We signed up ASA Tour's "Fun in Taiwan" package. The cost for one person is around SGD 1,700, includes Silkair (to) and SQ (flo) Flights, seven nights stay at seven different hotels (includes hotel's buffet breakfast), five lunches, three dinners (one of them is a buffet dinner at Fleur De Chine Hotel).
第一天 （Day One)
- 9.45am - 集合在 Terminal 2， 领队 （Ms Evonne）确定人数
- 9.45am - Gathered at Terminal 2, attendance taken by the Tour Group Leader (Ms Evonne）
- About 5pm reached Taichung Airport，meeting with our Taiwanese Tour Guide Mr Liao；
- 约5pm 抵达台中机场, 与我们的台湾导游廖哥会合。
- We board on our coach, which bring us to Feng Jia Night Market
- 乘搭我们的大客车前往 逢甲夜市。
We ate the smelly tofu (臭豆腐) at Feng Jia Night Market, the tofu was not as smelly as what I have previously eaten, quite nice. For those who don't like the smelly smell, can try this.
Then we found this stall selling creative cotton candy, where you can choose the style of the cotton candy, and request the seller to make for you. (Variety choose from the photos display at the stall cart)
Back to Hotel:台中兆品酒店 (Maison De Chine)
The hotel room is big and comfortable.
Thoughts & Tips:
1) If you want to sign up for data SIM Card, you may not have time to do it at the airport. I was not given the time as the tour guide want us to board the bus the soonest we arrived at the airport. At first I was abit annoyed by this rushing moment, but the tour guide have told us to do it at the night market, and we did. Mine is 7-Day Data SIM Card package at Myfone (台湾大哥大) for NT$800.
第二天 （Day Two) - 南投
- 文武庙 - Wen Wu Temple
- 日月潭 - Sun Moon Lake
- 九族文化村 - Formosan Aboriginal Culture Village
First destination of the day, Wen Wu Temple (文武庙). we were told the story of the 921 earthquake, get to know Pi Xiu (貔貅），Guan Di (关帝)，Kong Zi (孔子)、Yue Fei (岳飞), etc.
After that, we were brought to cruise on the Sun Moon Lake (日月潭). Very beautiful scenery.
Our lunch at a steamboat restaurant. You get to choose your own soup base and ingredients.
Next, we went to Formosan Aboriginal Culture Village (九族文化村). We took cable car to the mountain top, where the models (scale 1:1) were built. The village showcase nine cultural groups. The tour guide told us that till date, there is a total of 14 cultural groups been recognised.
Down the hill, there is a garden which is very well maintained. If you have watched the Taiwanese Idol Drama [公主小妹], you will find this very familiar:
Later, we were brought to our hotel very early at 5pm. And this is the Fleur De Chine Hotel (日月潭云品酒店):
The tour guide let us early arrived at the hotel to have more time to enjoy the scenery view from our hotel room, and the hot spring bath... LOVE THIS HOTEL!
We were given a Japanese style room, where we sleep on tatami. We were told that for triple room (or more people), will sleep on tatami. Whist, other twin rooms sleeps on bed.
This is the view from our room's balcony:
The dinner buffet hall:
Thoughts & Tips:
Really love this hotel and the scenery. This is the hotel I love most out of the eight-day trip.
第三天 （Day Three) - 高雄
- 十鼓文化村 - Ten Drum Culture Village
- 净园农场 - Jing Yuan Farm
- 驳二艺术特区 - The Pier 2 Arts Center
- 六合夜市 - Leo Ho Night Market
On our way leaving Nantou towards Kaosiung, our tour guide lead us to view the 921 earthquake after-effect scene. The following photos taken from the windows of our bus:
These places was preserved by the local government in memory of the 921 earthquake.
Next, we reached at the Ten Drum Culture Village (十鼓文化村). We have our lunch there, and the lunch is delicious, the soup is super natural sweetness.
The chopstick we used have a very nice fragrance (I forgot the name of the wood been used -_-!!!)
The toilets there is also interesting. There is a fish pond in the toilet cubicle.
We were guided by one of the staffs there, who introduced to us the making procedure of the drum, telling us some Chinese traditional stories and we also have chance to play with the drum, learnt the basic skill. We also get to watch the drum performance.
Animals lovers will definitely like this place: 净园农场 - Jing Yuan Farm
This farm is not big, but we get to see piggy, birdy, tiger, horse and the cutest of all, Llama 草泥马
Next on 驳二艺术特区 - The Pier 2 Arts Center. If you like art, you may find it interesting, if not, you will find it boring...
Our dinner time at 六合夜市 - Leo Ho Night Market (own expenses). This night market carries lots of seafood stalls. If you are a vegetarian (just like me), there is only one stall which sells fried rice / noodles. The stall locate not too far away from the entrance.
Our tour guide introduced to us the papaya milk and the fried mushrooms, both are very nice. The papaya milk taste really good and sweet. The fried mushrooms have vary types of mushrooms to choose from, and they taste great too!
Our stay at Grand Hi-Lai Hotel (汉莱大饭店).
(no room photo.. because abit messy, as we put our stuff all around already -_-!!!, only photo of the bath room)
This hotel room feels ok for me. BUT, my brother says he saw shadow when he was alone in the room. o_O
View from our hotel window:
第四天 （Day Four) - 高雄，台东
- 珍珠展示馆 - Pearl Culture Centre
- 佛光山 - Fo Guang Shang
Morning call at 7.30am, bus left for destinations at 9am. Buffet breakfast at Grand Hi-Lai Hotel was good! I choose to ate salads at each hotel buffet breakfast as one of my dishes. If you have chance to eat buffet breakfast, do pick up their raw vegetables. Taiwan is a country where is a very good place for growing fruits and vegetables. Personally feel that it would be wasted if you have not try their raw veggies.
The first place we were brought to is the Pearl Culture Centre (珍珠展示馆). Nothing much there. If you have an idea of "Joining tour group, the tour guide will lead us to the black shop (砍菜头店)", I think this would be the shop.
Next on, which is not in the itinerary, 佛光山 - Fo Guang Shang. Our tour guide brought us to this place before we carry on our ride across the mountain to Taitung.
Very peaceful place. Master Hsing Yun (星雲大師) is the founder of this monastery. Singaporean may be familiar with the name, as the Chinese newspaper have occasionally showcase the article written by this master. In this monastery, you get to see phrases written on the posts, walls, which is initiated by Master Hsing Yun.
We have our lunch at a seafood restaurant. Special order was made for us (the vegetarians).
We carried on our three hours ride on the coach... across the mountains, round and round. Most of us sleep on the bus.
On the way, we can see parts of the Pacific Ocean (太平洋).
We were given toilet breaks in between.
Then, we reached our hotel for the night. Luminous Hot Spring Resort & Spa (鹿鳴溫泉酒店). This is our second hot spring hotel. The bath room is abit smelly, and white particles found on the wall of the bath room. Not sure is because of the hot spring water, or the cleaners did not do their job properly.
As compare to the first hot spring hotel Fleur De Chine Hotel , this current one have a hotter hot spring water. I was nearly not able to get down to the water, been patting the water on my body for quite a while before I got down.
We had our buffet dinner at the hotel.
View from our room's balcony:
第五天 （Day Five) - 台东，花莲
- 大波池 - Dapo Pond
- 光复糖厂 - Guanfu Sugar Factory
- 庆修院 - Qing Xiu Yuan
- 七星潭 - Qi Xin Tan
Morning call was made at 7am, bus left for destinations at 8.30am. The buffet breakfast is good! (But compare to other six hotel we went, this hotel's buffet have lesser variety)
Taitung 's speciality fruit = 释迦果 (Annona squamosa). We get to see along the road side, but we did not get the chance to eat...
Our first destination of the day is 大波池 - Dapo Pond. A quiet place, very good place for peacefulness. We saw bicycle rental shop at the entrance. If you go on your own (not with tour group), you may like to rent a bicycle. It is quite a long walk if you want to follow the path around the pond.
Next, 光复糖厂 - Guanfu Sugar Factory. When I heard the name of the place, I thought we can have lots of candy to choose and buy, but not. It is a place used to be the sugar factory constructed by the Japanese during their occupation. Now, the factory no longer in operation, but all the structures have been retained for tourism purpose.
We have our lunch at one of the restaurants (forgot to take pictures, may be is too hungry?). We tried bamboo rice.
Next, 庆修院 - Qing Xiu Yuan. A Japanese temple. Also very peaceful place. You may want to bring a small note book for linked stamp collection.
Semi-Final destination of the day before the hotel, 七星潭 - Qi Xin Tan.
This is the best place for letting off by shouting across the ocean. The ocean you will be seeing here is the Pacific Ocean (太平洋). The wind blow across your face is so comfortable. And I love this place!
NOTE: Be careful of the uneven floor. And also not to get too close to the tide. We saw one tourist hit by the tide on his ankle, he lost his balance and sits on the floor, wet his pants. The scenario is hilarious, but at the same time it is dangerous.
Our last stop of the day, Ling Zhi Centre (灵芝茶艺馆). [Black shop (砍菜头店)]
At this place, we were introduced to the wild grown Ling Zhi. They served us the tea brewed using Ling Zhi. You can choose to buy powder form, capsule form or original form of the Ling Zhi. They are super costly. But if you are health conscious, you may think of getting yourself one of them. One bottle of Ling Zhi capsules (contained 380 capsules) cost SGD$700. They are running a holiday promotion of buy three bottles get one bottle free.
One of the benefits of the Ling Zhi, it can cure asthma.
We went to a Chinese Restaurant for dinner. No photo (too hungry?)
To our hotel of the night, Lakeshore Hotel (煙波大飯店). My third most favourite hotel in this trip. The room have a little Japanese feel, very comfortable.
This night, we were requested to take out our next day clothing in a small bag, and to put our luggage back to the bus. Reason: The next morning we are going to take train (火车) to Luodong (罗东). Our bus driver will be driving our luggage to the destination at 5am.
This is the entrance of the buffet hall:
第六天 （Day Six) - 台北
- 乘搭火车 （花莲 - 罗东） - Travel from Hualien to Luodong by train
- 十分老街 - Shi Fen Old Street
- 九份 - Chiu Fen
- 淡水老街 - Tamshui Old Street
- 士林夜市 - Shiling Night Market
Morning call was made at 7am, bus left for destinations at 8.30am. The buffet breakfast is nice!
Our tour guide told us he have bought the train tickets with seat allocation for us. He talked with abit of joking tone, he said if we do not have seat allocation, we may not be able to fight with others for the seats, then end up starring at each others, and standing throughout the entire one-hour journey.
The tour guide mentioned that the reason for us taking the train instead of bus, is because the mountain for bus travel is too dangerous, there is lots of fatal cases where buses fall off the cliff.
*We must be thankful for the bus driver for risking his life to deliver our luggage to the next destination*
Our first destination after the train, 十分老街 - Shi Fen Old Street.
This is the place for sky lantern. There are different colours of lantern to choose from, depends on what you are concern with, money? health? study? work? family? Single colour lantern cost NT$150, Four-colour lantern cost NT$200.
Write your wishes and set off the lantern to the sky...
As we exiting the place, we saw a beautiful cat sitting on a car top...
九份 - Chiu Fen. We have our lunch here at own expenses. This is the place where you should try the yam dessert. There are different mixture to choose from, and is super delicious. The stall is located near the entrance. (Forgot to take photo!) Actually the stall can be seen abit from the photo below... on the center right side.
People mountain people sea (人山人海)...
Next, 淡水老街 - Tamshui Old Street. The must-buy food is the iron egg (铁蛋). We bought 10 packets, and in one week time, we finished 8 packets. I love it!
Dinner at 士林夜市 - Shiling Night Market (own expenses). This is a vegetarian unfriendly night market. Very hard to find vegetarian food. But luckily the most famous stall selling Guang Cai Ban （官财板）have the vegetarian option.
NOTE: The food street is located at the basement.
And our hotel of the day: Evergreen International Hotel (长荣桂冠酒店(台北)). A comfortable hotel. I went to do a research, it is rated one of the best hotels in Taipei.
第七天 （Day Seven) - 台北
- 中华貔貅馆 - Chung-Hwa Pui-Shiou Museum
- 台北 101 - Taipei 101
- 中正纪念堂 - Ching Kai-Shek Memorial Hall
- 維格餅家 - Vigor Kobo
- 西門町 - Ximending
View from the hotel buffet hall:
The breakfast buffet hall:
This hotel definitely have served lots of Singapore and Malaysia tourists. There is Merlion printed at the lift landing door at the restaurant level. There is another one beside printed the Petronas Twin Towers of Malaysia (no photo).
First destination: 中华貔貅馆 - Chung-Hwa Pui-Shiou Museum. Throughout the trip, our tour guide have told us stories of Pi Xiu. To learnt more about Pi Xiu, please head down to the place. (No photo)
Second destination: 台北 101 - Taipei 101. We have an early lunch there at 11.30 am. Our tour guide very proudly said that he is the only one who can book private room for dinning. The other tour group sits in the public area, while we sit in the private room, with viewing windows. *So lucky of us*
The building:
The scenery from the window:
The private dining room:
The common area:
The starter:
Third destination: 中正纪念堂 - Ching Kai-Shek Memorial Hall.
Nothing much to see there. That day was a windy day. I zipped up my ultra light down jacket.
Fourth destination: 維格餅家 - Vigor Kobo.
We bought the pineapple tarts, sun biscuit, popcorns, green bean cake here. Very nice bakery!
Fifth destination: 西門町 - Ximending. We have our dinner here (own expenses).
The most famous stall:
This is nice:
Random shoot:
We were given two hours to walk around. This street have alot of splited paths, we actually lost our way to the pick up point. (LOL) So we called our tour guide to bring us back. We told him we stand infront of the KFC, and he took less than five minutes and found us. He showed his cutest smile and head towards us and he grabbed my mum's hand and walk together.
To our hotel of the day: Shangri-La's Far Eastern Plaza
WOW! WOW! WOW! is the only feeling I have when we get there. I did not expect we actually get to stay in that hotel. Because this hotel is not the only hotel stated in our itiernary. This hotel is super organised, every bed side will have a carpet with slipper placed nicely, water bottle and glass also placed at the bed side cabinet of each bed. There is sofa in the room, view from the room window is the Taipei 101. Wordless...
*Pai seh ah.. I don't usually have much chance to live in such great service hotel, so abit over-excited*
But this hotel is only my second favourite for this trip, my love is still the Fleur De Chine Hotel.
View from the room window:
第八天 （Day Eight) - 台北， 桃园
- 子弹快车 （台北- 桃园）- High Speed Rail (Taipei - Taoyuan)
It was only 19 minutes ride. And we get on our coach again to the final Taiwanese bakery shop before the airport. (No photo) . We are able to get all our things (including goods that bought from other places) packed in the box provided by the shop.*So nice of them* The name of the shop is Yi Zhao Tang.
Our tour guide repeated his thankful speech (I think three times).. and he said, "Don't turn your head back at me, because you may cry, I also may cry." Haha...
Our returned luggage and boxes:
That's the end of the eight-day tour in Taiwan.
Feelings:
This trip is more than what I expected. Truly speaking, I feel that we are so lucky to meet this tour guide, 廖哥. He is a very knowledgeable Taiwanese 60-year-old man (He told us his age). Throughout the trip, he told us stories, talks about Taiwan history, politics, culture. He also talks about health, fengshui, and much more...
When we reached Taipei, I wished we could back-turn to the first day when we just came.
When I checked in at the Taoyuan Airport, I shallow my tears. Really love this trip, and really thankful to 廖哥 for leading us, guiding us, making a fruitful and wonderful eight-day trip.
If really want to comment about this trip is that we do not have much time for shopping. At most we are given two hours to walk in night market. Just to eat, will spent us one hour easily. Other than that, is really great!
Personally feel that it is an educational trip, with joy and warmth. Hope that we have chance to meet each other again. I will be back to Taiwan definitely!
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