but very cheap. I took taxis to out of the way places so I was pretty much able to see everything I wanted to see. When we rented a car it was faster and more comfortable. I wasn't driving the car--and was with a Korean person who was--so that was pretty stress-free for me. I think it depends on how comfortable you are driving in Korea and how much time you are spending on Cheju-do as well as how fast you want to see things.

[Bulsajo]

Definitely rent a car unless you're on an extremely tight budget or have lots of time to wait around for buses etc.

Things to do-
The folk village is nice enough, I enjoyed it even though I'd already done the folk-village thing to death.
There is an extremly large cave in the same vicinity that is a hollow lava tube, pretty neat (these things a have a specific geological name which escapes me, and this one is billed as the largest in the world, but I'm not sure I trust Korean marketing when it comes to tourism).
Around Sogwipo there are some cool things- couple of waterfalls, botanical garden, a submarine ride.
There's a nice art museum on the Southwest side (near the black sand beach and the USO facility) that is nice walk filled with interesting sculpture.
Just past the art museum there is an intersting hill jutting up (hard to describe but you'll know it when you see it)- below that hill , down past the pony rides, you can walk to the shore- really cool rock formations. This is also the shore (supposedly) where the Hendrik Hamel's ship was wrecked (if you don't know who he is, think of 'Shogun' but in Korea).
On the Southeast coast the 'sunrise crater' is worth a short hike (it's very popular to go just before dawn to watch the sun come up, hence the name).
Just outside of Cheju city on the way to Hallasan is a park/garden/nursery (not really sure what the heck to call it) that has loads of bonsai trees and pottery. Nice way to kill 30 min walking around. Don't remember what it's called but I think there are signs in English; it's on the right side if you're driving out of Cheju-city.
I doubt the water will be warm enough for swimming, but there's only one way to find out for sure...

I just checked Weatherman's links, and all of this stuff is there if you need more info.

[Dr. Buck]

Save your money. For a few bucks more, catch a plane to Southheast Asia and have a real vacation. Cheju is really nothing special, the kind of place that you go to once to just say you've been there and to check out the sights, but you'll never return.
The government sponsored "tourist economic zones" are gruesome and dull, the environment is about the same as the mainland, and there isn't much unique about the place at all.
After you do the math, you'll find that by spending a few more won on a plane ticket is a much better investment.

[OnPoint]

It was awesome. Rented a car as suggested. Thanks. It was perfect. Went during the week so there was very little traffic and tourists. UDO was the best! Go there.

[Zyzyfer]

If you're stuck in a big city, Jeju is a breath of fresh air. Just make sure you get the hell outta Jeju city as much as possible.

I just got back from Jeju, spent one day on a package tour(sucked), and one day in a rental car(rocked). There's just too many little things that aren't on the map that you might find if you drive around randomly. My favorite driving spot was out in Hallim, outside of the city. Actually thought I was in Japan for a little while...