Travel
Five Days and Four Nights in Taiwan: A Quick Weekender
It was Valentines Week, me and my partner had this planned out to go on a quick getaway to celebrate the occasion. Day 1 ARRIVAL Manila-Taipei 1 hr and 30 […]
It was Valentines Week, me and my partner had this planned out to go on a quick getaway to celebrate the occasion.
Day 1 ARRIVAL
Manila-Taipei 1 hr and 30 mins
No need for Visa for Filipinos
Transfer to Hotel via klook.com for around P1,200 in a white sedan for 2 persons.
Booked 4 nights at Diary of Taipei Hotel at Ximending via booking.com.
Few steps from Ximen Station
Ximending is shopping district
Spent the first night checking out for restaurants to eat and stores to visit for shopping later
Day 2 Yehlui-Jiufen-Shifen Tour
Booked a packaged tour via klook.com
Very convenient as the pick up point was just a few steps away from our hotel.
Duration: 7:45AM-5PM
Check the weather for proper clothing and footwear. Tour involves a lot of walking. It was cold and drizzling we had to buy umbrellas.
Yehlui Geopark
Juifen Old Street
Fans of Studio Ghibli will be trilled as this was the inspiration for the teahouse in the movie Spirited Away.
Shifen Waterfall
Shifen Village – Skylantern
Taiwanese tradition says that you can write your wishes in a skylantern so that they will come true.
Day 3. City Tour
This leg was DIY. All locations were accessible by subway train. We got the feel of living in Taipei.
Lunch at Modern Toilet Restaurant in Ximending
Longshuan Temple
Senior Citizens congregating outside the temple.
Chiang Kai Shek Memorial
Taipei 101
Shilin Night Market
Day 4. Sun Moon Lake And Formosan Aboriginal Culture Village
Another DIY. We thought we cannot pull it off since it’s in another city.
6AM – wake up time
7:30 – board train from Ximen to Taipei Main Station
8:00 – High Speed Rail to Taichung (NT$ 650 per person one way, travel for 50 mins)
10:00 – Bus Ride Taichung – Sun Moon Lake (1 hr and 30 mins, NT$790 per person for 2-way bus, boat ride and cable car)
12:00NN – 4PM – go around the lake via boat, visit FACV via cable car
Not much time though, we suggest to spend overnight at Sun Moon Lake next time.
4:30 – back to Taichung
6:30 – HSR to Taipei
7:30 – arrival at Taipei just In time for Taipei Lantern Festival.
Sun Moon Lake
Cable Car to FACV
Formosan Aboriginal Culture Village
(Cherry Blossoms Festival Feb-Mar)
Taipei Lantern Festival
We arrived at Ximen Station at around 8PM, a lot of people in the street for the festival
We were lucky that our hotel was just above the festivities!
Day 5. Rest Day and last minute shopping at Ximending
Taipei-Manila Flight is at 9:15PM
Left our bagages at the concierge
City-Airport transfer via klook.com again, driver was on time at 5PM, around P1400 for 2 persons.
Final Tips
- Streetfood everywhere. The best for us were Chicken wings stuffed with rice, Flour-Rice Noodles, Peanut butter ice cream, and of course their Bubble milk tea.
- Look for long lines, that means the food there is great! Turnover is fast so you really don’t have to wait that long.
- Taiwanese people are generally gentle and kind. You may communicate by single-word english sentences. Like Restroom? How much? Finish.
- Spend overnight at Sun Moon Lake to be able to visit all the places. You may bike around the lake, we never got the chance to do it due to time constraints.
Enjoy Taiwan! Definitely a must-visit!
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