I had never heard of Herb Island nor Pocheon, an inland city in the far northeastern region of Gyeonggi province. So I wasn’t sure what to expect. We reached the island early before everything opened, giving us time to wander about with our tour guide.

He told some significant facts and stories of Pocheon while pointing out the Herb Healing Center, a building littered with random Greek statues and Halloween decor. I was curious and confused. All of it seemed so random. I wasn’t sure what to expect before, and I still didn’t know what to expect after seeing all this.

We were given three pamphlets at the tourist information center to guide us through Herb Island. I went inside the Botanical Museum, which appeared to be the only thing that opened for us early birds. I was greeted by two Santa Claus figures and a statue of a Native American.

There were herbs, flowers, and plants from all over the world inside. And an ice cream stand serving ice cream in the shape of coned-shaped hydrangeas. There was plenty of seating for those who wanted to sit and talk with their companions or rest.

I got to the end, and it’s then that I saw statues of Santa Claus and a sign that said “Santa Village.” If I was confused before, I certainly was even more so now.

I had to know what this place was about, so I pulled out the pamphlets to see what information I could find. One brochure was about the Herb Healing Center and its services (spa treatments and room rentals), the second about the D.I.Y Experience, and the third about the island that contained a map of the park.

It turns out Herb Island is a playful theme park where they focus on growing Mediterranean Herbs. It seems like an island because it feels like you stepped into some French, Austrian, Venetian wonderland filled with random things from statues of Disney to gondola riding. It reminded me so much of the Sound of Music.

Of course, Santa’s Village had to be the most unexpected and amazing thing there. This section had a light wishing tunnel where I discovered that my favorite K-drama, “Oh My Venus,” filmed a scene here. It’s a tunnel that honors famous painters like Vincent Van Gogh and Claude Monet. Not only did they have mock versions of their paintings, but they also created installations based on their work. There was a gift and coffee shop with sculptures, china, jewelry, and so much more. In the far corner of the village was a section where parents could rent a donkey or miniature horse for their children to ride.

I left the section and headed to the D.I.Y Experience House to see what it contained. Suppose you’re into candles, cosmetics, pillows, candles, and so on. Avoid this place like the plague as you will leave spending more money than you intended. Which is what happened to me! I had easily spent more than I planned. But it was all well worth it. I walked out with a great quality Herb Island tote bag filled with soaps, oils, a bottle of rosemary wine, an apple jam mix, and 2 glass flower shaped tea light candles. All of which are exclusive to the Herb Island gift shops.

There was so much to do in the park and so little time. I tried to do everything! With the time I had I was able to try the signature garlic bread at the Herb Bakery. That was an interesting experience as the garlic bread took me by surprise with its crunchy sweet herby flavor. I also ate a beautiful bowl of the mixed herb rice at the Athene Hall Restaurant. It blew my mind that I was eating a flower. They were so perfect and pretty and I ate them. Oh, the gochujang sauce though! That was absolutely unique with its herby and spicy combination that just blended so well together. Don’t be afraid of the spice, it was a perfect amount of heat. Nothing overbearing.

Walking down the streets of memories which were installations of the 70’s to the 90’s gave me a glimpse of life in Korea during those time periods. Suprisingly, Korea didn’t look too different from life in the Unites States. The aesthetics were definitely similar. It reminded of that K-Drama “Reply 1997.”

There was a bittersweet feeling when it was time to go; you’re left with the feeling that you missed something. But you’re soon taken to another excellent destination. The Sansawon brewery and museum showcases various traditional liquors of Korea. The museum is filled with historical documents on traditional liquor and the tools and devices used to make sojugori, nureukteul, and other liquors. We had only a few minutes to view some of these before moving to the lower floor for the taste testing. You’re given a shot glass and they pretty much tell you to “go forth and taste all the liquor!” And I did, I tasted everything at the bar! There was soju, makgeolli, other liquors I can’t event remember to spell or pronounce. Was this a great trip, you ask? Yes, yes it was. The day left me feeling that I wanted to spend more time at each place.

Psst, you get to keep the shot glass?

~Cherrelle Rand