Jeju Island: Day 4

Day 4

Day 4 was our last day in Jeju and by far one of the most beautiful. We first took a canoe ride and then visited 3 waterfalls and some lava rocks. These four items (except the canoe) are located within a 30 minute radius of each other.

Stop 1: See-through Canoe:

While listed typically as a tourist gimmick, I still say the see-through canoe was a fun thing to do. For 5,000 won a person, you can rent a see-through canoe and paddle up to where a spring trickles out into an ocean. 

The see-through canoe is actually pretty dirty, so you can't actually see through it very well, but honestly, that's the last thing you're looking at. The canoe trip is filled lots of mini waterfalls and pretty rock formations. At the end, you're treated to a small water fall where the spring comes out of the rocks. 

The one downside is that you only have 25 minutes in the canoe, and the operators want you paddling pretty much every second of it. This is a real let down when you reach the climax of you ride and get to the spring falls. While we had plenty of time left on our rental time, we were quickly shooed away after a short stop to snap pictures. 

I recommend getting there early because even though we arrived at about 9:00 AM, we still had to wait 25 minutes for a canoe to open up.Yes, it's a tourist trap, but it's a damn fun one at that. 

Stop 2: Jeongbang Falls (정방폭포)

The first waterfall we went to is the tallest in Jeju. It’s a little bit of a hike and for those challenged in the field of balance, watch your step because the rocks to get to the falls are not stable. You can pretty much get right up to the falls. This is a great place to go if you want to get some pretty great photos.

Stop 3: Lava Rocks:

The least impressive of the scenic sites we went to. However, this is perhaps because I’ve simply seen better. If you’ve never seen lava rocks before, the hexagonal rocks may stun you. Plus, it’s pretty cool to see the Hanyeo (한여, female sea divers) actually dive where water is literally crashing against the rocks.

Stop 4: Cheonjaeyeon Falls (천제연폭포)

Cheonjaeyeon Falls is actually a 3 for the price of 1 kind of deal. 3 “falls," 1 ticket. This was also the most crowded place we went to. You start out the beginning of the hike and see some small falls and gradually make your way back. The falls are pretty but may not be worth the crowd (especially if that crowd is middle school students blasting pop music on their phones).

Stop 5: Cheonjiyeon Falls (천지연폭포)

Again, 3 for the price of one. These falls, however, were the most spectacular. My personal recommendation is that you start with the 3^rd fall, the one at the bottom, and work you up to the top. This saves the best for last and doesn’t detract from the beauty of the first two falls (you’ll understand when you reach the top fall).

The last fall (fall #1) is, quite simply, something that took my breath away. As a matter of fact, it was so beautiful that I almost started crying. We came at a time where the top fall was not flowing, which honestly, I’m thankful for (I saw the pictures of when it’s flowing, and it’s not nearly as gorgeous). The water was crystal clear, and the center was the bluest blue you can imagine. You were allowed to stand in the shallow end of the fall; the water is cool and refreshing. Be careful though, the rocks are slippery from moss. My friend learned this the hard way when he slipped and took an unexpected swim in the pond.  

  This is what happens when you step on moss.

It took us a while to tear ourselves away from this fall, but it was a great way to cap the end of our Jeju adventure.