Udo, literally Cow Island in Chinese, is so-called because it is supposed to look like a cow laying down. It is a romantic, intimate place despite the ever-present tour buses trekking along the main roads of the island. There you can find stunning sea vistas, old stone walls complimenting rolling fields and people getting their livelihood from the sea. One fine morning in April, we got up at the crack of dawn to catch the bus out to Seongsan Ilchulbong (Sunrise Peak). It is from the harbour in Seongsan that you catch the ferry out to the island. The ferry is a nice trip in itself - a fifteen-minute boat ride where one can watch the steep cliff of Seongsan Ilchulbong receding and the mounded slope of Udo emerging.

There is much hubbub at the Chujado passenger terminal as the 9:30 am Pink Dolphin arrives from Jeju. It is an unusually busy dockside as families reunite and part ways for the Seollal holiday. A collection of fishing boats bob calmly in their places sleeping off their previous night’s work. Across from them a thin strip of storefronts spread around the harbour with an unplanned morass of blue and red-roofed buildings. They give way to steeply rising hills, one of which is the location for Chujado lighthouse, unlit during these daylight hours. The sky is blue though partially cloudy. There is a fleeting warmth from the February sunshine above.

GETTING IN
The Pink Dolphin (10,000 won single, one hour) is the fastest way of reaching Chujado and operates from the Jeju City Ferry Terminal daily, though weather conditions do lead to cancellations. It is advisable to take medicine to prevent sea-sickness as the journey is notoriously rough. Medicine is sold in the pharmacy just to the left of the escalators upon reaching the terminal’s second floor. Alternatively, take the larger and slower ferry (8,000 won, two hours), which will provide a much smoother ride. Please check times at the Jeju City ferry terminal a few days prior to departure as the schedule is often changed.

If you want travel as far south as you can in South Korea then you’ll be finding yourself upon the tiny island of Marado. This treeless rock can feel extreme in parts, albeit a comfortable, cosy extreme that caters for the day-tripping tourist.

Walking is by far the best way to explore because the place is so small. You can get in and everywhere before tiring yourself out too much. So resist the urge to hire the golf carts upon disembarkation from the ferry. On a cart or bicycle a loop can be completed within ten minutes.