Introduction
I should write something about my trip before my memory of it gets fuzzy.
The last day of my job was something Mid of June 2018, and the start of new job was Start of July. Initially i wanted to travel somewhere farther to meet my friend working there, but however my partner wanted to travel together, so LL bopian......I booked a budget flight to Taiwan as part of my "trip".
Retrospectively, i actually enjoyed the parts of the trip where i was inconvenienced than those where i had a lot of creature comforts ( e.g. booked taxi where they brought me to the locations direct).
Pre-trip
there was nothing interesting in how i did my pretrip planning. my partner booked other hotels on agoda because of the free cancellation dunno how many days before. While i booked my SIMCARD & High Speed Train Tickets on Klook (if you wanna reg click my link so i gain some points,lol)
Day 1
I started my trip at T2 so i grabbed a llao llao before boarding!
Arrival woes. Based on arrival of 0555H and some research, i thought that it would be too early for the sim card shops to be open, i was wrong! but anyway i booked my simcard using klook, and while it was slightly cheaper than buying direct, the key benefit was that i only need to sign off the documents before receiving it, compared to needing to fill in a lot of forms in! verdict: i will use klook to book my simcard, if i go taipei taoyuan again.
Taoyuan-Taichung. Note that Taoyuan airport is some distance from Taoyuan HSR station. My earlier research told me that i could take a 20-25min bus costing 15NTD to taoyuan HSR station, but because of my arrival timing, the bus service interval was either quite bad, or only starts later... but anyway i took the MRT to there. I will take mrt to taoyuan hsr next time.
HSR train looks like this! a bit old looking compared to the ones i saw in Japan or Europe.
Taoyuan HSR. tip1: I think most people will have big notes of 1000NTD, there were note changing machines at taoyuan HSR ticketing area, i changed most of my money into smaller 100NTD and 500NTD to make it easier! So anyway, i went over to the HSR counter to showed them my HP and the e-voucher to exchange for the HSR ticket, they took my HP and then entered some room for sometime...... then returned with a ticket. the process was fuss-free, and i got reserved seats at cheaper price, only downside was i had to show my passport & use manned-exit/entry for the HSR. I will use klook to book my HSR tickets.
Cingjing is quite boring. Actually one reason why i went over to Taichung was to visit cingjing farm, and all the little swiss village etc. despite all the blogs that points towards there, i was quite disappointed, the subsequent attractions like little swiss garden... were lame, because it was some random looking garden with an entry fee. though it was inexpensive, but i felt like it was not worth it. anyway walking the bridge/broadwalk at cingjing requires separate entry fees on top of the entry fee you pay. I think Cingjing is not worth spending so much time getting to.
Some softserve i bought because hungry liao!
Views at CJ farm
The sheeps in CJ farm... a lot of flies and a lot of droppings !!
Some softserve i bought because hungry liao!
Views at CJ farm
The sheeps in CJ farm... a lot of flies and a lot of droppings !!
The food at the second entrance of CJ farm... typical taiwan food
Gaomei Wetlands. This is quite some distance from Taichung city centre, needed about 45min. There is some windfarm in the area, but the highlight of this attraction was being able to waddle in the wetlands, so wear shorts and bring slippers.
Some fiddler crabs
The wind turbine for renewal harvesting
the broadwalk which was the "Star" of gaomei wetlands, you can wade into the wetlands.
Day 2
Woke up late, so didnt had much time to explore Taichung... but I found out that if you take bus (using easycard) trips within 10KM in Taichung is free.
Chun Shui Tang. AKA original bubble tea stall. There is nothing to shout out. taste-wise the food and bubble tea were not extraordinary, so you do not need to make a trip to there if you are not nearby.
The place of origin for all Bubble Teas
The food which was okay only
Taichung 2nd Market. This was stumbled upon when heading back to hotel! Personally felt this was an interesting place to visit, maybe should even have eaten here instead! There are some food stalls selling something like yong tau fu & also the standard taiwan sausage.... although there was a sushi stall which i wanted to patronise but realized it wasn't cheap! overall i think it was a more authentic experience!
Taichung 2nd Market, a labyrinth of shops
They have the "wet market" and cooked food sections
Taichung- Taipei. Taichung's HSR is not in Taichung Main station. need to travel to Xin Wu Ri, then change to the HSR. The trip is maybe 10mins?. You can pay using their easycard. then again i used my KLOOK to exchange for my HSR ticket. The ride from Taichung to Taipei is around 40-50min.
My HSR ticket was a reserve seat!
Danshui. The day i was there, there was a big pumpkin contest! so it was quite festive. Though I have been to danshui everything i am in Taipei, i think it is worth it to go there just for the fun of it. However, this was the first time i was there eating the Ah Gei tau fu... which if you ask me was a bit underwhelming...... It is basically a Tau Kua that they stuff it with some meat & fish paste, then the sauce was similar to singapore's yong tau fu sauce .... just less strong. The noodles & fishball were mediocre.... i would not re-visit it.
Day 3
Maokong. Took MRT to Taipei Zoo.... and then a short walk to the gondola station. you can also use the easycard, but do top-up sufficiently at the MRT station. The queue is long but flows quickly! This place is really about sitting back and relax enjoy the view drinking tea or coffee type. You can walk around and find some teahouse... though i think the key point is not about whether the tea is nice, but to just sit down and relax! not for people who are rushing an itinerary if you ask me. Personally i won't come back again.
Ding Tai Fung. The food quality of DTF is quite consistent from taipei to singapore. i thought the chicken in taiwan was tougher ( maybe because its free-range?) and it seems a bit expensive!
Elephant Hill. This was one of the easier to get to locations. just stop at elephant hill( Xiangshan) MRT and follow the street signs! The trail is paved, but the climb is quite steep, or maybe because i am old already...... 😶 Tip 2 Wear sports shoes and comfortable clothing & water
I went at night, and i thought the view was fantastic, and because it was FREE! there was quite a steady stream of visitors even into the night! but it was well worth it! I went to up to the 2nd viewing spot... total time required was about 1hr to 1.5hr depending how long to need to wait for others to clear up so you can take pictures!
Taipei101 & Tonghua night market nearby. After all that hiking, i walked over to Taipei 101 because my partner wanted to buy masks. then i walked to a nearby night market visited by the locals (its underrated, but worth a visit if you are nearby) (see google link) you can get what you normally see in other night markets, probably grab dinner there. and of course it is very simple, just a straight street, walk down....
Day 4
Ruifang. When you get out of the train station, there will be a bunch of taxi drivers waiting to offer you a ride to jiufen it will cost you more than 200NTD!!! but if you take bus ( takes u max 20min) it will cost you about 15NTD!
Directions to Bus Stop: walk towards this police station with a open plaza ....(Google coords)
Anyway there isnt much to see in ruifang, but i stopped by for some food and my partner stopped for bubble tea.... maybe i ate at the wrong stall. though it was edible, it wasnt fantastic. the beef noodles ( NTD90) was like beef-version of Mei Cai Kou Rou in ramen.
Normal tasting "beef Mei Cai Kou Rou" in ramen
Jiufen. Been here before, it has not changed much since the last time i visited it 3 years ago. Honestly speaking, it is not worth travelling all the way there just for Jiu Fen! But anyway i had the taroballs & meatball things before heading to my next destination!
Everyone goes to jiufen will try the taro balls! lol
Yep, this is how the "old street" looks like.
Everyone takes pic of this "Gilbli Spirited Away Scene"
Gold Museum (unplanned). This wasn't planned, but because I missed my bus to BiTouJiao, and there would be a 40min wait till the next bus, so i hopped onto Bus 788 which was along the same direction. There is a entrance fee to pay ( cannot remember), it was quaint and there were a handful of tourist. I guess it is like one of those 2nd tier attraction.... Won't recommend anyone to specifically make their way there too!
A bunch of school stuff were exhibited.... it was a japanese era building that i toured.
OTW to BTJ on bus 856, there was a waterfall! there is a stop for it.... but you know ... i didnt want to be stuck at this spot for 1hr, so i didnt!
Bitoujiao. This was my favourite part of the entire trip! The hiking trail if you are fast, can be completed within 1.5H. but i think to enjoy it... cater at least 2.5hrs. and start from the BiTouJiao Elementary school entrance as it is a gentler trail up before a steep downwards stairs! After everything, there are some shops where u can buy chilled drinks! but anyway do wear suitable shoes and clothing!
Crossed the road to walk up the slope, before realising that there was a trail leading to the bridge across the tunnel! LOL
overhead view of Bitoujiao Elementary school and the trail along it.
Beautiful scenery along the way!
At the top, there is a 360 view ! there were also a lot of butterflies
The other side of the Bitoujiao.... looks equally amazing, but the steep descend was no joke! could not imagine if it was an ASCENT!
There's some geological park, but basically a rocky seafront, where i saw some people snorkeling!
small little fishery port town with temple
shifen. Despite coming to Tw 3x, this time i finally came to shifen!
how the old-school but efficiently comfortable train looks like
the old street and the suspension bridge, didnt go to the waterfalls
Day 5
was very tired from the previous day... so woke up a bit late, though there were buses to taoyuan airport.... the hotel people told us better to take MRT as it will not get jam..
Some fiddler crabs
The wind turbine for renewal harvesting
the broadwalk which was the "Star" of gaomei wetlands, you can wade into the wetlands.
Day 2
Woke up late, so didnt had much time to explore Taichung... but I found out that if you take bus (using easycard) trips within 10KM in Taichung is free.
Chun Shui Tang. AKA original bubble tea stall. There is nothing to shout out. taste-wise the food and bubble tea were not extraordinary, so you do not need to make a trip to there if you are not nearby.
The place of origin for all Bubble Teas
The food which was okay only
Taichung 2nd Market. This was stumbled upon when heading back to hotel! Personally felt this was an interesting place to visit, maybe should even have eaten here instead! There are some food stalls selling something like yong tau fu & also the standard taiwan sausage.... although there was a sushi stall which i wanted to patronise but realized it wasn't cheap! overall i think it was a more authentic experience!
Taichung 2nd Market, a labyrinth of shops
They have the "wet market" and cooked food sections
Taichung- Taipei. Taichung's HSR is not in Taichung Main station. need to travel to Xin Wu Ri, then change to the HSR. The trip is maybe 10mins?. You can pay using their easycard. then again i used my KLOOK to exchange for my HSR ticket. The ride from Taichung to Taipei is around 40-50min.
My HSR ticket was a reserve seat!
Danshui. The day i was there, there was a big pumpkin contest! so it was quite festive. Though I have been to danshui everything i am in Taipei, i think it is worth it to go there just for the fun of it. However, this was the first time i was there eating the Ah Gei tau fu... which if you ask me was a bit underwhelming...... It is basically a Tau Kua that they stuff it with some meat & fish paste, then the sauce was similar to singapore's yong tau fu sauce .... just less strong. The noodles & fishball were mediocre.... i would not re-visit it.
Day 3
Maokong. Took MRT to Taipei Zoo.... and then a short walk to the gondola station. you can also use the easycard, but do top-up sufficiently at the MRT station. The queue is long but flows quickly! This place is really about sitting back and relax enjoy the view drinking tea or coffee type. You can walk around and find some teahouse... though i think the key point is not about whether the tea is nice, but to just sit down and relax! not for people who are rushing an itinerary if you ask me. Personally i won't come back again.
Ding Tai Fung. The food quality of DTF is quite consistent from taipei to singapore. i thought the chicken in taiwan was tougher ( maybe because its free-range?) and it seems a bit expensive!
Elephant Hill. This was one of the easier to get to locations. just stop at elephant hill( Xiangshan) MRT and follow the street signs! The trail is paved, but the climb is quite steep, or maybe because i am old already...... 😶 Tip 2 Wear sports shoes and comfortable clothing & water
I went at night, and i thought the view was fantastic, and because it was FREE! there was quite a steady stream of visitors even into the night! but it was well worth it! I went to up to the 2nd viewing spot... total time required was about 1hr to 1.5hr depending how long to need to wait for others to clear up so you can take pictures!
Taipei101 & Tonghua night market nearby. After all that hiking, i walked over to Taipei 101 because my partner wanted to buy masks. then i walked to a nearby night market visited by the locals (its underrated, but worth a visit if you are nearby) (see google link) you can get what you normally see in other night markets, probably grab dinner there. and of course it is very simple, just a straight street, walk down....
Day 4
Ruifang. When you get out of the train station, there will be a bunch of taxi drivers waiting to offer you a ride to jiufen it will cost you more than 200NTD!!! but if you take bus ( takes u max 20min) it will cost you about 15NTD!
Directions to Bus Stop: walk towards this police station with a open plaza ....(Google coords)
Anyway there isnt much to see in ruifang, but i stopped by for some food and my partner stopped for bubble tea.... maybe i ate at the wrong stall. though it was edible, it wasnt fantastic. the beef noodles ( NTD90) was like beef-version of Mei Cai Kou Rou in ramen.
Normal tasting "beef Mei Cai Kou Rou" in ramen
Jiufen. Been here before, it has not changed much since the last time i visited it 3 years ago. Honestly speaking, it is not worth travelling all the way there just for Jiu Fen! But anyway i had the taroballs & meatball things before heading to my next destination!
Everyone goes to jiufen will try the taro balls! lol
Yep, this is how the "old street" looks like.
Everyone takes pic of this "Gilbli Spirited Away Scene"
Gold Museum (unplanned). This wasn't planned, but because I missed my bus to BiTouJiao, and there would be a 40min wait till the next bus, so i hopped onto Bus 788 which was along the same direction. There is a entrance fee to pay ( cannot remember), it was quaint and there were a handful of tourist. I guess it is like one of those 2nd tier attraction.... Won't recommend anyone to specifically make their way there too!
A bunch of school stuff were exhibited.... it was a japanese era building that i toured.
OTW to BTJ on bus 856, there was a waterfall! there is a stop for it.... but you know ... i didnt want to be stuck at this spot for 1hr, so i didnt!
Bitoujiao. This was my favourite part of the entire trip! The hiking trail if you are fast, can be completed within 1.5H. but i think to enjoy it... cater at least 2.5hrs. and start from the BiTouJiao Elementary school entrance as it is a gentler trail up before a steep downwards stairs! After everything, there are some shops where u can buy chilled drinks! but anyway do wear suitable shoes and clothing!
Crossed the road to walk up the slope, before realising that there was a trail leading to the bridge across the tunnel! LOL
overhead view of Bitoujiao Elementary school and the trail along it.
Beautiful scenery along the way!
At the top, there is a 360 view ! there were also a lot of butterflies
The other side of the Bitoujiao.... looks equally amazing, but the steep descend was no joke! could not imagine if it was an ASCENT!
There's some geological park, but basically a rocky seafront, where i saw some people snorkeling!
small little fishery port town with temple
shifen. Despite coming to Tw 3x, this time i finally came to shifen!
how the old-school but efficiently comfortable train looks like
the old street and the suspension bridge, didnt go to the waterfalls
Day 5
was very tired from the previous day... so woke up a bit late, though there were buses to taoyuan airport.... the hotel people told us better to take MRT as it will not get jam..
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