Esther YueTwo weeks ago, I was kindly invited by Korea Tourism Organization to embark on an island-hopping tour of Jeolla-do, a province in South Korea known for its beautiful unspoilt nature, outstanding seafood, and fresh agricultural produce. Administratively, Jeolla-do is divided into Jeollanam-do (South Jeolla) and Jeollabuk-do (North Jeolla).
During this trip, we explored many unique places of attraction in South and North Jeolla. If I have to sum up my entire visit to Jeolla-do, I’d describe it as an adventurous journey on a road less travelled, because visiting the unique sights of the Jeolla Islands required me to travel across railways, highways, and sea routes I never thought I’d cross! This was truly one of the most unique adventures of my life.
This article features the most memorable highlights of my 7-day adventure in Jeolla-do, including beautiful sightseeing spots, delicious food places, and my most unique experiences, so that you can start planning your own trip there.
Also read: Autumn in Korea: Reasons Why Fall is the Best Season to Visit
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Keen to uncover the hidden gems of Jeolla, South Korea yourself? Dive into our handpicked travel packages designed for food lovers, adventurers, and relaxation seekers alike! See why Jeolla is a must-visit destination! Plus, want to find out what the best things to do in Korea during autumn are? Then check out Korea Autumn Affair by Korea Tourism Organization, happening at Korea Plaza @ Samsung Hub #01-02 from now till 30 Nov 2024! Score exclusive discounts and speak to travel experts to plan your perfect autumn holiday in South Korea! |
Day 1: Yeosu
Hello, Jeolla-do! My first day here was an exciting time of island-hopping, outstanding coastal views, and amazing food.
Taking the train to Yeosu
The first part of our island-hopping adventure across Jeolla-do started in South Jeolla. Upon arrival in Korea, we took the Korean Train Express (KTX) to Yeosu EXPO Station, which is the closest station to Yeosu City in South Jeolla, South Korea. Yeosu is the second-most populated city in South Jeolla, comprising part of the Korean peninsula and over 300 islands. The KTX ride itself was an attraction for me, thanks to the beautiful scenic views I enjoyed aboard the train!
Lunch: a seafood feast at Yeosu Kkaebigejang
Yeosu is known for its tasty spicy marinated crab and lunch was served at Yeosu Kkaebigejang, where we enjoyed a lavish seafood feast. We ate the eatery’s spicy seafood stew as well as its special delicacy: ganjang gejang (raw soy sauce marinated crab). We also enjoyed a second type of raw crab that was marinated in a spicy sauce. As someone who prefers cooked seafood to raw seafood, my favourite dish here was the thick, flavourful spicy seafood stew. However, the freshness of the raw marinated crab was very impressive. Raw seafood enthusiasts should give it a try.
To my amusement, I found out that eating raw marinated crab is an acquired skill. You have to, quite literally, know how to squeeze the meat out from the crabs! Thankfully, the friendly owner of Yeosu Kkaebigejang skilfully gave us the perfect demonstration.
Exploring Jangdo Island, Yeosu
We later headed to Jangdo, an island in Yeosu known for its outstanding coastal landscapes including beautiful beaches, cliffs, and flora. Jangdo is also affectionately called “The Island for Art & Healing”, thanks to its abundant collection of artworks by various artists.
As I explored the island, I enjoyed its lush greenery. Climbing the steps and slopes of Jangdo Island also came with the reward of a beautiful view of the sea!
Exploring Yeosu at night: a yacht ride on the sea
As night fell, we hopped onto a yacht ride to view Yeosu’s famous night sea. This 70-minute sightseeing ride was one of my favourite experiences during our trip to Jeolla-do! It was actually raining then, which made the atmosphere extra misty and romantic.
Aboard the yacht, we saw some of Yeosu’s best attractions up close, including the Dolsandaegyo Bridge and the Geobukseondaegyo Bridge which were beautifully illuminated with colourful lights. We also spotted the Yeosu Maritime Cable Cars twinkling in the distance! I’d say that taking a yacht ride is a must-do when in Yeosu.
Dinner: Chicken and beer at Cultwo Chicken
We ended a very busy first day in Jeolla-do with dinner at Cultwo Chicken, where we enjoyed a famous Korean food combination: chimaek (chicken and beer). While I’m not normally a fan of fried chicken, I fell in love with the fried chicken here — it had an amazing balance of savouriness and sweetness, and wasn’t too dry nor fatty.
Hotel stay at Yeosu Venezia Hotel & Resort
At night, we stayed at Yeosu Venezia Hotel & Resort. The room was spacious, airy, and came with two double beds! The most impressive feature of the hotel room was its balcony overlooking Yeosu’s famously beautiful sea. The photo below shows the bird’s eye view I enjoyed while standing on the balcony.
Day 2: Yeosu — Odongdo and Nangdo Island
Starting our morning at Odongdo Island, Yeosu
Our second day started off on Odongdo Island in Yeosu. Odongdo Island is known for its beautiful nature, particularly its abundance of camellia flowers. We took a relaxing morning stroll around the island’s Odongdo Hallyeohaesang National Park, which was overflowing with lush greenery and rock formations. Our friendly guide told us that this place is typically at its most beautiful in March, when its pink camellias come into full bloom.
The park was full of slopes, but climbing up and down was worth the effort because I was rewarded with a bird’s eye view of the sea! As you might have guessed by now, I’m a huge fan of the sea. We also reached Odongdo Lighthouse, a key landmark on the island.
When we descended from Odongdo Hallyeohaesang National Park, the sun was brighter, allowing me to capture a nice photograph of the beautiful coastal views from the base of the park!
Nangdo Island, Yeosu
Next, we headed to Nangdo Island in Yeosu, which is known for its low mountains and well-developed coastal trail from which visitors can enjoy the beautiful coastal scenery. Fun fact: on the coast of this island, there’s a seaside rock where you can find dinosaur footprints.
Lunch at 100 Years Restaurant
For lunch, we enjoyed a hearty meal, or rather, a feast at 100 Years Restaurant — where I had one of the best meals of my life. We were served the in-house speciality dishes: haecho bibimbap (seaweed mixed rice with vegetables) and seodaehae (rice wine marinated raw fish).
I fell in love with the haecho bibimbap, which was overflowing with fresh vegetables that were seasoned perfectly. I’ve never been enthusiastic about eating vegetables, but the vegetables here were life-changing — I was gobbling them down like a rabbit. This meal also included generous servings of freshly-prepared side dishes, which were absolutely fantastic!
A fun fact is that 100 Years Restaurant is also one of South Korea’s oldest and most renowned makgeolli breweries! Makgeolli is a traditional South Korean wine made from rice. Our lunch spread was accompanied with some in-house makgeolli, giving us a refreshing boost.
Exploring Yeosu Art Land
After lunch, we visited Yeosu Art Land. Located near Somisan Mountain in Yeosu, Yeosu Art Land comprises an impressive indoor and outdoor area. I couldn’t resist taking a mirror selfie in the indoor area, which was full of pretty light installations with an adorable whimsical edge!
Image credit (R): Courtesy of Songyu
I found the outdoor section to be the most impressive part of Yeosu Art Land. The vast area was home to greenery, quirky artworks, and adventurous rides. Together with another member of our tour group, I got to try taking a fun ride that swung us above the sea!
As I walked along the outdoor area of Yeosu Art Land, I was rewarded with more stunning coastal views! From Yeosu Art Land, you can enjoy a fantastic view of three islands: Naechido, Oechido, and Hyeoldo.
An aesthetic tour of Moi Fin Sky Cafe
Next, I visited Moi Fin Sky Cafe, which is located near Yeosu Art Land. This trendy, multi-storey cafe is renowned for its beautiful interior and lovely sea views — and rightly so. The first thing that dazzled me was the cafe interior, which was brightly illuminated by the natural light streaming in through the large glass windows.
Moi Fin Sky Cafe features both indoor and outdoor seating areas which offer equally stunning views of the sea and sky. I can safely say that this is one of the most beautiful cafes I’ve ever been to. The cafe serves up some really yummy pastries, too!
Hotel stay at Ramada Plaza & C-One Resort Jaeundo, Sinan-gun
At night, we travelled to Jaeundo Island in Sinan-gun, Jeollanam-do. Here, we checked into Ramada Plaza & C-One Resort Jaeundo. The hotel room was spacious, with a cosy minimalist interior.
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Can you already picture your Jeolla getaway? Dive into our handpicked travel packages designed for food lovers, adventurers, and relaxation seekers alike! Explore these tours and see what else you can experience in Jeolla! |
Day 3: Sinan-gun — Jaeundo and Jeungdo
Mudflat clam digging at Dunjang Fishing Experience Village, Sinan-gun
We started off a busy morning by heading to Jaeundo Island’s Dunjang Fishing Experience Village, which is home to the beautiful Dunjang Beach. Walking barefoot on the vast stretches of flat, unpolluted sand was extremely therapeutic for me! Fun fact: this beach is one of the nine beaches on Jaeundo Island.
At the beach, we dug for mudflat clams in the sand. This was a new and unique experience for me, which I thoroughly enjoyed! There’s something really therapeutic about working with your hands and getting up and close with nature.
I found that finding these clams isn’t as easy as it sounds — it requires patience and effort to search for them. Finding my first mudflat clam after more than fifteen minutes of digging was really satisfying! This experience helped me understand why you can find such outstanding, fresh seafood in Jeolla-do — it’s because much of its seafood is sourced directly from the Jeolla islands!
Exploring 1004 Museum Park, Sinan-gun
We then went to the 1004 Museum Park, a marine cultural district on Jaeundo Island in Sinan-gun. It’s a vast, scenic landscape that’s also home to the Stone Garden, which features fountains, rock formations, and pine trees.
1004 Museum Park is also home to the beautiful Yangsan Beach, which I found as I was strolling around the park. I was dazzled by the clear, clean waters and its long stretch of unpolluted beige sand. The therapeutic sound of the waves gently gushing onto the shore is something you have to experience in person!
While strolling around 1004 Museum Park, I found out that it’s home to an array of adorable camping sites. If you love camping, greenery, and the sea breeze, you might want to make camp here! There are also a number of fun playground facilities suitable for children, including a flying fox ride.
Lunch at Dubong Charcoal Grilled Ribs
At lunch, we headed to Dubong Charcoal Grilled Ribs, where I tasted some of the most flavourful grilled ribs I’ve ever tried in my life. The generous serving of ribs was sweetly marinated and super juicy. I also enjoyed naengmyeon here, which is a Korean cold noodle dish served with shaved ice. The naengmyeon was extremely refreshing after a sunny time of outdoor activities.
Living the farmer life at Taepyeong Salt Farm on Jeungdo Island, Sinan-gun
After lunch, we headed to Jeungdo Island in Sinan-gun, which is known for its unspoiled nature and clean waters. On the island, we visited Taepyeong Salt Farm, where we had the unique experience of ‘harvesting’ salt off the ground!
I’m not quite sure if ‘salt harvesting’ is the best term to describe what I did. But essentially, decked in rubber boots and wearing a farmer’s straw hat, I used a long rake to sweep the salt on the ground into a neat pile, as shown in the photograph above. This was a simple but extremely entertaining experience for me!
A fun fact is that I used to dream of setting up my own farm in the countryside in my teenage years. As such, this ‘salt harvesting’ experience gave me a little taste of what life would be like if I decided to leave city life to become a salt farmer!
Our tour guide also told us that Taepyeong Salt Farm’s salt is highly sought after by locals — some people hit the markets early in the morning to grab a bag of salt!
Day 4: Wando and Haenam-gun
Relaxing at the Wando Marine Healing Center, Wando Island
In the morning, we travelled to Wando Island, where we visited the Wando Marine Healing Center, a multicomplex facility offering various marine healing programmes. ‘Marine healing’ refers to the promotion of health through the use of marine resources like seawater, sand, marine organisms, and the sea breeze. Here, our tour group got to experience several types of therapies, including Stone Therapy, Bubble Therapy, Mud Therapy, Mud Wrapping Therapy, and Seaweed Color Therapy.
For anyone who hasn’t used Korean spa facilities before, one thing to note is that visitors must take a shower for hygiene purposes before using the facilities in a Korean spa. The showers in Korean spas are usually common showers — meaning that there are no separate cubicles or partitions. The common shower can be a culture shock to some, but if you’re someone who enjoys unique full-body therapies and aren’t intimidated by common showers, Wando Marine Healing Center is for you.
Indoor and outdoor facilities with a view
Aside from therapy rooms, Wando Marine Healing Centre has indoor lounges in which you can relax while taking in the gorgeous coastal views. There are also outdoor areas where you can enjoy the fresh sea breeze.
Swimming pool with a view
Wando Marine Healing Center is also home to a large swimming pool (Thalasso Pool), including jacuzzi areas. As with many of the Center’s other facilities, the swimming pool boasts amazing coastal views.
Lunch at Wando Restaurant Moriteul
After finishing our therapies at Wando Marine Healing Center, we had lunch at the in-house Ocean Healing Restaurant. This meal tasted exceptionally clean and refreshing, comprising abalone, seaweed, and an array of lightly seasoned side dishes. It was actually my favourite part of our visit to the Center! Fun fact: our tour guide told us that Wando is known for its amazing abalone.
Exploring Sinji Myeongsasimni Beach, Wando Island
After lunch, we toured Sinji Myeongsasimni Beach, which is located right next to Wando Marine Healing Center. This beach got its name from its ‘singing sand’ — its name can literally be translated as “sound of sand that can be heard from four kilometres away”. My eyes were thoroughly blessed by the coastal views! I was also impressed by the abundance of pretty, unique seashells covering the sand.
Dinner: a chicken feast at Dolgogae Garden, Haenam-gun
For dinner, we headed to Dolgogae Garden in the county of Haenam-gun. Here, we enjoyed its famous chicken course meal that included yukhoe (seasoned raw chicken) and hotplate spicy chicken. The portions were extremely generous, and my favourite part of the meal was the hotplate spicy chicken, which had a savoury, flavourful marination. I can’t say much about the yukhoe as I don’t eat raw chicken, but some of the other tour group members said it was delicious and didn’t have an overwhelmingly fishy smell. Being able to appreciate yukhoe is definitely an acquired taste!
Day 5: Buan and Gunsan
Day 5 was spent exploring the culture, history, and culinary scene of Jeollabuk-do (North Jeolla), also known as Jeonbuk. Our first stop was Buan, a county in North Jeolla full of beautiful nature that’s known for its production of high-quality celadon during the Goryeo period.
Buan Celadon Museum
We visited the Buan Celadon Museum, where we had a friendly curator walk us through ancient celadon artefacts hailing from different time periods. For any architecture enthusiasts reading this, you might be intrigued to hear that the museum building itself is shaped like a celadon bowl!
Decorating our own celadon
As a history enthusiast, I enjoyed learning new information while exploring the artefact exhibits. I was in for another fun surprise: we got to try the hands-on activity of decorating our very own celadon! Being able to feel the texture of celadon was a great way of bringing history to life.
Because I’m not gifted in drawing, I decided to turn my celadon into a little keepsake for myself — by writing down the names of the lovely places we’d visited in Jeolla-do! Fun fact: the staff at Buan Celadon Museum kindly helped me finish off by writing 전라북도 (Jeollabuk-do) on the celadon.
Lunch: Seafood dishes at Garam Restaurant
Lunch was served at Garam Restaurant, where we enjoyed the in-house hard clam porridge and seafood pancake. As a porridge lover, I was especially delighted by the clam porridge, which tasted fresh, light, and clean.
The delicious porridge and pancake were also served with an array of side dishes, which were just as fresh.
Exploring the historic district of Gunsan
After lunch, we headed to Gunsan, a historic district that was a port city during the Japanese colonisation of Korea in the 19th century. Gunsan is home to several streets of historical Japanese houses. We got to visit one of them: the Hirotsu House.
Hirotsu House is small, but it’s a nice, quaint historic site to drop by. There were even trees with pink flowers inside.
Visiting a local brewery in Gunsan
In Gunsan, we also visited a cool local brewery called Brewing Town, where the friendly owner introduced us to several types of spirits. We tried some in-house makgeolli, which I thought had an exceptionally unique flavour — it had a much stronger, purer rice taste than other types of makgeolli I’d tried before.
A relaxing foot spa
Our tour group also visited a foot spa owned by Brewing Town. We sat down at cosy spots in the foot spa’s outdoor garden, where we soaked our feet in the goodness of rice wine. As someone who likes watching Korean period dramas, this was a relaxing and quirky experience for me — I thought to myself that perhaps this was what nobles in ancient Korea enjoyed every day.
Day 6: Gunsan and Seonyudo
Mostly spent outdoors, Day 6 in Jeolla-do was refreshingly fun and full of picturesque views.
A fun high school experience in Cheongdamdong Railroad Town
Image credit (L): Courtesy of Yi Ting
In the morning, we headed to Gyeongamdong Railroad Town where we tried on adorable high school uniforms and unleashed our youthful side! The colourful railway track is a great photo-taking spot for anyone looking to take aesthetic, Instagrammable photos. Also, if you rent a uniform from the rental shop here, you can have a professional photographer take some amazing photographs of you. At the railroad town, we also got to try making our own dalgona candy, by melting sugar over a fire!
Exploring Seonyudo Island, Gunsan
Afterwards, we travelled to Seonyudo Island — the central point of the Gogunsan Archipelago in North Jeolla. Predictably, I was really impressed by the pretty coastal views from the island. I also found out that Seonyudo is a very popular tourist destination on Korea’s west coast during summertime.
Cycling around Seonyudo Island
Something really cool about Seonyudo is that it’s connected by a bridge to three other neighbouring islands: Munyeodo, Jangjado, and Daejangdo. As such, it’s easy to move between the islands on foot or by bicycle. Along with several tour group members, I hopped onto a bicycle and cycled around some parts of Seonyudo. This was one of the most memorable experiences of my visit to Jeolla-do — I got to take in beautiful island views while enjoying the fresh sea breeze!
I will caution, though, cycling around Seonyudo involves navigating narrow paths where there are many pedestrians. All the same, cycling around Seonyudo and its neighbouring islands makes a truly refreshing experience for anyone visiting Jeollabuk-do!
Lunch: Pork belly and seafood ramen at Okdol Super
After cycling for some time around the island, we headed to Okdol Super for lunch. Okdol Super has both indoor and outdoor seating areas from which visitors can enjoy a beautiful view of the beach.
Here, we tried some of the eatery’s most popular dishes: haemul ramyun (seafood noodles) and samgyeopsal (grilled pork belly). I especially enjoyed the haemul ramyun, which was full of fresh clams. I was also extremely impressed by the seafood pancake, which had an amazing crispy texture that was neither too crunchy nor soggy. This hearty lunch felt like a nice reward for our cycling!
Exploring Seonyudo Island by ship
In the afternoon, we boarded the Saemangeum Cruise which took us across the sea, bringing us around the scenic highlights of Seonyudo Island, including Turtle Rock, Seonyu Peak, Gogunsan Bridge, and more. This was a truly iconic experience that delighted everyone, and was another of my favourite memories during my visit to the Jeolla Islands!
Feeding seagulls in mid-air
The Saemangeum Cruise was not only a time of sightseeing, but also a delightful time of seagull-feeding. I was absolutely fascinated when the cruise operator skilfully showed everyone how to offer snacks to the seagulls flying nearby. (I’ll share the tip for any aspiring seagull-feeders reading this: hold a snack, stretch out your hand bravely, and wait for a seagull to swoop down and grab the snack.) It was amazing to see a whole flock of seagulls following our ship throughout our cruise ride! I guess we humans weren’t the only ones having a great time.
Day 7: Back to Incheon
Six days in Jeolla-do really flew by! In the morning, we checked out of our hotel and took a three-hour bus ride back to Incheon.
Our final lunch at Original 1st Airport Village
Our last lunch meal in Jeolla-do was enjoyed at Original 1st Airport Village in Incheon, where we ate its famous gulbap (oyster rice) and grilled fish. The ultra-generous portion of fresh oysters was seriously impressive, and the grilled fish was sweet and fragrant.
My final thoughts on Jeolla-do, South Korea
Exploring Jeolla-do truly felt like taking a road less travelled — my adventure here was genuinely one of the most unique experiences of my life! If I could try to describe Jeolla-do with just one word, it would be beautiful — 아름답다 in the Korean language.
Jeolla-do’s abundant, flourishing nature drives its outstanding culinary scene, as most of its food is sourced directly from the islands. The people of the Jeolla Islands in South Korea take great pride in whipping up fresh, delicious food — in fact, our tour guide told us that some of the best food in the Korean peninsula is found here!
As someone who grew up in the busy city of Singapore, Jeolla-do was a refreshing experience in the countryside. I really enjoyed the Jeolla-do atmosphere, which felt a lot more laid-back and relaxed compared to many other places I’ve visited.
I also appreciated how the locals in Jeolla-do were really warm and friendly. I could feel the warmth of the locals in their sincere service and hospitality towards us when we ate in local eateries and visited Jeolla-do’s attractions.
I highly recommend sightseeing in Jeolla, South Korea, for people seeking a refreshing getaway in the beauty of unspoilt nature, and who love fresh culinary delicacies. Jeolla-do is suitable for people of all ages — you’ll fall in love with its nature, food and atmosphere.
I’ll always be grateful for having had the opportunity to explore Jeolla-do. It was a refreshing and truly unforgettable experience.
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Ready to uncover the hidden gems of Jeolla, South Korea? Dive into our handpicked travel packages designed for food lovers, adventurers, and relaxation seekers alike! Explore these tours and discover why Jeolla will steal your heart too! Plus, want to find out what the best things to do in Korea during autumn are? Then check out Korea Autumn Affair by Korea Tourism Organization, happening at Korea Plaza @ Samsung Hub #01-02 from now till 30 Nov 2024! Score exclusive discounts and speak to travel experts to plan your perfect autumn holiday in South Korea! |
We would like to extend our gratitude to Korea Tourism Organization for organising this trip.
All images are credited to Esther Yue unless otherwise stated.
