I say I'm built for the tropics, but for the past years I always find myself in the winter during this time of the year. Last week we flew back to the beautiful country of South Korea to visit family, and basically just to take a break from the hectic city of Manila. I just finished my first ever race in Cam Sur together with GamePlan TV (this episode is coming out soon, so watch out for it! But in the meantime you can check out my pre race post here). The soonest I got off the 12 hour bus ride back to Manila, I hurriedly packed my bags and boarded a plane set for Incheon Airport. I sounds super crazy, but this was the break I needed from the string of shoots and workshops that I've been working on for the final quarter of 2017.
Most of this trip was spent indoors all snuggled up and binge watching Stranger Things on Netflix. I posted an update on my Instagram joking that I flew all the way to Korea to stay home. Not much of a joke really because it was really what happened. Haha! But I'm not complaining. We celebrated our first thanksgiving ever, and I could not ask for a warmer host than our Tito Boboy and Tita Bebe who always make us feel all warm and loved. Every moment of this trip was a blessing.
But on the rare days that we did muster the strength to come out of hibernation, we made sure that we made them count, which brings me to the heart of this blog. We took a trip to Nami Island, famous for its picturesque location, and also for being the set of where the popular Korean Drama, Winter Sonata was filmed. It doesn't take a Koreanovela nut to see, that walking through the island is like walking inside a postcard. Every corner of the small floating paradise is waiting to take your breath away. It is truly a place fit for a beautiful love story. Here's a quick peak into one of the most sought after tourist locations in South Korea.
A few more details about our trip for those planning to visit soon.
1. We bought our tickets via klook.com, which is one of my main go to websites to check for good deals when I'm abroad. Tickets here sell for 42,000 KRW which is roughly around 1951 PHP or 39 USD. This rate already includes a bus transfer to and from Myeong-Dong Seoul to Nami Island, together with the entrance tickets and ferry fees. Also, it also includes a quick side trip to Petite France, a small french town in Korea which I will share with you in another post in better detail. This whole package will take you around 9 hours, so block your whole day for this, and maybe squeeze in a little food trip at Myeong-Dong upon getting back. I know this is a fitness blog but you can check out my foodie guide here.
2. There are also other options you can take to visit the island. You can take the train to Gapyeong Station and then walk or take a cab to the wharf. Just pay the entrance fee of 800 KRW to enter the island. Another option is to take a shuttle bus. You can go to the station at Insadong, or the Sungnyemun Square Bus Stop.
3. There are a lot of good places to eat inside Nami Island. You have the option of eating before you take the ferry for some classic Korean BBQ and other local fare which was what our guide suggested. But you can also grab a bite on the island itself, which was what we did. There are a lot of restaurants to choose from, and when it comes to Korean food, there's really a very slim chance that you could go wrong.
4. Wear comfortable shoes, and if you're coming in the snow season make sure to be in snow shoes because it can get a little bit slippery.
That's all for now! If you have comments feel free to hit me below! Don't forget to like this post if you've found this helpful. Happy travels! xx