What an amazing trip! I moved to Korea four months ago. This was my first Christmas away from my family and friends. I heard about Adventure Korea on Facebook and decided I would join a trip, so I wasn’t alone for the holidays.
This was my first trip with Adventure Korea, and I’m sure I will join many more trips in the future.
So, Christmas morning, instead of opening my presents from Santa Claus, I was waiting to board a plane to Jeju Island. There were 36 of us on the trip and 2 tour guides. The guides made us feel so welcome and everything ran smoothly.
We arrived in Jeju and boarded our own tour bus! A local guide of Jeju Island welcomed us. She was very kind and offered us warm bread as soon as we boarded the bus! It was quite chilly, so I’m glad we were able to warm up!
Our first stop was Sungsang Sunrise Peak. One word to describe this place… WOW! It was breathtaking. We hiked up a small hill and had a view of the island and the sea surrounding us. It was raining off and on, so we quickly took some beautiful pictures and were on our way.
Next we headed to lunch! We were happily surprised with Jeju’s well-known Black Pork! You could tell that everyone enjoyed the meal because my table was quiet! We were all too busy eating the delicious meat and many sides provided. They even gave us some type of rice wine! It was my first time to try it, and honestly, it was so good! I am not a big drinker, but I enjoyed the taste!
Our next stop was one of my favorites! We visited the Trick Art Museum. This was incredible. There were paintings on the wall that seemed 4-D. You could be a part of a famous painting, act like you were fishing, holding objects, had wings, and many more. Our group took many pictures and really enjoyed this stop!
Our next stop, horseback riding! We all wore cowboy hats and vets! We looked pretty silly, but everyone was smiling! Six people went at a time. First we went slowly around a guided track, and then we went fast! My horse was third in line and wanted to pass everyone in front of me! I was laughing the whole time!
Our final stop before our pension was a museum dedicated to Korean Living in the 60’s and 70’s. There were many rooms full of items and reenactments. There was a classroom that you could take pictures in. You could dress up and pretend to be a student. There were two guns in the room, so I took one to the front and pretended to be a crazy teacher. I’m sure my friends and family will be very surprised by my picture! Everyone laughed at me, and decided to take a similar picture!
We had a day full of excitement and adventure! It was Christmas, so we headed to our pension for our Christmas dinner! I was very surprised and happy with our accommodation! It was right on the coast and we were the only people staying there. We had big rooms, many blankets, and the pension workers made us feel at home. It was like we were staying at a big house! Dinnertime arrived and to my amazement I saw TURKEY! Actually, I saw two turkeys! We had a Korean/American Christmas dinner. The American part included turkey, cranberries, baked potatoes, and sour cream! The Korean part included a pork BBQ, kimchi, lettuce, and many more sides.
After and during dinner, our party room turned into a Karaoke party! After a few drinks, many people enjoyed themselves with a song and some dancing. Even our tour guide got up and sang a song! Even though we all missed our family on Christmas, it was so nice to be a part of this Adventure Korea family.
They next day there were two options… Hiking Halla Mountain or a bus tour. I personally love hiking, so I climbed Hallasan! Only nine of us in total went hiking! It was amazing. We were hiking through the snow. I’m not going to lie when I say it wasn’t easy, but we all made it! We carried are lunch with us and ate it at the top! In all, the hike took us 8 ½ hours!! The sights were worth it! I felt as if I was walking through the movie Narnia. It was beautiful!
We headed back to our pension, shared our stories from our day, ate a delicious meal, had some drinks and sang more songs! Islands life with sweet new friends was awesome!
Our last day, we packed up and headed out. Our first stop, Hallim Park. This was a huge garden with local island plants and many random birds! I’m not a bird person, so I stayed clear! The trees, plants, and statues were so interesting. We also were able to walk through real caves that were called Lava Tubes. I felt like I was at Disneyland, except that these caves were real and not man-made.
We then took a short trip to the Jusangjeoli rock formations. Wow! We were standing on a cliff looking down at the most beautiful rock formations I have ever seen! This was unbelievable. If you ever visit Jeju Island, this is a must see!
Lunchtime! We enjoyed a delicious meal together at a fish restaurant! If you didn’t like fish, there were still many sides for you to eat and enjoy!
Next… LOVELAND! Oh my goodness! I have never laughed so hard! This place is crazy! I walked inside, and the first thing I saw was a penis on the door handle of the women’s restroom! Everyone laughed and took a picture! The whole park was full of sexual statues. Some people were overwhelmed. I just thought it was funny and kept an open mind.
Outside of Loveland was Ghost Road. Our bus driver took us there. The road looks as if it is going uphill, when really it is going downhill. Our driver shut off the engine and we quickly moved uphill (downhill). It was an illusion made by the trees and surrounding area. It was interesting!
Our last stop was a Jeju Island gift shop! Our guides told us a story about the traditional statues in Jeju. One is a warrior and one is intelligent. If you have a set, they make the most powerful man and will protect you. Of course many of us bought the statues! I bought them so I could remember what a great Christmas I had in Jeju!
I just wanted to say thank you to our wonderful guides Mr. Seokjin Park and Samantha. You guys did a great job making my Christmas amazing. I met many new friends, explored an island, and enjoyed every minute of it! I will definitely see you soon!
Adventure Korea is fantastic!
