10 days in Taiwan - that's like the longest trip I've ever taken so far!
My travelogue is gonna be so damn long wtf.
To save you from the information overload,
here are some points which I think is more noteworthy for those interested in traveling to Taiwan.
Do not rely on the English version of the official websites
I cannot emphasize on this enough: Taiwanese don't have good English skills :x
So some of the information did not make sense.. yup even the official websites.
If you can read Chinese, do make the effort to counter check the details.
Collect
coupons/vouchers from Taiwan Tourism Bureau
Located at 30
Raffles Place, Chevron House, #10-01
You can call
62236546 to check what’s available for redemption, because the promotions can vary.
but they will advise you to come down personally to check, as some are only available in limited quantities.
Have to bring your air ticket and receipt for hotel reservation as proof!
For our trip, we got a free bus voucher - Taipei-Taoyuan Airport, as well as Formosa theme park tickets.
Sadly we didn't use either of them, but thanks Levon for making the journey down!
If in doubt, just ask for help!
Taiwanese people are very friendly, and most of them are willing provide help if you ask.
We had many good experiences, and some locals simply overwhelmed us with their warm hearts.
Case in point:
At a cosmetics store in Taichung, the 3CE eyeliner we wanted was out of stock.
So we asked the salesperson to help us check if there was any stock at other branches.
Not only did he assist us in checking, he even helped us reserve the eyeliners,
and made arrangements for us to pick it up when we arrived in Taipei.
Which was 5 more days to go, btw.
If it was Singapore they might not have bothered checking for stocks, let alone hold the item for so long.
Another great experience was on board the HSR.
With our huge ass luggages, it was not only difficult to carry around, but hard to stow it safely too.
We had to push our baggage in front of our seats, as there was no way we could lift it up to the overhead compartment.
This gentleman and his wife saw us, and offered to help us push and stack the luggage to the back of the seats instead.
More leg room, more comfortable for the long journey, they said.
This was done at the expense of their own comfort, because they cannot tilt their seats as far back due to the luggage.
So damn touched.
To ensure that you enjoy your sightseeing trips, ask your minsu/hotel to arrange a recommended driver.
We've had pleasant experiences with drivers arranged by our hotel/minsu,
because they really know their information, and you'd definitely learn something about the attractions.
Prices which were quoted were also quite reasonable.
If you're comfortable, try asking them for food recommendations for a more local experience.
You will get hounded by annoying taxi/private car drivers offering to drive you to tourist spots.
Just reject them politely.
When I say hounded, its reallyyy hounded.
Some would try to give you misleading information about the buses' duration and price.
Some of them are actually very aggressive,
in the sense that even as you're already at the bus ticket counter, they'll still keep asking.
I once had to show the guy I already bought the tickets to get him to leave me alone!
I also tried pretending that I didn't understand Chinese LOLOLOL. that was funny.
So please ah, do your transportation research so that you don't get lured!
Taiwan has 3 types of trains - High Speed Railway 高鉄, TRA Trains 火車, Taipei Metro 捷運
For Singaporeans, I guess HSR is like our red/green lines, TRA is purple/circle lines, Metro is LRT. :D
Basically, HSR 高鉄 is Taiwan's equivalent of bullet train; though it doesn't feel very fast.
Right now it covers only the northwest part of Taiwan.
Taipei, Taoyuan, Taichung, Chiayi and Tainan are some of the major stations.
It is highly encouraged to book your train tickets in advance,
because it guarantees you a seat throughout the long journey, as well as early bird discounts up to 30%.
Discount very important because HSR tickets are not very cheap!
Btw, early bird in Chinese is really literally translated into 早鳥, I'm not kidding HAHA.
You can book your HSR tickets here
Redeem them either at the iBon booths found in partner convenience stores, or HSR ticket counters (human/automated also can)
Of course I used iBon la, JJ Lin's the spokesperson leh. Got his face there LOLOL. :B
If you're travelling from Taoyuan Airport,
I'd recommend at least 2.5 hrs buffer time from the airport to Taoyuan HSR Station.
The actual traveling time is 25 min, but the queue for the shuttle bus can be quite insane.
TRA Trains 火車 are the original, older railways that span the entire Taiwan.
Most of them cut through the country and mountainous routes, so the duration would be longer.
Similar to HSR, book your tickets in advance to ensure seats!
We also saw someone buying tickets from a ticket conductor.
wah so cool the ticket instant print around his waist LOLOL. However, that's subject to availability la.
First, decide on the preferred departure and arrival times, and the type of train. Timetable selection click here
I highly recommend Puyuma. Fast, and more spacious than SQ wtf.
Some seats even have a shared 'dining table', so cool :x
Tze-Chiang Express is also a popular choice.
Special note for those traveling to Jiufen 九份/Shifen 十分 on TRA:
Select Pingxi Line to find the respective stations
Then after deciding, remember the train code!
Important, because you can book the tickets directly using the train code.
Book your TRA tickets here
Redeem the TRA tickets at the ticket counters
Train arrival for HSR and TRA is very accurate, so please be on the platform at least 5 min beforehand!
If you miss your train, you have to purchase another.
I've heard of tourists managing to change their tickets for free (if asked nicely),
but I believe its better be early than to risk it.
Taipei Metro 捷運 only covers Taipei (duh), and there are many tourist spots accessible via the metro.
Recommended mode of payment is the EasyCard 悠遊卡, much like our own Ezlink.
Dont bother getting the tourist pass or one-day pass, because it's not worth it.
The EasyCard can be obtained from ticket counters or convenience stores.
I recommend getting it from the convenience stores because.. there are more designs to choose from. HAHA.
I got an Attack on Titan chibi design (which pok loves), while Bimb and Levon got Hello Kitty.
It costs NT100 for all cards anyway! And yes it's refundable, and deductable after the first top-up -
meaning if there is insufficient 'disposable' value, they can deduct from your deposit (up to NT60)
The EasyCard 悠遊卡 can be used on buses, and ferries at Tamshui Port as well.
Easy right?
PS. In Taichung, the first 8 km traveled on all public bus rides is free.
So basically we tap for fun nia LOLOL.
Do not throw toilet paper into the toilet bowl.
When Levon told us this we were like, U MAD BRO? THEN THROW WHERE?
Apparently the dustbin beside the toilet bowel is not for sanitary napkins only..
This is because the pipes in Taiwan are made smaller,
and their sewage system is not that good so it will get stuck if you throw toilet paper inside.
I can't imagine how people with constipation/hard stools survive.
Very thankful for PUB now, cause I can shit without worrying that my poop will clog up my pipes
#toiletpapercannotflush #poopcanflush #whattheoryisthis
Ironically we learnt this only when clogging occurred in our Taipei hotel, which was meant to be more 'high-class' than our previous accommodations in Taichung and Hualien.
We should have known then, that having your toilet clogged on the first night - and prior to 'heavy usage', if you know what I mean - signified some serious problem with the hotel..
Hotel Midtown Richardson - awesome location, fking lousy everything else.
I'll rant more in the next post.
Just DO NOT DO NOT EVER GO THERE. NO.
Alright, I hoped my mini summary helped in your trip planning for Taiwan!
Actually it's still pretty wordy la :x
There are more upcoming details in my day to day travelogue, which I will try to update ASAP!
Till then, ;)
No comments:
Post a Comment