If you are someone who likes “off the beaten path” travels and are looking to avoid the crowds…. I’ve got an adventure for you. Chuja-do is group of islands off the northern coast of Jeju-do and is South Korea’s best kept secret. It actually ends up being about halfway between Jeju-do and the Korean. This tiny island family is home to 3000 people and includes 1 elementary and only 1 convenience store*.
*In Korea, it is not uncommon for most cities to have dozens of convenience stores that stand on every street corner. So having only one convenience store on the entire island means it is truly tiny.
Most people traveling to South Korea don’t even know about Chuja-do. The only reason I became aware of it’s existence was because of the Olle trails. I am currently hiking my way through Jeju island via the Olle trails. Olle trail 18-1 winds it way through Chuja-do’s vacant shores and I decided I was up for the challenge.
Since it is such a remote island and not exactly a prime vacation destination there is only one ferry a day that goes to and from Chuja. Because of the timing of the ferry schedule, you essentially have to plan to stay overnight on the island after hiking the Olle trail. This made for an even greater adventure.
In this blog post, I want to share with you my experience traveling to arguably the most remote destination in South Korea.
How to pack
I packed v light. Like, I didn’t even bring a change of clothes. I decided I could cram everything I truly needed in my pink Sun Hyker day pack, although its not technically an overnight bag. The minimalism approach worked well for me, although not everyone would be keen on wearing their sweaty hiking clothes for two days straight. I guess I’m an animal….
In this tiny bag I fit my DSLR camera, a hammock that I borrowed from a friend, a kindle, my journal, deodorant, a toothbrush and toothpaste, sunscreen, sunglasses, a water bottle, a change of underwear and socks, ID, money, and a spare set of contacts. That is literally all I brought with me, and it was honestly sufficient for my short stay.
Make sure to bring some form of locally accepted identification (passport or ARC if your an English teacher like me) to get on the ferry. I learned this the hard way, as I was turned away about a month ago from getting on the ferry without proper ID. I also got out 50,000 won in cash which turned out to be super helpful. Some of the restaurants and the ferry terminal took credit cards, but it was good to have cash on hand for the motels and some of the smaller, local restaurants.
How to get there:
I started my day bright and early by catching the 8:00am 182 bus into Jeju-si. I transferred at Jeju girls middle school and hopped on the 422 to take me the rest of the way to Jeju Ferry Terminal. The whole trip took almost an hour and half from Seogwipo-si. I had no idea what the ferry schedule was, but I turned out to be spot on with my timing. I strolled into the ferry terminal at exactly 9:25 and saw there was a 9:30 ferry leaving for Chuja-do. After purchasing my ferry ticket for 11,000 Won, I jogged with one of the crew members to make it aboard the Queen Star 2 in time for its prompt half past nine departure.
The ferry journey was an hour long and it was quite a nauseating affair, if you get seasick easily I would recommend having those bands with you or bringing some ginger ale or ginger altoids for the ride. For the entire hour I clutched my little barf bag and tried to focus on the horizon. I ended up not vomiting, but all in all it was a pretty miserable ride.
Hiking the Olle trail
When the boat finally arrived, I was thrilled to have set foot on dry land. I be-bopped over to the lone convenience store on the island to purchase some water and snacks for the trail and then set off on my expedition.
The olle trail is 18.2km long spanning the entire perimeter of Chuja-do. It is the absolute most difficult Olle trail I’ve done to date. There is a never ending amount of oreums (small extinct volcanoes) to climb. I felt like I was constantly going up hill or down hill. There was a time around 3:00 pm when I realized I was only halfway done with the trail and I honestly felt like I was never going to finish. All in all in took me 8 hours to complete the 18.2km which is a record slow pace for me.
I think there are multiple reasons it took so long. I was already planning to stay overnight so I wasn’t in a rush to go anywhere and therefore really savored the trail. I stopped and took loads of pictures, sat on rocks jutting out of the coast to soak in the views and put my feet in the bright blue water of a tucked away cove that I had all to myself.
Along with being the most difficult, this is also the most remote and rewarding trail thus far. I literally was spoiled with spectacular panoramic coastal views from the first 5 minutes into my hike. I felt constantly bombarded with views of the Chuja island complex from every possible angle. The waters surrounding the island didn’t disappoint either and were a vibrant turquoise hue. What made the experience even cooler was the fact that I didn’t have to share this beauty with anyone. I only saw a handful of other hikers throughout my 8hr long trek and had such a lovely sense of peace and being one with nature.
Trail logistics:
The remote-ness of the trail also means that there are no shops or restaurants to be found along this Olle. Before you leave the initial port town at the start of the trail, make sure you stock up on enough food and water to last you for the entire grueling 8 hrs. There were actual covered bathrooms every 2km or so and I ended up using the sink water to replenish my hydration stores when they ran low. This worked out beautifully for me because I like to pack light and don’t enjoy carrying multiple liters of water on my back all day.
Another fact to note is that this Olle is not as clearly marked as most of the other trails. There were several times when I would come to a fork in the road and wasn’t sure which path to take. I usually just guessed and then would have to backtrack if I didn’t see any markers. I never got truly lost, but I recommend being extra attentive throughout this trail.
Where to stay
The ferry from Chuja-do to Jeju-do leaves at 4:30pm every day. Due to the rigorous Olle trail, it is unlikely you would be able to finish the trail in time to make the ferry back on the same day. Thus it is recommended that you plan to stay overnight. I was v much on board with this plan because I knew I would be exhausted after the long day of traveling and hiking.
There are plenty of motels in town and even a Chuja-do Olle guesthouse, which would likely require advanced reservations. I brought a hammock and was initially considering just hanging it up somewhere and spending the night under the stars. While this does sound like a romantic idea, when it came time to call it a day, I got a little sketched out about just posting up like a homeless person. And being a solo female traveler, just vulnerably hanging out in my hammock for anyone to snatch didn’t seem like my brightest idea.
I didn’t have any advance reservations but was able to easily find a room at a motel. It was a little bit difficult to tell where the motels were because I can’t read the Korean alphabet. I wandered up and down the main drag once and then decided to ask the man at the CU for helping finding a place to stay. He spoke very limited English but was able to muster out “next, next”. Those words, along with his helpful gestures directed me two buildings down to the closest motel.
I was able to purchase a room for the night for 40,000 Won. The motel had a double bed, a bidet toilet, a tv, hot water shower and even a little balcony overlooking the port. It was perfect and everything I needed to recover from my draining day in the sun.
Chuja-do was such a memorable weekend trip from Jeju and I cannot recommend it enough. If you love hiking, swimming and off the beaten path travel- spending two days on this island will replenish your soul.
