Jeju 2026

Our first trip to Jeju was back in October 2022, when Lucas was just about a year old.

That holiday was split between Jeju and Seoul, so we only spent a few days on the island. But those few days left quite an impression on us. We loved the coastal scenery, the relaxed atmosphere and how everything seemed to move at a slower pace.

We enjoyed Jeju so much that we always thought it would be nice to return someday.

Three and a half years later, we finally did. Except this time, Ethan was coming along too.

Instead of combining Jeju with another destination, we decided to spend our entire holiday on the island.

Back to the Island

We flew direct from Singapore on Scoot, taking a red-eye flight that departed just after midnight.

Travelling overnight with two young boys might not sound particularly appealing, but thankfully, Lucas and Ethan managed to sleep through most of the journey. The lack of in-flight entertainment wasn't much of an issue for them.

We arrived in Jeju early the next morning, ready to start our week on the island.

One of the biggest changes from our previous visit was deciding to rent a car.

Back in 2022, we relied on taxis and private-hire transport. This time, with two boys and a full week ahead of us, having our own car seemed like a better option.

We rented a Genesis GV80 from Lotte Rent-a-Car, which conveniently delivered the car directly to the airport for a small additional fee.

It was also my first time driving a left-hand-drive car.

I got used to it surprisingly quickly. The roads were straightforward to navigate, parking at the tourist attractions was generally easy, and the boys were already familiar with longer road trips.

The only thing was that speed limits seemed to be everywhere, so we spent quite a bit of time driving rather slowly around the island.

Our First Little Home in Jeju

Since this was a road trip, we decided to split our stay between two Airbnbs in different parts of Jeju.

The idea was to explore nearby attractions from each accommodation, keeping most drives within 30 minutes to an hour rather than travelling across the island every day.

Our first Airbnb was a two-storey house near the sea in Gujwa.

It was clean, well equipped and comfortable for our family. The sleeping area was upstairs, with mattresses laid out on the floor for all of us, although we had to be careful with the boys going up and down the stairs.

There was even a projector downstairs, which we used for movie nights after returning from our daily activities.

The only drawback was the location in the evenings. There weren't many restaurants or cafés within walking distance, so we usually had to drive out or arrange takeaway.

But staying in for the evening suited us just fine.

Over the years, Joanna and I have learned not to plan too much into a single day when travelling with the boys. We prefer slower mornings, a few activities during the day and time to relax back at our accommodation in the evening.

Trying to squeeze in too much usually ends with two tired and cranky boys.

And Jeju, with its slower pace and the freedom of having our own car, seemed like just the place for this kind of holiday.

The one thing we hadn't quite prepared ourselves for was the wind.

We found out just how strong Jeju's wind could get during our visit to Aqua Planet.

A Very Wet Visit to Aqua Planet

It was raining heavily when we arrived at the aquarium, and the wind was so strong that using an umbrella was practically impossible.

Thankfully, we had rain ponchos for the boys.

The walk from the car park to the aquarium was only about five minutes, but under those conditions, it felt much longer.

One boy was sitting in the stroller while I carried the other, and we were trying to get everyone inside as quickly as possible.

Not exactly the most relaxing start to an aquarium visit.

Once indoors, things were much easier.

Aqua Planet was a decent-sized aquarium, with some interactive areas and a small playground for younger children. Lucas and Ethan had fun exploring, although I can't say there was any particular exhibit that stood out to me.

If anything, the part I remember most was that five-minute journey from the car park.

Sometimes, getting to an attraction with two young boys turns out to be more of an adventure than the attraction itself.

Picking Tangerines and Feeding Black Pigs

One activity we specifically wanted Lucas and Ethan to experience was tangerine picking.

Jeju is famous for its tangerines and black pork, so we thought it would be fun to include something a little different from the usual tourist attractions.

We visited Choenamdan Tangerine Experience Farm.

The farm wasn't particularly large, but the boys had plenty to keep them occupied.

We got to cut tangerines directly from the trees, and naturally, both boys wanted to help with the cutting.

They weren't content to just stand around watching us.

There was also an area where we could feed black pigs, which kept them entertained too.

It was a fairly simple outing, but exactly the sort of hands-on experience we'd hoped to give them.

And we came away with some of our favourite family photographs from the trip.

Back on the Ecoland Train

Ecoland was another place we wanted to revisit.

We had been here during our first Jeju trip in October 2022, when Lucas was just about a year old.

Three and a half years later, we were back on the same forest train, this time with Ethan joining us.

Both boys had fun on the ride.

There was also a separate paid area where we could feed ponies and alpacas, which gave them another chance to get close to the animals.

But what I remember most about returning to Ecoland was being able to look back at our photographs from 2022 and compare them with the ones from this trip.

In the earlier photos, Lucas was still a little baby.

Now, here we were again, with both boys.

Same attraction, same train, but a rather different family holiday.

After three nights at our first Airbnb, it was time to pack up and move to Aewol for the second half of our Jeju holiday.

And this turned out to be one of the best accommodations we've stayed in during our family travels.

The House with the Garden

It wasn't anything particularly extravagant, but everything about the house worked well for us.

It was clean, comfortable and thoughtfully equipped. Being a single-storey house also meant we didn't have to worry about the boys going up and down stairs.

There was a parking space right outside the garden, which made loading and unloading our things convenient.

We also liked the location. The house was within a small town, with cafés, restaurants and other amenities just a short walk away.

After a few nights of having to drive almost everywhere, being able to walk out for dinner was a welcome change.

But the highlight was definitely the garden.

Lucas and Ethan loved having their own outdoor space to run around and play.

We didn't have to plan anything special to keep them entertained. They were quite happy blowing bubbles and playing outside.

I also remember introducing the boys to badminton here.

Nothing particularly organised. Just us playing together in the garden, without having to worry about getting somewhere or following an itinerary.

Our Evenings in Aewol

Some evenings, we'd walk around the neighbourhood and find somewhere nearby for dinner.

One of our meals included abalone porridge, seafood soup and grilled mackerel.

Other times, we'd simply order fried chicken and eat back at the house.

The boys could carry on playing while Joanna and I relaxed after being out for most of the day.

We've stayed in quite a number of hotels and holiday homes over the years, but this Airbnb genuinely ranks among our favourites.

It wasn't just the garden, although that was definitely the highlight.

It was how the house, location and outdoor space all came together to suit our family.

By the time we checked out, we knew this was somewhere we'd want to stay again.

Of all the attractions we visited in Jeju, Arte Kids Park was one that genuinely impressed me.

Saebyeol Friends, on the other hand, gave us a rather different kind of experience.

A Morning at Arte Kids Park

We visited Arte Kids Park on a weekday morning, and fortunately, there weren't many people around.

The place was huge, with plenty of different activities and room for Lucas and Ethan to explore. We could easily spend at least three hours here.

What amazed me most was the artificial indoor beach.

It wasn't just a beach-themed playground. They actually used real sand, and it was incredibly fine and soft under our feet.

Walking on it felt lovely.

The funny thing was that the sand was almost too fine.

We tried building sandcastles, but getting the sand to hold its shape was surprisingly difficult.

So much for our sandcastle plans.

Another activity the boys really liked was fishing for toy fish. They spent quite a bit of time there, along with exploring the other play areas.

With hardly any crowds that morning, we could let them run around and play without constantly moving them along.

Arte Kids Park turned out to be one of our favourite attractions of the holiday, and it's somewhere I'd happily bring the boys again.

An Overly Enthusiastic Sheep at Saebyeol Friends

Another place we visited was Saebyeol Friends, an outdoor animal park where visitors could get close to and feed the animals.

Unfortunately, we happened to visit on a particularly cold and windy day.

Most of the park was outdoors, and after walking around for a while, Joanna and I were honestly quite ready to head somewhere warmer.

The animals, on the other hand, seemed completely unbothered.

They were also very interested in whatever food we were holding.

Some would walk right up to us looking for something to eat, and a few were rather enthusiastic about it.

Especially one sheep.

That sheep was so eager for food that it became a little overwhelming for Ethan.

It was quite a contrast to the calmer animal encounters we'd had earlier in the trip.

The boys still had fun feeding the animals, but between the cold wind and that particularly hungry sheep, we were more than happy to call it a day.

As our week in Jeju came towards an end, we spent our remaining time enjoying a few more meals, doing a little shopping and taking things easy.

One More Korean BBQ

One of the foods we had been looking forward to was Jeju's famous black pork.

I remember one particularly enjoyable Korean BBQ dinner where the restaurant staff took care of grilling the meat for us.

That's one thing I really appreciate about Korean BBQ in Korea.

Instead of having to cook everything ourselves, we could just sit back and enjoy the food.

And with two young boys at the table, anything that makes mealtimes easier is always welcome.

For our final night, we moved to a simple hotel closer to the airport, ready for our flight home the following morning.

Until Next Time, Jeju

When we first visited Jeju in 2022, we'd left wishing we had more time to enjoy the island.

This time, we got to spend an entire week here.

There were familiar places to revisit, new activities for the boys, a few battles with Jeju's cold wind, and plenty of time spent doing nothing particularly exciting back at our accommodations.

We didn't see everything, and that was perfectly fine.

There are still places on the island we haven't explored, and I wouldn't be surprised if we found ourselves returning again in a few years.

And if we do, I already know which Airbnb I'll be checking for availability first.