Well folks, we%26#39;re back from our 18 day trip to Taiwan... and with everybody%26#39;s help, I%26#39;m happy to report we had a blast! So much in fact, that my husband is already anticipating another trip back to Taiwan in the future =o).
I really liked TaipeiAlive%26#39;s star ratings, so I%26#39;m following suit (imitation is the biggest form of flattery!!):
* yawn
** good/average
*** awesome
**** super-duper!
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Kenting - Day 3 %26amp; 4
1.) LeoFoo Resort Kenting - ***
This place had a really nice hot spring, where the water once oxidized would turn red. They provided great service and the resort seemed fairly new.
2.) Chateau Beach Resort Kenting - **
This resort is especially popular due to the movie Cape Cod no7. Personally while the view was amazing as the view from the patio opens to the beach, I found that the service, food and cleanliness of the LeoFoo preferable.
3.) Scuba diving off of ';NanWan'; or South Bay - ***
The view underwater was picture perfect. I would highly recommend diving in Taiwan!
4.) Dive shop we used - **
We used a dive shop that my aunt set us up with, and while the group we ended up with on the boat was all about safety... I felt our dive master lacked in communication. I can elaborate if you guys would like more details!
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Kaohsiung
Since we had family here, I%26#39;m only going to touch on the highlights.
1.) Love ';Ai'; River - **
It was really neat to see how much they%26#39;ve cleaned this place up. I was told by family that at night it lights up very nicely and draws a nice crowd for music and coffee goers.
2.) HanShin %26#39;Egg%26#39; Stadium - **
The 2009 World Games will be held here, and this Stadium connected to the Mall just opened. The HanShin mall has some pretty tasty food Shao Long Bao%26#39;s on the 5th and a nice DimSum on the 9th.
3.) British Consulate at Takao/';Hamashin'; - ***
The consulate claims to be the first western building built in Taiwan est 1860. This little town is where my Grandma grew up and it provides a very nice view of the ocean bordering Kaohsiung.
Kenting, Kaohsiung, Taipei, Hualien %26amp; Sun Moon Lake Review
Taipei - Day 6
1.) HSR - ***
This is possibly the best form of transportation! The train stations are easily navigated with all the English and buying tickets were a cinch. Not to mention that it%26#39;s fast and very smooth ride.
2.) Tango LinSen - **
We booked this hotel b/c it was the cheapest rate I found with all the higher rates from New Years Eve. In my opinion this place is way too far from the MRT. However it was clean and provided nice amenities.
3.) Yellow Ted (hair perm) - ***
I requested an appointment with Tim after doing some research online, and he listened to me to a tee! I%26#39;m a bit concerned at how long my big wavy hair perm is going to last, but so far so good.
4.) Din Tai Fung - ****
Yummy goodness! We love the food here, especially the Shao Long Bao%26#39;s. However this place provides great service and the hostess%26#39; were extremely helpful with aiding me in ordering. It also has menus in English with pictures =o).
5.) Ice Monster - **
It was good, just not good enough for a special visit. However this may be due to the fact that it was cold and drizzling in Taipei %26amp; just didn%26#39;t hit the spot for me.
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Taipei - Day 7
1.) National Palace Museum - **
If you really enjoy museums, I can definitely see how this place would be awesome. Personally though, I found this place unorganized and disorienting. The museum offers so much it could take a couple days to go through everything; we spent about 1/2 a day.
2.) Taipei 101 - ***
The view we had was limited due to the rain, but it was still worth the trip up to the observatory. We didn%26#39;t realize this until it was closing time (due to New Years Eve) but there%26#39;s a whole floor below the deck where you can see the wind damper from the middle.
3.) New Years Eve Countdown - ****
It was an amazing experience! I personally was extremely nervous knowing the crowd that was going to be there, but it seemed like the city was a pro at organizing this now. It only took us a hour after the countdown to get on a bus provided by the MRT and back to our hotel.
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Taipei - Day 8 %26amp; 9
I%26#39;m consolidating b/c we were lazy and ended up just vegging and not doing much at all.
1.) Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial - ***
What a photogenic memorial, this place turns up great in pictures! I also took some pictures of the Wild Strawberries that were still camping out at the front of the memorial.
2.) Shilin Night Market - ***
My husband was in awe of this night market. We stuffed ourselves with oyster omelets and other yummy food from the many stalls. Then we ventured out to the shopping area and walked around for another hour.
3.) Dai%26#39;s House of Stink - ***
Stinky tofu!! This place was featured on the Discovery Channel and frequented by Andrew Zimmern. The movie director Lee Ang is also known for liking this place. The lady who owns this shop says they marinate the tofu extra long... no joke! It was extra stinky and the tofu was even curdled, but yummy nonetheless.
4.) Celestial Peking Duck - ****
This place started filling up around 5:30 even though they don%26#39;t even start serving duck until 6:00. Unless you get there early, it%26#39;s definitely smart to make a reservation. Located above the Royal Inn, it%26#39;s worth the trip though!
5.) Tango NanShi - ***
If we ever go back to Taipei, I%26#39;d like to stay here again. It%26#39;s literally located right by the MRT. It%26#39;s new %26amp; provides a nice modern ambiance, complete with all the latest technologies (nano jet tub w/flat screen, automated curtains, latest automated toto toilet).
Kenting, Kaohsiung, Taipei, Hualien %26amp; Sun Moon Lake Review
Hualien - Day 10 %26amp; 11
Out of our entire trip, I%26#39;d have to say Hualien was my favorite leg of the trip! =o)
1.) Echo Villa Minsu or B%26amp;B - ***********
I%26#39;m so glad I went and booked this place: www.echovilla.com
The actual place looks exactly like the pictures on the web. It%26#39;s family owned and the owner%26#39;s son Kevin, from the moment we got there was extremely helpful. He helped us get a scooter and booked our taxi for Taroko. If you would like more information, I%26#39;d be happy to elaborate.
2.) Taroko Gorge - ****
What a beauty! The crystal clear water and rock/marble formations are just amazing.
3.) Mickey Taxi, Mr You - ****
Lets just say Mr. You%26#39;s experience probably saved us a trip to the hospital. There apparently was a small earthquake in Hualien (in the early AM) and the rocks in Taroko were more prone to dislodge. Several huge rocks would have hit our car had Mr. You not reversed so quickly! I highly recommend him, he was nice, friendly, not pushy and provided much information at different points of the gorge. 0926-946751. He only speaks mandarin though. If you need English, you can book through the taxi company which was recommended by our B%26amp;B%26#39;s owner: 03-8331900.
4.) Zen Mouchi - ***
Yummy Mouchi!! I asked Mr. You to take me to a popular Mouchi place on the way home and man was the fresh stuff good =o)
5.) Foot Massage - ***
They have foot massage parlors that are just awesome after several days of long treks on your tootsies. I believe it was about $600NT for a hour and it was well worth it!
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Sun Moon Lake - Day 12 %26amp; 13
1.) Lalu Hotel - ****
The view from this hotel has got to be the prettiest on this lake. We got a great deal for $200 a night and my husband liked it so much we stayed an extra night. You can tell the place is getting older, but the set-up of this place is absolutely gorgeous.
2.) Lalu Spa - **
My husband liked using their spa area b/c of the view out into the lake. Personally I didn%26#39;t find it anything special at all. Plus the prices starts getting really expensive like it does in the US.
3.) eHelios electronic scooter - *
Just don%26#39;t rent these. Maybe we got a dud, who knows. However this thing stopped working on us 3 times and we ended up having to walk it back to the shop. What a waste of money, but more importantly what a waste of time.
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Well, I think that%26#39;s about it! I know I probably forgot some things (it%26#39;s the jet lag). If you need any extra information of details, I%26#39;d be happy to provide it. Thanks everyone again for all your help! =o)
Thanks for the very entertaining read, i especially like your imitation of TA%26#39;s rating scale.
One thought about the Lalu, their standard %26#39;suite%26#39; is really quite ordinary n pales in comparison to many of the resorts at that price range, would strongly recommend choosing their villa for anyone looking for an experience on the lake.This hotel is managed by the Aman group (or so I heard) n is an Amex fine hotel n resort so if u book thru them, u may very likely get a free upgrade to a villa.
As for the Chateau, it used to be a government owned recreational centre before being converted to a resort, hence, depending on the room type u get, some do not even come with a tub.It is very expensive considering the very basic nature of its room n amenities but their pool is decent enough n one pays for its location on a %26#39;private%26#39; beach.
Yeah, the Leofoo is new but is a bit of a distance from everything.Hmm, since it got a 3 star rating from u , we would definitely have to check it out the next time we are there.
Mariatan - Happy New Years! Thanks for all your help, I really couldn%26#39;t have planned most of this trip w/out it. Regarding the Leofoo vs Chateau, I think it really comes down to personal preference of hot springs vs beach. I personally like hot springs and the water there is pretty unique. In fact, while we were there, we met a lady who told us she bought a house near Leofoo just so they can use their hot spring every weekend. The ocean view from the room however is not as spectacular as the Chateau. Families with children will also probably prefer the Chateau. For some reasons due to the holidays, we got bumped up to the 4+ people bedroom in the new building at the Chateau (the one that costs significantly more). It was nice, but I still felt showed some wear.
Although, I overheard that the Chateau shuttles people to Leofoo to use their hotsprings. That could be a nice option!
Dang it, I just knew I forgot something...
In between day 11 %26amp; 12 was supposed to be:
JiaoSi
1.) Hotel Les Champs - *
After all the wonderful places we stayed at, I was just not impressed with this place. Since it was raining the entire time, I really wished I listened and stayed at the Hotel Royal instead. They didn%26#39;t have a business center, but thankfully the people here went over and beyond to help me print %26amp; fax some stuff.
2.) Onion pancake from street vendor by train station - ***
That alone may be the only highlight of our stay in JiaoSi =o(
To be completely honest, we didn%26#39;t do anything in JiaoSi due to the rain. It was quite disheartening as we left a beautiful day in Hualien to come to this.
Sorry to hear about your lack lustre expereince at Jiaoxi, actually , u could still have pop over to Royal to enjoy their hot springs, they do have lunch/high tea/ dinner package that includes access to their hot springs / private bath.Well, maybe next time....
Most people visit Jiao-Si for the hot springs, so they couldn%26#39;t care less about the weather.
Personally, I like Jiao-Si during rainy days. If you visit Wu-Fong-Qi waterfall (about 10 minutes outside downtown Jiao-Si) on a rainy day, the volume of water over the falls will be greater, making for a more spectacular viewing experience. Just make sure your boots have good traction as the steps can be quite slippery.
My mom laughed when I told her that we didn%26#39;t enjoy JiaoSi simply b/c she thinks my minimal Chinese reading and lack of navigation skills hurt our impression of the place. She said the local Taiwanese people (like my extended family) really like it and find plenty of stuff to do. That being said though, I didn%26#39;t really enjoy the hot springs b/c I found that our hot spring experience in LeoFoo Kenting much much better! =o) Again, another reasons I wish we went to the Hotel Royal for our hot spring experience. The hotel we stayed out just wasn%26#39;t all that great.
Your Taiwan trip looks grand! Thanks for sharing. I am impressed that you traveled from Hualien to Jiaosi (I don%26#39;t know where it is) and to Sun Moon Lake on your own. I had a hard time getting around in Taiwan even though I can read and speak Chinese. It is just different from US. How is weather like in Dec-Jan in Taiwan? Do you need a heavy coat in either Kaohsiung, Taipei or Hualien?
BTW, did you like the onion pancakes from the street vendor? I was hoping I could find it when I was in Taiwan last summer. It seemed to me there were hardly any street vendors anymore in the major cities.
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