Namiseom: A Fairytale Island Come to Life

Dripping with sweat in the middle of September, snowmen seemed out-of-place. And with those warmer-than-average temps the day we traveled to the island, a snowman seemed even more like an unusual mascot. Nevertheless, a smiling snowman statue donning a sea captain's hat greets you as you walk through the gates to the dock where a ferry awaits to take you over to a little island nicknamed Nami. Namiseom, a self-declared micronation, is a small moon-shaped island that feels like a page right out of a storybook. 

But if you're worried about seasickenss, you don't have to take the ferry over to the island - you can easily zipline over as well. Fearless visitors brave the 80-meter-high zipline as they race toward Nami.

Once your feet are safely planted on land again, there is so much to see and do. From sculptures to wildlife to tasty cafe treats, you'll feel like your short time on the small island just isn't enough to savor all the beauty and excitement surrounding you.

And if you don't feel like walking, visitors have the opportunity to grab a bike and cycle around the island.

As with many popular tourist sights in South Korea, Nami has been the set of several K-drama series, such as the charming love story that was credited with causing the second 'Korean Wave', Winter Sonata. In the Gongsengwon Garden you will find a statue of the main characters in an embrace. There is also the First Kiss Glass Sequoia Bridge, where the characters from this Korean melodrama shared their first kiss. This romantic spot is the perfect place for couples to share a quick peck. Another reason why Nami is considered such a magical, fairytale-like world.

After all that exploring I am sure you are hungry. Don't fret - on the island you can find the ever-so-popular and tasty Korean treat, hotteok. But on Nami, it is uniquely shaped as a snowman of course. 

As you make your way back to the dock, make sure you take a stroll through both the Metasequoia Lane and Ginkgo Tree Lane, where you will enjoy shade from tallest trees in the world (Metasequoia) and living fossils (Ginkgo). 

If you have the opportunity, spend a night or two on the island to be able to soak up everything that there is to see and do. There is exactly one hotel on the island that offers rooms to tourists, Hotel Jeonggwanru. Unfortunately, we missed out on a lot of the neat things to see as we had only gotten to stay a short time while on a tour to the island. Next visit to Korea I will definitely be carving out a little extra time to stay overnight in this little fairytale world.