Sunday, April 4, 2010

Taipei March 11-18 Trip

Hello Helpful Ones,





4 gals around the age of 21-24.





Staying in Royal Castle Hotel.





We plan to make it 3 days scenery and 4 days shopping.Basically we%26#39;re confused as to which scenery to go as we want to go with the MRT line so we do not wish to travel too far out of taipei.





Shopping wise we have a rough idea but i hope that some taiwanese can point out to which shopping area is cheap and nice clothing around.











Thank you in advance for your info!!!



Taipei March 11-18 Trip


hihi,





the lastime i went to taipei two years ago(5d4n) with my 3 gal frens too. We too travel along the Taipei MRT line. Basically we went to





1. Dan shui - scenery, food and shopping





2. Shilin Nightmarket - food and shopping





3. Wo fen pu - Shopping





4. Raohe Nightmarket - Food





5. C.K.S Memorial Hall - Scenery





6. Taipei 101 - See see look look only as its too ex





7. Ximending - A must in taipei





8. Bitan - Scenery but nothin too fantastic





9. Huaxi Night Market - Soso only





We din go to Shida nightmarket due to time and tot it might be about the same as the rest of nightmarkets we went.





Im going again next mth end for 7nights and i have plan for taroko and alishan to see the scenery. As well, Kaohsiung one night for shopping. Also going to Taipei Beitou for Hotspring.





You might like to plan into your itinerary. Hope it helps. =)



Taipei March 11-18 Trip


Thanks jun!





Btw when will u be going? is it march too?




Hi there, do you mind if you can tell me where you went during the one day trip to kaohsiung? Anything that I should get from there and anywhere that I should go?


  • natural cleansing
  • Wulai

    We intend to go Wulai, does anyone know which MRT station should we alight or which bus can get us there from Taipei main station?





    Wulai


    Hi Lynn,





    Take the MRT train to Sindian. Once you alight, exit the station and on your right you see the yellow tourist booth. Just behind that booth is a bus stop. Wait for a bus that reads Wulai. It takes about an hour to travel up the mountain to Wulai.





    I went there for the hotspring. There are lotsa of them over there. Some posh and WOW! , while some are basic ones in an enclosed room. It all depends on your budget and preference. Cheers!



    Wulai


    I plan to go wulai too and book a private hotspring. Since i book a private room, will there stop me from bringin my baby (%26lt; 1 year old) in? Any extra charge for kid?




    I dont think they will charge for the baby.




    How long does it take to Wulai? Do I have to take a railway train via taipei main station?




    where to i get to the small train to travel around Wulai and what%26#39;s the cost of for the ride?




    Board MRT (not railway) trains to Xindian Station (terminal stop) and transfer to a Xindian Bus for Wulai (bus terminal stop). Bus fare: NT$40 Travel time: About 35 to 45 mins.





    The small train (tram or push-cart as it is sometimes called) station at Wulai is located at the end of Wulai Old Street. The trams bring visitors to within walking distance to the 80m high waterfall only. Tram ride costs NT$30 (each way) Tram ride takes about 5 mins. If you do not want to ride the tram, you can walk along Waterfall Rd from tram station to the waterfall (about 1.6 km) in 20 to 25 mins.





    The cable car (gondola) station to Yun Hsien Paradise (Amusement Park) is located near the waterfall area.




    Correction!



    Tram ride costs NT$50 (not NT$30) each way.




    what is there at Wulai other than hotsprings?




    Besides enjoying a soak in Wulai hot springs (both indoors and outdoors by the riverside), take a ride on the tram to the 80m high waterfall. See cherry blossoms (till mid April) around the vicinity of the waterfall. Ride on the 382m long gondola (cable car), bringing you 164m up to Yun Hsien Paradise (Amusement Park).





    Go hiking in Neidong forest recreation area.



    Admission Charge: NT$80



    Opening hrs: 0800 to 1700 hrs



    Bus from Wulai bus stop (infrequent – three times per day at 0630, 1230 %26amp; 1700 hrs) ';Xinxian Qun'; 信 賢 村 or spelled “ Hsinhsian” route. Return to Wulai bus station 30 mins after departure.



    Xindian Bus Co Tel: (02) 26660678 Wulai bus station Tel: (02) 29188830



    Taxi: About NT$600 (return)





    See Atayal aborigine culture performance (NT$200 for about 40-mins duration). At Wulai Old Street, you can buy local products, handicrafts, taste aborigine food including Makino bamboo rice, millet wine, glutinous millet cake, muachee, roasted boar meat and Ma-kou (pepper) used in aborigine cooking.





    Visit Wulai Atayal Museum: http://www.atayal.tpc.gov.tw




    What can we do at Yun Hsien Paradise (Amusement Park)?

    Internet Booking of Various Trains

    hihi,





    I just made an internet booking of the alishan train from Chiayi to Alishan. Can I just reconfirm that picking of tickets can be on the day itself? I will only be at chiayi on 3 Apr.





    Understand that the railway tickets has to be paid and collected 3 days prior to departure via internet booking. Is it the same for HSR train when book online? I only know that we can start booking 14 days prior departure.





    Will the train tickets be easily purchase over the counter on the day itself or easily sold out?





    Pls advise!





    Many Thanks!



    Internet Booking of Various Trains


    Yup I also have this query as I am going up on 30th March.. I went in to the booking site but I was not confirm whether do I need to pay in advance or collect in advance.





    Was thinking to get up to Alishan Staion by 1pm to checkin to Xin Xin Mingshu but the journey from Chiayi need 4hrs+





    Is there any ealier train from Taipei to Chiayi?



    Internet Booking of Various Trains


    from what i check online for the train schedule, both HSR and Railway will not make it for the earliest Alishan train. Maybe you wanna consider taking the bus if you really wanna reached early 1pm.





    I have already given my credit card details when i made the alishan train booking so i suppose it should be paid for when i arrive to collect my tix?





    also, would you happen to know if the railway train and alishan train have toilet? hahah just wanna make sure coz is a long ride~~

    useful Info on Alishan train ticket

    Hi all, thks for the useful info in this forum which enable me to plan my trip to taiwan from 5-12 Apr with my sis. Wanna share wif all these info.





    For those interetsed in going alishan n wanna buy the train tix, here is the contact person:





    Mr Li +886 93287 9842





    I understand tt foreigners can%26#39;t buy the Alishan train tix online or through phone. Hence Ms Lim from Xin xin min shu 娆f姘戝 recommend Mr Li. Mr Li sell the train tix @ cost, no extra charges.





    He also sell bus tix. There are 2 type of bus from Alishan to Chiayi. One is the %26#39;Da ba 澶у反%26#39; n the other one is %26#39;Xiao ba 灏忓反%26#39;. The difference is tt for Xiao ba, it wld stop @ Fenchihu for abt an hr and another place which i dun remember. The cost is NT400 for Xiao ba. It depart Alishan @ 12pm n would reach Chiayi around 4-4.30pm.





    May oso visit this website: http://letsgo-alishan.com and drop him email. His response is quite fast as i send him email in the afternoon and he reply me within the same day at night.





    As for payment, pay on the day tt u collect the tix from him @ Chiayi train station. However he did remind me to call him a day earlier to re-confirm.





    Hope the above info is useful.





    At the same time, could anyone advise me whether Wulai is open on Mon as i understand tt most places of interest in taipei are not open on Mon.





    Thks.



    useful Info on Alishan train ticket


    Thanks, this info will be really handy for foreign visitors planning on taking the Alishan train.





    Wulai is open on Monday, not sure where you get the idea but virtually every tourist attraction except Wu-Fen-Pu is open on Monday.



    useful Info on Alishan train ticket


    That%26#39;s really helpful info, thanks so much!




    that%26#39;s weird.. I can buy the train tickets online.. even booked the alishan forest train too..




    wensi, some people have problems with their online booking at times-You lucky. Sometimes just cannot get connected.



    Now people have an option. Personally, I have never booked any ticket online till today.

    Taroko Guided Tour - NTD3600 for 4 persons. Reasonable?

    Hi forumers,





    I have been reading the forum and gather that the guided tour to Hualien is about NTD3000. I just emailed a much recommended tour guide and he charged me (for 4 persons) NTD3600. Is it reasonable? Has the price increased? I will be going to Taroko Gorge on 17 Dec.





    For your advice please. Thanks.



    Taroko Guided Tour - NTD3600 for 4 persons. Reasonable?


    Wow.. which driver did u book with, i always tot it was Nt2000-2500 only. I only have 2 pax planning to go hualien, in this case it seem too ex le. :(



    Taroko Guided Tour - NTD3600 for 4 persons. Reasonable?


    If it%26#39;s for 4 person NT3600. So each person pays NT800. I think it%26#39;s quite worth it. I have booked for NT2700 for 2 person and each person is NT1350. So compared, it%26#39;s much more worth it. :) Which driver did you book?




    Hi,





    I booked David. He was also recommended by the forum..so youthink 3600 for 4 is reasonable..ok.





    Then I will book a date with him.





    Thanks.




    this sounds a tad expensive, u may want to check out the usual favorite eg Mr Looi or Mr chen Guang fa first.




    quite ex...





    coz for Mr Chen and Mr Lu, 1-4 person, they are charging NT2200 - 2500 for a normal taroko trip. If want to add other place like qing shui cliff, that will be additional cost. For mine, is NT2700 (NT2200 + chingshui cliff for NT500) for 3 pax, the cab can take up to 4 pax though




    ok i think i will give them a call to check the rates...they have no email address right?




    yup...they have no email...not that I know off




    Hi, i have just book Mr Looi for my 15 Nov trip to Taroko. We have 7 adults and he charges us NT4500 for a 9 seated van. I think is quite reasonable. So, u better check with them.




    Oh...that seems really reasonable..how did you contact Mr Looi?




    +886928569081. i sms him and he reply

    Rainbow Hotel vs. TS Hotel

    Hi all





    Am planning to visit Taipei in April. But can%26#39;t decide on whether to stay in Rainbow or TS.





    Can someone tell me which hotel is better?





    My main concerns are that:-





    (a) room must be clean and spacious;





    (b) hotel must be near to MRT; and





    (c) surrounding area must be safe.



    Rainbow Hotel vs. TS Hotel


    Both hotels are fav among forumers so you don%26#39;t have to worry.





    Rainbow is right in the middle of XMD, surrounding is more lively or noisy. TS is near Red House Theatre and 2 mins from Xi Men MRT station, more quiet but still safe.



    Rainbow Hotel vs. TS Hotel


    you can stay Royal Castle also its no bad also :)




    Hi there! I%26#39;m planning to visit Taipei early April too. Check with most hotels recommended by TA i.e. TS, Wonstar, Rainbow, Orange - all fully booked. Even Alishan the B%26amp;B also raise price from normal NT$2500 to NT$14,000 for 2pax (due to cherry blossom) - unbelievable.



    OMG! Taiwan tourism must be doing gd man!





    Is there any other hotel around XMD area, please!




    Hi Crazybun, check this thread : tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g293910-i9303-k107鈥?/a>




    erm if u wan





    Royal castle bah LOl 2nd post i think from me LOL




    Hi,





    I have stayed at both hotels before.





    Rainbow : Normal room for 3 pax





    Nice and big. Quite clean. Toilet decent size. Love the location! You can walk ard XMD and just walk right up to your hotel. When you hungry, just go downstairs and the street hawkers are there. Watson just opposite so anything you forgot to bring, can just pop in. Only got internet on level 2 with their 2 PCs. Forget abt the breakfast. Go find somewhere else to eat.





    TS : The so called suite on level 7





    Carpet full of ciggies stain. sorry but I%26#39;m a freak for cleaniness. but I heard a lot of good reviews abt this hotel so maybe only the suite is bad. Room size smaller than Rainbow. Would think their normal room would be much smaller than Rainbow. Toilet got powerful super jet-style. Quite nice. Location still near XMD but along some lane. Still safe but compared to Rainbow, a 1st time traveller would prefer Rainbow. but TS is still safe IMO. Like the bubble tea near TS. Sure will pass by when you walk back to hotel. Actually all Taipei bubble teas are nice! hahahahaha..... Got wireless internet in room (I think). Even if don%26#39;t have, got 2 PCs in lobby.





    For me, I will and am :P going back to Rainbow.





    Love the fact that I can find food just outside the hotel.




    Hi All,





    Thanks for your input. How about Wonstar as highly rated by TA? Our aim is for easy move about and happening.

    Taipei to Kaohsiung

    Hi,





    What are the forms of transport to KH from Taipei?



    Could you pls state the travel time and travel fare?



    And are there are promotions available?





    Thank you!





    Taipei to Kaohsiung


    HSR 1hr30~2hr nt$1450



    promotion



    weekdays 10am~12:30 ahd 19:00~22:12 nt$965







    TRA 4hr30~8hr40 nt$845



    Taipei to Kaohsiung


    HSR



    www.thsrc.com.tw/tw/ticketing/timetable.asp




    Are there any cheaper alternatives?





    When will the promotions for HSR end?



    Im gg in late june.. hope the promotion will last till den...




    1.the aloha bus,



    Taipei -%26gt; kaohsiung nt$715



    promotion mon 10:00~fri 12:00 nt$498 need 6hrs????





    2. I don%26#39;t think the HSR%26#39;s promotion will ended this year.




    aloha bus,





    http://www.aloha168.com.tw/main.htm




    UBus is having a promotion: NT450 from KHH to TPE



    www.ubus.com.tw/onlineservice/LINEserach.asp



    Or you can take the Tze Chiang train for NT845



    鈥ra.gov.tw/tw/ticketprice/upload/A1BAC1.html




    Thanks for all ur help.. and sorry for asking so many qns recently.. (:





    Abt the train NT845, i don understand the website.



    May I know what time do i need to depart in order to reach Taipei around 1pm?



    Is the travelling time going to be 4.5hrs?





    The reason why Im trying to save on the ride from Kaohsiung to Taipei is because we din initially plan to go Taipei during the weekends. It will be quite pack on the train as well, rite? But because jetstar alter their flight fares(out of the blue!), we have no choice but to change our dates and quickly booked them too..





    But if i manage to save on hotels and use the %26#39;extra%26#39; to cover up the bullet train fare, den we can take the bullet train! Yippee!!





    Therefore, wat do u think of Lilai Hotel? Is it a building on its own? I saw many mix reviews abt it.



    Its onli NT980/nite/room on http://www.eztravel.com.tw/. Very good deal!





    Initially I wanted to book Good Ground through Jetstar website. But Im still waiting for Good Ground to post their prices for June in extravel.



    When do you think it will be up?





    Are there other budget hotels around Ximending Train Station?




    I understand the HSR is offering discounted rate during the off peak period. If i remember correctly, the off peak period should be from Monday to Thursday. The timing is after 12 to a certain timing which i don%26#39;t quite remember. And then, after 9pm again.



    I know Ubus and Ho Hsin are having promotion to Kaohsiung. I think Ubus is offering NT 380 during the off peak period. Ho Hsin is NT 450 if i remember correctly. Aloha is the most expensive amongst them.




    anyone have comments on the two hotels mentioned?




    Lilai shares a building with other hotels ,it%26#39;s old but low price with good location.


  • natural cleansing
  • 箱根苑 (Hakone hotspring) at Wulai

    May I know have anyone try 绠辨牴鑻?(Hakone hotspring) at Wulai. Looks quite nice on pic for the outdoor hotspring.

    Need help to plan Itinerary in Alishan

    Hello All,





    I%26#39;m new to this forum, and would hope to seek your great advise on Alishan. Is anyone familiar about Alishan, hope you can really help me in this.





    I%26#39;m intend to go to Alishan and spend a night there during my 7D6N trip in Taiwan. I have heard about the Native Tribal dance in Alishan and is really interested to go for it, is there any one day Tour that provides this? If yes, how much would it cost? Is there also any cheap and pleasant hotel that i can spend a night in?





    Would greatly appreciate any suggestion on how i can plan my Itinerary for Alishan.





    Thank you!

    Alishan Forest Recreation Area

    Hi, can anyone tell me which stations should I alight to visit these places in Alishan (Alishan House, Plum Orchard, Sisters Pond, Three Generations Tree %26amp; Alishan Sacred Tree, Jushan to see sunrise)



    Alishan Forest Recreation Area


    Yea.. i am also curious if every places can be reached by foot?





    I have a Alishan Recreation Forest Map, i think is obtained from train station, someone scanned it online.



    Alishan Forest Recreation Area


    Hi jiajia85, the map that you got is it the same as from the Alishan website?




    here is the map : s653.photobucket.com/albums/uu254/jiajia85/鈥?/a>





    wanna know if the places shown inside there can be reached by foot? i staying near alishan train station.




    Thanks jiajia85.

    陽明山,土雞山菜

    Hihi,





    Going to Taipei during end of march... any idea which place provide good 土雞山菜 food at 陽明山?







    thk you...



    %26#38525;%26#26126;%26#23665;%26#65292;%26#22303;%26#38622;%26#23665;%26#33756;


    冠宸,





    http://www.wretch.cc/blog/htm550/9890626



    %26#38525;%26#26126;%26#23665;%26#65292;%26#22303;%26#38622;%26#23665;%26#33756;


    thank you so much for providing information....



    So glad to see a reply. Thank you





    Btw, is the place accessible by taking 108遊園公車?




    No.You should alright at 竹子湖,then walk to the restaurant ,I am not should how long will it take you can ask them in advance.





    Here is the map about those 野菜 restaurants ,the stop is at right down corner next to the police station.



    http://www.goyms.com.tw/7159.html









    Accommodation in Sun Moon Lake

    Hi,





    Many pple have recommend Laurel Villa to stay but I find it to ex coz stay over on Sat. Beside, we have five pple and they dun quite allow. So any other nice minsu to recommend there?



    Thanks in advance.





    Accommodation in Sun Moon Lake


    love home,



    http://www.love-home.idv.tw/main3.htm

    1 day in Kaohsiung

    I will be dropping by Kaohsiung for 1 day before leaving the city for Taipei. Can anyone recommend an itinerary on what can I do at Kaohsiung City with around 8 to 10 hours there.





    Preferably if you can recommend where to have a dinner at some seafood store, night markets and shopping areas.





    Thanks a lot.



    1 day in Kaohsiung


    kaohsiung,



    http://khh.travel/en/



    1 day in Kaohsiung


    This is what I planned, do give me comments on this.





    8:00 High speed train to Kaohsiung



    10:00 Zuoying Metro Station



    10:30 Xizhiwan Metro Station



    11:00 Xizhiwan %26amp; Former British Consulate



    13:00 Cijin



    15:30 崛江 %26amp; 城市光廊



    19:00 Liuhe NM



    22:00 High speed train back to Taipei




    If you take HSR express to Kaohsiung it takes only 90 mins.







    Here is my suggestion,城市光廊 %26amp; Love river are suitable to visit after dark.





    8:00 High speed train to Kaohsiung





    10:00 Zuoying Metro Station





    10:30 Xizhiwan Metro Station





    11:00 Xizhiwan %26amp; Former British Consulate





    13:00 Cijin





    14:30 Hanshin arena





    17:30 Liuhe NM





    19:00 崛江 %26amp; 城市光廊 %26amp; Love river





    22:00 High speed train back to Taipei


  • natural cleansing
  • Cabbies in Hualien

    We highly recommend our cabbie, David, in Hualien. He speaks excellent English and took us to some really interesting places in and out of Hualien, and went out of his way to help us get around. He even mailed our camera back when we left it in his cab. You can reach David by email at davidgrace36@yahoo.com.tw or by phone at (03)8230652, (03)8230361 or 0911-896900.



    Cabbies in Hualien


    Hi RW,





    Thanks for your post. What was the rate charged for the day tour.Did it cover Taroko and then some??





    It is really good to know that you recommended an English Speaker.Some of our forumers previously had a bit of problem not being to communicate with the ';Guides';





    Thanks again for your post.



    Cabbies in Hualien


    I can%26#39;t remember what his rate was, but at the time we felt it was very fair for the time and information he provided. He took us to some incredible places and we learned a lot while we were with him. We had such a great time, we hired him for more than one day.




    Thanks a lot for coming back here to share your info, RejoiceWay. There is definitely a need for a recommended English-speaking tour/driver in Hualien. Forumers have previously asked about one, but we had been unable to help---until now. Thanks!




    Sorry to bring this up after so long.



    I too would prefer an english speaking cabbie. But may i know what type of car David drives? Was it a normal saloon car, or can it fit more than 4 passengers?





    Thanks!




    David drives a normal saloon car and a VW T4 can fit 7 persons not including driver.He was born and grew up in Hualien.




    David offers three prices with differeent services but eight hours a day extra one hour plus 400 NTD.





    1.3000NTD





    a.English version Tarogo map/brochure.



    b.3000cc biggest Toyota saloon with sky-window and comfortable seat



    c.English-speaking licenced tour guide%26#39;s explanation.



    d.including umbrella and binocular.



    e.Cingshui cliff plus 300 NTD.





    2.3500NTD





    a.English version Tarogo map brochure and books magazine photos and introduction of schedule.



    b.3000cc biggest Toyota saloon with comfortable back seat and sky window.



    c.English-speaking licenced tour guide%26#39;s explanation and know-how.



    d.including water ,dry towel,flash light ,binocular ,umbrella ,cap and raincoat.



    e.personal guide to secret places with quiet and spectacular beauty.



    f.Cingshui cliff plus 300 NTD.(guide you to trail and secret watching place)





    3.4000NTD





    a.English version Tarogo map brochure and books magazine photos and introduction of schedule.



    b.Voslwagen T4 transporter with higher seat and better scenery but max. 4 persons. 5~8 persons plus500~1000NTD



    c.English-speaking licenced tour guide%26#39;s explanation and know-how.



    d.including water ,dry towel,flash light ,umbrella ,cap and raincoat.



    e.personal guide to secret places with quiet and spectacular beauty.



    f.Cingshui cliff plus 500 NTD.(guide you to trail and secret watching place)



    Taichung - 悅萊MOTEL or 沐蘭MOTEL

    Hi,





    Can i check which of the above hotel is better if i dont have a car ? Wish to stay in taichung city area where it%26#39;s near to shopping areas. Also if i reach taichung train station, how much it cost to these 2 motels by taxi?





    Thks,



    Low





    Taichung - %26#24709;%26#33802;MOTEL or %26#27792;%26#34349;MOTEL


    those two are in the same area(台中七期重劃區) however 悅萊 is a little bite closer to the shopping areas .





    Taxi fares are the same too, but I don%26#39;t know how much will it cost.





    If you are from HSR station I suggest you should transfer the bus or TRA to downtown somewhere near the motel first,then take a taxi.

    Rather lost. Things to do in Taichung?

    Hi,





    I did quite some search but finds that Taichung seems to have not much of an attractive except for a stopover for people who wish to go to Sun Moon Lake.





    I am going to SML from Alishan and then bus from SML to Taichung for 2 full days and 2 nights. I%26#39;m really uncertain that there are enough activities to keep me occupied for 2 full days and 2 nights in Taichung.





    I only know about the night market but how about my 2nd night? :P





    How about hot spring? Any hotspring I can go? Any convenient location? I%26#39;m actually quite lost on the map. Dakeng (hot spring) seems to be on the right of the map and don%26#39;t look accessible to me. eng.taiwan.net.tw/lan/Cht/map/ShowMap.asp鈥?/a>





    I%26#39;m not a clubbing person, love shopping (but will have 2 man in my travelling gp), not very cultural/history person(but don%26#39;t mind going to Temples). But I guess I can%26#39;t be visiting Temples all day. I was only thinking of Wanhe Temple.





    Any advise would be greatly appreciated! :D





    Rather lost. Things to do in Taichung?


    Taichung travel,





    鈥etwork.com.tw/tourguide/鈥aichungcity.asp



    Rather lost. Things to do in Taichung?


    The Formosan Aboriginal Theme Park (an amusement park w/ a ';hanging'; roller coaster and TW%26#39;s highest freefall ride) is near Sun Moon Lake. (There are plans for a gondola connecting the two spots.)



    http://www.nine.com.tw/



    http://www.nine.com.tw/fun02.htm



    http://www.nine.com.tw/fun03.htm



    In Taichung City, visit the National Museum of Natural Science:



    http://www.nmns.edu.tw/




    Hi there,





    need help here! We are planning to stay overnight in Taichung before we proceed to SML the next morning. Any idea from Taichung city is nearer to SML or nantou to SML? We intend to spend a day trip to SML via unlimited ride and back to Taichung/Nantou for overnight. Our onwards journey, the next morning via bus to Chiayi~Alishan.

    Sun moon lake

    Hi





    Planning to go Taipei in August for the summer sale and also visit Sun moon lake. Any idea how long it%26#39;ll take to travel from Taipei to Sun moon lake and whether its worth the trouble? Not sure whether i should be spending one night there too. The pictures look awesome but not sure about the actual sceneries.





    Any other nice natural scenaries near taipei to recommend?





    Any idea on a good hostel?





    Thanks.

    省钱王之出城记- 台湾行

    anyone saw the mediacorp channel 8 varitey show, %26lt;%26lt;省钱王之出城记%26gt;%26gt;.



    There%26#39;s one episode on going to 高雄.



    Anyone know where are the places they went?



    I planning to go taiwan this sept.



    I really need help in getting some information.



    Thanks. =)



    %26#30465;%26#38065;%26#29579;%26#20043;%26#20986;%26#22478;%26#35760;- %26#21488;%26#28286;%26#34892;


    If not mistaken they went :





    1) 新堀江



    2) 旗津--- seafood



    3) 85大樓misu



    4) ......



    cannot really remember. Sorry.



    %26#30465;%26#38065;%26#29579;%26#20043;%26#20986;%26#22478;%26#35760;- %26#21488;%26#28286;%26#34892;


    Is there anyway to find out the details?



    I wen to their mediacorp website but too my disappointment, cant find anything. Don noe is bcos the show is stil showing.





    Anyway thanks for info. =)




    Welcome to the Taiwan forums, Mikyo79.





    My wife %26amp; I watched every episodes of the recent 省钱王之出城记- 台湾行 tv series.



    In fact, I even alerted my nephews to catch the show, as they hv just returned from Taiwan in our Nov 08 trip.





    Did U guys also watch the debut series: 省钱王 for Singapore?





    If so, U%26#39;ll understand our position better:





    Where to go n what to buy n eat on a budget - that%26#39;s the premise of this series.





    IMHO, this latest 省钱王 之 ';出城记';, for Taiwan or Japan or other countries, had not effectively continued the good work it has done on its Singapore series.





    In fact, on where to go n eat n buy for bargain in Taiwan, I see U guys can get lots better info - WITHIN these Taiwan forums alone! :-)





    Many forumers hv enjoyed touring Taiwan on budget, n the forums here are loaded with their tips %26amp; ideas.





    Hv fun planning!





    TA :-)



    TaipeiDreams.com




    I understand what you trying to say. I just need some info to do some compair.



    u also shld noe for budget trip. we of cos have to compair and c which is better.



    Everyone wan cheap %26amp; nice right.



    Sometime tv show one also mus add into consideration ma. m i right =)




    Mikyo,





    U%26#39;re smart to compare, as there%26#39;s nothing inherently wrong with doing so indeed. :-)





    The tv show is a start, n a suitable guide. Not necessarily a worthy base to start exploring Taiwan (KaoHsiung or elsewhere) on budget.





    We looked to the tv series with anticipation too - but was pretty disappointed. ;-P





    These forums hv lots more to offer - than what the show did by picking up mainly shopping stops here n there n saying how cheap the buys are.





    Will forward U tips here as I locate them.





    Hope this is helpful.





    TA :-)




    Look what I found!





    Someone has uploaded the 省钱王之出城记- 台湾行 series on YouTube!





    Mikyo, maybe reviewing the vid might help U get better idea/ info where the hosts went in KaoHsiung..





    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZArTSDHGHZ0





    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XLxHlboUsmY





    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-qJCMb3IRo





    TA :-)




    Wow... Thanks =D



    I will have a good look at it and c how%26#39;s worth in the offer given by them.



    Really thanks. =D




    hihi,





    got this from another forum. hope they are in correct order with the program.





    Shops list in 《省钱王之出城记》 in taiwan





    台北



    1) 包子先生 (北投区石牌路二段77号)



    www.mrbaoz.com.tw



    - 面包和传统包子的时尚结合





    2) O’mani 谐音糖果 (格子趣店 - 武昌街二段30号)



    http://tw.myblog.yahoo.com/omima-blog



    - 所有的创意产品售 NT105





    3) 美国二手货市场 (昆明街96巷8号)





    4) Banana jeans %26amp; Co. (天母东路30号)



    - 成衣及剪牌服饰商店





    5) 师大夜市





    6) 漫画王 (南京东路2段11号4楼)



    http://web4u.idv.tw/comic01/a01.html



    - 24小時复合式服务的漫画店





    7) Leeco 礼客时尚馆 (内湖区民善路205号)



    www.leecooutlet.com.tw/



    - 号称全国最大的Outlet時尚主題馆





    8) 伍角船板餐厅 (内湖区内湖路一段32巷8号)



    www.five-dime.com.tw



    - 艺术与美食相结合的餐厅





    9) 生活工厂outlet (内湖区民善街88號4F)



    www.workinghouse.com.tw



    - 台湾家具生活用品专卖店





    10) 北投亲水公园露天温泉(北投区中山路6号)



    - 台北市第一座可以“泡汤”的公园





    11) 山园野菜餐厅(北投区竹子湖路55之12号)



    - 阳明山美食





    12) 草山夜未眠 (士林区东山路25巷81弄99号)



    - 文化大学后山,营业到凌晨,观赏夜景的好地方







    苗栗 / 台中



    1) 大湖酒庄 (苗栗县大湖乡富兴村八寮湾2-4号)



    www.dahufarm.org.tw





    莓香醉美 (大湖酒庄4楼)





    2) 天津路服饰商圈



    -麻布依 (天津路二段104-9号)



    - 红磨坊服饰批发( 天津路二段41号)



    - 新上品服饰(天津路二段104-8号)





    3) 逢甲夜市





    4) 沐夏精品时尚旅馆 (西屯区市政北七路279号)



    www.moonshy.com.tw







    高雄





    1) 新堀江商圈



    - Levi’s Outlet (J Shop,新兴区文化路85号)



    - 阿爆小铺Doraemon (新兴区文化路82号1楼19室)



    - 够坏堂(文化路82号3-5楼)





    2) 旗津岛



    - 万三小吃部(旗津区中洲二路162号)



    - 明丽乌鱼子厂(中州二路68之8号)





    3) 刘家酸白菜火锅 (左营区介寿路中正堂旁)





    4) 旅人假期 (东帝士85大楼,22楼,27楼)



    tw.myblog.yahoo.com/beauthome-beauthome/




    WOW.............. Jun21, you reali power.



    Feel like give you a big hug. =D



    Thanks so much... m(_ _)m arigato!!!!




    Jun21, how u find out one... i find until i go crazy lo.



    you go which forum?

    6D5N in Taiwan

    Day 1 :



    Reach TPE Airport



    Xi Men Ting





    Day 2 :



    Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall



    Longshan Temple



    Taipei Main Station:



    Shida NM





    Day 3 :



    Taipei Main Station To Zuoying Station



    西子灣



    旗津



    85大樓



    崛江



    城市光廊



    瑞豐夜市/六合夜市



    Zuoying Station to Taipei Main Station





    Day 4 :



    信義区XinYi Area



    ZhongXiao Area



    Wu Fen Pu



    Raohe NM





    Day 5 :



    Neihu Area



    Danshui



    Shilin NM





    Day 6:



    Depature





    Day 2 is kinda loose. Any recommendations on where else to go?


  • natural cleansing
  • How is the weather now?

    Hi,





    I am leaving on 23rd Feb. I would like to know how is the weather now? I will be going to YMS, Taroko, Jiufen and Danshui. Is a cold jacket necessary?





    Thanks.



    How is the weather now?




    www.cwb.gov.tw/V5/forecast/taiwan/week.htm



    How is the weather now?


    Ok, I have been to the website already. But I would like to know from the locals how actually is the weather there now.




    right now in Taipei? 21 degree cloudy with sunshine.



    long or short T-shirt is ok.




    Wow... 21 degrees with only T-Shirt. I wonder can I take that temperature with that attire.




    Looking at my computer screen, current temperatures are 18C~22C; however, it%26#39;s expected to drop by 8 degrees tomorrow---hard to believe, as we enjoy this nice warm day. Winter temperatures are very unpredictable, so it%26#39;s best to check 2~3 days before travel.




    21deg should be alright. I was hoping for even colder. 21deg is just as hot in singapore night-time. argh.




    Me too... I am leaving for Taipei on 26th Feb. Was hoping that the weather is below 18 deg...




    According to Taiwan Met services, it will hit 30 degrees next Thu!!! I thought it is suppose to be winter???




    It%26#39;s 15 degree in Taipei today.




    I%26#39;ve just seen the one-week forecast on the website too. Oh dear, temperature in Taipei will generally 20-30. That%26#39;s quite disappointing as I expected it to be cooler - want to get away from the heat in Singapore! Keeping my fingers crossed that it%26#39;ll be cooler when I visit on 3 Mar. :)

    Expert needed: advise me Taipei to Alishan to Kaoshiung

    Flying off on 29/3/09



    Reaching Taoyuan at 6.30pm



    Will take Freego to XMD East Dragon Hotel



    30/3: Will book THSR Taipei(6.30am)



    to THSR Chiayi(8.00am)



    Shuttle bus from THSR to Alishan Railway



    Will book Alishan Raiway(9.00am) to Alishan



    Station(1.09pm)



    Check in ';Xin xin mingshu';



    ?? Would like to visit the ';ShenMu'; and the go



    to Fengjihu?? But don%26#39;t know how???



    Will book the Sunrise tour also to see sunrise



    the next day.



    31/3: Will take Alishan Railway(12noon) to



    chiayi(5.13pm)



    Book Zhiqiang Hao to Kaoshiung (6.30pm)



    Take MRT to check in 85 Xingshu





    So far planning up till here, will be there for 10days.





    Is my planning OK?





    Expert needed: advise me Taipei to Alishan to Kaoshiung


    Hi Sberry,





    I%26#39;m not really an expert :) but am planning my trip in early apr (roughly the same itinerary as you)





    do read Wensi post



    tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g293911-r244鈥?/a>





    It%26#39;s very useful. It should answer many of your questions. If I remember correctly, Wensi is also staying at Xinxin.





    From what I understand, Fengqihu is halfway between Chiayi Railway and Alishan Railway.





    You will need to book your Railway ticket to Chiayi to Fengqihu, get off the train, walk ard Fengqihu and then get back to the Railway station and board the train to Alishan.





    I saw one post before having the following itinerary.





    1. Take early morning HSR from Taipei to Chiayi.





    2. Board complimentary bus from Chiaiyi HSR to Chiayi train station.





    3. Take forest train 1000hrs from Chiayi to Fenchihu





    4. Arrive Fenchihu 1250 hrs, have about 3 hours to explore Fenchihu.





    5. Take 2nd forest train 1613 from Fenchihu to Alishan.





    6. Overnight at Alishan and watch sunrise





    7. Next day return via bus to Chiayi train station





    You are going to Alishan during the cherry blossom period so it%26#39;s better to book the ticket now.



    https://ticket.ht-alishan.com.tw/welcome.php





    When you finish with Alishan, consider going to Sun Moon Lake first (that is if you have not been there). There are many ways from Alishan to SML.





    Do a search in the forum and there are a lot of posts on it.





    A way that I know of is take Chiayi HSR to Taichung. By the time you are in Taichung, I reckon it will be late. So stay there for 1 nite and take the chance to visit the Fengjia night market. In the morning, take a Nantou bus (I think it%26#39;s 2 hrs?) to SML. If you have got time, stay in SML for 1~2 nites. From SML, take bus back to Taichung. From Taichung take HSR to Kaohsiung. KHH for 1~2 nites then HSR back to Taipei.





    some useful bus info and also info on SML.



    www.sunmoonlake.gov.tw/EN/02000479.aspx





    If you are looking for a minsu to stay, you can try http://laurelvilla-en.emmm.tw/ I%26#39;ve booked my coming stay with them. they seem to have good review and the owner is really friendly and helpful when I emailed them.







    But I%26#39;m super lazy so for my itinerary, I book a cab from Alishan from my Minsu (Small Swiss) directly from Alishan to SML in about 3~4 hrs. But of course this cost me more. But I have 4 persons traveling together so it%26#39;s cheaper. Usually hiring a car is about NT3000~4000.





    Alrighty, hope the above helps :)



    Expert needed: advise me Taipei to Alishan to Kaoshiung


    If i would like to save the trouble and take a cab directly from Chiayi THSR to fengqihu station





    (how much and long long would it take?)





    (Any idea what are the sightseeing places at fengqihu? is it worth travelling or stopping by there before procedding to ALISHAN?)





    (actually i would like to cover fenqihu and shenmu at the afternnon as i would head down to kaohsiung the following morning after sunrise tour)





    (do i need to buy advance ticket from chiayi railway station to kaohsiung railway station?)

    Slove Hotel near Taipei Main station

    Hello everyone





    Is there anyone who has stayed in this hotel recently??



    Any update on reviews?



    I will be traveling to Taipei early April...



    Wanted to go back to TS hotel but they are fully booked...



    Hence decided to try Slove Hotel....





    Please post updates on the hotel here...=)



    Slove Hotel near Taipei Main station


    update for slove,



    tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g293913-i9546-k239鈥?/a>



    Slove Hotel near Taipei Main station


    Just stayed there a few days ago.





    Clean and decent. Don%26#39;t ask for anything more and you will be ok.

    one night stay in sun moon lake and Alishan

    Hi!





    I am thinking of going to sun moon lake and Alishan in May for my 7d6n trip in taiwan. is it highly recommended to stay one night in sun moon lake and Alishan or it is possible to just travel there n back to taipei?





    also for Taichung? can I not stay 1 night there?





    Thanks so much in advance for your help!



    one night stay in sun moon lake and Alishan


    Hi littleeegal,





    Sun Moon Lake is about 132km apart (estimated from google map). Taking a cab (NT3000~4000) will at least takes 1.5hrs to 4 hrs, depending on what route you take.





    Plus if you look at the timing of Alishan train, I don%26#39;t think you can complete SML and Alishan in 1 day.





    Do read my post as I have just post some replies to similar questions as yours.





    tripadvisor.com/鈥?6276031



    one night stay in sun moon lake and Alishan


    Thanks for replying! so its recommended that i stay 1 night each in sun moon lake n Alishan?




    it really depends on what you want to see and do in each place; years ago, we did a 2 hr stop in SML on our way to Hualien but we%26#39;ve also spend a night there on other occasions.If u stay overnight, u get to see the sunrise n sunset over the lake and one gets enough time to visit other sights nearby.



    For Alishan, I really don%26#39;t think the accomodation up there is worth the bucks , so would advice a one day trip unless u want to catch the sunrise at Zhushan or take the Alishan train.




    thanks for the input!





    i see! guess i will just travel up to both places in 2 days without staying overnights in each place...so i won%26#39;t have to keep lugging my luggage along... =)




    Hi littleeegal,





    Your trip to Taiwan seems short. Is this your 1st trip to Taiwan? You%26#39;ve been to Taipei?





    This coming april will be my 3rd time to Taiwan and my 1st trip was mainly spent in Taipei (5D4N) and my 2nd trip in Taipei and Hualien (5D4N). Yes, there are that many places to go in Taipei and its surrounding places.





    If this trip is your 1st time to Taipei, I would recommend you spend some time in Taipei and Hualien. Going to Alishan and SML (to me I guess) is like a relaxation trip, to appreciate the nature. Rushing through the trip may not be as enjoyable. Maybe I%26#39;m getting old. HAHAHAHA....





    But anyhow, you can still squeeze in Alishan and SML. If you have not too much of a budget, I would recommend you to do a 2D1N trip with http://small-swiss.so-buy.com/ and get Charlies to quote you a van ride to SML from Alishan. And then you can stay in SML for 1 night and the next morning/afternoon, you can take a bus back to Taichung.





    If you don%26#39;t think Taichung is a good place to tour, you can take the HSR back to Taipei.





    There is a straight bus from SML to Taipei actually so it saves you the trouble from SML to Taichung then HSR to Taipei. Of course the bus trip (I think4~5 hrs?) is long but cheaper!



    www.sunmoonlake.gov.tw/EN/02000479.aspx





    In this way, you can cover Alishan and SML in about 2.5~3 days and you still have sufficient time to be in Taipei.





    I love Jiufen and Danshui in Taipei. And if you still have free time, go to a Hotspring in Beitou.


  • natural cleansing
  • Holiday in Taiwan

    Hi, I%26#39;m planning a trip this Mar 5-11th, 2009 to Taipei.





    I%26#39;m planning to go to Hsinchu, Taichung, Hualien, Kaohsiung and Kenting.





    Will I be able to cover all these places in 7 days?



    Can anyone kindly advise me how to go starting from Taipei to all the places listed above and back to Taipei. What mode of transportation would be the best (do not intend to travel by air).





    Thank you very much for your advise.





    Andrea_liz



    Holiday in Taiwan


    one needs to spend at least 2-3 days in Kenting, one day trip to the rest of the towns mentioned would be possible but quite hectic and u really can%26#39;t see them all in such a short time, so you would have to target on what u want to see in each place.



    Train would be the next best option if one does not want to travel by plane.



    Holiday in Taiwan


    You should think about giving up Hsinchu and Taichung this time.

    Lone traveller in Taipei

    Hi guys, I%26#39;m planning for a two-days tour alone. I would love to go to Yang Ming Shan. I did some research and gotten the information to get from Taipei to YMS. However, I am not certain of how to get around in YMS. Can I cover the areas by foot? Like walk from the bus stop to Mt datun? Will it be safe for a girl to walk the path alone and stuffs? I intend to stay there till nightfall, is it easy to walk down to catch a bus at about 7-8pm?





    Thanks in advance :) Have a nice day!



    Lone traveller in Taipei


    Hi simpleton13,



    It%26#39;s not a good idea to visit YMS by foot,however there%26#39;s the bus 108 遊園公車 to help the tourist .



    Bus R5



    www.mtcbus.com.tw/line_detal.php?line=96





    108 遊園公車



    www.mtcbus.com.tw/line_detal.php?line=74





    竹仔湖 zhu zhi hu



    http://www.goyms.com.tw/7159.html





    to YMS,





    1. take the bus R5 at Jiantan MRT station to YMS main station (the final station).





    2 transfer 108遊園公車(bus 108) to 竹仔湖,小油坑,擎天崗 .





    the bus 108 will stop their service at 5:30 pm,so if you want to see the night view then go to 文化大學 by bus R5.





    at YMS main station take bus R5 to 文化大學 stop,after the night view take bus R5 to Jaintan MRT station.





    PS:I suggest you to join other group while you visit the YMS.



    Lone traveller in Taipei


    Thanks lu for the info! :)





    i did thought of joining a tour but it%26#39;s not quite feasible for i intend to stay there for quite long to capture photos. so i guess i have to venture it myself. i guess it%26#39;s fine? ;)





    thanks again!




    oh ya. last question from me. do all the buses go to Mt datun? is the night scene the nicest to capture from mt datun?




    No,not all the buses .



    Bus 108 is the best choice ,you can buy the 遊園卷 nt$ 60,one day pass for unlimit use.7:00am~17:30 pm.





    There are several places are famous spots for night view,one is Zhuzhihu observatory竹仔湖展望台 in front of police station , near the bus stop.





    The other one is文化大學後山.Coz the bus 108 will stop operation at 17:30.I think you should enjoy the day view at Zhuzhihu,and watch the night view at 文化後山.





    The Mt.Datun night view you mentioned about,should be near the Zhuzhihu area.



    http://mamahama.pixnet.net/blog/post/21593944




    ic! it%26#39;s very good information big thanks, lu! :D

    Sanrio Vivitix

    Hi, does anyone know whether in Taipei have any Sanrio Vivitix shop and if have, may I know where is it? Thanks.



    Sanrio Vivitix


    Sanrio website,



    http://www.funbox.com.tw/sanrio/005.asp





    Sanrio shops,



    http://www.funbox.com.tw/sanrio/006.asp



    Sanrio Vivitix


    Thanks a lot lu24759. By the way, do you have any idea whether is the Sanrio Vivitix at zhongxiao dunhua still under renovation as previously I read from a magazine saying that it was temporaily closed.




    I have called another Sanrio shop,but they said the shop at Zhongxiao Dunhua is closed and will not reopen.




    Thanks for helping me to check. Do you any other sanrio shops in taipei that sell things that are more suitable for adults like bags?




    Hi,



    For Sanrio products geared towards ladies, try the Sanrio shop at Sogo - Zhongxiao (the white Sogo, not the green one).



    If you%26#39;re looking for kids%26#39; stuff, the Sanrio shop in Shin Kong Mitsukoshi - Taipei Station has a better selection.




    Thanks for the info.




    Does anyone know the shops by the name of Ki La Ra and M House in Taipei?




    Ki La Ra



    它的櫃並不多,目前只有三越南西2館(原衣蝶本館)B1、三越A4館B1、台中廣三SOGO B1、高雄大立7F及大統和平店3F。







    M House M HOUSE 精品館. 北市大安路一段31巷27號( 捷運忠孝復興站) Tel - 87714880 ....





    http://www.wretch.cc/blog/mhouse



    http://blog.yam.com/yaya2005/article/16110906




    Do you have any idea what do Ki La Ra and M House mainly sell?

    SeasonStar Homestay (Alishan)

    Hi, have anyone stay in Seasonstar in Siding, Alishan? Do they have heater in their room and how long does it take to from Chiayi HSR to Seasonstar? Thanks.

    Liu He to Love River to Urban spotlight

    hihi... Is Liu He Night Market very near to Love River? Can walk there or take what bus there?





    Then from Love River to Urban spotlight, where %26amp; take what bus?





    For travelling around Kaohsiung city in public buses, do they accept fare payment by the I Pass(一卡通) like Taipei%26#39;s Easycard or have to pay by coins/cash.





    Thanks.



    Liu He to Love River to Urban spotlight


    You can walk there or take MRT to City council station ,then take a walk follow 中正四路 to Love River.



    Taking MRT from City Council station to Central Park station.



    Urban spotlight is in the park.





    There are several kinds of I Pass only 暢遊卡 can be used for MRT ,BUS and Ferry.



    www.krtco.com.tw/service/service-2a.aspx

    good hair perm in Taipei

    Hi all, do you have any good listing with reasonable price for hair perm on Taipei?



    good hair perm in Taipei


    tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g293913-i9546-k185鈥?/a>



    good hair perm in Taipei


    FangFang - I went to Tim at Yellow Ted ( 02 )2562-3701. It was definitely not as expensive as HPark or Eros, I believe for my haircut and perm and hair condition it was around $4000NT. Tim was also the one that curled my hair instead of another person (apparently it%26#39;s not often that you have the main stylist curl your hair).





    Good luck!


  • natural cleansing
  • Spring Alfresco Spa @ Spring City Resort

    Hi any tried the Spring Alfresco Spa @ Spring City Resort before? Any feedback? Thank you.





    http://www.springresort.com.tw/en/main4b.php

    Taipei Zoo

    Hi,





    Is the panda bear in taipei zoo?



    What are the special animals inside, saw from the map that they have kola bear?





    Isit worth going?



    and the gondola to Maokong isit working?





    Maokong is famous for their tea planatation, any other attraction?



    Taipei Zoo


    Yes,there are two snowy pandas and several koalas in the Zoo.



    the gondola isn%26#39;t working now , will need several months to fix it.



    Taipei Zoo


    Panda bear is all the craze right now. The number of visitors to the panda hall is capacity controlled, and each visitor is only allowed to stay and watch the panda for a few minutes.





    In addition to the panda, other notable animals include the king penguin, koala bear, and the Taiwan black bear.





    As for the Maokong gondola, it is no longer in operation due to structural defects (danger of collapse). I estimate it will take the government at least a couple years to fix the problem.

    Taoyuan Airport (Tourist Information Centre)

    Hi, does anyone know whether is there any tourist information centre in Taoyuan Airport and if there is, where is it and how to go to it as I will be arriving at Terminal 1. Thanks.



    Taoyuan Airport (Tourist Information Centre)


    Of course there is. When you check out, turn right and walk towards the end, you will see the counter. There is also booths selling pre-paid sim card.

    Please recommend Hualien accomodations

    Hi, All,





    My husband and I would like to visit Taroko Gorge and therefore would like to find a hotel / b%26amp;b in Hualien.



    I must admit that I am a creature of comfort... so somewhere as nice as possible. As I do speak Mandarin, English speaking staff is not a must.



    I would greatly appreciate any suggestions - both raves and rants.



    Many thanks.





    Please recommend Hualien accomodations


    Regent Taroko situated in the Gorge itself (4 star in my rating, but it%26#39;s the best thing there).



    Far glory hotel would be the most comfortable for HL area , Promisedland being the next best choice.



    Please recommend Hualien accomodations


    鍧愮湅闆茶捣 - http://leisure.hlbnb.tw/news.htm is a nice minsu. They will take care of the transportation problem as well.




    HI,





    I juz returned from Taiwan and went to Hualien for 2 nights.





    I booked the train tickets online and then collect it from the train station. It takes about 2 hours to reach hualien (took the taroko train).





    I stayed at 2 different minsu (b%26amp;b) and spent 1st afternoon in bayview minsu and 2nd morning go taroko gorge and stay in heartstay :



    1. Bayview minsu - This minsu is located at the 涓冩槦娼? You can hear and see the waves from the room. The minsu will also do morning call to wake u up to see the sun rise from your room balcony. There are free bicycles to use too. They provide free pick up service to/from train staion. Breakfast is provided.





    See this website: www.bayview.com.tw. Recently, their new building is also available. see the website.





    For bayview minsu, i pay $300twn for taxi return trip to the town (can also go night market).





    2. The 2nd minsu that i stayed is Heartstay (http://www.heartstay.com.tw). This minsu is located near the town, within 5-10 mins walk. Also provide free pick-up from train station. The minsu is managed by an old couple, very hospitality and friendly couple. For breakfast, they bring you to the nearby soyabean king for breakfast -nice.





    There are plently of nice food in the city within walking distance from the Heartstay minsu.





    I also did the taroko gorge with the minsu at 2400twn (include cingshui cliff).





    You can drop them an email. Pls note that they may take some time to revert as they have to wait their daughter to reply. Otherwise, you can call them. You can tell them is recommended by a couple (Low %26amp; Yang) who stayed in early Nov.





    - For both minsu, i make payment when i reached the minsu.





    Low

    Stay Real Shop

    Hi, does anyone know how to go to this shop in Taipei? I%26#39;m interested in buying t-shirts from this shop. Thanks.





    Stay Real





    台北市忠孝東路四段205巷39號1樓



    Stay Real Shop


    [STAYREAL旗艦店] 台北市忠孝東路四段205巷39號1樓 (捷運忠孝敦化站2號出口第一條巷子左轉到底) TEL 886-2-8771-9411 營業時間:PM 2:00-9:00 週五、六延長至PM 10:00 ...



    Stay Real Shop


    Hiqi82, found U some maps here:





    ..... Store location:



    http://blog.roodo.com/flysky/c8b67c5d.jpg





    MRT: Zhongxiao Dunhua, exit #2.





    ..... Zhongxiao Dunhua MRT map:



    www.trtc.com.tw/img/ALL/Route2200/091.jpg





    TA :-)



    TaipeiDreams.com




    Thanks a lot for the directions and maps. But may I know if you all know there is a shop called ';Stage'; in Ximending as the last time I went to Taiwan and stayed in Rainbow hotel, I didn%26#39;t manage to find it. Could someone please help me out on this?




    U%26#39;re welcome, Hiqi82.





    Here are all the Stage stuff for U:





    sh2.yahoo.obuy.tw/apery/item_cata.asp…





    https:/…print





    http://www.ilovestage.com.tw/





    TA :-)




    Stage Taipei



    台北市西門町開封街二段66號



    tel:02-2389 2213 fax:02-2389 1203



    open hours...PM 02:00-10:00




    Thanks a lot for the address. Does anyone know how to go to the shop from Rainbow Hotel?




    Now you are at Rainbow Hotel ,then turn left ( the Watson%26#39;s side)and go down the street you will pass East Dragon Hotel ,at the end there%26#39;s a school campus.



    then turn left again ,Now you are at 開封街,and go straight will pass a 7-11 store ,the stage shop is 66號,go to find it.




    Thanks a lot for the directions.

    Cherry Blossom in Taipei?

    Hi,





    I have heard from some where that we can actually see Cherry Blossom in Taipei during March/April.





    May I know is this true?





    Thanks.



    Cherry Blossom in Taipei?


    Sorry, when I say Cherry Blossom, is it those Cherry Blossom that is found in Japan or it means 梅花?





    Thanks.



    Cherry Blossom in Taipei?


    it is 櫻花, n yes, u get to see them in March/april.




    Actually right now you can see Cherry Blossom in Yang ming shan.Most of them are Taiwanese Cherry whose flowers are red .




    Photo of Taiwan Cherry Blossom (櫻花): tripadvisor.com/…16928932




    Some already out in the mountains as I took these pics last week at Pishan in Neihu as a few trees already in full bloom:



    The color is a vibrant pink - very fuschia:



    …photobucket.com/albums/…Sakura2009-3.jpg



    …photobucket.com/albums/…Sakura2009-1.jpg




    When i went Taroko during mid jan... I saw 1 cherry tree blossom hee...




    Gosh........





    Does that mean I will miss all these beautiful flowers when I am there on the 4th week of March?




    it%26#39;s still possible to see some flowers,but not so many,because the Flower Season will be ended at 3rd week of March in YMS.check this,



    tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g293913-i9546-k251…




    go to Alishan for cherry blossom in March/April; the ones in taipei (YMS n Wulai) would probably be gone or dwindling at best by that time.




    Which is a better place to view cherry blossoms? YMS or Wulai? Are there also many cherry blossom trees in Wulai?


  • natural cleansing
  • Foreign Credit Card is acceptable for online train booking!

    Hi all, i need to correct the misleading information in this forum about train ticket online booking. Foreign credit card IS ACCEPTABLE! I just booked the return train tickets between taipei and hualien on 28/12-31/12. Transactions went through successfully.





    Last time when i found out from this forum that foreigner cant use CC to make payment, i had doubt on it, thus i called Taiwan tourism board in singapore and the person told me that it was wrong, that is the reason i try to pay by my HSBC cc.





    I have booked a 20-seaters bus as the airport transport. Only cost me NTD1.8k per way. We got 10 ppl so is just 180NTD per pax per way. This is the cheapest i found so far. Will feedback on their service. If it%26#39;s good, i will share the contact with forumers.





    I have booked a driver/tour guide for north east coast 1 day trip. the driver is a local who stays in Jiufen. He quoted me 700NTD for 10 hours trip(over 1 hour is fine). Will feedback on his service as well.





    I chosed to stay in a minsu in hualien called 鍧愮湅浜戣捣. Will feedback on this minsu once i come back from taiwan.





    Looking forward the new year countdown trip at taiwan with such big group of frens :)





    Foreign Credit Card is acceptable for online train booking!


    Now that is exciting news. Thanks for the update on online credit card purchasing of train tickets. The last time I talked to them (a couple of years ago, I think), they said they would work on changing the ';locally-issued card only'; policy; so glad to know that they have followed through.



    Do you have any more details about how you went about it? Links, type of train, step-by-step procedures, etc.? Thank you!



    Now only if the Alishan railway would follow in their footsteps!



    Looking forward to your review of the other services as well.



    Foreign Credit Card is acceptable for online train booking!


    The ridiculous part is that i tried to call chinatrust(the one in charge of cc payment), the person told me can%26#39;t! luckily i din listen to him :)





    One thing to take note is that i tried number format starts with an alphabet and 9 digits, it does not work. Guess they have algorithm to match against taiwan IC no. Also take note that chinese version booking page k book return tickets but english version only one way :(





    Steps are:





    1) purchase ticket using english version as usual - http://railway.hinet.net/net_eng.htm



    2) go to cc payment page(on top left corner of the booking page - https:/鈥ndex.php



    3) use same ID no and ref code to log in. Pls check the option 澶栫睄浜哄+璜嬪嬀閬?濉叆璀风収铏熺⒓)



    4) Confirm yr ticket type and amount.



    5) Fill up CC details



    6) Print out the receipt and collect it.



    7) Can use this page to double confirm that payment is successful - https:/鈥ay_vw.php



    8) Another option to confirm yr payment is go to http://railway.hinet.net/eoquery.htm to check your booking. It will show payment made by cc.




    do we still need to collect the tickets in 3 days?




    No! you can collect it by latest 30mins b4 the train.




    thanks!! with ur help i have managed to book my hualien train tickets too but some trains were already full. I only need to print out the credit card receipt and the collection slip right?



    Do u know if we can do the same thing for the HSR train tickets?




    Yup, now to new year is peak season especially year-new where taiwanese is having 4 days holiday!





    Ytd is the opeing day for booking 31st dec ticket, i woke up at 6am to book yet it is still fulled :(





    Just bring the receipt and yr ID will do :)





    I think HSR ticket is even easier to purchase.




    Hm, tcs80, that%26#39;s what happened to me: I called TRA, was directed to call China Trust, got the same answer that he gave you---but I foolishly took his word for it, that%26#39;s the difference! :P




    CC, no , u are not wrong. It used to be that the system would not take foreign credit card.I don%26#39;t know when they made the improvement but up until last year, when I tried to pay with a S%26#39;pore based card, it got rejected, many times.the Chinatrust receptionist was just not updated, that%26#39;s all.



    Anyhow, there are other major changes to come commencing next year.It was in the Apple dailies today that collection deadline would be changed to 2 days instead of the existing 3 and tix would be available at the booth 12 days ahead instead of 10 ,also, online booking and payment would be extended to 11pm.All these to happen next year, which is soon.




    Oh no.. I%26#39;m think I%26#39;m in trouble..



    As I will only be taking the trains on 22nd December and I did not know that prepayment can now be done on the web, I wanted to wait till tomorrow to buy it.





    I%26#39;ve now tried to book 1091 from TP to Hua Lien, 2079 from Hua Lien to Jiao si on 22nd Dec.. they are all SOLD OUT! Should i still try to go to the station to buy it?




    Rafale, you could:



    1.scroll down to see the various stops that the particular train is scheduled to stop, then, break the booking into 2 parts, eg, for TP-HL, one could book, TP-jiaoxi, then jiaoxi-HL or any other combinations.U see, for each stations, only certain quota of tix is released for booking so by booking in parts, u would have a higher chance of sucess.



    2.Like I%26#39;ve mentioned beofre in prior post, wake up early n log on at 6am to catch the tix released from the previous night.



    3.Choose trains other than the Taroko rail, as they are less popular.



    22 is not on a weekend, so ur chances of getting ur choice is quite high, just keep trying.

    URGENT! FLYING TMR! yehliu, jiufen, keelong

    hey! will be flying off tomorrow morning so this is rather urgent! my itinerary is not completed yet! I have half a day left empty and i dont know if i can fit yehliu, jiufen and keelong in just half a day.





    i%26#39;ll be at leofoo themepark from 9am to 2pm. do you think i%26#39;ll have enough time to visit yehliu, jiufen and keelong for the rest of the day? by the way, where exactly are those areas? are they in taipei or outside of taipei? how do i get to those places?





    the day before this i%26#39;ll be going to beitou for hotspring in the morning then to danshui after that. i%26#39;ll reach danshui at around 1-2pm. should i move the danshui trip to after leofoo themepark and replace it with yehliu, jiufen and keelong? would this be better?





    please advice!! thanks! (:



    URGENT! FLYING TMR! yehliu, jiufen, keelong


    It’s about 1.5 hrs bus ride from Leofoo Theme Park in Guansi Town, Hsinchu County to Taipei city. It’s about 1 hr 20 mins bus ride from Taipei city to Yehliu. Yehliu Geo Park closes at 1700 hrs.





    Yehliu, Jiufen and Keelung are all outside Taipei city. Schedule your visit to Leofoo Theme Park (about 60 km SW of Taipei city) and Yehliu (about 14 km NW of Keelung city), Jiufen (about 14 km SE of Keelung city) and Keelung (about 40 km NE of Taipei city) on separate days.





    Visiting Danshui after Leofoo Theme Park is possible. Visiting Yehliu, Jiufen and Keelung after Beitou on a separate day is possible.



    URGENT! FLYING TMR! yehliu, jiufen, keelong


    Thanks TaiwanDIY! Please take a look at my itinerary and see if there%26#39;s any problem!





    DAY TWO(TUESDAY)





    HUALIEN



    Will be hiring a cabbie! Hopefully Mr. Lu Lai Fu will be free to bring us around(: But we have to go Hualien ourselves. May I know how to get there from Taipei? And what is the earliest time I can get there? Thanks! (:





    DAY THREE(WEDNESDAY)



    Wake up @ 7.30a.m.





    9am - 1pm: Leofoo Village Themepark



    Directions: Take MRT to Jingan Station, Then take TaiLien E-Go bus to window on China / Leofoo Village





    1pm - 2pm: Travel to Danshui MRT



    May I know how do I get to Danshui MRT from Leofoo?





    2pm - 4pm: Take ferry to Pali Township, lunch at Daluan Aboriginal Restaurant





    4.30pm - 5pm: Take ferry to Fisherman%26#39;s Wharf





    5pm - 6pm: Walk around + see sunset





    6.30pm - 8pm: Back to Danshui and visit Fort San Domingo + Danshui Old Street and Waterfront





    8pm - 8.30pm: Travel to Minquan W. Rd MRT





    9pm: Dinner at Shinyeh Restaurant





    10.30pm - midnight: Shida NM





    DAY FOUR(THURSDAY)





    Wake up @ 8.30am.





    9.50am: Take shuttle bus from Beitou station to Asia Pacific Resort for hot spring. Visit 熱谷 Hell Valley after hot spring. Would end at around 1pm.





    1pm: Visit Yehliu, Jiufen and Keelong



    Please advice on the itinerary! I don%26#39;t know the way there and I don%26#39;t know how to arrange the places to make the journey smoother. Do I need a cabbie? Or can I just explore on my own. What are the attractions there? Heard from other forumers that it%26#39;s one of the must-gos in Taiwan.





    Will I be back in Taipei for dinner? Would like to head to Five Cent Driftwood Restaurant located at Yuanshan station. Is it on the way? Will I be able to have dinner by 8pm?







    Please advice!! Thank you!!




    DAY TWO (TUESDAY)



    According to TRA website, earliest train is Tze Chiang train #1051 Dep: Taipei 0640hrs Arr: Hualien 0935 hrs



    Taiwan Railway Administration (TRA): new.twtraffic.com.tw/TWRail_EN/index.aspx



    TRA train ticket prices: service.tra.gov.tw/tw/ticketprice/excel.aspx



    The railway ticket fares can be found in the Chinese version of website, not the English version.





    DAY THREE (WEDNESDAY)



    Take TaiLien E-Go Bus back to Jingan MRT Station. Transfer at Beitou Station to trains heading to Danshui Station.



    Fort San Domingo (Hongmao Castle) is located at No. 1, Lane 28, Chongcheng Rd. Opening hours: 0900 to 1630 hrs Tue to Sun (Mon closed)





    DAY FOUR (THURSDAY)



    You can explore Yehliu, Jiufen and Keelung Miaokou on your own. No need for a cabbie.



    This thread has the details on Yehliu, Jiufen and Keelung: tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g293913-i9546-k186…



    The bus fares on Keelung buses had been recently revised downwards on some of these bus rides. Check the Keelung bus website http://www.klbus.com.tw for the correct fares to pay.





    Five Dime Driftwood Restaurant is located at 台北市內湖路一段32巷8號



    Lunch hours: 1100~1400 hrs Dinner hours: 1700~2100 hrs



    www.five-dime.com.tw/html/page06-taipei.htm



    It is across the road from Miramar Entertainment Park (Ferries wheel), not at Yuanshan MRT station. You would probably have dinner at Keelung Miaokou food street. Perhaps you can arrange dinner at Five Dime Driftwood Restaurant to another day.




    Hello





    Planning a trip to Taiwan in March and am DIY.





    Please advise how i can get to Yehliu in the morning and after lunch (where is good place for good value for money fresh seafood in Yehliu?)want to proceed to Beitou Hot Springs. Please advise.





    Thanks



    jm

    Taipei Pubs : EZ5 and 桃園驛站

    Hi all,



    I have heard lots about music pubs in taipei and believe that it is a MUST GO since we are all attracted to the music scene in taipei.





    Just wondering, how much does it costs to enter this pubs. I couldn%26#39;t find the price list at EZ5 website.



    Is there a minimum order?



    For those pubs, the min. age to enter is 18, 21, or 23?



    thank you.



    Taipei Pubs : EZ5 and %26#26691;%26#22290;%26#39515;%26#31449;


    any updates? thanks



    Taipei Pubs : EZ5 and %26#26691;%26#22290;%26#39515;%26#31449;


    EZ5





    安和路2段211號



    Tel: (02) 2738-3995(來電請於7 pm-2 am間)



    營業時間: 12 pm-2 pm(僅提供午餐)、



    8 pm-1:30 am(夜間音樂場)



    消費:入場票價400元(週一)、500元(週日、三)、600元(週二、四、五、六)



    可刷卡(不收AE卡、大來卡)



    網址: www.ez-5.com/





    the min. age is 18 years old.




    We went to EZ5 2 years ago and we%26#39;re glad we went there! Surely enjoyed ourselves.

    Taipei night view at YangMingShan

    Hihi, I need advice on which scenic spots in YMS national park is good to have nice night view of Taipei city. Is it Jhuzihu, Mt Datun or Yangming Park or somewhere else? Since bus 108 doesn%26#39;t operate at night, what buses should I take to go back to the city? Also heard that the night view from Wen Hua Da Xue Hou Shan is quite good, any idea how can I reach there? Thanks in advance!



    Taipei night view at YangMingShan


    she took R5 to YMS from MRT Shilin,







    bigbird74313.pixnet.net/blog/post/21812069











    pictures







    blog.xuite.net/darsue9999/blog/10582415



    Taipei night view at YangMingShan


    Hi,





    May I know what is R5?





    The sceneries and the restaurant look very nice on the website posted. May I know what is the name of the restaurant? Also, is it very popular? do we have to reservation?




    1.bus R5 (紅5)



    2.



    屋頂上-the top



    位置:台北市文化大學新建體育館下方50公尺處(情人坡)



    電話:02-2862-2255



    www.compei.com




    May I know how to get to Zhu Zhi Hu?



    I need some guide here cos I went up YMS before and took a bus and stop at Zhu Zhi Hu...but when I alight, I can%26#39;t see anything...just a Primary school an d a long road up the hills....





    I need to know the actual location and what bus to take...and would like to go THE TOP after the visit to Zhuzhi HU




    Bus R5



    www.mtcbus.com.tw/line_detal.php?line=96



    108 遊園公車



    www.mtcbus.com.tw/line_detal.php?line=74



    竹仔湖 zhu zhi hu



    http://www.goyms.com.tw/7159.html





    1. take the bus R5 at Jiantan MRT station to YMS main station (the final station).



    2 transfer 108遊園公車(bus 108) to zhu zhi hu stop which is next to the zhuzhihu police station at the right down corner of the map.





    the top ,



    at YMS main station take bus R5 to 文化大學 stop,then walk to the top 屋頂上 restaurant.




    I think i took bus 108 and when they annonce Zhu Zhi HU...I drop the bus....





    Should be the same location as what u have say...



    do we have to walk a long way to the see ';Hai yu';



    cos last time i went, i saw mini bus heading the long road up...any other way than walking the long way up.




    If you want to visit Hai yu farm, then you should take 小9區間車 .





    ‧自捷運淡水線劍潭站搭乘紅5公車上陽明山(約10-20分鐘一班),再轉乘小9區間車



    ‧自陽明公園花鐘停車場【起站】可搭小9區間車經陽明書屋至竹子湖,沿途停靠湖田國小站-頂湖站-靶場站-海芋大道站-第二停車場【終站】



    viablog.okmall.tw/blogview.php?blogid=74




    yup. got it!!



    hopefully i manage to go to zu zhi hu this time round.





    saw something like Visit hell valley and than zu zhi hu...isit nearby?





    btw, the top restuarant have to reserved huh?



    if i cannot manage to get a seat inside this restuarant than what are the other places i will be able to see this taipei night scene? and how to go?




    I am sorry the Hell Vally is far away, but you can go to the Jhuzihu observatory the view is awesome ,it just in front of Jhuzihu police station. or transfer the bus 108 to 小油坑 and 擎天崗 and other place interesting you.The bus 108 operating schedule is from 7:00am to 17:00pm.





    You have better make a reservation for The top,if no seat available ,then next the restaurant there is an open space for public to enjoy the night view .




    oh but i found another way to go hell valley and zhuzhihu..that is small bus 9 from beitou





    so if i did not manage to get the seat, i can still stand ard the restuarant to see the night scene huh?

    Diff route to YMS

    Hi,





    May I know which is the shortest or fastest way to YMS?





    1) take bus 260 from Ximending



    2) take bus 260 fgrom Taipei main station



    3) take bus 260 from Jiantan MRT station



    4) take bus 5 from Jiantan MRT station





    I%26#39;m a bit confused with what I%26#39;ve read... it said it will take 50 min for bus 5 from Jiantan MRT station and 1 hour for bus 260 from Taipei Main Station. I though it will be much faster from Jiantan MRT Station?



    Diff route to YMS


    From Jiantan MRT station to YMS is much closer than the other places.



    Diff route to YMS


    Thank you. :)




    You did not mention where you are staying in Taipei-If you are staying in Ximenting the Ximenting is most convenient-Same bus 260- One starts at Taipei Station back entrance stop (Civic Blvd) Other goes round to Ximenting.



    It does not mention the frequency of that Bus 5.



    Also it will take you time to get to Jiantan as well.




    nuttyazn, we%26#39;ll be staying in ximending. If I take the bus from there, how long will it take as compare to taking bus from Jiantan MRT station? Thanks.




    Very simply, SnowyPanda, here%26#39;s a tip to keep in mind:





    When inside Yangmingshan National Park, U%26#39;ll be navigating the Park via internal small bus.





    That%26#39;ll be enough bus travelling for me.





    The best way I know to get to YMS (other than private vehicle/ cab) is to enjoy the MRT train ride to JianTan.. Then get on the Red 5 big bus to YMS (10++ mins only).





    U%26#39;ll be glad U saved yr energy for moving around n enjoying the majestic Park.





    Hv yr fun in Taipei!





    TA :-)



    TaipeiDreams.com




    yup the last time i went, the hotel staff from one star told me that, the bus stop and i waited there for 30 mins....or motre, the journey up was a tiring and super long journey...no seat and we are standing all the way up to YMS and than the small buses...so by the way up we have olreadi finish up our energy....





    this time round, i shall take the mrt to jiantan and take red 5...so from jiantan mrt where is the bus stop location?





    was thinking to visit hell valeey and than zhu zi hu? isit nearby and how to go there?




    Thanks a lot! Actually I think I%26#39;ll need double the energy... got to struggle to keep my baby to sit still...





    Btw, there is 2 internal buses in YMS? Coz I read that to go to zuzihu, need to take bus 9??? Need to take a long walk if take bus 108...





    How to go to the flower clock? Is it where the bus terminates? Any must see places there besides zuzihu?




    Here is route map of small bus 9,



    yoyonet.biz/egoing/bus/beichi/small/009-1.htm



    ------------------------------------------------------



    sberry,



    1,the bus stops are just outside Jaintan MRT station.





    2,If you want to go Hell valley first then Jhuzihu. You should go to Beitou MRT station to take small bus 9 and alight at 北投公園.Hell valley is next to the park,after that taking the same bus to Jhuzihu areas for the Haiyu flowers.





    ----------------------------------------------------



    snowyPanda,



    Bus 108 is the internal bus and bus 9 come from Beitou.



    花鐘 stop is located at the big green spot -there are tree spots in the route map.



    If you want to visit another famous places I recommend taking bus 108 to 小油坑 and 擎天崗.



    www.mtcbus.com.tw/line_detal.php?line=74




    Thanks...the map done great help.





    Any specific stop to drop to see Haiyu.



    Saw lots of photo on the Haiyu farm



    so wanted to drop at the nearest stop, but don%26#39;t know where.




    i will take small bus 9





    is hell valley worth visitng?

    Anyone wants to share cab (Meeky Yang) on 15 Apr 09?

    Hi everyone,





    My bf and I are traveling to Taipei coming April and would like to visit Yeliu/Shifen/Jiufen/Jinguashi/Keelung on 15 Apr (Wed) for a 1-day trip. Will probably engage Mr Meeky Yang%26#39;s services since he is quite highly recommended.





    The cost for 3-4 pax should be NT$3000, so we are looking for 2 persons to share it with us.





    Anyone interested please drop me an email at biyun25@yahoo.com.sg





    Thanks!







    Mavis



    Anyone wants to share cab (Meeky Yang) on 15 Apr 09?


    hi Mavisby, fyi booking is at NT 3000 (up to 4 pax)for Meeky. additional of NT500 for 5th %26amp; 6th (maximum 6 adults) If you like to book Meeky you would like to book earlier. I book my april trip in Feb..hee...


  • natural cleansing
  •