Travel Photos Series#18-Panoramic View from the Mountain City, Jiufen (Taiwan)

View from Jiufen

I remember it was raining and the day was gloomy when we visited Jiufen in Tawian. But it was no surprise to us as the Mountain City was also known as the "City of Sadness" (made famous by the award winning film of the same name). Rain was a very common affair here so do not forget your raincoat or umbrella when you are preparing a visit.

We love the view from the top of city. Here you could savour the scenic sight of sea meeting the mountains while immersing in the cooling atmosphere. Although the area was bustling with tourists, you could still find a quiet spot for your own activities.

Photo taken on 28 Nov 2013.    

Travel Photo Series#5-Sunset at Tamsui-Taiwan

Sunset at Tamsui

This photo was taken on 5 Dec 2013 during our family trip to Tamsui ( 淡水) at Taiwan. We were rushing to catch the sunset at the Lover's Bridge but had to make do with enjoying the sunset scene from the ferry. The sunset moment was breathtaking and I was glad to capture the photo and share it with everyone here.

Related Posts: Taiwan Travel Tips, Family Bonding Tour at Taiwan Famosa

Travel Photos Series#1-Fo Guang Shan, Taiwan

Thanks to everybody, I realize that my photos are generally liked and welcomed by a lot of my visitors and followers. I decide to start this "Travel Photos Series" which will help display my travel photos as well as a short description for each of the photos. Hope everybody loves this new initiative and all feedback are welcomed.

Fo Guan Shan's Buddha Memorial Center

This photo was taken on 30 Nov 2013 during our visit to Fo Guang Shan(佛光山) at Kaohsiung, Taiwan. The Buddha Memorial Center was actually quite a new addition to the existing Fo Guang Shan's premise. I was really impressed by the new compound set up. A tiled pathway led to a grand golden Buddha statue flanked by two rows of symmetrically built pagodas. Definitely a photo opportunity I would not want to miss.

Related Posts: Family Bonding Tour at Taiwan Famosa, Taiwan Travel Tips

Taiwan Travel Tips

Yeliu, Taiwan

Before I start, I must put a disclaimer that I am not an expert for traveling in Taiwan. Although I have been to there 3 times already, I still have much to learn about the country. This blog is to share with everyone on the various ways that I adopted to have a more worry-free trip and save money on my visits to Taiwan. Please feel free to share at the comments' column on any tips you may have for the benefits of those traveling there soon.

1. Planning
Planning is the essential part of my traveling. Planning does not mean planning for your itineraries only. Before you step into Taiwan, learn a bit on it's history, the people and their culture. It will help you co-relate on the food, architectures, museum displays etc you get to see in this splendid country. I strongly believe this will certainly make your trip more fulfilling.  All these information can be easily retrieved from the internet.

2. Transport  
I must say Taiwan's transport system is one of the best around. Do your homework on the transports' availability to the places you are visiting. If you are utilizing the MRT (Mass Rapid Transit), trains and buses in Taipei, make sure you get the EasyCard from any convenience stores or the main train station. You will enjoy considerable discounts with the cards. Note that Kaohsiung has their own version of the EasyCard which cannot be used in Taipei and vice verse. For HSR (High Speed Rail) travel if you are visiting the different cities of Taiwan, make sure you book the tickets early through their website and get discounts as high as 40%! This is a significant amount if you are traveling in groups or a family.

3. Lodging
I always make in a point to stay near the Taipei Main Station. The reason is very simple. Taipei Main Station houses all the transports needed to travel to all parts of Taiwan. It saves me a lot of time by staying close. For my last trip, I have stayed in Orange Forte Hotel and Cosmos Hotel which are a stone's throw from the Taipei Main Station. I have not regretted my decisions. Book the hotels through trustworthy booking websites which many times offer good discounted rates. I use Booking.com for most of my hotel bookings.

4. Admission Discounts
I must certainly mention Ibon for admission discounts. Their machines can be found in almost all Taiwan's convenience stores. It offers discounted tickets to various theme parks, places of interests etc in Taiwan. I saved a significant sum on admission fees courtesy of it's service with visit to Taipei 101, Eda Theme Park and Leofoo Theme Park.

5. Taiwan Embassy
This may vary country to country. I actually managed to get free vouchers for souvenirs and subsidized tickets to theme parks after producing flight tickets to my local Taiwan Embassy. You may want to check this up at your own country. 

Hope the above tips can help you plan a better trip to Taiwan. Do share your personal tips at the comments' column.

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Early Morning Walk at Sun Moon Lake

Sun Moon Lake#1

It was 545 am. We were staying at a hotel at Sun Moon Lake and readied to witness the sunrise at the famous lake. This was inspired by the driver that drove us from our hotel to the MRT during our stay at Kaohsiung the day before. He told us on his visits at Sun Moon Lake and how he would never miss the captivating morning scenery there. We have decided to trust his recommendation and prepare to sacrifice some sleep for the experience.

Sun Moon Lake#2

My parents have woke up even earlier and we set straight out into the streets. The chilled weather greeted us as we trudged though the empty streets to the Shuishe Pier. It was much unlike yesterday when we arrived here at noon. Hoards of tourists infiltrated the area, making the place looked more like a market than a retreat. We really appreciated the quietness of the early morning atmosphere and were already thanking the driver for his recommendation.

Trail at Sun Moon Lake

Sun Moon Lake#3

It took us only few minutes to reach Shuishe Pier. A sense of tranquility greeted us. We have came here the day before but the feeling was completely different. The tourists ferry boats were not making rumbling noise out at the lake as they were parked neatly at the pier. There was hardly a person on sight except ourselves. The lake with the towering mountains as it's backdrop emitted a feeling of peacefulness and serenity.The shroud of mist above the forests near the mountains' ground added a touch of mystic to the scenery. We could see the golden ray embracing the mountains like a mother calming her nervous children . This could only be a picture taken from the fairy tale where only the fairies resided.

Dad, Mum and Myself

Sun Moon Lake#4

 
We were slightly disappointed of not able to capture the sunrise due to the cloudy sky. But the stroll at the lake has helped us attained ataraxia. My parents and I have thoroughly enjoyed this wonderful experience. If you ever have the chance to come to Sun Moon Lake, make sure you plan an early morning walk here.

Self Photo at Sun Moon Lake

Related Posts: Taiwan Travel Tips , Family Bonding Tour at Taiwan Farmosa 

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2013 Wrap Up

Year 2013 has been kind to me and  I was able to visit 3 countries that have been in my travel plans for a while. In March, I paid a visit to "The Land of the Gods" -Bali, Indonesia. It really lived up to it's reputation as I lost count on the temples that I have visited and passed by. We were immersed in the cultural ambient of the Balinese and captivated by the beautiful scenery. The 5 days tour was short but a fruitful one.

At Uluwatu Temple, Bali Indonesia

In June, I finally got to visit Angkor Wat-The Temple of the God Kings. My company was different as I traveled there with only my cousin and friend (instead with my wife and daughter) for a short 4 days outing. I done my research before going to Siem Reap and realized that there were many other interesting temples beside Angkor Wat. Nevertheless, Angkor Wat is top of the lists at Siem Reap for good reasons. You have to visit there to experience it's greatness. The only thing I regretted was failing to witness the sunrise at Angkor Wat due to weather reasons.

At Bayon Temple, Siem Reap Cambodia

Finally, we visited Taiwan at end November this year. I brought along my parents with my family for this trip. It was a 10 days trip and all of us have enjoyed the stay there. The weather was cooling compared to the high humidity at Bali and intense heat at Siem Reap. Being not frequent travelers, my parents found the weather a bit cold for their liking. But it was a great trip having met the objective of family bonding and relaxing ourselves. This was my third trip to Taiwan and it has brought back some good memories. My last trip there before this one was almost 10 years ago.

At Sun Moon Lake, Taichung Taiwan

Year 2014 is arriving and I have already made some travel plans. At year end, it will be my usual yearly trip to my in law home at Hong Kong. We missed it for this year. Despite having visited there for more than 10 times already, I still like the feeling to go back there every time. Japan is also in my list for next year. Having visited there once before our marriage, my wife and I missed our time in Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto especially. Despite hearing some grunts of protest, I also include in my plan a trip to Yogyakarta, Indonesia. I have always wanting to visit the cultural sites Borobudur and Prambanan and it will be a wish come true if I can visit them.

Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Hope all your wishes come true for the coming year!

Family Bonding Tour at Taiwan Formosa

Sun Moon Lake

Just back from a 10 days tour in Taiwan. We traveled in a group of five-My parents, wife, daughter and myself. Before the trip, I joked with my friends that I relished the challenge of planning the trip for the different age groups for the tour. My trip plan was mostly focused on the western bank of Taiwan with the exception of Jiufen which is located at the Northeastern end of the island. With the help of the various transport systems-the MRT (Mass Rapid Transport), HSR (High Speed Rail), trains, public bus services and taxis, we visited the various attractions at Taipei, Hsinchu, Taichung and Kaoshiung.

Yeliu Harbour

Yeliu Geo Park

Jiufen

The highlights of the trip must be having family tea (Yumchai) at a tea inn at the top of Jiufen, taking a tour round the renowned Fo Guang Shan Monastery, witnessed a religious ceremony at Lotus Lake, taking an early morning stroll at Sun Moon Lake and enjoying the sunset at Tamsui. I will share those experiences in  my later blogs. The most important thing about this tour is of course the family bonding we got to enjoy. My parents (especially my dad!) surprised me with their sporting attitude to try anything I recommended (and not recommended!). They tried almost all the challenging rides at the Eda Theme Park after the disappointment of not allowing to try them at Leofoo Village Theme Park due to age restriction. I gave them a big thumb up for these!

CSK Memorial Hall and Taipei 101 Tower

Leofoo Village Theme Park

Tamsui

Family Photo at Yeliu Geo Park

I hastily went through my photo stocks and handpicked some Taiwan photos that I like to share with all of you first. Hope you will enjoy them. More of Taiwan ventures in my later blogs. Cheers!

For those interested, the following were my itineraries for my 10 days trip at Taiwan:

Day 1: Arrived at Taipei
Day 2: Yehliu
Day 3: Leofoo Village Theme Park-Shilin Night Market
Day 4: Jiufen-Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall-Tapei 101
Day 5: Kaohsiung-Liuhe Night Market
Day 6: Fo Guang Shan-Dragon Tiger Pagoda
Day 7: Eda Theme Park
Day 8: Taichung-Sun Moon Lake
Day 9: Taipei-Tamshui
Day 10: Departed to Singapore

Related Posts: Early Morning Walk at Sun Moon Lake , Taiwan Travel Tips

Dragon and Tiger Pagoda

Formosa Boulevard MRT

Eda Theme Park

Fo Guang Shan Monastery 

 

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