We visited Nami Island in 2006 during our honeymoon. As we were not consumers of K-dramas at all then, we couldn’t quite appreciate the significance of the island, particularly that it was the filming location of the hugely popular Korean drama “Winter Sonata”. Looking at our photos from back then and to what we saw this afternoon, we were struck by two things: firstly, that the island today is a lot more developed, and secondly, the sheer number of crowds! The latter was significant in affecting our ability to appreciate and enjoy the island: and because we only had one hour 15 minutes on it, we had time only for the most cursory exploration of the island.
The crowds were also overwhelming at points. Our tour guide quipped that Mondays, Fridays, and weekend days are the busiest times to visit tourist places in South Korea, and it really felt that way on this Monday afternoon! Forget about trying to enjoy a romantic experience touring this island – it just won’t be possible on these peak days. There were numerous groups of large families, including with kids running around, screaming etc. and generally having a blasting time if at the expense of everyone else who is trying to enjoy the place without noise!
The island today has a number of facilities: including the Song Museum, Picture Book Playground, MICE Center, and there is a train-tram system that runs the length of the island, and you can also cycle along the paths too. There’s also a zip line that you can ride on to get from the mainland to the island. We saw a few really brave visitors go that route: and this was at 0 degree celsius temperature in the late afternoon.
Pro-tip: just two: allocate at least 3 hours if you can to really explore this park, and do not go during peak hours. The pictures here are those I took were of the spots that were relatively crowd-free.
Our last stop: Garden of Morning Calm. Continued in the next post!