Early this month, Fafa and I spent half a day on Nami Island; a spot less than two hours away from Seoul, made famous by k-drama. We took a ferry to the island right after having a late lunch near the port.
I booked the Nami Island tour mainly for Fafa, who has been into k-dramas lately. But after seeing the pictures on the internet ━ , albeit some heavily edited ones, I also had been looking forward to seeing them.
Rest and Relax in the Republic of Nami Island
The first thing I noticed after reaching Nami Island shore was it referred to itself as Republic Nami. Unfortunately, unlike Leichestien, it has no factual reason behind it. The republic title here was just for fun – none got an extra stamp on the passport.
A little further in, Nami Island reminded me of Tivua island in Fiji, a secluded island surrounded by water filled with happy tourists. But, the similarities stopped there because Nami island turned out to be huge. It has six restaurants ━ offering Korean to Western food and six cafes, including a traditional Korean teahouse. It also has galleries, souvenir stores and, the best part, a hotel on the island ━ Hotel Jeonggwanru.
There were also all kinds of flora and fauna ━ from black rabbits to white peacocks. These animals roamed freely, giving the tourists some company in exchange for food. Then there are statues and marked spots from k-dramas.
The island seems to have endless fun activities, from roasting marshmallows by the fire to doing water activities; learning in the museum taking part in arts and crafts; visiting the zoo to lounging in the library. It’s also the home for many cultural events all year round.
My favourite part of the island though was the pathway leading to the lake framed by tall trees. It was breathtakingly beautiful even when littered with annoying tourists who wanted to take thousands of pictures in front of it (ourselves included).
In short, Nami Island is a place for rest and relaxation. Or, as glossed on the brochure:
human beings, animals, and trees share peace, love and harmony in Nami Island ━ far away from crowds and civilization.
And I ditto it.
I can’t find a better word to describe Nami Island except for it being magical. And I’d love to revisit it in different seasons. Maybe stay on the island for a day or two to reset and recharge.
Nami Island entrance fee: 16k Won. Seven minutes ferry ride from Gapyeong Wharf from 8 AM to 9 PM daily, every 20 minutes or so.
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