Geoje is an island located off of the south east coast of Korea in Gyeongsangnam-do Province, about an hour's drive from Busan. It's most famous for its beautiful beaches and hiking locations. The island is smaller than the more well-known Jeju Island, so I recommend this location for a day trip or weekend getaway. As I live in Seoul, I decided to travel to Busan and find accommodation there and then take a day trip to the island. I could also enjoy Busan for the remainder of my stay which was great!
Whilst it is possible to get to Geoje from Busan by bus, I would suggest driving or taking part in a tour instead. Having lived in Korea for almost 3 years, I'm quite good at finding my way around and travelling, mostly thanks to the amazing public transport here. However, I will admit that there are some limits to travel, especially if you don't have a driving licence or car! In that case, I check out which tours are available and if they offer something I can't do or access myself (for a reasonable price) I definitely think they're worth it. This way, you can easily visit some of the main attractions and beauty spots without any worry or stress about long wait times and random bus schedules. So, if you are interested in a tour, I can highly recommend this one offered by Klook. The tour guide was so friendly and took care of everything, including tickets, timings and even our lunch menu.
I don't want to make this all about the tour, but seeing as it covered the majority of the most popular tourist sites on the island, I will be talking about those in detail here.
Oedo Botania
Oedo Botania is a botanical garden located on the island of Oedo in Geoje. Starting out over 30 years ago as a private garden, today it is a botanical garden that covers the entirety of the island. There are several smaller gardens that have different themes and styles, but it perhaps best known for its European and Mediterranean-themed gardens cast against the backdrop of the blue ocean. There is so much to see all year round, with spring being the best time to visit if you want cooler temperatures and a multitude of flowers. Having said that, I visited in October and as you can see from the photo above, the weather was still warm and sunny, and the garden still has a lot of colourful flowers to offer.
Tickets are very reasonably priced at 11,000 won for an adult, and there are toilets located around the island, as well as a cafe which offers a variety of beverages and snacks which you can enjoy whilst taking in the stunning sea view. The cafe is rather small so you might not be guaranteed a seat inside, however there are a few picnic style benches outside with equally lovely views of the garden. There is also a stall near the entrance to the garden selling melon flavoured ice cream which I can highly recommend!
Seeing as it is located on an island, the only way to get there is via the ferry. There you can take the ferry from various ports and these are listed on their website. In general, the ticket price for an adult seems to be around 22,000 won so you'll have to add this to the cost of a ticket for garden entry. I think it depends which ferry you take, but our ferry offered its own small tour during our journey to the garden. On the ferry there was a tour guide who gave us some information about the sights, however this was in Korean. There was also an opportunity to feed the seagulls up on the deck, and we had a look at famous landforms along the way. And don't worry if you get sea sick because you can purchase some medicine from the ferry port ticket office before you leave.
I'll also mention food here because that's just as important when you're travelling around. We visited a restaurant near the port called '해금강횟집' (Haegeumgang Sliced Raw Fish Restaurant) which serves a variety of Korean seafood dishes with fresh seafood caught in Geoje. There are several raw seafood and sashimi dishes on the menu which can be ordered for a group or for an individual. There's also a seafood soup which I can highly recommend, however it is a group size serving, which I did not realise when ordering! Either way, I almost finished it myself because it was so delicious. All dishes are served with traditional Korean side dishes too.
Windy Hill
Windy Hill on Tongyeong, Geoje is not only famous for its gorgeous views and quirky windmill, but also for being a filming location in a few famous K-dramas. As you may have guess, this place got its name from being rather windy due to its location, however we visited on a very calm day so the wind was not a problem. It's a great place to enjoy the view of the ocean and surrounding islands, but you as it's located at the end of Dojangpo fishing village, you will also walk through part of the village and enjoy the scenery there. There are a few cafes and restaurants nearby, and you can take a walk through the forest or along the hills.
Maemiseong Fortress
This is a location with an interesting story. Named after Typhoon Maemi which hit in 2003, the fortress was built by a local citizen who lost farmland and wanted to protect his crops in the future. Construction took about 20 years and consisted of stacking stones on top of one another and filling the gaps with cement. Built without any blueprint, the structure is very impressive and reminds us of the castles we may see from Medieval Europe. As you walk around the fortress you'll see some of the finer more intricate details which make it a very unique place to visit.
This place is also great to visit if you'd like to spend some time on the beach and by the sea. There are also several gift shops, cafes and food stalls to peruse as you make your way from the car park to the fortress.
