In the evening, with the uncertainty of our next day’s flight hanging over us, we set out into the darkened streets, already weighed down by the day’s challenges and the question of whether we would even leave the island. We began our evening by strolling through the vibrant streets of Shin Jeju. This area exuded a lively atmosphere with numerous bars, restaurants, and bustling crowds—a cool and inviting vibe. Without much pre-planning, we decided to spontaneously explore the night, hopping from one bar to another, eager to experience the variety that Shin Jeju had to offer.
Our first stop was a corner bar where we enjoyed a beer and pizza. Although not crowded, the place had a cool ambiance. Not lingering for too long, we continued our quest, now in search of a live music bar. However, the ones we found were either empty or didn’t feature live music that evening. As we walked along the streets, we noticed some places called business clubs with logos featuring women. Curious, we tried to go in, but the doors were locked with a code. I’m still unsure about the nature of these business clubs. Despite the high number of them in Jeju City and the potential association with adult entertainment suggested by the logos and the information I have gathered, it’s still very confusing, especially considering that adult entertainment is illegal in Korea.
We stumbled upon a unique bar in a cellar. We opted to have a drink here, and that’s when we discovered the nature of this establishment—it was a cat bar. Cats roamed freely, displaying a surprising level of tameness and curiosity. They walked on the bar, hopped onto our knees, and cuddled, almost as if they were the true owners of the place.It was amusing to see people sitting there as if it was normal for cats to roam around.A lthough the drinks were enjoyable, we only stayed for one because we were eager to explore as much as possible.
I always wanted to try karaoke in Korea, and while we were still searching for a live music venue, we stumbled upon a karaoke place. However, it wasn’t the typical karaoke spot with young people in private rooms. Instead, it was a karaoke venue with a live band, featuring Koreans over 50 years old. Immediately, we were invited to take a seat at a table, and it seemed like everyone there knew each other. Despite limited English, they were incredibly welcoming.
People took turns getting up on stage to sing, while the rest danced along to the Korean tunes. They brought us a generous fruit and snack plate and inquired about our drink preferences. My partner asked for whiskey and got a whole bottle, and I received a huge bottle of rice wine. It was an interesting setup, and we weren’t sure if we would pay by the glass or by the bottle, especially since the rice wine bottle wasn’t even full and served in a Ballentine’s bottle. .
Feeling a bit shy at first, after a few drinks, we joined the others in dancing. Surprisingly, we even ended up on stage singing two songs, and fortunately, they had English songs available. It was amusing to see everyone dancing to our singing, filming us, creating a fun and unique atmosphere. After a while, more food arrived, including an egg sunny side up. Eventually, we decided to continue our adventure. The bill turned out to be a bit high, presumably because they charged us for everything, but the experience was undoubtedly worth every penny.
After this, we continued walking and encountered even more music. Intrigued, we followed the sound to discover a massive nightclub. Upon entering, everyone was welcoming, making it another interesting place to explore. Once again, we received a fruit plate, and we later learned that this is a common practice before presenting the bill.
Intriguingly, we observed a procedure where girls were led by a staff member, seemingly against their will, and swiftly seated at a table with guys. This seemed disturbing and confusing to us, but we later discovered it’s a dating approach, with girls supposed to act as if they don’t want to join the guys.
We even made some friends at the club, including a guy who kept buying us beer. To our surprise, he turned out to be a police officer. Strangely, he didn’t want us to pay for his drinks—a stark contrast to how things work in Norway.
The entertainment at this place began with a DJ enthusiastically hyping up the crowd. Suddenly, a talented K-pop band took the stage, delivering a performance that felt like a live concert—they were seriously good! The music continued with DJs, creating an energetic atmosphere with lots of people dancing and a fantastic light show. It was genuinely a fun place. After a while, however, we decided to leave to avoid getting home too late.
We made a quick stop at McDonald’s, a personal tradition of mine to sample the local variations. It was surprisingly delicious, even the mozzarella sticks were good, and the shrimp burger had so much flavor.
From there, we were on our way, but I couldn’t resist convincing my partner to check out the Grand Hyatt Hotel on the way. It was a Vegas-style hotel, and I really wanted him to explore such a place as he had never been to one before. It was huge with beautiful interiors, food courts, restaurants, and shops—closed, of course. But the casino was open, and that didn’t take much convincing for my partner. So, we sat at the blackjack table, and guess what, we actually won. Fortunately, I was able to say stop when it was time to leave. Following that, we made our way back to the hotel. It was the right moment to call it a night, considering our plans for the next day.
Although our night out was longer than anticipated, the unexpected adventures and vibrant experiences made it worthwhile. This marked the conclusion of our Jeju adventure.
Anyah Mroz 