Dear Diary: Partially Solo-Trip to Jeju Island, South Korea

notimetospace (58)in #travel • 6 years ago (edited)

"Partially" Solo Trip?

"You're not going alone again aren't you?"

"Partially Solo... I am going to Jeju with a group of people that I don't know. I think it'll be awesome! "

_{Photo Credits to William Leong Photography}

Finally, one step closer to all my handsome Oppas in South Korea. For my first trip in 2018, I joined Glam Suitcase Travel to visit Jeju Island, South Korea from 31st March 2018 to 3rd April 2018. The flight was approximately 6 hours with a direct flight from Kuala Lumpur to Jeju Island.

I can't be biased saying that this Group Tour was a 100% Perfect trip. There are always some small flaws in the way. To be honest I wish I could request to stay extra 2 days for myself to explore the city on my own. Still, I'll be listing down all the best thing I had on my Jeju Trip. The full itinerary post will be up soon!

Full Tummy during the whole Trip!

_{Photo Credits to William Leong Photography}

Seafood Steamboat, Jeju Style

Don't underestimate the portion that Koreans could eat. One pot of gold (I mean meal) might need 5 stomachs to clear it all. I wonder how much food I've wasted during the trip. Too much for me to handle even though I am crowned the biggest eater in my social circles. One lesson to learn for today is to bring along an empty Tupperware along.

Good Weather

4 days without rain might be a terrible news in Malaysia, but it's a joy for Koreans in Korea during cherry blossom season. Do you know, two days after we left Jeju Island, there was a big rain and most of the cherry blossom was gone. Hence, pre-planning to book the best day for the best view is crucial. Glad that Glam Suitcase Travel manages to get the best timing for us to visit the best of Jeju Island at it's best!

Less Trashbin, Less Trash!

This is one of my wow factors when I couldn't search for a bin to throw my trash at first. No trash can are to be seen at the roadside. All trash bins are located near to public toilets or outside of some convenience stores. Remember to bring your recycle knowledge along to Jeju because it's important to recycle. Just remember - Plastic, paper, aluminium & food waste must be separated accordingly.

Racing with the Dolphins!

I would say this was the best highlight of my trip. I saw wild dolphins were chasing us. Not to attack, but to swim along and to have a race with our yacht! The weather plays a big role to guarantee us for this special sight. Let's just say dolphins love to chase yacht and a sunny weather.

A local Tour Guide who can speak the Malay language

Esther, our tour guide, was explaining to me about the cycle of a cherry blossom tree.

Esther, our lovely Korean tour guide, is able to understand some Malay Language. I would say her strength was making us feel comfortable by cutting away the language barrier. She can speak good English, so we could learn more about the Korean culture, current issues, and the current trends. Besides, she would give us clear and simple instructions such as "makan-makan", "Makan Malam", "Jalan-Jalan" and "Selamat Pagi"!

The Fun-Going Photographer

A good photographer would capture the best moment for us during the trip! Not just good photos of us, he would also capture the best scenes in Jeju! For your information, all photo used in this post are all taken by William, our friendly photographer with skills. This selfie worth 20 minutes of dedication and motivation to hike up to the top of Seongsan Ilchulbong, one of the UNESCO world heritage! We climbed up thousands of stairs just to be here. He was carrying more than 10kg of different camera lenses behind his back just to take the best memories that he could keep, and for us to share.

Giving each other company

I wasn't in my very best because of my weak tummy. Since I don't feel comfortable with my tummy and all those bears in their glass-case, I decided to have a rest in the Teddy Bear Cafe. This old man who was with us on this trip was having his rest too, so I decided to just have a simple chit-chat with him. In return, I got a cup of Milk Latte.

Accommodation with Good View

This photo was taken from our room's window. I saw young people would take their fishing rod to have a midnight fishing while drinking their beer and socialize with their friend. This is the kind of life that I want to try if I could. Beer and a nice chit-chat. I actually went out with a Jeju guy during midnight, and yes, we drank beer and talked about cultural differences.

Special Thanks to

I would sincerely want to thank Glam Suitcase Travel for the organized trip. We all get enough sleep (sleeping in the bus counts), enough good food, enough time to visit each great places, an awesome driver, and lastly a great experience in Spring season in Jeju Island. Not to forget, William, the outgoing photographer, who is willing to share his photos for this blog. You will meet him in most of Glam Suitcase Travel's trip!