Return to Jeju

Jeju is an island province that lies just to the south of the Korean peninsula. It's often referred to as "Korea's Hawaii," and it was for some time the honeymoon destination for Korean newlyweds. As the Korean economy has grown I think the honeymoon market has expanded to places like Phuket and Boracai, but Jeju remains a popular destination for mainland tourists.

I went to Jeju twice during my first stint in Korea. I've never been to Hawaii, but I think that comparison raised my expectations a bit too high, especially with regard to beaches. There are a couple of picturesque waterfalls, some pretty coastal scenery, and unique lava tube caves on the island; there's also lots of grass, which you don't see much of in Korea. So it's not Hawaii, but Jeju does make for a pleasant getaway.

The second time a visiting friend and I did a bit of hiking on Hallasan, the volcano in the center of the island, but due to bad weather and closed trails, we couldn't make it to the top. Though I'd pretty much exhausted the other highlights of the island, that mountain was always there to draw me back.

Enter a short mid-semester break, a couple of colleagues who share my affinity for hiking, and really cheap plane tickets, and you have my return to Hallasan, which is Korea's tallest mountain (1950 meters/6397 feet). Some stunning fall colors were a bonus, but even without them, our two full days of hiking would have been a worthwhile third trip!

Here we are near the high point on our first day's hike. In the distance behind us you can see the outer rim of the crater that's at the peak.


The next photo was taken about three hours into our hike on day two, followed by a couple of shots of the view near the peak.





I can't seem to get these pictures to line up here, but this is an attempt at a panoramic shot of the crater at the top:




Most photos that I've seen of Hallasan show a bright blue lake in the crater; I guess it must dry up in the fall/winter. We'll see how much longer I stay in Korea, but maybe one of these days I'll have to make one last trip to Jeju to see the lake!