Jeju Island - A Botanical Fantasy Island

1. The flower garden is the first greenhouse on the left. This is the place for orchids. And plenty of other flowers to photograph.

3. The desert garden has almost 500 cacti species. First-rate place for photographing interesting patterns.

4. The jungle garden is a rain forest ecosystem, just like the Amazon Jungle!

5. The tropical fruits garden... coffee, mangoes, starfruit and Asian jackfruit that can weigh up to 36 kg. The garden with all the yummy stuff!

How about “getting high” in the observation tower? A must-do for a breathtaking 360° view of this Jeju Island gardens and surrounding resort.

There are 4 cultural gardens and several theme parks in this popular Jeji Island garden. All kinds of opportunities for great photography.

Before you visit, you should know a little about Jeju Island's climate - for both your sake and your camera's! The summers are terribly hot and humid and Jeju Island is the warmest and wettest place in Korea.

Fall is the best time to visit as the temperature's warm but humidity and rainfall are down.

March, April and May have a lot of rainfall, but...

...Monsoon begins late June and continues through July. Heavy rains and thick fog can last into August. These torrential rains can really “put a damper” on your photography activities. Take my word for it - being caught in a monsoon deluge is unpleasant - and definitely not healthy for your camera equipment.

Summer is uncomfortably hot and humid on Jeju Island so prepare to sweat A LOT! Carry drinking water with you at all times and stay hydrated. Incidentally, never drink the water from the tap in Korea.

(If you decide to visit spring or summer - here are some tips for keeping your photography gear high and dry.)

	At the edge of the Children's Garden there's a field of gold rudbeckia. It's a foggy spring day. The branches of the two trees frame the picture and blot out a white sky. Can you see any other compositional rules I used in this picture? Hint - Rule of Thirds.
	This is the area to the right side of the above photo! The Children's garden is a circular sunken garden. In the center of is a topiary duck that reminds me of Donald Duck! The curved lines provide movement and some perspective.
	Fountain Obata is a replica of the real 15th century fountain near Rome. I love to sit near the water and listen to it spilling over into the pool. By the time I've made my way here, I'm tired. The sound of the splashing water “recharges my batteries”.
	True to traditional French garden form, symmetry reigns supreme. When I arrived, there was heavy fog but it lifted and the dampness gave the foliage a rich deep green color. A lovely peaceful atmosphere in this garden. Great lines for photos.
	Standing in the middle of the small pavillion, using the two columns as a frame for the picture. Your eye is drawn to the Italian Garden because of the triangular lines of the walk. The fountain completes the peak of the triangle. Use a tripod!
	Japanese gardens sometimes integrate highly arched moon bridges. This is a strolling garden designed for slow, relaxing walks. Across the bridge is a dry landscape garden - incorporating raked sand, stone, moss - simple and calming.


Traditional Korean gardens aren't overly “designed” and formal like Western gardens. Rather, they merge with nature. They're simple with trees and water features -- ponds, streams or rivers, possibly waterfalls.	The Lawn Garden backs against the conservatory. There are usually families relaxing on the lawn, perhaps looking at the topiary characters. A Red Horse Chestnut frames a sculpture and covers the boring monsoon sky .	I did a double-take in the Palm Garden! Couldn't find a tag to get the name of the small aster-like flowers growing on the trunk. They've formed a symbiotic relationship and I need an interpreter next visit to ask about it. Cool!


You saw this same scene in a picture above but it was horizontal. This is the perennial garden with a large basalt rock on the right. Shoot different angles of your scene in addition to both horizontal and portrait views.	This low growing plant has small, trumpet- shaped flowers. The overcast sky creates a diffuse light. So there are no harsh shadows and the colors appear much more intense than if the sun was shining bright on them.	The late spring perennial garden is in bloom. The conservatory is across the road in the background. I had to use a tripod in this photo to make sure the greenhouse was standing straight and tall! Not a leaning tower of Pisa!

Jeju Island Trivia...

It used to be called “Quelpart” after a Dutch ship that accidentally sighted it. The ship was blown off course on its way from Taiwan to a Dutch trading base in Japan. Jeju Island would have been a heavenly place to be stranded!
After the Japanese annexation in 1910, it was called “Saishû” - Japanese for Jeju. If you're researching this fascinating island, you might find it as “Cheju-do” if the information was published before 2000. (In Korean, “do” means island.)
You think Hawaii's got it all? Well Jeju-do's also a volcanic island “extraordinaire”. Come and see the cool botanical life here! As a matter of fact, Jeju Island is nicknamed the Hawaii of Asia.
There's a neat kind of wetland on Jeju-do called Gotjawal Forest. Surprising that today any place in the world is free from human's messing about with it... but here it is folks! Totally undisturbed in the island's entire history. Can't you just picture the scientists drooling over it?
But, aside from botanical wonders, Jeju Island is known for numerous other things - like its stone gods of fertility and protection… the adorable stone grandfathers or “dol hareubang”. These little fellas, about 3 meters high, are carved from basalt -- that's volcanic rock. They've got ear-to-ear grins, bulging eyes, mushroomy caps... talk about a phallic symbol!...

...I sure had a chuckle the first time I saw them.

Ah yes! Amazingly, there's no Starbucks to be found on my island paradise! At least, not to date. But that's not to say there aren't a fair share of cafés and 5 star hotel alternatives. Don't worry cuz you'll still be able to get your daily caffeine fix, no problem.
Say what? Golf? You got it!... 24 major golf courses. If you, or someone close to you, is a golf freak -- you're heading to the right place. Tee off on Jeju Island. And get this. You can golf here all year round with the mild climate.