[Backpacking Trip] 10D9N Taiwan Half Island Trip 2019 Part 1

Hi! I'm back! So, it's been more than one month since I came back from 11 days trip to Taiwan with my family. This was one of our longest overseas holidays to date and now, I am excited to share all of our wonderful adventures in Taiwan!

General Trip Overview

When: 1 February 2019 to 11th February 2018

Airlines: We flew with AirAsia from Kuching to Kuala Lumpur to Taiwan and booked our tickets around March 2018.

Accommodation: We changed our hotel everyday🙂🙂🙂🙂

Transportation: The Taiwan Metro system in Taiwan was very efficient and convenient. With how easy and fast to get around it was, we used it every single day. You can purchase a transport card at any major metro station or convenience store. But we didn't purchase any transport cards because we travelled in a big group. 16 family members including me. Therefore, purchasing a group ticket pass would save more money. We had also booked a minibus to bring us from Kaohsiung to Taipei.

Itinerary: As for this, we just followed what my dad and my uncle planned before we took off to Kuala Lumpur. We kept it as simple as possible and as relaxed as possible.

Weather: The average was around 16-30 degrees Celsius daily during our trip. It does rain a little during the trip, with the rest of the time cloudy and/or sunny.

Packing: We all thought that the temperature will be around 5-16 degrees Celsius, so we prepared winter clothes. Not that bulky type of clothes. Like between late autumn and pre-winter. Just a day before our flight, my dad found out that it isn't cold. We had to change our clothes to spring clothes.

Language: Most of the Taiwanese speaks Mandarin and Hokkien. You can get by fine knowing only English, however, it may be hard to communicate with some locals as Mandarin and Hokkien are most widely spoken, especially among the elderly.
  
Food: High-end popular restaurants are more costly compared to the local restaurants. Local food is usually the most budget-friendly. There are 7-11 everywhere so craving for a snack, there you go.

Shopping: This depends on what you want to buy and from where. Taiwan is home to many shopping malls and areas, from high end to street markets, and variant in terms of what you can buy as well. If you want to visit their shopping mall, please get ready to close your mouth and open your eyes big big. Because their shopping malls sell branded stuff like Tiffany&Co, Chanel, LV, Gucci, Prada, Dior and more. I prefer shopping at places like Wufenpu because the price there are reasonable and can be bargain easily.

Day 1: Kuala Lumpur
We took the night flight from Kuching to Kuala Lumpur. When we reached there, it was 9 something and we shopped at the airport while waiting for the free bus shuttle to our hotel. Two hours later, we decided to grab to our hotel. We stayed at Bary Inn. When we really settled down, it already passed 12. We took the free shuttle bus to the airport at 4 am morning.


Day 2: Kaoshiung
We arrived at Kaohsiung at 12pm. We went to our hotel, 85 Sky Tower Hotel for check-in. After checking in, we had our lunch. Our first meal in Taiwan.

Noodles

My little brother is craving noodles.....

Then, we went to Fo Guang Shan Temple by taxi. We also got a chance to watch the rehearsal for the 2019 Fo Guang Shan New Year Festival of Light and Peace. According to their website, this month-long festival takes inspiration from Venerable Master Hsing Yun’s New Year Spring Couplet is “Always Well-rounded and Auspicious,” and will feature various activities to help people gain peace and joy. At the start of the New Year, devotees and families are invited to visit Fo Guang Shan Monastery to pray and bring peace and fulfilment home.


Venerable Master Hsing Yun explains that among the 12 Zodiac signs, the pig symbolizes the perfect completion and the start of a cycle. It indicates a year full of luck and auspiciousness, filled with renewed hope.

This year, the Fo Guang Shan New Year Festival of Light and Peace features four main themes: “Buddhist New Year Blessings”, “A Heritage of Refinement”, “Incessant Festivities” and “Vegetarian Cuisine as You Please”. These activities are intended to fuse tradition with modern life; one can make a Light Offering, ring the Blessing Bell of Peace, marvel at the lantern displays and sample delicious vegetarian cuisine. Download the new “Fo Guang GO” mobile phone APP and follow the Fo Guang novice monk as he guides you on a tour of the featured attractions of Fo Guang Shan. Buckle up for an adventure!

At 7 pm, we went back to our hotel by bus.

The main gate of Fo Guang Shan

2019 Fo Guang Shan New Year Festival of Light and Peace at night

How to get there

Address：No. 1 Tongling Road, Dashu, Kaohsiung 840, Taiwan
By Public Transport

• From the bus station in front of Kaohsiung Railway Station, take the direct Kaohsiung Bus 8010 (8010高雄客運) (12 NT)
• From Zuoying High Speed Railway Station, take EdaBus 8501 (8501義大客運) (65 NT)
• From Fengshan Train Station, take Dashu Bus (大樹祈福線) (30 NT)
• From Pingtung Bus Station, take Pingtung Bus 8260 (屏東客運) (72 NT)
• From Zuoying High Speed Railway Station, take Harvard Express (哈佛快線) (70 NT).

By Car

• Southbound: Nat’l Hwy1 → Nat’l Hwy 8 (East bound) → Nat’l Hwy 3 (North bound) →Nat’l Hwy 10 (East bound) → Qishan/Dashu Interchange (turn right) → Provincial Hwy 21 → Fo Guang Shan Monastery.
  
• Northbound: Nat’l → Nat’l Hwy 10 (East bound) → Qishan/Dashu Interchange (turn right) → Provincial Hwy 21 → Fo Guang Shan Monastery

*Transportation Information are from here*


Day 3: Kaoshiung - Chiyi
We went to Anping Street and visited the Anping GuBao.The GuBao is the original Dutch fort in Anping. There is a small museum that tells the history of the area and has old maps which is very useful as the sea has long receded from the environs of the fort. You can climb to the top of the modern tower which gives views over the city but it is very flat. I forgot to take a picture of that view. My bad.

My mother and I dropped by this shop to have some snacks. A shop decorated with One Piece merchants and clothes.

How to get there

(Traffic information is subject to change. Please check with the transportation station before departure)

Transportation：

Nat'l Hwy 1 → Yongkang Interchange → Prov. Hwy 1 → Zhongyang Rd. → Sec. 1, Zhonghua N. Rd. → Sec. 2, Zhonghua W. Rd. → Anping Rd. → Gubao St. → Guosheng Rd.

Public：

Take the train to Tainan Station → transfer city bus No. 2 to Anping Old Fort stop.

*Transportation Information are from here*




We went to Chiayi Night Market at night. We hunted a lot of food. And I didn't take any photos of it because my phone died.




This Taiwan trip would be super-duper long so I split it into few parts. Stay tuned for part 2! Want to be the first to be notified, please subscribe to my newsletter!

XOXO,

Tammy