Beauty & Fashion Food & Dining Kap & Me My Kids Staycations & Vacations The GOppets

Korea Day 4

We’re off to Nami Island today. It’s roughly a 1.5 hour ride away from the city and we will be spending most of the daylight there, so we made sure we got plenty of rest & had a solid breakfast before the island adventure. 

There’s this chicken place named TEN JOY that we always pass by underground as we leave our apartment & start our day. Mahalimuyak ang amoy tuwing mapapadaan kami. My companions are getting umay na with Korean BBQ all day err’day so we decided to give this a try, for a change naman.

Fast & affordable, the Ten Joy Chicken & Burger kiosk at the Gongdeok Station serves ok chicken tenders & sandwiches. The fried chicken (9,900 won or 450 php/bucket of assorted 10) is pretty similar to our homegrown Jollibee chicken joy in taste & crunch, I swear (kulang lang ng gravy huhu). You won’t miss it, just follow your nose underground & it’ll lead you right to the place. 😉

And of course, this girl just has to have a photoshoot at every opportunity in every corner of Korea lol. And her patient sister enables her, lucky Ate! 😛 Inuna talaga ang pictorial bago ang kain hay naku.

I gotta warn you, it’s quite a stretch going to Nami Island via public transpo. First, take the Metro to Yongsan Station. From Yongsan Station, take the ITX Train to Gapyeong Station (around 60 minutes). From Gapyeong Station, take a taxi to Nami Island Station and finally walk a bit to Gapyeong Wharf. But no, it doesn’t end there. ;)) You’ll see in awhile.

Ate warned me to bring something rugged for the zipline so I packed shorts & jeans (too hot for the day though). It’s hard keeping up with the adventure-loving Goppets but I try. I really do. Slowly but steadily & surely. 😛

I really recommend chucking style for comfort when you’re with a group of highly adventurous & lakwatchero folks. If not, kawawa ka, believe me. Never in a million years did I ever imagine myself to wear rubber shoes all day long, but since we started traveling, I never leave home without my trusty pairs of black & white ultraboosts. Gotta buy more in different colors with the rate we’re going.

I gotta give Kap the credit that he so rightfully deserves. <3 He’s really so gentle & patient with me. He doesn’t mind lagging behind to match my slow pace even when the kids are already a hundred meters away from us haha. May taga-payong pa ako (which he packed & brought along especially for me daw, how sweet!) at taga-bitbit ng tubig. Hay, sobrang in-love naman itong boyfriend ko sa akin! ;P #babaengsukdulangpinagpala

Less than midway into our Korean adventure tadtad na ako ng salonpas huhu. Nag-amoy matanda ako. ;)) #katinko Kap stored up on these mega-strength pain relief pads from a Korean drugstore as they are much better, stretchier & stickier than the local ones back home. 1/4 of my maleta is packed with imported salonpas to bring back home for all my aches & pains. ;))

Like I said, Nami Island is faaaaar from the city. 1.5 hours away and then some by public transpo (around 1 hour by private car). We got a total of 3 rides before reaching Nami Island. But it doesn’t end there. You have a choice of either going on a ferry for a short boat ride (5 mins), or taking the slightly quicker route -the zipline (2 mins), to get to the island itself. I suggest you head on early as the last ferry back is at 9pm. 

After wasting half of our day with breakfast (which turned to brunch, zomg) & travel, plus another 2-hour waiting game for our turn at the very busy zipline, we were finally off at exactly 5 pm huhu!

Spent our waiting time at Snow Cafe to cool off. One of the Cafes around the area outside Nami Island, Snow Cafe is a super cute snack parlor located near the ferries that you need to take in order to get to Nami Island.

When in Korea, make sure to get some Batbingsu (Korean Shaved Ice). And, because we had an early brunch, sammies & ice cream to fill our hungry tummies before our Nami Island expedition.

Namiseom, or Nami Island was formed as a result of the construction of Cheongpyeong Dam. It is a half moon-shaped isle, and on it is the grave of General Nami, who led a great victory against the rebels in the 13th year of the 7th king of the Joseon Dynasty, King Sejo (reign 1455-1468).

A special feature of Namiseom Island is that there are no telephone poles. This is because all electric wires were built underground to keep the natural feeling of the landscape. The island is 553,560 square yards with chestnut and poplar trees throughout.

Each year, around two million people visit Nami Island. Most get here via one of four ferries, but with the introduction of the Nami Skyline ZipWire ZipRider last November 2010, there is a now a more exciting & faster way to get to Nami! Stats: Length: 3,083 feet long  | Average Percent Grade: 7.47% | Top Speed: 35 miles per hour | Cables: Two, side by side. There’s an age limit for this activity as well as the following requirements for weight: 35kg~120kg (pasok ako, woohoooo!) & height: 140~200cm. The package to Namiseom (38,000 won or 1,750 php each) includes your entry fee to the island, as well as a return ferry back to the mainland. Unfortunately, there isn’t yet a return ZipWire. Yes, na-corner si Kap, namutla sa presyo hehe!

This is the first ZipRider to cross water and you can wave to the people on the ferry while you fly over them. As water gives way to land, your ride will transition from wide open views to the feeling of flying through a forest. A minute and a half after your initial departure from the ZipWire tower, you will glide onto the wooden platform on Nami Island. Exit the ride and explore all the island has to offer.





There’s also an option to take the ZipWire to Jara Island, an uninhabited and undeveloped plot of land in the opposite direction. The Jara Island package costs the same, but also includes a ferry to take you from Jaraseom to Namiseom on top of the Nami levy and a final boat ride back. The wire cable to Jaraseom is steeper, with riders able to hit speeds up to 45 mph (72 km/h), and they recommend it for the more thrill-seeking customer. Uhm, NO THANKS. 😛

In the middle of the isle, there is a grass field about 316,320 square yards. It features education and training facilities and camping sites. The island also has a swimming pool and water-sports facilities for motorboats and water skiing, as well as a theme park with a merry-go-round, shooting range, and roller skating rink. Lodging facilities such as resort villas and bungalows are available for visitors to stay on the island.

There are many options to go about & seeing the beauty of the island in its entirety. By foot kung mahilig kang mag-penitensya, by bike kung sinisipag ka, by Segway kung tulad ko, mahina ang tuhod, by electric tour cars, or by the Unicef charity train. The bike & Segway rental shop is just located beside the Unicef Playground. For a 30-minute bike ride, it costs KRW 3,000 or 140 php. We got the 1 hour rental (5,000 won or 230 php) but I think 30 minutes should do it unless you will stop periodically to take selfies & photos. The island is picturesque, I gotta warn you. Sobrang Kodak-moment! 🙂

I saw several tandem bikes. If you’re feeling cheesy, that’s the way to go! \m/ 6,000 won for 30 minutes; 10,000 won for 1 hour. Lovey-dovey moment – priceless! 😉 The Segway costs 10,000 won for 30 minutes, 18,000 won for 1 hour. Beats having to walk under extreme heat, swearbear.

In December 2010 Naminara Republic, Nami Island was designated a UNICEF Child Friendly Park. This was a first for Korea and only the 14th park in the world to receive such a designation. Nami was selected for this honor as a result of our ongoing financial support of UNICEF and cultural activities for children such as the Nami Island International Children’s Book Festival (Nambook). Nami Island has also been designated an “Easy Place” by The Human Rights Forum of Persons with Disabilities in Korea (PWDK) due to the ease of access we offer to all visitors.

Enjoying the beautiful Metasequoia Lane lined with metasequoia trees. Also known as living fossils, metasequoia trees were transplanted to Nami Island from the nursery of the College of Agriculture , Seoul National University in 1977. As they grow tall very quickly, these trees soon lined a luxuriant path & became a global symbol of Nami Island after being filmed for the television series Winter Sonata. Naminara celebrates the imagination and shares its beautiful fairy tales and songs with guests from all over the world. Ang sarap ma-in-love paulit-ulit!

There are more than 20 gardens on Nami Island all with unique stories to share with visitors. And all the animals roam freely. Ostriches are particularly loved by visitors, graceful deer love to play hide and seek, and curious squirrels always wonder about the island. Also, there are countless types of birds, ducks, geese, rabbits, turkeys, moles, and even the black woodpecker, one of Korea’s natural monuments. That day, we were pleasantly surprised to be able to interact with a free-range peacock! <3

We would have preferred to have dinner at the island for the complete island experience, but since we got there late, we were worried we might miss the ferry back home & have to stay overnight at Hotel Jeonggwanru. (Kap’s worst nightmare: surprise & unnecessary expense). This boutique hotel features guestrooms by different artists including painters, craftsmen and craftswomen, writers and even singers-each of whom added his or her own distinctive touch. Sayang. Maybe next time we can set aside a budget for an overnight stay at Hotel Jeonggwanru. <3 Siksikan, unahan, at standing-room-only ang ferry so you gotta move fast or you’ll have to wait for the next one.

Truly, a bike or a motorized segway is the best way to see the entire island. Because our Bae has conveniently forgotten how to ride the bike even after teaching her numerous times in her 17 long years on earth gaaah, the 3 of us opted for the segway nalang while the 2 energizer bunnies rented a bike. It takes about an hour ride to go around the whole circumference, so double or triple that time frame if you decide to do the walking tour. Good luck na lang! 😛 I’m such a diriin person that the moment we returned our rented equipments including the helmets, I dashed to the restroom & asked my girls to wash my hair FOUR TIMES. Ang baho sobra nung helmet ha, imagine the heat & the number of people who have used that paulit-ulit. Kakasuka, pramis!

I felt like peeing the whole time we were waiting for our turn. Grabe sa balisawsaw. But I scared myself senseless for no reason naman pala, -except for the height (or the fall) if you REALLY think about it, it wasn’t scary at all. The speed was manageable & as long as I didn’t look down below. I actually enjoyed the scenery & the experience. I’ll definitely do it again in a heartbeat.

If you can see on the last video I uploaded to share with you. I came down the island first. Alam nyo bakit? And I swear Kap was laughing the moment he found out the reason! Kasi, mas mabigat ako ng di hamak sa kanya. Apparently, they assign the steeper right cable to whoever is lighter between the pair, and the more gradually-loped left cable to the fatty -a.k.a. ME (gagong mga mokong kaya pala pinipilit akong umupo sa kaliwa kahit na sabi ko mas gusto so sa kanan!) para halos sabay lang ang pagbaba. Unfortunately, because of my heavy weight lol, nauna ako kay Kap ng milya-milya. Hindi parin kami nagsabay HAHAHAHAHA! 😛

Homaygas, even Nami Island is telling me to DIE-T & exercise! @_@

Henyway, my brood is SO funneh. Hindi na nagkasya sa chicken for brunch, chicken na naman for dinner??? Ok fine, bukas ako babawi, Korean BBQ all day hmp!

Kyochon F&B Co., Ltd. is a South Korean fried chicken restaurant chain. Founded in 1991, Kyochon is one of the largest Korean fried chicken restaurants in South Korea.

WTF did we even eat here gaize? When there is a franchise available na pala in Megamall??? Pang-asar talaga kayo! @_@ Total bill for our order: 89,000 won or 4k php – mahal sya ha! 😐 Pikit-mata nalang si Kap. ;))

Ang haba sobra nitong Day 4 entry noh? Ang we’re just about midway. Nagsasawa na ba kayo sa GO-reanovela namin hehe. Thank you dear readers for bearing with me with my ramblings, masyado akong naaliw mag-kwento sa inyo ng mga kaganapan, napahaba tuloyAt syempre naman, masyado kong na-miss ang ating chikahan.

5 more days to go guys before going back to our regular programming, kaya pa ba??? 😉

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10 Comments

  • Reply Med

    Thank you, thank you, thaaaaaaank you for making me laugh sooooo hard! I need it badly. Your zipline adventure is lhav, lhav, lhav! Nami island is so different pala kapag summer. So many activities! When I went there, it was winter-koreanobela moment so I just took a million photos, ate the most delicious chicken bbq and walked all over the island. Your story makes me want to go back there and experience zipline, bike around, and perhaps an overnight stay? Five years Korea visa mo di ba? Let’s gooooooooooo!!!!!!!!

    August 10, 2017 at 8:53 am
    • Reply Jane Go

      Awwww you’ve always been so kind to me Meding. I love how you’re so supportive of me & the fam huhu! Yes, 5 years ang Korean visa. Lezzgooooow, I lavett!! <3

      August 10, 2017 at 8:56 am
  • Reply Lyza

    You have no idea how many times I visit to page and refresh it, patiently waiting for your next posts! Reading your entries always makes my day hihi. This definitey made me want to travel to Korea.

    August 11, 2017 at 12:07 am
    • Reply Jane Go

      And you have no idea how much your comment made me so very happy, dear Lyza. Thank you. <3 I really appreciate the love.

      August 11, 2017 at 2:54 pm
  • Reply michymichymoo

    Ang sweet ng photos nyo ni Kap sa may trees, Mama Bear! <3 Parang pang pre nup ang peg. hihi. 🙂

    August 11, 2017 at 3:06 am
    • Reply Jane Go

      Ok nga gamitin kobyan for our silver wedding next year hehe.

      August 11, 2017 at 2:55 pm
  • Reply Erika

    Try sana namin zip line kaso napaisip kami sa things namin san iiwan haha! Takot kami mahulog mga gamit namin! Kami nag tour package, bus ride roundtrip kaso ang early ng alis. we arrrived almost 12 tapos alis na by 4! Ang nakabuti lang since bus tuloy tuloy tulog namin. I miss korea dahil sa food! pero ang mahal e!

    August 11, 2017 at 4:27 am
    • Reply Jane Go

      May locker erika sa zipline entrance. Sayang. Ako nga kahit takot pinilit ko ang sarili ko kasi supot ang zipline natin sa Pinas hehe. Chance of a lifetime. ;))

      August 11, 2017 at 2:56 pm
  • Reply Mom South of Manila

    Hahahaha super missed your posts, Mommy Jane! I loooove that you rode the zip. Go,go, GO girl! 🙂

    August 11, 2017 at 10:12 am
    • Reply Jane Go

      Thank you!! 🙂 At least before I reached 50 may nagawa akong daring in my life lol.

      August 11, 2017 at 2:57 pm

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