Nami Island

        A one day trip to this beautiful Island began on one fine autumn Saturday morning. Along with me, two more colleagues also joined. And we together began our journey from Dongcheon station.

        Namiseom or Nami Island is a half-moon shaped river island located in Chuncheon, Gangwon Province, South Korea. The island has an area of 460,000㎡ and a circumference of 5km. Formed with pebbles and sand, there are no mountains on the island. Nami Island was named after General Nami, a notable figure in Korean history who courageously fought in battles but died at the age of 26. Seasonal rain used to transform this land into an island, and with the construction of Cheongpyeong dam, it is now an island all year long. In 1965, thousands of trees were planted by Mr. Byeong-Do Minn.

        When we reached there, it was quite crowded since Nami Island is famous for its Autumn season. And it that time, the weather was not so cold (around 15 degC) and the sky was clear. So, it was a perfect time to visit the island. After reaching Gapeong station, since the road traffic was heavy, we avoided the bus and walked to Gapeong wharf (20mins walk).

        In between we had Chicken dugalbi for Lunch. It was my first time to have this food. It’s like BBQ where raw chicken with masala mixed were served. We were supported to cook the raw meat in a medium flame. The food was so delicious. Along with the chicken, they also served radish kimchi and seasoned chicory & citron.

        From Gapeong wharf, we took a ferry which directed us to Nami Island. The ferry travel last for 10-15mins and there was frequent ferry’s available in the interval of 10-20 mins. And finally, around evening 3pm, we landed at Nami Island. It welcomed with its shredded maple leaves. It was so colorful, there were mixture of tress of different colors (Green, Yellow, Orange, Brown, and Purple). Few trees are completely orange, few are in-between orange and Brown. The total environment reminded me of the K-drama scenes. It was a perfect spot for photography lovers.

    There are several places to be cherished with such as Riverside path, Gingko tree lane, Baekpungmilwon maple garden, Ostrich Village, Pitowon Garden, Glass Sequoia bridge, Millennium waterfall, Kimchi hut and so on. There are also options to take tour bus and train (one way), if you wish. Bicycles and electric tri-way are also available which one can take it for rental basis.

        One interesting thing I observed there was the replica of the India gate. Since I am from India, I was surprised to see the India gate model out there. It was constructed in April 2022 to celebrate the close relationship between Nami Island and India, which has evolved since 2005, and to mark the 75^th anniversary of India’s independence.

        There are many restaurants and small shops where we can get good foods. The art gallery portraited photos of different styles. From the local people what I heard was, that it was a perfect place for people who are dating and also for family. And its no surprise, that I noticed so many young couples and family with kids. There were also lot of old people who came in a group of 5-10. Nami is also a perfect spot for reunion and gatherings. One of the old woman whom I came across told me that after 52 years, she came to Nami from Seoul, to have a good time with her friends. It was so lovable.

        One can enjoy their time with different activities available in this island along with their loved ones. We spent around 4 hours on Nami island and took a lot of photographs. It was a perfect trip on a weekend.