Jeju Day 4: Manjanggul Cave and Sunrise Peak

Jeju Day 4 

It was our last full day on the island and boy did our bodies ache from the previous day's hike. As I woke up and tried to get out of bed, my legs felt like jello. It was impossible to walk without wincing at the pain! On our itinerary today we had one beach, Manjanggul cave, and Sunrise peak. We decided to try out the Shilla brunch buffet. After all the hype and about 50,000 won person, I would have to say it was worth it! Walking very slowly around the restaurant, I tasted all kinds of foods. There was the usual brunch options like waffles, pancakes, and breads, but surprisingly no egg station. In addition to the norm there was a salad bar, sushi, dim sum including xiao long bao, noodle station, a meat station with sausages, teriyaki chicken, and steak. After brunch we got in the car and drove about 30 minutes to Pyoseon beach. This beach is known to be very long. The water was not as blue as the other beaches, but if you are looking for sand this one is it. We didn't stay long since we weren't able to walk and going up and down stairs felt like torture. 

Pyoseon Beach

Next stop on our trip was Manjanggul cave. This cave is a famous lava tube and it stretches 13,522m. Only 1km of the tunnels are actually open for tourist. As we walked from the parking lot to the entrance of the cave, I was already tempted to turn back to the car. More flights of stairs to get down to the cave itself, I didn't know how long I would be able to last. Alas, we only lasted about half way when we decided to turn back. The caves themselves were very interesting. It was like going into Jurassic park. There's a definite temperature drop as you walk underground so bring a light jacket if you get cold easily. It is also quite damp so make sure you wear slip proof shoes and watch where you're going.

Manjanggul Cave

Sunrise Peak

After the caves we headed to Sunrise peak. Obviously we weren't going to make it for the sunrise, but we opted for the sunset instead. To get to the peak however it was another hike up a small mountain. Both Alan and I were in pain so we decided to just take the view in from afar and watch the sunset. It was pretty cloudy, but we had some nice break throughs. Unless you go on a super clear day, I heard that the sunrise is also hit and miss with the clouds obscuring the views. 

To end our somewhat relaxing day, we of course had to try the local delicacy, Jeju black pork! This restaurant was recommended by our hotel and it was just up the street. It was a small restaurant just on the side of the road. Regardless of its location it was jam packed with people so we had about a 20 minute wait. It was totally worth it. This restaurant specializes in the neck part of the pig called moksal. Other places will have the belly of the pig or samgyeopsal if you prefer that part. We prefer the neck since it has less fat and more meat. Plus it usually comes with a great dipping sauce. Yum!

Stay tuned for the last day in Jeju!