Taiwan - Taipei - Summer 2011

It was summer time in Taipei, which is not a good time to holiday in this period. Firstly, it would be generally hotter, and secondly, there maybe a chance where our holiday may coincide with typhoons. However, due to multiple reasons, we ended up in Taipei for a 5 day short trip. Luckily the typhoon Nanmadol left south of Taiwan on the 29 August, just the day before we went to Taipei. In any case, the typhoon only hit the eastern, southern and western coast. Thus, Taipei which is situated on the northern part of Taiwan, was not affected.

Day 1 - cloudy

30 August, Tuesday, 2011 (Taipei 101 - Wu Fen Pu - Rao He night market)

We arrived at the airport of Taiwan at around 1230pm, Tao Yuan airport, about 40 minutes away from Taipei City Center. We bought a sim card, called the driver, and he told us to meet him at an exit. We managed to book this car, a week in advance, to fetch the 6 of us from the airport, at a price of 1300NT. It was a very comfortable ride, as the driver came in a Volksvagen Transporter, to pick us from the airport.

Within 35 minutes, we reached our hotel, Caesar Park (凱撒大飯店) hotel, right opposite the Taipei Main Station. We chose this hotel, as it was very conveniently located, at the MRT/Rail/HSR/Bus station. In addition, you do not need to change the MRT lines if you are taking the Blue line, Green line or even the Red line. We booked 2 nights at this hotel. Unfortunately, the hotel rooms interior does look a little dated. Somehow, on the web it looks a little nicer than it is. Our rooms window were exactly facing the Taipei Main Station.

After that, we went out for lunch outside the hotel, and managed to grab some good lunch. We had beef noodles, and dumplings. The noodles and soup was good, while the dumpling skin could have been thinner.

Then we took the MRT to CityHall, and took the free bus at exit 2, to Taipei 101. We took the escalator to the 5th floor, wanting to purchase the entrance tickets. Unfortunately, weather did not permit and the outdoor observatory(91st floor) was closed, thus we did not buy the 400NTD entrance ticket to visit the observatories(89th & 91st floor).Subsequently, we took a cab to Wufenpu instead, costing about 100NTD. We did some shopping at this area. I think this place is a pretty good place for shopping, although some people claim that Xi Men Ding is a better place to shop. Shopping was boring for the men, and tiring for the elderly, thus we took a rest, and had a coffee just outside the temple, then we started our 5-10 minute walk to Raohe Night Market.

Raohe Night Market is really quite small. It is just one stretch of shops, with things to buy on the sides, and the food in the centre of the road.

At Raohe Night Market, we managed to get these food, except for the 5th item which we missed.
Picture shows the first 4 items, starting from top left, clockwise...














1. Smelly toufu - mediocre
2. Oyster omelette - no good
3. Fuzhou Shizu Pepper Bun 胡椒餅 (hújiāobǐng) 45NT - good
4. Pork rib soup 藥燉排骨 (yàodùn páigǔ). - good
5. oyster thin noodles 蚵仔麵線 (kèzǎi miànxiàn) NT100 (Dong Fa Hao shop)
6. Chicken Backside sticks - good
After food, we headed back to the hotel in a cab. Think the cab fare was about 175NTD.

Dad was super hungry that night, as he did not have proper dinner with rice.

Day 2 - cloudy
31 August, Wednesday, 2011 (Wulai - Neidong - National Museum Palace - Shilin market)

It was our first day in Taipei. I was getting excited to go for breakfast. We headed out of our hotel by 740am. Took the lift to the MRT level, and took 1 stop to the makan place, Fu Hang Dou Jiang, 阜杭豆漿 .

FU HANG DOU JIANG at Hua Shan Market, 2nd Floor (hours: 5:30AM- 10:30AM)
No. 108, Zhongxiao E. Rd., Sec. 1 (02) 2392-2175

Getting there
Shan Dao Temple station, exit 5, walk along the road, and turn right on at the junction, you can take the lift up to the 2nd floor.

We reached there quite early on a weekday, thus the queue was not that long. But by the time we finished our meal, the queue has grown. The place is quite nice like a little shop on its own, with air-conditioning. Thus, it is a nice place to read your papers, while you slowly have your breakfast.

We took these food, and here's our verdict.













1. Salted soy milk - Good (you either like it or hate it)
2. Sweet soy milk - Good
3. Thick flat bread w Deep-fried dough sticks - so so
4. Thin flat bread with eggs and green onion (He Ping) - Good
5. Rice - Fan Twan - Good
6. Dough sticks - not good (singapore's version is much nicer)

After breakfast, we took the train all the way to Xindian Station. Note that you have to take the right train at the Taipei Main Station. The final destination the train will go will be displayed on the train itself, thus, look out for Xindian on the train. It took us about 25 minutes to reach Xindian, and then we went to the bus-stop behind the Tourist Information Counter. And the bus ride took another 35 minutes for us to reach Wulai (烏來 ). We took bus 849. (note that 1601 is no longer in service) Luckily we took the bus, as it was much cheaper than getting a cab, which cost about 100NTD per pax, and there were 6 of us. The bus ride costed us only about 45NTD per pax, which was cheaper than that, as we had the EasyCard ( 悠遊卡 yōu yóu kǎ) that gave us an additional 10% discount.

The bus terminated at Wulai itself. It was only about 2 minute walk to the old street 烏來老街. And you can see shops offering hot spring baths, and some street food already. And you will reach a pretty bridge, that overlooks a river with green coloured water, that looks pretty nice.












We had coffee/ rose milk tea / orange juice at this shop next to the river. It was a pretty place. But too bad it was a little warm.
Guess if it had been autumn or winter, the weather would have been perfect.













After the drink, we continued on the old street. It is quite a short street, selling lotsa zi char (fried dishes with rice). There were alot of their local (ye3 cai4 / wild vege) .The street also offered some local titbits and food such as eggs, muah ji, and a kind of small grain/millet like grain.

Soon, we reached lansheng bridge 攬勝大橋 (red), and took a flight of stairs up where you see Helen Cafe, and then finally you reach the little tram station. 小台車 (1.5km up). Paid for 50NTD per pax, and it brings us to another short stretch of shops, where you see the Wulai waterfall behind the left row of shops. And that's it! There is no taxis here, and nothing much others to offer to tourists. We went in that air-conditioned little place, just outside where you purchase the train tickets to go down to the old street again. In here, there are little write-ups on the history of Wulai.

Somehow we got lucky and got a cab, which brought us to Nei Dong, 内洞森林, for the price of 300NTD. But there were 6 of us, he charged us as 400NTD instead. upon reaching Nei Dong, we had to pay an entrance fee of 65NTD, for weekday tickets. Then, we had to walk about 25 minutes along the river on a pretty path to the Nei Dong Waterfall. There isnt much to see along the way, the place merely offers a nice nature walk. And it is less touristy, think we saw more local elderly coming here for a good nature walk.

After Nei Dong, we headed for lunch at Wulai old street, and ordered some weird looking vegetables, and wild boar meat. Before it was cooked.... After it was cooked. (see pix on left.)












Food was quite nice, but it was not too cheap. Think it was more than 1000NTD for the 6 of us. We ordered 1 chicken, and 1 wild boar and 4 vegetables dishes. (and a dose of horribly smelling chinese medicine for diarrhoea for one of us)

(Cab fare cost - 400NTD from Neidong to Old Street)

Then we took the same cab out from Wu Lai old street to Taipei, which would cost us another 800NTD. Unfortunately, the driver claimed that the vehicle was breaking down. So he dropped us at Xindian MRT instead, and refused payment. But we felt bad, so we gave him some money. Then we took the train back to the hotel for a rest, as one of us was having diarrhoea, possibly due to the Rose Milk Tea, and many other thing we tasted for free along the old street, which included yoghurt to juice, to sweets, etc.

Then it was about 4pm, and diarrhoea seems to have stopped acting up, we headed to Shi Lin MRT station, to take the Bus R30 to the National Palace Museum. Basically, you will be able to see the right bus stop to take the bus, from the map right outside the train station. Shilin Train station looks like another place for makan and shopping. But too bad we did not have time for that.

The bus came shortly, and we were at the National Palace museum (國立故宮博物院

guo2 li4 gu4 gong1 bo2 wu4 yuan4) in about 15-20 minutes. The bus goes right to the entrance of the museum, at the basement. So upon alighting, you just need to take the escalator up one level, and viola you are at the ticketing entrance already. We managed to get free tickets from the tourism board, so we did not have to buy any tickets.

We went straight to the Jadeite Cabbage exhibit, and the piece of meat as mentioned by one of us who has visited this museum before. Then we visited the gallery show-casing the the precious ivory, jade, stone carved pieces during the Qing Dynasty. Everything looks impossibly carved out to

perfection. It is really hard to imagine how all these was possible.

Then we took the bus R30 on a return journey, by-passing Shilin MRT, but alighting at the final stop at JianTan MRT station(劍潭站), which was where the Shi Lin night market ( 士林夜市) was located.

Food we tried

1) Lu Rou Fan - Yummy (bottom pix)

2) Da Bing bao Xiao Bing – booth no. 501 (little roll in big roll) - not nice

3) Oyster omelette - not nice (centre pix)

4) Chicken booth 535 - Yummy (top pix)

5) Sui3 Jian1 Bao1, booth 529 - not really special

Then we crossed the road to the shopping area, and tried the Fried Milk, which was quite nice. NT20 for a stick of 3. And went on shopping in the area. This place is really quite crowded and big, compared to Raohe, which was just one street. When we got tired from shopping, we took a cab back to the hotel again.

Day 3 - Very sunny and blue skies

1 September, Thursday, 2011 (Ruifang - Jin Gua Shi - JiuFen - Ba Dou Zi)

We woke up early again, and took the 8:25am local rail to Ruifang 瑞芳. The ride took about 44 minutes. Initially, we wanted to take buy tickets for seats on the train. However, when we went to check the day before, it seems that the seats were sold out for Tze chiang Trains. Thus, we took the local train, which was very similar to MRT trains. We walk into the train station using the EasyCard, (no need to purchase tickets), and board the train similarly like the MRT. The train was quite full, but nice Taiwanese usually offered their seats to the needy. Most of the people alighted the train at Xike station, so by then, all of us had a seat. (Ruifang train station)

(13-level Ore Refinery with KeeLung Mountain)
At Ruifang, our driver met us at the train station, and brought us to a petrol kiosk for water and toilet. Then, we started our journey to these sights.

1) 金瓜石 jin1 gua1 shi2 - the town behind 九份 - Was a gold-mining town during Japanese dominance

2) 陰陽海 yin1 yang2 hai3 - due to the contribution of yellow water from the waterfall area

3) 十三層遺址 Shisancheng yi2 zhi2 (13-level) Ore Refinery (see the photo above)

4) 排煙管 - which was sprawled all over the hill on the ground

4)黃金瀑布 - Golden waterfall that is yellowish in colour due to Arsenic, Copper and Sulpher

5) 景明亭鳥瞰Ｓ型彎道 - the road with many bends

6) 礦坑隧道短程體驗 - some tunnel

7) 勸濟堂大關公- a temple

8) 九份 Jiu Fen old streets (see pix on right)

Why the waterfall is golden/yellowish colour?

Ores from Jin-gua-shi adn Jiu-fen are washed down to the river along with mountain spring water and rain resulting in a high level of oxidized pyrite and arsenice, giving the water a golden hue.

We reached Jiu Fen around noon, did a check in at Windsor B&B 涵館咖啡廳 (han2 guan3)

282, Qing1 Bian4 Jie, then we grabbed our lunch at the old street.

1) Red wine meat with rice - nice, but not all liked it

2) Big meat balls - gong4 wan2 - good

3) Taro Balls at 芋仔粿 - 阿柑姨芋圓 Ah Gan Yee - chewy

4) Jiufen Hakka herbal cake

which only offered us cold desserts, which I feel was not too nice. Too bad, I only learnt after I left Taipei that the other shop ( 賴阿婆芋圓 Lai ah po) actually serves hot Taro balls which possibly tasted better.

After walking abit in the old street, we headed back to rest at the Min2 Su4 (Windsor B&B溫莎堡日光涵館 ) within JiuFen. The accommodation is quite nice, similar to what you see on their website.

The accommodation is a duplex, with one bed on the 2nd floor. (and another smaller bed on the first floor) The picture on the right shows the bedroom on the 2nd floor, followed by the entrance to the accommodation, then the bathroom, and the view from the bed.

Jiu Fen is a town that overlooks the sea. The picture on the left is the view from our room.

However, there is only 1 toilet on the upper floor, which is a little inconvenient, if 4 persons are staying in the same accommodation.

The hospitality offered at the Windsor B&B was good. As the owner happened to be free and was around during our stay, he brought us for seafood dinner near the port, and offered some fruits. The fruits were big and sweet, compared to the ones we have in Singapore.

Day 4 - sunny

2 September, Friday, 2011 (JiuFen - Ye Liu - Miao Kou night market - Xi Men Ding)

Took a 5-10 minute stroll to the Windsor B&B 涵館咖啡廳 (han2 guan3), for breakfast at 830am. Here is what we had for breakfast.

Then we took another round of shopping in the old street, then we packed and met our guide who brought us to Jinshan Old Street, where Duck and sweet potatoes are the local specialty food. We had our lunch at Guangan Temple, where the 30-year old duck meat shop was located. Bascially, they put all the plates of different dishes there, you just go to the table and take what would like to eat, and bring it back to your table. At the end of the meal, the guy will just come by your table and look at the type of plates, and charge you accordingly. Think we ate for about 1000NTD for the 7 of us.

Next, we headed for YeLiu. The place is infested with tourists. Loads and loads of buses of tourists actually head straight here for a picture of the Queen's Head stone thingy, which we gave it a miss, since the queue to take a picture of that was long.

After which, we just headed to some other non-interesting sights, and went straight to KeeLung night market, Miao Kou 廟口夜市, which opens from 4pm onwards. It was way too early for our dinner, so we just grabbed only some food.

Along the night market, you get to see alot more seafood as compared to other night markets. We also spotted sea urchins, as shown above. Then we made our way to the railway station, and took the Tze Chiang express train back to Taipei Main station. Again, we just need to have to tap our EasyCard to enter the train platform, and it will be deducted accordingly when we arrive at Taipei Main Station. There is no need to buy Railway Tickets.

Then we grabbed our luggage from the hotel, took a cab to CityInn Plus hotel at Ximending. The rooms are very new and nice. And it was not noisy as what some reviewers claimed on Agoda website. The only thing is that it is really a small room, but it has a big toilet which was nice.

Then, we tried to find some food in Ximending, which I realised there are alot of non-taiwanese food there. But we managed to try the Ah Zhong Mian Xian (阿宗面線), where there are hardly seats for you to eat there. There are merely some stools put around the shop where you can sit down to eat. They do not even offer tables. So we packet it back to the hotel. Frankly speaking, it's not that nice to eat.

Day 5 - Hot but poor visibility

3 September, Saturday, 2011 (Jian Guo Jade and Flower market - Taipei 101 - Xi Men Ding)

This was our last day in Taipei, and we had a late flight to catch. Some of us chose to shop at Xi Men Ding, while some of us chose to do the last bit of sight seeing within Taipei.

Sight-Seeing

1) Jian Guo Jade Market & Flower Market 建國假日玉花市

They open only on PH and weekends fr 9am-6pm. And the place is located under the flyover. We did not get to see much fo the Jade Market, as they were not quite opened at 930am then. The flower market was opened earlier, and everything look so pretty, especially the bonsai plants and orchids.

2) GuangHua Digital Plaza 光華數位新天地

The place opens after 10am. But when we were there some were only opening at 11am. And it looks pretty similar to our Sim Lim Square.

3) Taipei 101

This place is only opened from 11am. The entrance ticket cost us 400NTD per pax. It is not cheap. In addition, the outdoor observatory was only partially open that day. Only the west wing was open, and it was super hazy, giving very poor visibility. The elevator ride was pretty fast, it took about 37seconds to reach from 5th o 89th floor and the indoor observatory was pleasant, as they provided the 'radio sets' that introduce the things/roads/buildings you see from the different windows. But I think I enjoyed the Toronto CN Tower better. Maybe it was the combination of indoor and outdoor observatory, as well as the glass floor panels at the CN Tower that was kind of interesting.

Then we headed to Gao Zi 高记 for lunch. It was located at 5 Yongkang St (台北市永康街5號), just next to the Ding Tai Fung, which had a queue outside. Frankly, I feel Gao Zi was just as nice. But then, I am only comparing Singapore Ding Tai Fung with the Taipei Gao Zi. These were what we had.

1) 蟹黃小籠包 - crab roe xiao long bao - good (top right)

2) Fried rice - nice (bottom right)

3) Prawns - very good (top left)

4) Hai3 Cai4 Sea food soup - quite nice

5) Asparagus - good

6) specialty buns (sui jian bao) - not really nice
( bottom left)

Finally, after taking a stroll down Yong Kang Street, we took a cab (計程車 jìchéngchē) back to our hotel, and rested a while before we grabbed some stuffs from Ximending, before we left for airport.