Living on Jeju Island I didn't expect to be taking day trip to other islands, but the opportunity to do so is more than you may think. Earlier this spring I went with a few friends to Biyangdo, an island off the west coast of Jeju, and last weekend I checked another island off my list, Gapado. On the southwest corner of Jeju Island there are two more small islands which are open for tourism. Gapado and Marado are visible from the coast, and can be reached by a quick 15 minute ferry ride. I've been told to visit Gapado in the spring to see the fields of green barley so last weekend we finally made the decision to go. Similar to my time in Biyangdo there were really only two motives for this trip - eat and complete Olle trail 10-1, circling the entire island. I had researched a few different options for food before arriving, and was drawn immediately to a simple kimbap restaurant. As the boat arrived tourists took off in every direction, many I'm assuming for fancier seafood restaurants or one of the many cafes. Thankfully, no one followed in our footsteps and we were one of only two guests at the small restaurant. It's no secret that I love Kimbap, and thankfully I have a boyfriend who just says yes to whatever I suggest. The restaurant served bori (barley) kimbap, which makes sense for an island filled with the plant, and it was as delicious as it looked. To go along with the kimbap we ordered a seafood pancake which was enormous, and then of course after having a few bites I realized we mine as well get a makeolli to go along with it. Overall we ate (and drank) more than was necessary, but it was all delicious and I left the table satisfied. Although curling up in the fields of barley for a nap would have been very much welcomed, we still had an Olle trail to complete so it was time to begin the walk. The trail covers a good portion of the island, winding along the perimeter and then cutting diagonally across to the other side, so you're able to see everything. Same as Biyangdo there were signs marking spots from drama and movie filming locations, but I was unfamiliar with all of time. Ironically last week I was watching a drama where the lead couple wound up in Gapado for an overnight, so it was neat to see a place I had been on screen. Our ferry ticket came with a prebooked return departure time, and unless we sprinted through the second half of the trail there was no way we were going to make it. I knew there were additional boats and assumed (hoped) we would be able to exchange our ticket for a later one. Honestly, we had no other choice as we were on the opposite side of the island from the ferry terminal. Again it was interesting to see Jeju island from a different point of view, but overall Gapado didn't leave a huge impact on my memory. I'm pretty confident the food and random dog we saw with dark permanent marker eyebrows drawn on were the highlight of the trip. If you have additional time during your visit (or stay) in Jeju island, I would say a trip to Gapado is worth the time and effort, but I probably wouldn't go out of my way to get there. It was nice for a change of pace, but there isn't much to write home about. A handful of restaurants, maybe one or two guesthouses, tons of cafes and more of the beautiful nature that you can always be sure to find in this corner of Korea.
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AsiaKoreaWhere to start. After living on and off in this country for nearly 10 years I have memories, experiences and stories galore. I'll now always be a bit partial to the Land of the Morning Calm. Filled with delicious foods, beautiful nature and friendly people, I'm always happy to return. Archives
June 2023
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