Taiwan Part 1, 2 to 8 December 2014

After much deliberation, the family finally decided to make our 1st trip to Taiwan partly because AirAsia had an ongoing promotion then.

I did the online research, reading thru countless blogs and finally decided our itinenary would cover Taipei, Hualien, go across the mountain range in Nantou County passing through Taroko National Park, Cingjing then onwards to Sun Moon Lake then to Taichung on the west coast and finally bullet train back to Taipei.

 

 

 

Day One: Taipei, 2 Nov 2014

The flight took 4 hours 25 minutes to Taoyuan International Airport arriving at about 2.30 pm, same time zone as Malaysia. At the airport, pick up a phone SIM card then took the shuttle bus to the city 45 km away at TWD90 per pax.

 

Our 1st night accomodation is at Kingshi Hotel, Ximending. Located in west Taipei, a popular tourist spot with shopping, food and diversify entertainment.  

 

We were farmished from the long journey with street food galore up ahead.

All kinds of meat sausages!

Ximending on a Sunday night. It was crowded with both locals and tourists.

She's in shoe heaven

Unconventional street artist

The steamboat with the choice of two soups

Buffet steamboat dinner. We were so full lol!

Taiwanese are a patient lot, forming long queues for popular snacks.

 

 

Day Two: Taroko National Park, Cingjing, Monday @ 3 November 2014

We took the 8 am express train to Hualien. It was a 2 hours journey costing NTD418 per pax.

 

 

  

Taipei Main Railway Station

Selfies during the 2 hour journey

 

 In Hualien, we collected our rental car just a short walk from the train station. I booked a Nissan Livina but was given a free upgrade to a Toyota Altis 1.8! Punched in Taroko Gorge, got my navigator (Daughter #1) to remind me to drive on the right hand side and we were off! Oh yes, it is left hand drive in Taiwan.

The gateway to Taroko National Park

The start of the journey.

 

One of many tunnels along the journey to Cingjing

Eternal Spring  Shrine

 

 

View from the temple

 

Swallow Grotto

The engineer who built the highway through the mountains. An engineering feat indeed.

Cimu Bridge

Day Three: Cingjing, Sun Moon Lake, Tuesday@ 4 Tuesday 2014

We spent our first night in a minsu, Spring Ground B&B at TWD3,971 for a family room.

 

Fantastic view from the room balcony at 7 am!

Our family room, 2nd balcony from right

Spring Ground B&B, Cingjing

Porridge for breakfast..it was delicious..peanuts, stir fried cabbage, mushrooms, eggs, salted egg,meat floss, etc.

 

Green Green Grasslands

 

 

At the ticket booth. 

 

View of the park entrance

A farm is not a farm without sheeps, right?



  

 

Great views from here



Tricia, Alicia, Amanda, Mike