Hubby at a very last minute asked if I wanted to re-visit Taiwan and of course, I answered "XXX"! That's a great thing being a wanderlust wife...hehe!
So, on 29 August 2014, I had my solo-travel and took Malaysia Airlines from Penang – Kuala Lumpur – Taipei. My flight was in the midnight and I arrived Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport the next morning at 6.00a.m. on 30 August 2014 while hubby greeted me at the hotel lobby. I spent 10 days, 9 nights in Taiwan (29 August 2014 – 7 September 2014) and it was entirely a free & easy trip for me.
Day 1: 29 August 2014
PENANG
→ Kuala Lumpur (KLIA) → TAIWAN (TAIPEI)
Depart from Penang – Kuala
Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) – Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport (TPE)
Day 2: 30 August 2014
TAIWAN (TAIPEI)
Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hall –
National Palace Museum – Damsui Fisherman Wharf – Tamsui Old Street – Shilin
Night Market
Day 3: 31 August 2014
TAIWAN (JINGTONG –
PINGXI – SHIFEN – JIUFEN)
JINGTONG – Jingtong Train Station (Japanese wood
constructed station) – Jingtong Old Street – Jingtong Railway Story Museum –
Coal Mining Memorial Park
PINGXI – Pingxi Old Street
SHIFEN – Shifen Old Street – Shifen Waterfall –
Yanjingdong Waterfall – Shifen Bridge – Jingan
Suspension Bridge
JIUFEN – Jiufen Old Street
– Jiufen Village - Shuqi Street
Day 4: 1 September 2014
TAIWAN (TAIPEI)
Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial
Hall (Changing of Guards Ceremony at
10.00a.m.) – 228 Peace Park – Presidential Office – Taipei 101 & Taipei
World Trade Center – Longshan Temple & Longshan Temple Underground Shopping
Bazaar – Ximen Red House – Ximending Commercial /Pedestrian Area – Sogo Departmental
Store (Fuxing Branch)
Day 5: 2 September 2014
TAIWAN (TAIPEI)
Taipei Confucius Temple –
Dalongdong Bao’an Temple – the 44th Kan Street – Sogo Departmental
Store (Fuxing Branch) - Wufenpu Garment
Wholesale Area
Day 6: 3 September 2014
TAIWAN (TAIPEI)
Taipei 101 – Xinyi Shopping
District Skywalks – Hankyu – Eslite Xinyi Bookstore – Shin Kong Mitsukoshi -
Xinyi Place
Day 7: 4 September 2014
TAIWAN (TAIPEI)
National Museum of History
– Damsui Fisherman Wharf – Damsui Old Street - Sogo Departmental Store (Fuxing
Branch) – Huaxi Street Tourist Night Market
Day 8: 5 September 2014
TAIWAN (TAIPEI)
The Luzhou Lee Family
Historic Estate – Yonglian Temple - Luzhou Miaokou Market
Day 9: 6 September 2014
TAIWAN (TAIPEI)
Yehliu Geopark – Taipei
Songshan Airport Plane Observation Deck – Pinglin Old Town & Old Street –
Bao Ping Temple – Night Markets near Longshan Temple (Guangzhou Street Night
Market, Huaxi Street Night Market, Xichang Street Night Market, Wuzhou Street
Night Market)
Day 10: 7 September 2014
TAIWAN → Kuala Lumpur (KLIA) →
PENANG
Taiwan
Taoyuan International Airport (TPE) - Kuala
Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) - Penang
On the second day in Taipei (31 August 2014), after an energetic
breakfast nearby the hotel area, we took the earliest bus from Taipei to Ruifang
on a-day trip basis. The bus stopped us right in front of Ruifang train station
(after a 40 minutes ride from Taipei). From there, we bought our one-day pass train
tickets (NT$52) and traveled along Pingxi Branch Rail Line. We boarded the train from Ruifang Train
Station to the last station in (i) Jingtong and then followed by other two main
towns: (ii) Pingxi and (iii) Shifen.
(i)Jingtong → (ii) Pingxi and → (iii) Shifen
Along the way, we witnessed beautiful scenery as the train winds through rivers, wooded gorges and rivers.
(i)Jingtong → (ii) Pingxi and → (iii) Shifen
Along the way, we witnessed beautiful scenery as the train winds through rivers, wooded gorges and rivers.
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| Jingtong Train Station built in 1931 |
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| Lucky Bamboo |
Jingtong old town was our
first stop of the day. Jingtong was once the center of coal mining in Taiwan in
the early 20th century. Some interesting places around Jingtong we visited were
the (i) Jingtong Train Station which was build in 1931, a precious wooden-built
train station in Taiwan (ii) Jingtong Train Story Museum, a wooden architecture
with 2 storeys (iii) interesting bamboo stuff where one writes their wish and
hang/ toss it onto the "wishing tree" opposite the train station and (iv)
the famous Coal Mining Memorial Park.
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| Jingtong Train Station |
Our second stop was Pingxi,
the homeland of sky-lantern. In Pingxi, people have their wishes written on sky
lanterns, and release them to the skies during the Lantern Festival held
annually. We wandered along the old street and
later proceeded to Shifen.
Our last stop was Shifen, a
small village famous for its stunning historic railroad. This old town is one
of the busiest stops among all three which we visited. The street was packed with people shopping,
eating, and releasing lanterns.
And of course, one of the highlight / must-do activities of our itinerary was
the release of sky lantern into the sky. People in Pingxi believes that by
writing your wishes on the lantern and release it to the sky, all your wishes
will come true.
This annual event, Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival is one of the three most popular customs of lantern festival in Taiwan which has been recognized globally and was recently selected as one of the “52 things to do in 2013” by CNN Travel in January 2013. It was a fun experience for most visitors to Taiwan and we both had a lot of fun. You should try it too!
This annual event, Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival is one of the three most popular customs of lantern festival in Taiwan which has been recognized globally and was recently selected as one of the “52 things to do in 2013” by CNN Travel in January 2013. It was a fun experience for most visitors to Taiwan and we both had a lot of fun. You should try it too!
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| Highlight of the day: Camel & Chengy sending wishes to the sky. More travels perhaps? |
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| Fly strong and high. Hopefully all wishes are heard |
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| Pingxi and Shifen are known for their sky lanterns. People write their wishes on them and release them into the sky |
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| The train pulling into Shifen Station |
The sky lanterns range from NT$100 to NT$150 depending on the colours chosen. There were many different
colours of lanterns, but we chose red, mainly because it would look nice against
the grey sky and red lantern represents good fortune in the future. We had so much fun and hopefully we will
come back again just to fly the lanterns (hopefully).
Next, we moved on to Shifen Waterfall, on of the highlight of our itinerary. Here’s a bit of background about Shifen Waterfall. This waterfall is nicknamed the “Little Niagra of Taiwan” because while it isn’t the tallest waterfall, it is very wide (20 meters tall, 40 meters in width), making it the widest in Taiwan.
Next, we moved on to Shifen Waterfall, on of the highlight of our itinerary. Here’s a bit of background about Shifen Waterfall. This waterfall is nicknamed the “Little Niagra of Taiwan” because while it isn’t the tallest waterfall, it is very wide (20 meters tall, 40 meters in width), making it the widest in Taiwan.
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| Get outta the railway trail |
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| Just one way street |
We hired a cab to ferry us to Shifen Waterfall
as I was rather too tired to walk/hike for another 15 minutes, what more uphill
under the scorching sun. However,
he was not able to bring us to the "doorstep" of the waterfall. So
after alighting, we still have to walk about 5 minutes along the track to reach
the entrance and guess what?! Once we got there, we were surprised and found
out that the place/area was closed for construction work! Well, maybe this is a sign that I have to make another trip to Taiwan again.
We later on, proceeded to Yanjingdong Waterfall,
Shifen Bridge and followed by Jingan Suspension Bridge located right opposite
of the train station. And later on, we took the train back to Ruifang Train Station.
The journey continued. After Shifen, we visited
the mountain village of Jiufen, one of my very favorite places. We took a cab
that brought us to Jiufen old town within 15 minutes from Ruifang Train Station.
It is a small town in North Taiwan built into the side of the hills; slightly
inland from the Pacific Ocean coastline.
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| Spirited Away - Another amazing view at the slope of Jishan Street |
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| Cafes and tea houses along Jiufen fantastic offer fantastic views of the ocean |
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| Wall feature |
Along the way, the cab driver told us a little
background about Jiufen. We were told that initially there were nine families
staying in this relatively isolated village on the mountain. Every time
shipments arrived from town, “nine portions” were distributed to the villagers.
Hence, the village was named after
“Jiufen”, or rather nine portions in Chinese.
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| Jiufen Old Street |
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| Cosy teahouses where you could rest your feet, away from the bustle, and enjoy both tea and the wonderful scenery in Jiufen |
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| The many faces of Jiufen |
The town is
covered by two main pedestrian streets – Jishan Street and Shuchi Street. The cab driver
dropped us at the entrance of Shuchi Street where food vendors and craft stores
along the sideways. The path between the two rows of shops was pretty crowded. Along
the way, we tried the A-Zhu peanut ice cream roll, one of the recommended
things to have in Jiufen as suggested by the cab driver. Of course, it tasted
superb!
We continued our journey along the many sidewalks and quiet alleys and walked up the slope of Jishan Street until the end. We spent nearly 3 hours in the small town itself before heading back to Taipei. I'd highly encourage you to bring your loved ones and enjoy this quiet and romantic place for at least 1 night.
Air
Itinerary Details:
Malaysia Airlines (MH): Penang - Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) – Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport (TPE) / Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport (TPE) - Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) - Penang
Malaysia Airlines (MH): Penang - Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) – Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport (TPE) / Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport (TPE) - Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) - Penang
Accommodation:
Taipei
Fullerton East
(nearest
MRT station: Sun Yat Sen Memorial Hall Station via Bannan Line)
Address: No.32, Section 5,
Nanjing East Road , Songshan District, 105 Taipei
Website:
http://www.taipeifullerton.com.tw/
e-mail:
service@taipeifullerton.com.tw
The
Sherwood Taipei
(nearest
MRT station: Zhongshan Junior High School Station via MRT Muzha-Neihu Line)
Address: No.111, Sec.3,Min
Sheng East Road, Taipei
Website: http://www.sherwood.com.tw/
e-mail: sherwood@sherwood.com.tw
Places of Interest /
Entrance Tickets:
Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial
Hall – FOC
Damsui Fisherman Wharf –
FOC
National Palace Museum - NT$250
Presidential Office –FOC
Taipei 101 - NT$500
Taipei World Trade Center -
FOC
Longshan Temple – FOC
Ximen Red House – FOC
Taipei Confucius Temple –
FOC
Dalongdong Bao’an Temple –
FOC
National Museum of History
– FOC
The Luzhou Lee Family
Historic Estate – NT$60
Yonglian Temple – FOC
Yehliu Geopark - NT$80
Must Try / Eat:
- Jingtong Chicken Rolls
- Fried Squid (Damsui Fisherman Wharf)
- Deep Fried Chicken Cutlets (Shilin Night Market)
- Lime Juice
- Xiaolongbao (Din Tai Fung at Taipei 101)
- Wrapped Ice-Cream with Shaved Peanut Rolls (Longshan Temple Night Markets)
- Ke Kou Fish Balls (Damsui Fisherman Wharf)
- Ice-Monster Shaved Ice Desserts
- Chia Te Pineapple Cake
- Formosa Chang Braised Minced Pork Rice
Local Transportation:
- Easy Card NT$200 (Deposit NT$100)
- Taxi fares from Taoyuan International Airport – city – 900NT$
- National Palace Museum (Take Damsui Line, stop at Shilin Station and take bus no. 30, 255, 304)
- Yehliu Geopark (Taipei – Yehliu via Kuo-Kuang Bus no.1815 for approx. 1 hour 20 minutes) NT$96
- Wufenpu Garment Wholesale Area (Take Nangang Line, Stop at Houshanpi Station)
- Sogo Departmental Store (Fuxing Branch) (Take Nangang Line, Stop at Zhongxiao Fuxing Station)
- Taipei Confucius Temple & Dalongdong Bao’an Temple (Take Damsui Line, Stop at Yuanshan Station)
- Ximen Red House & Ximending Commercial /Pedestrian Area (Take Banqiao Line, Stop at Ximen Station)
- Taipei 101, Taipei World Trade Center, Xinyi Shopping District Skywalks, Hankyu – Eslite Xinyi Bookstore, Shin Kong Mitsukoshi (Take Xinyi Line, Stop at Taipei 101 or World Trade Center Station)
- 228 Peace Park & Presidential Office – (Take Xinyi Line, Stop at NTU Hospital)
- Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall – (Take Xinyi Line, Stop at Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall)
- Taipei – Jingtong, Pingxi, Shifen, Jiufen – (Take bus no.1062 at Kee Lung bus station to Ruifang train station) (approx.1 hour)
- Damsui Fisherman Wharf - (Take Damsui Line, Stop at Damsui Station)
- Shilin Night Market (Take Damsui Line, Stop at Shilin Station)
- Longshan Temple (Take Banqiao Line, Stop at Longshan Temple Station)
- Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hall (Take Nangang Line, Stop at Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hall Station)
- The Luzhou Lee Family Historic Estate & Yonglian Temple (Take Luzhou Line, Stop at Sanmin Senior High School Station, walk from Fuxing Road towards National Open University)
**Stay tuned
for Small World’s next travel episode – Yehliu Geopark,
Taiwan
Read more about our travel experiences @ Taiwan:
“Travel is more
than the seeing of sights; it is a change that goes on, deep and permanent, in
the ideas of living” – Miriam Beard
Welcome to Small World! This blog is not a travel agency,
but rather a personal site which allows me to share my past travel experiences
in a straightforward and far-reaching way. I often made great use of other
peoples travel blogs and sites every time I plan for my travel itinerary as
they often contained most updated information and invaluable resources from
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all. xoxo The writer is a passionate traveler who enjoys speaking to
young keen travelers about the freedom to get cultured and to taste the
fullness of life. Feel free to contact the writer if you need any travel
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