GETTING INTO TAIPEI:
When I first booked this trip to Taiwan, it was simply to reach my goal of one international travel per year. I was actually looking for a flight to Japan (one of my two dream destinations) but the cost is too high. So I booked an all-in round trip to Taiwan instead for Php 5,480.16 without any idea what to do or what to visit there. I even had no idea they have a VISA. I had to go to Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (TECO) in the Philippines (Taiwan Embassy) located at RCBC Tower I in Ayala, Makati, present the required documents (photocopy of NSO Birth Certificate, photocopy of Company ID, Certificate of Employment, Bank Certificate, photocopy of Passport's first page, VISA Application Form and of course the Passport), and pay Php 2,400 for my Taiwan VISA.The line was pretty long. I'm just not sure if it was due to my timing, but there were a lot of workers applying for VISA during my schedule. It took me almost half day for the application, but less than 30 minutes during claiming, which is normally scheduled 3 working days after.On the date of our departure, we still had to pay the Php 1,620 Travel Tax, no more terminal fees. We checked in online but still arrived early for the check in of our baggage.Our arrival time at Taiwan Taouyuan International Airport is past midnight. Thinking about it now, the price we paid for the promo fare was not very cheap because it feels like we already missed one day because of the late scheduled arrival.
Given the late arrival, we decided to take the Airport Taxi, so we won't have to take public transportation and make a number of transfers. I got to ride the Toyota Wish which is not available in my home country ;). The ride was very smooth and it was fast because there's not much cars around that hour. We paid around NTD 1,100 for the ride from the airport to the doorstep of our hotel. This is around 40kms (a little more than 30mins without traffic), so you do the math if you want to know if it's worth it.
ACCOMODATION:
I booked our hotel through Agoda. I chose Diary of Taipei Hotel II because of the good reviews and the location. The price (Php 2,264.55 per night good for two persons) is a little bit higher compared to the previous hotels I booked in other countries or local trips but we were very happy with what we got, To me, it's value for money. The sheets are very clean. The comforter, the bed, and pillows are comfortable. The room comes with an A/C, Television, Refrigerator, and a Safe. The room is also very well lighted. The comfort room is not cramped and is always squeaky clean. I was also very happy with the complete set of toiletries from the normal towels, shampoo, liquid gel, soap, toothbrush and toothpaste to the not so common set of handy comb, razor, cotton buds and dental floss. There's also free tea in the room and you can go to the reception area where there's unlimited free coffee.
The WIFI is astounding! The WIFI provided is per room, not the usual common WIFI, so it was really fast.
The location is also ideal as it is located at the front of the Ximending market. We just have to walk a few minutes and we are at the heart of the shopping area in Taipei, with varying food stalls and restaurants around. The MRT is at the other side of the road.so it's very accessible. I've noted per Google maps that there's also a bus station near by but we haven't tried to go there during our stay.
Lagniappe! In most hotels I've slept in, when you don't call for services to make up your room, they take it to mean that you don't need to have your room made up. The Diary of Taipei Hotel II has a magnet attached to the inner side of our door. It should be placed at the outer side of the hotel door to indicate whether we would want to have our room made up or we would rather not be disturbed. We haven't left it outside our door so I was surprised to be always going home to a made-up room.
GETTING AROUND:
Getting around Taipei, you can take a Taxi, a City Bus or MRT.
We were in the machine to get a card for a train ride on our first day and we didn't know what to press, or how much to get so we opted to buy the 3-Day pass for TWD 440. This one can be used in the MRT or in City Buses.
So, here's how we spent our 4 nights - 4 days trip in Taiwan:
THE ITINERARY
Having no idea about what to do, what to eat, what places to visit, I made a lot of research over the internet, asked some of my contacts in Taiwan, and voila! our itinerary is finalized!
Taipei Zoo. Why the zoo? One, it is commonly part of every itinerary I read over the internet. Two, it was recommended by my contact in Taiwan. And three, who doesn't love a PANDA??!!! There are also lots of different animals that I don't normally see in other zoos I have previously visited like the the Koala, Red Panda, Kangaroo, Penguins (the King and the African), the Asiatic Black Bear, and another kind of brown bear, Camels and Pink Flamingos!!! There's also the common hippo, elephants, giraffe, and zebra, but seeing them in the setting of Taipei Zoo amazes me much more than our regular zoo. It's like living in their natural habitat that is well, man-made. There's also lots to learn about insects and there are also Reptiles and Amphibians and a whole Bird world that we did get to explore due to time limitation.
It would be best to explore this place for one whole day. But prepare to walk!
We were supposed to go ride the gondola to Maokong next (which is also included in the 3 Day Pass) and enjoy the scenery of the Tea plantaion, and have some tea in Maokong, but as the gondola was under maintenance from May 6 to May 31 (hello wrong timing!), we proceeded with the next item on out itinerary - the Taipei 101.What disappointed me here was that Taipei 101 is not picturesque in the actual location. Most of the pictures we see of Taipei 101 are most likely taken from a farther spot. The mall doesn't contain much amazing stuffs though it does hold a number of famous brands. In a few words - High end mall. High end brands.
We paid NTD 500 to go to the observatory. It has a good view of Taipei but it was a little foggy. There were also the damper babies - Smart Silver, Cool Black, Rich Gold, and Lucky Red. These cute babies help reduce the wind movements in this high rise tower, making the tallest building in Taipei (and the no.8 tallest building in the world as of our visit) more stable.
Before leaving, we wanted to try Din Tai Fung here in Taiwan but the line was crazy! It was so much longer compared to the line in my home country. So we went to the food court instead and tried food I don't even know what they are! haha... but it's yummy nonetheless. (All food will be featured in a separate blog entry)
DAY 2: AROUND TAIPEI CITY and THE NIGHT MARKETS
Huashan 1914 Creative Park
Before going to our next stop, we walked along Bade Rd. Section 1 and also dropped by Syntrend and Guang Hua Shopping Mall. This is just walking distance from Huashan 1914 Creative Park and this is where most electronics and gadgets are being sold.
Longshan Temple
Taipei Botanical Garden
Chiang Kai Shek Memorial Hall
Shilin Market
There's so much more to explore in Shilin market. But it rained.:( so we didn't get to tour around the place that much.
Ximending Night Market
DAY 3: Outside the City of Taipei: JIUFEN Old Street and TAMSUI Fisherman's Wharf
My most beloved part of our trip is probably on this day when we get to visit two places that are a bit outside of Taipei.
The first one is Jiufen old street, where red lanterns abound. The place is the inspiration for the animated film Spirited Away.
I can't explain how I feel in this place. It's kind of like being excitedly happy and being at peace at the same time. It's like being in a place full of people but not feeling crowded or being in a busy street without the hustle bustle of the city life.
We tried various street food sold here and had a taste of Taiwan tea at Ah Mei Tea House, which is the inspiration for the bathhouse in the film.
Next, we went to Tamsui. Tamsui can be reached by riding the MRT Red Line (Line 4). We walked along this park along the Tamsui River. The place feels like the stretch of Roxas Boulevard, less the stench plus the wide green park and lots of food vendors on the side. We also went to Tamsui Old Street and tried some more street food.
We kept on walking along the river's path and thought that this is already the fisherman's wharf. But I kept on looking for the bridge and the Love sign that marks the Fisherman's Wharf and couldn't even see it. It turned out that this is still a long way from where we were. We had to ride Bus R26 and after maybe around 4 more kilometers, we arrived!
DAY 4: Shopping and More Food Tripping in XIMENDING
This being our last day in Taipei, it's our last chance to try the Modern Toilet which is located within walking distance from our hotel. It only takes less than 5 minutes from Diary of Taipei Hotel II.
We also bought our gifts and souvenirs in Ximending. There's a grocery right beside our hotel, a 711 across the street, countless stores around the area that sells clothing, food, souvenirs, and lots of other stuff that can be brought home as pasalubong.
And of course, before heading to the airport for our 8PM departure from Taipei :(, we had to try the famous Taoyuan Beef Noodle soup in Taoyuan Street. This is also located very near our hotel so we need not take any transportaion.
TIPS:
- May is already rainy season in Taiwan, so it's better to book earlier dates if you plan to enjoy without the hassle of the rain.
- Buy the 3 Day Pass or 5 Day Pass if you plan to use the city bus or the MRT when you go around
- Eat at small eateries or night markets. You won't be shelling out as much money as you would in posh restaurants plus you get to try various yummy dishes. Visit this link for some of their must try dishes!
- Learn some Mandarin if you can. Locals can speak English but some can't speak fluently. It will help a lot in ordering food or getting around if you can learn the basics.
- Visit the Tourist Information booths located in various places in Taipei. They can give you booklets that shows places to visit, current events happening, and where to eat. They can also guide you on your planned destinations.
- Songshan Airport is nearer and accessible via MRT. If you can find flights from your country of origin going to this airport, it would save you much time and effort.
- Book a hotel in Ximending if you are particular about accessibility. It is located in the middle of the happenings, with all the shops, markets, restaurants around. It's also very near the MRT station and the Bus stop
A cousin of mine, upon hearing that we would be travelling to Taiwan, asked "Why Taiwan? It's a small place." I would have answered her then that it was the only place within my budget. But that was when I didn't know so much about this place yet. I didn't know I would enjoy the Trip to Taiwan so much. I didn't know there are so many places to visit. There's actually much more than where we've been to. There's the Songshan Cultural and Creative Park, 228 Peace Park, National Museum, Raohe Night Market, Fulong Beach, Jinguashi Gold Museum, shrimping in Shi Lin shrimp farms, Yehliu Geopark and much much more.I didn't know the Taiwanese were a friendly people, with a number of them saying "Ni Hao?" (Hello) as we passed them by. I didn't know they were very disciplined, that they always stay on the right side of every elevator if they won't be walking, even if there are no other people that wants to overtake on the left; that they line up in MRT. I didn't know it was well developed (with all the well built roads and highways, connecting MRT lines, and tall buildings) but with its culture intact. I didn't know Taiwan could make me so trusting, being able to carry my backpack the way it should be (at the back not the front), and being able to sleep on the bus and trains, being able to receive my change without the nagging feeling that I have to recount. I didn't know Taiwan was gonna make my heart beat again.
