Taiwan Itinerary [2014] Flight Details (Check in Counter opens 3 hours ahead) • •
Singapore (Terminal 2) To Taoyuan (Terminal 1): 03 April 2014 - Flight TZ202 -00:45am to 05:30am Taoyuan (Terminal 1) To Singapore (Terminal 2): 11 April 2014 – Flight TZ201 – 17:55pm to 22:25pm
Accommodation • • • •
Cingjing (check in 3pm) - Misty Villa [清境 雲濛仙境民宿] Sun Moon Lake (check in 3pm) - Cherng Yuan Hotel Taichung (check in 3pm) - 53 Hotel Taipei (check in 3pm) - CityInn Hotel Taipei Station Branch I
Items to Bring • • • • • • • • • • •
Passport (duh) Nikon D7100 coupled with three lens in total Tripod (note: would be troublesome) Laptop (for blogging purpose) Extra Pair of Glasses Sunglasses Contact Lens Toiletries Plastic bags (very difficult to find dustbins) Motion sickness pills (for the ride to Cingjing, Sun Moon Lake etc) Umbrella
Things to Note • •
Get the easy and go card (similar to our EZlink) for trains and buses Get the SIM card where we can surf the web, upload pictures and call back Singapore o Inform Mr Xu if we manage to get a Taiwan number for ease of communication
My itinerary is own time own target and most of the time, I prefer to soak in the atmosphere without taking into consideration time which was a major issue for my actual trip! For details of the itinerary that eventually took place, please visit: http://cavinteo.blogspot.sg/2014/04/cingjing-sun-moon-lake-taichung-taipei.html. You may click the hyperlinked words below but do note that for the respective dates / days, there might be a drastic deviation from what was eventually planned for. I also didn’t manage to visit some of the places I had planned for.
Taipei Route Map (Trains)
03 April 2014, Thursday •
Taoyuan Airport (5.30am) > HSR > Taichung > Cingjing o Taoyuan 1. Buy shuttle bus tickets from UBus counter at arrival lobby (NT$30 per person) to HSR 2. Trip via UBUS 705 would take around 25 minutes and frequency between 10-20 minutes (take it at 45 minutes prep time in total); estimate time of departure from Taoyuan targeted around 6.30am (including immigration clearance) 3. If there is sufficient time, check out the prepaid mobile packages (if the shops are open) and have breakfast o
o
Taoyuan HSR 1. Bought reserved tickets online via http://www5.thsrc.com.tw/en/. Reservation number is 01447158. Remember to go to the counter with passport to collect the tickets before boarding! Details as follows: Trip
Date
Train No.
From
To
Departure
Arrival
Fare
Seat
Outbound
04/03
1505
Taoyuan
Taichung
07:39
08:16
TWD 940
Car 3-9E, Car 3-9D
Taichung HSR 1. First option (E-Go); more expensive, later timing (11am) but direct to your accommodation Buy tickets (NT$450 per person) at E-Go counter on Platform 20&21 (outside Gate 6 of THSR) Can also enquire about the bus service from Cingjing > Sun Moon Lake and Sun Moon Lake > Taichung 2.
Second option (Nantou) Go to Nantou bus counter (南投客運) to purchase the tickets (NT$250 per person) direct to Cingjing Can consider the one departing at around 8.25am (if there is enough time); if we miss the direct bus, there are buses going to Puli for which we have to transfer to another bus from Puli to Cingjing
3.
Third option: private cab! Can call Mr Lin at 0988-522799 or email him at
[email protected]; 7-seater Toyota Wish!
Travelling time: Around 2 hours (go pee and shit before you embark the bus/car) o
Cingjing (provided we are taking the Nantou bus option)
1.
Drop off at the following bus stop after Starbucks / Mos Burger signages.
2.
Walk up the slope to misty villa
•
Accommodation: Misty Villa [清境 清境 雲濛仙境民宿] 雲濛仙境民宿 o Third floor standard room; no lift (97 steps to third floor)! o Enquire from the counter on the sunrise tour for Hehuanshan and bus service to Sun Moon Lake the next day. o There are free shuttle to the farm on weekdays!
•
Activities: o Visit the farm, Carton King, Swiss garden (the great Kon felt that the Swiss garden can be disregarded) o Refer to the brochure for additional information of the Cingjing farm o Maybe sign up for the sunrise tour for Hehuanshan o Play fireworks (can get it from the stall at the road leading to Misty Villa)!
•
Food o o
•
Can consider the set dinner at the minsu; heard it is pretty good If not, can always check out Mos Burger, Carton King or food in 7-11
Things to Buy o Goat milk and related products
04 April 2014, Friday • Cingjing > Sun Moon Lake o Enquire with the minsu on bus going to Sun Moon Lake. If not available, would have to take the bus from Cingjing to Puli and then transfer to Sun Moon Lake (cost should not exceed more than NT$450 per person). Try to leave earlier so that we can do some sightseeing in Sun Moon Lake (the ropeway for example, closes at 4pm). o Take the boat ride or round the lake bus to Itashao. Note the promotions that are available that might include entries to the Formosan Aboriginal Culture Village / ropeway etc. •
Accommodation: Cherng Yuan Hotel @ Itashao
o
From the pier, go straight; hotel is on your right.
o
Picture as above.
•
Activities o Formosan Aboriginal Culture Village (includes ropeway) and within walking distance from the hotel on the day we arrived. o Bicycle Free tour & Firefly Appreciation tour (check with hotel) o The various temples, most famous of which is Xuanzang temple where Ci-en Pagoda is located. Visit on the next day before we check out. Xuanzang temple opens at 7.30am.
•
Food o o
•
President’s fish, black tea / mushroom sausages, dalin mushrooms otherwise known as white snow mushrooms, also famous for their Assam tea production Grandma’s tea leaves eggs from Xuanguang Temple (open from 9.30am)
References o Sun Moon Lake: http://www.sunmoonlake.gov.tw/English/AboutSMLEng/about01en.htm o Ropeway: http://www.ropeway.com.tw/en/en_menu.php o Hot Air Balloon: http://www.52679.com.tw/
05 April 2014, Saturday • Sun Moon Lake > Puli > Taichung o The bus stop is near the Visitor Center opposite the police station at Shuishe. There are only two trips that would directly reach Taichung. If we fail to get on to it, we can take a bus to Puli, follow by another bus to Taichung •
Accommodation: 53 Hotel (寶島 53 行館)
o •
Near Taichung train station
Activities o Yi Zhong Shopping Street
o
o
Check with hotel what is good there! Feng Jia Market Take a cab there! Dinner at 天狗さん炙燒牛排 [文華路 155 巷 11 號], snacks along the way at Ah Sir Bubble Tea, 鱼要酱吃 - 炸海鲜大拼盘, 台北江麻辣臭豆腐專賣舖文華路 105 之 10 號麻辣臭豆腐, 巨無霸 臭豆腐文華路 53 號前巨無霸臭豆腐, 帝鈞胡椒餅文華路 69 號 A8<逢甲旗艦廣場內胡椒餅, 西 班牙脆餅旗艦夜市門口對面, Soy Milk Ice Cream. Get sun biscuits; 福堂.
06 April 2014, Sunday • Taichung > HSR > Taipei o Business class tickets purchased online and the details as follows:
Trip
Date
Train From No.
To
Departure
Arrival Fare
Outbound
04/06
624
Taipei
10:01
11:00
Taichung
• •
Accommodation: Cityinn Hotel Taipei Station Branch I (新驛旅店) Address: No. 7 號, Huáiníng St
•
o Very near Taipei Station Activities:
TWD 2,190
Seat Car 6-6E, Car 66D
o
After checking in to hotel, lunch at 青島便當 and get their 鸡腿饭 + 卤肉 [location: 台北市中正區青 島東路 3 號之 3]
o
Ximending Reputable food includes Ah Zhong Mian Xian (No.8-1, Emei St; 5 minutes walk from Ximen MRT station exit 6), 美觀園 for Japanese food (since 1946) located along Emei street (no 36) and 成都楊桃冰 (No 3, Chengdu Road). Go to the iconic red house and then karaoke at night! Huaxi Street (Snake Valley) – open from 4pm Eat grilled sotong / prawns and visit the nearby Longshan Temple! Huaxi Night Market Mangka Night Market for the Scholar’s Cake (all the way to the end)!
o
o
o
Shida Night Market 師大路夜市 from 6pm (Alight at Taipower Building Station, exit no 3 and proceed to shida road); eat 盐水鸡 (salted chicken-picture appended above), Precious Taste (珍珠味) for chicken leg rice (鸡腿饭), 師大第一家碳烤雞排, 大肠包小肠, 葱抓饼／松饼／手抓饼, 三兄弟豆花： 酱汁豆花 (Homemade ginger beancurd) 许记生煎包、烤玉米、碳烤雞排 If not happy with Shida, can consider popping by Gongguan Night Market (right outside Gongguan MRT station which is just a station away).
07 April 2014, Monday • Activities o Day trip to Yeliu, Jiufen, Shifen, Pingxi and Keelung! Meet Mr Xu +886-933-920-845 at hotel lobby: 8.30am Targeted to end at around 8.30pm o Jiufen
Visit 忘情小築 for a splendid view and for their 三杯鸡; ignore e waffle or 九戶茶語 for 蟹黃 金塔飯. There is also the tao-di shop where we can buy as gifts for friends. Eat the ice cream wrapped like a popiah and this churro like stuff. o
Shifen
o
Pingxi
Go for the railway track and the shifen waterfall.
Ask Mr Xu about climbing the 孝子山,慈母峰 and 普陀山 Can buy the 天灯 accessory as gifts o
Keelung
At the night market, go for the 吳記螃蟹羹, and 天天利魯肉飯. Check out Li Hu Cakestore for their cakes (pineapple cakes, among others) - 李鵠餅店 電話：(02)2422-3007 地址：基 隆市仁愛區仁三路 90 號 08 April 2014, Tuesday • Activities
o
Maokong (open at 9am) Check at Taipei MRT station on the sale of Taipei Pass (with Maokong Gondola); NT$120 which is cheaper given we are travelling to quite a number of places. Visit Zhi-nan temple in one of the maokong station and chill out in many of the tea houses Can visit the humongous Taipei zoo if time permits.
o
Shenkeng Old Street; tofu related products including smelly tofu, fragrant tofu and tofu ice cream! Take bus number 679 from the bus stop outside Taipei Zoo. For return trip, can take bus 660 to Gongguan Station (公館站) or 679 to Muzha Station.
o
Ningxia Night Market (exit from Zhongshan MRT Station) Try 蓮飲料吧 Lian’s Sugarcane Juice famous for their mixed sugarcane juice and 圓環邊蚵仔 煎 Roundabout Oyster Omelette, fried taro cake 芋餅 (the one with a long queue) and bitter tea (heard it is really very very bitter).
09 April 2014, Wednesday • Activities o Wulai (烏來) Bring swimming trunks and wake up at 6am so that we can take out breakfast and leave the hotel by 7.30am to Wulai. Take to Xindian MRT Station and take Bus Number 849 (sit on the right side), with destination name 烏來 at the bus stop in front of the station, just behind the Information Counter, next to the taxis. Estimate time: 40 minutes Visit the Wulai Old Street, take the small railway (open at 8am) to see the Wulai Waterfall, followed by the cable car and soaking in the hot spring. Lunch at Taiya Po Po (泰雅婆婆美食店), 14 Wulai Street (cross the first bridge into town, on the right) for Wild Mountain Boar (山豬), Bamboo Tube Rice (竹筒飯), Wild Mountain Yams (山藥), and Pickled Pork (damamein; 的麼面). Eat the famous wild boar sausages at 雅各 if the queue isn’t too long. Don’t believe the taxi drivers who told you the waterfall is too far away!
o
Hankyu Department Store and Taipei 101 for the observation tower!
o o o
鬍鬚張魯肉飯 (exit no 1 of Houshanpi MRT station and you would see the Beard Man logo on the right. Wufenpu(五分埔) is located very near to 鬍鬚張; open from 4pm; don’t go on Mondays Raohe Night Market
Have the pepper bun (胡椒餅), oyster omelette, 十全药炖排骨, mango ice and something called 阿剛黃金爆漿雞腿捲, 派克脆皮雞排 Two Peck Fried Chicken and 下港名彭臭豆腐 and 甘泉豆花. Can also try the pineapple cake from 合和堂饼店 (No 74) and the bery bery nice milk cakes from 裕珍馨’; http://www.yjs.com.tw/ 10 April 2014, Thursday •
Activities o XinBeitou o
Go for hell valley, soak in the hot springs and visit the museum. Yangminshan
o o
Lunch at Din Tai Feng (Yongkang Street); exit from Dong Men MRT Station Snack at 大來小館 (滷肉飯); lane behind Din Tai Feng (台北市永康街 7 巷 2 號 1 樓)
o
Chiang Kai Shek Memorial Hall; exit from the Chiang Kai Shek Memorial Hall MRT Station. Change of guard (hourly) is a must-see. Closes at 6pm.
o
Have 金峰魯肉飯; said by Kon to be the best in Taipei!
o
Shilin Night market; exit from Jian Tan MRT Station Visit 情人巷 for their knick knacks. 大頭龍- oyster omelette 雞蛋蚵仔煎, 士林十全排骨, 豪大炸雞排, 士林老字號大餅包小餅, 青蛙下蛋 (a type of green muah chee in aiyu jelly) and the shaved ice. Get the peanut candy (think it is 爵林花生糖) at the back of the “eating section”
Go for smelly tofu and wild boar Taiwanese sausage! 11 April 2014, Friday • Take cab to 佳德糕餅 (open from 7.30am till 9.30pm; 105 台北市南京東路 5 段 88 號) to buy pineapple cakes • Saint Paul Patisserie 聖保羅 - Q 饼. The shop is only 2 minutes walk away from Da An MRT station. • Check out the hotel at 12noon; leave the baggage with the hotel and depart maybe at around 2pm since flight is at 5.55pm) • R&R with additional shopping (maybe at Taipei Underground Mall) before
HOME SWEET HOME
` Have Time? Can consider the following: • 忠孝敦化 – exit from MRT station of the same name. Supposedly a very nice place like Tiong Bahru.
•
Visit miramar entertainment park with the huge ferris wheel; exit from Jian-nan mrt station. Can also have meals at the five dime restaurant.
•
行天宮 (patron is Guan Yu); exit from Xingtian Temple MRT Station
•
National Martyrs’ Shrine 國民革命忠烈祠 (From Yuanshan Station, take bus No. 208, 247, 267, or 287 to the shrine); open from 9am till 5pm. Can also walk past Yuanshan Grand Hotel
•
Danshui (take train up to Tamsui MRT station) for the old streets. Can go at night if we want to see the sunset and night scenery of the Fisherman’s Wharf (general review was that it is a waste of time to go for the wharf).
•
National Palace Museum (國立故宮博物院) – take cab.
•
Dihua Street
