Tag Archives: ferry

South Korea, Travelinds

Jeju Ferry

South Korea, July 2014

Having a week off before summer camps, we decided to roadtrip down to Jeju Island using the car ferry.  We took an early morning drive down to the south coast city of Mokpo and headed to the ferry terminal. Since it was a last minute decision to make the trip, we had not been able to get hold of the reservations office (by phone) and so were just going to wing it and hope for the best.

Jeju Ferry
The ferry is huge and loading starts two hours before departure. There was even a truck of cattle on the trip back.

Consequently, when we arrived at the ferry dock at 8am (the ferry leaves at 9am), we were denied access and told to book a week in advance – First Problem. So, like the good waygooks (foreigners) we are, we made sad faces and asked way too many questions and begged and pleaded with the stern looking gate man… It worked! He allowed us to drive on the ferry (the  last car!) and we had about twenty minutes to park, walk off the ferry, pay at the car office, run across to the passenger terminal, pay for the passengers tickets and then run on to the ferry from the passenger entrance. Rather stressful! But we made it.

In all the rush in leaving our apartment at 3 a.m. I had forgotten to take my passport or Alien Registration Card with me (idiot!) – Second Problem – so I used my Korean driver’s licence as my identification and thankfully there were no issues both to and from Jeju.

The ferry left promptly at 9a.m. and arrived four and a half hours later in Jeju City. We drove off the ferry and straight to the ticket office to check if we would be able to get home a few a days later – third problem. The helpful assistant provided me with a number (with an English-speaking operator) which I phoned immediately to reserve our place on the ferry back to Mokpo. I was given a reference number (via text) and told to arrive at 3 p.m. to load the car. Finally, we were ready to go and explore Jeju Island!

 

Jeju Ferry
Economy class – about fifteen people, the floor and a tv.

For those of you who take this trip, you should know:

  1. We travelled on Sea World Express Ferry (Mokpo-Jeju) on SeaStar Cruise.
  2. The number to book the car ferry from Jeju to Mokpo is 064-7584234 (The other number (which I never did get through to) for Mokpo to Jeju is 1-577-3567).
  3. If you travel in economy class, take something to lie on/sit on and a good book.  It is just a room allocation with no seating – everybody in your room (about 15 – 20 people) sleeps on the floor Korean style and there is a TV. There was no cellphone signal for most of the way so internet surfing is not an option.
  4. On the ferry there were bathrooms, a cafeteria, a convenience store, a Paris Baguette, a place to sit and eat in the center court, decks to walk out around the boat, arcade-type video games, a noraebang (karaoke bar), a room full of massage chairs and a helpful information desk.
  5. We had to be at the pier 2 hours before leaving (Pier 6 at the Jeju Port). After loading the car, you walk back out on to the pier and go around to the passenger entrance to buy a ticket and board through the security gate.

Bon Voyage!

P.S. Yes, we did travel by ferry to Jeju Island, South Korea in the wake of the tragic April 2014 ferry disaster in South Korea. No, we didn’t have any safety issues and emergency procedures seemed to be firmly in place.

Thailand, Travelinds

Koh Phi Phi Don (a Thai Island)

Leave a comment

25 August 2013

Phi Phi Don is fun to say, to be sure, but it isn’t all about the partying.

Phi Phi consists of a group of 6 islands in the Andaman sea which belong to the Krabi province in Thailand.  “Koh” means “island” in the Thai language so many of the Andaman sea locations begin with this word. In this case, Koh Phi Phi Don is the largest of the six islands and Koh Phi Phi Leh is the second-largest one.

Both are very popular tourist destinations and accessible by boat. Another of the six islands is Koh Mai Pai (Bamboo island), a stunning little island with turquoise and emerald waters along the white sandy beach. This place is almost guaranteed to be packed with tourists, and that’s on any given day, even in the low season.

The other islands are Koh Yung (Mosquito island), Koh Bida Nok and Koh Bida Noi. These other three are not much more than limestone cliffs stretching up out of the water.

Koh Phi Phi Don Fun in the Sun

With Koh Phi Phi Don being the biggest of the islands, all the excitement is concentrated in this little spot. There are hotels, motels, inns, resorts, hostels and a village. You’ll also find all sorts of restaurants to satisfy any craving and a buzzing stream of tourists day in and day out to sustain all these small businesses.

The lifeblood of Phi Phi Don would be its boat tours, which start lining up on Tonsai beach from the early morning until the evening hours. If you’d like to go on a boat tour or get to your boat-access-only hotel, there are an abundance of longboat operators available as long as there’s daylight.

What To Expect From Phi Phi Year-Round

The vibe here definitely feels like that of a ‘party island’ and it seems like this is what attracts so many people of all walks of life from all around the world. The island’s hotels and bars compete heavily. We wondered if there was a championship cup for who could play the loudest music.

As you walk around, you’ll see “special prices” available all week, every week.  We also saw an abundance of foreigners advertising and handing out flyers for the various restaurants and bars on Phi Phi Don. No doubt, these are travellers who need to make an extra buck so that they can fund their dives, travel plans and endless parties. That’s what a few of them told us, anyway.

On the other side of the coin, there were a few reminders that the tsunami of 2004 devastated the Phi Phi islands. Still, it was quite astounding to see how well the administration has been able to recover and rebuild in just over a decade. When you look at photos after the tsunami that reveal the extent of the damage, it’s quite accurate to say that everything was well and truly flattened. Many people lost their lives and these names appear at the Tsunami Memorial, which Phi Phi’s community has put near Sunflower Bar.

To Phi Phi or Not?

Overall, Phi Phi is a beautiful place. Its natural locations will make you think you’ve landed in heaven when the sunshine hits that water just right.  It wasn’t difficult for us to take photos that looked like they belonged in National Geographic — no special skill required!

If you love sparkling water that varies along the entire spectrum of blues and greens, amazing sea life, white beaches and sunshine, go to Phi Phi once in your life.