Try Taipei

Taiwan, initially, wasn’t in my list of countries to explore until I saw photos of some of my friends in Facebook that showed various things one can do and experience there.  And since it is relatively near(er), I immediately looked for the most affordable airline rate online to book for my birthday.  As usual, Cebu Pacific had the best offer for 2,000php per way.

Next was the visa processing and I was thrilled to discover that they offer a Travel Authorization Certificate (visa equivalent) for free to those with valid entry visa in certain countries including the US, which I have.  If qualified, all you have to do is accomplish the online application form and in a few clicks, you can print the document.

Because of the convenience of staying within the main shopping area that I experienced in my recent trip to (2)Seoul, I also searched for a property in the same area in Taipei, which is in Ximending.  I got a room for 3 nights in Beauty Hotel for 7,500php in total through HotelsCombined.

Next in my agenda are the tours to avail since it will be my first time in Taipei.  Klook, which has been my go-to site for booking tours and other travel needs, was there to serve its purpose.  I got the following deals that are cheaper than their normal rates and more convenient to arrange: airport to city car pool transfer for 492php, 3-day 4G SIM card for 492php, Shifen & Jiufen bus arrangement for 757php, Taipei 101 Observatory admission ticket for 839php, Northern Coast tour for 1,817php, city tour for 1,665php and a 1-way Taipei High Speed Railway service going back to the airport for 211php.

Below, you'll find my daily activities and photos taken during the trip.  Don't miss the last portion of this blog with my personal tips and feedback.

Day 1
1.  Modern Toilet - You can't be in Taipei and miss this original toilet-themed restaurant.  Their first branch is this one in Ximen. 

http://www.moderntoilet.com.tw/en/index.asp

2.  Taipei 101 Observatory - A signature skyscraper landmark of Taiwan, which was considered the tallest in the world until 2009 when Burj Khalifa snatched the title.

http://www.taipei-101.com.tw/en/index.aspx

http://www.taipei-101.com.tw/en/index.aspx 

Din Tai Fung flagship restaurant at the basement
level of Taipei 101

It also has the record of the world's fastest
passenger elevator

3.  Ximending - Shopping district that attracts the younger population, comparable to Myeongdong in Seoul.

4.  Shilin Night Market - Aside from shopping, this place showcases a variety of street foods, Taipei is known for.

Of the options available, stinky tofu is not to be missed,
but be warned on how it smells

Hot Star Chicken, which is getting popular here in the
country, is everywhere

Day 2 (Shine and Jiufen bus arrangement through Klook.com)

1.  Shine Old Streets - It is a collection of lanes and alleys in and around the Shifen railway station area but is more popular for releasing sky lanterns.  You will also find restaurants and souvenir shops around. 

2.  Jiufen - A town outside of Taipei city, which is a popular tourist area with great views, a historical market street, and wonderful street food.  It is also the inspiration for the famous anime movie 'Spirited Away'.

Day 3 (Morning: Taiwan's Northern Coast Tour through Klook.com; Afternoon: Taipei City Tour through Klook.com)
1.  Keelung City and Harbor - A major seaport in northern Taiwan.  Don't expect much as aside from the huge buddha, it's really just a city and a harbor.

2.  Yehliu Geopark - Offers an array of unique geological formations, with the 'Queen's Head' as the main attraction.  Along the way, you can also enjoy the view of the Pacific Ocean.

3.  Traditional Taiwanese Temple

4.  Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall - A landmark and national monument erected in memory of Taiwan's founder, Chiang Kai-Shek. 

Changing of the guards ceremony

5.  Martyr's Shrine - Built to honor Taiwan's fallen soldiers.

Changing of the guards ceremony

6.  National Palace Museum - Home to the world's largest and finest collection of Chinese art.

My Personal Tips and Feedback:

     1.  Get a local SIM card instead of a WIFI device.  It is cheaper and you can also connect more devices through your phone’s hotspot feature.  You can get one from Klook.com and collect at the airport.

2.  Ximending is Taipei’s shopping district.  But unlike Myeong Dong in Seoul, it closes around midnight.

3.   Drop by Starbucks in Ximending as it may be their best looking branch in terms of interior.

4.   After years of being built, they recently opened the MRT service from airport to the city center and vice versa and if offering a 50% off promo until the end of March (pay only 80NT).

5.  The main (indoor) observatory in Taipei 101 is located at the 89^th floor.  Climb up to the 91^st floor using the stairs to each the outdoor observatory (although nothing much to see due to the walls).

6.  The sky lantern material in Shifen is re-cyclable so you will see village folks carrying those that have fallen back in the area.

7.  On the way to Jiufen, usually, the tour bus from the city will park at a certain parking area (Ninth parking) and you have to ride another bus to climb up.  Make sure you have exact fare of 15NT as the driver won’t give any change.  I ended up giving 50NT.

8.  Tour guides would usually mention that time when you need to be back at the parking are after exploring Jiufen.  Make sure you give enough time for you to travel back as bus lines tend to be long and the drive back to the parking area may take longer than usual due to the volume of vehicles driving through the steep up/downhill road.

9.  At Yehliu Geopark, go straight to the ‘Queen’s Head’ as the line can be lengthy.  Besides, it’s the most famous formation of them all.

10.  If you have enough time, try to allot a few hours and drop by Gloria Outlet Mall near the airport.  It is literally across the street from the Taoyuan MRT station, a few stations from the airport.

11.  There are very limited restaurant choices after immigration on your return flight so stuff your tummy even before arriving at the airport.

To NAIA in 4 Minutes

The elevated expressway project called 'NAIA Expressway' has been opened to the public in late 2016 and boy it's so much convenient.  Below is a video that will show you how the travel goes from Coastal Road to Terminal 3 in less than 4 minutes, which can also benefit those who are going to BGC or Makati.

Do take note of the following:
1.  The video was taken mid-January when they still didn't charge the 45php toll fee.  Still, that's well worth the convenience you'll get for passing through this expressway.
2.  What I was about to say when the video got cut is that if your final destination is not the airport, you still have to pass by the arrival or departure ramp of Terminal 3, then proceed to the exit to reach Andrews Ave.

Seoul-searching Part 2

This is my second trip to South Korea and the only reason I wanted to go again, initially, was to experience their cold weather in December. However, after seeing some of the photos taken by my friends who recently went there, I became interested to visit Nami Island and experience skiing.

   
PLANNING THE TRIP
As usual, my ticket has been booked way in advance (9 months prior) through Cebu Pacific Air for just 5,000php without check-in baggage.  Then, I booked my hotel around a month prior, which was Hotel J Hill in Myeong-Dong for 7,435php for 2 nights with daily breakfast buffet.  It was through Booking.com, which conveniently offers free cancellation and no upfront payment option.

   
Visa application wasn’t much of a concern for me since I’ve been there in the past and have visited some of their OED partner countries recently, which by the way, was the reason why the visa approval and passport collection only took 3 working days.

*One of the few countries that don’t include a flight itinerary, proof of accommodation and detailed tour details in their list of requirements.  This means, if either your visa or leave application doesn’t get approved, no money will be wasted.  They also don’t charge any fee for less than 60 days tourist visa application.
     
Unlike other trips, I really didn’t plan anything ahead of time in terms of tours and activities.  A few days before my travel date, after getting my visa, I looked up online and found some interesting recommendations from Klook.  Since I have availed their services in my previous trips, they gave me 550php discount for a minimum of 5,250php combined worth of any deals they offer.  Of course, I took advantage of it and booked the following deals:  Airport train transfers for 324php per way; Nami Island plus Vivaldi Park Ski Tour for 3,943php; Seoul Tower Observatory for 310php; and City Sightseeing Bus (Hop-On-Hop-Off) for 508php.

Overall, planning was swift and hassle free.  Now, let me share with you what happened on the trip itself...

MYEONG-DONG
Staying in this area was the best decision as it has everything a tourist needs - streets that stay alive until almost dawn, premium shopping and restaurants.

Hotel J Hill, my residence for the entire vacation.  It is right in the
middle of Myeong-dong and with daily buffet breakfast at a reasonable
nightly rate. 

Street food is not to be missed while exploring the busy streets of 

Myeong-dong.  It has everything, from noodles to meat balls, from
tempura to crepe.  Yum!

It is a shopping haven for beauty products - they sold The Face Shop products 

for way cheaper prices.  A store called ABC Mart also sells ridiculously 

cheap shoes (Nike, Adidas, Vans, etc.).

N SEOUL TOWER

There are different ways to get to the tower (taxi, bus, cable car and trekking), but the most ideal for me is through the cable car.  It was too foggy that day for a nice view, but I didn’t mind.  There are also more to see and take photos of at the park surrounding the tower.  Nothing fancy and to me, the experience going to and from the tower was more worthwhile.

*There is a spot a few steps after the cable car station where you can have a nice view of the city.  If you want to save from the tower’s entrance fee, this is a good enough alternative.

Cable car ride from/to the tower.

Feast your eyes with these views on the way to and surrounding

the tower.

Foggy view from inside the tower... that's about it.

NAMI ISLAND

The island portrays itself as a separate republic, hence, its fancy immigration area and entry visa.  A short ferry ride will take you to the island, after which, you are free to roam around the beautiful spots it has to offer.  Several spots looked like they came right out of a painting and are absolutely picture-worthy.

*No filter needed to take amazing shots along the tree lanes.  It would be great to bring a tripod if you are traveling alone.  There are light snacks being sold around to feed your tummy as the scenery feeds your eyes.  Go wait for some squirrels playing in the trees...

 Process from Nami Island "immigration" to the ferry ride.

Some of the interesting spots in the island.

The magnificent tree lanes.  Not to be missed!

The famous 'Winter Sonata' statue.

SKI RESORT

This is one unique experience that should be included in any itinerary, especially if you are coming from a tropical country or have not yet experienced snow.  But mind you, it is not as easy as it seems!  Going up the slope with those bulky ski boots is difficult enough, then add the slippery ice going down.  I only did 2 rounds and fell multiple times along the way.  

*Depending on the tour you availed, it may not include the conveyor belt ride to comfortably bring you from the bottom of the slope back to the starting point.  So unless you want to climb the slope manually, avail of such service.  Also, you will be oriented with safety measures and be sure to listen and apply.  You don't want to get into an accident by falling in the wrong side (as for me... sore legs after).

 Ski resort and gear.

This was taken when I first fell.

Our tour guide and ski instructor.

OTHER TOURIST SPOTS

I had free time to drop by other tourist spots, particularly temples, so went to some of them.

 Some famous temples and square.

 Taken from my first trip in 2011.

You're lucky to have reached this point of the blog as I will be sharing some tips based on the mishaps I've experienced in this trip:

1.  I failed to wake up for my original Name Island and Ski Resort tour and had a difficult time looking for the same with reasonable price.  I ended up getting something a little more expensive.  The advice is to not just rely on your mobile phone alarm and ask for a wake-up call from the front desk.

2.  The problem with the re-scheduled Ski Resort tour is that the timing is too tight, which left me a few minutes from being late for departure (I was literally running).  The resort is 2-3 hours drive from the city, therefore, make sure you have enough lead time (45 mins from city to airport through the Airport Express train) going to the airport.

3.  I also missed the city bus tour because of 2 things:  1.  I didn't know (missed this info published on the website) they don't operate on a Monday; and 2.  A domino effect from missing the other tour.  Although if you have been on Seoul before, missing the city tour wouldn't matter as much.

4.  From Myeong-dong station to the Airport Express station, I didn't expect that I still had to pay a separate fare and I have used up the content of my T-money card (for public transit), no more KRW left, and to make it worse, not having any available kiosk that accepts credit card.  What I ended up doing is to use the PWD turnstile, good thing they have it available.  Lesson learned:  keep excess T-money card load or KRW for emergency purposes.

5.  Much props to Klook.com for being so flexible and customer oriented.  Aside from offering very reasonable tour rates, they willingly made adjustments because of my misses.

Overall, it was still a pretty fun, exciting and productive trip.  I will definitely go back to this city.

My tour-mates (Koreans, Indonesian, Singaporean,

a Chinese family and a Filipino family)