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PHOTOS
EDGAR ALLAN ZETA-YAP
In the spirit of spontaneous travel,
I arrived in the main harbor town of
Dodong-ri without a room reservation
during the busy summer season, a
decision I started to regret soon after
disembarking, when it became clear
that I would have some trouble finding
my way around. It seemed as though
no one in town was fluent in English.
Even the staff at the tourist information
center was struggling, as domestic
travelers were more the norm. While
the language barrier was an obvious
inconvenience, it was also a promising
sign that Ulleung-do was indeed off-
the-beaten track and ripe for adventure.
As I walked aimlessly back to the
dock, a sprightly old lady — one of
the island’s 10,000 inhabitants —
approached me, babbling in Korean.
I had no idea what she was talking
about until I heard her say
minbak
,
the
Korean word for “homestay”, which are
usually found in rural areas and islands
across South Korea. “Yes, yes, I need a
minbak!” I replied, nodding with relief.
Her eyes lit up. She spoke not a single
word of English, but my charades
and Pictionary skills prevailed, and I
somehow managed to bargain a stay at
an agreeable rate.
I was ushered up to a private
M Y S T E R Y I S L A N D
Ulleung-do is the quintessential escape,
a nondescript yet intriguing fleck of land
east of the Korean peninsula
Dodong Port is the busiest part
of Ulleung-do; (below) admire
the scenery along the 2.6km
Haengnam Shore Walkway
