Taiwan 2014 Part 1: Taipei
In mid March, we went to Taiwan and yes, we are back here again for our 4th time. This time is different because we brought our father in law as well as Gwen! It's her first trip! And it's also the first time we travel the furthest place from Singapore with 7 people.
Travelling with three children now is still manageable, luckily with the help of 4 adults! For the 3 days in Taipei, we toured in the city area, zoo, night market, and also cable car! Travelling with the children is a great experience in Taipei as their train transport system is superb and efficient. People are very friendly and courteous.
We stayed at Dong Wu Hotel and it's the hotel we stayed previously. Great service and it's location is very central. Near to train station, Ning Xia Night Market and also wet market too!
Family picture of us!
We have learnt quite a few things...
1. We need to bring up snacks on board for the children to munch on the 4.5 hours flight to Taiwan.
2. The weather in Taipei was cold and we need to bring more warm clothings for the children.
3. It's good to go just a few places in these 3 days, as we can slowly appreciate and enjoy the whole place!
4. Having to bring my father in law is good because he helps us to take great pictures, so that we can document it and serve as memories for all of us.
5. We booked the train tickets TWO WEEKS before our travel date.
6. We went to the Taiwan Embassy at Chevron building to get free NT100 worth of Night market vouchers in Taiwan per pax.
Love their train rides... See Josh with his Taiwan map! He loves it so much too..
Our Travel Itinerary in Taiwan
Day 1:
1030hrs: Left home to Changi Airport via train.
1100hrs: Checked in at Changi Airport.
1245hrs: Airplane departed from Changi Airport.
1700hrs: Reached Tao Yuan Airport, took cab to Taipei, Dong Wu Hotel.
1800hrs: Checked in Dong Wu Hotel, went to Wu Ming Zi Taiwan Porridge.
2000hrs: Headed back to Hotel and rested.
Day 2:
0800hrs: Breakfast at Dong Wu Hotel.
1000hrs: Took train from Daqiaotou Station to Zhong Xiao Fu Xing Station for lunch.
1130hrs: Headed via train to Mao Kong Gondola for cable car and zoo.
1630hrs: Went back to Dong Wu to wash up and rest.
1830hrs: Went to Ning Xia Night Market to have dinner and shop around.
2030hrs: Headed back to Hotel and rested.
Day 3:
0800hrs: Breakfast at Dong Wu Hotel.
0830hrs: Went to nearby morning market to shop!
1000hrs: Took train from Daqiaotou Station to C.K.S Memorial Hall.
1200hrs: Ate lunch at Dong men Station (Stall name: Dong Men Jiao Zi).
1400hrs: Went around and headed back to Dong Wu Hotel to rest.
1630hrs: Grandparents brought Josh and Kate to Dansui Station while Eve and I enjoyed dating.
1700hrs: Took train from Daqiaotou to Taipei Main Station for snack and shop at Qsquare, Daiso.
2030hrs: Headed back to Hotel and rested.
Day 4:
0800hrs: Breakfast at Dong Wu Hotel.
0830hrs: Went to nearby morning market to shop!
1030hrs: Headed to Taipei Main Station to catch our train at 1200hrs to Hua Lien.
1040hrs: Bought food up to the train.
1200hrs: On board train to Hua Lien.
1400hrs: Reached Hua Lien and chauffeured to Bayview Hotel (at Qi Xing Tan).
1430hrs: Rested and took pictures in the Bayview Hotel
1700hrs: Took cab to the main city of Hua Lien to shop and eat.
2030hrs: Headed back to Hotel and rested.
Day 5:
0800hrs: Breakfast at Bayview Hotel.
0900hrs: Started day tour to Taroko. Took many pictures.
1200hrs: Lunch at a restaurant up at Taroko! Delicious.
1500hrs: Go to Qi Xing Tan and Goat's Farm.
1630hrs: Headed back to Hotel and rested.
1800hrs: Went to eat at a Kuai Mu Guan.
1900hrs: Went to shop around the Hua Lien main city and snack.
2100hrs: Headed back to Hotel and rested.
Day 6:
0800hrs: Breakfast at Bayview Hotel.
0930hrs: Took pictures at Qi Xing Tan.
1100hrs: Rested and packed up for train to Taipei at 1230hrs.
1230hrs: Board train to Taipei.
1430hrs: Reached Taipei Main Station. Had lunch and desserts. Shopped awhile.
1630hrs: Bought bus tickets to travel to Tao Yuan Airport from Taipei Main Station.
1700hrs: Took bus from Taipei Main Station to Tao Yuan Airport.
1800hrs: Checked in.
1830hrs: Had dinner in Tao Yuan Airport.
2000hrs: Flight back to Singapore.
Day 7:
0015hrs: Reached Singapore.
0100hrs: Reached home.
Night Markets - Ning Xia Night Market
In Taiwan, you can easily ask anyone and they will recommend you the nearest night market to go to! And honestly, now I have slightly changed my diet as I don't really like those blood pork slices, chicken cutlet, smelly beancurd, sweet tang yuan anymore!! Oh no! I just drank fruit juice at the night market!! Lol!
During the waiting time for food, we just played games! And the children will look at us with amazement that we, adults can also be children too!
Picture of us in front of a sesame chicken noodle stall which is famous in NingXia Night Market
Eve ordering the dessert for us
Josh enjoys Taiwan desserts. He is heavily clothed as the night weather is chilly for him!
The night market also have children toys for sale and they are so amazed by the toys!
Just remember to bring additional clothes with hood for children because the weather changes very fast in Taiwan! The winds at night can be so chilly! Luckily we brought enough clothes.
People and people and we bought cut fruits!! So happy to see fruits!!
Love this couple picture! Or is it 4 people! Lol..
Food, Meals are everywhere
We went to a shopping mall called Qsquare, and they have so many shops!
Tried their food court meals too...
This Wu Ming Zi Porridge is delicious! Without fail, everytime we come to Taipei, we will come to have the delicious Taiwan porridge! Love it so much...
Cable car ride at Taipei Mao Kong
Picture of Gwen and I at the Mao Kong station! It's so worth the price!
From the train station to the Mao Kong cable car, there is a distance of around 500m
Look at the cable car! We chose the crystal cabin again! This year, their theme is Hello Kitty.
My two darlings! And Kate happened to put on the Hello Kitty Jacket too! Aren't they sweet?
Selfie picture of us on the cable car!
At the top of the Mao Kong, there are delicious sweet potatoes that tasted so yummy! Even though I'm full, I just buy and eat! It's so Singaporean-ish but it's like that. Once you reach a place where there is exotic food, you will just want to pay and buy. :)
One packet cost NT50! It's like $2. It's touristy price but it's fine coz it's DELICIOUS!
Kate also munched Taiwan corn! Yummy and healthy too!
Look at the sweet potato Kate is munching! She loves it!!
Their corn is different from that you get from Singapore! It's so much sweeter!
Group picture at the base of the Mao Kong Station, where we rested for awhile.
Taipei Zoo
We didn't have much time left after the Mao Kong Cable Car to stay long in the Taipei Zoo as they are closed at 5pm. Hence, we quickly bought our tickets and headed to see the highly acclaimed pandas!
Happy children and I with the panda monument.
Taipei's morning market
We love wet markets so much! And on the second day, we went to the wet market nearby our hotel place. They have so much of local produce and it's just so amazing!
Their local strawberries. Looks nice but not so sweet!
Yummy right?
They have wider range of vegetables and their turnips are huge! Too bad we can't buy because by the time we brought back, I guess they won't be so fresh anymore.
There is a cooked sushi stall and they sell 14 pieces for 100NT (SGD $4) And they are all so beautiful. They don't have raw stuff but it's just so beautifully made!
This is jaw dropping! They sell fresh nougats that are not so sweet and has so many flavours! And all are hand made! We were lucky to chance by them as they are only here once every 2 weeks!
We bought tomatoes, strawberries and apples back to serve as snacks for the trips later in the day.
We just wanted to buy and cook in Taipei! Just that we didn't have the pots! Lol... Taiwan is really a liveable city and I honestly don't mind retiring here!
This lady selling freshly made mackerel fish balls! Looks yummy but my mother in law tried and she said it tasted sweet. I didn't buy on the spot because I feel I couldn't finish one big packet.
Huai Shan! We love it and we were so happy to see purple ones! We didn't buy back because we fear it may decompose when we come back! Awww!
Gwen and the strawberries!
Basically, for Taipei, it's most food and food! And we enjoyed so much of the food and due to the cold weather, we burn more fat. Hence, naturally, we have to intake more food! Lol... One more post to Hua Lien, which we spent 2 days there!
We have to cater rests in between the travelling because children need rest and so are we, the adults! The places we go are very few, but we enjoyed so much! :)
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