Summer Grad Trip- Taiwan 2013: TaiChung Day 3

TaiChung 3 days itinerary: Day 3

Right, it's time for mountainous areas. Such areas, though inaccessible, they always form the best part of the trip. These areas have the best photogenic sceneries for photo shoot with friends and family.

Entrance fees applies for each destination, the tickets can be used for food and drinks though. We booked a cab the day before, the entire trip to XinShe (新社) costs NT3500. We managed to bargain and ended up paying NT3000 which covers the following: 新社古堡 XinShe Castle, 安妮公主花园 Princess Annie's Garden  and  薰衣草花园 Lavendar Farm.

First up, 薰衣草花园 Lavendar Farm. We were there in the month of June, it's kinda sad that we just missed the Lavender Season and the flowers weren't blooming :( If you're there specially for  the lavender flowers, do visit the place between March-May.

 

As mentioned at the start of the post, there are coupons that come with the entrance ticket which can be used to redeem food and drinks in the park. So here's what we ordered; waffle, orange juice and seafood risotto! It added up to around NT500 and we paid only NT300 after using the coupons. The food at the other 2 stops are considerably more expensive and less appealing, so I would suggest you settle your meal over at the Lavender Farm :)

 

Second stop, Princess Annie's Garden. This place is a waste of time and money in my opinion, unless you're one of those who fantasize a lot and dream of living like a princess. Entrance fee is NT100 and there's really nothing much about this place.

Last stop for the day, XinShe Castle. Entrance fee is NT250, one of the most expensive place to visit in TaiChung :p It's a much better place for photo taking as compared to the previous stop. Again, beware of insects and mosquitoes, bring along your insect repellent and spray it as often as possible during this season. The sun was scorching hot, the weather is terrible so do remember to hydrate yourself often as well. Overall, things at these places are not cheap so I would advise you to bring your own snacks and water if you're visiting them during summer. No harm bringing more stuff since you will most likely hire a cab and you can always leave these unimportant stuff on the car while having fun.

And so, we got the cabby uncle to drop us off at this place Chun Shui Tang. This is the birthplace of bubble tea, so it's definitely one of the places I must visit! Before the birth of your KOI and GongCha this is where the very first bubble tea was created! 

Photo credits: Trip Advisor 

Photo credits: Flickr

They sell proper food and snacks as well to go along with your drink. You may visit their website at chunshuitang.com.tw for more details. 

The rest of the night was spent dwelling along the streets, we don't really miss TaiChung that much given the inconvenience we face while getting around. Having to cab to almost every place wasn't that enjoyable. Take a bus you might say but it's not easy, even locals don't take bus often which explains the free ride for first 8km and the empty buses you see on the streets. But it's a place worth exploring, especially if you want to know the life of Taiwanese before development.

Summer Grad Trip 2013- Taiwan: TaiChung Day 2

TaiChung 3 days itinerary: Day 2

Rise & Shine! Our hostel is located along No.16 Mingli Street, and we found this cafe which serves western style breakfast. Breakfast set ranges from NT 100-150 and it comes with choice of drink(orange juice, milk tea or coffee). Though considered expensive in Taiwan, but you definitely can't find breakfast at such price in Singapore so it's worth trying.

First stop of the day, Sun Moon Lake. There are basically 2 ways to get there, either by bus or by cab. Both will cost around NT 200 (one way). Bus is definitely cheaper but the price difference is really small and you get to stick to your own time and pace rather than having to follow the bus schedule. You'll need to get to Taichung train station for both options. Fret not if you don't have enough people to hire a cab, the cab driver will wait for enough people to join before setting off so you don't have to worry about overpaying.

So here it is, the Sun Moon Lake :) Ferry tickets range from NT50-200 and above. The ticket sellers might offer you different packages (some claim that theirs comes with insurance and they start to tell you about stories like how the ferries caught fire and the passengers didn't get insurance, blah blah blah). I got mine at NT100 from a guy who claims to be the cab driver's friend (i think both of them get to split the extra revenue as their comission). 

There's so much for you to do over there; temple visiting, taking the cable car, watch traditional aboriginal performance and many more. Here's a detailed guide on getting around, what to eat and what to do. http://wikitravel.org/en/Sun_Moon_Lake Hope it helps! A map will also be given with all the information when you purchase your ferry tickets. 

The 'must try' for this stop! Ah Ma tea leaf egg, at NT10 each.

Getting back from Sun Moon Lake: we shared cab again at NT200 per pax and this time we alighted near a park and walked all the way to our next destination, Yi Zhong Street.

First up, Pang Zi Ji Pai! One of the famous stalls we managed to Google. It costs NT50  if I remember correctly, not as fantastic as expected but worth trying. I think it's just the high expectation due to the recommendations or I prefer fried chicken more than BBQ ones.

Next up, Takoyaki! The choice of seasoning available for Taiwan's Takoyaki is what makes it so different from Singapore's. 

Another online recomendation from fellow travellers, Dan Bing. If you've been to Singapore, it simply tastes like Roti Prata. But I prefer Roti Prata much more cause it comes with curry. You can choose your own fillings and price ranges from NT25-45.

Summer Grad Trip 2013- Taiwan: TaiChung Day 1

TaiChung 3 days itineray: Day 1

It's never easy to plan a travel itineray and now it's even harder to pen it down together with my experience and thoughts. Hope you find this post useful when you're planning yours :)

Upon arrival, you may choose to purchase a prepaid mobile plan which costs NT500 and comes with 100mins free talk time and unlimited 3G for 10 days.

Basically when you reach Taoyuan airport, head towards the bus terminal and purchase tickets to your preferred destination. The first stop of our trip would be Taichung and the one-way ticket there costs around NT150. 

Traveling around Taichung is not easy since there's no MRT available and bus routes are super hard to understand especially if you're not familiar with road names or you can't read Chinese. But the best thing about getting around in Taichung is that it's almost free if you have a Easy Card (悠遊卡). Bus rides are free for the first 8km, so if you can plan your route beforehand, you can definitely save a lot on transportation costs.

If you don't mind walking, that's another alternative for saving transportation costs as most places within walking distance. That is, if you don't mind wasting the time and energy walking from one place to another. 

First stop, Taichung National Arts Museum. Entrance is free I suppose, we didn't get to go in cause it closes at 5pm and it was already past 5 when we got there. There's a outdoor area which is available 24 hours so you might still want to drop by after closing hours. Beware of insects like caterpillars and mosquitoes and bring along your insect repellents. You won't want those insect bites to spoil your trip. 

Then we took a bus from the National Arts Museum to FengJia Night Market. Can't really remember which bus to take, all I know is you will need to transfer somewhere. That was the highlight of our day- some decent food finally. Here's the 大肠包小肠, one of the most recommended stall by locals and tourists. There shouldn't be any difficulty spotting the stall cause it's just at the entrance and the queue is always forming non-stop. 

Another one of the recommended stalls we found online, bbq scallops. NT45  for 1 stick (4pcs) and you get to choose your own seasoning/flavors. Tastes not bad but the service is slow, like really slow. So I suggest you get some other snacks while waiting for your food.

The last snack for the day, bbq prawns! I think it costs about NT60 for 10pcs and again you get to choose your favourite seasoning. We chose the most popular one, which is the pepper and salt flavor. The prawn can be eaten together with the shell so you can save time trying to de-shell it, and that's what makes it unique.

And so this is Feng Jia Night Market, one of my favourite ones throughout the entire trip.