This is the first ever trip that we are travelling together, to Taipei!
Initially I wanted to plan Taichung in as well, but confirm not enough time to cover so many places for this trip.
Hence, decided to start off by exploring Taipei this time. In near future when we have chance to go again, will definitely visit other parts of Taiwan :3
In this post, I will be showing you guys my day-to-day itinerary, and some tips before and during the trip!
Remark: Itineraries could varies depends on each traveller's objective. For ours, our purpose is to shop & eat & experience their night markets. Hence you will be seeing we visited night markets almost every night :)
Before I begin, below is the information such as accommodation, exchange rate.
Exchange Rate
1SGD = 23.60
Remark: Go to M.M Sheriff @ The Arcade #01-03
Hotel
Muzik Hotel (take exit 6 at Ximen MRT)
6F, No. 90, Section 1, Zhonghua Rd Ximending Taipei, Taiwan
Standard Room $491.90 for 5 nights (booked through Agoda.com)
Tips
You may want to visit Taiwan Tourism Board at Clifford Centre to get the YouYou card, and some maps for your trip. Please remember to bring along your photocopied flight details and at least 1 night stay in Taiwan (with both you and your partner's name indicated)
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Day 1: Taoyuan Airport > Check in @ Muzik Hotel > Yong Kang Street > Zhongxiao East Road > Tong Hua Night Market > Xi Men Ding
For this trip, we had booked Jetstar, and flight 7.10am, thus we need to wake up around 4am to prepare and set off.
Am thankful that his dad offered to send us to the airport at this unearthly hour, despite having to work that day.
Once we checked in our luggage, we proceeded to have our early breakfast at Burger King before the flight.
But before the plane takes off, let's take a selfie!
After 4 hours plus of flight, one thing that we will take note is to choose the seats with more leg room! Was feeling excited yet the feeling of space restriction is really .... speechless. So that's my virgin experience in budget airline. Will definitely add more $$ to add more leg room in future.
Tip #1: When exit from arrival gate, turn left and walk all the way, and go down 1 level. You should be able to see all the bus operator counters.
Proceed to counter 7, with Kuo Kuang Bus no. 1819 to buy the tickets. Each ticket cost NTD 125 written on the ticket. If I remember correctly, each bus comes every 30 mins, so once you got the ticket, you may proceed to go queue outside.
Look out for this no.5 platform.
This is how it looks like in the bus, but don't expect good quality from the televisions as it kept flickering non stop.
This 1819 bus final stop will be at Taipei Main Station, but they do have free connection service to Ximending, thus we took the latter option and you should be able to see MOS Burger sign when you alight.
Honestly, the free connection bus took some time to come, but since our hotel is located near the place they dropped us, so I do not mind taking the free connection, moreover my poor bb will have to take one luggage and one duffle bag with him.
But for those who stays NEARER to Ximending MRT station, maybe dropping at Taipei Main Station is a better option.
From here, walk down and cross the road, you should be seeing a building like below.
FYI, they shared the same building as the Taipei Diary Hotel.
But I prefer Muzik so far as the Taipei Diary Hotel don't have the "hotel" feel.
Tip #2: Earliest check in for Taipei hotels are 3pm, hence if you arrives earlier than that, remember to plan to have some programmes in the morning. Would suggest you to grab some food and recee that area.
For us, we booked this room and only realised we can only check in at 8pm. So we left our luggage and duffle bag for their safekeeping, and proceed to walk around Ximending and to have our lunch.
Yong Kang Beef Noodle!
This is way too awesome, very nice and the meat is tender... and juicy.
But we took quite a bit of time walking around, only realised that the address provided by some blogger that I copied down is wrong =.="
They open from 11am - 9.30pm daily.
For those interested, please take train to Zhongxiao Xinsheng station (blue line) and change to Dongmen Station (yellow line)
You should be seeing LiShui Street and walk down the street all the way, should be able to see it around.
We saw locals eating this, so bb decided to order what the locals eat.
After that, we proceed to SOGO at Zhong Xiao Fuxing as I wanted to look at Jill Stuart's products. However, did not buy anything and went over to Ling Jian Night Market, aka. Tong Hua Night Market.
Take train to LiuZhangLi (brown line) third stop from Zhong Xiao Fuxing.
I remembered walking quite a distance, you should be around the premise when you see the whole stretch selling kittens, and some with puppies.
Food that what people eat here are:
+ peanut ice cream wrap
+ stinky toufu 口金酥臭豆腐
+ wheel cakes 車輪餅
+ salty chicken
+ grilled squid
+ shaved ice
But we did not try everything here, as we were still full from the beef noodle.
Though we did not try everything, I decided to buy this stinky toufu to try as it was one of my objective to Taiwan; to try stinky toufu.
Indeed, the smell stinks, but people always say its delicious when you eat it.
I beg to differ... I still do not like it, and after 2-3 pieces, I threw the whole thing away :( sorry to waste food, but seriously its inedible. Perhaps its the same theory like durians. Some loves it, but some hate it too.
baby boy finally had his first squid in Taipei, and overall this squid is the best among all others he tried in other night markets. So try it if you are there.
They are operated by this young couple, pushing a pushcart kind.
Some cute animals to end the first day!
Checked in our hotel after that, requested for bath tub
Day 2: Jiu Fen > Shi Fen > Keelung Miao Kou Night Market (missed it, find out below)
Second day, initially supposed to wake up at 9am, but don't know why I delayed until 12pm plus then left the hotel.
lol..
We took train to Taipei Main station, and proceed to take TRA train to Ruifang Station (around 50 mins ride)
Tip #3: We found that going to Shi Fen then Jiu Fen is much feasible since JiuFen and MiaoKou night market is around the same area.
At Ruifang station, you should be able to see the bus stop infront, take 1062/1063 at the supermarket side to Jiufen.
Alternatively, you can take cab up there, with a flat rate but forgot how much.
Or if you are going in a big group, perhaps booking a mini bus up is better and save more time.
oie greedy pig, why are you eating and looking at other food?
After that, we headed to Shi Fen for Sky Latern.
We took bus back to Ruifang Station, and took another train via Pingxi Line 平溪线
Tip #4, take note of the timing and frequency of each train as I remember we waited quite long for the train.
This is how it looks like at ShiFen! Stretch of shops just beside the railways.
Kinda like this sun set picture with a sky lantern above..
So its our turn! When the sky turned down, and started to drizzle, there were many mosquitoes around which I don't know why! Its damn big as well.
We chose the 4 sided colours one at NTD250 I think?
There will be a photographer to help you take pictures, after that, he asked both of us to pose a kiss photo.
In the end is I kissed him lor... Thought can have a lip-to-lip photo.. haha
After that, we missed out train at very last minute back to Ruifang Station =( hence waited 1 hour for next one. By the time it was around 8pm plus, so we decided to forgo MiaoKou Night Market.
This is the timing for returned trip back to Ruifang at Platform 1.
Went back to the supermarket area stretch, to get his squid and fried chicken cutlet.
Actually the chicken is nice >.< better than Hao Da Chicken Cutlet imo.
That's for day 2!
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