[Week 7] Taiwan Trip

I didn't know there was so much to do in Taiwan. It is an underrated travel destination and I am so glad I agreed to go on this trip. This trip also allowed me to get closer to other exchangers, and have a nice break before midterms.

February 23 - Arrival Day

Taipei Botanical Garden

A calm and beautiful garden. Its away from the main city so it was quite peaceful.

Din Tai Fung

First time trying! It was so good and very affordable compared to the prices at those in Singapore and United States.

Zhongshan Shopping District

It was surprisingly not too crowded. The streets were lined with boutiques and small businesses. Chifeng Street is a popular street nearby with more "hipster" cafes with an artistic ambiance.

Ximending Area

This is a quite a touristy area, but I enjoyed exploring this district. There were clothing stores, many milk tea shops, and even a Don Quijiote! Milk tea is super affordable around $1-3. For dinner, my friends and I had got dinner from the street stalls. So good!

February 24 - Day Trip

Xiao Chu is flying! Cafe

The cutest place for break, brunch, or afternoon tea! To order, you choose postcards with your drink and meal of choice. And you can keep the postcards! The cafe owners had two cats that wander throughout the shop, and they do no harm. Upstairs, customers can write and customize their postcards that can be addressed to their love ones or future self.

Houtong Cat Village

A village filled with cats. This village was a must-go for me since I am a huge cat person. There were cats at the station, cats running around, and cats sleeping in the stores. Sadly, it was pouring this day so my friends and I couldn't stay out long to play with the cats

Shifen

Shifen is an old street lined with food stalls, tourist shops, and small alleyways. Tourists usually come here to try peanut roll ice cream and release lanterns.

Jiufen

We visited Jiufen at night and it was a breathtaking experience. It an old town on the mountains and is known for its narrow alleyways, teahouses, and lantern lit streets. It was a beautiful experience, but it took a good amount of effort to get there. The drive up into the mountains were windy and tight, and the alleyways were packed with people. Since it rained this way, the crowd was moving more slow to avoid slipping.

Raohe Night Market

My favorite night market in Taiwan! There were so much food options and accessory shops! I enjoyed my fresh papaya juice and trying different small dishes to fulfill my dinner meal. Surprisingly, mushrooms were a popular street market snack for many.

February 25 - Yangmingshan Day

Hello Kitty 7-Eleven

A special thing about Taiwan is that they have themed 7-Eleven Stores. Luckily we were able to visit the Hello Kitty 7-Eleven which was just a few minutes away from our Airbnb. We had a quick breakfast there and grabbed snacks to prepare for our long day ahead.

Xiaoyoukeng

Mt. Qixing Hike

The hardest hike I ever done in my life (thus far). Our personal driver for the day joined us on the hike. The hike took us about over an hour, and it was a humbling experience.However, completing the hike was an amazing feeling, I felt so accomplished.

Qingtiangang Grasslands/Circular Trail

The grasslands were gorgeous. I felt like I was in The Sound of Music. The natural landscape was relaxing and it was an overall calm atmosphere. Usually there are wild buffalos roaming, but we did not see any.

Yangming Park

A beautiful park with cherry blossoms!

Beitou Thermal Valley

Not a huge tourist destination, it was more of a walk-by sightseeing.

February 26 - Chill Day

Yong He Soy Milk Breakfast

One of the best places I had my meals in Taiwan. I really enjoyed the Taiwanese pancake and wished I visited this place more.

Taipei Zoo

The zoo entrance was only around $3USD and you DEFINITELY get your money worth. Honestly, I am surprised it wasn't higher. There were many exhibits and animals. Sadly, we were on a time limit and couldn't get to visit every animal under an hour.

Elephant Mountain

We hiked a short path of the mountain to catch a view of the Taipei 101 from a distance. Luckily, it was not a cloudy day and the pictures turned out great! The hike was not difficult, but be warned it is all stairs.

Yong Kang Beef Noodles + Dessert with Aldren

Dinner and dessert with another Shidler exchanger, Aldren! Aldren showed us his favorite beef noodle and dessert places. It was nice to see someone from home after so long :,)

February 27 - Sun Moon Lake Day

Sun Moon Lake

We woke up bright and early at 5am to get ready for Sun Moon Lake and check out of our Airbnb. It was going to be a long trip to the center of Taiwan. We had to take a train and then a two-hour long bus ride to Shuishe. From there we visited the surrounding areas of Sun Moon Lake.

The surrounded areas included:

Xuanguag Temple: a short hike

Ita Thao Pier: a small shopping district

Sun Moon Lake Cable Car Station: a majestic overhead view of the mountains

It was such a tiring, but adventurous day!

February 28 - Solo Day

We went arrived back to Taipei the following afternoon. We had a few hours left before we needed to head to the airport, so it was a solo day to do whatever we wanted to do in Taipei.

228 Peace Memorial Park

I initially wanted to visit the National Taiwan Museum, but there was long queue. So I just decided to explore the park before realizing that it was near sunset. I had enough time to catch the sunset if I went to Taipei 101.

Taipei 101

The queue to go up took about 30 minutes. It was not bad of a wait, but I recommend only coming if it is a clear day and near sunset. There was also a line to go up, you can not go down by stairs. When I went down a floor in hopes I can just climb the stairs, I was blocked by a sign. Thankfully, it was not all for nothing because the elevator for the floor below was faster.

And that concludes my trip to Taiwan :)