[Cafe Tour in Ganghwa Island] Hanok Cafe "Gung" and Cafe KKot Moi

If you want to have a short getaway from nearby Seoul, Ganghwa Island is an island that is perfect to go on a day trip. Ganghwa Island is the 5th largest island in Korea and is consists of 15 small islands. There are many attractions and beautiful sunset spots where you can visit, but there are also many cafes that boast quiet and peaceful atmosphere.

In this post, we will go on a cafe tour in Ganghwa Island and introduce 2 cafes that are nature-friendly to you. Please remember to wear a mask when you visit cafes in Korea.

[Cafe Tour in Ganghwa Island] 

#1 Hanok Cafe "Gung"

The first cafe in this post is Hanok Cafe "Gung" located in Naega-myeon, Ganghwa-gun. It is a hanok cafe that serves delicious homemade pumpkin sikhye (sweet Korean beverage) and jujube tea. This s a good place to visit with your family.

Hanok Cafe "Gung" has plenty of spaces indoor and outdoor so it is fun to just walk around. You can also enjoy flower views at the beautiful yard and garden. Moreover, you can also enjoy a great view of sea, island, mountain, altogether at once.

After you enter the cafe, you can enjoy the nature through the wide window. This cafe is strategically located at a place with good view thus it is a good cafe to visit if you want to spend a quiet and relaxing afternoon. The island located far away as you can see in the picture is Seokmodo Island.

The cafe interior has the characteristic of traditional Hanok. The sunlight shines in and you can enjoy a cup of warm tea here.

You can also find at one side of the cafe that sells various small items. You can take a look at these items from olden times such as scarf, rubber shoes, cups and hand fan.

Other than indoor seats, there is an outdoor terrace. This is indeed a good cafe where you can take a rest anywhere.

There are a variety of vegetable juice and ade available in Cafe Gung. We ordered the sweet and cooling Vanilla Latte and Omija Ade. They also serve homemade snacks and we like the savory taste. Here at the Cafe Gung in Ganghwa Island, you can enjoy delicious drinks with a quiet surrounding!

[Information about Hanok Cafe "Gung"]

1. Getting There: At AREX Geomam Station Exit 3, Take Bus #800  ▶ Get off at Ganghwa Terminal, Take Bus #4 (Ganghwa) ▶  Get off at Nu-chon stop, Walk 520m

2. Address: 21 Jungang-ro 1128beon-gil, Naega-myeon, Ganghwa-gun, Incheon

3. Opening Hours: 11:00 ~ 21:00 daily (Closed on Wednesdays)

4. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hanokgung/

5. Contact Number: 032-932-9321

※Information is subject to change depending on the cafe

#2 Cafe KKot Moi

The next cafe that we will introduce is the Cafe Kkot Moi that is located at the entrance of the Ganghwa Island. It is a garden cafe operated by a mother who likes wild flowers, a father who does landscaping, the eldest son makes coffee and the second son who designed the interior.

The garden in front of the building is very beautiful. Parasols and tables for outdoor seating are available everywhere, so it is a good place to enjoy the sunshine.

When you enter the cafe, you can feel the charm of Cafe Kkot Moi even more. It is not very large but the ceiling is designed to be high, making it feels like the cafe is wide. It is impressive as you could see blue sky at whichever seat.

On the second floor, it is designed in Hanok style and you could feel the atmosphere of a traditional tea house. If you wish to enjoy a relaxing time, it is recommended to sit on the upper floor.

Overall, the cafe interior and props are well arranged. The antique furniture that match the outdoor garden was beautiful and will make you wants to get one for yourself too.

Cafe Kkot Moi is operated by a professional barista, where you can try filtered coffee. We ordered the cool iced Americano and a rarely seen drink, Mugwort Latte. The coffee aftertaste is clean, and Mugwort Latte is also light and refreshing so it is suitable for people who doesn't like strong coffee. Their dessert are also very delicious, so feel free to try it when you visit this cafe.

After sitting in the indoor for some time, I transferred the drink to a take-out cup and came outside. I could feel the atmosphere of Ganghwa Island in this clean garden that is managed by owners with sincerity.

When COVID-19 situation gets better, why don't you escape from the busy city life for a day to enjoy nature and relax at Ganghwa Island?

[Information about Cafe KKot Moi]

1.Getting There: At AREX Geomam Station Exit 3, Take Bus #90 ▶Get off at Ganghwa Terminal, Take Bus #24 or #26 ▶  Get off at Dangsalli stop, walk 375m

2.Address: 584-4 Dangsan-ri, Songhae-myeon, Ganghwa-gun, Incheon

3.Opening Hours: 11:00 ~ 19:00 daily (Closed on Wednesdays)

4.Instgram: https://www.instagram.com/cafe_kkonmoe/

5.Contact number: 0507-1494-1265

※Information is subject to change depending on the cafe

[Attractions in Ganghwado Island] Onsaemiro Maze Park at Ganghwa Armiae World

It is a mysterious maze trip in Ganghwado Island where nature and love come together! In this post, we will introduce to you the Onsaemiro Maze Park at Ganghwa Armiae World, where history and adventure coexist.

Ganghwa Armiae World is a complex cultural space where you can enjoy various experiences and joy under the theme "a space that creates beauty through mugwort". This is the Onsaemiro Maze Park that is mysterious and full of interesting adventures.

As you follow the sign board to get to Onsaemiro Maze Park, you will see some animals sculptures. This is because there is also Ganghwa Agricultural Culture Center here, which helps to relax your tired mind as you are far away from the city. You can enjoy the traditional agricultural culture and the abundance of farming area together.

When you arrive at the entrance of Onsaemiro Maze Park, you will be greeted by the Ganghwa Island's specialties - Ganghwa Turnip and Ganghwa Mugwort Mascots. They are as cute as Nareu who put on happy smile on their face.

The sculptures are more interesting as they are made using yew wood that is available all year round instead of being artificial sculptures.

These are real trees so there might be bees or insects here. It is recommended that you spray some insect repellent on your body before you start the tour. In addition, there is no shade in the maze, so it is better to wear a hat, bring a mini portable fan and cold water.

It takes about 20 - 40 minutes to find the maze exit. However, it may be different from person to person. When you look from the outside, it may not seem to huge so you might doubt the time taken to finish the whole course. Once you start exploring the Onsaemiro Maze Park, you will know that it is not as easy as you think because there are several paths that are blocked.

There is a small garden with a bench installed in the Onsaemiro Maze Park. Moreover, you can enjoy small and previous wildflowers bloom at many areas in the maze, giving you joy in this place.

When you spot the straw-thatched roof and observation deck, it means that the exit is not far away. But don't let your guard down! Stay alert because the way to the exit might bring you back to other confusing path.

Based on The Veritable Records of King Sejong, the straw-thatched house at the exit of Onsaemiro Maze Park is a Joseon greenhouse restored in 1438 and known to be "world's first heated greenhouse" in Ganghwa Island. The Korean ancestors' wisdom surprised many Koreans as they discovered that they were 180 years ahead of the heated greenhouse that used Heidelberg stove from Germany in 1619 (which was known as the beginning of the scientific heated greenhouse). If you go inside, you can feel the heat like the hot sauna.

If you go up to the observation deck, you can see Onsaemiro Maze Park at one glance. When you look at the composition of the maze that looks complicated, you will be glad that you have found the exit.

If you walk along the Onsaemiro trail, you will find a refreshing walking trail with dense trees, and the sound of cicadas will remind you that it is mid summer now.

If you are looking for a new travel destination, why don't you visit Onsaemiro Maze Park at Ganghwado Island? We hope you can enjoy a good healing trip with the mysterious yet interesting maze.

[Information about Ganghwa Armiae World]

1. Getting There: At AREX Geomam Station, Take Bus #800 ▶ Get off at Ganghwa Terminal, Take Bus #31A  ▶ Get off at Insan Reservoir, Walk 7 mins

2. Address: 742-2, Jungang-ro, Buleun-myeon, Ganghwa-gun, Incheon

3. Contact Number: 032-930-4127

4. Operating Hours: Summer 09:00 ~ 18:00 / Winter 09:00 ~ 17:00

5. Entrance Fee: Free

*Information is subject to change

​

[Recommended Cafes in Ganghwa Island] Cafe Meongttaerim and Eunbit Bichineun Deul

 The never-ending fight with COVID-19! Don't you think we need to go to a quiet place to get some healing? Sea view is great but how about enjoying mountain and nature view while drinking a cup of coffee? In this post, we will introduce 2 cafes in Ganghwa Island with nature view.

#1 Cafe Meongttaerim (멍때림)

The first cafe that we recommend in Ganghwa Island is Cafe Meongttaerim, where you can enjoy beautiful mountain scenery as the cafe is facing Manisan Mountain.

Cafe Meongttaerim is a 'No Kids' cafe in order to prepare a space where visitors can have some "me time" in a quiet environment. This is not just a normal cafe to enjoy drinks, but it operates as a space where you can find yourself.

The entire cafe feels like an art. Please go to the first floor to order your drinks.

When you see the sunlight coming in through the big window, it makes you feel good. You don't have to specially look out for good seat as you can feel the sunlight at any seats in the cafe. In addition, the wooden interior gives a feeling of peace and rest, like how Cafe Meongttaerim  intended to offer a resting space for you.

The signature drink at Cafe Meongttaerim is Cold Brew Tea. When someone mentions cold brew, we often thought it's just for coffee but in fact we could also enjoy hibiscus, chamomile, Thai tea in cold brew way. You can see the pretty color of cold brew tea in the glass bottle. What attracts people more is that you could take the glass home after you have finished the drinks.

We ordered the cold brew hibiscus, Americano and a chocolate croissant as recommended by the owner, and sat down at the outdoor table which is facing Manisan Mountain while we enjoyed our food and drinks.

In order for you to enjoy a much colder cold brew hibiscus, they prepare the drinks in a cup with ice. The color of hibiscus tea resembles pomegranate color, looks very pretty. The combination of Hibiscus unique scent and sweet taste is good as you relaxed and zone out here.

What does the croissant with sweet chocolate taste like? We carefully cut the croissant with forks and saw the chocolate cream fills the croissant. A plain croissant meets chocolate - it's crispy on the outer layer, moisture and sweet inside. This is definitely going to be tasty!

2F - a space for you to read books

On the second floor, it is a space where you can find various books prepared by the cafe and read some books. The book is in good condition and you will also find a few latest published books. You may thought that the books are for sale, but in fact the visitors in the cafe can take and read the books freely and comfortably.

3F - Gallery

On the third floor, you can take some pictures at the gallery. The chair looks lonely yet you can feel the peace. It is probably the same like how we might feel lonely alone, but we also feel relaxed when we spend some quiet time with ourselves.

If you wish to spend some "me time", we recommend you to visit Cafe Meongttaerim in Ganghwa Island. How about coming here to enjoy the mountain view and just relax your mind?

[Information about Cafe Meongttaerim] 

 1. Getting There : At AREX Geomam Station, take Bus #700-1 ▶ Get off at Hwado Bus Terminal, take Bus #4  ▶ Get off at Jangan stop, walk 7 mins 

 2. Address : 1970-34 Haeannam-ro, Hwado-myeon, Ganghwa-gun, Incheon

 3. Opening Hours : 10:30 – 19:30 daily (Last order at 19:00)

 4. Contact Number : +82-10-4275-9280

 5. Price : Cold Brew Hibiscus KRW 7,000 / Americano KRW 6,000 / Croissant (Plain, Chocolate, etc) KRW 3,500~4,000

#2 Cafe Eunbit Bichineun Deul (은빛 비치는 들)

Cafe Eunbit Bichineun Deul, located in Ganghwa Island, catches many people's attention as it looks like those buildings that can only be seen in fairy tales.

At the entrance of the cafe area, you will be greeted by the street cats. The cats didn't avoid anyone who walks in, so we thought the cats are owned by the cafe owner. However, it is actually stray cats that move around freely.

Not only the exterior of the cafe is impressive, but the interior gives you a feeling as though you are on a time travel and have traveled to the past. Seeing the fireplace that burns firewood to bring warmth, reminded us of a scene from a famous animation.

We ordered Dutch coffee, Cherry Ade and cheesecake. Their Dutch coffee is made from the best Kenyan AA-class beans with 12 hours extracting, 48 hours ripening, allowing you to enjoy the richness and flavor of ripened fruits. The combination of the bitter coffee and soft cheesecake is awesome!

Wishing to spend some "me time" during your visit in Korea? Come to Ganghwa Island and visit these cafes!

[Information about Eunbit Bichineun Deul] 

 1. Getting There : At AREX Geomam Station, take Bus #700-1 ▶  Get off at Deokpo-ri, take Bus #41 ▶  Get off at Jeongsusa Temple, walk 5 mins 

 2. Address : 456-26 Sagi-ri, Hwado-myeon, Ganghwa-gun, Incheon 

 3. Opening Hours : 12:00 – 22:00 daily

 4. Contact Number : +82-032-937-2737

 5. Price : Dutch Americano KRW 6,500 / Cheese Cake KRW 4,000 / Cherry Aid  KRW 6,000

*Note: To prevent the spread of COVID-19, please remember to keep 2m social distancing, wash hands frequently, obey cough etiquette and wear a mask. Stay safe, everyone.