Namiseom Island or populary known "Nami Island" had been another tourist destination because it had been a setting of one popular drama"Winter Sonata" (KBS drama). Honestly, I haven't watched that drama but just seeing photos of it had really entice you to visit Nami Island. It is located in the province of Gapyeong, about 1-2 hours travel from Seoul. It was said that when visiting Korea, IT IS A MUST TO VISIT NAMI ISLAND!
I woke up around 5:00am and took the bus to Gapyeong which costs 4,600KWN. When I reached Gapyeong I still had enough time to have breakfast since the first trip for the Gapyeong City Tour Bus is at 9:00am. I just made sure that I'll arrive early so I can also go back before it gets dark.
Good thing, I met 2 nice Indonesian ladies who agreed to take my photos as I'll do the same for them (I guess, one thing with solo travel is you really have to ask strangers to take your photos :p) We even paused from walking and taking photos and decided to chat a bit with a cup of coffe at one of the cafes inside Nami Island.
Here they are! :) I hope to meet them again when I visit Indonesia :)
Some parts of Nami Island still has snow and I was lucky to experience it since first snow happened a week before I arrived.
The - degrees weather, Christmas songs playing in the background while I was roaming around the island really made me happy! You can also rent a bike while you're at Nami Island and I would love to experience that probaly the next time I visit either Spring or Autumn season.
Admission Fee: 8,000KWN (discounted rate for foreigners and it already includes entrance and the ferry fee)
How to get there:
- Take the ITX to Cheongchun and you can have 3 options from there: take the bus, take a taxi or walk (probably 20 to 30 minutes). I would suggest to take Gapyeong Bus City Tour, no need for ticket reservations. Its much suggested and convenient since you'll be able to get off any tourist destination around Gapyeong just make sure to check the bus schedule so you'll know when the bus arrives.
Petite France, another tourist destination in Gapyeong that had been popular because of the Korean dramas that was shot there. The concept of Petite France contains flowers, stars, and the Little Prince. Petite France is a French-style theme park that was constructed in July 2008. It's not far from Nami Island and so I included it on my list rather than visiting Garden of the Morning Calm since I only have limited time.
I did enjoy this place as I’ve watched My Love from the star and it was shot here. I so love Jun Ji-hyun!! Aside from that, I love the pastel colors of each house and indeed the place has picturesque overlooking mountains and a hilly view.
Admission Fee: 8,000KWN
That sums up my short trip to Gapyeong province. Aside from Nami Island and Petite France, there are several other attractions that you can visit with the Gapyeong Bus City Tour, but since I only have limited time and I have to be back to Seoul before sundown, I decided to just visit those two locations above.
