Valerie Emily

As much as I love Seoul as a solo travel destination, Jeju surprised me with how solo travel-friendly this island is. From museum visits, to beach trips and coastal road trips, Jeju has so much to offer and I got to experience it all firsthand. 

Before I went on my solo trip to Jeju, I went there with my friends. We spent 3 days and 2 nights (one full day) in Jeju, which was (looking back on it) too short. For my solo trip I stayed on the island for a total of 12 days, which meant I could spend my time a bit slower and more intentionally. I don’t really like planning my trip to the last bits. I had a rough idea of what I wanted to do, so I decided on the plans the day before. 

What makes Jeju different?

One of the things that surprised me the most is how different Jeju is from any other place I’ve been to so far. Some would compare it to Okinawa in Japan, but besides it both being islands, I don’t really see a lot of similarities. Especially culture and people-wise. While Okinawa has a lot of youth, Jeju is rapidly graying and its original people are moving to the mainland to look for better work opportunities, or because they simply think life is better there. One thing I noticed while driving around the island was how many elderly locals I saw working in the fields, selling produce and fishing along the coast. From fishermen, farmers and haenyeo, it’s so beautiful to see how hard they are trying to keep their cultural heritage alive. But this is something I have seen in the mainland as well. 

Traveling solo in Jeju

Besides working hard, the people of Jeju are incredibly friendly. I can name multiple occasions where they were so helpful towards me when I couldn’t figure something out. And that while most of the people on the island can’t speak English. You can get really far with translator apps and hand signals. Even when there was a language barrier, the people of Jeju always seemed willing to help. Besides that, I just had an overall good experience in Jeju when it comes to having breakfast, lunch or dinner when I wanted to eat out. The food is affordable, fresh and very tasty, but I always check the reviews on Naver before I go somewhere.

Fun things to do in Jeju as a solo traveler

I actually came to Jeju during low season, which meant that popular activities like picking tangerines and hallabongs were not possible for me to do. All the more reason to come back during fall :). But besides that not being available, there were so many things that I could see and do. Which was all thanks to the rental car that I had booked with The Safe Rent a Car. This is not sponsored (I wish), but I genuinely enjoyed having a car again. It wouldn’t be possible to do as many activities as I did if I had relied on public transport. Some of my favorite activities were:

Driving along Noeulhaean-ro sunset coastal road 

As a big road trip and sea/ocean lover, this was the perfect activity for me. Noeulhaean-ro is a very popular coastal road on the west coast of Jeju. This route stretches around 12 to 15 kilometers. It’s a great spot if you want to look at the sunset, go cafe hopping with cafes overlooking the sea, and my personal favorite: spot wild Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins. 

Visit Yongmeori haean

This is a bit of a tricky one. It’s not always open because of the weather and water conditions, so I was very happy I could visit this once. Yongmeori haean (translated to Dragonhead coast) is a coastal point in the south of Jeju. Named after the cliff being formed like a dragonhead, this point was formed due to a volcanic eruption millions of years ago and erosion. The views are incredible and during the day, local fishermen and women are catching seafood to sell to visitors. I didn’t have cash on me, so remember to bring some if you want to try it out! 

Learn more about Haenyeo history

I love a good museum and the Haenyeo Museum was probably one of the better museums I’ve visited so far. Haenyeo are local women who freedive into the sea to catch seafood so they can earn money for their families. They would do the same during the Joseon dynasty, while their husbands would work for the military, on ships and other heavy transport on the mainland. In 2016 the culture of the haenyeo was inscribed in the UNESCO List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. It was really interesting to learn more about the way haenyeo lived and still live to this day.

Overall I really enjoyed my time in Jeju and I totally recommend going here for a solo trip!

★★★

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