Peel Off Southward for a Fruity Vacation

Should you stay in Seoul as the fall air turns increasingly cold and winter sets in? Or should you take a trip to the warm, southern resort island of Jeju? It's like comparing apples and oranges. Or in this case, apples and tangerines.

On Jeju Island, it is the peak of the season for tangerines (called gamgyul in Korean). If you like the idea of traveling to Jeju island for a mini-vacation where you can pick your own fruit and enjoy some nice weather, Daejangjung travel agency has a package just for you.

During November, you can buy the "Eoksaekkot Package," a tour that includes air tickets, accommodation for two nights at a tangerine farm and a 48-hour car rental, for just 142,000 won (about $110) per person. The deal gets even better for families. For instance, for a family of two adults and two children, the package works out to just 108,000 won per person. That is less than the regular price of round trip airfare for a round-trip to Jeju. However, once a reservation is made, you cannot change your schedule.

Flight

The tour starts at Gimpo Airport on Wednesday at around 8:40 a.m. and ends at Incheon International Airport on Friday at 12:30 p.m. When you are budgeting for the trip, don't forget to add the extra cost of transportation from Incheon Airport. Also, if tour participants miss their flight due to any reason, there are no refunds or exchanges possible. For those who want to depart on a different day of the week other than Wednesday, the price is about 50,000 won per person more expensive.

Accommodations

Participants in the tour stay at Gamgyulnara, a small hotel with 22 rooms, next to a small tangerine farm. The farm is about a 10-minute drive from the Jungmun Resort Complex on the west coast city of Seoguipo. The resort complex contains several tourist attractions such as Jungmun beach, Cheonjiyeon falls, and Yeomiji Botanical Garden.

At the tangerine farm hotel, the rooms may not be opulent, but they are neat and equipped with a bathroom and basic appliances such as a television and a refrigerator. In the hotel, there is also a guest kitchen, stocked with cooking utensils, for families who want to cook their own food. Simple groceries are available at a convenience store in the hotel. Guests can use a noraebang (karaoke room) at the hotel for free for up to half an hour. It's likely that "Tangerine," by Led Zepplin. is not available.

Shear Fun

Guests at the Gamgyulnara hotel can pick and eat as many tangerines as they want at the farm. Pruning shears and baskets will be provided for tangerine picking. The hotel also has some bicycles available for its guests, free of charge, to explore the tangerine farm. Throughout the island, there are many other tangerine farms that offer various kinds of tangerines at low prices. Many of the farms charge a small fee for admission. Typically, a box of tangerines (about 3.75 kilograms) costs 4,000 won.

Car Rental

People taking the tour can pick up a rental car at Jeju Airport and return it to the airport on the last day of the tour. All the cars available for the package program use inexpensive propane. About 20,000 won to 30,000 won worth of gas should be enough for your trip. In order to rent a car, you will need a driver's license and at least one year of driving experience. For more information, visit www.daejangjung.co.kr or call 02-3481-4242.

by Jang Jae-myeong