 |
| view of Taipei 101 from Elephant Mountain |
Notwithstanding, no idea yet how to explore Taiwan, I had a booked last July for a short vacation in November, after the stressful O level exams of our youngest. I had been seeing the cheap flight offered by Jetstar since 2017. The cheapest actually was during summer, May to August. I believe though, the best months to visit Taiwan are March, April and November. The budget airfare is cheap if no add ons such as seat reservation and prepaid baggage. We needed both, we ended up paying S$750 for two, prepaid baggage was only 20kgs- no prepaid baggage for the youngest. A week before the flight, I tried to purchase prepaid baggage for my daughter. It cost around $50 for 20kgs. I have checked SQ and Eva Air fares for April if booked this November, fares around $400 inclusive of seat, prepaid baggage and meal. More so, It”s not that I am giving Jetstar a bad review, but they have carriers with regular seats not comfortable for a long haul. We may fly with Jetstar again only for cheap flights of 2 hours or less.
I started doing my homework came August, after a visit to our hometown in the Philippines. I will not keep the truth, the excitement started as I was preparing the 5-day Itinerary. I thought we would only relax in Taipei, do less activities. With so much in this beautiful country, I thought of second visit- funny though have not had the first visit yet then.
We arrived at 6 am. We followed the sign to get to the MRT. We were to take the Airport Express from Taoyuan Airport Terminal 1 to Taipeh Main station. We approached the information counter at the station and purchased easy card. We had paid 500 New Taiwan Dollars (NTD). The card had NT$400 value. the NT$100 deposit is not refundable. We used the easy card to get inside the Airport MRT. NT$160 was deducted from the easy card when we exited at the Taipei Main Station in 35 minutes. We took the Purple line with only three stops to the Main station from Terminal 1. The Purple line originates from Terminal 2. The blue line comes after the purple line stops to many stations takes 50 minutes to the Main station. Frequency of both service is every 15 minutes from 6am to 11:55pm Luggage compartments and wireless charging are available in both trains.
We were at the Main station around 8 am. It was quiet, most stores were closed. 7-11, Family Mart and Watson were opened early. My daughter bought something to eat at Family Mart. I purchased lip balm, toothpaste and wipes at Watsons. I have the printed voucher of round trip train tickets to Hualien I had purchased on line 14 days before the intended trip. As per the instruction, I could have changed it to tickets not only at the Taiwan Railway ticket counter but to convenience stores as well such as 7-11 and Family Mart, for a small fee.
We were booked at Click Hotel. First night for two costs NT$ 3,254.64. The next three nights for 3 (my sister who flew from the Philippines joined us from the 2nd night) costs NT$7,624.00. I gave the hotel 5-star rating (Thumbs Up!) for value of money, proximity to main station, accommodating staff, clean hotel, child friendly and the freebies: coffee and milk latte machine, water dispenser of cold, hot and warm, candies and biscuits. The hotel is closed to Z8 exit. Follow the signs "station front mall Z exits". Z8 exit has long flight of stairs. Z4 exit has a lift available later in the morning until 10:30pm. From Z4 street level, a few steps to Click Hotel.
We left our luggage at the hotel and made sure we had everything in our bag pack the stuff we needed for the rest of the day such as the DSLR, go pro, our phones, documents and money, extra clothes, ponchos, umbrellas, water... The hotel accommodations were already prepaid a week before. Tours were booked and prepaid as well. We brought NT$17,000 cash for five-day basic expenses and shopping budget.
Now, How did we spend the 5 days in TAIWAN?
17 Nov 2018 Maokong Gondola
Din Tai Fung- had the famous Xiao Long bao
Smoothie House- had the famous Mango Shaved Ice
Elephant Mountain
Raohe Night Market- had the famous Fuzhou (minced pork) Pepper bun
-apparently, all we did on the first was eating.
18 Nov 2018 Breakfast at NY Bagel
Lengshuikeng to Qingtiangang trail
Beitou Thermal Valley, Historical Library and Xinbeitou station
Shilin Night Market
-my sister had arrived Taipei Main Station before 11 pm.
19 Nov 2018 Taroko Gorge and Hualien tour, private car within Hualien booked via KKday Thumbs Up! for Ms Lyn, our chinese-speaking driver and guide. We do not speak and understand mandarin, thanks to the translator gadget.
20 Nov 2018 Yehliu, Jiufen, Shifen tour with Golden Waterfalls, Yin & Yang Sea and Shifen Waterfalls booked via Klook (Thumbs Up! for the tourist guide, Cony and the tour itself)
Ximending Street, Animate Shop and Cafe
21 Nov 2018 Taipei 101
My daughter spent almost the day at the Animate Shop and Cafe back at Ximen
 |
| Scenic Gondola rides to Maokong Mountain |
Maokong is a village on top of a mountain that offers picturesque view of Taipei City. Following the friendly MRT map, from Taipei Main station, we took the red line bound to Xiangshan and alighted at Daan station. From there, we transferred to Brown line bound to Taipei Zoo and alighted at the final stop. You could take the blue line too from Taipei Main station bound to Nangang Exhibition Center and alight at Zhongxiao Fuxing. From there, transfer to Brown line bound to Taipei Zoo. I believe you already know where to alight. At the Taipei Zoo station, there were signs to Maokong station which is just few minutes on foot. We took the Scenic Gondola to the mountain. Total fare for one way, both for the regular cabin and the crystal cabin, was NTD120. We used our easy card to go in.
 |
| Taipei's famous Mango Shaved Ice |
A must eat when in Taiwan, Mango shaved ice. We tried the one with taro balls. Such refreshing and mangolicious. The servings were big, it could actually be shared by four. My daughter and I made the effort to finish it without forgetting we were on queue for the xiao long bao at Din Tai Fung.
 |
| Xiao Long Bao at Din Tai Fung |
We were on que for over an hour to go inside Din Tai Fung. Latter originated in Taipei and the food is much better compare to Singapore's While waiting for our number to be called, we went to Smoothie house-which is just around the corner and had the famous Mango Shaved Ice.
After the not so difficult climb at the Elephant Mountain, we were at the Raohe Night Market. This night market is accessible by MRT, Green line -Songshan station exit 5. You will not miss the famous Fuzhou (minced pork) Pepper bun, it was the most long queued- fast though situated at the entrance of the night market from the MRT station.
Raohe Night Market is one of the many night markets in Taipei. Enjoy with the 600 meter line of stalls: local food and snacks, clothing, accessories, games and some other stuff. Coming from the MRT, before the the entrance to the night market is the Ciyou Temple built during the Qing Dynasty era by the local residents.
 |
| Buffalo at Qingtiangang Grassland |
On the second day, we hiked the Lengshuikeng-Qingtiangang trail. Qingtiangang is accessible by bus though. My daughter was disappointed, the grassland was not accessible during our visit. She wanted to observe the movement of the buffalo for her animation drawings.
From Taipei Main Station, we took the red line bound to Tamsui and alight at Jiantan station. Left thru Exit 1 to the bus stop. We took Bus S15 (mini only) to Lengshuikeng which took over an hour. This bus goes to Qingtiangang too but we alighted at Lengshuikeng so we could take the trail. Our ride at the Bus S15 was not good. We were standing and the ride was rough going up. I thought the next S15 would take 20 minutes as per the apps but when we reached Lengshuikeng, another S15 arrived after five minutes or less. The travel from Jiantan station to Lengshuikeng took more than an hour (included the wait for the bus). It was almost 11am when we left Taipei Main station. We had our breakfast at NY bagel cafe inside the Q mall, opposite Taipei Main station. Exit Y3 and cross through overpass to Q mall.
 |
| Thermal Valley at Beitou |
See for yourself, up close, the beauty of the sulphuric steam separating from the water at the Thermal Valley at Beitou, also known as Hell Valley.
Getting to the Thermal Valley, from Taipei main station take the red line bound to Tamsui and alight at Beitou station. Transfer to Xinbeitou line, a branch of the Beitou station and stops only at Xinbeitou station and back to Beitou station. From Xinbeitou station, about 10-minute walk through the district of Beitou to the Thermal Valley. The district is frequent by the Japanese tourists due to hot springs.
After our hike to Qingtiangang, we took the Bus S8 to Yangmingshan bus stop. From there, we walked to the Yangmingshan Shamao stop and waited for Bus 230, about 22 stops to Xinbeitou station. The travel from Qingtiangang to Xinbeitou took more than an hour. We planned to continue our day to Tamsui but it was past 5pm.
 |
| Shilin Night Market |
Shilin Night Market is one of the largest and popular night markets in Taipei. We prefer though the Raohe Night market. Shilin market is in the Shilin district, accessible both from Shilin MRT station and Jiantan MRT station. It is closer from Jiantan station, 70 metres away. Like Raohe, Shilin is also known with regard to traditional local food and of general merchandise.
 |
| Epic photo of Caitlyn, chased by the waves at Qixingtan beach, Hualien, Taiwan |
Third Day in Taiwan...The best among the best interesting places we did in Taiwan was our day tour to Hualien. This province has really so much to offer, it is though prone to natural calamities such as Earthquake. It was two hour travel by Regional train from Taipei. In Hualien, Ms Lyn, the driver of our rented car thru KK day brought us to Qixing beach, Qingshui cliff and we enjoyed sightseeing around Taroko National Park by car, more so the enchanting gorge views, magnificent trail to Swallow grotto, beautiful bridges and rivers. Hualien is one of the biggest sources of marbles in the world.
The crescent shaped untamed marvelous Qixingtan beach stretches from Hualien City (southern part) to Taroko National Park (northern part). It is where the mountain meets the sea. There were stone carvings and sculptures in the area
 |
| Qingshui Cliff, Hualien, Taiwan |
Qingshui cliff is considered as one of the eight wonders of Taiwan. A visit in Hualien would not be complete without stopping by to this enchanting place. Without a doubt, an incomparable view.
Our guide, Ms Lyn, drove us around the Taroko National Park. The park is one of the 8 wonders of Taiwan. We had our lunch at Tianxiang Village. Across the village is the Xiangde temple. The Zhihui bridge (seen behind us) connects the village to the road. The farther bridge is the Pudu bridge that connects the road to the temple. Seen at the top is the Tianfeng Pagoda. It such a pity we did not have enough time to go up there.
Our guide, Ms Lyn, drove us around the Taroko National Park. The park is one of the 8 wonders of Taiwan. We had our lunch at Tianxiang Village. Across the village is the Xiangde temple. The Zhihui bridge (seen behind us) connects the village to the road. The farther bridge is the Pudu bridge that connects the road to the temple. Seen at the top is the Tianfeng Pagoda. It such a pity we did not have enough time to go up there.
 |
| Yanzkou (Swallow Grotto) trail |
Half kilometer trail from the entrance to the Swallow grotto... to the Jinheng bridge, as we enjoyed the gorgeous full length sights of the Liwu River Gorge, especially the rock formations and the walls.
 |
| Golden Waterfall |
On the fourth day of this trip, we joined the tour: Yehliu, Jiufen and Shifen very well organised by KLOOK and with English guide who was very informative and helpful. We paid a total of S$93.15 for 3 pax exclusive of the entrance ticket to Yehliu GeoPark , S$10.77 for 3. Meet up was at GaKuden Bakery (took Exit 4 of Ximen station) at 8:15am. Tour started at 8:30am and our first stop was at Yehliu GeoPark for 70 mins... please see below for the itinerary.
It was a bit rush, we enjoyed though this tour. Should we visit Taipe again, we would want to go back to the Jiufen Old Street. We want to try more of the local food sold along the streets paved with cobblestones.
 |
| Yehliu Geopark, Taipei, Taiwan |
Yehliu is a cape in the Wanli District in New Taipei, Taiwan stretches 1700kms into the sea. The cape formed due to geological forces that pushed the Datun Mountains out of the sea and formed a number of rock formations. Latter were given imaginative names. The most prominent is the formation that looks like Queen Elizabeth I, thus named Queen's Head.
 |
| Queen's Head at Yehliu GeoPark, Taipei, Taiwan |
Queen's Head is the symbol of Yehliu GeoPark. The formation of this rock looks like Queen Elizabeth I, thus its name. Since most visitors who are in group tour like us, just given an hour to stay in the park, the very first to go to is this head. Everyone wants to have a photo with the rock. Over the years, the length of Queen's head (originally 125cm) has been weathered at .0.2cm to 0.5cm per year. It is expected to be fully broken in the next few years or the next earthquake..
 |
| Replica of the Queen's Head at Yehliu Geopark, New Taipei, Taiwan |
A fiberglass replica was produced to preserve its shape using 3D laser scanning technology. Further, to continue to provide good attraction to the visitors of the park and use as model for educational teaching.
Jiufen Old Street
 |
| Jiufen Tea Houses, Taipei, Taiwan |
Jiufen is known for its old streets and stunning tea houses. It was previously a gold mining town during the Japanese Occupation. At present, it is a maze of narrow alleys lined with shops of almost everything.
 |
| Shifen Waterfall, Taipei, Taiwan |
Not all tours to Shifen include visit to this regarded most scenic in Taiwan, Shifen Waterfall. We did not need to trek for hours to see up close this enchanting little Niagra Fall of Taiwan. The water falls from 20 meter height, 40 meter width on the Keelung River. The place was previously privately owned and did not allow visitors while building irrelevant infrastructures. Not long ago, the property was assumed by the Taipei government and built trails that is easily passable by almost everyone. More so, plenty of lookouts around to admire the beauty of the Shifen Waterfall from different angles.
 |
| Flying lanterns at Shifen Old Street, Taiwan |
After our tour guide took us to the magnificent Shifen Waterfall, we joined the flying lanterns at the Old Street as requested by my youngest. She wished to pass the O level exams she recently took then and to get in to Nanyang Polytechnic for her decided animation course through EAE (Early Admission Exercise). As per legend, if the lantern did not continue flying, your wishes will not be granted. Ours continued and my girl was granted both of her wishes.
 |
| Shifen Railway Tracks, Taiwan |
A quick photo taking while we were waiting for the train to come. The tour had ended here and we were brought back to the meet up venue this morning. However, the night was still young. We still went to Ximending. The animate shop and cafe at Ximending was enjoyed by my daughter. She bought a lot at the shop and bought many drinks to complete the collection of coasters comes with the drink. You are right, we helped her with those drinks. I think a total of 11 she bought this night and the following day.
On our last day, we were booked to Taipei 101 Starbucks at the 35th floor. I have requested Click hotel to help us with the reservation since the one who shall answer the call speaks only mandarin. Unfortunately, we were a few seconds late. The group just went up when we arrived at the meeting place. We could have the best view of the city from up there without paying the fee and the long queue to the Taipei 101 observation deck. You need to spend though a minimum of 200NTD at the cafe.
The people in Taiwan, most especially the locals, are not just beautiful, kind and helpful too. The food in Taiwan are not that expensive, yet so yummilicious! Good accommodations in Taipei (location wise and comfort wise) are not just affordable, most are reachable by public transport. Taipei has a very good transportation system. Tall building surrounded Taipei, likewise, tall trees and huge public parks.. The Wonders of Taiwan are easily reachable from the city who kept for many years its economic growth in the upswing. We still have many reasons to go back... Taichung, Kaohsiung, Wulai... Taiwan is a full package for all travelers. Apparently, we fell in love with this country.
You may want to check the video uploaded, Getting to Elephant Mountain.
Hey, thanks for such valuable information. This will help to those visitors who want to travel Taiwan. Keep it up Bro. We need more informational posts in your blog.
ReplyDeleteFamily Holiday Agent