Jungnang reptile café with crested gecko adoption advice: Kamerine

Looking for unusual things to do in Seoul with my kid during vacation, I found a lizard café in Jungnang. My kid loves animals, so when I asked "Want to go see lizards?" she shouted "Yes!" right away.

On the day I'd planned to go, everything else got messy — the classic "market day when you finally decide to go" kind of day — but seeing the cute lizards at the café ended up being exactly the healing I needed.

Where is Kamerine, and is there parking?

Kamerine is a lizard café at 221 Bonghwasan-ro, 2nd floor, Unit 201, Jungnang-gu, Seoul (road-facing side). There's basement parking in the building, though the passage is a bit narrow so slow driving is recommended, and the entrance and exit are on different sides.

I used to pass this road often on my way to play tennis, and had no idea such a cool lizard café was tucked so close by! Kamerine sits on the 2nd floor, facing the road.

They were also running a special vacation package — the "Kamerine Kids' Ecology Exploration Package" and the "Kamerine Couple Ecology Date Package," both packed with content.

From the entrance onward, there were lizard- and chameleon-themed decorations everywhere.

My kid and I each ordered a drink and decided to listen to the lizard story session first.

What crafts can you do at Kamerine?

Kamerine's craft experiences are varied — LED neon sign drawing, chameleon kit, chameleon keyring drawing, bead terrarium decorating, block keyring making, and more. Impossible to just walk past! With so many options, I spent a long time deciding what to try.

There are craft samples displayed right in the middle of the café, so you can browse and choose in person. Looking at the lizards first and then taking home a craft made the memory feel even more lasting.

Meeting the chameleons and lizards

Alright, shall we go see the cute lizards? At first we just watched quietly on our own.

Hahaha, try spotting the hidden lizard! ^^ It was surprising that the lizards don't escape even though there's no door — probably because the temperature and humidity are kept just right.

This one is actually a chameleon. Lizards and chameleons look different enough to tell apart at a glance, but for me the toes were the biggest giveaway — chameleons seem to have wider-spread toes for gripping branches.

There was also a chameleon with really deep, vivid coloring. Everyone knows "chameleons change color because of temperature," right? But did you know they also change color depending on their mood? Hahaha.

Same species but different patterns, kind of like dogs, haha.

After the chameleons, we moved on to the lizards. The one that caught my eye first looked almost crocodile-like, and I got a bit scared;; but apparently it's actually one of the gentler lizards. Lesson learned — don't judge by looks, haha.

There were lots of cute little decor pieces too — if you're keeping a lizard, you've got to decorate its home, right? Haha.

There was also a big tank full of tropical fish. The Kamerine owner really seems to have a gift — great with lizards, great with fish too.

There was one super-fast lizard that even the owner said she can't touch. Haha.

Baby lizards were each kept in their own separate case. Wow, managing all of that seems really tough — I was just full of respect.

Apparently the huge lizard from earlier was this cute as a baby. Haha.

Lizard story session and hands-on handling

While we were quietly browsing, our drinks arrived — iced tea for my kid, iced Americano for me. Now, time for the real lizard story session.

It started with chameleons. She recommended getting comfortable keeping lizards first before moving on to chameleons. Contrary to my imagination of them crawling around on the floor once outside, the chameleons calmly moved among the branches, looking totally relaxed.

A teal-colored chameleon came right over to the owner enthusiastically. I asked, "Do chameleons recognize their owner?" and she said they don't really have the concept of an "owner," but they do seem a bit more comfortable with familiar people. Haha.

This chunky-looking one gripped my arm tightly — I bet the claws hurt a little. Haha.

There were slimmer ones too. My daughter, who isn't scared of animals, was thrilled — with the owner guiding her, she even got to put one on the back of her hand.

It looks a bit scary, but she showed us it's actually pretty gentle. It looked quite heavy, honestly — I was a little nervous, haha.

Turns out it's fine to put it on the floor too, and apparently this lizard can even go on outdoor walks sometimes! Now I remember seeing a video of someone walking a lizard — turns out this was that lizard! Haha.

This one is still a baby lizard, apparently — it looked pretty slim to me, haha. Even young lizards are gentle enough to be clipped onto clothing and taken for walks without fussing, which is why they said it's a good lizard for beginners.

Crested gecko adoption advice and the total care service

Kamerine offers adoption of crested geckos, the most popular lizard among reptile keepers. If adopting right away feels like too much of a commitment, you can also try keeping one for about a week first.

Next up, the lizard that caused all the trouble — the crested gecko. Up until this point I'd told myself I was only there "for my kid," but the moment I saw the crested gecko, I couldn't stop going "Oh my gosh~~~" haha. I ended up more excited than my kid.

Apparently it grows pretty well as long as it has a home and food. She took one out to show us, and it was unbelievably cute. Can you see those toes? Unlike the other lizards, its toes looked super soft and squishy.

I gathered the courage to touch it myself, and I was shocked at how soft it was. The squishy toes felt almost like touching a tree frog. It seems like something this small could really be taken home and kept as a pet.

She also mentioned that adopting through Kamerine comes with a total care service — if you go on a trip or need to leave home, you can board your gecko at Kamerine, which sounded really reassuring.

Making the lizard frame, with churros on the side

After thoroughly admiring the crested gecko, my kid did one of the craft activities. After a lot of deliberation over what to make...

...she went with drawing a lizard prettily on clear film to turn into a frame. You pick one of four lizard designs and color it however you like.

We got a little hungry in the meantime, so we also ordered churros served with ice cream.

All done! ^^ The whole craft took about 15 to 20 minutes.

Kamerine opening hours

Kamerine is closed every Monday, and open Tue–Fri 12:00–20:00 / Sat 11:00–19:00 / Sun 11:00–18:00.

I went there for my kid's sake, but ended up completely charmed by the crested gecko myself. Between watching a variety of reptiles, the craft experience, and even the lizard adoption consultation, it was a perfectly rounded day. Kamerine is a Seoul lizard café I'd definitely love to visit again with my kid.