Korea 2017: Nami Island + Petite France + Dongdaemun Design Plaza

By Marky - 2:03 AM

On our second day in Korea, we went to Nami Island and Petite France. It was a full day tour we got from Klook. I booked Klook's Petite France and Nami Island tour for Php 1,780 only. Booking through the app was very straightforward, and I received the voucher within a few hours . Our guide, arrived in Dongdaemun History and Culture park exit at the scheduled pick up time. I showed him the e-voucher on my phone, and off we go. Travel time to Nami Island takes about an hour and a half ride from Seoul. Our tour guide briefed us on the number of hours we were allowed to spend on the island as well as the plate number of the bus. Since I was part of an day trip tour, the guide did the whole thing including the part of securing the tickets for the short ferry ride to the island. But what’s exciting is that everyone can roam freely without a guided tour.

Of all the attractions in Gapyeong, this is probably the most famous. Nami Island is well known as the filming location for the popular K-Drama, Winter Sonata. All over the island, you’ll see cute references to the films and young couples in matching outfits queuing up to take romantic pictures together. Also the island is the perfect place to spend the afternoon, cycling through the tree-lined paths and admiring the great scenery. We really didn’t want to leave! Pero sa sobrang lamig hindi namin nagawa. haha. There were so many other amazing places to enjoy around Gapyeong and I wish I could have stayed longer but due to time constraints, we only visited the most popular areas.

What I'm wearing: Forever 21 hat, Zara scarf, Uniqlo heattech, H&M wool jacket, Old Navy coat, H&M pants, Zara boots, Fino bag

I've seen Nami Island from K dramas and photos from friends. I wasn't really much of a Korean drama fan before. I was just recently baptized into the Korean Drama fan club after indulging on the popular Korean drama series, Goblin.

My best friend suggested we try out the Asian restaurant at Nami for lunch and happy to say, it did not disappoint because it's her treat. Also, I brought my favorite-Honey Butter Almonds.

Petite France is a French cultural village situated in the countryside. It was built to showcase French culture in general. This place is famously known because of the top rated Korean drama series like Secret Garden and My Love from Another Star. Operating hours is from 9 AM-6 PM. Inside this tiny village, there are exhibition hall, performance hall, and other facilities that you can enjoy. Among these are: Antique Exhibition Hall, Europe Puppet House, Saint-Exupery Memorial Hall, Orgel House, France Traditional Exhibition Hall, , French traditional games, gallery, and many more!

This place blew us away. Sobrang ganda! I knew the building would be impressive from the pictures, but seeing it in person, especially at night, was something else. It was like some living and breathing space station. It was amazing. Identified as the largest three dimensional amorphous architectural structure in the world, DDP is the brainchild of Iraqi-born architect Zaha Hadid who designed the space based on what she calls a “metonymic landscape”. Reminiscent of flowing water, it embraces spatial flexibility and is meant to harmonize Korean tradition with the ever-changing nature of design.

A one of a kind park is located at the underground of the DDP building. It is one of the must-visits in Seoul at night. It features the flower garden powered by hundreds of LED lights. We also have this view in Cebu, Philippines. These flowers look amazing in white. Plus it's snowing that time. Perfect!

If you like design, then a stop at Dongdaemun Design Plaza is an absolute must. It’s like a museum, design supermarket, and space ship all rolled into one. I suggest devoting several hours there if you can, and be sure to come back at night when the building comes to life. Really cool.