Hello Kitty Island
When we decided to visit Jeju Island in the very south of South Korea, I knew a visit to their famous Hello Kitty Island was a must. Yes I may be 40 years old, but my love for Hello Kitty and her Sanrio family is timeless. Hell, maybe I’ll even have my ashes put in a Hello Kitty urn when I die (because lets be honest, they probably make one, they put her likeness on almost EVERYTHING!). The location is a combination of a museum, café, gift shop, activity center, and art exhibit.
Obviously the entire place is geared towards children (from the looks of the other visitors, I’d guess young girls with a median age of 6). This meant that my husband and myself, both in our forties with no children in tow, seemed a bit out of place. This didn’t stop me from enjoying the many photo opportunities, or letting out a few squeals of excitement as I rounded a corner into a new area filled with more Hello Kitty delights. I did decide to skip the activity stations where you could make special hats or coloring character printouts. I mean, it wouldn’t really be fair to show off my killer craft skills amongst a group of such small children.
We continued the tour of Hello Kitty Island with an obligatory stop at the café. There, they offered a variety of sweet treats and beverages all featuring the iconic features of Hello Kitty herself. We had coffee drinks, one hot and one cold, each with a different design on top. Each were basic in flavor but top notch in cuteness, which barely made up for the fact that they cost twice as much as your average café drink.
Then, last but not least we made our way to the exit, which is also conveniently the gift shop, where amazingly enough….I bought nothing! How is that possible you ask? Well, remember, I’ve had 40 years to purchase every Hello Kitty item I could possibly need. Those 6 year olds however, have a ways to go!