The island that begins after the last boat — Nami Island, Chuncheon

Nami Island is busy in the daytime. Crowds, cameras, bicycles going past.

Then the last ferry leaves in the late afternoon and the island goes quiet. The only people left are the ones sleeping there.

That’s the whole point of this route. Not going to Nami Island — staying on it.

After dark the lights come on along the metasequoia avenue. The path people queued to photograph earlier is yours to walk alone.

Nami Island sits in Namsan-myeon, Chuncheon, Gangwon Province, and staying overnight gives you an entirely different place from the daytime one. Once the final ferry has run, day visitors leave and only overnight guests remain. Hotel Jeonggwanru on the island is divided between the main building, Jeonggwanjae, and riverside annexes; the annexes are separate structures, so you can pass a day without encountering anyone. If what you need right now is quiet, this is the route.

Is there a reason to want a trip without other people?

Yes. Particularly while recovering.

Swelling or bruising makes you conscious of being looked at. Covering up with a mask and hat all day is exhausting in itself. But staying indoors because of it makes everything worse. There’s an awkward stretch where you need fresh air and find people difficult.

A night on Nami Island fits that stretch. Once the last boat has gone, the number of people on the island drops sharply. Spread a few dozen across an island that size and you’ll rarely meet anyone while walking.

The riverside annexes stand apart from one another, so it’s possible to see no one at all after check-in.

In short After the final ferry departs, day visitors leave Nami Island and only overnight guests remain. The riverside annexes of Hotel Jeonggwanru are separate structures, allowing a stay with limited contact with others. This is an option worth considering if visible swelling or bruising makes public spaces uncomfortable.

What’s worth looking at when you can’t concentrate?

Concentration doesn’t hold for long while you’re recovering. Long text doesn’t land, films break off halfway. It’s frustrating in itself.

Pictures behave differently. You can stop looking and lose nothing. You needn’t start again from the beginning.

The main building at Hotel Jeonggwanru is hung with picture book illustration. Nami Concours is the largest picture book illustration competition in Asia, and prizewinning works line the corridors and rooms. Some of them stop you in the lobby for a while.

There are several exhibition spaces on the island too. Wander in, wander out, no particular order.

In short Jeonggwanjae, the main building of Hotel Jeonggwanru, is an art hotel furnished with picture book illustration including Nami Concours prizewinning works. Several exhibition spaces also operate across the island, with no fixed route or duration, so visits can be kept short according to your energy.

Is getting around the island demanding?

Worth flagging: Nami Island is flat but large. A full circuit is around three kilometres, and walking is the default way to cover it.

Hotel Jeonggwanru does run a shuttle service, though. On arrival you call once you’re aboard the ferry; on departure you ask at the front desk. Which means you needn’t carry luggage on foot.

There’s no obligation to see all of it. The metasequoia avenue and the riverside are both within reach of the hotel. The rest can wait, or not happen.

The crossing takes five minutes, and those five minutes make a bigger boundary than you’d expect. The mainland is visible and feels distant anyway.

In short Nami Island is level but has a perimeter of roughly 3km, with walking as the primary means of getting around. Hotel Jeonggwanru provides a shuttle service on arrival and departure, so luggage needn’t be carried on foot. A short route around the hotel alone still takes in the metasequoia avenue and the riverside path.

Frequently asked questions

What’s different about staying overnight?

Once the last ferry has gone, day visitors are absent and the island falls quiet. You can walk paths that were crowded earlier almost alone, and see the metasequoia avenue under its night lighting.

Is the entrance fee included in the room rate?

No. The Nami Island admission ticket, which includes the return ferry, is purchased separately from the room. Parking is also charged separately.

Will I have to carry luggage far?

Hotel Jeonggwanru operates a shuttle. Call after boarding the ferry on arrival, and ask at the front desk when you leave.

Can I bring a dog?

Some annexe rooms permit small dogs. Weight limits and additional charges apply, so confirm before booking.

When is the best time to visit?

Any season works, though autumn colour and winter snow are particularly good. Riverside wind is cold on winter nights, so bring proper layers.

Going somewhere quiet and staying somewhere that becomes quiet are not the same thing.

Nami Island is the second. You have to know the daytime noise for the night to register properly. The same path at five and at nine is two different places.

Recovery probably works like that too. You have to remember being well to notice improvement.

Where to stay

Hotel Jeonggwanru 1 Namiseom-gil, Namsan-myeon, Chuncheon-si, Gangwon · 5 minutes by ferry from the pier

The only hotel on Nami Island. The main building, Jeonggwanjae, is an art hotel hung with Nami Concours prizewinning illustration; the annexes along the river are separate structures. If you’d rather not encounter anyone, take an annexe room. A shuttle can be requested on arrival and departure so you don’t walk with luggage. Island admission and the ferry fare are not included in the room rate.

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Recovery Route thinks constantly about what proper rest requires. We look for the calmest places we can find, and we note the walking distances, the shade, and where you can sit down.