Jeju Island

My first ever bikepacking trip (or bike touring, depending on your definition) was born from watching way too many cycling YouTube videos and realizing that I really hate walking (especially when traveling).

On all my previous travels, I noticed a pattern. My feet would inevitably start to hurt very quickly, and I’d often end up renting a bicycle to get around. So it occurs to me that, if renting a bike was already my favorite part of traveling, why not make the entire trip a bicycle trip?

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Before Departure

The first big decision was where to go. I settled on Jeju Island in South Korea. For a first-timer, it seemed perfect. A relatively short route (~250km) laid out as an island loop. It meant I could leave my bike case at my starting point and circle back to it at the end, which could be giant headache.

However, with the destination locked in, there were still so many things to prepare, especially the intimidating task of flying with a bike the first time. But with the power of the internet, I figured everything out, got the gear and supplies, and headed straight for the airport. The planning was over, the real challenge was about to begin.

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Day One – Jeju-si

After landing at Jeju airport, my first mission was baggage claim. My duffle bag appeared quickly, but my EVOC bike bag was nowhere to be seen. There wasn’t an oversized luggage area. A flicker of panic set in. Just as I was about to ask for help, an airline employee wheeled the bag out and handed it right to me 🥰

With all my gear retrieved, I walked out of the airport and into the less-than-ideal weather. The plan was to wheel my bike bag to a nearby shop I’d booked to store it for the week. On Google Maps, it was only a 10-minute walk. In reality, with the wind howling and a cold rain falling, that 10-minute walk turned into a bit of a struggle. Fortunately, it really was close by.

The shop, Bike Trip, was closed when I arrived. But this was expected. The owner had kindly emailed me the passcode to get inside, so I let myself in and stored the bulky bike bag. Nice and easy.

Now for the first real challenge: assembling my bike. For some reason, I decided to do it outside instead of inside the shop. It felt like I wasn’t supposed to be in there. Also there was more space and better light outside. It took me about half an hour to set up the bike and attach all my bags and panniers. About halfway through, the rain started, and I found myself scrambling to get everything done.

During that time, I met a lady from China returning her rental bike, an English gentleman who had just completed his own loop of the island, and a cat from inside the shop, which made a daring escape from the shop before being swiftly caught by the English gentleman.

With everything finally set up, I was ready. But the sun was already setting, casting long shadows on the wet pavement. I had 13 kilometers to pedal to my first night’s accommodation.

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Day Two – Ongpo-ri

Day two greeted me with more of the same: fierce wind and heavy rain. The route was short, only about 20 kilometers from Jeju City to Ongpo-ri, and that turned out to be a blessing.

Fueled up with breakfast from a neighboring cafe, I got back on the bike and head out.

The downside was slow progress. My hands went numb from constantly gripping the brakes on the slippery roads. But there was an upside: because the route was so short, I never felt rushed. I even had time to stop at a small cafe along the way to escape the downpour and enjoy a nice cup of coffee.

And even with the weather, I was enjoying myself. The roads were practically empty, there were barely any cars or people around. The island felt so quiet (you will notice a theme here after finished reading), and I felt like I was really on holiday—a world away from my usual busy city life.

When I finally arrived at my accommodation for the night, the host ran out to greet me in the downpour (it’s possible she just wanted to make sure I understood the rules, haha). I was freezing, soaked through my entire body even with a rain jacket. But when I stepped into the room, the heater was already on. This was probably the most heart-warming moment of the entire trip, and I was so thankful for the kindness.

Dinner was at a nearby restaurant, which was also super quiet—I was the only customer. Maybe it was because I was so hungry, but the food tasted incredible. The owners were also super nice and gave me some sweets afterward. I quickly returned to my warm room and fell asleep.