Bagdad Cafe
Among Jeju’s non-Korean dining options, this stylish Indian restaurant in the bustling city hall district is the best. Owner Hyun Ju-ryeong imported chefs and tandoor ovens from India to ensure the authen-ticity of the smooth chicken makhni (buttered chicken) and the fluffy naan.
1186–16 Ido2-dong,
Jeju-si
82-64/757-8182

Drink:
Tobabangsok-e Changdokdae
Places on Jeju to drink makkolli, the milky white booze favored by Korean farmers, are becoming rare as it loses popularity among younger people. But at this second-floor restaurant with a warm, lodgelike in-terior, you can still get it served in stout wooden bowls. Downstairs is a fine tea shop. To find it, go three blocks south from the T.H.E. Hotel, turn right, and look for the sign that says
“Jeju Famous Liquor Drinking House.”
283–4 Yeon-dong,
Jeju-si
82-64/742-8700

See:
Geumneung-seokmulwon
Chang Kong-ik is the most renowned sculptor of dolharubang, the phallic stone men that stand guard at nearly every corner in Jeju. At his sculpture park just outside the fishing village of Hallim, you’ll find dozens of variations on the figure, plus stone representations of traditional Jeju villages, creation myths, and a journey through the underworld. If you’re lucky, you might even run across Chang himself, hammering away in his quarry.
1282–9 Geumneung-ri,
Hallim-eup

Jeju Loveland
The most infamous of Jeju’s tourist fantasias is a collection of 140 sculptures, most in glossy white plaster, on various sexual themes. The pieces were created by graduates of Hongik University’s art program and range from giant labia to humping dogs throwing the victory sign. At night, it’s utterly surreal.
680–26 Yeon-dong,
Jeju-sisi
82-64/712-6988
jejuloveland.com

Art Space C
This contemporary gallery space features rotating exhibitions of work on themes related to Jeju and Korean culture. In late summer, the gallery will feature an exhibition of work by painter Hong Sung-dam, offering a Korean perspective on the controversial Yasukuni shrine honoring the war dead in Tokyo.
1295–13
No-hyung dong,
Jeju-si
82-64/745-3693
artspacec.com

Do:
Oiljang
Jeju’s sprawling traditional “five-day” market is the best place to see seafood caught by the haenyeo, plus a staggering variety of other goods, from hand-forged knives to ginseng root. It runs only on days of the month that end in 2 or 7 (hence the name). The entrance is on the main highway south of the airport.

Seongsan Ilchulbong
The view of dawn atop this imposing crag of volcanic rock off Jeju’s east coast earned it the English name Sunrise Peak. If you miss the solar spectacle, it’s also a good place to see the haenyeo offshore during the day. It’s in Seongsan village, and is impossible to miss from Highway 1132.
82-64/784-0959

 

"Jeju-Do, Korea" originally appeared in the July/August 2008 issue of Culture+Travel along with the article "Lady Good Divers." For a complete list of articles from Culture+Travel available on ARTINFO, click here.