Sunday, May 19, 2019

Jeju, South Korea Itinerary: Camellia Hill/山茶花之丘/카멜리아힐

       Do you know, there is a secret garden on Jeju Island that does not play by the winter rules? Camellia Hill(濟州島景點|西歸浦山茶花之丘/ 카멜리아힐) is the place You can enjoy Spring like Its no one else’s business amidst the cold weather. Talking about unmissable spots in Jeju Island, I think Camellia Hill deserves a spot in the list. Since its opening about30 years ago, this wonderful, enchanted enclose has become one of the most popular tourist attractions in Jeju and it is named one of the most visited botanical gardens in all of South Korea.
Camellia Hill Jeju


       Camellia Hill is also known as the Camellia arboretum, as a matter of fact, it is the biggest in East Asia covering 60000 square meters! And here, you’ll find yourself walking in amidst of a huge collection of Camellia trees. To be exact,  of 500 different species, all imported from 80 different countries!
       If you are interested to learn about the different types of Camellia flowers, there are panels describing the colors, fragrance, and shapes. Camellia Hill also has six out of eight camellia breeds that are fragranced, so take your time to submerge your senses in the charming scent. And, do you know that a camellia tree can live up to 200 years in the wild? Now you know! Well, if you are into all that that I’ve said, Happy studying!
Camellia Hill Jeju
       Before deciding on my itinerary, I asked the netizens for opinions and received 2 extremes: one group was saying Camellia hill is mesmerizing and another thinks it is a complete waste of time. Torn apart, I decided to find out myself.

The Best time to visit Camellia Hill? 

        The best timing to visit is Early December to mid-January, when the romantic Camellia flowers are in full bloom. The flowers will continue to bloom and withers completely in March.
        Do not be disappointed if you come to Jeju outside this time frame. Seriously, there won’t be a “bad time” to visit Camellia Hill because we are blessed with different flowers in different seasons! The Camellia Hill is an all-year-round arboretum which also grows various local species specific to Jeju island.  Among them, the hydrangea season in summer is another favorite time for Korean visitors. So despite the name, Camellia Hill also holds Hydrangea Festival during the peak of hydrangea blossom!

How long to spend in Camellia Hill? 

        As I said, this is the largest Camellia Arboretum in East Asia, Camellia Hill is not the typical shoot-and-go place. So be prepared for a day of leg work out. Average people spend 60-90 minutes but we spent about 2.5 hours here walking around taking pictures+ getting lost.
Camellia Hill Jeju
Camellia Hill Jeju
        If you are a direction-idiot like me, I highly suggest you grab a map at the entrance, or (if they run out of printed out maps), take a photo of the map on the board standing right at the entrance.

The language of Camellia Flower

        Every flower has its own signature meaning, If you want to pass as a “Romantic” boyfriend, you better know this by heart. Lol. Camellia means “I Love you and only You”. So sentimental, wandering in the woods of Camellia I can’t help but thinking wouldn’t it be perfect if I’ve someone with me now to share the joy…. It must be the Camellias in the hill, messing with my head. Shhh…. they are watching your. every. moves. Okay, I am starting to sound like the character in the Hills Got Eyes. Choi!!
        💗 山茶花的花语是 ”我只钟情于你”,但试问世间有几人受得起这份浪漫?落花 本是无情物,但我愿化作春泥呵护你。
Camellia Hill Jeju

Interesting Points in Camellia Hill

Photo Zones

       Just follow the arrows on the map or signs and they will lead you to all the photo points set up to ease your Instagram photo compositing. In total, there are about 21 locations marked in the map as photo opportunity, but really, every corner, every turn you make, are picture worthy!
Camellia Hill photo spot
Camellia Hill photo spot
Camellia Hill Jeju

The Glass Conservatory

       This part of Camellia Hill is an absolute flower paradise. There is plenty of other flowers species native to Jeju, creating a beautiful scene to behold in the greenhouse.
Camellia Hill Jeju
Camellia Hill Jeju
Camellia Hill Jeju

The Obligatory Photo Spot

       It may not be the secret garden of the month but not far from the first greenhouse, is the all time favorite photo spot of Camellia Hill. I do not know why exactly is the name of this spot, perhaps it don't even have an official name, but it is located just by the public toilet! Well, just follow the crowd and you will definitely get there!
Camellia Hill Jeju
Camellia Hill Jeju
山茶花之丘
山茶花之丘

The Light Bulb Forest Path

       The light bulb forest path is one of the most instagrammable spots of Camellia Hill. However, during my visit, it was too crowded I did not enjoy the walk as expected. But again, it is impossible to get this place all to yourself especially when I was here during new year holidays!
山茶花之丘

The Stone Grandpas

       There are a lot of Stone Grandpas in Camellia Hill and what is so special about them is that they are dressed in actual coats, scarfs and earmuff. Aren't they the cutest? You can also find miniature stone grandpa holding up benches for visitors to rest their feet.
山茶花之丘
山茶花之丘
山茶花之丘

Green House Cafe

       There is an insta-worthy cafe located approximately at the 1/2 of the route, where you can enjoy some camellia tea before you continue strolling around. They have some special seasonal menus made from natural ingredients only from Jeju island, too. Camellia Hill also has facilities like a gallery for camellia-themed crafts, greenhouses, a multipurpose seminar room, and more.
山茶花之丘


Secret Garden of the Month

       Each month, they will reveal the secret garden as in the part of the park where the flowers are most abundant. So keep your eyes open for that sign!
       During my visit, the "secret garden"  is located behind the green house cafe, a winding alley of full bloom Camellia trees lined the area like a maze! To be honest, I went speechless for a few second. Such breathtaking scene!
Camellia Hill
山茶花之丘


Nature product store

       Last but not least, stop by the local natural product store of Camellia Hill if you are interested in bringing home some camellia oil, balm, and camellia soaps! They make some good souvenirs for family and friends!
Camellia Hill

The Waterfalls

      By the time you reach the manmade waterfalls, you've come to the end of the trail!
Camellia Hill

Operating Hours

Winter Season (Dec, Jan, Feb)
8:30AM-5PM
In-between Seasons (Mar-May, Sep-Nov)
8:30AM-5: 30 PM
Summer Season (Jun, Jul, Aug)
8:30AM-6PM

Entrance Fee

Camellia Hill

Adults:  8,000won
Adolescents : 6,000won
Children  :5,000won

Where is Camellia Hill and how to get to it? 

       The Camellia Hill is located in Sangchang Village, Andeok-myeon. Since this place is hard to access by bus from where we were, we took a kakao taxi from Osulloc Tea Museum, but if you don’t have the kakao app normal taxis will do. You don’t even have to flag them down as we saw a lot of taxis lining in front of Camellia Hill and Osulloc.
       If you come from Jeju City by bus, it is about an hour away.

Address
Camellia Hill
166 Byeong-a, k-ro, Andeok-myeon, Seoguipo-shi
Contact Info. +82-064-792-0088(Korean only)

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Thank You for Reading! This post is based solely on my honest opinion or personal experience. If you have a different opinion, feel free to share your thoughts with me by commenting below!
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