“The Hawaii of Korea”

“Jeju-do” is the Korean term for Jeju Island, which is only one of 9 Provinces of Korea and happens also to be the largest of the 3,000 islands surrounding South Korea. The name of the island can also be written as Seju or Chejuand English language travel brochures, articles, and geography and history books use all of
these spellings. The name, especially Jeju-do means "Place of the Gods", referring to the foundation myth of the local ethnic group that three male demi-gods named "Koh, Yang, and Boo" arose from the ground and created the Jeju population. At the same time, the Korean mainland tale began with the belief that three goddesses created the Korean people, althguh this was changed to male gods later..

Located an hour away from Seoul by airplane, Jeju-do is an exotic locale that can easily be combined with travel to the Capital. Becoming more well known in the 21^stcentury, while remaining somewhat isolated from tourist mobs, Jeju-do has developed into a honeymooner's paradise. The island offers a very mild climate by the seas, enjoys four definitely different seasons, but with an average yearly temperature of 59 degrees F (15 degrees C).

“Jejo-do” covers an area roughly 45 miles by 26 miles and dates back eons to when lava erupted out of the sea and formed a land mass. Additional volcanic eruption formed Mt.Halla or Halla-san, creating South Korea's highest peak. Korean martial arts form patterns (hyung or other terms in Korean or kata in Japanese) have been written and performed for decades in dedication to a largest mountain or an oldest tree.

At the top of Mt.Halla-san is a crater full of beautifully clear water, about half a mile wide. This is Paengnoktam and means the equivalent of water where white deer play. It is said that Jeju-do Island women dive into this crater for sport from their teen years well into advanced age. Summer months comprise the peak tourist season on Jeju-do and besides tropical honeymooning