One of my fondest memories of my solo trip to Seoul in April 2024, is spending four days in Jeju. During that time, I dedicated one day to Aewol.

Aewol Cafe Street is a little area in Handam Village. It’s easy to locate and a recommended stop for first timers.

How to get around?

If you can afford it, a self-driven car is a good option. Taxis are very expensive. So, you’re left with the local bus. It’s a good/bad feeling. Good because it’s very convenient and go everywhere. It’s clean, comfortable and a good experience. The only downside is the irregular bus schedule. It can take more than 45 minutes for a bus to pass by your stop. Sometimes, even more than an hour. So, you’re really better off keeping your days in Jeju light and activities within walking distance.

Nolman cafe

I found Nolman on Instagram reels. But if you want real, honest reviews, check Naver. Nolman serves noodles and broth paired with the catch of the day. The catch varies from octopus and lobster to prawns, crabs and other seafood. You’ve got a good shot at a seat if you visit early, because according to reviewers, the food runs out before 3pm.

I was determined to get there in time. So, I woke up, downed half a cup of coffee while gazing at the view from my balcony, dressed up and walked to the bus stop.

The bus stop was a 7 minute walk from my accommodation. After reaching, the digital schedule screen showed that my bus would be 30 minutes late. Time to kill means time to grab a coffee.

I love how easy Korean cafes make it for customers to order. You don’t have to fret about a language barrier. Just head over to the kiosk and place your order.

Ordering an iced coffee on a cloudy, windy day, is not recommended. But I am that person. I am also a very anxious person. I still had fifteen minutes left, but dashed across the street, scared I’d miss the bus.

On the way

I was lucky it wasn’t raining yet. I glanced out the window and noticed I was passing the rainbow road. It was very pretty. One side of the road is lined with colored stones, the other is lined with restaurants and cafe. All sea-facing. I had a destination to get to so I didn’t hop off.

On the way, I hoped it wasn’t octopus or any seafood I was unfamiliar with. I was in luck!

I had to wait for roughly 5 minutes until I spotted a seat. It was a shared table. The ordering process was smooth. I had studied it online before coming. But there are instructions on the side of the counter. You take a number, hand it over, confirm what else you want with your order. There’s only one item on the menu so you don’t actually have to order. I watched people as they got tissue, water, chopsticks. I`m a fork girl. I tried practicing with chopsticks before my trip and failed miserably.

The food was everything! It was ramen, crabs, prawns and the broth…yum! The flavor and weather, it was like tasting the best feeling in the world. The instant noodles translated to instant happiness. I didn’t care how I looked amongst people using chopsticks to eat the crab meat. I dug in there with my fingers. Then I saw the person across me do it too, so I did it less sophisticatedly. It was all worth it.

Around Aewol

There are many cafes lined up. But the problem with me was that I got stuffed really fast. So I had to walk it off before trying anything else. Then there’s also the case of “which one’s cheaper?”. I walked up and down the street looking at menus displayed outside and at reviews on Naver.

Bomnal Cafe is popular. It has the best views of the water. But the service is slow (they warn you before hand) and it’s on the expensive side.

Another cafe also served alcohol. But people were in groups and I felt out of place. I walked further up and away from the cafes, popped in and out of stores, then walked back to Nolman.

Behind Nolman, I found my spot- Pink Hansel. On Naver, it is a bright pink cafe. In reality, it’s not bright. But it is cozy, warm and offers nice views. The server was kind enough to give me hot water while I waited for a peach ice tea.

I spent 2 or 3 hears enjoying my drink in silence on the first floor, to the sound of waves as I turned the pages of a romance novel. It was the perfect day. I will always think of how I felt kicking back at that cafe with nothing on my mind.

Much, much, later, I had Arte Museum to get to. But since it was already 4pm and it took an hour or more to reach, I hesitated. I started walking back to the bus stop. Only the bus stop to go back was much farther than the bus stop I had arrived at.

I got hungry walking and it was starting to rain too. So I ducked into Paris Bagguette – I had seen multiple sprinkled across Seoul and was curious to try. After much deliberation, I picked a mini pizza and mini croissant bread. Not the crunchy ones.

The pizza was light and yum but I only ate it much later in the day. The small bread croissants were feather soft. I opened it up while waiting at the bus stop, watching the rain pour down. ETA: 30-45 minutes. I even considered walking down so I was closer to my destination but the bread commanded me to sit where I was and enjoy it. I shivered as I ate, but it was again, the happiest I had felt at a bus stop. No worries about creeps, no worries about being stared at, no worries about being alone. People were minding their business as they passed by. I was very lucky that nothing ruined my day in Aewol.

I wish now that I had made it to Arte museum. But going late means encountering crowds. The immersive museum type art place cannot be enjoyed with a crowd.

By the time I made it back to my accommodation, it was 5pm or so. I don’t remember. To ward off the cold, I turned on the AC, snuggled under the covers, played Kdrama OSTs and ate my pizza.

Here’s my recommendation if this has not already convinced to visit Aewol – there’s a lot to see, do and eat. I just came across another blog of cafes in Aewol that I didn’t even see! I booked marked it for next time.

Someone once told me that it’s okay to do touristy things when you’re visiting a place for the first time. There’s a reasons tourist flock to that spot. So, it’s okay if the cafe street seems like something only tourists do. It’s worth it.

When I was leaving Jeju, I had already decided to visit again. Jeju, I felt, was like a warm hug and pandora’s box of experiences. I had one distasteful experience (shout out to the guy on the bus for showing me what polite harassment is), amazing experiences (thank you, walking trails) and Aewol (for the sound of the waves, ramyeon and short-lived peace).

Watch a short reel of Jeju Aewol Cafe street here