Welcome to Jeju Island (Jeju-do)! This stunning, tropical island, just south of mainland South Korea, is a wonderful first taste of South Korean culture with a unique volcanic landscape and Korea’s highest mountain Hallasan, hidden in a veil of mist, just waiting to be climbed.
Why is Jeju a great family friendly travel destination?
Formed by volcanic eruptions millions of years ago, the unique highlights of this warm and friendly island are its sandy beaches, numerous hiking trails and a plethora of modern tourist attractions from adventurous scuba diving and zip lines to tamer Teddy Bear museums.
A family trip to Jeju is an excellent holiday choice for people living in Asia with direct flights to dozens of Asian air hubs as diverse as Malaysia, Japan and Thailand. The main airport just outside Jeju City is only a one hour flight from Seoul Gimpo Airport (the airport closest to central Seoul) and easily doable for even the youngest of travellers.
Jeju is famous for stone statues like these.
Why stay in a Log Cabin on Jeju Island?
Jeju was once a pristine and unspoilt subtropical island but sadly today, whilst it’s a major tourist destination for Koreans, much of its landscape has been marked by industrial sites, huge ports and ugly commercial buildings. A rustic log cabin hidden away in the woods is the perfect place to experience a taste of nature and get away from the crowds of holidaymakers. Some log cabins are situated within a short stroll of a beach, others are tucked away in the rolling hills of the island’s centre.
Log Cabins
Why are log cabins perfect for families?
Imagine affordable family accommodation with private bathrooms, plenty of outdoor, modern conveniences all set within a rustic cottage. Log cabins provide it all. Most log cabins are grouped together in a very social setting so you can make the most of mingling with other holidaymakers and the kids can have a good play in a safe, contained, outdoors environment. There are cabins dotted around Jeju Island to suit every family size and budget. As the lodges’ remoteness is a huge part of the appeal, your own transport is very desirable. It is easy to rent cars from the airport as long as you have a valid international driver’s licence.
Where we stayed?
During our 4 days on Jeju Island, we stayed at Log Park located about 25 mins from Jeju City/ Jeju International Airport. This beautiful collection of rustic wooden cabins surrounded by tranquil forests was the perfect location for us. As a family of four, the two-room log cabin was ideal. We absolutely loved the spacious cabins and well-maintained grounds. After months cramped together in small Asian apartments in crowded cities like Bangkok and Hong Kong space was exactly what we were looking for.
Our stay at Log Park was made especially enjoyable by the friendly and thoughtful staff. Although only some employees speak English, everyone was kind and generous to us. The delightful owner, Youngchan Kwon, moved from Seoul, the busy capital of South Korea to the backwoods of Jeju Island ten years ago. He started building his dream business – a complex of wooden holiday homes. A gifted handyman Youngchan Kwon has built over 50 wooden cabins as well as a café/ shop.
Now he has finished building the resort, he still carries on with his passion for woodwork crafting beautiful wooden boards. Of course, we had to buy one to take home with us – cheese and crackers anyone?
Our Log Cabin on Jeju
Our cabin was picturesque, spacious, well-equipped and extremely family-friendly.
Downstairs in the open-plan area, there was a very comfy king-size bed, a kitchenette (for Korean-style cooking obviously – bring your own knives and forks!!) complete with microwave, hob, rice cooker and crockery. Also downstairs, there was a TV, two shower rooms and my favourite – a lovely covered porch with a huge, wooden table and benches overlooking the attractive communal lawn.
Upstairs on the mezzanine floor, there was another large double bed and a double mattress on the floor. Great as it meant that we could give the kids their own separate beds and avoid squabbles. Like all good Korean accommodation, the cabin has ondol (underfloor heating) meaning you can visit at any time of year and always feel toasty. There’s aircon in both rooms as well in case it gets a bit sweaty in the summer.
Facilities in Log Park
Log Park had a fantastic range of family-friendly facilities including BBQ facilities, a lovely grassy garden, a well-stocked shop selling ramen noodles, freshly brewed coffee, snacks and wine – yeh! Outside, there was a firepit where guests gathered in the evening. If it’s a rainy day (we had two), the cable TV has kids’ TV channels in English and of course, free Wi-Fi was available both in the cabin and in the cafe.
Outdoor dining area. Great for picnics!
LogPark even had its own small shop.
Great fire pit for chilly evenings!
Amazing Women of Jeju Island: The Haenyeo (female free divers)
A statue of one of Jeju’s famous female divers.
Throughout history, women on Jeju Island have gathered food from the sea to survive. Not content with just fishing from the shore, the hardy locals have been free diving with spears and nets for centuries. Catching a bewildering collection of seafood from shellfish, octopus, sea cucumbers and seaweed, these strong and courageous women are celebrated for filling the kitchens and markets on the island with nutritious and delicious freshly caught foods.
Freediving is a dangerous and highly skilled occupation. Nowadays, adrenaline junkies pay for the thrill of free diving but on Jeju, there are still thousands of inspirational women in their 50s and 60s diving to provide dinner for their families. The brave women who partake must be incredibly fit and able to hold their breath underwater for up to two minutes whilst diving to depths of around 20m to collect seafood. Wetsuits and oxygen tanks are relatively new inventions so were out of reach of the tens of thousands of Haenyeo women who dove in the 1950s and 1960s when it was a huge industry on Jeju. It was and remains a perilous occupation.
Jeju Island is dotted with hundreds of statues and monuments to these fearless and bold women.
Local attractions on Jeju Island
Petting Farm
Right next door is a wonderful little petting farm. Set in beautiful gardens and just a short stumble from our log cabin, this small hands-on farm had the children entertained for hours. There are the usual farmyard animals including a horse, goats, sheep and hens that the children are taught how to feed. We were in luck and there was a litter of tiny newborn piglets hidden away in the pigsty and we also caught the tail-end of a child-friendly sheep-dog show.
Watching the goats at the farm.
Korean wildflowers at the farm on Jeju Island
More Local Attractions
Tropical Hallim Park
They say that if you want to see all that Jeju offers in one morning visit Tropical Hallim Park! Okay so it’s a tad touristy in places but if you’re into horticulture or just short on time it makes for a relaxing day out. Set in 80 acres, the park contains Hyeopjae and Ssangyong caves which were formed when Mt. Halla erupted. Part of the longest single cave system in the world (according to their brochure), the 500m part that is open to the public had our kids entranced as we crept through them pretending we were looking for bears!
We also really enjoyed the Jae-Am Folk Village, a collection of traditional thatched cottages had been moved here for preservation. The children had a great time spotting runaway peacocks in the bird park and us adults gained a new appreciation for Bonsai trees!
Hyeopjae Beach
A wonderful beach where sand dunes meet rock pools formed by the solid volcanic rock. It is a fantastic place for children. Our kids loved exploring the rock pools and found dozens of hermit crabs and of course, splashing in the sea. The absolute highlight was the ‘sinking sand’ which we found by accident! Walking along we spotted the sand bubbling several metres inland intrigued we looked closer and fell in… After that we couldn’t get the kids to leave for hours as they pretended again and again that half their body had disappeared.
The boy with no legs!!!
Jeju Stone Park
If you like volcanic rock then a quick visit to the Jeju Stone Park is both informative and amusing. The owners not only teach you about geology but they also have invented stories – yes really- about the lumps of rock in the garden. A lovely place to wander around with kids.
Further afield, you can hike up Mount Hallasan, visit some stunning natural waterfalls, lounge on dozens of beautiful, sandy beaches and explore a crazy number of expensive tourist attractions.
Our visit to Stone Park Jeju was watched over by hundreds of stony eyes!
Family-Travel Tips for Jeju Island
-Number 1 Jeju travel tip (born from our own mistakes) is DON’T FORGET your international driving licence. You are not allowed to hire a car without an international driving permit (get one from the Post Office in the UK).
– shop in supermarkets like E-mart and Lotte world if you’re self-catering
– be prepared for rain!
– learn some Korean/ get a good translation app
– BBQ! Get the ingredients to do it Korean-style. Load up on the kimchi, sauces, dipping salt, salad leaves, lots of meat, borrow a barbeque and devour your feast on your cabin’s porch.
This post is not endorsed, sponsored or paid for by LogPark cabins in any way. All the opinions in this post are entirely my own.
If you’re feeling inspired to plan a family holiday to South Korea, don’t forget to check out our posts on The Perfect Day in Gyeongju with Toddlers, Why South Korea is a Great Family Travel Destination and our Top Tips for Seoul with a Toddler.
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8 Comments on “Why Jeju Island’s Log Cabins are Perfect for Families”
The cabins look amazing!
They were – absolutely perfect for a break with family or friends. You should definitely take a trip to Jeju next time you’re in Korea.
This sounds like such a fascinating place! Those log cabins sound really cosy and in such a great location. The mud looks interesting, my kids would absolutely love that! Thanks so much for linking up with #FamilyFriendlyStays, this is such a perfect place to include.
Thank you for reading. Yes- the Log Cabins on Jeju are perfect for #FamilyFriendlyStays. Our children had a blast with so much outdoor space.
You had me at ‘underfloor’ heating! 😃 I think this would be a really interesting holiday and a good option for young kids, it sounds like there’s a lot for them to do. I’d never heard of the free diving – that is pretty amazing but I’m glad that we don’t have to provide for our families that way.
Thanks for reading! Yes, most homes in South Korea have ‘ondol’ underfloor heating as standard – wish it would catch on in the UK it’s so toasty!
Hi there, great post. I was wondering if you have any links or know of the url or details of the log cabins you are referring to in the article?
Thanks! Yes, we stayed at Log Park Hotel which you can find on Booking.com. It was great and we highly recommend it. There are lots of other log cabin parks around Jeju as well so you can pick and choose. Have fun in South Korea!!!