Taipei 4-Day Itinerary: Day Four

Read Day 1 here - Ping Xi, Shifen Old Street, Raohe Night Market

Read Day 2 here - Wufenpu, Xinyi area

Read Day 3 here - Wanhua, Yehliu Geopark

Read Day 4 here - Elephant Mountain, Yangminshan

It is already my last full day of this trip. I had a reunion with local friends for lunch at a pizza place which sold boba milk tea dessert pizza. It was interesting to say the least but I still prefer drinking instead of eating my boba/bubble tea.

Boba milk tea pizza

After lunch, they accompanied me to get souvenirs and I got some boxes of Taiwanese food goodies from the supermarket. Then we went to Ximending (???) so I could get my favourite mochi from Tai He Traditional Bakery (??). The packaging was now much nicer than when I last had it but unfortunately it was no longer as soft and amazing as it used to be since it is premade and put in the fridge instead of freshly sold in a wooden crate.

We took the MRT to City Hall Station, locked our bags in the coin locker and rented U-Bikes. They are easy to use if you have an EasyCard (Taipei�s transit card) and the first 30 minutes is free. We rode it to Elephant Mountain Station (??) and locked the bikes in. Then we walked to the Elephant Mountain trail.

View from Elephant Mountain

The hike up didn�t take long, about 20-30 minutes, but there were a lot of stairs. The sun was setting as we went up and despite the foggy, cloudy sky the view was beautiful. We could see Taipei 101 clearly since it was close by and I saw Miramar�s Ferris Wheel from afar. There were quite a few photographers there with their tripods capturing the scenery.

In the evening I had another experience that was possible thanks to my Taiwanese friend. She asked her friends to bring us around for the evening on their motorbikes since some places weren�t accessible by public transport. First we went to Hao Ji (??) for dinner and then we rode up Yangminshan to a place called Cao Shan (??). The restaurant was called Sleepless (?????) and there was an inside and outside area with small tables and patio umbrellas overlooking the city. The undersides of the outdoor tables were heated like a kotatsu. The view was spectacular.

Dinner at Hao Ji

View from Yangminshan

It is a restaurant so you can order food but since we already had dinner we ordered drinks and stayed until 12am. I was told that there is usually a live singer and you can choose songs but there wasn�t one tonight probably due to the rainy, windy weather.

We stayed until 12am because they wanted to go to a place in Shilin (??) that only opens after midnight when the Shilin Night Market (????) and shops are closed. It was a food cart that made re chao (??) with tables and chairs placed on the sides of the street. It was one of those places that only locals knew about and each dish was only NTD 100!

Getting food was a competition. They say only first timers will order food but frequenters will not. When a dish was ready, one employee would hold multiples of the same dish in his hands and go around asking who ordered it since it is a free flowing system. So all you have to do is shout, �We did! Over here please!� when you see a dish you like even if you did not order it. I was amused by this business model as the four men worked at extreme speeds. The food was pretty good and it was just a fun experience to eat street food in one of the most famous night markets, Shilin, while it was closed. It was as if the locals waited for the tourists of Shilin to leave at night before they brought out the good stuff.

Read Day 1 here - Ping Xi, Shifen Old Street, Raohe Night Market

Read Day 2 here - Wufenpu, Xinyi area

Read Day 3 here - Wanhua, Yehliu Geopark

Read Day 4 here - Elephant Mountain, Yangminshan

Taipei 4-Day Itinerary: Day Three

Read Day 1 here - Ping Xi, Shifen Old Street, Raohe Night Market

Read Day 2 here - Wufenpu, Xinyi area

Read Day 3 here - Wanhua, Yehliu Geopark

Read Day 4 here - Elephant Mountain, Yangminshan

Today I went to visit my host family from when I stayed in Taipei in the summer of 2013. It was nostalgic to be back in Wanhua (??) and I was pleased that I still remembered exactly how to walk to their place from the MRT station. Not much has changed except there is now a Pizza Hut in the neighbourhood. It was great to catch up and I am forever grateful for their hospitality.

Streets of Wanhua

After the visit I went to Yehliu (??) by bus. I went to the Taipei Main Station bus terminal, got a roundtrip ticket to Yehliu (NTD 178) and sat for 1.5 hours. The journey might seem long but it went by quickly with a nap.

Yehliu Fishing Port

After alighting from the bus I walked about 600 metres to the Geopark (??????). The walk downhill was pleasant and I passed by the Yehliu Port. The Geopark itself was crowded with tourists and many of them in tour groups. Entrance cost NTD 80 for adults and NTD 40 if you have a student card. I know the International Student Identity Card (ISIC) definitely works but I am unsure about individual schools� cards.

Yehliu Geopark

It was gorgeous to see the geological landscape despite the overcast skies. I loved watching the waves crash loudly against the shore. Of course, the interesting rock formations are why this place is famous and they�re a sight as well! It was a bit sad to see some tourists ignoring the signs and walking on parts that were clearly labelled as �Do Not Cross� which could ruin the natural beauty. Happenings like these give me urgency to travel to see things before they are ruined by humans due to popularity.

Read Day 1 here - Ping Xi, Shifen Old Street, Raohe Night Market

Read Day 2 here - Wufenpu, Xinyi area

Read Day 3 here - Wanhua, Yehliu Geopark

Read Day 4 here - Elephant Mountain, Yangminshan

Taipei 4-Day Itinerary: Day Two

Read Day 1 here - Ping Xi, Shifen Old Street, Raohe Night Market

Read Day 2 here - Wufenpu, Xinyi area

Read Day 3 here - Wanhua, Yehliu Geopark

Read Day 4 here - Elephant Mountain, Yangminshan

We had dan bing (??) in the morning which was a breakfast item that I missed from Taiwan. (Who am I kidding, I missed almost all foods that I have tried in Taiwan.) Anyways after breakfast I took the MRT to Wufenpu (???) market by 11am. When I was last here in 2013 it was most convenient to take the MRT to Houshanpi Station (???) and follow the signs to Wufenpu. Since then, Songshan Station (??) has been built and it is another option to get to the market. I read online that they open at 11am but almost all the shops were closed when I arrived.

Dan bing breakfast

So I went to a nearby 7-Eleven to eat a snack and use their WiFi until 12pm. Did you know that Taiwan has the highest density of 7-Elevens worldwide? Japan is known for their convenience stores and I was once asked what the difference between Japan and Taiwan 7-Elevens were. When I walked in, I realized one of the biggest differences was that Taiwanese ones always smell of tea egg when I walk in which I like.

At noon a few shops started opening but I definitely recommend going later in the day for a better selection. As well, Monday is mainly for wholesale buyers so I heard shopkeepers don�t want to bother selling to individual shoppers. Fortunately I found one store I liked and left happy with my new purchases.

Cheng Yuan

By 1:30pm I met a friend at Dongmen Station and we went to Cheng Yuan (??) for lunch. I saw this restaurant on a TVB food show and the xiao long bao looked delicious. They are especially known for their sponge gourd xiao long bao (??????). Personally I have never heard of sponge gourd before but that is what the Chinese translated as when I Googled it. Anyways it was delicious, affordable and I�d go back again!

I wanted to look for Timberland boots and my friend took me to the Leeco Outlet shops by Gongguan Station (??). Tourists can do some shopping here in the early evening then head over to Gongguan Night Market for that style of shopping in the evening.

Instead of Gongguan Night Market, we went to Shida Night Market (????) and then to the Xinyi area ??? (where Taipei 101 and financial buildings are) for dessert at Ice Monster. It was supposed to be a famous shaved ice chain but honestly it wasn�t very good. Our strawberry shaved ice was way too sweet. The Xinyi area was pretty with light displays and towering Christmas trees since it was the holidays period when I went. Taipei 101 was lit up in purple at one point and that is my favourite colour.

Read Day 1 here - Ping Xi, Shifen Old Street, Raohe Night Market

Read Day 2 here - Wufenpu, Xinyi area

Read Day 3 here - Wanhua, Yehliu Geopark

Read Day 4 here - Elephant Mountain, Yangminshan

Taipei 4-Day Itinerary: Day One

Read Day 1 here - Ping Xi, Shifen Old Street, Raohe Night Market

Read Day 2 here - Wufenpu, Xinyi area

Read Day 3 here - Wanhua, Yehliu Geopark

Read Day 4 here - Elephant Mountain, Yangminshan

After two years I finally went back to Taiwan! This time I flew from Japan instead of Canada. My trip started the night before my departure flight from Kansai International Airport. Since it takes me more than 3 hours to get to KIX and the earliest train isn�t early enough for me to make it, I stayed at the airport the night before.

I found a budget but comfortable option to spend the night hours before my 7:50am flight. This requires a bit of preparation beforehand but it is very easy! First, I registered for the free KIX card online before my trip and printed out the confirmation slip. Second, when I got to the airport I handed the slip to the KIX card counter next to the information counter lady and she gave me my card.

Using this card, I went straight to the KIX Lounge where I was able to use the facility for 50% off simply by using the KIX card. I was there about 11:00pm and the private booth seats were all full at that time but I was lucky because about 10 minutes later a booth opened up! The open area is cheaper but much less comfortable for an overnight stay.

Booth at KIX Lounge

The booth included a plush armchair, a computer with headphones, internet access (of course) and TV function, a small safe and a hanger for your coat. You can also get blankets and slippers packaged in individual plastic bags after cleaning from a shelf. The price included a complimentary drinks bar with coffee, tea and corn soup. Less than 3 minute walk from the lounge is a convenient store where you can buy food to eat along with the free drinks. The meals you can buy at the lounge are not expensive either if you would rather not leave. But there is an entire food court with great choices, again less than 3 minutes walk away, if you�re there during its opening hours.

Anywho the washroom was clean, there was a powder room, and a section with many reading materials from magazines, newspapers to manga. When I first checked in to the lounge, I booked my shower time slot for 5am in the morning. Arriving at 11pm, the next time slot available was 1am so I did not want to wait. Using the shower facilities requires registering at the front desk so be sure to do that if you are planning on using it!

I put on some ear plugs and was able to get decent rest. My 7.5 hour stay at the lounge including the shower (not included in 50% discount and costs 500 yen) only came to 2500 yen. I think this is a great price for staying the night at KIX with good facilities, friendly staff and superb convenience to the terminal. Hotels in the area easily cost $150+ per night and accommodations outside of KIX require a train ride into the airport early in the morning. For my 7:50am flight, I was able to sleep until 5am and still have time to shower, get ready and eat breakfast, then check-in and go through security. I probably would have to wake up at 3 or 4am if I didn�t stay at KIX.

 

My 3 hour flight to Taiwan was smooth. At the arrival hall I exchanged money and looking back it was a good decision. This Bank of Taiwan exchange counter was before the immigration line and while everyone was rushing over there, I decided to exchange my money and it was done in 5 minutes. I didn�t have to wait long in the immigration line either because they opened more counters for the mass of people from the arrival flight. I saw that there was a long line for the money exchanger at the arrival hall.

I took the escalator down (follow signs for the bus) and bought a Kuo-Kuang (??) bus ticket for Taipei Main Station (NTD 125). The vehicle was the tour bus kind and took an hour from Taoyuan Airport to reach Taipei Main Station.

I met my friend, locked my bags in the coin lockers and we went to buy tickets to go to Ping Xi (??). To get to Ping Xi we had to transfer at Rui Fang (??). So we got a ticket from Taipei Main Station to Rui Fang (NTD 50) and another ticket for unlimited day pass of the local train in the Ping Xi area (NTD 80). These are amazing train prices given what I am used to in Japan! However, take note that the trains for the limited day pass are quite infrequent. They only come once an hour and is a slow local train.

When we reached Rui Fang there was about an hour before the Ping Xi train so we browsed Rui Fang for a bit. It was quite a small town and is known for its Old Street.

Shifen train tracks

On our second train, the Ping Xi train, we got off at Shifen Old Street (????) and it had a great atmosphere. It was crowded and people were walking on the train tracks since it came so infrequently. There were food stalls and souvenir shops on the sides plus many paper lantern shops because that is what the area is known for. People were busy scribbling their wishes onto the large paper lanterns and setting them free. When we went it wasn�t quite night time yet so it wasn�t dark enough to have the same glowing effect you see in lantern festival photos of Taiwan but it was still nice.

Shifen

We waited awhile for the next train to Jing Tong (??) which my friend said is similar to Ping Xi anyways but less crowded. Jing Tong seemed similar to Shifen for me so after 10 minutes we hopped back on the train because it would be an hour before the next one. The train was parked there because it was the last stop.

Raohe Night Market

In the evening we took the MRT (subway) to Song Shan station to go to Raohe Night Market (???????). It was super crowded on this Saturday night. We tried the famous Black Pepper Pork Pastry (???????) and I have never seen a line for a food stall at a night market this long. I have also never seen 14 people working at one food stall before. It was definitely famous and definitely delicious. It came piping hot and only cost NTD 50.

Popular food stall

We also had pork rib herbal soup at an upstairs place that I wouldn�t have known of if a local didn�t bring me. Later I found out that they had a food stall in the night market but it was much more comfortable to eat in the air conditioned section upstairs.

It was a bit tiring since I woke up so early this morning but I had a wonderful first day. It�s always a good time in Taiwan.

Read Day 1 here - Ping Xi, Shifen Old Street, Raohe Night Market

Read Day 2 here - Wufenpu, Xinyi area

Read Day 3 here - Wanhua, Yehliu Geopark

Read Day 4 here - Elephant Mountain, Yangminshan

Traveling in Taiwan: What to Do

Finally categorized my 60 posts on Taiwan into a useful list! I didn't put all 60 in here because some are frankly not about anything traveling related. Most of the posts are journal-style since I was keeping a log of my day to day activities in Taiwan but the trip itinerary posts are more structured. There is information about pricing and directions in the journal-style posts as well. Enjoy!

Trip Itineraries
About the TR Pass

Day Trips from Taipei
Taraoko Gorge and Hualien trip
Jiaoxi and Toucheng trip
Jioufen and Keelung trip

Wulai and Bitan trip
Taoyuan and Dasi Old Street trip

2-3 Day Trips
Taichung, Sun Moon Lake, Fengchia Night Market trip
Tainan, Anping, Kaohsiung trip
Seafood and beach in Kenting
Hsinchu trip and here

Entertainment and Activities
Red Pocket Singing
Taipei Zoo
Bihu Park, Miramar
Karaoke
Shrimp Fishing, Up Taipei 101 free

Buildings and Sites
Fort San Domingo, Chiang Kai Shek Memorial Hall
National Palace Museum
Sun Yat Sen Memorial, Red House
Presidential Building

Cultural and History
Bopiliao
Tea shop

Nature and Scenary
Taipei night view
Huajiang Wetlands
Yangmingshan and New Taipei City Hall

Shopping
Wu Fen Pu wholesale market

Night Markets
Shida Night Market
Gongguan Night Market
Shilin Night Market (bottom of post)
Guang Zhou Street (bottom of post)

Food
Taipei 101 Din Tai Fung
Ximending Modern Toilet Cafe
Dongmen Du Xiao Yue

Taiwan Day 60: Last Day

Day Sixty

July 10 - Finally the last day in Taiwan and the end of an 8 week adventure. Looking back, the very first week of being in Taiwan I didn't think that I would miss the place that much when I left. Now that has changed 360 degrees and I miss Taiwan very much because of the people I met there and the memories we created together.

Hui Chee and I had flights within half hour of each other in the afternoon so a lot of our friends came to where we lived at 9am to have farewell breakfast with us! Throughout the meal I was happy to get another chance to see them but also a little down because I knew the goodbye was coming soon.

Last breakfast together

Back at our homestay family's house we took photos and left the house 40 minutes later than the planned time. Five minutes before getting into the car, we all hugged each other goodbye and that was when I cried. I've never cried that quickly before but the surge of emotion looking around at these people that I might not see again (or at least soon) made me sad.

Friends <3

For Hui Chee and I, we had similar experiences in Taiwan because we were always together. In the beginning there were three of us (HC, Olivia and I) then came a fun fourth person, Darm to join our project. Although the project didn't go smoothly, we thought that we at least had each other. Then due to different circumstances both Olivia and Darm had to leave Taiwan, leaving HC and I. 

It was a little bit lonely those 2-3 weeks where it was mostly just us two but boy was I glad to have her around. We made the most of it and had a fabulous trip around the island. Thanks roomie!

Our experience in Taiwan went up bit by bit when week 5-6 came starting with the arrival of Elvira, then an entire group of new friends from all over Asia (Angeline, Tommy, Leanne, Suvda, Jin Yee, Jackie). We started off mediocre, fell to a low and reached a peak up till the day we left on July 10th. What awesome people to have met before we left Taiwan!

The local Taiwanese friends Derek, Sonia, June, William and Lut who came to say farewell also made us feel welcomed in Taiwan.

Waving goodbye to our car

Our homestay auntie and uncle drove us to the airport. Thank you for letting us live with you for 60 days, giving us good food and taking us around Taipei! 

Homestay auntie and uncle

The plane ride home was very long and a little stressful because I only had 15 minutes to transfer flights and pass through security! But with some running and the help of a Cathay staff, I made it :)

Aerial view of Hong Kong

Gratitude and appreciation for everything I learned, experienced and felt in Taiwan. This has been the longest I've stayed in Asia and I'm glad it was here.

Take care,

Taiwan Day 58-59: Camp #2 and Farewells

Day Fifty Eight to Fifty Nine

July 8 - I went right back to work at the second summer camp after Summer National Conference 2013 ended. Having missed the first day of camp due to the conference I was a little bit lost but my teammates quickly filled in the information gap for me. 

This time, the student age was older from 12-16 years old and with direct comparison to the elementary aged kids their English was significantly better. Therefore, we were actually able to run the camp in English and only translate in between when necessary.

Evening of July 8, our friends wanted to have a farewell dinner for Hui Chee and I because we are both leaving Taiwan that day. The group size was big with almost 20 people and as I ate with them I felt so glad to have met so many wonderful people in Taiwan. After dinner, some people left and a smaller group of us went to McDonalds to eat dessert and chat some more. We laughed so much that it hurt and I remember thinking that I am going to miss moments like these a lot when I depart.

July 9 - The third and last day of camp was July 9. The 5 teams of children all worked hard to create a presentation in English about what they have learnt in the camp and present it to family and friends during the showtime later on in the day.

I watched in surprise as the group I was helping to facilitate coordinated so well on creating a presentation together and practised on their own accord. I didn�t have to guide them much and helped mostly by giving English vocabulary and fixing some grammar. Otherwise their work efficiency made me proud and the fact that they presented in a language that they were uncomfortable with made me realize that a little encouragement goes a long way.

Presentation

Presentation

Completion of camp

At the end of our camp, another large group of us went to eat dinner together. At the end of dinner, I thought that it would be the last time that I would see them since our flights the next day were in the afternoon and travelling to the airport takes an hour. We all exchanged hugs goodbye and looking into the faces of those that I have shared such fond memories with made me very sad. Of the good friends I made in Taiwan, about half are Taiwanese, half are from other parts of the world and a few left Taiwan weeks ago. Wherever they are in the world, they all left such an impact on my experience in Taiwan. I felt sad because this same group of people will probably never meet all at once in the same place again. Even if I visit Taiwan again, the friends from outside Taiwan won�t be there.

Goodbye hugs

Then to my pleasant surprise, many of them said that they will come to where we live at 9am in the morning so that they can eat breakfast with us and see us one last time before we had to leave. That made me happy that I could still say, �See you tomorrow!�

We had dinner round two that evening at 9pm with our homestay family. They really were very kind during our 2 month stay in their home. The food was delicious and we shared about what we had learned and done during our time in Taiwan.

Photo with homestay family

Cheers!

Take care,