[Digging Travel] Heal Post-Holiday Fatigue with an Autumn Trip to Jeju

④ Jeju Emerging as an Autumn Travel Hotspot
Golden Silver Grass Scenery in October, a Spectacle Crafted by Nature
Eco-Friendly Healing Stays and Hallasan Hiking in the Spotlight

As the cool autumn breeze stirs the footsteps of travelers eager to go anywhere, Jeju, having passed the peak summer season, is gaining attention as a new autumn travel destination by showcasing golden silver grass and various healing programs.

Jeju is attracting attention as a new autumn travel destination by featuring golden silver grass and various healing programs. The photo shows the view of Sanbangsan from the silver grass field at Songaksan.
[Photo by Jeju Tourism Organization]

With the long holiday break bringing rest and healing to the forefront, Jeju's healing places, accommodations, and local eateries targeting travelers who find long trips burdensome and MZ travelers sensitive to the self-gifting trend are being newly spotlighted.

Golden Silver Grass at Songaksan and Pink Muhly in Namwon-eup

Centered around the airport, there are distinctive Jeju-specific options based on regions that attract travelers: the left course connecting ‘Aewol~Hyeopjae~Seogwipo,’ the right course passing through ‘Gujwa~Seongsan~Seogwipo,’ and the ‘Jeju 1100 Highland’ road drive course that cuts through the center of Jeju.

In October, during autumn, silver grass waves across the entire Songaksan area, blending with the wind and sea to create shimmering golden waves. Looking beyond the coastal path from Yongmeori Coast to Sanbangsan, where the sea and silver grass merge, one can see Marado and Gapado, capturing the pure autumn scenery in both sight and memory. The silver grass waves at Aewol Eoeum-ri and Saebyeol Oreum also boast stunning views that stop passing travelers in their tracks.

Pink muhly is emerging as a new tourist resource alongside silver grass. The sixth annual Pink Muhly Festival at Hueree in Namwon-eup, Seogwipo City, has already become a famous spot and festival through SNS, where visitors can take memorable photos against the backdrop of Jeju’s blue autumn sky and pink muhly.

A colony of yellow cosmos in full bloom on Gapado Island.
[Photo by Jeju Tourism Association]

A Quiet Island Full of Flowers, I Want to Visit Gapado

Gapado, seen across the sea from Songaksan, is a must-visit essential course. The clusters of yellow cosmos flowers filling the fields warmly welcome travelers who happen upon this island within an island. Yellow cosmos resembles the Korean cosmos in appearance but blooms slightly later in the season and differs in leaf shape, making it fun to compare the two. Yellow cosmos leaves are divided into multiple branches like mugwort, while Korean cosmos leaves are long and smooth.

Named Gapado because its shape resembles a stingray (Gapari) geographically, this small island looks like a flat stingray floating on the sea when viewed from the sky. The flat 0.84 km² island, without any uphill paths, is filled with vibrant yellow cosmos, cannas, and various wildflowers, facing Sanbangsan, Marado, and Hallasan in the distance. Passenger ferries operate seven times daily from Moseulpo Unjin Port, with the first ferry at 9 a.m. and the last at 3:50 p.m.

For travelers who enjoy activities, Jeju Jet in Jungmun, Seogwipo City, is a great choice to dynamically experience the Jusangjeolli cliffs on the waves. The higher the waves, the more thrilling the jet boat ride, which matches Jeju’s strong winds and waves, offering a roller coaster-like excitement. The Jusangjeolli cliffs in Jungmun Daepo Village, formed about 60 million years ago by rapidly cooling lava from a volcanic crater, feature hexagonal columns reaching 40 meters high and 1 km long, making it the largest scale on the Korean Peninsula. Viewing this spectacle from the sea gives the illusion of watching a 3D ink wash painting. Jeju Jet operates from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., with a boarding fee of 20,000 KRW per person.

Wellness program at Wi Hotel, Korea's first health resort offering professional medical services from Hallra Medical Foundation's 'Wi Hospital' along with hotel services.
[Photo provided by Wi Hotel Jeju]

Healing Stay, Hiking & Spa Package for Mothers and Wives

Along with the self-gifting trend, healing programs for those physically and mentally exhausted from holiday preparations are also popular. WE Hotel Jeju, which offers 5-star hotel services combined with healthcare services from WE Hospital, is gaining attention by presenting a ‘Healing Stay Package’ for mothers and wives who work hard during the holidays.

The package, which includes a one-night stay in a Superior Room with a panoramic view of Hallasan, breakfast buffet for two, carbon or hydrotherapy for two at the Medical Spa Center, two cocktails at the Azalea Lobby Lounge, and a choice of one wellness program from four options for two people, allows guests to enjoy rest and healing in one place, resulting in high satisfaction.

The wellness programs to choose from include ‘In the Forest,’ a forest experience class filled with phytoncides where guests can enjoy stretching, meditation, and forest play; ‘Morning Awakening Yoga,’ a morning activity that awakens the body through yoga poses; ‘Aqua Calming,’ which offers therapy through water flow and singing bowl vibrations and an underwater meditation experience; and ‘Crystal Singing Bowl,’ a sound therapy that relaxes the body and enhances natural healing power through the sound and waves of singing bowls, experienced physically rather than just heard. These programs operate as scheduled classes and are booked on a first-come, first-served basis. Additionally, guests can freely use the natural volcanic bedrock water swimming pool, outdoor jacuzzi, and fitness facilities for a variety of experiences.

The ‘Hiking & Spa’ package, which allows guests to recover from fatigue with a medical spa after a beautiful hike on Hallasan, is also available until December 31.

The ‘Hiking & Spa’ package provides a round-trip shuttle bus to the entrance of the Yeongsil Trail on Hallasan for a safe and comfortable hike, along with a trekking kit including two bottles of Samdasoo water, cookies, and tangerines to aid the hike. After hiking, guests can relax and recover by receiving carbon spa therapy at the Medical Spa Center.

The Yeongsil Trail on Hallasan is a 5.8 km course taking about 2 hours and 30 minutes, known as the shortest and most beautiful section of Hallasan trails. It is the easiest trail to climb on Hallasan, with the upper Seoreum area reachable in about 1 hour and 30 minutes, making it a highly recommended healing course even for beginners without overexertion.

Jjaturi meat and soybean leaf wraps at Saekdal Donsol, a black pork restaurant in Jungmun, Seogwipo. Recent research has confirmed that soybean leaves are more effective than soybeans in preventing arteriosclerosis, diabetes, and weight gain.

Special Kongnip Ssambap and Leftover 'Dwitgogi' Enjoyed at Local Favorite Restaurants

After various experiences and healing, seeking out ‘local favorite restaurants’ where you can taste dishes unique to Jeju becomes a way to cherish special travel memories. ‘Saekdal Donsol,’ a black pork restaurant in Jungmun, Seogwipo, is a genuine local favorite hidden in a residential area down narrow alleys, with its main menu being ‘Jjaturi,’ known as black pork punch meat.

‘Jjaturi’ refers to the ambiguous leftover parts during the butchering process of pork by cuts, also called ‘Dwitgogi’ (back meat). The nickname comes from the fact that dealers secretly take out only the tasty parts for separate trade. Here, thick jjaturi is pre-grilled in an oven and served to customers. When the large chunks of meat are slowly cooked before the juices escape and wrapped in kongnip (soybean leaves), a unique flavor emerges from the combination of salted fermented anchovy sauce and the texture of pork. In Jeju, kongnip has been used as an ingredient since old times, enjoyed as much as perilla leaves, especially from summer onward.

According to research by Dr. Jeong Tae-sook’s team at the Industrial Bio-material Research Center of the Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, administration of kongnip extract significantly reduced lesion accumulation in the aorta and major factors inducing arteriosclerosis, as well as decreased fat accumulation in liver tissue and hepatocytes, showing high effectiveness in preventing arteriosclerosis and fatty liver. How about tasting the ancestral food culture that recognized the value of kongnip earlier than soybeans, along with Jeju regional cuisine?