Driving Around Udo Island: A Day Trip in Jeju
My mom came to visit Jeju, so we decided to take a trip to Udo (a small island nearby). Before heading out, we grabbed a cup of coffee, played with a cute neighborhood mutt, and took a quick peek at Seongsan Ilchulbong (Sunrise Peak) from the free admission area.
To get to Udo, you obviously have to take a boat. So, we drove toward Seongsanpo Port. I actually learned for the first time today that you can bring your car onto the island. Rental cars usually aren't allowed, so I never needed to know before. Since my car was brought down from Seoul and doesn't have a rental license plate, we were allowed to board. (Though I did see a few rental cars boarding, so maybe they aren't completely banned.)
You shouldn't arrive right on time; you need to get there early. You have to fill out a boarding declaration form and load your car onto the ship in advance, so arriving at least 15 minutes early gives you peace of mind. I naturally assumed loading a car would be more expensive than a passenger ticket, but the car was actually much cheaper. The math wasn't quite making sense in my head, but neither was expensive, so I just let it go.
As we were loading the car onto the ferry, there were surprisingly a lot of vehicles. True to their sailor nature, the crew would immediately yell if you didn't drive exactly to their liking. Trembling, I turned the steering wheel exactly as instructed, obeyed their every command, and only then was I able to get out of the car.
It's about a 10-minute ride, and even though we didn't have any food, the seagulls followed the boat. Maybe fish come up to the surface when the ferry passes by, because they chased us from start to finish. I really should have bought some Saewookkang (shrimp crackers) to feed them.
As soon as we arrived on Udo, we tried to drive a lap around the island, but there was so much road construction going on that it was basically a one-way street. I started thinking we didn't really need to bring the car, especially since the very first thing you see upon arriving is scooter and bicycle rental shops. They call them scooters, but they can fit two or three people and have full canopies, so as long as you don't drive too fast, they seem pretty safe.
When we arrived at Udobong (Udo Peak), which has the most to see on the island, the first thing we noticed were the horses. They aren't just grazing; they're giving tourists rides around the area. I couldn't even focus on the scenery because all I could see were the horses. If I come back next time, I'd love to ride one around, though I wonder if it might be expensive.
Walking all the way up Udobong might be tough for anyone with bad knees, but a short, light stroll is perfectly fine. As long as you successfully dodge the horse poop, the path is nice and the views are beautiful, so I highly recommend taking a leisurely walk.
When you think of Udo, peanuts are definitely what it's famous for. So we went into a shop run by a local cooperative, but wow, the peanuts cost almost as much as meat! They said it's because recent bad weather has kept production low. I picked up a large bag, then quietly swapped it for the smallest one. We walked in acting like big spenders and walked out feeling small, like typical Seoulites.
The main things to watch out for on Udo are the scooters and bicycles. The roads are narrow and allow two-way traffic, making it hard for cars to pass. It would be fine if the scooters just drove slowly, but since people are excited to be on vacation, many speed around on their scooters and bikes. It's an environment where fender benders can happen all too easily, so you really have to drive defensively.