Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Jeju Island, Korea: A Nature Lover's Paradise



Jeju Island off the southern coast of Korea is a nature lover’s paradise offering spectacular natural wonders like volcanic craters, impressive lava tubes, waterfalls that fall straight to the ocean and great hiking trails on Korea’s highest mountain, Hallasan.

Blessed with spectacles of nature created by volcanic eruptions, the entire island and its lava tubes were designated as World Natural Heritages by UNESCO in June 2007.
The lava landscape, blending odd-shaped rocks and caves, ponds, volcanic humps and craters, dry lands and great fields of grass is dotted with diverse and rare floral and fauna species.

Sunrise Peak (Seongsan Ilchulbong) is a dramatic volcanic crater which rises majestically from the ocean. Visitors to the island climb to the peak to enjoy the spectacular sunrise view from the top of a huge bowl-shaped crater set against a background of crystal clear seas. You may be lucky to also see the famous Jeju women divers (haenyo) who often collect seafood in the seas around here.

See the lava wonders of Manganggul cave, the largest lava tube in Asia. It is an immense natural conduit formed by the lava which flowed through to the coast some 200,000-300,000 thousand years ago. Its around 5 metres in width and 7.4 km in length. Visitors can enjoy the stalactites, lava pillars, lava shelves and swirling walls along its length.

Mt. Hallasan, the extinct volcano that rises to 1,950 metres in the centre of the island has a crater at its top. Mt. Hallasan is home to more than 1,800 species of plants, nearly half of the 4,000 species found in the whole country. There are several enjoyable walking trails from around 2-5 hours in duration where hikers can enjoy the amazing views down to the coast.

A new brochure detailing Jeju’s volcanic craters and lava tubes as well as an excellent walking guide to the pathways along the beautiful coastline around Jungmun Resort have recently been released. Request your free copy by email today and explore Jeju Island’s natural wonders very soon.

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