One-day trip to Jeju Olle for foreigners
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Sinpung-ri Village on the East Route as part of “A Day Away Awesome Jeju” / Courtesy of Jeju Olle Foundation
Program offers unique
opportunities to experience
the real local culture
By Chung Ah-young
Many foreigners might find traveling around Korea alone difficult owing to the language barrier and cultural differences, especially when local guides are ill-prepared for non-Korean tourists.
The Jeju Olle Trail, a walking path on Jeju Island, might be one of the spots foreign tourists want to go, albeit not alone. To help foreigners better enjoy the hidden walking routes on the island, the nonprofit Jeju Olle Foundation has introduced a new program tailored for them.
“A Day Away Awesome Jeju” kicked off on Sept. 18 and will continue through Nov. 14. The program offers unique opportunities for foreigners to experience the real local culture, not just the well-known tourist attractions. It is designed to assist the growing number of travelers who are walking on an Olle trail on their own and not with group-based tours coordinated by travel agencies.
“By assisting travelers on the walking trails, we will help them discover special places that are worth seeing but are unknown to most other travelers and give them a chance to spend time with the Jeju people,” the foundation said.
The program is organized by the Seogwipo City Government. The group of programs has selected three routes ― the East, West and South Routes ― from among a total of 25 routes (20 main routes and five sub-routes) for which trained local guides are available to assist foreign travelers.
The Namwon Keuneong Promenade is included on the South Route of “A Day Away Awesome Jeju,” a one-day tour program which kicked off on Sept. 18 and will continue through Nov. 14. / Courtesy of Jeju Olle Foundation
The East Route, titled for the programs as “Feel the Past Jeju,” includes Jeju Olle Trail Route 3, which encompasses Hacheon-ri Baegopeun-dari Bridge, Pyoseon Haebichi Beach, Eomeong Abang Traditional Village, Sinpung-ri Village, Kim Young-Gap Gallery Dumoak and Yongnuni Oreum (inactive volcano). Visitors will be able to experience the natural beauty of volcanic hills along with quiet and calm trails.
The West Route, called “Explore the Historical Jeju,” includes Jeju Olle Trail Route 12, which encompasses Jagunae Port, Yongsu Port, Suwolbong Peak, Jeju Culture & Ecology Experience Village, Mureng Gotjawal (dense forest) and Andeok Valley. Visitors can explore the ancient traces on the island’s nature and history through this route.
The South Route, called “A Walk in Today’s Jeju,” includes Ttarabi Oreum (an inactive volcano), Sinheung Dongbaek Village, Camellia Forest, Jeju Olle Trail Route 5 (Keuneong-Singeumul entrance), Lee Jung-Seop Street and Olle Daily Market. This route offers diverse regional cultural experiences to visitors.
The foundation said all three routes offer travelers a chance to see Jeju’s hidden natural beauty and cultural heritage. With the help of the program’s Olle tour guides who can speak English and Mandarin, travelers departing from Jeju City and Seogwipo City will be able to understand the island’s ecological, historical and cultural characteristics.
Patrick Karl, a foreigner who resides in Seogwipo and operates his own guesthouse there, said, “Most foreigner travelers experience problems with language and transportation, so it is very difficult for them to get to know more about Jeju.”
He added, “Through this one-day tour, travelers can learn more about the ‘oreum’ and ‘gotjawal,’ which can only be found on Jeju Island. I expect that (through these programs), Jeju Island will become a popular destination among global travelers.”
For reservations, visit www.jejuolle.org, click on the “community” tab and then the “A Day Away Awesome Jeju” tab. From there, travelers can confirm their preferred route, place of departure and language and place their reservation. The fee is 64,000 won ($53.56) per person and covers the transportation, tour guide, lunch, experience session in the village and a souvenir.
Travelers are advised to book one day prior to the departure date. Each tour has a maximum of 20 participants.
For more information, call 064-762-2173.