Imagine having to wake up to a breakfast of just cereals every single day. After a while, it is very likely that you’d forget how rice tastes like. So when, one odd day out of the blue, you are presented with a bowl of steaming rice, you get a spoonful to taste it, then bam! You’re reminded how good it is, and how you really loved it in the past. … Where am I going with this? Well, imagine a person that has gotten used to living in an urban jungle, with tall buildings instead of trees, and concrete instead of dirt to walk on. Then he is transported to a spot where he is surrounded by them tall trees and hard, packed solid earth. That was what I was thinking while walking along the Saryeoni Forest Path.
From our refreshing visit to check out the Oedolgae Rock, we drove to the Saryeoni Forest Path. It was not exactly in our list of priority places to see but our trusty tour guide slash taxi driver suggested it for a more reasonable route.
(Also, because it was a hot day that day – he was actually holding on to his own Innisfree UV Protection Sun Cream, lol – and he thought there’s nothing better than a refreshing walk through the forest.)
The Saryeoni Forest Path – also called Saryeoni Forest Walk – is a favorite place in Jeju for those looking to have a tranquil and relaxing walk. It is one of the so-called “hidden attractions” in Jeju, probably because it is not as talked about as the other more obvious attractions.
The name was derived from the word “Salani” or “Solani”, indicating a “holy place”. According to the Information board, “sol” or “sal” being used in the names of places indicate a mountain located in a spiritual or holy place.
Although it has cultivated a reputation of being a Japanese cedar forest, more and more tree varieties and species can be found in the area.
The whole trail is 15 kilometers long, starting from the Saryeoni Oreum in Seogwipo City all the way to the Bijarim Road in Jeju City. Which means that if you walk the whole trail, you’d enter in one city and go out another. By the way, “oreum” is the local word for “small volcanic cone” which, from afar, look like hills or small mountains.
You can opt to follow the main path, or you could take any of the smaller “paths” on the sides that will take you under the trees. We would not have known about them unless we looked real hard at the signs pointing us to them.
In our case, we found out about it sooner when Mr. Bruce pointed it out and suggested we take one of those smaller paths.
“Eco-healing walks” are hugely popular in Jeju and, probably, in the entire country, but that’s purely from what I have observed. People, especially those from the middle-aged to the older ones, are fond of taking walks or hikes and climbing mountains. Well, most of them, I think. From what I understand, these eco-healing walks are done in idle and sleepy parts, just like what this forest offers.
When we were there, it was a weekday, so there were only a handful of other “walkers” that we spotted. But apparently, this place get crowded on weekends.
An added info: the area where the Saryeoni Forest Path is located was designated by UNESCO as a Biosphere Reserve. Thus, it is a protected area, and it certainly looks like it is. Protected, I mean.
Seriously, though, once you are inside, it is easy to forget that there is a highway right outside. So it is really impressive how the government and the locals manage this area.
Clearly, this place was designed and currently being maintained primarily for people who love to take forest walks. There area many indications of why this is a go-to even for elderly people who’d normally shy away from taking vigorous walks in unfriendly terrain, which will surely tax them out.
First indication would be the signs and arrows. And yes, they are also in English. But even if you can’t read, the arrow signs should be enough, right?
And check out these paths through the trees! I thought I’ve seen most all kinds of improvised walkways, like wood for steps, or woven rubber for traction on sloping roads. This was actually out of some kind of woven fabric, just like the ones on those sturdy fabric sacks.
I think this was a reasonable choice, considering it would be laid out on soil that could alternate between dry, damp and utterly wet. Definitely not a good idea to set out wood or rubber in here.
An added bonus is that you can still walk on them and feel like you’re stepping on soft damp earth, which does not take away from the “forest hike/walk” experience.
So, going back to the main “road”, I liked how it was wide enough to actually accommodate vehicles, but nope, vehicles are not allowed through here.
Well, it’s Saryeoni Forest Path after all, and not Saryeoni Forest ROAD, right?
And the main path is not all concrete, because somewhere along the way it seamlessly morphs into a dirt-packed road, packed so solid it almost felt like a concrete pavement.
Plus look how clean and spotless it is! I didn’t see any cleaner or sweeper in sight, too!
Saryeoni Forest Path is also popular among bird-watchers and those who’d like to catch a glimpse of some wildlife. But I suppose you’d have to go deeper into the forest, and stay longer, to catch even a peek at them.
It’s also a place liked by nature-lovers that love their trees and flora, in general. If you know your trees and flowers, you’d probably have a ball checking them out, reading the information panels and figuring out where they are.
As for me, I have verrrrry limited knowledge on flowers. So… yeah.
By the way, on one of the times we veered off the main path and decided to walk under the thick of the trees, we spotted a couple doing some of their pre-nup photographs. They were both dressed up as a bride and her groom, and they were taking photos of each other, then together, setting up tripods and angles and such…
…I thought this must be one of those “self-wedding” things that I’ve heard some South Korean couples do. Basically, it’s a wedding where they do most, if not all, the nitty-gritty of their nuptials themselves. Which is pretty smart and practical, in my opinion.
I wish I could’ve taken more photos of them, but I didn’t want to seem rude and, really, I also didn’t want to intrude into their private moment.
Mr. Bruce was also gamely taking photos with his phone and monopod. He confessed that he likes playing around with photos and videos, and I sure did see a lot of that in the photos and clips he uploads on his Facebook page, featuring the tour clients he takes around Jeju. 🙂
We would’ve loved to walk the entire length of the Saryeoni Forest Path, all 15 kms of it, but that was not feasible, considering the limited time we had. To walk to the other end, it would require at least three hours, plus the time that would be spent if you decide to check out the smaller trails.
So what we did was take the shorter trail, go off-path more than a couple of times, then rounded up the circular trail to go back the way we entered. All in all, it took almost 40 minutes of brisk walking and strolling, then stopping from time to time to take photos and soak it all in.
Oh, and did I tell you that there is no fee to be paid to enter the Forest Path? For a place that does not require visitors to pay anything, this place sure is very well-maintained. Oh what I would give to show this place to many lawmakers in my country. But…. yeah. I don’t think they’d care. *le sigh*
From what I’ve read, the place is closed to visitors from November 1 to May 15 which, I’m guessing is because it’s winter time. If you’re not going there by taxi and opt for a bus, Bus No. 710 passes by directly through here.
After this, we bought some water (iced water, to be exact), cleaned our shoes off all dirt and mud, then headed back to our ride to move to the next place in our itinerary, which is the Jeju Stone Park. See ya then!
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