Hello guys :D This is my first review and also my first time traveling alone.
So it may not be as smooth, please accept my apology here in advance :D
Getting Ready...
Visa :::::
We need to apply for visa in order to enter Taiwan. It is not difficult to apply. I've never traveled alone and never done anything alone but I can have it passed at first attempt. I read the advice from http://www.taiwanembassy.org/TH/ct.asp?xItem=42441... It is the website of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Thailand. The visa fee is 1,500 THB and you will get it approved 2-3 days after submitting all the documents.
Flight Ticket ::::
This trip I travel with V Air. It is a Taiwanese low cost airline that open the route in Bangkok and Chiang Mai. For more flight information and promotion, please click https://www.flyvair.com/en/index.html ( I want to whisper to you that the flight attendants are very good looking and well taking care of us). This is my first time flying with this airline. I'm very impressed with it since this is my first trip that I did everything on my own. I got so nervous that I didn't know where to start. I had no plan of where to go and got so much stuff with me that I was initially over-weighted by 10 kilograms and now it became 14 kilograms ( I asked my mom to take some home but I still had 1 kilogram over-weighted but the airline staff was so kind that they allow me with this.) I fly during the holiday season of between 23-26 October. I got the promotion price of about 6,000 THB and some got even cheaper price.
Accommodation ::::
I book it with this website www.booking.com/. I choose for a long time before ended up with the FlipFlopHostel 夾腳拖的家 (http://www.flipflophostel.com) as it is situated next to Taipei Main Station, the center of transportation.
Journey starts....
We leave at noon and arrive Taipei in the evening. This is a storm hitting Taipei season so I was hoping that I won't get so much effect during my stay. After going through the immigration, I buy a sim card. After registering the sim card, I call home so that my family won't be too worry about me :D.
*To call back to Thailand, we need to dial 01966 and follow by the number we want to call and delete the first 0.
For example, the cell phone number 082-218-8****, when we make a call, we would dial 01966 822188****.
I choose to go to the city by U Bus in order to get on TAIWAN HIGH SPEED RAIL.
It's just about 6 p.m. but everything is already dark with slight rains and the weather is a bit chill.
Once I arrive at the high speed train station, I buy the ticket to Taipei immediately. I wait for about 10 minutes and the train arrives on time. It takes about 30-40 minutes from the airport to the Taipei Main Station.
And then I was lost in Taipei Main Station about 15 minutes before actually finding my accommodation, haha.
(Once arriving here, I immediately put my stuff in the room and go out as I'm very hungry.)
Where to go? ...
All questions come to my mind now...haha. So I first go back to Taipei Main Station to buy Easy card 悠遊卡 (you you ka). It is like EZ-Link Card of Singapore and Octopus Card of Hong Kong. Since the card was sold out at the Taipei Main Station, I need to take the metro to Dongmen (東門), 2 stations further to buy Easy card 悠遊卡 on the yellow line as suggested by the staff.
After getting the card, I look at the map to see where each line will take us and then I decide to go to Taipei 101 building.
Taipei 101 (臺北101)
It's raining T_T, so I go find something to eat at Din Tai Fung (鼎泰豐) instead.
After finishing dinner, it's already 10 p.m. I'm not sure where to go as it's raining so I decide to take the metro to Xi Men Ding (西門町).
And it also rains here, haha. So finally I just go home and let's see again tomorrow.....
Do not return late!!
This morning I wake up at 6.30 a.m. I was actually intended to wake up at 5 a.m. but due to some incident last night so I couldn't wake up as I planned. Last night, I was lost at the Taipei Main Station for about an hour and that I was feared of losing the way too much that I actually got lost. I was just walking here and there. When I came the shops were opened but now they all closed so I couldn't find the observation points T_T (for the girl travelling alone, if you want to return late, please study the route well; otherwise, you will end up like me). May be you are wondering why I got lost? Just imagine that the Mo Chit is combined with BTS and MRT and then the Siam Paragon combined with Central World and one excellent hotel. And you got it, it's so confusing that I couldn't find the exits and which sides to go for.
And the story continues. When I returned to the hostel, there's argument going on between the Chinese and Korean girls about the air-conditioning. The Korean girls got cold as they sleep next to the air-conditioner while the Chinese girls felt hot (I think most of people also might feel hot) What a day! Finally before all can agree on it and everyone can go to bed is already 2 a.m..
Ready to move on....
This morning I'm going to the cat village. We will get on the metro Ping Xi line (平溪區) and it is the romantic metro line (many couples inside the train!!!).
This trip, I also meet P'Mon, a Thai girl who stays at the same hostel. She has been in Taipei for several days and will go back Thailand tomorrow. She's all well planned and I can speak some Chinese so we both agree to travel together, haha. And if anyone has further plan, we will separate at the cat village.
Cat Village Houtong (猴硐貓村)
In the past, this place was a prosperous coal mines but after the outside prosperity has visited the village, the significance of coal mines decreased since other alternative energy has been generated and the coal mines have to shut down. Villagers went out to find jobs elsewhere, leaving only the elders at home. Until the cat start to come, the village is brighten again as many tourists start to come for the cuteness of kitty cats >,< .
(I watched the VDO that they showed and tried to tell the story as I understood, if the information was wrong, please accept my apology).
Pingxi (平溪區)
This is almost at the end of the line. At this station, lovers come to release the lantern and write their wishes at the bamboo before hanging it at the front of the station.
Jiufen (九份)
This is the red lantern village. I take the metro reverse back to the beginning of line Ping Xi (平溪區) in order to take bus to this village on the mountain.
Along the way.......
Temples at the village........ We can stop by to pay respects and make wishes, the uncle and aunties inside the temples are very kind.
So many food and snack here, these are just some examples......
Cute angles of the village.....
The top hit corner for the tourists....
Tamsui (淡水)
After wandering inside the village for a while, I suddenly thought of cycling as I heard that U BIKE of Taiwan is awesome. So then I bike it at the Tamsui River (淡水).
Let's come to enjoy Taiwanese Chabu!!!
Everything is in one buffet chabu!!! It also includes Hagen Daz. At this point……nothing can hold me back, haha (there's also many more food) I stop for chabu at 瘋麻辣頂級鴛鴦麻辣火鍋 restaurant at Xi Mend Ding since the famous restaurant is fully booked. So I try this one, for more information, please click
http://
Thank you very much :D
Thank you so much for reading until this line :D I would like to divide my first time alone journey into 2 episodes.
Since it's my first adventurous trip, haha, I travel like I'm afraid that I can't do it, so many photos :D
Aearis
Wednesday, January 6, 2016 10:02 AM
