Vamos a Jeju!

Theresa Cunanan is a Hong Kong-based college teacher who's been to Jeju four times (more than Seoul), crashed Sora's wedding sorta uninvited, performed a ukulele song that made Jaden tear up, missed her flight the next morning, and ended up staying at Sora's house alone while the newlyweds left for their honeymoon. She's learning Korean, dreams of seeing snow for the first time in Jeju, and plans...

Holly Hughes is a podcast host, author, and self-described clairvoyant whose Korea obsession started during COVID when Netflix suggested 100 Days My Prince. She's been talking about Korea for six years, her husband is banned from joining her trips, and by chance found herself on a tour hosted by Sora. Holly traveled Jeju with Sora in the rain, couldn't see anything at Sangumburi crater, and says t...

Ed's cousin Daryuen joins him for five days on the Jeju Olleh Trail, her first time in Korea. They walk through rainy weather, discover a restaurant that's literally someone's house, watch Haenyeo haggle and ride off on their trikes, and accidentally complete two trails in one day when the Haenyeo Museum turns out to be closed. Plus: Jaden's barbecue skills get more airtime than usual. Key Takeawa...

Kylie Genter came to Korea in 2012 knowing nothing except Gangnam Style, chose Korea over Japan because she didn't want to find her own apartment, and somehow ended up as one of the only foreign Haenyeo in Jeju. She dives with the women of Yongnangni Village in the southwest, met her Korean husband at a language exchange that produced seven married couples, and runs a dog hotel as her main income....

Sora turns the tables and interviews Ed about his unconventional life: soldier, journalist, dive magazine founder, Microsoft contractor, scuba instructor, slow traveler, language learner, and now "retired" podcaster. He reveals why he homeschooled his kids and took them on 5-month trips across America and Asia, why he walks for hours to "hack his brain," and how he managed to wrangle his temper so...

Ed kicks off the Guest Series by putting Sora in the "hot seat." She reveals her mom's sister went to North Korea and was never heard from again, that sogaeting (blind dates) are now run by companies that score you based on income and parents' wealth, and that Korea's birth rate hit 0.78. She also announces her new tour agency ( jejuslowly.com ) focused on Haenyeo and wellness tourism, which won a...

Ed and Sora wrap up their K-drama review series with Our Blues (우리들의 Blues), a 2022 ensemble drama set in a fictional Jeju fishing village. The series tackles depression, teenage pregnancy, Down syndrome representation, hyper-competitive parenting, and the suffocating nature of small-town life. Ed watched it twice; Sora quit after Episode 6 because "it was too heavy." The episode opens with So...

Hallan follows a mother and daughter fleeing government forces during the Jeju April 3rd Incident (1948-1954), when an estimated 30,000 people were killed in anti-communist purges. The movie is named after the winter orchid that grows on Hallasan even in the harshest winter, much like the people how Jeju survived the darkest of times. The conversation turns to why Jeju people are so exclusive, the...

When Life Gives You Tangerines (폭싹 속았수다, Poksak Sokassuda) follows three generations of Jeju women from the post-Korean War era to the present, and both hosts find it uncomfortably close to their own family histories. The conversation ranges from the show's worldwide popularity to why some Korean men were trying to emulate Gwanshik. Key Takeaways 폭싹 속았수다 (Poksak Sokassuda) : Jeju diale...

Time to Be Strong (힘을 낼 시간) follows three failed idol trainees who go to Jeju to experience the school trip they missed during their training years. Ed watches as a father and finds himself enraged by the exploitation; Sora watches as the oldest daughter in her family and relates to the burden of caring for everyone else. The conversation turns to trainee debt, "passion pay" (열정 pay), fan c...

Ed confesses he's not a rom-com person but watched all of Welcome to Samdal-ri anyway to prepare for this episode. What hooked him wasn't the love story but the cultural issues the show reflects: workplace bullying (gabjil), witch hunting culture, the Sonbei-Hubei hierarchy, and Jeju as a safe harbor for people fleeing Seoul's toxicity. Sora reveals she sees parallels to her own story of escaping...

Part 2 wraps up the K-drama shooting locations tour with the west and south coasts of Jeju. Sora finally watches Time to be Strong on Ed's recommendation and realizes the foreigner knows more about Korean indie films set in Jeju than she does. The episode covers locations from When Life Gives You Tangerines, Our Blues, Welcome to Samdali, Extraordinary Attorney Woo, and Time to be Strong, plus a s...

At long last, Ed caves to pressure from "all our fans of just one in my house" and pivots to K-dramas. This two-part series maps out shooting locations from recent Netflix hits so K-drama fans can plan efficient itineraries by region rather than zigzagging across the island by show. Part 1 covers central Jeju, Jeju City, and the east coast, featuring locations from When Life Gives You Tangerines,...

Sora accidentally "demotes" Ed from co-host to guest to announce her first solo tour: a Haenyeo wellness retreat on Jeju. Ed negotiates a discount for listeners (starting at 50%, ending at... 70%?), and then they revisit their most popular clips from the past year. Topics include the controversial stereotype about Jeju men, why "Olleh" means what it means, tangerine-picking etiquette, speed traps...

Ed tests a hypothesis: is comfort food just anju minus alcohol? Sora says not quite. This episode covers the hearty, unglamorous Korean foods that locals turn to when they need warmth, stress relief, or a cure for last night's soju. Ed and Sora walk through the practical challenges of ordering at real Korean restaurants (no English menus, no English speakers, intimidating pace) and share tactics f...

Ed has been confused about the word "anju" for three years. In this episode, Sora finally explains: anju (안주) literally means "hold down the alcohol," but in practice it refers to the food Koreans pair with specific drinks. More than just food, anju is a cultural practice tied to Korea's drinking rounds (il-cha, i-cha, sam-cha), third-place culture, nunchi, and even dating (hunting pocha). The e...

Ed and Sora tackle the question: what counts as fast food in Korea when all Korean food is fast? This episode covers both Western-style chains (McDonald's, Burger King, Lotteria, KFC, Subway, Mom's Touch) and Korean bunsik classics (tteokbokki, kimbap, twigim, sundae, omuk). Along the way, they explore why Koreans prefer restaurants with one menu item (specialization = quality), why too much choic...

Ed and Sora kick off the Food Jeju series with an episode on one of the most authentic ways to enjoy Jeju's famous black pork: the butcher shop barbecue. Unlike the touristy Black Pork Street restaurants, a butcher shop barbecue (정육점 식당) combines a ground-floor butcher counter with a second-floor restaurant. You pick your meat from the refrigerated display, weigh it, pay at the counter, then...

Ed has been waiting 22 episodes to talk about his favorite mountain in the world: Hallasan, South Korea's tallest peak at 1,947 meters. This episode breaks down everything visitors need to know about climbing Hallasan, from the two summit trails (Gwaneumsa and Seongpanak) to the two partial trails (Eorimok and Yeongsil) for those who want the experience without the full commitment. Ed shares his h...

Ed invented the "mini Olleh trail" concept as a secret strategy to get his hiking-averse family members hooked on the Jeju Olleh Trail. The idea: walk a short, easy section that includes at least one stamping station, get them a passport with a few stamps, take them to the gift shop, and hope they come back to finish the rest someday. This episode maps out mini trails across the island, all under...

Ed has been waiting 20 episodes to talk about his favorite thing in Jeju: the 437-kilometer Jeju Olleh Trail. This episode covers everything a potential hiker needs to know, from the meaning of "Olleh" (a Jeju dialect word for the narrow pathway between a traditional house and the village road) to the passport stamping system, the blue (clockwise) and orange (counterclockwise) trail markers, and h...

Continuing Ed's menu of hike-hater-friendly options for his family trip, this episode covers coastal headlands, windmill walks, historically significant trails, tea plantation strolls, and waterfall visits. These are all designed with the same principles: not too long, not too steep, interesting throughout, and easy to bail out of when needed. Key Takeaways Coastal headlands: Seopjikoji (east coas...

Ed is planning a family trip to Jeju for Christmas 2026, and some family members love hiking while others absolutely hate it. This episode presents his solution: a curated menu of hikes designed for reluctant walkers. He establishes four benchmarks for hike-hater-friendly trails: under 90 minutes, minimal elevation gain, interesting things to see throughout, and places to rest (preferably cafes)....

In this episode, Ed and Sora wrap up the Hidden Jeju series by exploring activities perfect for slow travelers who want to experience Jeju on a deeper level. Slow travel doesn't require months of time; even a week or 10 days works if you're intentional about skipping the tourist checklist and pursuing meaningful local experiences. The episode covers four off-the-beaten-path activities: walking res...

Ed and Sora announce a free trip planner app they built to help DIY travelers organize Jeju itineraries. The app features 50+ activities, from popular Instagram spots to slow traveler experiences, with KakaoMap links for each destination. Ed confesses the real reason he built it: his entire family is going to Jeju for Christmas and he needed a way to get everyone on the same page. Sora tries to ge...