Going to Taipei on 3th Jan and back on 10th Jan

Dear travellers,

My name is lex and I am a Singaporean. I will be travelling to Taipei on 3th Jan to 10th Jan. We will be staying in Paradise Hotel. I was wonder are there any Singaporean travelling to Taipei on these dates too? Hope to meet up some locals and travel together if possible.

Going to Taipei on 3th Jan and back on 10th Jan

I am trying to draw out an itinerary for this trip. It isn%26#39;t completed yet. I need some advice on what to do. Thanks

Sat 030109

Just take the Freego bus directly to Rainbow (NTD140). If not, you can take Kuokuang bus to Taipei Station then a cab to Rainbow(NTD100) or the MRT to Ximen MRT stop then walk (NTD20)

8.30AM

Reach hotel

10AM

Ximenting 西门丁 (Close @ 2230hrs) (Lunch and walk around)

Jay Chou%26#39;s Shop (Omni) 周杰伦的店 (Omni)

• Zhongxiao Dunhua Station 中孝敦化站 %26gt; Exit 2 %26gt; When you walked out, you will see a Watsons (Qu Chen Shi) %26gt; Turn left to the lane besides it %26gt; Keep walking straight %26amp; you will pass by 4 small lanes then you will see a sign %26#39;161 lane%26#39; %26gt; Turn left %26amp; you will see Jay%26#39;s Omni Shop %26gt; It%26#39;s on the left side.

Jacky Wu%26#39;s Desert Shop (The Sweet Dynasty) 吴宗宪的店 (糖潮)

• Zhongxiao Dunhua Station 中孝敦化站 %26gt; Exit 4 OR

• Zhongxiao Fuxing Station 忠孝复兴站 %26gt; Exit 5

Ding Tai Feng 鼎泰丰

• Zhongxiao Dunhua Station 中孝敦化站 %26gt; Exit 3 %26gt; Will see a Watsons %26gt; Walk straight to the next traffic light, and diagonally across on your right, can see a shopping mall ';ATT'; %26gt; Should be able to spot the red Ding Tai Feng signboard. It%26#39;s located behind this mall

Food St 美食街

• Zhongxiao Dunhua Station 中孝敦化站 %26gt; Exit 2 %26gt; Walk To 2nd Traffic Light %26gt; Cross The Road %26gt;Turn Left On Yanji St 延吉街

Luxy (Clubbing)

• Zhongxiao Dunhua Station 中孝敦化站 %26gt; Exit 1/2

Sun 040109

Mon 050109

If going to Hualien (花连) - CingShui Cliff (清水断崖)/Taroko Gorge (太鲁阁)/Baiyang Trail (白杨步道) - Waterfall Cave (水帘洞), can contact:

• Mr Lu Lai Fu

• Cell Phone: +8869-2856-9081

• Small car: NT2200

• Big car: NT2500

• Taxi No for small car: 827-XQ

(Take Taroko Tilting Train 太鲁阁号 to Hualien and Mr Lu will meet us there. To buy 2 ways train ticket which is 0710hrs or earlier as it%26#39;ll take 2.5 - 3hrs journey, book 1-2days in advance or on the day you arrive. Ticket for both ways cost NT802)

For airport transfers, can contact:

• Mr. Lee

• Cell Phone:+8869-8873-2787

• Toyota Wish Pick from airport to hotel: NT900

• Toyota Wish Pick from hotel to airport: NT800

• Email:ups1238@yahoo.com.tw

Hualien Farglory Ocean Park 花连海洋世界

• Take railway train at Taipei Railway Station 台北车站 to Hualien. Fare: NT287 - NT445. Travel Time: About 2.5hrs - 3hrs (Depending on type of train) %26gt; Take Taitung 台东 direction, Seaside route 海线 to Hualien Farglory Ocean Park. Travel Time: About 30-40mins

Tue 060109

7.30AM –Set off to Spring City Resort for Hot Spring

There will be signs directing you to Beitou Geothermal Park (Hell Valley) along the road. After exiting MRT Xinbeitou Station, cross the road and follow the stone sidewalk. You%26#39;ll pass an aboriginal museum and the Beitou Hot Spring Museum on your way to the park, about a 15-min. walk. The park (more of a ';pond';) is closed Mondays.

Hell Valley 地热谷

• Beitou Station 北投站 %26gt; Take Bus Red 21 %26amp; will reach Hell Valley

Tianmu 天母

• Shipai Station 石牌站 %26gt; Walk out of Station %26gt; Left side to traffic Light %26gt; Turn right %26amp; keep walking (Lots of Shops %26amp; food joints there as well, only empty spot is near the hospital. Lots of shops on TianMu West Road 天母西路 as well (Not Factory outlets). Junction of Tian Mu West Road %26amp; Tian Mu North Road 天母北路. Great place to eat local food, worth a visit (You will see them frying the NiuRo Shien Pin, Chung Pin etc). You will see all the shops when you walk up Zhongshan North Road Section 7 中山北路七段 on the right side of the road OR

• Shipai Station 石牌站 %26gt; Exit right %26gt; Walk to the traffic lights %26gt; Turn right to the bus stop %26gt; Turn right across the street take Bus R19 OR

• Jiantan Station 剑潭站 %26gt; Take bus 220 to Tianmu

P.S. BuBu 金屋藏车食堂 (Close @ 2200hrs)

• Shipai Station 石牌站 %26gt; Exit right %26gt; Walk to the traffic lights %26gt; Turn right to the bus stop %26gt; Take R19 all the way to the end (Tian Mu) %26gt; Walk down the road on the Left side where PS Bubu located. (After that, keep walking down on the Left for the Export Outlet shops. Look out for the Budget ';Bins'; Lots of bargains can be found there. )

Guo Yuan Ye 郭元益

• Shihlin Station 士林站 %26gt; Exit 1 %26gt; Walk straight out %26gt; Across the street %26gt; Walk left %26amp; walk until the traffic light %26gt; Cross the street %26amp; take right %26gt; Go straight down 5-8mins walk %26amp; you%26#39;ll see the store on your left (太阳饼，凤梨酥)

Miramar Entertainment Park 美丽华百乐园 (NT150)

• Jiantan Station 剑潭站 %26gt; Exit 1 %26gt; Transfer free shuttle bus. If the line is too long, take public Bus 267

Shihlin Night Market 士林夜市 (Close @ 0200hrs)

• Jiantan Station 剑潭站 %26gt; Exit 2

[Shopping remember to bargain cos the price might be slightly more ex than XMD or Raohe Night Market]

Wed 070109

Alishan 阿里山

• Board a HSR train from Taipei HSR Station (Taipei Main Station) to Chiayi 嘉义 HSR Station. Fare: NT860 (Standard class). NT$1160 (Business class). Travel Time: About 1.5hrs

Taiwan High Speed Rail: http://www.thsrc.com.tw/en/index.htm

• From Chiayi HSR Station %26gt; Chiayi TRA Station (In Downtown Chiayi)

• Shuttle buses link Chiayi HSR Station (In Taibao City 太保市) %26amp; Chiayi TRA Station in downtown Chiayi. Fare: NT45. Travel Time: 30mins.

Shuttle Bus: thsrc.com.tw/download/tw/file/busroute_08012…

Chiayi Bus: http://www.cibus.com.tw/brttime.htm

From Chiayi TRA Station %26gt; Alishan

• Uphill By Bus: Buses depart Chiayi Bus Station (Right side of Chiayi Railway Station) at 0610, 0810, 1210 %26amp; 1410hrs for Alishan. Fare: NT214. Travel Time: About 2.5hrs. There is an extra bus at 1010hrs on Sat, Sun %26amp; Public Holidays and makes a stop at Fenchihu 奋起湖 before proceeding to Alishan.

Chiayi Bus: http://citybus.cyhg.gov.tw/linemap/b24.htm

• Uphill By Forest Rail Trains: Weekdays – The only train departs Chiayi Railway Station at 1330hrs for Alishan Station. Saturdays %26amp; Sundays – Trains depart Chiayi Railway Station at 0900hrs %26amp; 1330hrs for Alishan Station. Fare: NT399 (One-Way). Travel Time: About 3.5hrs.

Forest Rail Timetable: railway.forest.gov.tw/ContentView.aspx…

Forest Rail Fares: railway.forest.gov.tw/ContentView.aspx…

Alternative: From Taipei %26gt; Alishan (By Direct Bus)

• Board Kuo Kuang bus from Taipei West Bus Station direct to Alishan. Fare: NT$620 (One-Way). NT1120 (Return). Travel Time: About 6hrs 10mins

• Depart Taipei to Alishan every Fridays %26amp; Saturdays only at 2015 %26amp; 2045hrs.

• Depart Alishan to Taipei every Sundays only at 1130 %26amp; 1230hrs.

Kuo Kuang Bus: http://www.kingbus.com.tw

Thur 080109

• Board Bus 260 outside Ximen Station %26gt; Exit 3. The bus journey takes about 1hr 10mins OR

• Board Bus Red 5, 260 outside Jiantan or Shihlin Stations. Bus Red 5 serves the route between Jiantan Station %26amp; Yang Ming Shan. The bus journey takes about 45-50mins from Jiantan / Shihlin Stations OR

• Board MRT train to Beitou Station %26amp; transfer to Bus 230 to Yang Ming Shan Bus Terminal or minibus S9 to Zhuzhihu 竹子湖 Terminal. Use stored value Easycard to pay the MRT / bus fares. To go to the inner areas of Yang Ming Shan, board leisure shuttle Bus 108 from the bus terminal. Pay NT60 for unlimited bus rides for the day. Operation hrs: 0700-1730hrs

Fri 090109

Yang Ming Shan Park 阳明山

• Board Bus 260 outside Ximen Station %26gt; Exit 3. The bus journey takes about 1hr 10mins OR

• Board Bus Red 5, 260 outside Jiantan or Shihlin Stations. Bus Red 5 serves the route between Jiantan Station %26amp; Yang Ming Shan. The bus journey takes about 45-50mins from Jiantan / Shihlin Stations OR

• Board MRT train to Beitou Station %26amp; transfer to Bus 230 to Yang Ming Shan Bus Terminal or minibus S9 to Zhuzhihu 竹子湖 Terminal. Use stored value Easycard to pay the MRT / bus fares. To go to the inner areas of Yang Ming Shan, board leisure shuttle Bus 108 from the bus terminal. Pay NT60 for unlimited bus rides for the day. Operation hrs: 0700-1730hrs

Last minute shopping in XMD

Sat 100109

11AM check out

12.30PM reach Airport

Going to Taipei on 3th Jan and back on 10th Jan

Hello,

Sat. Jan. 3

- Are you staying at Rainbow or Paradise---if at Rainbow, you%26#39;ve got the directions right. But if at Paradise: Take the Freego Bus to Paradise (一樂園), not Rainbow. Or have the driver drop you off at the corner of Xining S. Rd. (西寧南路) %26amp; Hankou St. (漢口街); Paradise is to the northwest of this intersection. If the bus doesn%26#39;t go that intersection, alight at East Dragon Hotel and walk west along Hankou St. about 3~5 min.

- Din Tai Fung Zhongxiao Branch is here:

www.trtc.com.tw/img/ALL/Route2200/091.jpg

…google.com/calicocat.tw/…5279208740488690690

Din Tai Fung Fuxing Branch is in the basement of the green Sogo @ MRT Zhongxiao Fuxing:

www.trtc.com.tw/img/ALL/Route2200/010.jpg

- Stores such as Omni by JFK may or may no longer exist, since Taipei is forever changing...

Sun. Jan. 4 %26amp; Mon. Jan. 5

- Sorry, what%26#39;s your itinerary for Hualien? Just FYI, Tze Chiang Taroko (自強太魯閣號) takes 2 hrs. from Taipei to Hualien; Tze Chiang (自強號) takes 3 hrs. TZ Taroko is indicated by the green triangles on the online train schedule; prices are the same.

Welcome to the forums and to Taiwan, Lex.

Thumbs up - your itinerary is planned and with good details. Guess U%26#39;ve your homework done. :-)

It%26#39;s easy to navigate Taipei n U%26#39;ll have lotsa fun touring the place by yourselves.

Enjoy a blast in Taiwan!

TA :-)

TaipeiDreams.com

Wed 070109

Alishan 阿里山

• Uphill By Forest Rail Trains:

Taiwan Forestry Bureau’s management of Alishan forest rail had already been taken over by Hangtu Alishan with effect from 19 June 2008. The Alishan forest rail service linking Fenchihu and Alishan had resumed service from 25 December 2008 according to the announcement in Hangtu Alishan website http://www.ht-alishan.com.tw/news.asp

The rail service linking Chiayi and Fenchihu is still temporarily halted due to landslide.

Please check Hangtu Alishan website: https://ticket.ht-alishan.com.tw/welcome.php for Alishan forest train schedule, online booking and announcement on when full service would be back to normal.

Map of Forest Railway Trail: eng.taiwan.net.tw/lan/Cht/map/ShowMap.asp…

Other forumers have shared that a taxi ride from downtown Hualien to Farglory Ocean Park costs NT500~600. Since the admission price is rather steep, make sure you%26#39;ve got enough time to fully enjoy the park---the shows and the aquarium should receive first priority (over the rides).