Ø Udo og vulkanen Ilchulbong

Udo is a small island just 15 minutes by boat from the mainland. Our original plan was to rent a scooter and drive around Jeju-Do ourselves, but unlike many other countries, they insisted on an international driver's license to be covered by insurance. You can rent both a scooter and a car without an international driver's license, but if an accident happens, you have to cover yourself... So we were unfortunately relegated to the local bus. Fortunately, this turned out to be no obstacle to enjoying this island and its many attractions. 47.5 km from Jeju-Si is the ferry to Udo. The bus costs 3,000 won per ticket and takes approximately 1 hour and 20 minutes. The ferry takes both cars and people across, so if you've rented a scooter on the mainland, just bring it with you. The ferry ticket costs 5,500 won round trip per person. Over on Udo there are 5 transportation options: Bike, scooter, ATV, golf cart and hop on/off bus. We chose the hop on/off bus for 5,000 won per ticket. It turned out to be a good choice, except for the fact that ALL communication is ONLY in Korean. From the first stop at the Lighthouse, you can walk all the way along the top of a cliff to a small bay where the famous Haenyeo women live. You have the most beautiful view from the top of the cliff, which you can enjoy all the way. If you had rented a vehicle, you had to go back again after that. We could just hop on the bus and go on our way. The Haenyeo women practice an ancient tradition of free diving for pearls lying at the bottom of the sea. The profession will die out when this generation of old grandmothers is no longer around. Their daughters don't want to follow in their mothers' footsteps. The work is hard and is also done in winter when the water is cold. We had lunch in this small bay where the water hit the rocks hard so we had a beautiful view of the most amazing meal consisting of 2 grilled fish, mussels, rice and 6 side bowls of vegetables. It all cost only 25,000 won. The bus picks people up every 30 minutes. We continued towards 2 beaches, one of which is a white coral beach, the only one of its kind in all of Korea. Udo doesn't have beautiful white beaches all around. It is mostly a rocky island with beautiful views of the area, which is acquired by fishing. Back on the "mainland" again, we headed on foot towards the extinct Ilchulbong volcano. This means you can walk all the way to the top and look down into the overgrown crater hole. Admission costs 2,000 won per person. South Korea has everything under control. The hiking routes on Udo and the ascent on Ilchulbong were both made so you can't slip. They put rubber in the grass - super smart. The last part up the volcano has nice stairs. It looks like Koreans over 40 think a lot about equipment. They represent the latest North Face catalog. The younger generation thinks a lot about looks. The women climbed the volcano in high stilettos and mini dresses. The men wore patent leather shoes. There are 260 steps to the top, which takes 20-30 minutes each way, so you'll work up a sweat :o) We had dinner at a small Japanese restaurant. Often the menu doesn't say that the dish is big enough for 2 people, so it pays to reorder if you can eat more. Unfortunately, we ended up with way too much food on the table - so we certainly didn't go to bed hungry. This Japanese restaurant had a wide menu that offered unconventional dishes. We chose huge chili shrimp and different kinds of sausages with accessories. 33,000 won for 2 courses. It tasted amazing. The small Japanese restaurant is located on the corner in the same street as Bagdad Cafe, which is recommended in Lonely Planet. So there are 2 good restaurants close to each other to choose from :o)