The day before we left Seoul, we joined the USO tour to the DMZ, the roughly 4km wide border that bisects the Korean peninsula. It was a sobering day to see a people torn apart by an artificial and impassable border. The split has persisted long enough that the present generation wonders how unification could ever happen. After the one hour bus ride north from Seoul, visitors arrive at Camp Bonifas and listen to a briefing about the history of...
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Here’s our best attempt to give a glimpse at the bustling life of Korea’s largest city, the megapolis of Seoul. Of course, these are just highlights of our time there and in no way captures all that the city offers. The National Museum of Korea A huge repository of priceless cultural treasures is stored and displayed here. Remarkably, admission is free and even includes a free English tour. The building itself is beautiful, with the...
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Seongsan Ilchulbong sits on the eastern edge of Jeju—naturally, since its name translates to Sunrise Peak. The tuff cone dominates the horizon and rises 182 meters from the ocean. At the bottom of the tuff cone, haenyo divers harvest seafood with the most rudimentary equipment: loose wetsuits, black rubber fins, and those old school dive masks. These women have been diving around Jeju island for over two hundred years, and the craft is dying...
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Our next Jeju adventure actually involved a descent for a change. The same seismic forces that birthed Mount Hallasan also dug beneath the surface creating the world’s longest lava tube system. The most accessible entrance is at Manjanggul, where tourists are free to walk 1km of the 7.4km tunnel. The cavernous tube swallows tour groups with ceilings that reach up to 30 meters. Along the way, signs point out curious lava formations...
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While Jeju shares the charms of beaches & ocean views with other islands of the world, it distinguishes itself with natural wonders all accessible on this small island. UNESCO, the tourist guide branch of the United Nations, named three parts of Jeju as World Natural Heritage sites. The first of the three award-winners rises up in the middle of the island. Mount Hallasan is the tallest mountain in South Korea and a pinnacle reminder of...
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A few years back, there was an online popularity contest to name the new seven wonders of the world. Last year, that same group ran a second poll to determine the seven wonders of the natural world, and Jeju island off the southwest tip of the Korean peninsula won a place among exclusive company. Jeju has long held the title of Honeymoon Island as the destination for newlywed Korean couples. The island decided to test the mettle of our...
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