Destination: South Korea

LONELY PLANET'S OFFICIAL ITINERARY INFORMATION

Itinerary: Honeymoon Island

ONE WEEK / 300KM

Leg it through lava tube caves, venture up extinct volcanoes, wonder at waterfalls, sup on seafood, scuba at Seogwipo, bask on beaches and be awed by acrobats – you’ll soon discover why Jejudo is Korea’s favourite holiday island.

A constant stream of flights and ferries provide speedy and convenient transport to Jeju-si on Jejudo, Korea’s holiday and activities island, where palm trees and orange groves add an exotic Mediterranean feel, particularly to the south coast.

The entire island is black volcanic rock which makes for outstanding, National Geographic scenery. Hike up the gentle slopes of Hallasan, South Korea’s highest mountain at 1950m, where gentle roe deer roam; head east from Jeju-si and be awed by the world’s longest and largest lava tube cave Manjanggul, and on the island’s eastern tip, climb up the spectacular ‘sunrise peak’ Seongsan Ilchulbong. Then explore nearby Udo Island, which is touristy but still full of rural charms, and one of the places where tough, wet-suited haenyeo (female divers) still gather seafood from the ocean floor.

The island’s unique culture and rural past can be experienced at Seong·eup Folk Village and Jeju Folk Village in the south east. Just a generation ago, before the age of tourists and guidebooks, Jejudo was a completely different place.

In Seogwipo, enjoy waterfalls, a submarine tour or scuba diving around islands of colourful coral with fish that look as if they’re heading to a fancy dress party. Honeymooners staying in the luxury southern coast resorts at Jungmun Beach put on identical T-shirts and stroll hand-in-hand and mouth-to-mouth under the palm trees at sunset.

Two giant glass buildings near Jungmun Beach are Yeomiji, an indoor and outdoor botanical garden, and the Jeju International Convention Centre.

On the southwestern coast soak up ancient Zen spirituality in a cave at Sanbanggulsa and take a short hike along the dramatically eroded Yongmeori coast where the cliffs look like catacombs.

It’s impossible to do all the activities and see all the island’s gardens, museums, art parks and sights, so pick what appeals most. But don’t leave without seeing at least one of the three amazing Chinese acrobat shows at Green Resort, Happy Town and Jeju Magic World.