After my Korea trip, here i am to Taiwan! I normally book a flight last minute, especially when i happen to see a promotion of any airline and guess what?... I GOT MY JETSTAR TICKETS FOR 2 AT ONLY
$500 (2-WAY)!!! The return flight was free!
So after 4.5 hours of flight, here i am at Taipei. I took the morning flight & touched down at noon. We checked in at a hotel in the heart of Xi Men Ding, Rainbow Hotel ($65+/night) and then proceed to a nearby shop (水龙王) for lunch which my boyfriend insisted.
We were greeted by this cute kitten in the shop.
This Ee Mian looks plain but trust me, i've never enjoyed a bowl of simple noodle that much before!
It cost only SGD1.50 and it makes me full enough.
DAY 1: Jiu Fen (九份) > Shilin Night market (士林夜市)
Jiu Fen (九份)
Heading to Jiu Fen is a hassle as you've got to take the train, change to the TRA and then a bus up. The whole trip takes about an hour.
We stopped by this shop selling Herbal beef noodle and it's really good.
This peanut ice-cream is a must they say but it's so-so to me.
I tried the Jade snails the first time i came & i remember it coming with a few sauces that you get to choose but to my disappointment it comes only with peppers now
Walked up to the top of Jiu Fen for some scenic view & i swear i regretted, my legs were almost breaking apart. The weather was really cooling at 19 degree celsius & i don't really feel cold at all (To my boyfriend who keeps calling me a 'Hero' trying to brave the cold weather with my outfits)
The TRA train ticket cost about $2+/pax one-way.
How to get here:
1) From Xi Men Ding station take the train to Taipei station, switch to (TRA) to RuiFang station.
2) From RuiFang station, take any bus that heads to JiuFen or Jinguashi
ShiLin Night Market (士林夜市)
Shilin is well-known for its local street food & fashionable apparel but i wouldn't spend a single cent on the apparels as you can shoptillyoudrop at WuFen Pu (五分埔) which is their wholesale market.
There's so many games stall, mainly darts which you have to throw & pop the balloons or firing range. It's pretty easy to walk away with prizes!
I wouldn't recommend this dry ice biscuit as it left a hole on the right side of my mouth and it 'burnt' my tongue.
I was told not to leave it in my mouth & i have to chew it repeatedly the minute i eat it.
Dry ice really is harmful as it works like acid, it literally can burn a hole in you.
Browsing through some dogs items as well but didn't buy any back because they target mainly small breeds & my dog is a medium.
DAY 2: Taipei 101> Maokong > WuFen > Raohe Night Market
Taipei 101
Taipei 101 is a landmark sper tall skyscraper in Xinyi Disrtict Taipei, Taiwan. The tower has served as an icon of modern Taiwan ever since its opening. Taipei 101 comprises 101 floors above ground, as well as 5 basement levels. Tickets to Taipei 101 observatory cost SGD21 for adults. For me i wasn't really interested in the city view so i passed.
If you're here for luxury loots then Taipei 101 is the place! But i'm only here for lunch, some photo taking and let people know at least i've checked in here.
Maokong
My boyfriend suggest to have a romantic start of the day by enjoying the view at the top of the mountain sipping their local tea and we've to take the cable car transport at Taipei Zoo station.
The Oriental Beauty Tea
We didn't do much at Maokong except for enjoying the view while sipping tea & munching away on their street food.
After an hour or so, we headed back down the way we came up & to WuFen Pu.
WuFen Pu (五分埔)
Fyi, it's best to shop at Wufen after Monday as it's their restocking day & they'll be too busy to entertain you.
Most of their opening hours differ and it's best to be there at 3pm or so.
I got a matchy tee with my boyfriend that cost SGD14 each.
2 Jersey dress at SGD4 each
2 shorts at SGD2 each!!!!
Dungaree dress at $10
Grey top at SGD4
(I know this is the latest popular top at SG selling at SGD10 onwards)
And the 'Harry Potter' specs at SGD11
I targeted only the SALES (SGD2-SGD10) items and there are SO MANY TAOBAO LOOTS you can find here!! I should have bought more but i got most of them from my latest #Taobaohaul via
www.ezbuy.sg
Use the link bit.ly/65nicola to register an account with ezbuy and get $10 free credit!!!
Okay so i took a few hours shopping at WuFen and it's time for dinner! Next to RAOHE NIGHT MARKET!!
How to get here:
The most convenient way is to travel to Songshan Station (松山), terminus of the Green Line 3. After leaving from Exit 3, walk straight and continue until you cross Songlong Road. The shopping complex is located within the maze of alleys and lanes to your front and left. Wufenpu is also reachable from Houshanpi (後山埤) on Blue Line 5.
Raohe Night Market
Raohe is bustling with energy compared to Shilin and i love it so much here!
You can smell smelly beancurd everywhere and i have no guts to try it after seeing an article of beancurd actually soaked in poop water & a lady died after consuming it.
This is really the best! It's alike to what we find in our Pasar Malam but this version is so much nicer.
You can find almost everything here, apparels, shoes, food and many other necessity.
''Freedom is not worrying about waistline''
How to get here:
Take the Green Line to the terminal station Songshan (松山), exit 5. The night market entrance is just to the right across the street next to the temple. From Taipei Main Station, take any local train northbound (區間車) to Songshan Station (松山), then locate MRT exit 5.
Day 3: Yehliu Geopark
Yehliu Geopark
A distinctive feature of the cape is the hoodoo stones that dot its surface. A number of rock formations have been given imaginative names based on their shapes. The best known is the "Queen's Head" (女王頭), an iconic image in Taiwan and an unofficial emblem for the town of Wanli. Other formations include the "Fairy Shoe", the "Beehive", the "Ginger Rocks", and the "Sea Candles".
There's many fossils you can find in the park too!
Sea Candles
Ginger Rocks
Fairy Shoe
The beehive
The Queen's Head
Hearsay that this man risk his life to save a student from the waves.
How to get here:
From Taipei West Bus Station - Terminal A (located at Taipei Main Station), go to the KuoKuang (國光) window and purchase a ticket for NT$96 to Yehliu Geopark (野柳地質公園). The journey takes around 90 minutes, and the bus will drop you on the main road just outside the park entrance.
For the rest of our free time, we went back to Shilin, Wufen pu and shopped at Xi Men Ding
This portrait cost us SGD40
The famous Cheese Potato at Xi Men Ding
My boyfriend finally won something back from Shilin.
The famous mee sua located at Xi Men Ding
Day 4: Back to Singapore :(
Whole trip in Taiwan for 2 pax cost : $500 (Air ticket) + $200 (hotel) + $500 (expenses) !!!
ok bye now~