Jeju Island — whereabout travel co.

Jeju Island, about an hour flight from Seoul, was one of our destinations this summer, and the way we experienced it was perfect and imperfect all at once. While we waded in its beaches' serenely shallow waters and ate and ate and ate, we also didn't climb to the top of its mountain and skipped many vistas, viewpoints, lookouts and outlooks. It's hard to admit, but we didn't see all the things. We did, however, relax -- bask -- in Jeju's glory. So, here's what we did and what we didn't do. The bright side is we have a lot to look forward to for the next time.

Mount Halla, or Hallasan, is Jeju's centerpiece and is technically an active volcano, although it hasn't erupted in 5,000 years. Its crater peak can be seen from anywhere on the island and is topped by a lake, called Baengnokdam, which means "white deer lake." (According to legend, the mystical animal descended from the sky to drink from the lake.) There are several hiking trails on and around the mountain, ranging in difficulty and length. You could spend all day hiking, or just a couple of hours. We did neither, as the beach bums in our group couldn't resist the pristine white sand and still blue waters of the island, and we really couldn't blame them.

For one morning, we did manage to get on street clothes and actual shoes to visit Spirited Garden, the passion project of a single farmer who transformed a 10-acre plot of land too poor for growing crops. In 1969, Seong Beom-yeong began turning the basalt wasteland into a thoughtfully manicured sanctuary filled with hundreds of artistic bonsai trees, tumbling waterfalls, koi-filled ponds and traditional stone sculptures. By 1992, Spirited Garden opened to the public, offering visitors a quiet place to ponder life. It's just one of many botanical gardens on Jeju, where even streets and highways are lined with verdant plant life and the lushest hydrangeas you'll ever see.

Much has been documented about haenyeo, or "women of the sea," the professional female divers -- some in their 80s -- who harvest shellfish, seaweed and octopus from the ocean floor without oxygen masks. Standing in front of them was surreal, like being in the presence of superheroes, albeit ones that bore a striking resemblance to my late grandmother. So I'm sure you could imagine the guilt we felt leaving leftovers on our platter of their freshest catches. (We did our best, but it turns out abalone is unnervingly crunchy when served fresh from the sea.)

If raw abalone isn't your cup of tea, not to worry, café culture is as strong in Jeju as it is in Seoul. Osulloc Tea Museum is renown for its modern design, and in addition to its surrounding tea farm, it also offers a myriad of specialty tea drinks and desserts. Cafés in Jeju highlight their surroundings in creative ways, often overlooking the ocean, gardens or other natural landscapes, which means you can experience nature in the best way possible: while sitting in air-conditioning and downing artisan soft serve.

In addition to beaches, mountains and botanical gardens, Jeju is also famous for its waterfalls. Cheonjiyeon, which means "sky connected with land," was so named because its water appeared to fall from the heavens. The natural wonder is lit up at night, which not only makes for spectacular nighttime viewing, but also illuminates the nocturnal eels that inhabit the pool below. (I can't decide if the eels are a bonus or a tradeoff?)

Would you believe we were waiting for bagels at this very moment? Turns out getting viral bagels is an hour wait -- I'm not sure which one Koreans love more, trends or carbs -- but no matter, when you can pass the time exploring tide pools in volcanic rock. One of the many reasons we loved Jeju is that you are always aware of its natural beauty, whether hiking, swimming, and yes, even carbo-loading.

Seongsan Ilchungbong, or Sunrise Peak, is a volcano that rose from the sea more than 6,000 years ago. Visitors can climb its picturesque wooden staircase to watch the sunrise from its crater peak. Not only did we not make it to the top, we didn't even make it to the bottom. Next time, for sure.

I left Jeju wondering if we should have done more. But when I hear my kids answer the question they've been getting all summer, "how was your trip?", I hear story after story after story. Do we have new stories to tell? Maybe that's all I should've been asking myself. Jeju gave us so many, and we can't wait for new ones the next time we visit. I hope you'll have stories from Jeju Island, too, someday.