Fill sweet through your heart with Taipei

This is my first ever blog. The pictures aren't that beautiful because I don't have any photography experiences. Ha ha

Read Thai version: https://www.follovv.me/trip/77/

I spent 5 days and 4 nights on this trip.

1st day

- Mala Hot Pot

2nd day

- Addiction Aquatic Development (Taipei Fish Market)

- Huashan 1914 Creative Park

- Jiufen Old Street

- A Mei Teahouse

3rd day

- Cho Cafe

- Taipei 101

- Xiangshan (Elephant Mountain)

- Tiger Sugar and Chun Shui Tang

- Modern Toilet Restaurant

4th day

- Carrefour Chongxin Store

- Ximending Walking District

5th day

- Taoyuan International Airport

Total expenses

- Flight: 5700 THB (this price is a promotion from Thai Airways)

- Accommodation: I booked from Airbnb. Average per person is 2000 THB

https://th.airbnb.com/trips/v1/d18abe25-94f9-440c-9507-2542550add3a

So, Total necessary expenses are 7700 THB (Excluding food and shopping)

First step. Bangkok to Taipei

The first day. I arrived at Taoyuan International Airport. Took about 3 hours and 45 minutes.

After the plane took off, the staffs start giving the immigration form. I recommend to completely fill out the information first.

For Thai tourists, no visa is required to enter Taiwan. So, you can check the Visa-Exempt box.

There will be a Metro Taoyuan to Taipei. The express will take about 40 minutes and the normal will take around 50-55 minutes.

The terminal station is Taipei Main Station where there are 2 MRT lines.

I used Easy card for traveling. You can purchase it at the counter (in front of the station entrance) or the store directly.

The ticket price is 100 TWD. After that, prepaid travel expenses should be added. And get 20% discount when traveling by train.

Get Started!

We went for a dinner at Mala Hot Pot Restaurant and spent time shopping near our place.

Making tea at Jiufen

The second day, we went to Taipei Fish Market for our lunch.

From Ximen train station, take the green line to get off at Songjiang Nanjing Station and take bus 643 to reach the destination.

When getting off the bus, we walked to Addiction Aquatic Development.

Inside, there will be fresh crab, lobster, clam, and a guarantee of freshness because it was raised in a small pond.

You can buy sushi, fried foods such as tempura, fried rice, desserts, fresh juices, and beer. But having no chairs to sit on and also dispose the food-waste by yourself.

This is the item which bought from the inside.

I like it because it has everything likes Japan.

I've never seen a big crab like this ~

It's time to go to Huashan 1914 Creative Park.

On the way, there are many phone and computer equipment stores along the street.

Of course, Taiwan is a country that produces IT products, so these products are cheaper than Thailand.

And now is the time to visit Jiufen. We planned to take a train to Zhongxiao Fuxing then take a 1062-bus.

Not trying to talk with strangers is a must if you want to travel to Jiufen by bus. Otherwise they will offer (force) you to go by their expensive van likes us. To be positive, we were travelling by van which took only 40 minutes, somehow shorter time, to reach Jiufen.

The driver brought us to the hill for a photo taking. Then he dropped us at Jiufen Old Street.

This small city is the most famous in "Tea" and the first ever check-in point is Amei Tea House. The distant from this old street to the Tea House is not far. But the path to there is filled with tourists from everywhere over the world. Along this path, there are a lots of foodies and snack shop lying on both side this walking street.

What a warm family :D

After we arrived at Tea House, we have to wait for a long queue to enter.

If you are entering with only 2 or 3 people, the staffs will offer for the outdoor tables. So, you will able to see the most beautiful view and the sun set down through the hill. But if you are entering in large, you have to sit inside but anyways, you can visit any corners of the Tea House. No problem !

After entering, the price for each person is 300 TWD. Then the staffs will demonstrate to tea making process. After, they finished demonstration. You have to make the tea by yourself. This price is including Snacks already.

One piece for each type, for a person ? What an expensive thing. Only atmosphere and view are the worthy.

The Tea House will give you a cutie postcard :)

Time to get back, we walked back through Daitain Temple for a Bus line 965 for Ximen Station. We paid 90 TWD and it took around 1 hour and 20 minutes to reach the city.

Climbing Mount Elephant then view through the Taipei City

The third day, let's take a city trip

Good morning, it's time for breakfast!

We planned to have our first meal at Niou Dien Beef Noodles. But it was too early :(, most of the restaurants are opening after 11.00 am. We then decided to have traditional rice dish, prices were around 70-85 TWD. The taste is not as difference as Thai dish.

Who forget the coffee in the morning ? Not us. We then visit coffee shop named "Cho Cafe". This shop is specialized in both Coffee Brewer and Barista.

They were both attend and reach to the top tier in many coffee related contest around the world. One person One order is required in this cafe. The cheapest coffee menu is 130 TWD. But there are option for sweets which is cheaper in the menu.

You should find it out!

One of the can't miss in Taipei, guess what ? ...taadaa... Taipei 101 Building.

It is exactly sure that we had to go by subway. We walked to Ximen station and took the Green line to Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall station. But wait... our guide led us to the wrong side of the track. Oh no. We then had to go for Zhongshan station instead. Then took the Red Line for Taipei 101 / World Trade Center Station.

After stepping out of the station, in front of us was a sky-tall building. The 89th of this building is the viewing point to see the whole city. But the ticket is required and a long queue is awaits...

At the entrance, the famous Chinese restaurant "Din Tai Fung" is opening here. Xiao Long Bao is the all-time recommended dish. The specialty is the minced pork and broth soup are inside a thin-flour bun. There are Din Tai Fung restaurants in Thailand, but quite expensive comparing to Taiwan.

On the second floor, It has many branded shop. Some stores may offer promotions on sale.

It's time to go to city viewpoint! We walked to MRT station, where we came, and got off at Xiangshan station.

Time to climb the Xiangshan mountain!

On Xiangshan mountain, there are stairs. It makes tourists climbing the hill easier.

There are some rest spot along the path. On the mountain, there was some cool wind breezed by. But we got there in the evening, so we saw the sunlight over Taipei 101 and Taipei City. This made an interesting view to snap a shot.

Xiangshan climbing might takes an hour to spend. There is no food and drink for sell. You need to prepare yourself first.

This picture shows the stairs up the hill. Some parts may have slightly steep steps. Please be careful.

Well, we want to try bubble milk teas, Tiger Sugar and Chun Shui Tang (the first Taiwanese milk tea shop) Therefore we take the train straight to Taipei Main Station.

It's time to have dinner. we got off the train at Ximen Station. And went to the Modern Toilet Restaurant

If you expect to eat delicious food, I would not recommend this restaurant at all. But if you want a new atmosphere, that's fine.

Food price starts at 270 TWD.

After that, we came back to our place.

Umm... We haven't used the money yet.

The fourth day, It seems that my friends are happy about eating at the Taipei Fish Market.

We ordered sushi and got fresh fish which is not expensive (comparing with Japanese price)

Of course! If you want to shop for cheap shoes. You should go to Carrefour Chongxin Store.

We left from Taipei Fish Market by R50-bus and got off the terminated station. After that, we took 616-bus to Carrefour.

Famous brand stores such as Adidas or New Balance are on the B1 floor.

Next, we came back to Ximending Walking Street by 235-bus.

At Ximending, These areas have many shops such as sneakers shop, restaurant, cloth shop, cosmetics shop and milk tea shop.

In the evening, don't miss out on Hot Pot Lab, a shabu restaurant. There will be many sets to choose. The price of this one is 198 TWD.

If you want to change the soup you have to pay 50 TWD for it. If you want to add more pork or seafood, additional 50 TWD is needed.

Last day ! Who wanna get back ? NONE.

We packed our stuffs in order to leave. We brought food to eat here for breakfast. We walked to Seven-Eleven to buy Milk Tea as a souvenir. Since our flight departs at 02.00 pm. We had to get to Airport as fast as possible. We took a subway to Taipei Main Station for Metro Taoyuan. After we arrived at Taoyuan International Airport, we walked directly to our Airway counter. Immediately, we gave our luggage to airway staff. It is the time for Duty-Free shopping. In Taiwan Duty-Free, the stuffs are cheaper than Thailand Duty-Free about 100 to 200 TWD. Many of alcohol drinks are available, so do the brand name products. Thus, you might keep some money to spend here :)