Day 3: Nami Island (남이섬)

Nami Island is a must visit place for Seoul travelers. It is one of the best destination to witness the beauty of fall foliage.

There are two ways to get to Nami Island: by Korea Subway or ITX. Taking Korea Subway will take approximately 90 minutes for 2,250 won and ITX for approximately 55 minutes for 4,800 won. If you prefer ITX - the faster route, you can book tickets at.letskorail.com, but if you prefer the cheaper one, read details below.

How to get there:
1. From City Hall Station (this may vary depending on your location) take LINE 2 train heading towards Sindang Station to get to Wangsimni Station.
2. Get off Wangsimni Station, change to JUNGANG LINE and take the train heading towards Cheong-nyangni to get to Mangu Station.
3. Get off Mangu Station, change to KYEONGCHUN LINE and take the train heading towards Galmae Station to get to Gapyeong Station.


Summary of the route to Nami Island from City Hall Station

Exit the Gapyeong Station and line-up for the Gapyeong Tour Bus. Ticket costs 6,000 won; this can be bought from the bus driver on the spot.  Keep the ticket as you can use this to hop in and out of the tour bus.

Gapyeong Bus Tour Timetable

At Nami bus stop, cross the street and walk towards Gapyeong Wharf where you can buy visa or admission ticket for 10,000 won (this includes ferry fare) then line up for the ferry which will take you to the island, it is a 5-minute ride. For foreigners you can avail 2,000 won discount if you present your passport. 

There are actually other ways to get to the island like the zipwire which I really like to try but it costs 38,000 won.. so will just try next time!

Welcome to Naminara ❤

We had our lunch at Drama Café and tried the Rice + kimchi + egg + tuna and Rice + kimchi + egg + cheese for 6, 500 won. The meal is simple yet scrumptious.

Korean lunchbox at Drama Cafe

Enjoy the scenic changing of the color of leaves; from green to yellow to red. Take photos! We spent approximately 3 hours in the island and 75% of that is spent on taking photos. 📷 😬

The outer part of the island is quite crowded but there are secluded parts where you can just sit, take photos and enjoy the beauty of the island.

You can try biking. We didn't try it though, we don't know how to bike! 🚲 Hahaha! There are other activities that you can try but in our case, we just enjoyed the serene environment. 🤣

Nami Island is undoubtedly beautiful during autumn but I am curious how's the setting during spring summer and winter. Will surely be back on those seasons. 👍🏻

Tip: Opt out exchanging money in Nami; rate is not that good compared to Myeongdong and Insadong.

One third of our day was spent in Petite France.

Related:
7-Day Seoul Itinerary
Day 1: Gyeongbokgung Palace (경복궁)
Day 1: Bukchon Hanok Village and Insadong
Day 2: Everland (에버랜드) Part 1
Day 2: Everland (에버랜드) Part 2

Kdrama Review: Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo

Have you watched Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo? If not, I understand. I was not interested in watching this drama at first, probably because I still hold a grudge against Han Yi An (Nam  Joo Hyuk's charcter in Who are you: School 2015). Hahahaha! I was rooting for the second lead Gong Tae Kwang! But I had a change of heart after watching the first episode of Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo. Yes, I was totally hooked after watching the first episode!

That look in Joonhyung's eyes.

Some of the reasons why you should watch this k-drama:

The setting. I love the bright-colored setting of this drama; it sets that light and laid-back atmosphere. The beauty and color of autumn was captured perfectly. The entire setting was vibrant and youthful. Everything was visually pleasing.

Look at the backdrop! Beautiful.

Beautiful even at night.

The story. It is ordinary but I like that is not that heavy, chill lang. It will not leave you with that heavy feeling like other dramas. It is quite unconventional in some ways coz we're used to female leads that are poor and weak that needs to be protected; Bok Joo is far from that.

Omo Joon Hyung-ah! Poor Bok Joo.

The characters. Lee Sung Kyung broke free from her sassy kontrabida role in Doctors and Cheese in the Trap and so as Nam Joo Hyuk in his serious and tamed roles in School 2015 and Scarlet Heart Ryeo. They pulled off that playful and quirky characters very well. The characters were well-written but the actors that brought the characters to life just amazing. Lee Sung Kyung as weightlifter is not that convincing though.

That face.. is still handsome. Hahaha

Dolled up Bok Joo. 

The cuteness and kilig. Lee Sung Kyung and Nam Joo Hyuk's chemistry is undeniable, they look good and comfortable with each other, no awkwardness or whatsover. Bok Joo beating Joon Hyung is cute! Hahaha! 🙊 They are too cute to handle. Jealous Bok Joo is indeed terrifying, and jealous Joon Hyung is childish yet cute. Prep your hearts! ❤

Jealous Bok joo

Terrified Joon Hyung

The verdict. 8.3/10  The story started and ended gracefully. I'm satisfied that eveyone had their own happy endings. I bet we all love happy endings right? This drama is a must watch. 👍🏻❤

Other reviews:
The Heirs
Legend of the Blue Sea
Cheese in the Trap

Day 2: Everland (에버랜드) Part 2

After roaming around Zootopia, We decided to try Columbus Adventure. This is the ride that I am most confident with as I've tried several kinds of it but the feeling is as if it is my first time trying it. I guess the cold weather added excitement and thrill to that experience. I just hoped that they translate the safety instructions in English as all instructions were in Korean. Again, subtitles please!

Sail at Columbus Adventure

After that dizzying ride, we prepped to watch the Halloween Parade. The mood is not very festive, it seems that the characters are tired, well, in my opinion as a spectator. Or I am the one who is tired? Probably. Chilly and tired. 😫

Our last stop was the Horror Village. It's the best place to spend Halloween night right? Bravely, we headed to the Horror Maze but when we arrived to the entrance, we were informed that we have to purchase separate ticket for this attraction. So we bought a ticket for ₩5,000 and waited for the 7PM schedule.

While waiting, we lined up for the VR Adventure wherein you'll get to experience the T-express and Safari Tour virtually with Samsung Gear VR and the motion chair. But since it's Halloween, you'll get to experience the Horror Maze as well. We waited in the line for roughly 30 minutes. Guess what? We had the the Horror Maze but it does not scare us at all! LOL. Just Kidding! My eyes were shut the whole time. Hahaha! 👻👀

Then we have to gather our courage again. It's time for the Horror Maze. There were instructions given before going in. The in-charge oppa tried hard to explain it in English. We entered carefully, small steps but after a minute, we ran around the maze as fast as we can (feels like we're the characters from Maze Runner). Eyes closed. We want it to end immediately. HAHAHA! We were scared. It was scary but fun. Horror Maze ended our Everland day with pounding hearts. 💓

To go back to Seoul, you can follow same route. Take note of the last trip of bus 5002. We rode the last trip at 8:30 PM.

One day is not enough to explore Everland. Now I understand why they offer the 2-day ticket. Another tip - it's exceptionally chilly here, so make to sure wear extra layer! Enjoy! 🙌

PS: Everland in famous for the T Express - superb wooden roller coaster with a top speed of 104km per hour at a 77-degree angle. We are not ready for this ride yet! Share us your experience if you have tried it!

If you missed our Everland Part 1, here's the link - Day 2: Everland (에버랜드) Part 1

⇘Link of day 3 here⇙
  Day 3: Nami Island

Related:
7-Day Seoul Itinerary
Day 1: Gyeongbokgung Palace (경복궁)
Day 1: Bukchon Hanok Village and Insadong

Day 2: Everland (에버랜드) Part 1

Day 2 is about unleashing the inner child in us; Day 2 is Everland Day! 👶 We were torn between Everland and Lotte World but we ended up in Everland. We preferred the outdoor theme park. We purchased 1-day ticket in Klook (vouchers are cheaper here) for PhP 1387, 4 days before our scheduled trip.

If you choose to purchase vouchers beforehand, you can go directly to the entrance and show the e-voucher saved in your mobile; no need to print it.

Everland facade which reminds me of Enchanted Kingdom 😎

Operating Hours: 10AM-9PM (closing time may vary)
How to get there:
1. Take the train to Gangnam Station and exit at Exit 10.
2. Walk straight to the bus stop which is approximately 300 meters away. It is near Giordano (located at the right)
3. Take bus 5002 to Everland. You can pay using T-money card or cash but I suggest using the T-money card. It will take 40-50 minutes to get there so you can grab this chance to take a nap or you can just enjoy the view.
4. Alight at Everland Bus Station and transfer to the free shuttle bus.

For other details you can visit Everland website.

See yah later pandas!🐼

It was lunchtime when we arrived so we decided to grab a bite at Burger Café America. Yes, fastfood! We're too lazy and hungry to walk around and find other food stalls. One tip: consider food sharing; most of the dishes are good for two. 🍲🍟

Because sharing is caring.

After lunch, we head straight to the Safari World where we experienced the wild, met the lions, tigers and adorable bears at a close distance in an enclosed bus. There are eonnies and oppas that I can tell by the looks explains something about the animals but they were in Korean. Subtitle 주세요(please)! 😵

잘했어! Good job! 👏👍

Then we lined up for the Lost Valley where you can we can meet other animals that we rarely see in person and we only see in National Geographic, I guess. 📺😀 I honestly don't recognize most of these beautiful creation. God is amazing indeed!

That photo bomber oppa! Aigoo!

Okay, nuff sweetness.

Then we went to Panda World  where the pandas were dozing off. 🐼💤

Bed weather eh?

We spent almost half our Everland day in Zootopia. It's huge, 진짜!

Below's the link to the 2nd half of our day.
Day 2: Everland (에버랜드) Part 2

Related:
7-Day Seoul Itinerary
Day 1: Gyeongbokgung Palace (경복궁)
Day 1: Bukchon Hanok Village and Insadong