After our time at the beach, we were off to our next and 4th destination for the last day of our
Jejueco day tour (just before lunch) -
Seongsan Ilchulbong/Sunrise Peak (
성산일출봉).
Seongsan Ilchulbong, as with all natural formations on
Jeju, was formed by hydrovolcanic eruptions about 5,000 years ago. Its volcanic cone is 600-meters wide and 90 meters tall, and its crated lined with 99 rocky spires that resemble a crown. In addition to its appearance, or rather, because of its appearance, it was name as one of the
7 wonders of nature in the world in 2011 (
UNESCO Natural World Heritage). So needless to say, it would not be a surprise to see busloads of tourists at the carpark planning to make their way up to the peak.
 |
| Everyone was hogging the monument at the entrance, so I had to wait till after we had come down from the peak to get a ‘clean’ shot of the just the monument. |
There are 2 suggested paths to reach the peak, where the view is said to be magnificent. I can’t remember which path we took, but the trail leading up to the peak was well maintained and quite manageable with proper steps to lead us along our way.
 |
| Map and directions |
 |
| hmm... which route shall we take? |
However, despite there being steps, they were still steep, but at least the path was one of the most even paths that we had walked that day (e.g. no rocky paths nor muddy roads). The path uphill to Seongsan Ilchulbong comprises steps of varying steepness.
 |
| A look-back of the the path we have taken so far... The steps here were a little uneven, so remember to wear shoes with good grip! |
 |
| Some more steps that are more even and smooth (they didn't make the hike any easier though lol) with a few hurubangs along the way |
 |
| More steps!! |
Note: If you are tired and looking for a place to rest those aching feet, not to worry as there are benches and pavilions along the hiking trail up to Seongsan Ilchulbong for you to rest. Toilets are also available along the way should you need to use it. However, it might be best to use the one at the bottom of Seongsan Ilchulbong as the toilets may get quite crowded with limited cubicles.
The weather that day was just nice, not too sunny and not too cold with a slight cool autumn’s breeze blowing in our faces. There was quite a crowd that day, but as the area was quite large, the further up we went, the lesser people there were. Hiking up Seongsan Ilchulbong was supposed to be quite manageable, but being the non-active people that we were, and having walked almost all morning, we hiked midway and then gave up got distracted at the souvenir shop on the way up. All in all we spent about 2 hours or so at this attraction, with lots of stops for photo taking, posing and admiring the scenery around us.
 |
| If you want, you can ride the horses. The day we went, the horses looked tired and overworked so we gave it a miss. |
 |
| View from (midway) up the peak |
 |
| Another view (midway) up the peak |
 |
| The souvenir shop where we stayed the most and bought a couple of souvenirs! |
 |
| After walking earlier in the day and having climbed thus far, we decided to just stop here and chill at the souvenir shop while DramaQueen and MX went up lol |
 |
| And while we were waiting, another shot of the view (higher up but not quite there at the peak) |
 |
| View of the sea |
 |
| If time permits, you could also catch the Haenyo (Jeju female divers) in action on your way down from Seongsan Ilchulbong. They perform at two timings – 1.30pm and 3pm. There is a separate trail that leads down to where the action is. |
Note: As Seongsan Ilchulbong is also known as Sunrise Peak, like its name suggests it is one good place to catch the magnificent morning sunrise over the sea. In order to be in time to catch the sunrise, do make sure that you wake up early (as early as 3am!) to make the drive there and hike up the peak to catch the sunrise.
 |
| My little reminder of my time in Jeju and Seongsan Ilchulbong/Sunrise Peak 성산일출봉 |
 |
| The back of my little souvenir: the ahjumma was nice to even add hearts to my little wooden keychain! |
Entrance Fees:
Adult: 2,000 won
Children: 1,000 won
Opening hours:
From 1 hour before sunrise until 2000 (winter) and 2100 (summer).
Closed during inclement weather.
Related Posts
When travel collides with a byte, a unit of information made up of bits, TravelBytez is formed: snippets of ramblings on travel, food, shopping, living and anything else that comes to mind.
0 comments :
Post a Comment