itinerary thread

hey cal

maybe it wld be a good idea to start a thread, clasifiying into

5D4N itinerary

6D5N itinerary...etc etc

let all e F%26amp;E novice hunt down what they need n save e effort of repeating your advise every few days. much more efficient? ;)

we%26#39;ll get to read new interesting stuff too...;)

itinerary thread

Good seeing you here again, Liebetaube! Excellent idea to group all the itineraries, suggested and already done by travelers, into one thread. Aside from providing easily-accessed info, it will also give prospective visitors an idea of how different the actual trip can be from their planned-to-the-minute itinerary. Thanks for starting this thread. I shall get to digging, copying and pasting---but as always, we will still continue to post custom-made, personal replies, because we like talking to you guys. :-)

itinerary thread

This is the basic one I have been emailing for ages i.e. since 2004 with a few ammendments. Old timers will recognise it. :

This one is longer for about 7 to 8 Days.

(ITINEARY)

Arrive Taipei 5.45 (Jetstar)

Arrive Hotel 7.3o pm

Checkin freshen up 8.00pm

Walkabout Ximenting outside Hotel for about an hour decide if you want to stick around there onthe first night or about 9 pm Take MRT from Ximen to Jiantan and do the Shihlin Night Market,eat shop till about 11.30 then take

MRT back to hotel. (Other option is to do Longshan Temple and Huashi St Market - LongshanTemple MRT Stop)) and then go to Shihlin.

Day One: Wake up,have breakfast get ready by 8.20 and head for CKS Memorial Hall.(CKS MH MRT)Get photos taken, see the changing of the guards then head for Sun Yat Sen Memorial Hall(SYS MH MRT) 9.45.Spend about half an hour or so there and then head for Taipei City hall (MRT) Since most of the stores open between 10 am to 11 am. Do the 101 first- take outside pics e.t.c.until it opens. After you finish there,take a slow walk down the road pass the TWTC Hall 3, to Warner Village, NYNY, Neo19, and opposite the road to Singkong Mitsukoshi e.t.c.

have lunch in that area and at about 4pm head for WuFenPu depending on what you girls want to do,you can spend a couple of hours here till about 6.30 or 7 pm and then exit WuFenPu on the side of Songshan Railway Station cross the overhead bridge to Raohe St market.

Here you can have your dinner of a great variety of Taiwanese food. There are also Shoe , bags, trinkets,fung Hsui items,Jean Shops here. When you finish here,take a TRAIN not MRT back to Taipei Main Station, change

to MRT Ximen to go back to Hotel and drop of all the stuff you have

purchased,freshen up and come down to the Ximenting area to cruise till you get tired.(If this is a Sat,then places stay open longer) (You will

notice,other than the CKS MH, you are travelling along one line so you save time not having to return to this area)

Day Two:

The Martyrs%26#39; Shrine: Built in Ming dynasty style to commemorate those who died in China%26#39;s wars over the centuries. The formal changing of the guard attracts an interesting crowd of onlookers. (I prefer this to CKS )

http://www.goamcan.com/photos/dscn5378.html

Leave 8 ~ 8-15 , Take MRT to Yuangshan. Exit #1 cross road diagonally to Soccer Stadium bus stop . From there you can take Bus:21, Red 2 both very frequent. or 247, 287. Earlier is better to take some pics before the crowd arrives at about 9am.

After this, take Bus Red 2 or 21 to Yuanshan MRT and then go to Shihlin Stop and from outside, take Bus Red 30 to the National Palace Museum. 10.00 am -Stuff you see here cannot be seen on the Mainland as these were Ripped off by CKS when he came over.(worth a visit) Fee: NTD100/- per person Take your passports,sometimes they give specials to foreigners or even free entry as they did last year. (If you like this type of stuff,time flies very fast. About 2pm, back to Shihlin MRT onto Beitou. Get something to eat at a coffee shop down the road in Beitou You can visit the Aboriginal Museum, Hot Spring Museum, enjoy the scenic area of Hsin Beitou and if you want to try the hotspring, there are many places there.

About 5pm, back to Beitou MRT and onto Danshui MRT.Outside take bus Red 26 to Fisherman%26#39;s wharf (dont walk there,it%26#39;s very far,in this heat).

Take a short ferry ride to Pali,See the Sunset,Lighting of the Lover%26#39;s Bridge

at about 7 pm, eat there if you must BUT better,go back to the MRT and walkabout Old Danshui. Ask for directions to the food stalls along the Water

front.(There is a good map on the wall outside the MRT Stop)

Then back to Ximen MRT on the Same line from Danshui.

Day Three: Out of Taipei

First stop: Leave about 9 am or earlier.

Yeilou :Take a Kuo Kuang (02-2558 3060) Bus from the North Station of KuoKuang Bus in Taipei Near Taipei Main Station to Yeliou (NT80 per head).

See the sites there Mainly unique Rock formations. From there take a Keelung Bus to the Keelung Main Station. From the front of the Keelung Railway Station take a Keelung Bus to Jinguashih,Then work your way backwards to Jioufen and Rueifang before returning to Keelung in the evening.In between if you want to go to Shi Fen (Lovely Waterfalls) go before heading for Jioufen.It may seem complicated but it is not. All of these are within one area with that Keelung bus plying the route.

All very scenic and time passes very fast. When in doubt,just ask any one for directions. Now you have returned to Keelung in the late evening,then head for Miaokow Food Street and after your Dinner,you can stroll

around the Keelung before returning to the hotel later by Bus or train.

http://crazy_azn1.tripod.com/taiwan/id14.html

http://www.wanli.tpc.gov.tw/main.aspx Yeilou

http://www.pingshi.tpc.gov.tw/all.htm Shifen

http://www.gep.tpc.gov.tw Jinguashi :Gold Ecological Park

http://www.klcg.gov.tw/english/ Keelung

http://www.miaokow.org Miaokow - Keelung Roadside Cuisine

Day 4/5

Sun Moon Lake in one day. They have one day tour%26#39;s starting from Taichung at 8.30 in the morning. To get to Taichung early by train:

Type: Chu Kuang # 11 Depart Taipei 05:15 Arrv Taichung 07:49 NTD289

(Check times when you are here)

taiwantourbus.com.tw/english/tour_detail.php…

(Note: you can stay a night at SunMoon Lake -Or in Taichung for a night) Leave for Chiayi to catch the Antique train to Alishan (1.20pm) (Book in advance once in Taipei better as sometimes no seats).

Taichung City:

http://www.tccg.gov.tw/

Taichung County:

http://www.taichung.gov.tw/english/

Sun Moon Lake:

http://www.sunmoonlake.gov.tw/smlen/main.php

5/6

Most people take the Alishan Forest Railway.The Alishan line is one of only

three mountain railways left in the world, the other two being the tracks from Darjeeling to the Himalayas in India and the line across the Andes from Chile

to Argentina

Chiayi-Alishan: departs Chiai at 1:30 p.m. and Alishan at 1:20 p.m. Travel

time, approx. 3 hours and 20 min. Price NT$399 for adults (one-way), return NT$680. For further information, call 886-5-276-8094.

Or travel either way by Bus:

Chiayi County Bus

Departs Chiayi daily at 7:10, 9:10, 11:10 a.m., and 1:30, 3:30 p.m. and

Alishan daily at 8:30, 9:40 a.m.,and 12:00, 2:00, 4:00 p.m. Travel time,

approx. 2~2.5 hours. Price: NT$150 (one way) for adults. For more information, call 886-5- 223-8372 or 267-9922.

http://www.greenhome.idv.tw/rooms.htm (Accomodation)

http://www.greenhome.idv.tw/travel.htm (View)

…network.com.tw/english/default.htm

…network.com.tw/english/guestroom.htm

Day 6/7:

Budget travel to Toroko . You got to catch the early train to Hualien:

Book to return the same day,you get a 10% discount.

Tze Chiang 1051 Mount Taipei 06:45 Hualien 09:37 NTD445 one way

Tze Chiang 1053 Mount Taipei 07:10 Hualien 10:02 NTD445

You can go early and shop around for a good tour if you like.

taiwantourbus.com.tw/english/tour_detail.php…

You can get an idea of places to visit from the tour guide above.

Then get a cabbyfor up to 4 people for NT1800 and do the tour of Toroko and other places as most forumers are doing now.

(Driver was Licensed).

Cabby details:

…photobucket.com/albums/y97/nuttyazn/card.jpg

When you get to Hualien Station,look up a tour cabby ,And bargain . ( I,ve been told this chap is actually the cheapest. ) If you come across another good cabbie,please post the details or email me with the info.

Tze Chiang 2042 Hua-lien 17:24 Taipei 20:35 445

Tze Chiang 1058 Hualien 17:59 Taipei 20:58 445

Tze Chiang 1060 Hualien 19:00 Taipei 21:40 445

Tze Chiang 1080 Hualien 19:28 Taipei 21:45 445

The above are the trains for your return.

Hualien:

tour-hualien.hl.gov.tw/english/index.htm

http://www.poja.com.tw

Day 7/8

Back to Taipei Shopping e.t.c. Sleep wake up 8th Day

Wake up,eat breakfast, Pack You can do last minute shopping at the Underground Malls at the Taipei Station , have lunch there (Local food) and then go to the Bus Stop Outside at 3 pm to Airport~Back to Spore.

Twinkle123:

Hi Frenz in this forum! I’m back from Taipei.

Here’s my report on my Taipei trip from 30th Apr – 5th May. Overall, I enjoyed my trip very much and find that it’s much more enjoyable than HK. The Taiwanese people are generally very warm and friendly and they have very good service attitude too (except for some shops at WuFenPu).

Wonder how many hours Taiwanese people sleep every night because there is so much things to do (night market, shopping, 24 hrs karaoke etc) and mostly these places are packed with people.

Day 1 – 30th Apr (Check-in, XMD, YMS)

- Arrived at TPE airport 5:30pm and the weather is cooling

- A Taiwanese friend who rented a mini van to send us to Stars Hotel and ZhongHua Road, Sec 1. (so blessed!)

- Checked in and had dinner at XMD. Tried “Ah Zong Mian Xian”, very tasty mian xian with pig intestines. Maybe food taste better when we stand while we eat.

- Our Taiwan friend insist to bring us to this ‘French theme cafe’ at Yang Ming Shan. Not sure what’s the exact name of the café but it overlooked Taipei city. The café is nice, romantic cozy and a great place to chit chat and enjoy the scenery. (Maybe Nutty or CC can advise on the name of the restaurant and how to go there by public transport).

Day 2 – 1st May (YMS, JiuFen, MiaoKou)

- Our Taiwanese friend drove us to YMS again to see the “Hai3 Yu4” – Calla Lily plantation. I understand that the place is also known “Xiao3 You2 Keng1”

- It’s a really beautiful place but I notice that it is not a very popular tourist since no one in this forum mentioned this place before.

- We spent the morning enjoying the drinks at the café and feasting our eyes on the field of lilies.

- In the afternoon we tried the “Ye3 Cai4” – “wild vegetable” at one of the stalls at YMS. The veggie is fresh and we enjoyed our meal very much.

- After YMS, we headed eastward to JiuFen… a very long ride… took almost 3 hours. We go by the coastal road and stopped at a lookout place which we took some pictures and moved on.

- By the time we reached JiuFen, it was almost 4:30pm and the view from Jiu Fen is very beautiful too. We had a very clear sky that day and the view of the coastline of Taipei east is really nice.

- The steps in JuiFen are really long and not suitable for older folks. My mother-in-law was having difficulties to complete the steps in order to reach the “Lao3 Jie1” but she made it.

- Enjoyed walking through the “Lao Jie”… Our Taiwanese friend recommended us to try the “Yu4 Yuan2” – Yam Ball dessert soup. The yam ball is starchy but very chewing. We also tried the “Hong2 Zao3 Ji1 Guo” – Soon Kueh skin with seasoned reddish looking meat. It tastes very good too. Must try!

- We bought some muah chee and plum jelly from one of the local specialty shop.

- After JiuFen, we left for MiaoKou NM. It is the first night market visit for us. Tried the “Crab meat starchy soup”… which is similar to sharks fin soup…very nice and I was told that they can only be found at the MK NM.

Day 3 – 2nd May (WuLai Hot Spring, GongGuan, WuFenPu, Raohe NM)

- We are left on our own today b’cos our local friend needed to work so she will join us after she knock off.

- Had breakfast at the hotel. Even though the breakfast is just plain porridge with a number of side dishes, I quite like the spread. Especially after eating all the NM food, I do crave for lighter meals.

- Ttook the MRT train from XMD to XinDian. The ride is about half an hour and transfer to a bus (to Wulai). As we were using the “EasiCard”, we just paid NT25 per person for the bus ride.

- When we reach the Wulai bus interchange, it started to drizzle and the weather becomes a bit chilly. We walked for about 10mins to reach “Full Moon Spa” aka as “Ming2 Yue4”. It’s very accessible and easy to locate. Public hot spring cost NT300 per person with unlimited time of access. You need to be in proper swimming attire and wear a swimming cap (cost SGD 2.50 if you buy from their counter).

- It’s really a wonderful experience to soak in the hot spring water and overlooking the greenery across. I had a slight headache after a half an hour… I think it’s because I didn’t take enough break. A local auntie I met at the spa said that it’s advisable to take 5-10mins of break from the water to rest and drink water. Also learnt from another local that pure spring water will not cause your skin to dry up and cause wrinkle at your fingers.

- We had lunch at one of the restaurants along the streets at WuLai and ordered the “Zhu2 Tong3 Fan4” - Bamboo rice – some glutinous rice in a bamboo container. It’s quite fragrant and tasty.

- We took the bus and headed for Gongguan. Got to pay NT55 on top of the easicard.

- Didn’t really enjoy the shopping at Gongguan because unlike the NM, the shops are not located at the same area. You really have to walk a few streets before you can find the things you want.

- Saw a very big Christian bookstore along the main road – 3 levels (including basement). Christians may want to check it out. The books there are slightly cheaper than Singapore price.

- We took the MRT train back to main station and transfer to the railway station to go WuFenPu. I didn’t know that the train stations are actually linked so we actually walked to the ground level and walked to the railway station instead.

- The railway ride to SongShan railway station is very fast. Think it’s only 1 or 2 stops away from Taipei main station.

- Was looking forward to WuFenPu since it’s a wholesale centre for clothes but left there feeling a bit disappointed because it so distracting and difficult to shop there as there are motobikes and even lorries that use the same pedestrian walkway so you can imagine the time spent in dodging from the vehicles.

- Spent about an hour there before we headed to Raohe NM which is at the opposite side of the SongShan station. As it was drizzling again, we decide to use the red bridge to reach the opposite side of the station which will lead to Raohe.

- I was surprised to find out that in order to use the bridge, each person has to pay a token fee of NT6 per person.

- Tried the famous “Pepper Biscuit” and the fried smelly toufu…. Our local friend said that the smelly toufu at Raohe is one of the most pungent one in Taipei city… but we like it! Also tried the “Cold noodle” which looks plain but taste yummy… like satay sauce over cold noodle.

Day 4 – 3 May (CKS Memorial Hall, XMD, Tao Yuan Beef Noodle, Snow King ice-cream, Ho Che Zhan, Shilin NM)

- Went sightseeing at CKS memorial hall since there is usually nothing much to do in the morning. Took some pictures and left there b’cos it was drizzling again.

- Went back to XMD after that to do some shopping… bought some casual wear. There are lots of three quarter pants and jeans this season.

- Walked to Tao Yuan Road (near to XMD exit 3) to try the beef noodle. It was different from the beef noodle in S’pore.. the beef is very tender and it is in a clear soup base.

- From Tao Yuan Jie, walked toward “Zhong1 Shan1 Tang2” where the fortress café is….from there walked about 10 mins to reach “Snow King –manufactures 73 different flavors of ice-cream” – including pork knuckle and pork floss ice-cream. Tried the red-wine ice-cream, it taste a bit like rum and raisin … very nice. We become adventurous and tried the pork floss ice-cream.. it’s salty and it melts into oil-like liquid… suspect it’s lard… but anyway… we didn’t finish the scoop.

- After that we headed back to Taipei main station to go HoCheZhan… not very easy to find… but can check out the map at the station which gives you an idea of the nearest exit.

- Ho Che Zhan is really a haven for ladies accessories and cute stuff. Bought several pairs of earrings, belt etc.

- After that we headed for Shilin NM…take train and alight at JianTian station the Blue Star chicken cutlet is a must-try… really big and tasty… don’t think can get similar standard in S’pore. The Shilin NM where they sell clothes and stuff is about 15 mins walk away from the food place. But over there manage there manage to find some good buys – NT 100 (approx SG$5) for a decent looking casual bag and NT200 for a pair of cute flat shoes.

- Tried the “three brother dessert stall” at Shilin.. didn’t find their desserts fantastic though.

Day 5 – 4th May (Tao Yuan Sunflower plantation, Shen Keng Jie – famous for Dou Fu, Di Hua Jie –sells dried product and local produce, BoAi street –near to XMD exit 3, buffet dinner)

- It’s our last full day in Taiwan. We were fortunate as our friend’s mum decide to drive us to TaoYuan – Sunflower plantation (not sure what’s the actual name of the place) but the place is really beautiful… took many pictures of the field of sunflowers and other flowers… tried lavender and sunflower ice-cream. Prefer the lavender one.

- Went to “Shen1 Keng1 Jie1” for lunch… quite a nice old street and they sell very smooth Toufu… we took the opportunity to try the Ma-La- Tou-fu….Good!

- Left for Di Hua Jie after that… it began to pour heavily so we were stranded near the Chinese medicine street for about half an hour … didn’t buy much things except for the local pork floss (which is mixed with seaweed and sesame seed).. tried it at Stars hotel breakfast and like it very much.

- Went back to Bo2 Ai4 jie (near to Tao Yuan Jie at exit 3 of XMD)… our local friend brought us there hoping we can find some value-for-money stuff… b’cos that place is not too “tourisy”. True enough, we manage to find a shoe shop that sells shoes at NT200 for the promotion range and NT350 for the normal range (the usual price for shoes is NT390 at most shoe shops)

- After that, we headed to a Shabu Shabu restaurant call “Tao2 Yi4 Xuan1” near to Najing East street that sells ala-carte steamboat buffet… it cost only about NT290 per pax which is S$15 and the selection of food is wide and most importantly the food is very fresh. Can try it if you want a good and sumptuous meal that is not too expensive.

- After that, we went to “Tong1 Hua4” NM which is near to Nanjing East and do somemore shopping… surprising I find the clothes here are quite affordable and there wasn’t much people at the NM so we manage to buy quite a lot of gift items for our folks back home.

Day 6 – 5th May (CK Sale, XMD shopping , Check-out)

- Decide to go to the Calvin Klein sale at one of the warehouse…saw the TV and print ad that it is the last day of sale! All items are selling at 90% discount… we bought some clothes from there… the crowd is unimaginable but I thank the management for the crowd control to ensure that not too many people enter the warehouse at the same time.

- After that, we check-out from the hotel and had lunch at XMD. Tried the “Pai2 Gu3 Mian4” 5 mins walk from Stars hotel…. The pork is very tender and tasty. Like it!

- Did some more shopping at XMD and ended with “Ah Zong Mian Xian” again.

- Our friend helped us to book a maxi cab that can take 6 people… cost NT1200 per ride.

- Home Sweet Home!

Shoei25:

Hi Everyone I%26#39;m back from Taiwan, sorry I have been busy at work %26amp; was sick as I was caught in the rain in Taiwan most of the time. Below would be my complete Good %26amp; bad reports about my recent trip to Taiwan.

**13 Apr 06 (Thursday) 14 degree celsius**

SIN - TPE Arrive at Taipei (CKS Airport) 1.30pm

- Found the Freego Bus at the Bus counter at the corner right of the airport, experience their ultimate unfriendly service.

- Took an Airport Bus like a muddle-head with a bunch of Free %26amp; Easy tourist who were confused by the unfriendly sharp Freego Bus coordinator who kept asking everyone whereabout their destination was.

- Boarded the Freego Airport Bus for almost half an hour before they drop us along a road in Taipei city at their bus stop, waiting for our transfer to a smaller bus into Xi Men Ding. (Unfortunately, the bus never came for the next 30mins %26amp; the only Freego staff at the counter started calling up for help).

- We were fetched by yet another big coach instead so we weren%26#39;t send near to Neijiang Hotel at all. Instead the Freego Coach dropped us right along Xi Men Ding Road hence we have to pull our luggage all the way pass the Hong Lou Ju Yuan (Red Theatre) %26amp; found our way there only after calling our helpful Ms Xiao from Neijiang Hotel. (Ms Xiao was recommending ';Guo Guang'; Airport Bus instead as it seems that there has been quite a few complaints about Freego from tourist about their puntuality.

4 of us Check into Neijiang Hotel at 4.30pm (Pegg was right, Neijiang is indeed very clean/tidy/decent %26amp; affordable 3* hotel, it looks very much like a home apartment internally so we were very happy with it + their sandwhich breakfast is really yummy)

- Took MRT to Dan Shui, shop %26amp; eat at Lao Jie (Old Street night Market)/Took a taxi to Yu Ren Ma Tou (cost about NT130) %26amp; took a bus back to Dan Shui MRT Station (cost NT15)

**14 Apr 06 (Friday) 16-18 degree celsius (Raining)**

(Cancelled trip to CKS Memorial Hall due to bad weather)

- Went to Taipei Train Station to get out Train tickets to Yilan in advance/Spent the afternoon shopping at the Underground Mall %26amp; had a delicious Mango Shaved ice at ';Taipei New World Shopping Mall'; linked to the Underground Mall/Head off to a nearby Shinkong Mistukoshi for window shopping (too expensive)

- Took MRT to Taipei Cityhall Station %26amp; did window shopping at their huge Shinkong Mistukoshi/New York New York/Warner Shopping Mall/Taipei101 (we gave the observatory level a missed as it was raining heavily %26amp; the sky was misty, morever we have to pay to go up there so decided not to).

- Bought lotsa preserved plums at one of their stall at Taipei101. The latest %26amp; biggest Cheng Pin Bookshop is just round the corner too/Took a cab from Taipei101 to Shilin Night Market at NT140 as our legs were aching from all the walkings.

- It was food %26amp; shopping non-stop at Shilin until the heavy rain which force us to retire back to our Hotel earlier.

**15 Apr 06 (Saturday) 11-14 degree celsius (Raining Heavily)**

- Took a Cab %26amp; had a car accident with another cab upon arrival at to Taipei Train station but luckily non of us were hurt.

- Took 1 1/2hr train ride from Taipei to Yilan Train Station (Big Logistic mistake!! we should have alight at Luo Dong Train Station)

- Our Minsu ';Yu Lu Cha Ji Dian'; http://www.e-landlife.com/yu%2Dlu/PROFILE.HTM is actually located nearer to Luo Dong Station hence our Taxi ride from Yilan to our Minsu at Song Luo village cost us NT550

It was raining heavily %26amp; transportation was a real problem at the village hence we were force to stay indoor throughout.

- What rewarded us was the home-cooked dinner at their dining area as we ate their delicious meal (Photo will be link on the next thread) together with the other minsu guest on seperate tables according to our room no.

- The Mua-Chee making activity started at 8pm as everyone gathers at the sheltered frontyard as we all had a try on making mua-chee as we started interacting with the Minsu family %26amp; sang karaoke with some other minsu guest till 10pm.

**16 Apr 06 (Sunday) 18-21 degree celsius (Drizzling/EARTHQUAKE)**

- Most of us were asleep during the earthquake as it was only level 2 at Yilan/Our friendly Minsu owner%26#39;s family drove us to the nearest bus-stop in town for free so that we could catch our 8.20am train to Hualien.

- Took a 15min busride from a Guo-Guang Public Bus to Luo Dong train Station for NT18, had some oily but delicious dumpling %26amp; fried dough breakfast at one of their breakfast shop nearby Luo Dong Train Station before we set off to meet our famous Tour guide Mr Chen at Hualien.

- Mr Chen was holding onto a name plate welcoming us upon our arrival at Hualien as he gave us a few suggestion with regards to our accomodation.

(I had previously made a reservation at a Minsu next to the beach) but Mr Chen strongly discourage that idea as the chances of having a tsunami wave attack could be there should there be high level earthquake at a consecutive rate so Mr Chen brought us around for Minsu shopping %26amp; a really nice comfy wooden cottage style Minsu caught our eye at JiaLin Village http://flin.poja.com.tw.

- This was the kind of Minsu, city deweller like us would drool for %26amp; it was at a really afforable rate hence we took it %26amp; left our luggage before departing for our Taroko tour.

- Our Nice Mr Chen was full hospitality as he lead us around our enjoyable Taroko %26amp; Tian Xiang River tour despite the drizzle throughout/Went to Qi Xing Tan %26amp; had 5 packets of fresh sashimi at a cheap rate by the beach/Bid Mr Chen farewell as we spent abit of time at one of their Night Market %26amp; we gave their town nightlife a miss as we retreat back to our cosy Minsu 2-storey bedroom.

**17 Apr 06 (Monday) 18-21 degree celsius (Drizzling)**

- R%26amp;R at the Hualien Minsu before taking a train back to Taipei at noon.

-Evening - My friends headed off to Wu Fen Pu %26amp; Rao He Night Market via Train to Song Shan Station (faster %26amp; just nearby the Train station) %26amp; spent 5hrs of shopping spree at Wu Fen Pu! (Great Bargain!)

- As a non-shopping freak, I went to my Taipei friend%26#39;s exhibition at Shinkong Mistukoshi at City Hall Station at 7pm/Took a tour to Longshan Temple %26amp; had some shaved ice at HuaXi Night Market before a Karaoke session 12mn at Xi Men Ding%26#39;s Cashbox *I was amazed by Taiwan%26#39;s fantastic customer service at their Karaoke!* You don%26#39;t get such nice service in Singapore.

Side track - Get to see another sight of Taipei nightlife as I left the Karaoke at 3.30am, my Taipei friends were right, Xi Men Ding doesn%26#39;t seems so safe in the wee hours for gals as you could see ';Tai Ke'; hanging around, create a scene here %26amp; there. (pretty interesting though my Taipei friends warned me against looking at these Tai Ke)

**18 Apr 06 (Tuesday) 21-24 degree celsius (Drizzling)**

- Another Shopping Spree at Jiu Fen (Took a train to Ruifang Train Station at 10am/Walk 4mins to the opposite bus stop outside the shop houses as we took a bus to Jiufen at the cost of NT20).

- A little lost as we weren%26#39;t too sure where to alight so we decided to ask an Obasan on the bus together with another 2 lost Japanese tourist %26amp; found out that Jiufen stop would be right at the top of the hill/town where most people would be alighting.

- Bought lotsa goodies %26amp; souvenirs along the way (always compare the price before you buy, as lotsa shops are selling the same items but at a different price). Ate their delicious Pork Rib Taiwanese sausage/cheese strip/fish ball soup towards the beginning of the JiuFen even after a simple meal at one of their Tea house with a beautiful view of JiuFen.

- Went back to the bus stop opposite 7-11 at the beginning of JiuFen to take our bus ride to Ruifang Train Station to head back to Taipei. (Side-track: we were stuck at Ruifang station for a total of 50mins as our scheduled Tze Chiang Train had knock onto a person along the way hence our train was delayed for an hour, lost like some other locals, the train station staff came over to get everyone up onto another train type that arrives some 20mins later)

- Dropped all our goodies back into Neijiang hotel before we head out for a dinner at the nearby Mala Hotpot which was rather dissapointing but oh well... should invest some time %26amp; more money on those really good one next time then.

- Final Shopping spree at Xi Men Ding, these shop are on fixed price system unless you start chatting up with the shop owners showing keen interested on their goods then would only a few lower the price for you. Some young shop attenders are rather attitude %26amp; prices are rather steep compare to WuFenPu but Xi Men Ding in the night is worth hanging around doing window shopping (Not forgetting my favourite ROSE Record store, CDs are slightly cheaper than Singapore%26#39;s).

**19 Apr 06 (Wednesday) 25 degree celsius**

- Too exhuasted to do any shopping/Took a cab from Neijiang Hotel to the Guo Guang Bus Station (nearby Taipei Train Station) at NT80/Bought a Guo Guang Airport transfer ticket at NT125 each as we had a smooth non-stop journey to the airport. Guo Guang Airport bus%26#39;s frequency would be15min/bus departure!

SeekerMyCat:

I really enjoyed myself for the 6D5N in Taiwan! Without this forum, this woderful experience is impossible! Thanks!!!

1st day reaching Taiwan, checked in with Wonstar hotel at XMD. The customer service and the hotel room never fail to surprise me. It%26#39;s SO GOOD! The room is clean and they provide basic stuff such as towels, toothbrush, razor, comb... I stayed in Grand A room which do not have bath-tub so if anyone is looking for a better room, you can chose Grand B room.

Another good remark for Taiwan is: Everywhere you go, they greet you happily. This greeting service is great... you will feel so welcome when you are there...

2nd day: Locals are friendly to help. I and my boyfriend was struggling with the map and looking out for the correct roads... then a lady walked over and ask if we need some help... She pointed out the directions to Longshan Temple and even smile to say ';Have a nice trip';.... WOW WOW! I just love Taiwan even more... :)

*One thing that annoy me that day is the rain... it just don%26#39;t stop... :( *

We went Longshan Temple%26gt; CKS memorial%26gt; Living mall%26gt; Zhongxiao N sec 4%26gt; Taipei 101%26gt; Then back to hotel (we cut-short the trip as i felt sick, went to He Pin Hospital... and took meds... sigh! so sad!!)

Overall, it is still a nice experience... hahahaha... hospital - other interesting place for me...

So many things to share... but i shall cut short...

Abut food:

The things you guys should try is the food there! Very nice and tasty...

1) Ah Zhong Mee Suan at XMD. It is near the big KFC in XMD... Just look around or ask around you will be able to see the sign board

2) Wang Ji glutinous rice dumpling.

No. 84 Xining S. Rd in XMD

3) Ice monster

At Yongkang st...

4) P.S BU BU car theme restuarant

Should try! It is at Tianmu... the atmosphere is very comfortable. The food is a bit expensive but it%26#39;s worth it. Nice food with nice atmosphere...

There is so many so many more you can go for nice food... there is a thread

provided by CC and others for people who like to know more:

tripadvisor.com/…3317799

I will try to post the food pics up... But will take some time, pls pardon me.

Hualien:

Mr Chen (Hualien cabby recommended by Nutty) is really good. He bought us to Taroko and explain the scenery in details... and also to eat at the harbour, the sashimi is so FRESH!!!!!!! Even me who don%26#39;t really like fish, fall in love with the sashimi! Also to a famous wanton shop... He is really good!!!

Williee:

Day 1 10/03/06

Arrival in CKS Airport at around 5.40pm.

XiMenDing 

Shi Lin NM

Day 2 11/03/06

XiMenDing

Xinyi District 

Wufenpu

Raohe St. NM

Day 3 12/03/06

Tarako Gorge Day Tour (Qi Xin Tan)

XMD

Day 4 13/03/06

Guess X 3 viewing

Day 5 14/03/06

Beitou

Tianmu

Dan shui

XMD

Day 6 15/03/06

Hang ard XMD

Day 1

Reach CKS airport as scheduled. Found freego easily, Freego dun have a counter like the rest. Instead, it’s located outside the entrance when u turn left after checking yr bags in the customs. Took out my tourist pass coupons and pass to them. Funny thing was the staff didn’t know they had this promotion. Told them I was from Singapore and explained to them. In the end, got 10NT discount. Bus ride was fast until reach the city area, traffic quite bad. Anyway got off at the first stop to wait for the minibus. Reach there at 6.50pm, waited until 7.05pm then took a cab. The cab waited for us abt 10mins before we decided we decided not to wait for the minibus. It cost 165NT to get to XMD. Ride was quite long due to traffic conditions. Check in rainbow and

We took the mrt to shilin NM. For me,

I didn’t enjoy much this time round, basically

It’s still the same as my last two trips.

Eat smelly tofu, not bad but not the best I eaten while my friend comment it smell worse than a rotting corpse. My friend was a

Paramedic during his NS. Went back to XMD around 10.30pm? Eat Ah Zhong mian xian and some other goodies before calling it a day.

Day 2

Left the hotel around 9.30am. Went to a stall opposite East Dragon selling dan bing and dou jiang plus other stuff. What we didn’t know was, we would end up going there everyday. It tastes nice too. Went to Lungshan Temple to pray and look around. Walk around the wet market near there too, nothing interesting there. Went to Xinyi district, took photos, saw a dog show, nice dogs!!! Saw Xu Wei Lun having an autograph session and took some photos of her. There was an exbhitatin on motorized cycles for sale and saw some falungong having a peaceful protest against ccp. Went to 101 and bought the Le Tou there. Haha, juz trying my luck.

Reach Houshanpi station ard 4.30pm and proceed to wufenpu. For me, it’s a disappointment; it’s a shopping heaven for the ladies but so little stores selling men’s clothes. But still walk around without buying anything. Heh. Saw some pretty clothes but its all for the ladies. We went to raohe Nm next but couldn’t find it. Ask a local and found it easily.

Directions in layman’s terms. Taking songshan station as a reference, when u exit the station, turn right, u will see a red overhead bridge, cross it, and u will find raohe NM easily. In other words, its juz across songshan station across the railways. :)

Raohe NM got lots of good food; the mutton soup is very nice!!! Tried the crabs, very interesting taste. The Hu jiao bian got such a long queue that I gave up on it. Is it that nice???

Shilin may be big but raohe NM is very long. Lol, I actually prefer raohe over shilin.

Went back to XMD but still didn’t take time to look around, went to wanhua building to look at the figurines but alas it was too late, shops were already closing. So off to the hotel.

Day 3

As usual, we got our breakfast at the same store, when the auntie heard we going to hualien, she gave us some mantou to eat on the trains for free. So nice of her. :)

Didn’t buy the train tickets to hualien yesterday so we bought the 8.25am train. A small incident happens. I bought the tickets to shulin by mistake, I told the counter wrongly but I only realized when I got on the dian zhe to shulin,(no wonder, it came at 8.18am) we quickly got off and ran to the counter to bought the correct train. We were juz in time as the train juz got into the station when we run down the stairs. It feels like the “Amazing Race”. Reach hualien, Mr chen was on time as usual. Confirmed the rates as 1800NT. Told us 13th march was zhong shu jie or planting trees day. Anyway, he is really good, took us to taroko gorge and explained the surroundings to us. And I knew how taroko gorge logo came about too. Didn’t know it was from the scenes over there and submitted as a photo in the logo competition.

One funny incident was, we saw a lady in taroko gorge whom sat beside us during our flight to Taiwan. We smiled at each other and bid goodbye to each other as we had to leave taroko gorge. Should have got her contacts. Haha. I thought Singapore was small, didn’t know Taiwan isn’t that big too. Haha. Qixintan was really blewing strong winds, waves were big too. Got out for a while to take some photos and hurried back to the cab. We were getting stoned by the rain driven by the winds. We went to an eatery to eat some wanton soup recommended. 10 wanton for 40NT. It tastes delicious too.

We call it early today as we did some major walking today. So off to the hotel again.

Day 4

Didn’t plan much today except for going to guess x 3 recording. Slept late before having our breakfast at the same store again. Temperature drop to 13 or 11 degrees, cant remember. As time was early, we went to the metro mall at Taipei railway station. Play the basketball game and got hook on it. Its really fun better than in singapore which is the smaller version. Best score was only 243. So little compared to those hi-scores. Over at the tv-station, we waited very. Recording started late end up waiting outside as we didn’t have any reservations. But still, got in. While waiting, I was playing games on my friend pda so didn’t talk much. The group of Taiwanese behind us started talking to to my friend and they were surprised we were from singapore. Yes, it was really special being able to befriend some locals. :) The egg tarts beside kunyang station really nice, give it a try if u plan go going there soon.

Day 5

Again, laze ard in the bed before heading out again. As usual, we went to the same store for breakfast in the morning. We went to Xinbeitou station before walking to hell valley and to Ya Tai for hot spring. I didn’t go for the lunch package as money is a issue now. Haha. Enjoy a hour of private bath before going to Tianmu. Bought some clothes and procced to Danshui. Again didn’t went to pali as I juz spent some money on hello kitty soft toys to give to my friends in singapore. Went to lao jie, the usual eat and see around. We went to a exhbit store costing 59NT per person. Inside, are all the strange mammals and fishes that are found in Taiwan. Like the 8 legged toad, biggest turtle, 2 mouth fish, biggest ant in the world and etc. Its really interesting. Went to yu ren ma tou next, its very cold over there took some photos and admire the scenry there. No sunet tho… Back at XMD, friend complain of headache while I chose to abandon my friend in the hotel and explore XMD. Still the same as I remember, bought a bag and more soft toys before buying food for my sick friend.

Day 6

Slept longer this time, watch tele until 10+. Check out the room and left our stuff at the lobby before going for breakfast as usual. When the auntie heard we going back to singapore today, she gave us man tou again. When we left, she shouted for us and came running to us to give us some hua shen tang and wish us have a safe journey. I really had a good impression of the store and the auntie and her son.

Went to 228 park to laze ard and procced to one of the cd stores to buy my friend’s GLOBE old albums that he couldn’t found in singapore. Play some more basketball at the metro mall before heading to XMD. We walk around before I bought more soft toys. :)

We had our lunch at Mcdonalds. Haha. Anyway I procced to the arcade upstairs and tried my luck at those ufo catchers alas no luck tho. But I really like that soft toy, end up buying from the staff. :) After that, its off to the airport by freego. Pickup point was outside East Dragon. And bye bye Taiwan until the next time.

Liebetaube:

arh!! i%26#39;m already missing the chilling breeze in taiwan! ;)

i%26#39;ll try to keep it as brief as possible, but really, still cant keep my excitment down, so do bear with my long post yeah? ;)

-DAY 1-

arrival at CKS airport:

tried looking for the freego bus (for e thrill of bigger coach). failed! took Guoguang [国光] instead. TWD125/pax.

location? when you pass thru the custom, turn left, walk all way down (you%26#39;ll see a tiny eatery on the right), pass that, you%26#39;ll see the ticketing booth. guoguang is at the extreme right.

the bus will drop you off at the entrance of the train st, my suggestion? dont opt for the MRT for transfer, we were reasonable worn out trying to find out where it is PLUS walking through the maze to get to the right platform.

hop unto the cab instead. will cost you only about TWD75 if you are going to Ximending (which most of us will be)

Transfer of 1 st to ximending cost TWD20.

a mere diff of TWD35 for 2 pax.

Taipei EASYCARD(悠游卡]

Cost: TWD500 (store value of TWD400)

much easier to use that to move around in buses %26amp; mrt.

TWD1000 deposit is refundable, but i kept my card as i%26#39;m revisting taiwan for sure ;)

Raohe Night Market [绕河夜市]

Train st: 松山站

Cost: TWD72 for return

as recommended by C%26amp;N (Calicocat %26amp; Nuttyazn), we took the train to SongShan st for Raohe Night Market. very conveniently located. just look for the lights and follow the crowd.

missed Wufenpu [五分埔], we were there too late, the shops seem to be all closed.

both are located on either side of the train st. look out for the signs, you cant miss it.

-DAY 2-

Visit to Beitou[北投]:

St:Xinbeitou MRT St [新北投]

Ask a map from the information counter, makes the roaming easier.

DO NOT do it on a monday. after trailing all the way up, It%26#39;s a major disappointment to miss the museum, it%26#39;s closed.

top it up, we cant view the hell valley as the gate%26#39;s shut on monday too.

we did breathe in quite abit of sulphur. that%26#39;s about all.

Shopping at Tianmu[天母]:

MRT: 天母, transfer to Bus 13 [红十三]

tell the bus driver you are going shopping, he%26#39;ll tell you where to alight.

11am, most shops are still closed.

but we took our time to roam in shops that are already open, by 1pm, most shops are up.

be patient, as most shops are warehouse style, u need to dig for treasure. i%26#39;m quite happy to find exp brands at peanut prices, some tags are still intact. HAHA!

Near the landmark of the pink elephant statue is a tiny shoeshop (shopname: 琳林]of a singaporean hubby and korean wife. very good bargains. i got a pair of pink beaded pumps for only TWD170!!

Danshui[淡水] and Shilin[士林夜市]

Both has night markets, been the latter is much bigger. but i personally pref danshui。 more rustic。

personal feel, shilin is the cheaper version of ximending, throw in the food stalls as well. otherwise, not much diff.

-DAY 3 %26amp; 4-

ChingJing Farm [清静农场]:

The most enchanting part of my trip.

Route: Guoguang [国光]coach transfer to Nantou

+ Nantou Bus [南投客运]transfer to ChingJing

Cost: appx TWD300. cant rem the exact cost, as tickets are collected back by the bus driver.

getting to guoguang bus st. it%26#39;s located at exit 7 and 8 of taipei mrt st. i walked there from paradise. a brisk walk of 20mins. alt? cabride cost is TWD75.

getting to nantou bus st. located next to KFC. it%26#39;s actually just a small shophouse.

the staff are wearing the nantou vest. cant miss it.

1st leg is 4hrs, 2nd leg is 1.5hrs.

time yourself well, you wouldnt want to miss the connection like us. wasted one day and missed the views uphill as well. sad!

Accomodation: Florence Resort Villa

[佛罗伦斯度假山庄]

Cost: TWD6999 for 2pax, 3D2N

package incl brf + dinner. ticket to swiss garden %26amp; free transfer to Lushan Yuchi [庐山玉池]hot spring. very worthwhile.

website: http://www.florance.com.tw

the room comes with balcony that overlooks the hills. one word: WOW!

Things to do:

ChingJing Farm [青青草原]

Entrance Cost: TWD100

The staff at florence were sweet enough to drive us uphill to the farm.

Go to entrance 2, which is higher and walk down. we were lucky to catch the sheepshow on a wkday as they were performing for a tour group.

walk down to entrance one, grab a bite and detour to a walking trial (步步高升步道]

things to see:

1. many more sheep that are kept away from the tourist who dont roam

2. the cattles that are kept away too

3. the bees (hornets too) kept for honey

4. the maple trees (rows and rows of them in a mini park)

5. winding paths with great views (plus lotsa sheep poo poo)

at the end of the trial, you%26#39;ll end up at the starbucks.

we had our lunch at 熏衣草树林。

Cost: about TWD1200 (abit steep huh?)

but the food is OH SO YUMMY!! they are all seasoned with herbs. we didnt regret paying for it.

dont take the 日落步道。no views and it%26#39;s loaded with constructions.

-DAY 5-

Drive to Hualien, Taroko through the central mountain region.

Mode: Private driver %26amp; coach

Cost: TWD4000

Thank nuttyazn!! i used the hualien driver you recommended. He%26#39;s great! arrived on time to pick us up from ChingJing. very informative about the routes. he%26#39;s made the trip very interesting, throwing in alot of details which are not on the web nor any travel guide.

His driving skills is amazing, managed to manoeuver through the winding roads, and chatting with us at the same time.

Even driving through the sections which are very narrow and destroyed by the typhoon seems more exciting and scary.

When driving down 大禹岭when visiblity suddenly drops to zero, it%26#39;s still a breeze for him to go at 40km/h.

He%26#39;s fun! (and very experienced)

i love him! ;)

High altitude means high UV. my transition lens turned the darkest shade i%26#39;ve ever seen.

arm yourself with sunblock! i was sun burnt as i was walking around in sleeveless top and berms.

needless to say, the wrapped up locals looked at me like i%26#39;m an alien.

TAROKO!! breathtaking!!

no camera or Vcam can do it any justice.

you must go see it with your own eyes.

I will definitely want to see it AGAIN.

it%26#39;s a shame that the water is no longer crystal clear. but the rock formation is still capable of overwhelming any visitors.

Trails taken: only managed to cover 2 out of 6. time constraint

Lyushui trail [绿水步道]

less covered by tourists, serene. we only met 2 group from end to end.

start at the entrance nearer to hehuan shan, it%26#39;s downhill, so walking will be easier.

Nineturn trial [九曲洞步道]

typically covered by ALL tour group. needless to elaborate further.

Nightstay at Hualien

Accomodation: Hibin Minsu [海滨民宿]

website: www.hibin.com.tw

decent clean place. very friendly boss who drove us to the train st, and enroute brought us to buy the biggest prepack muachi you can buy at TWD80! it%26#39;s twice the size of typical muachi you buy at the airport. i bought both, so i compared.

-Day 6-

Hualien [花莲]to Jioufen[九分]

Mode: Train to Jioufen, Keelung bus transfer to Jioufen

Cost: Train TWD368/pax, Bus ride TWD 20 uphill, TWD10 downhill. anyone care to tell me why the diff?? hmm...

Accomodation: Chiu Chunt Hotel [九重町]

Cost: TWD1600/room with brf

A MUST STAY!! it%26#39;s at the heart of the old street, very much like rainbow hotel in Ximending, but Jioufen quietens after 9pm, so you still get to enjoy the views in peace.

They%26#39;ve given me a discount card valid for a yr. room rates off 25% during wkdays.

any singaporeans who want to stay there, drop me a note, i%26#39;ll pass you the card.

Jiufen gives me such a nice feel that i really didnt wanted to leave and return to the noisy taipei. The winding streets and steps, the hilly breeze, the old architectural structures.

there%26#39;s a nicer place to stay - GuChuang [古窗]

website is not up yet, but you can call to book room. (02)24062289

views from room and restaurant is totally unblocked! but it comes with a high price of TWD2500 per room (lowest rate)

it%26#39;s located at the feet of the narrow steep steps of the street. not so great for shopping, but perfect for unwinding.

-Day 7 %26amp; 8-

Jiuofen to Taipei

mode: Keelung bus and train

Cost: Bus: TWD10, Train : TWD80

Accomodation: Onestar Hotel

Cost: TWD1920 with Brf

directly across the hotel is a small shopping centre, go to the 2nd floor and you%26#39;ll find some food that you can buy back home. i bought some individually packed 樱花虾at TWD39 only (after disc). quite tasty. sale going on.

places covered:

Bitan

not so dead as it%26#39;s the weekend, and there%26#39;s some politcal event going on. quite interesting to watch.

saw identical stuff in hualien as well. very different from what%26#39;s in singapore.

Taipei 101 %26amp; TongHua St

i dont go for shopping centres but i gotta pacify my travelmate.

i ended up enjoying a cup of hot steamy milk with hazelnut syrup at Barista Coffee while waiting for her to splurge.

Tonghua st

stall that sells chicken chop [盐酥鸡]. very cheap.only TWD30!! and shisyamo[柳叶鱼] at only TWD20 for 5!! if i knew what it was, i wld have orderd a dozen set! queue is very long, we waited for a full 30mins.

location: LinJiang St [临江街]135

i love the stinky tofu!! hate the smell initially, but when you take the first bite, all repulsion is good, addiction sets in!!

but my travelmate refuses to come near me for a full hour tho...hmm..:P

Longshan:

visited 东山水街市场.

very similar to singapore%26#39;s wet market, but still..there%26#39;s always treasures when you seek.

bought some flower scented noodles. great for cold noodles accordingly to the boss.

curiosity drove me to buy all flavors.

HA! will update when i started to taste them after my flu subside.

cheap! TWD65. it%26#39;s organic.

i%26#39;ll be posting my photo up soon, once i edited some of the badly lit photo.

hope the little info do come in handy for some of us.

anywhere, despite reading some much from the forum, you cant prep yourself for the unexpected.

TIP 1

when not sure..just ask.

it%26#39;s easier to travel that way.

TIP 2

venture on the bus.

some takes you to places faster than the train, and it%26#39;s cheaper.

the routes are listed clearly at the bus stops. coupled with the taipei map, it%26#39;s a breeze.

Hi CC,

I%26#39;m not sure if you read Chinese or not, but the characters you posted are in simplified Chinese. As they are not used at all in Taiwan, people might get confused when they try to compare them to the actual signs. Would you like to post them again? I can also do it when I get back to my own computer.

hi laikuanchi...they used traditional chinese.....in taiwan

but however, i suppose, as most visitors in this forum r from s%26#39;pore,msia etc...which uses simplified chinese, so that%26#39;s why most replies r stated in simplified form......which will help in easy understanding... :)

Hi Laikuanchi,

Thanks for your tip---but I copy and paste forumers%26#39; posts without tampering with their writing---lest I get sued! ^_^ Of course, any input from you or anyone else would be a welcome addition to this thread!