25 Oct 2017 (Wed)
We took the Singapore Airlines flight SQ 878 (11.55 am - 4.40 pm) to Taipei. We had snacks at the Singapore airport terminal 3 before boarding. We understood that the money changer at Taipei airport offfering better exchange rate. So we changed to Taiwan currency before exiting the arrival hall. The tour guide cum driver Ms Nicole 萧 was meeting us at the airport concourse. Our first stop was Just Sleep Hotel at Xi Men Ding 台北捷丝，西门丁旅馆. After check in, we stroll at the popular Xi Men Ding night market and tried out the local street food. The experience was good. Nicole will meet us at the hotel lobby at 9.30 am the next day. Our next destination was Hua Lian 花莲。
SQ 878, seat 40D
departure hall
turn to board
Taipei airport
at Xi Men Ding
counter
Mixed fruits
with shaved ice
26 Oct 2017 (Thurs)
Nicole picked us up at 9.30 am after we had a good buffet breakfast at the hotel cafe. We were heading for Hua Lian 花莲. On the way we stopped at Yi Lan 宜兰 for foot therapy using the public spring water pool. The spring water was warm and has lots of minerals. It was good for our body. We felt fresh after 20 minutes foot therapy. We walked around the shops and bought some local products. Nicole suggested we picking up some onion pancake along the way as lunch was expected to be late. We stopped for lunch around 3.30 pm at the Zhou Jia 周家 dumpling eating house. The dumplings were good.
to Yi Lan
the tunnel
foot spar
宜阑 for foot spar
foot spar
宜阑
onion pancake
her merz
lunch
lunch
dumpling house
reaching hotel
花莲捷丝
one Queen size bed
night market
at Hua Lian
another exit
shop near hotel
27 Oct 2017 (Fri)
Out next destination was Qing Jing 清境. On the way we stopped at Shakadang trail 沙卡碭步道. The Shakadang trail will take one hour for both ways. It was quite an experience. The scenery along the trail was nice. We stopped for lunch at the aborigines restaurant. The food was unique. They served bamboo rice. We had dinner at Lu Ma Ma 鲁妈妈 restaurant.We arrived at the Qing Jing Shangrila Hanging Garden hotel after dark. The hotel was resort style. It was constructed with timber. The ambient temperature was 16 degree C in the night. Breakfast was alfresco style. It was comfortable as the hotel was 2044 meters above sea level.
Shakadang trail
to make the trail
closed due to work
in progress
restaurant
on the wall
30 minutes due to
road resurfacing
at 3275 meters
above sea level
restaurant
dinner at 2044
meters above
sea level
one queen
the board walk
28 Oct 2017 (Sat)
We took a morning walk near Shangrila hotel after breakfast. Nicole came to our hotel at 9.30 am. We went to the nearby Qing Jing board walk and enjoyed the nice scenery along the way. We were heading to Tai Zhong 台中 today. On the way we visited a magnificent Buddhist Monastery building. We stopped for lunch at Fang Zheng Gu restaurant 方正谷餐馆 that served special local Taiwan food. After lunch we visited the popular Old Taiwan Replica building. The set up showed old Taiwan in the fifties. We had our afternoon high tea at the cafe which was renovated from the former eye hospital. The cafe interior decoration was nice and relaxing.
We checked in to the Beacon Hotel 碧根旅店at Feng Jia 逢甲. After settling down , we proceed to Feng Jia night market for the street food.
monastery
restaurant
方正谷地道菜
replica
living
on duty
eye hospital
in marble
WC cubicle
Beacon hotel
台中碧根
旅店
逢甲夜市
Dou Fu
木瓜牛奶
facing hotel room
29 Oct 2017 (Sun)
We checked out of Beacon hotel after breakfast. Nicole came to fetch us at 9.30 am. We were heading to Taipei today. On the way we visited Yang Ming Shan 杨明山。The place as very scenic. We had lunch at Gu Xiang 故乡 restaurant。The food served there was very special. We ordered the steam village chicken. The chicken meat was very tender, juicy and tasty. We had sweet potatoes soup. We visited Jiu Fen 九份 after lunch. Jiu Fen was a very popular tourists attraction. Nicole suggested that we got off at the hill top and she will meet us at the car park down hill due to vehicle congestion. We had beef noodles for dinner at Fu Hong 富宏 before checking in to Just Sleep hotel 捷丝旅馆at Xi Men Ding 西门町. The beef noodles was very popular with the local and tourists. It was also one of the eating place recommended by the Trip Advisor. After seeing us off at the hotel, Nicole went back to her home. She was living in Taipei. We will be on our own for the last two days. Nicole will pick us at 2.00 pm on the last day for airport.
resting point
Yang Ming Sang
杨明山花钟
to Jiu Fen
九份
Jiu Fen hill top
hotel check in
drink
room
the hotel
30 Oct 2017 (Mon)
After breakfast at the hotel cafe, we took the MRT at Xi Men Ding station to Dan Shui 淡水 and then took the ferry to fishermen wharf 鱼人马头。We strolled at Dan Shui and bought the famous sponge cake to satisfy our taste bud. Our lunch was at 阿给。Special local food. We then bought the ferry tickets to the Fishermen Wharf. May be it was on a Monday, there were not many visitors at the Fishermen Wharf. We had afternoon coffee at Mr Brown cafe. We took the MRT back to Xi Men Ding station and had dinner at the Watami Japanese restaurant. We strolled at the Xi Men Ding night market before returning to the hotel.
淡水
Dan Shui
lunch
to Fishermen Wharf
Mr Brown, Dan Shui
淡水车站
cosmetic shop
31 Oct 2017 (Tue)
Today was my wife sister, Dorothy's birthday. We booked a lunch table for five persons at the Hakkai Shabu Shabu 八海restaurant to celebrate her birthday in Taiwan. The restaurant served a wide variety of food, drinks and desserts. It was value for money. It costed about S$15 per head. We had a very enjoyable afternoon. We went for shopping at the Taipei train station under ground shopping mall after lunch and thereafter to Shin Kong Mitsukoshi 新光三越 for dinner.
prawns for birthday special
occasion - each person only
one prawn
complimentary birthady
cake
by the restaurant
ground shopping mall
台北车站
1 Nov 2017 (Wed)
We walked to the near by 228 Peace Park ，二二八和平公园 after breakfast and returning to the hotel at 10.00 am. Our return scheduled flight was 5.00 pm. We took a shower before checking out. We left our luggage with the hotel and walked across the road to have Mos Burger for lunch. Nicole came to the hotel at 2.00 pm. We did last minutes shopping at the Taipei airport before boarding. It was a very enjoyable trip in Taiwan. We were lucky to have Nicole as our guide and driver. She was a very nice and friendly person.Very accommodating and flexible person. That makes us thinking of going back to Taiwan again in the near future.
leaving for airport
摩斯汉堡
Taipei airport
SIA check in
counter
boarding
food court
Singapore
boarding pass SQ 879
Seat 40 D
