Top Jeju Hotels

Jeju's beaches and golf courses speak for themselves. Jungmon is surrounded by some of the island's best resorts such as the Shilla, Hyatt and Lotte, while Hamdeok looks amazing when the nearby wild mustard fields bloom. For golf, Ora Country Club, is the largest with 36 holes, while Pinx has a very well designed club house. But what else?

Group activities go down well in Korea, so you can guarantee pretty much anywhere you go, there'll be at least a coach-load of others making whoopee. Perhaps the best-known icon of Jeju is its women divers, known locally as Haenyeo or Jamsu. Able to stay under water for up to 120 seconds, they are phenomenally hardy and work well past middle age. They dive off a number of beaches around the island, starting work early and finishing around midday in their search for shellfish and sea urchins. They are used to, and quite proud of, the touristic attention, but can get extremely ratty if too many lenses get shoved in their face.

Other marine-related fun includes the Dongbok-ri Fishing Pond with adjacent kitchen facilities, and clam fishing at Jongdai-ri. The Daekuk Submarine travels for about three kilometres (one hour) with specially adapted portholes so you can see coral and marine life at first hand under water.

The Isidol Ranch was built by Irish Jesuits in the 1950s, as part of a programme to kickstart the Korean economy. Cattle continue to be farmed here, and it is open to visitors free of charge.

The other main animal to make an appearance here is the horse - both at the Jeju race track and on horseback safaris across the island, which employ the indigenous Jorang pony known for its endurance and speed.

Between the beginning of November and the end of February, large swathes of Jeju turns into a shooting gallery as the hunting season gets into full swing. Chief targets are kkwong (pheasant), crows, duck, wild pigeon and the doyo or Far East curlew. Note that certain areas are off limits to hunters, and there is a restriction on the number of birds you are allowed to bag. Visitors arriving between March and October may try the Daeyu Hunting Ground, where you can shoot wildlife year round; there is also a rifle range.

One of the oldest buildings on Jeju is Gwandeokjeong, in the middle of Jeju-si, which originally functioned as something like a town hall. It's guarded by one of the original Dolhareubang, and features on most organised tour itineraries. Equally photogenic, the nearby Five-Storey Pagoda is made from black basalt and was originally erected by the Mongols. Many of these structures will seem familiar even to first-time visitors as they are illustrated in nearly every item of tourist literature!

Just by Jeju's outsize "aliens-have-landed" conference centre, the Jusangjeolri seashore presents one of Jeju's most amazing sights. Waves breaking over molten lava helped form hexagonal-shaped rocks that look as if they have been carved by hand. The rocks are easily viewed from wooden platforms, and as a bonus there are usually a few Haenyeo at work as well. Plus a legion of tangerine sellers (see shopping below) lines the approach route.

Museums

A bit of a mixed bag; museums here tend to concentrate on the folk side of things - there's the Jeju Folk, the Jungman Folk, the Jeju Folklore and Natural History, and the Jeju Folk museums, as well as a Folk Village (probably the most user-friendly). Mention should be made of the Jeju Sculpture Park and there are also a number of noteworthy galleries. Be warned that the "world's largest" teddy bear museum is located near Jungmun Beach. Miniature Mini World might appeal to tiny minds, but the Sinyeong Jeju Film Museum is intelligently curated and well worth seeing. The island, incidentally, has been used as a location for numerous local movies.

Nature

This is very much Jeju's strong suit. The dramatic beauty of the island, underscored by its volcanic past, is one of the reasons so many Koreans come here to celebrate their nuptials. Just about everywhere you go has a marvellous backdrop, the islanders set aside special days to celebrate azaleas, eulalia and fernbrake (called gosari) and even the hotel gardens are a blaze of neatly planted, ditto labelled, flowers and shrubs. Horses graze the mountaintops, while a year-round water temperature of 20-25 degrees makes the coral gardens and lava rocks off the Seogwipo coast very popular with scuba divers. Dolphins, penguins and sealions put on daily shows at Pacific Land in Jungmon however this sort of aquatic circus may not suit everyone's taste or conscience. Many visitors agree that climbing the 1,950-metre Mount Halla is one of the best things to do on Jeju. The Hadori Sanctuary for migratory birds is also worth visiting, as are the island's waterfalls and cave systems.

Given that many of Jeju's visitors have only just got married, it's understandable that there's not a wealth of boy-meets-girl type bars. You come here as an established couple, not as two prospecting singles. Perhaps the prime focus of Jeju's nightlife is in its casinos, which are not open to Korean nationals. These are all co-located with major hotels, and offer the usual darkened, smokey interiors, a range of gambling games, and a clientele that is predominantly Chinese or Japanese.

Jeju's race tracks open at night in July and August - a spectacular evening out with the highly enthusiastic spectators providing as much entertainment as the horses.

In Jeju-si the action centres on Tap-dong Plaza, a seaside performance centre which is also a general outdoor hang-out - street vendors called pojangmachas sell drinks while raw fish restaurants do a - well - roaring trade on the west pier. The nearby Jeju World 21 funfair is very popular. For something a little less active, check out The Café Village, the strip between Yongduam and Iho Beach.

Naturally, seafood has a strong influence on Jeju's cuisine. Chinese and Japanese restaurants cater to the island's main visitor market, but it's really worth getting stuck into the local fare, much of which comes loaded with a promise of good health if you eat enough of it, and particularly if consumed in season.

Okdom is a type of fish found only in the sea off Jeju and Japan; it's sometimes broiled with a sesame oil basting, or served as a soup with seaweed. Abalone is reckoned to be at its best in summer, and is often served in a porridge. Mom-guk is a non-fatty seaweed and pork broth, and Haemul-ttuk a highly spiced seafood soup. Much is made of local horsemeat and black pork, which some might find too chewy. Jeju's nutty buckwheat pancakes, filled with radish or red beans, are really good, however the bouquet and finish of Omegi wine, made from glutinous millet, might not suit all palates. There are loads of pheasant dishes, reckoned to be best in the autumn. The flavour of the Jari, a small fish like a perch, is thought to peak from May to August.

Jeju entertains pretensions to becoming the Hong Kong or Singapore of north Asia, and has got off on the right foot with some duty free shopping, namely at the airport and the main ferry port. There are no great surprises with brands etcetera but some very reasonable prices.

Elsewhere at most shopping centres and tourist spots you are likely to be implored to buy some of the island's specialities - the tasty tea or healthy mushrooms grown on Mount Halla, the local costume called Gal-ot, honey, "wine" or salted fish. And it's rare to check in for the flight home without seeing at least half a dozen crates of tangerines being toted by fellow passengers. Other local "maybe-buys" include perfume, black coral necklaces, cactus, pork and handicrafts woven from vine roots. The ultimate souvenir is of course a Dolhareubang, which - just as in real life - come in many different sizes.

More somewhere to visit than to shop with any serious intent, traditional open air markets are usually held every five days in Jeju-si, Seogwipo and Hallim-eup. To find the gimchi section just follow your nose! The butchers' area may be a bit much for animal lovers.

Access is available from all mainstream hotels, and there are a few cyber cafes around. Online gaming seems to be a rite of passage for young Korean males.

It would be rank folly to visit Jeju and not pay a visit to some of its offshore islands and other natural wonders, which are most easily accessed on an organised tour. Some of the most interesting include Udo (Cow) Island, Seongsan Ilchulbong - a plateau-like basin which is the crater of an extinct volcano - and Sangumburi Crater which is in the middle of a vast grassy plain. Oreums - "parasite volcanoes" are also found in many parts of the island. Small cruise boats also take in some of Jeju's more scenic coastline, while you might also try a kayaking expedition.

Just under an hour's flight from Seoul, Jeju has a well maintained road network which essentially follows the entire coast (200 km) and criss-crosses between the island's major points. The options for getting around include buses, hire cars and taxis, with the added possibility of bicycles.

The airport stands just outside Jeju-si, and dedicated airport buses connect to major hotels and destinations. Local buses fill in the gaps, but they tend to be slow. Taxis are an obvious alternative, and drivers are more than happy to strike a rate for an all-day hire. This may work out slightly more expensive than hiring a car and driving yourself, but Jeju's open roads are littered with speed traps and the local police are not known for their lenience toward foreign drivers who may be only slightly over the limit. Plus of course your taxi driver knows his way around.

International and local car rental agencies all charge roughly similar rates, while hotel concierges can help arrange taxi hire. Mountain bikes are on offer in Jeju-si and other main towns.

Note that ferries connect Jeju with ports along the coast if you are planning to explore the mainland.

Jeju kicks up its heels with abandon throughout the year, celebrating music, sport and nature in equal measure. Blossoming cherry trees in April are the highpoint of spring, while a marathon in June, plus the Night Beach and Big Band fests mark mid summer. The island's folk culture is brought into sharp focus at the autumnal Halla Festival and the spectacular Saebyeol Oreum is set ablaze in winter to ensure bountiful crops in the forthcoming year.

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