Open for business! Sliced abalone served next to Jeongbang Waterfall, thanks to a local haenyeo (woman diver).
Over the past few weeks, we saw Jeju’s fire festival and climbed South Korea’s highest peak. But now, it’s time to eat!
As a huge volcanic island, it makes sense that there’s a dearth of arable land on Jeju. But being an island also means that seafood has always been a staple of Jejanese cuisine. So to start our culinary exploration, let’s start at the beach… but one warning, food on Jeju doesn’t come cheap!
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For the past 11 years, Jeju has hosted the spectacular Jeongwol Daeboreum Fire Festival.
About 2 million years ago, a series of volcanic eruptions created South Korea’s southern-most province, the island of Jeju-do. Jeju was ruled by the Tamna Kingdom (탐라국) for millennia before it entered and exited a series of tributary relationships with peninsula kingdoms. It wasn’t until 1404 that Tamna ended with Jeju’s final incorporation with Korea’s Joseon Dynasty.
Since volcanoes created Jeju, it’s no surprise that an annual fire festival would be among the island’s most popular events. And for the past 11 years, the island has celebrated the lunar new year’s first full moon with the Jeongwol Daeboreum Fire Festival (정월대보름들불축제).
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Yes, that’s Korea! We spent a very comfortable night at the luxury resort, Shineville, thanks to my special friend Uikwon’s family.
Last weekend I had the chance to visit Jeju Island (제주도) for the first time in about three years. And though I’d been to the lovely isle once before, I was in the company of my mother, her two friends and about 47 other Korean ajumma (married ladies). Needless to say, I was somewhat distracted by my (lovely) company.
This time around, I was traveling with my buddy Uikwon on an itinerary that was made in great part thanks to suggestions by Sejin, a Jeju-native who channels her generosity into encouraging visitors to get off the typical tourist junket. So, with a carefully crafted itinerary in hand, we were ready to go.
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Jin Air, a subsidiary of Korean Air, is one of Korea’s most promising new budget airlines.
Back in September of 2006, i booked a $19 (+tax) roundtrip ticket on Malaysia’s Air Asia. The prospect of being airborne for so little was intriguing. Sure, i was flying from Kuala Lumpur to the unlikely destination of Kota Bharu, but c’mon, $19? At the time, I was struck by how inexpensively one can fly in Southeast Asia… especially when originating out of KL or Bangkok. This just isn’t the case in pricey northeast Asia, where 2-hour trips between Seoul and Tokyo still can run $500+ this time of year.
But 2008 promises to fill Korea’s skies with a glut of new budget carriers. A total of 5 new airlines are launching this year, in addition to the two already in operation. Last month, the Busan-based Yeongnam Air launched its inaugural flight between Seoul’s Gimpo International (mostly domestic) and the lovely Jeju Island. By the end of the year, Yeongnam plans to service four domestic routes that concentrate on Korea’s southeastern region. In fact, bonafide Yeongnam region residents receive a 5-10% discount… which is kinda weird.
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