Meet the volcano!
As Jinu said, no trip is finished without seeing Jeju Island. After a week I’ve spent on this island I just love this place. It’s the volcanic part which makes this a good destination to do anything that has to do with volcanoes. Geomun Ureum (means vertical tubes in a volcanic crater) is a place where only 300 people are allowed each day and only accessible with a guide. The route through the forest and crater is a boardwalk for almost the full length of 6 km. The nature smells and looks unspoilt making it intense, even though it was raining. It’s amazing to see how plants have their own niche (special place to live) and how nature evolved in this spectacular environment. Learning this from books is one thing, but seeing it, made a really deep impression. And this is how the island is: full with craters (oreum in Korean) and with special plants and animals living in it (= niche). I’m glad the place is protected very well as literally every wrong step could be the end of a species. Volcanoes created fantastic hexaonal basalt blocks forming massive cliffs. Furthermore, waterfalls end up in the ocean through gaps in these sheer rising cliffs.
Even more bizar is the huge lava tunnel which is over 120,000 years old. It was formed due to a quick cooling down of the outer lava. In the tunnel I could clearly see how this flow was… smooth, slow, hot, and leaving this treasure behind. In one word: impressive.
So many things are hard to describe, but also to capture on a photo. For these things you really need to be there. And I don’t know why South Korea is so less travelled, but it is definitely worthwhile. Jeju Island is way better than all (natural) attractions on the main land together. So if you can make a stop over or you’re thinking about a less well known destination then Korea should be on that list.
Amar