Oct 2019: I fell madly in love with Jeju, South Korea

Say hello to another overdue post-travel blog entry! I have found some time to write, thanks to these stay-at-home regulations (but no thanks to coronavirus—which we could very much have done away with).

You would not find a lot of travel guide and tips in this entry (don’t worry, they will come later). Let this be a prelude that’s rather filled with reminiscences and sentiments because I still can’t believe that—by some divine intervention—I went to Jeju. Remembering Jeju is always such an amazing thing.

October 2019 was my first time in Jeju but second time in South Korea.

My first time was in Seoul, back in 2018. It was my first overseas solo trip, and I enjoyed it a lot contrary to some people’s impression of traveling solo as lonely. It was also the time I fell madly, deeply in love with South Korea.

So, even before 2018 came to an end, I started planning for my second trip to Seoul for the following year. I booked the trip and made plans for October 2019. However, as the dates were closing in, circumstances forced me into a last-minute change of plans.

I could not acquire a visa on time for the trip. And yet, I did not want to postpone my vacation. I was hot and itching both to go on a long vacation and to return to South Korea.

I thought about it—I could not get a visa, BUT I could still go to South Korea. Jeju Island is a special self-governing province with its own tourism regulations, and a visa is not required of tourists! So, even though I was devastated that I could not go to Seoul as planned, I booked new flights to Jeju.

I had some reservations about Jeju. I was unsure whether I was actually going to enjoy it. Whether there was anything good for me to find. Whether I could get around the island province as easily as I could in Seoul.

For a while, I let my doubts and ignorance take over me.

All of those doubts, and the regret of not being able to go to Seoul were all easily washed away on my first day in Jeju.

The guesthouse that I stayed in, for one, had the best accommodation. It was in a tranquil and modest village situated close to the sea. My room had the perfect view of the ocean and a small harbor sheltering small boats. The sound of the waves was my lullaby at night and a greeting of a fresh day in the morning.