Holiday Journal

• Start
•  
• Yurinae
•  
• Yeomiji
•  
• Mount Sanbang
•  
• HwangGeumRyung Burger
•  
• Seongsan Sunrise Peak
•  
• Finish

Yeomiji Botanic Gardens 여미지식물원

Not only does Jeju have amazing views, it also has dozens of museums and stages for concert.

Among them, if you felt the ocean of Jeju, it would be nice to visit Yeomiji Botanic Gardens for once.

Yeomiji(如美地), which refers to a beautiful land, is a botanic garden located in Jungmun Resort Complex where tourists visit at least once.

It has advantage that it's open any time regardless of rapidly changing weather in Jeju.

We were depressed about the gloomy weather again as we got into the parking lot, but we felt like we're in a different country due to northern mood from palm trees on both sides and got curious.

Yeomiji, the biggest botanical garden in the East, has 1700 kinds of plants solely in outer yard of 112,397㎡ and 2,000 kinds in indoor yard as well as its trademarks, this exotic and big enclosed botanical garden and the observatory right after we passed the ticket office.

At that moment, the wind blew from the ocean so we got chilly and had to get inside.

As soon as we got in, the view was so different from what we had expected. First of all, the scene was warm and comfortable unlike outside.

There was a wide square surrounding the observatory, and the space was divided into a few areas according to theme such as Flower Garden, Water Garden, cactus Garden, Tropical Garden, the tropical fruit farms etc.

On both sides of Mystery Garden near the entrance, various plants were side grafted on volcano bedrock walls of Jeju Island and showed the mysterious atmosphere of Gotjawal of Jeju.

Jeju Gotjawal is a natural primeval forest and the only place in the world where southern plants and northern plants coexist, and you could find four places like that on Jeju Island. The imitated look of Mystery Garden made me want to visit Gotjawal so bad.

Okay, that's the first place I'll visit when I come to Jeju next time!

Passing through Mystery Garden, we headed to Flower Garden in the left corner.

Flower Garden had various kinds of herbaceous flowers, flowering trees and climbing plants with different colors grown in tropical and subtropical regions.

It's not only flowers but you could see plants like bracken which is another thing Jeju is famous for.

Was it just me or do this white flowers that I don't even know the nameof actually made this greenhouse bright even in this gloomy day?

The blue vines and flowers bloomed on this dark black basalt from Jeju seem to make each other shine.

After we passed the colorful Flower Garden, Water Garden shows up where different kinds of water plant, a small pond and wetlands are harmonized enough to give us mysterious and refreshing feeling.

Water plants could easily get stinky but this one was very well-maintained and clean enough to make us feel fresh.

Different kinds of water lilies from tropical and temperate regions were floating on water, and you could also see neomarica, nuphar luteum and nymphoides indica from Central and South America and papyrus which might rise your curiosity on 5 different ponds and wetlands nearby.

They also had alligator and dinosaur toys inside for children to have fun watching them. Every garden has a few doors connected to outdoor garden which is convenient.

In Cactus Garden, you could see fleshy plants cacti that is known to have unique leaves and stems to adjust to dry weather and infertile environment.

At the entrance of Cactus Garden, we saw a baobab tree from Le Petit Prince, and aloes in Ant Cave at the exit.

I was embarrassed and sad to see people leaving their names on the wide leaves of cactus in the middle.

Ecosystem of tropical rain forest area was reappeared in tropical Garden with various coconut trees and plants with big and wide leaves like rubber trees for us to feel like we're in the jungle.

Especially, the staghorn fern, which lives attached to the trees, was impressive that it was living while its body was floating in the air.

There has to be something to eat. I've seen bananas, lemons or papayas in the market but never had a chance to see where they come from. When you get in tropical fruit farm, you can easily see how familiar tropical fruits are growing and each tree's fruit was displayed inside a small glass in front of the tree for you to understand better.

Including the fruits of banana trees that look like a tentacle of an alien in movies, most of trees of tropical fruits look quite different from what I had had in mind.

Other than that, the coffee, papaya, breadfruit and guava plants were growing that would be a good experience for both adults and kids.

When you are done inside the greenhouse, get on the elevator in the middle, go up 38m then you will get the whole view of Yeomiji and beautiful scenery of frontal ocean of Jeju Jungmun if you look far away with your chin up.

But the weather was not so good. In good weather, I was told we could see Halla Mountain as well as the coastline nearby AND get a clear view of Marado Island, the southernmost island of Korea.

Coming down from the observatory and getting to the entrance, there is an excursion train (1.2km) waiting for you that occupies 60 people and takes you around the outdoor garden.

It's especially good in windy weather like today. The tour takes about 15 minutes and the cost is 1,000 won.

In the outdoor garden, you could comfortably watch Korean Garden, Japanese Garden, French Garden, Italian Garden and so on.

The colorful flowers and green palm trees for all seasons showed us tropical atmosphere in Sunken Garden and Cycard Garden.

When the big wheel came back to the observatory, the palm trees were rocking from the strong wind of Jeju Island and water stream of pretty fountain in the front yard was gently waving.

Yeomiji Botanic Gardens, where you can see beautiful sceneries and different kinds of plants that you can barely see in your life. Please try to drop by and take a look around if you plan to go to Jeju.

Address : 2920, Saekdal-dong, Seogwipo-si, Jeju-do (제주특별자치도 서귀포시 색달동 2920)

Telephone : 064-735-1100

Opening Hour : 08:30~18:30

Website : http://www.yeomiji.or.kr/

Cheonjeyeon Falls & Chilseonnyeo (Seven Fairies) Bridge 천지연폭포, 칠선녀다리

The small entrance next to the entrance of Yeomiji Botanic Gardens leads to Cheonjeyeon Falls.

Anyone who's not familiar with Jeju would be confused that Cheonjiin and Cheonjeyeon Falls are the same falls but they are not. Cheonjiin Fall is in Seogwipo-si and Cheonjeyeon Falls consists of three cascades in Jungmun Resort Complex but what I'm sure is that both are worth to visit in Jeju.

Cheonjeyeon Falls consists of three cascades and the 1st cascade becomes a fall only when the upper water flows which you cannot see normally.

(I didn't expect this comment written on tour signboard would cause a tragedy later.)

I headed to the right from the entrance and I could see the entrance to Seonim Bridge which is so-called Chilseonnyeo Bridge along with the square.

Large millstone which is half hidden but seen among trees on my way to Seonim Bridge. Large millstone is one of common relics (?) you can find on Jeju Island along with Dol hareubang(stone grandpa). People and animals used to put a piece of wood in a hole and spin the rock in order to pound the grain but it is displayed in one corner of this garden today.

Before we reached the entrance, there was a tower called Cheonjeru on a step. We passed it because we were more into Seonim Bridge that we had peeked a few times passing by in Yeomiji Botanic Gardens. We got closer towards the bridge.

Under the step of Cheonjeru, five animal sculptures wishing for luck, turtle, pig, carp, mandarin duck and dragon were welling its water through their mouths. As I was told the money thrown into the water to wish for good luck will be donated to unfortunate neighbors I threw a few coins and moved along.

Finally we got to Seonim Bridge. It was established with Ojakgyo Bridge style first in Korea, and it is called Chilseonnyeo(seven angels) Bridge because it has seven beautifully and splendidly engraved statues of angels holding different instruments going upto the sky on both sides of arch-shaped bridge.

The arch-style bridge was higher than I had expected. However, I couldn't see Chilseonnyeo from the bridge.

When I look left from the bridge, I could see Cheonjeyeon 1st Fall and Cheonje Bridge and under there, the valley was full of dense bushes.

On the other side, I could see the valley where the third fall is and the foggy view of south ocean of Jeju Island far away. “My gosh…I could see more amazing view if the weather was good…I feel bad." Then I heard someone speaking, “the falls have no water so nobody can see the falls unless it rains" and then I remember the comment on signboard. Bottom line is I misunderstood that 'no water unless it rains' and we turned back without even going down to the falls.

Address : 2232, Jungmun-dong, Seogwipo-si, Jeju-do (제주특별자치도 서귀포시 중문동 2232)

Telephone : 064-760-6331
Opening Hour : 08:30~18:30