Started our early day right with the perfect breakfast!
If there's anything which is a must do when travelling with my bffs, it's feeding them.
OKAY LA AND MYSELF TOO. :D
Me and Levon love going to the 7-11 near the corner every night to get supper (FAT! FAT!!),
so during our first night trip we noticed Yong He Beancurd 永和豆漿, which was open despite the wee hours.
I actually had this place planned somewhere down in my itinerary for breakfast in Taipei,
but I saw the words 培根蛋餅 (bacon &egg pancake!!) and smelt the fragrance of hot baos and fried pastry; wah cannot resist.
So on the second night we tapao-ed it back to the hotel for supper and fell in love.
Next day, less than 12 hours later, we went there for breakfast!
Photo credit to Jane, one of my sources of research.
Some of my photos are missing :(
Yong He Beancurd
永和豆漿
No.505, Taiwan Blvd.Section 1, Central District, Taichung City
台中市 中區 台灣大道 一段 505號
Opening hours: 9 pm to 11 am
Opening hours: 9 pm to 11 am
Menu.
Breakfast spread!
Smoked Chicken/Bacon Egg Pancake 燻雞蛋餅 &培根蛋餅 - NT30 and NT25 respectively! Damn shiok.
The ingredients are grilled, an egg is cracked and the popiah skin is slapped on. YUMS.
Carrot cake 蘿蔔糕 - NT12
Skip this, it's oily and horrible.
Xiao Long Bao 小籠包 - NT30
Skin was thin enough, but could do with a bit more juice.
Soya Bean Milk and Fried Dough Fritters 豆漿油條 - NT12 each.
Eh the dough fritters were quite oily too. Ack.
So actually the only reason why we love this place is for the 蛋餅 :B
And while I was searching for the signboard photo, I came across many other 永和豆漿 stores - more than 3 different types of signboards.
So with such lousy 豆漿油條, which they are supposed to be known for.. maybe we actually went to the wrong one. :x
Ahhh well.
Onwards to our first attraction of the day, Sun Moon Lake 日月潭 !
Eh to be honest I wasn't very much impressed with the photos of Sun Moon Lake online.
It reminded me of Marina Barrage leh, but everyone says must go if you go Taiwan.
So okay la let's give it a shot.
From Taichung Railway Station, walk over to Nantou Bus Station 南投客運
It's approximately 10 mins walk down 建國路, which was further than I thought.
Nantou Bus provides the shuttle bus service to SML, priced at NT190 per pax.
Duration is 1 hr 55 min.
When we reached the station, we kena hijacked by a private car driver (again),
who was looking for a second group of passengers to complete his ride.
Based on the previous day's experience we weren't very keen on taking on his offer,
until he got frustrated and lowered his fare to the same rate as the shuttle bus ticket.
So okay la we hopped on again. LOL.
Journey took a shorter time because we didn't make any stops, so we reached Shui She Pier 水社碼頭 earlier than expected - approximately 1 hr
Not surprisingly, the driver tried to sell us ferry tickets at NT350 per person. ._.
This, we firmly rejected because based on my research, an all-round ticket should only be NT200 - 300.
And as expected, he dropped us off right in front of a ferry ticket counter.
It's not wrong la, because these drivers and the ferry owners probably have a partnership going on,
which is economically beneficial to both parties.
However their insistent bugging is really quite annoying la.
Got away safely!! (ahahah)
Btw, if you successfully took a Nantou bus, cut through this oTop shopping mall to get straight to the pier here.
Clear skies.
Okay la prettier than barrage already.
With the famed 日月潭 rock!
Seriously we're damn heng that we got here early, because there would usually be crowds of tourists trying to cut into your photo.
You know which type I'm talking about?
Crazily azure blue skies.
Sun Moon Lake is reputed for its appearance - at certain angles, it appears as a sun or a crescent moon.
It is also known for its cycling trails, which allow you to appreciate the beauty of nature.
I'm doing a bad job at introducing a place which I'm only 50% excited about.
So here you go for the info : http://www.sunmoonlake.gov.tw/English
Ita Shao Pier
Owl Workshop 貓頭鷹工廠 - for souvenirs.
Came here primarily cause of the owl fan as pictured below.
Secondarily I HAD to include somewhere which doesn't involve food before I kena complaint. :B
Then like a waste time only, because I was waiting for him to give us the food after paying,
but he told us after around 5 different poses to help ourselves.
And wah piang eh I was looking out for chest hair in the food.
SML is also known for their Assam Red Tea 阿薩姆紅茶
This I highly recommend - Assam Red Tea Love Letters 阿薩姆紅茶蛋捲
The toasted tea taste is super fragrant and it was v crispy cause they made it by hand.
It lasts 3 weeks, so I bought back a box for my mom, who loves love letters. :B
Wahahah it stayed in shape all the way man, never cui LOL.
But seriously it was so annoying to be so careful with my luggage.
Nantou Puli Station.
The ticket counter staff recommended us to buy the Puli-Cingjing Farm Pass - NT250 each.
The pass allows you to travel to Cingjing Farm, and back to Puli, then transfer to Taichung Railway Station.
A topup of NT20 is required for Taichung, which you can pay using the EasyPass.
Super worth it because a single trip ticket to CJ is NT122, then CJ to Taichung is NT122+134.
There are also coupons for discounts to Cingjing Farm Entry, Cingjing Guesthouse, etc.
So instead of NT200, our peak period tickets cost NT160.
Cingjing Farm 清靜農場 is located up in the mountainous areas, so expect a swirly uphill ride.
It takes 1 hour from Puli station to the farm.
Btw, if you need the timetable for buses, click here
Pretty stream I (finally) managed to capture!
Taichung is covered with this type of scenery in most places we visited.
It's also super cold up there! Breathe out got mist one :B
Walao heng I wore a long sleeved shirt, but damn its not thick enough.
Drop off point is here, and pick up point is opposite.
This is also the store with the cheapest souvenirs, and their sheep products have 1 for 1 offers.
We opted to visit the Green Green Grasslands 青青草原 for the fluffy sheep!
Climb up the slopes of the Marketplace草原南端商圈, and turn right to the ticket counters.
Please note that entry for the grasslands and Mountain View Pastoral Area 清境農場觀山牧區 are different.
You probably have to pay another entrance fee but we didn't go there, so I have no idea how much is it.
Silent hill?
Oh, and watch out for those poop piles on the ground! They're everywhere.
Photo courtesy of Levon HAHAH.
This machine looks damn comical - you buy the pellets for feeding the sheep here!
1 box NT10 - and the sheep all run to you at the sight of the box.
Please do not chase or scare the mehs.
It was quite fun and damn tiring to be running around with those sheep!
Now I know how a sheepdog feels like LOLOL.
Levon also bought sheep milk ice cream AND milk - brave woman.
I damn scared of the weird taste la. :x
Just nice after we decided we were done, it started to drizzle.
Then it soon became a downpour.
And we missed the bus, which was annoying because we reached the stop 10 minutes before the arrival time.
We even asked the store owner what time is the next bus leh, and it tallied with the timetable.
T.T thoroughly soaked.
We ordered our Sun biscuits 太陽餅 from stores that friends recommended!
and they will claim to be the same as the original store, but there are some items not even available.
Levon loves the Pineapple tarts with cranberries 蔓月梅土鳳梨酥
Went back to Fengjia Night Market to attempt finishing and finding lanes we missed, but sadly still nope.
We did find this though! Takoyaki 日船章鱼小丸子 - Wasabi flavour is recommended
We're leaving Taichung and heading to Hualien next!
It's approximately 10 mins walk down 建國路, which was further than I thought.
Nantou Bus provides the shuttle bus service to SML, priced at NT190 per pax.
Duration is 1 hr 55 min.
Nantou Bus Taichung Station
南投客運 台中火車站
No.103, Jian Guo Road, Central District, Taichung City 400
台中市 中區 建國路103號
When we reached the station, we kena hijacked by a private car driver (again),
who was looking for a second group of passengers to complete his ride.
Based on the previous day's experience we weren't very keen on taking on his offer,
until he got frustrated and lowered his fare to the same rate as the shuttle bus ticket.
So okay la we hopped on again. LOL.
Journey took a shorter time because we didn't make any stops, so we reached Shui She Pier 水社碼頭 earlier than expected - approximately 1 hr
Not surprisingly, the driver tried to sell us ferry tickets at NT350 per person. ._.
This, we firmly rejected because based on my research, an all-round ticket should only be NT200 - 300.
And as expected, he dropped us off right in front of a ferry ticket counter.
It's not wrong la, because these drivers and the ferry owners probably have a partnership going on,
which is economically beneficial to both parties.
However their insistent bugging is really quite annoying la.
Got away safely!! (ahahah)
Btw, if you successfully took a Nantou bus, cut through this oTop shopping mall to get straight to the pier here.
Clear skies.
Okay la prettier than barrage already.
Nice lighting so Day Three selfie!
One with the #buddingyeast
A different type of group photo. Heheh!
With the famed 日月潭 rock!
Seriously we're damn heng that we got here early, because there would usually be crowds of tourists trying to cut into your photo.
You know which type I'm talking about?
Photo credits: Bimb.
Eh why only mine in landscape ah?
Got our tickets from this ferry team on the right side of the pier.
NT300 for a two way trip, with each boat departing each pier every 20 min during weekdays, and 15 min during weekends.
SML has a unique system of identifying the right ferry - recognize their vest color, not the ferry itself.
SML has 3 piers: Xuanguang Temple Pier 玄光寺碼頭, Ita Shao Pier 伊達邵碼頭, and Shui She Pier 水社碼頭
Ferries will depart from Shui She Pier and stop at each pier for approximately 5 - 10 minutes to drop off / pick up passengers.
There's no direct ferry travelling only to the different piers.
And the same rules apply: Reach boarding point earlier than the departure time!
So a journey to Ita Shao takes approximately 30 min, including waiting time.
The journey back is 15 min; from Ita Shao Pier direct back to Shui She Pier.
Imagine the circle line on water la, only one way.
Crazily azure blue skies.
Sun Moon Lake is reputed for its appearance - at certain angles, it appears as a sun or a crescent moon.
It is also known for its cycling trails, which allow you to appreciate the beauty of nature.
I'm doing a bad job at introducing a place which I'm only 50% excited about.
So here you go for the info : http://www.sunmoonlake.gov.tw/English
Tried the old school style of selfies - with no screen/front camera.
Hey we still got the skillzxz. :D
I actually love the idea of travelling on water - other than my mermaid dreams, I love the breeze and smell of water.
Even better if it's on sea though it tangles hair easily :B
Spotted these fishing houses on the quieter side of the lake!
Ita Shao Pier
Here's a map of the small town
I would say there's nothing much to shop here, just more of snacks.
We walked mostly down Yiyong Street 義勇街 to find the recommended stalls.
I actually found an Ita Shao Lakeside Trail which looked promising,
but we didn't have time to do that cause we're squeezing in Cingjing Farm on the same day. HAHA.
BBQ Mochi - a random try.
Super hot and not very nice.. don't know if we ordered the wrong combi?
A list of the toppings available.
It was quite confusing because the instructions was to choose two toppings from the list.
However only the first 3 are sauces while the rest are toppings, then one of it must be a sauce, if not the woman will frown at you.
Aiya stupid board.
We got Takoyaki Sauce日式照燒醬 + Seaweed 海苔 & Takoyaki Sauce 日式照燒醬 + Bonito Flakes 柴魚.
Should taste like a super chewy long takoyaki right?
Nooooo it didn't.. damn bland la.
The one in Taipei was so much better omg.
And omg the dry toppings were flying all over the place too HAHAH.
Photo credit: Bimb
Another random try - BBQ-ed mountain boar skewers 烤山豬肉串
P.S that blue stringed UFO actually keeps flies away. Damn cool :B
Photo credits: Bimb
Took one bite and I nearly fainted, because the pork taste was overwhelmingly strong.
Both of them loved it though!
Owl Workshop 貓頭鷹工廠 - for souvenirs.
Came here primarily cause of the owl fan as pictured below.
Secondarily I HAD to include somewhere which doesn't involve food before I kena complaint. :B
Right beside the owl workshop is the probably the only reason why I would come back to SML.
Chen Ji Handmade Mochi 陳記手工麻糬!
Highly recommend the Red Tea 紅茶, Sesame 芝麻 and Peanut 花生 flavours!
Okay if you want the de-gluttonized recommendation get the red tea flavour.
Super chewy and soft - one bite and you'll immediately confirm that it is handmade.
I wish I could have brought back more, but the mochi has to be consumed within 3 days because it contains no preservatives.
Damn I'm craving for it right now.
Clockwise from top left: Sesame, Red Tea, Peanut, Red Bean 紅豆 and Pineapple 鳳梨 .
Another random try further up from the mochi stall - Fried Cabbage, Tanghoon and Mushrooms 'Burger',
which I quite liked but I thought the uncle was too teeko and full of jiaowhey :x
He was posing for the cameras happily, but at the next moment he pulled down his shirt at the collar to show his chest hair -.-
Can't believe my chest hair luck - haunts me even when overseas.
I'll spare you the photo of that because my lens cracked.
but he told us after around 5 different poses to help ourselves.
And wah piang eh I was looking out for chest hair in the food.
SML is also known for their Assam Red Tea 阿薩姆紅茶
This I highly recommend - Assam Red Tea Love Letters 阿薩姆紅茶蛋捲
The toasted tea taste is super fragrant and it was v crispy cause they made it by hand.
It lasts 3 weeks, so I bought back a box for my mom, who loves love letters. :B
Wahahah it stayed in shape all the way man, never cui LOL.
But seriously it was so annoying to be so careful with my luggage.
Photo credits: Levon
Other than eating, of course have to try the actual Assam Red Tea 阿薩姆紅茶,
so I bought this from a random store we saw - 邵族小公主
Unfortunately not v nice, cause it has this xiap xiap (sandy?) aftertaste.
Bought Bamboo Rice 竹筒飯 from the stall directly opposite too !
Levon bought a braised tofu burger - which was like kong bak pau in tofu version, with lots of peanuts and vegetables.
The aunty was nice because she gave levon a piece of braised meat with lesser fats: "年輕人不喜歡吃太肥的肉"
HAHAH but I love that layer of fat leh actually. :xx
so I bought this from a random store we saw - 邵族小公主
Unfortunately not v nice, cause it has this xiap xiap (sandy?) aftertaste.
Levon bought a braised tofu burger - which was like kong bak pau in tofu version, with lots of peanuts and vegetables.
The aunty was nice because she gave levon a piece of braised meat with lesser fats: "年輕人不喜歡吃太肥的肉"
HAHAH but I love that layer of fat leh actually. :xx
Photo credits: Levon
The bamboo rice contains glutinous rice, with dried shrimps and some nuts inside.
Quite fragrant but finish when it's hot! Otherwise not nice liao :x
See this restaurant?
Many people recommended 日月餐坊 for lunch/dinner - saying its the best place in SML.
Reservations are highly recommended as it can get quite crowded.
We skipped this because from pictures its like zi char, and didn't look v appealing to me. :x
To get to Cingjing Farm, we had to take a bus from Nantou Bus 南投客運 to Puli, and change bus there.
Once we got back to Shui She Pier, we cut through the oTop shopping mall and turned right, going down the slope.
Walk towards this building and climb the flight of stairs up to the Shui She Visitor Center.
Nantou Bus 南投客運 Ticket Counter
Buy the tickets to Puli 埔里 from here - it's a 35 min journey, costs NT68.
Got annoyed by taxi drivers again - totally ignored him and he didn't give up even while we were already paying the counter staff -.-
Waiting area for the bus to Puli.
Nantou Puli Station.
The ticket counter staff recommended us to buy the Puli-Cingjing Farm Pass - NT250 each.
The pass allows you to travel to Cingjing Farm, and back to Puli, then transfer to Taichung Railway Station.
A topup of NT20 is required for Taichung, which you can pay using the EasyPass.
Super worth it because a single trip ticket to CJ is NT122, then CJ to Taichung is NT122+134.
There are also coupons for discounts to Cingjing Farm Entry, Cingjing Guesthouse, etc.
So instead of NT200, our peak period tickets cost NT160.
Cingjing Farm 清靜農場 is located up in the mountainous areas, so expect a swirly uphill ride.
It takes 1 hour from Puli station to the farm.
Btw, if you need the timetable for buses, click here
Pretty stream I (finally) managed to capture!
Taichung is covered with this type of scenery in most places we visited.
Halfway up and it's so misty already, with slight drizzle.
One of the minsu near cingjing farm - looks like some gothic old farm house.
Walao heng I wore a long sleeved shirt, but damn its not thick enough.
Drop off point is here, and pick up point is opposite.
This is also the store with the cheapest souvenirs, and their sheep products have 1 for 1 offers.
Photo credits: Levon
We opted to visit the Green Green Grasslands 青青草原 for the fluffy sheep!
Climb up the slopes of the Marketplace草原南端商圈, and turn right to the ticket counters.
Please note that entry for the grasslands and Mountain View Pastoral Area 清境農場觀山牧區 are different.
You probably have to pay another entrance fee but we didn't go there, so I have no idea how much is it.
Silent hill?
Oh, and watch out for those poop piles on the ground! They're everywhere.
Photo courtesy of Levon HAHAH.
Sheep Show Amphitheatre 綿羊秀場
There are no sheep-shearing shows on weekdays, but you can interact with horses and shetland ponies.
I loveeeee horses.
1 box NT10 - and the sheep all run to you at the sight of the box.
And these are dustbins.
One for general waste and another for recyclables - serious.
Please do not chase or scare the mehs.
Mehfie!
It was quite fun and damn tiring to be running around with those sheep!
Now I know how a sheepdog feels like LOLOL.
Levon also bought sheep milk ice cream AND milk - brave woman.
I damn scared of the weird taste la. :x
Photo credits: Levon
Just nice after we decided we were done, it started to drizzle.
Then it soon became a downpour.
And we missed the bus, which was annoying because we reached the stop 10 minutes before the arrival time.
We even asked the store owner what time is the next bus leh, and it tallied with the timetable.
T.T thoroughly soaked.
We ordered our Sun biscuits 太陽餅 from stores that friends recommended!
太陽堂老店食品有限公司
No. 25, Section 2, Ziyou Rd, Central District, Taichung City
台中市 中區 自由路2段25號
There are many branches of 太陽堂老店 around; those are the resellers,
Levon loves the Pineapple tarts with cranberries 蔓月梅土鳳梨酥
阿明師老店太陽堂
No. 11, Section 2, Ziyou Rd, Central District, Taichung City
台中市中區自由路2段11號
My pick for 太陽餅 - NT200 for a box of 10
It comes in Original Malt (contains lard) or Honey flavour - and I think the honey is less sweet.
Sun biscuits last up to 10 days, so if Taichung is one of your first few stops (like us),
you can opt for delivery to your hotel on the second last day, with a fee of NT140.
Leave them with the hotel address and contact no., and don't forget to inform your hotel when you check in too.
We did find this though! Takoyaki 日船章鱼小丸子 - Wasabi flavour is recommended
We're leaving Taichung and heading to Hualien next!
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