September 5-6, 2015

I finally made it out to a place in Korea that I’ve been meaning to go for a long time. Nami Island is not in the middle of the ocean, like you would kind of assume from the name. It’s actually a small island that is about 3-miles in circumference right in the middle of Korea, surrounded by the Han River. 

The easiest way to get to Nami Island is to ride the ITX from Seoul. It’s easy to see why people love to visit and also why so many Korean TV shows film here. Not only is there beautiful scenery and fun activities on the river all day, the area is famous for its dak galbi (chicken barbecue). 

Nami Island is picturesque, but you really only need a day or two there to enjoy everything it has to offer. There is bike riding, pedal boat rides, and even bungee jumping -but what I really wanted to do was zip-line to the island. 

Yup, instead of taking the ferry, you can take the Namiseom Zip Wire (남이섬 짚와이어) straight to the island for 38,000₩. On weekends, get there early as tickets do sell out and you usually have to wait 2-3 hours. The zip-line is 3,083 feet long and it goes over the river from the dock to Nami Island at a 7.47% average percent grade. The zip-line tower is located right next to the dock, and it’s the tallest structure in the area so it can’t be missed.

The ride only lasts about 90 seconds and isn’t very fast (35 MPH), but the height had my heart racing. The zip-line was a bucket seat so you carry any stuff you’re carrying on your lap. 

Now, onto the cute little kitschy island itself. When you arrive, you’re in Nami Island, it’s own “country” and they even have a cute, fake passport for you to get stamped. There are tree-lined walkways and art everywhere. Sculptures, paintings, handmade goods, folk art, traditional art, and more. You can spend a whole day going on rides and checking out the museums and exhibits, so you can spend as little or as much money as you would like while on the island.