Visiting Taiwan Thread 4

[drag0nfly]

Kakabalik lang namin from Taipei kahapon.  We enjoyed and will definitely come back!

1. True, hindi nga kagandahan masyado ang airport nila, pero keri naman.  The Klook desk was easy to find and return to, we rented a pocket wifi kasi.

2. Transpo - We got around mostly using the MRT.  We got the Klook pass that was good for trains and buses within the city.  Akala kasi namin from airport magagamit na.  Bumili muna kami ng ticket ng train from airport to Taipei station, then saka na namin nagamit yung pass.  Nagamit din namin for the bus to Jiufen.  We took cabs pag pauwi na and pagod na from walking all day.  Tip nga pala for cab drivers:  kung di nila maintindihan agad san ang destination nyo, even if pinakita nyo na sa Google maps and all yung name ng place, pakita nyo hotel key card para mabasa nila in Chinese yung name and address.  The first cab driver we encountered yun ang hiningi after ilang minutes na di kami magkaintindihan, so we used that trick and it worked like a charm ever since.  Binibigay din nila ang tamang change.  May isang cab driver na binigyan pa kami ng TWD 5 discount hehe.

3.  Try nyo agahan pumunta sa mga touristy places if those are in your agenda.  Napansin kasi namin na dumadagsa ang Mainlanders medio late na, so we we were able to avoid them kasi OA sila sa dami!  Dalawa lang naman ang touristy places na pinuntahan namin - Taipei 101 and Jiufen - and dahil inagahan namin, paalis na kami pag dumadating sila.

4.  Totoo yung kwento ng iba dito about the locals.  They are nice, polite and will go out of their way to help you.  First day namin, we were looking for a small resto recommended by the hotel concierge.  Binilugan nya lang sa map, so di kami sure san talga yung lugar.  Pumasok kami sa isang resto and nagtanong.  Yung babaeng server na parang late 60-ish na, lumabas and sinamahan kami dun sa resto na target namin.  Nakakatuwa.  Sabi nga ng friend ko, she could've just said dito na lang kayo kumain, pero she really went out of her way to help us. 

Nung namali kami ng bus papuntang Ruifang, hinatid kami nung bus driver sa tamang stop.  Kaya pala gesture sya ng gesture na wag naming i-tap yung Klook pass namin sa terminal haha kasi otherwise mababawas na yun sa card namin.  Nung nagtanong din kami sa isang police station for directions, sinamahan kami nung babaeng pulis sa bus stop namin.

5.  Food trip every day!  We hit Ximending, Shilin and Raohe night markets.  Di ko na lista lahat ng nakain namin dito.  Basta may pila, go kayo dun.  Pakitikman though yung mushroom stand sa gitna ng Shilin market!  Di kasi namin nabalikan pero ang haba ng pila.  Parang mas masarap din yung food stalls na nasa looban compared sa mga nasa labas.  Funny pa kasi we set out wanting to drink all the milk teas we could while there.  Kaso naadik kami sa fruit teas nila!  Once lang kami nag-milk tea dun.  Mas masarap ang Xing Fu Tang dun kesa dito. 

6.  Weather was good the first 4 days, overcast and onting ambon.  Last day nung bumuhos talaga, pero ilang minutes lang and the rest of the time ambon ambon na lang din.  But do bring an umbrella and parkas to be safe. 

ETA:  We stayed at Caesar Metro Taipei.  Highly recommended, nice rooms, a few steps from the Wanhua station exit and good breakfast buffet.

[runbarbierun]

Pang-5th time ko na pumunta ng Taiwan this December lol Sawang sawa na ako sa Jiufen Shifen Yehliu (every time na punta ko sa Taiwan, iba iba kasama ko so paulit ulit nalang hahaha)

Okay ba puntahan yung Zhongshe Flower Market & Rainbow Village? Hindi kasi maganda review ng friend ko, "meh" daw haha pero sa photos, maganda naman haha

Any other recos for outside Taipei trip? Alishan kaya?

[curlylass]

^Alishan is very pretty! Pati yung Sun Moon lake. Maganda din sa Kaohsiung although di namin masyado naexplore kasi dinaanan lang namin for a day nung nagcruise kami.

[crzysxycl]

Thank you so much sisses omneecka, chinablue, curlylass! Planning to bring a few liters of distilled water for my baby tapos the rest bili nalang doon.

We'll be staying at Diary of Ximen Hotel II Liu-Fu Branch. Dito ko ata nabasa na same lang sila ng reception ng Go Sleep. Hindi ko napilit ang mga thunders (3 women, aged 50-57) kong kasama na lumayo dahil tight daw ang budget nila kaya Taipei lang kami mag iikot. Pa-check naman mga sis kung ok na itong itinerary namin.

[Day 1]
10:00 - Arrival at Taoyuan Airport; Immigration
11:00 - Claim sim card from klook
11:30 - Leave airport (Will avail transfers from klook as well)
12:30 - Estimated arrival at the hotel; Leave luggages
13:00 - Lunch at Ximending (Any suggestions? Around PhP300 budget per head)
14:00 onwards - The Red House; Explore Ximending

[Day 2]
Chiang Kai Shek
Taipei 101
Shilin Night Market

[Day 3]
Huashan 1914 Creative Park
Longshan Temple
Bopiliao Ancient Street
Ximending Night Market

[Day 4]
Leave hotel at 6:00 for our 10:40 flight

I wanted to add Taipei zoo sana but I read na whole day or atleast 5 hrs dapat allotted dito. I also need to consider the travel time so pagbalik nalang namin siguro. Chill mode lang daw kami sabi ng mga lola, haha.

Question pala, ang 3 yr old ba kailangan na ng easy card?

Thank you!

[curlylass]

^Not sure how much yung food dun pero there's a hole in the wall Halal resto sa Yanping rd near Ximenting. Favorite ko yung beef noodles soup nila tsaka yung sandwich. We always eat there every time we visit.    Pwede nyo sana isingit sa day 2 yung zoo kaso kung puro gurang kasama mo, baka di kayanin kasi mahahaggard sila kakalakad sa pagmamadali. Hahaha

[crzysxycl]

^Noted sis. Salamat! Nyahaha, oo nga baka mag sakitan ang mga paa at tuhod ng mga lola. Ayaw ko na maulit yung nangyari sa SG na namaga tuhod ng mama ko at yung tita ko sumakit ng bongga paa, kakalakad. 😅

Saw this vlog pala na sabi ni vlogger meron pa raw ibang mall (?) or iikutan sa Taipei 101.  Would you know kung ano yun, sisses? Medyo lax nga yung day 2 namin. Di kasi sinabi sa vlog kung saan banda or anong name. Haha. Thank you.

[runbarbierun]

^Alishan is very pretty! Pati yung Sun Moon lake. Maganda din sa Kaohsiung although di namin masyado naexplore kasi dinaanan lang namin for a day nung nagcruise kami.

Thank you sis! Did you take a private car to Alishan? Or commute (bus/train?) Kaya ba siya ng day tour, or much better to stay for a night?

Saw this vlog pala na sabi ni vlogger meron pa raw ibang mall (?) or iikutan sa Taipei 101.  Would you know kung ano yun, sisses? Medyo lax nga yung day 2 namin. Di kasi sinabi sa vlog kung saan banda or anong name. Haha. Thank you.

ATT4Fun is the nearest (katabi lang), then Shinkong Mitsukoshi, Xiangti Plaza, tapos Breeze Xinyi. By the time na nasa dulo ka na, walkable na yung Taipei City Hall Station ng MRT hehe

[curlylass]

^Nag-commute lang kami and nag-stay kami dun for 2days and 1night. Maganda kasi abangan yung sunrise dun. Parang di rin sya kaya iday tour kasi may schedule yung train and all.

[crzysxycl]

Thanks so much sis runbarbierun! 😊

[omneecka]

Hi, sisses! What way ginawa nyo pabalik ng Taoyuan Airport Terminal 1 coming from Ximending? 6 AM pala kasi ang open ng MRT, flight namin is 10.30 AM. Thank you!

[curlylass]

^Lakad to Main station then bus straight to Airport

[drag0nfly]

^^Car pickup from hotel to airport ginawa namin para di na hassle.

[easycomeeasygo]

Meron na po ba nakapag tour po sa Snow Mountain? Sabi nila Snow Season ng December-March, is it true po?

[omneecka]

Thank u, sisses curlylass and drag0nfly! Both 1st trip ng trains nakahabol ako. Ginawa ko is from Ximen station train to Beimen then transfer to airport mrt. 😊😊😊

[ken_dih_]

Hi Sis, nagtry kana dun sa Maokong Gondola and sa Taipei Zoo? Paka lang type mo

https://kimflorendo.com/2019/09/13/5-tips-for-your-next-taiwan-getaway/

[jhandee]

Mga sis pa suggest po ng IT please, wala pa kami IT and place to stay.
ETA Taipei-Dec.26 2am
ETD Taipe- Dec 31 1Am

Ano po magandang gawin pag dating dun.
Places to go, eat and shop. Saan din best mag stay na district.

salamat po

[maldita08]

Eto Itinerary namin for our trip this Oct 18-21

Oct 18
2am Arrival in Taiwan
check in at Airbnb (Ximending area)
Bus 1819 to Taipei Main Station

8am-Northeast Tour (KKday) (sa bus nalang kami kukuha ng tulog)
Raohe Night Market

Oct 19
8am-7pm Taichung Tour (Joiner found in FB)
Shilin Market

Oct 20
Chiang Kai Shek
Taipei Zoo
Maokong Gondola
Taipei 101
Elephant Mountain
Ximending

Oct 21
10am Back to Manila

Question: Ilang hours need naming iallot from Ximending to Airport? Okay lang ba umalis ng 7am?

[omneecka]

^Allot 2 hours para sure esp if commute kayo. Ganyan din flight ko weeks ago and 6 am nasa MRT na ako waiting for the 1st train from Ximen to Beimen, then walk to Airport MRT. Good thing naabutan ko din 1st trip ng Airport MRT. Nakaapagod yung lakaran from Beimen to Airport MRT kasi ang layo din ng transfer. Before 8AM nasa airport na ako and nakapag-breakfast pa and kunting ikot Taoyuan Airport Terminal 1. 😊😊😊

[crzysxycl]

Hi sisses. Tanong lang uli, may naka avail na sa inyo ng airport transfers from klook? Kasya kaya 2 big luggages sa vehicle if 7 adults, 1 3yr old kami?

[ms.G]

Eto Itinerary namin for our trip this Oct 18-21

Oct 18
2am Arrival in Taiwan
check in at Airbnb (Ximending area)
Bus 1819 to Taipei Main Station

8am-Northeast Tour (KKday) (sa bus nalang kami kukuha ng tulog)
Raohe Night Market

Oct 19
8am-7pm Taichung Tour (Joiner found in FB)
Shilin Market

hi sis. pa share naman ng fb groupna merong taichung tour. baka pwede din ako dun. same travel date tayo.