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Tragedy and Resilience: The Many Faces of Jeju Island
In our last several posts, we’ve shared some of Jeju’s beautiful and often startling geography. The island can indeed be a restful place to spend a vacation, whether strolling on a sandy beach or climbing a rocky cliff. Jeju is such a busy tourist destination that the flight path between Seoul and Jeju City is the busiest in the world, with as many as 250 flights per day connecting the two cities. However, tourism is only one element of Jeju and does not begin to describe the scope of the region’s troubled history and resilient people. It would be unfair to Jeju’s people to pretend that the island is all…
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Jeju Island: Cliffs and Camellias on Christmas Day
This was a year for many to re-think their Christmas traditions, and we were no exception. Instead of a Christmas tree, a fireplace, and family, we set out to see more of Jeju’s dramatic sights along the southwest coast of the island. Although we hope next year will be a little more traditional, this year’s driving tour of Jeju Island certainly made for a Christmas Day we will never forget. Suwolbong Geo Trail We began at the Suwolbong Geo Trail, offering a paved pathway along several kilometers of Jeju’s rocky west coastline. Our walk started at the small fishing village of Gosan-ri, known for its locally sourced dried squid. The…
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Jeju Island: Christmas Eve on the South Coast
Jeju Island’s unique geography and fascinating history will take several posts to cover. In this post, discover the beauty of the island’s south coast with volcanic cliffs and waterfalls. We filled our Christmas Eve day with visits to some of Jeju’s most famous sites. Since we couldn’t be home for Christmas, Jeju was a wonderfully soothing place to spend the holiday. As a bonus, we even put an international spin on an Italian Christmas Eve tradition: The Feast of the Seven Fishes. In our Japanese-insired Korean version, it became the Feast of the Fourteen Fishes! First, though, we had some walking and exploring to do. Jusangjelloi Cliffs This volcanic rock…