Day 3 — 19 October 2026 (Monday)
A Rainy Morning, Beautiful Gardens, Waterfalls and a Grand Temple
As usual, I woke up around 6 am. The others soon joined me, and we enjoyed a light breakfast at our Airbnb with some food we had bought from a convenience store the previous evening.
It had been drizzling overnight, and the rain continued when we set off at around 8:30 am. Our original plan was to visit Soesokkak Estuary, about an hour and fifteen minutes away.
An Unexpected Coffee Stop
Along the way, we stopped at Four B Café near a church, initially just hoping to use the toilet. However, we discovered that the facilities were reserved for customers.
Since the café looked rather inviting, we decided to stay for coffee instead.
It was a spacious café with plenty of seating and a lovely garden view. We ordered coffee, a bagel sandwich and a crusty bagel to share.
We were the first customers that morning, but more visitors soon arrived, some heading into the garden to take photographs. It seemed to be quite a popular coffee stop.
Naturally, we couldn’t resist taking a few garden photos ourselves!
Camellia Hill — A Garden Full of Surprises
Since we were nearby, we decided to visit Camellia Hill before continuing to Soesokkak Estuary.
What a lovely decision it turned out to be!
Camellia Hill is a beautifully landscaped botanical garden, with winding pathways, colourful flowers, peaceful ponds filled with koi fish, and gentle waterfalls.
There were picturesque corners everywhere, from flower-lined paths and interesting sculptures.
Even under the overcast sky, the garden felt peaceful and refreshing. It was the kind of place where you could simply wander at your own pace, enjoy the greenery and discover something interesting around every corner.
We spent longer than expected exploring the garden and taking photographs. By the time we left, it was already 12:10 pm.
A Delicious Lunch at Keun Gil
Just ten minutes later, we arrived at Keun Gil, a nearby Korean restaurant serving various noodle dishes and homemade pork cutlets.
The portions were generous, accompanied by plenty of side dishes, and everything tasted delicious.
The pork cutlets were particularly memorable — beautifully crispy on the outside, yet tender and juicy inside.
It was a satisfying lunch before continuing our sightseeing.
Soesokkak Estuary — A Quiet Afternoon Stop
We finally arrived at Soesokkak Estuary around 2 pm. The estuary is where freshwater from the surrounding streams meets the sea, creating a scenic waterway bordered by dark volcanic rocks and lush vegetation. Visitors can enjoy the scenery from the walking paths or explore the calm waters in kayaks and traditional wooden rafts.
There weren’t many visitors when we arrived, although we spotted a few people enjoying the water activities.
To be fair, we didn’t find the place particularly exciting. Perhaps the cloudy weather made it less impressive than expected. After a brief look around, we continued our journey.
Jeongbang Waterfall — Where Water Meets the Sea
At around 2:45 pm, we arrived at Jeongbang Waterfall, one of Jeju’s most famous natural attractions.
What makes this waterfall special is that it plunges approximately 23 metres down a volcanic cliff, with the water flowing directly towards the sea. It is one of the few waterfalls in Asia known for this unusual setting.
We bought admission tickets and made our way to the viewing area.
Unfortunately, it was quite crowded, making it difficult to take photographs without other visitors appearing in the background.
Nevertheless, we managed to capture a few photographs and videos before moving on.
Sojeongbang Waterfall — A Smaller, Quieter Neighbour
At around 3:30 pm, we visited Sojeongbang Waterfall, just about six minutes’ walk from Jeongbang.
Unlike its famous neighbour, Sojeongbang is a much smaller waterfall cascading over the coastal rocks towards the sea.
Admission was free, and there were very few visitors. Although it was peaceful, we found the waterfall rather ordinary compared with Jeongbang.
After a brief stop, we continued our afternoon sightseeing.
Yakcheonsa Temple — An Impressive Buddhist Sanctuary
Our next destination was Yakcheonsa Temple, which we reached around 4:30 pm.
Yakcheonsa is a large Buddhist temple complex on Jeju’s southern coast, known for its impressive architecture, towering main hall and elaborate Buddhist decorations.
The main temple building was particularly striking. Its spacious interior, beautifully decorated ceilings and magnificent Buddha statues gave the place a grand yet peaceful atmosphere.
We explored both the lower and second floors, admiring the architecture and intricate details.
It was certainly an impressive place to visit and a pleasant change from the gardens and waterfalls earlier in the day.
A Warm and Authentic Korean Dinner
At around 6:20 pm, we stopped for dinner at a small Korean restaurant near our Airbnb called 지서개식당.
The restaurant was run by a friendly lady who appeared to be managing everything herself.
There were two other groups of diners, both seemingly locals. One table appeared to be regular customers, as one of them even helped the lady boss serve us some side dishes!
We ordered pork belly and spicy fried pork, accompanied by the usual generous selection of Korean side dishes, sauces and seasonings.
The lady boss later came over to our table and personally showed us how to cook the meat properly.
It was such a warm, down-to-earth dining experience. The food was delicious, the prices were very reasonable, and the friendly atmosphere made us feel welcome.
Sometimes, these small neighbourhood restaurants offer the most memorable meals of a trip.
After dinner, we made our usual stop at a nearby convenience store to buy coffee, cakes and something light for the following morning’s breakfast.
Then it was back to our Airbnb for a well-deserved rest.
