Taiwan Escapade 2012: Part 5 - Taichung Day 2 (日月潭 1-day tour)

4th day in Taiwan! :)

Woke up early even though had a late night. Need to kick start our Sun Moon Lake (SML) 1-day trip early because we are going to find our own way there! ^^

Did some research online and found that there's an express bus 南投汽車客運 that specially served return trips to SML at interval schedules daily.

Bus ticket to SML, and the 1-day pass from SML information counter

:) Took us quite some time before we managed to find the shuttle bus company to get our tickets. We got to find our own directions to the bus stop and it wasn't easy cause the information I found online wasn't that direct. In the end, we had to ask directions along the way, and we had to pass through a wet market (which was quite an eye opener, because there's live chickens everywhere!).

Lucky we did find the bus stop and was in time for the next bus (which was leaving in about 10 minutes time). :) Journey was spent sleeping on off and watching some Taiwanese variety show. It's about an hour plus trip, and along the way the bus stopped to fetch more passengers. :) 

:) Here at Sun Moon Lake! *Pictures' color are slightly enhanced.*

Weather was quite sunny but at comfortable temperature. Beautiful view of the hills and clear water when we reached the pier. The most convenient way of traveling around SML is by the boat, which is unlimited rides if you purchase any tickets from the "tour agency" at the Shuishe pier (main pier). Of course there are the taxi and bus but the total distance covered will be much longer since you have to make a big round around the hills.

 Hotels located around SML :)

There's lots of small hotels around SML, thus you can choose to stayover for a night and enjoy the scenery and maybe catch the sunrise in the morning?

:) On the boat towards our first destination - I Ta Thao (伊达邵)

At  伊达邵, you will see more of the tribal group heritage, and there's a cable car ride to the other side of the Island where there's an outdoor theme park. Can't say much about this park though since we didn't purchase the admission ticket. Unless you're planning to stay for the night, if not you might not have enough time to play all the rides.

 A short walk to the cable car station :)

The whole ride takes about 15 minutes and you'll get a bird eye view of almost the whole lake. It's really pretty up there! :) And the good thing is when we were there, there wasn't much crowd and thus we could have the whole cable car to ourselves! :):):)

 The famous 阿婆茶叶蛋! :)

Spent almost an hour plus at  I Ta Thao, and we moved on to the 玄光寺, which is famous for the 阿婆茶叶蛋! :) The tour guide told us that the record number of eggs sold in 1 day was 15k, and each egg cost NT$10, meaning that she made NT$150000 in 1 day! Ok, if you can't imagine how much that it, well it's about SGD$6.5K! O.O!!! 

That's about 2 months of my salary! -____-"

HAHAHAHA! So yeah, she makes really good tea egg. Her secret? 

Well, I guess she uses the best tea leaves from the mountains and also the additional ingredients - mushrooms which I don't see it in Singapore! 

Too bad I didn't get to see her in person, most probably resting at home (she's quite old actually) or maybe up in the mountains plucking tea leaves. :):):)

Well, this sort of summarize the 1-day tour at SML! I strongly encourage you guys to visit this when you're in Taichung. It's BEAUTIFUL! :):):)

More coming up, and now we're back to Taipei! *WHEEE!* :):):) 

Taiwan Escapade 2012: Part 4 - Taichung Day 1 (Lunch, Lavender Farm, 逢甲夜市)

So this is Part 2 of our Day 1 in Taichung. ^^

After setting down our luggage, we met up with A先生, who's super nice to make his way down from 台南 to spend the day with us! *SWEET!* I was told that he usually don't drive around as the car is with his GF, so we're extremely honored to be able to sit his car! *LOL!*

Anyway, it was lunch time so he brought us to a posh Japanese BBQ restaurant, Umai. It's inside some hotel, so the first impression is very classy. :)

We ordered a 3-pax meal, and that's the amount of meat served to us. HAHAHAHA!

Imagine how shocked we're when we see this! O.O""

We spent a good 3 hours there trying to finished all our food 

:) We managed to empty those plates but the stomach was filled to the brim (almost)!

After lunch, it's a long drive to the Lavender Farm! *YAY!* It's one of the reason why I wanna dropped by Taichung. We chatted all the way to keep each other awake while Mr. Lin is having his sound sleep behind. HAHAHA! 

The journey took about an hour plus to reach, and I was extremely glad that A先生 fetched us here. It's so deep in the mountains that I seriously wonder whether those information I got online really can bring us to the farm. O.o!!!

Be prepared that it'll be cold since it's deep in the mountains. About 20C + lots of wind!

Lots of purple signage along the way to lead us right to the doorstep. :)

First impression: It's a very serene place, very quiet and peaceful.

Admission fee is NT$200 / pax and it's fully redeemable at their souvenirs shop. ^^

It was quite cooling when we reached there, so a jacket is a must. Lot of DIY stuff inside, making the whole place feel like a cosy home.

Not a lot of lavender as to what I was hoping to see. But nevertheless, I do get to see these lavender at such good range! And I didn't know there's so many different kinds of lavender, cause they look the same to me! ^_^!

A wishing tree and a small carousel to pint our memories there

:) Our wish up on the trees! And the owner is extremely friendly to let us play the small carousel. 

MY ALL TIME FAVORITE RIDE! ^_^

 

They have a cafe which serves coffee, cakes, ice-creams, etc and also a bigger kitchen that serves main course. We had the lavender ice-cream even though it's a cooling day. 

And did I mention that the sun set super early in Taiwan? It's only 5 plus in the evening but it looks as though it's already 8pm in Singapore. We didn't stay too long as we did not want to risk driving back in the dark. 

Back to Taichung City, our first night market is the famous 逢甲夜市 which is just outside the 逢甲 university. Thus, you can expect lots of students around that area. From clothes, shoes, bags, accessories; of course, fooooooodddd!!!!

We eat and shop at the same time, so our hands are always occupied! Didn't snap much picture of the food though cause when it's served to us, we immediately opened our mouth and take the first bite! ^^

The famous 大肠包小肠 and my favorite 臭豆腐!

大肠包小肠 is actually a glutinous rice roll wrap around the 小肠 with your choice of sauce and some cucumbers and mashed garlic. Supposed to be a 小吃 but it's super filling. :) 

Had the 臭豆腐 all by myself! HAHAHAHA! Mr Lin doesn't like the smell and taste so I had to finish the whole bean curd by myself. But it's too good to give it a miss. I think it only cost me NT$50 for 2 big pieces. I requested only 1 piece so I have some more space for other food. ^_^!!!

Anyway, we went back to the same market on the 2nd night too after our Sun Moon Lake trip! There's too many food to try out and we didn't want to give it a miss! :):):) 

Day trip at Sun Moon Lake on the way! ^_^_^!

Taiwan Escapade 2012: Part 4 - Taichung Day 1 (W Apartments)

:) For this post, content will be slightly different as compared to the previous posts. Mainly will touch on the accommodation I had in Taichung - W Apartments.

Anyway, found this service apartment through a local blogger too, and I was told by the Taiwan owner that this local blogger has recommended a lot of Singaporeans there. HAHAHAHA! So I promise I'll help to advertise a bit for her when I'm back in Singapore! ^^

So we checked out slightly earlier from Kindness Hotel so that we can start the day earlier in Taichung. Took the HSR which cost about NT$790/pax. Traveling time about 50 minutes. Super fast! :) 

Reached Taichung, weather is slightly cooler! :):):)

Something to take note of is that in Taichung, there isn't any MRT. So the most convenient to travel around is by taxi. Well, honestly it will be slightly more expensive than the MRT, but I can assure you that the fares are much cheaper compared to Singapore.

Cabbed down to our "hotel" to settle our luggage and stuff. On our way there, we were told by the cab driver that the apartment area is quite high class and it's a safe district, so we were quite 安心. About 15 minutes drive from the station to the apartment, cost us about NT$200 (if I didn't remember wrongly).

First impression of the apartment: it's similar to our condo in Singapore. HAHAHA!

The owner has quite a number of apartment units in this block, and each apartment is specially decorated with a special theme. For the different themes, you can refer to their website here. 

I took the 浪漫房型 (Sweet Romance theme). The design of these apartments are all-in-one, meaning that the living room, toilet, bathroom, kitchen is all in this 1 room. There's only 4 walls, so you can see everything just by turning 360° around.

Kitchen with very simple appliances (not that you'll be cooking there with so many night markets around), a big fridge, and next to the fridge is the door to the balcony. :) The apartment comes with the washing machine so you can do your laundry and hang the clothes at the balcony to dry them. ^_^ Lucky I prepared the detergent before flying off.

Our bed and the see-through toilet. :) Right in front of the bed is the tv, so we can turn to face the tv or the sofa. It's the see-through toilet that makes us very shy. LOL! I mean I don't usually have people able to see me doing my business. So whenever I need to use the toilet, I insist Mr. to go somewhere further. WAHAHAHAHA!

The see-through bathroom! O.O!!! HAHAHA! You actually have to climb over the small height to get into the bathroom. It's a bathtub cum shower room and there's only 1 wall (with the shower head on). The other 2 sides are see-through glass, and the last side is for you to look outside. Through we're facing the main road and no other tall building opposite us, we still feel uncomfortable to open the curtains.

:) I wouldn't say it's a very big apartment, but for the 2 of us, it's pleasantly spacious enough for our luggage and still have spare space for us to put our loots :) The furniture are clean and well maintain, which makes the whole experience even better. I'm sure you guys wouldn't like to go into a hotel room with old and dirty furniture too. 

Breakfast is also provided by them. It's just a 3 minute walk from the main lobby and cross the a small road. A small Chinese style restaurant that serves noodles and bread. Simple fare, but it's enough to keep you full till lunch time. ^_^!!!

Upcoming is the 2nd part of the day! Met up with Mr. A followed by a drive up the mountains and of course ending off with delicious night market food! ^^

COMING RIGHT UP!! *I promise!*

Taiwan Escapade 2012: Part 3 - Kaohsiung Day 2

Back for Day 2 in Kaohsiung! :) Woke up early to start our day since it's the last day we'll be in Kaohsiung so we hope to go a few more places. 

We had our breakfast in the hotel, typical Chinese cuisine and different varieties of bread. Simple spread but it's enough for breakfast. :) 

Plans for today: To visit Cijin Island (旗津岛) which is about 10 minutes ferry ride from Kaohsiung. Remember the tourist Ez-link card that we had bought the day before? It's also applicable for this ferry ride to the Island.

To get there: Alight at the Orange Line Sizihwan Station (O1) and walked about 10 minutes to the Gushan Ferry Terminal. Signboards are clear nowadays to guide you there. 

:) The Gushan Ferry Terminal and the ferry to fetch us to Cijin Island

About every 10-15 minutes, there will be a ferry back at the terminal, so waiting time is quite short. During the peak hours, it'll be faster too.The ferry is divided into 2 levels, 1st is to ferry both bicycles, scooters while 2nd is meant for passengers. Of course, the pricing is also different. 

Some scenery along the way, beautiful backdrop especially with the hills and clear water

Along the pier area, you can see lots of people fishing

And right in front it's the Kaohsiung 85 Tower, the 2nd tallest building in Taiwan.

Arriving at the Cijin Island! :) 

Weather was good that day, sunny yet windy. Lucky I put on lots of sunblock because we intend to cycle round the island to explore. First impression of the island when I alighted was that it not only an island, but a tourist attraction too! 

HAHAHAHA! It was crowded and buzzing with people shouting "Bicycle for rental." We got ourselves 2 bikes, NT$200/pax for the whole day (if I didn't remember wrongly). Since it's an island, we thought that cycling around it will keep us entertained for the whole day! *LOL!*

:) It's quite comfortable to cycle around the Island, very windy yet the sun is super duper strong. Follow the road and you'll pass by the beaches and parks.

At the Wind Mill Park :) So breezy and cooling! :)

:) We got free tickets to the MOME (Museum of Marine Exploration) from the bicycle rental. Museum is on the other side of the island. A small museum showcasing the evolution of ships. We just walked around and enjoyed the air-con for awhile. 

After enough of air-con, we cycle our way back to the pier to return the bike and also to get some food from the roadside stalls! :)

The first stall that got us interested was this 旗鱼黑轮. In case you're wondering, 旗鱼 is actually swordfish. Yeah, I haven't eaten swordfish before, so it's pretty much something new to try. For this 小吃, the minced swordfish is used to wrap a quarter of a half boiled egg and after that deep fried it. A bit of the seasoning and you're good to go. It's quite delicious that we went back for the 2nd round! ^_^!

After walking around, we decided to go back to the main island (we're actually behind schedule). The weather is quite hot even though there's plenty of wind. About 27C, which is similar to Singapore's weather. Anyway, we stopped by 海之冰, which is recommended by Keith for their famous mango ice! In this kind of weather, eating a bowl of ice sound so good! ^_^!!!

We ordered a 2-person portion, but was quite taken aback when they served this super big bowl of mixed fruit mango ice! HAHAHA! I guess this is the up-sized version and it took us quite awhile to finish this whole bowl! -__-" 

Just a word of advice, be prepared to wait quite some time at this shop. Their business is super good (and I really mean very good, because nearby shops selling ice are quite empty), and thus it will take them sometime to prepare your desserts.

With a filled stomach, we went on to the Kaohsiung 85 to have a bird eye view of the City. It's the 2nd tallest building in Taiwan (of course the tallest is Taipei 101), and thus we wanted to check out the view. And it's much cheaper to go up as compared to 101. Each ticket costs NT$150 and allows you to go all the way up to level 74 (observation deck).

 

Spent some time up there, was a bit disappointed with the view. Maybe it's because we went up a bit too early, and there's nothing much to see except high rise buildings. I believed that the night view would be better! :)

Dinner was at 瑞峰夜市. 

To get there, alight at Kaohsiung Arena Station (R14) & take Exit 1. Walk for 5 minutes straight and you'll see the night market! :)

This night market is slightly different from 六合夜市 be it in terms of size, varieties. Not only do they sell food, they also have games stalls and clothing, accessories, shoes, etc stalls for you to eat, shop and enjoy at the same time. We spent almost 2 hours there eating, stopping to buy stuff and also to learn some of the games that Taiwanese play. Very interesting place, and I definitely recommend you guys to visit. 

Do take note that they don't open everyday. If I didn't remember wrongly, they're open on Tuesday, Thursday & Friday.

2 days just passed in the blink of an eye. Tomorrow we're on our way to Taichung and we're meeting our Taiwanese friend A先生! Very excited!!! :):):)