Geoje is a popular destination and offers many different things to see and do.
It is famous for its many beautiful, natural attractions in particular.
Today I will take you on a virtual tour of Geoje City's famous European-style garden, located on Oedo Island.
Source: Netflix
Oedo Island is also the filming location of Netflix's original series New World, which was released in November this year. Lee Seung-gi, Kai, Kim Hee-chul, Eun Ji-won, Jo Bo-ah, and Park Na-rae stay on this utopia-like and compete in survival missions. Let's find out more about this island!
Information
Address: 거제시 일운면 외도길 17
17 Oedo-gil, Ilun-myeon, Geoje-si, Gyeongsangnam-do
Our Visit
Oedo Island is most famous for its marine botanical garden, Oedo-Botanica Eco-Garden.
Around 30 years ago it started off as a private garden and has since expanded to the entire island.
Enjoy the blooms in April or enjoy a walk in shaded forest trails in summer.
Recently an exciting discovery, dinosaur foot prints, have increased the value of the island!
We started at Jangseungpo Port in Geoje and our round trip tickets for the Haegeumgang and Oedo sight seeing tour were 22,000 won each, entrance to the island is 11,000 won each.
Around 1900, the first family began to settle here. Before the tourism to Oedo developed, only 6 families lived her. They were self-sufficient, growing sweet potatoes, collecting kelp, and fishing for food, but gradually they left the island.
Lee Chang-ho, a former teacher in Seoul and later a fabric trader at Dongdaemun Market, and his wife, Choi Ho-suk, encountered a sudden storm while fishing in July 1969. Fortunately they managed to get to the shore of Oedo and stayed there for the night. During their stay they explored the beautiful scenery and flora.
After that, the two decided to buy a house on the remote island, and after more than 3 years succeeded in buying the entire island. Since then, with a love of plants, this couple has turned an ordinary rocky island into an ecological garden that tourists from all over come to see.
On the Haegeumgang and Oedo sightseeing tour, you will will have 2 hours to explore the island on your own, which I found was just the right amount of time.
Source: Korea Tourism Organization
As soon as you arrive on Oedo, you can feel the fresh green atmosphere that this place holds.
The island owner has arranged the main entrance, toilets, observatory, lobby, memorials, statues, and many kinds of plants on the island.
The rocky island has been totally transformed into a lush, green landscape.
The name Oedo-Botania is a combination of botany and utopia, meaning this is a perfect garden.
The scenery here is very different from the scenery on the Korean islands that were are used to. Oedo has the look of a European garden and up to 1 million tourists visit each year.
Source: Netflix
This spot also appears in New World, where members who arrive on Oedo Island receive a proper welcoming ceremony while watching LOONA perform.
Because the climate is suitable for growing many types of plants, there are 64 species of native plants on the island and more than 1,000 species of subtropical plants from around the world.
Source: Netflix
Cacti, bananas, olive trees, replicas of Ancient Greek and Roman statues - the image is a stunning one!
If you feel thirsty in the hot weather when you visit, there are vending machines on the island, and there are also souvenir shops.
The reason I like Oedo so much is because everywhere you look on the island it's surrounded by clear sea water and the other small islands of Geoje.
It feels remote from the rest of the world, removed from modern society, something that cannot be found somewhere that is as densely populated as Seoul.
If you come to Oedo on a beautiful day, you will definitely have to admire the scenery here.
The sky is a soft blue, fluffy white clouds peppering it gently. The deep blue of the sea sparkles at the surface as if sprinkled with shards of silver.
There are small roads here, plants flanking both sides that give off a sweet floral scent - a perfect romantic setting for couples to go for a stroll or take photos together.
After visiting, I went back to the pier to board the ferry.
At the end of the 110 meter breakwater is a unique lighthouse. The inside is designed like a maze.
That was our tour of Geoje's Oedo Island.
If you have already seen all there is to see on Jeju or if you simply enjoy beautiful gardens check this island out!
Hope this has been useful and if you have and questions, let us know in the comments!
