Jeju - The Isle of Wight of South Korea

The language barrier and ethnic homogeny clearly delineate South Korea from Great Britain, but in other ways this East Asian republic isn't a million miles away from England (actually, only about 5,400 miles). Take a look at this scene from Jeju Island, for example:

How am I managing to survive in such an alien environment?

South Korea is also roughly the same size as the UK and even its coastline doesn't look all that different, with South Jeolia jutting out to the south-west like some kind of Cornwall, and South Chungcheong basically being Wales. I guess that makes North Korea the Scotland of Korea? I can't see any problem there.

That means idyllic and slightly backwards Jeju Island, the southest you can get, is an ideal candidate for the Isle of Wight of South Korea - not its Hawaii, as the tourism industry wants you to think. Anyway, what's Hawaii got that the Isle of Wight hasn't? Exactly. Stop talking, I already said 'exactly,' which closes the debate.

Here's more stuff from Jeju.

Jeongbang Waterfall

(정방폭포)

Another nice waterfall, and another one that was free to enter.

I am so ace - take that, South Korea's tourism industry! I love your country really

Look, a magical rainbow! (Dispersion of light of different wavelengths, etc.)

Seobok Exhibition Hall

Seopjikoji

(섭지코지)

A heck of a lot of Asian tourists made the pilgrimage here, apparently due to the location featuring in a Korean TV drama.

British people would never base their holiday plans on something so trivial

I don't even think that's a real church

Seondol rock and pleasant cove

Why is the lighthouse crying?

Yakcheonsa Temple

(약천사)

This impressive historical temple was built way back in the 1990s

Great Hall of the Virochana Buddha, and some tangerines

Supposedly the largest prayer hall in Asia. I'm not going to dispute that

Dave was in a cave again again

I've spent enough time in Asia not to be terrified by temple swastikas any more

Jungmun Beach

(중문해수욕장)

It's just a beach. Where dirt meets water. But I had a nice paddle

Folk Village

Another insight into traditional Korean life

Authentic down to every last detail

I'm the one on the right. No wait... is that me on the left?

Jeju pig. Sleeping, not dead

This one's dead though.

Maybe that's why the lighthouse was crying? I'm a very bad man