Jeju Prelude / Importance links to know before going

Prelude

The last time I went to South Korea was an impromptu one to Seoul, some 10 years ago. It was our first twosome trip. The kid was having a hospital internship at KKH and the Little India Riot happened when we were away. 

That Seoul trip was after a minor car accident. After the nasty sprain was healed, I decided to use the settlement money to get over all the nasty event. Of course the riot was nasty but it was beyond my control.

At this point of writing, I have some 3 weeks before the Jeju trip. It was 10 years in the longing/making. We had our first post pandemic hike in Wales this summer and we could not get enough of the mountains. As we watched the kdrama Jirisan , the mountains called out to us again. So winter hiking it is!

The day South Korea scrapped PCR and quarantine for all inbound visitors, we booked our air tickets. Prices have shot up, now double of what it cost before the announcement. But that's life, isn't it. We pay for certainty, some $400 more each ticket.

Here's the breakdown for my future self :

• Scoot, Flybag, 11 days, $1700 for 2 of us. We did not pay for seats or meals.
• Lotte Car Rental, 11 days for $424. We scrapped the earlier rental from SK (Rentalcars) because it costs more than double for 8 days. We had a full refund.
• International Driving Permit, $20, for class B. It is good for 1 year from the time of booking.
• K-eta 10 000 ￦ for each passport. That is 20 000 ￦ for 2 of us. The e-visa is good for 2 years from time of application.

Our accoms plans:

• Jeju old city, 3 days, $220 at Regent Marine the Blue. It is located near Dongmun Market.
• Seongsan, 2 days, $80 at Bomulson Pension. It is located near Seongsan Ilchubong.
• Seogwipo, 3 days, $150 at Bridge Residences. It is located near Jeju World Cup Stadium.

The above 3 hotels were booked through booking dot com. Booking has an overly optimistic conversion rate if you see the prices in SG$. I mostly use it because it has a good interface for tracking my trips.

• Jeju city, 3 days, $201 at Hi Residences (Hai Residences). It goes by a thousand names. Located at Eunnam 1-gil and near Sammu Park. I booked this from Expedia.

The last 2 legs were self catering with limited services. I chose it for the washer so that I can have fresh clothes without having to hand wash my socks and stuff like that.

For a Jeju hiking and mostly eating tour, I estimated a spending per diem of around $150-200, excluding petrol, souvenirs and misc buys. We will supplement it with the mighty Visa card if possible. That's $2000 in forex for starters.

It is my hope that we will not spend beyond $5K for the entire trip. But my boss may think differently.

So, what did we pack?

Never believe that Jeju will be balmy despite what folks say about it surrounded by sea and whatnots. We come prepared for land, mountain and sea. To my future self, don't think I am kiasu. I bear the true Singaporean spirit. Always err on the side of caution. 

For hiking:

• What-to-wear: Beanies, gloves, thermal socks, heat-tech innerwear, shirts, woollen sweaters, detachable parkas, lined hiking pants. Some dressy stuff for the city walk.
• Hardware: Hiking sticks, waterproof boots, waterproof backpacks, heat packs, headlights, compass, phone holder.
• Software : Scoot app, Naver app, Data plan, Mapsme

What do we plan to stuff our faces with ?

• Chicken beer, black pork medley, abalone medley. It sounds like a lot of meat but I may learn to like it.
• Maybe some Starbucks or Paris Baguette for the thrill of it being cheaper than Singapore?

Let's see if our tummies are bigger than our gastronomical fantasies.

 

30 Dec 2022 update:

Now back for a week in Singapore, I am happy to note that the 11 days in Jeju cost us about SGD4500, inclusive of air ticket, petrol, gifts, per diem, car and hotel. K-eta is good for another 23 months, IDP for another 11 months. I think SK is calling me again.

I always go to the official government links for data protection and also to avoid bogus charges. Here are some of the useful links and information before my trip :

2 year e-visa for friends of South Korea : K-ETA . Admin charge : 10000 ￦. Use for postal code of 1st hotel or accomodation in the trip.

Register for free 72 hours before entry into South Korea. Qcode or health declaration e-form is a  Covid declaration / vaccination status. Register at KDCA

International Driving Permit or IDP for car rental in South Korea. In person application at AAS (2 Kung Chong Rd, AA Centre, Singapore 159140) takes about 20 minutes. The IDP (with Class B stamp for sedan type driving)  is valid for 1 year from the time of approval.  In person (SGD20) and online with courier (charge) options. 

South Korea Tourist Helpline for English speaking tourist regarding any problems when in SK : Local line 1330. 1330 Help Desk

Lotte Car Rental with payment upon car pickup. To rent, pre-register with passport details to enjoy discounts. Once out of customs, head to Lotte car booth to 'check in ' with email of car rental confirmation. Proceed to bus bay and wait for Lotte shuttle bus to  Jeju Autohouse. Autohouse is the car pick up and drop off point and is 4 km from city center. Lotte Car Rental

Facebook forum for SK travellers "Korea Travel Group"

Hallasan mountain forecast at 1000m and 1950m : Hallasan Forecast

Hallasan trail (live) status: Live Update

Due to security reasons, Google Map cannot work except for 'Transit' option. However, Google Timeline is still able to capture one's activities and locations with some limitations. Use Kakao or Naver (account needed) for traffic conditions and navigation. Naver can be either web based or run as a mobile app. Navigation in South Korea : Naver. 

Food suggestions nearby, use Naver (GPS must be turned on)

Taxi : Kakao T. It works similarly to Grab or Uber. Kakao T runs as a mobile app, prior registration required. Payment can be by cash or online (VISA/Mastercard). Taxis are classified as yellow (regular) or black (executive). Most (yellow) drivers do not pick up a request if it is a short ride. For short distances, the pricier black taxis are likely to pick up a request.