Taiwan travel

Taiwan travel 

Hi everyone I want to share my experience on my first travel abroad and solo traveler.

I am fun of adventure and I know I will enjoy the trip and I am positive that all will turn to be okay.

I will also show you my tour itinerary for the trip. 

August 11 

I still went to office because my flight was 11:45pm and from there i token grab car bing to the airport.  And I reached the airport early so that I will have plenty of time.

First thing I do in the airport i went to pay for the travel tax. And looked on the checking counter for my flight if it's open or not.

I waited just five minutes and the check in counter is open since I don't have anything to check in and a baggage allowance my bag weighted 5.6 kilogram so I am thankful I don't need to pay for extra baggage.

I went to the fill out the departure card and fill out the form it's not far from the check in counter. 

After filling out the departure card I go straight to the immigration and it's not busy that time when there was no line. I went straight and greet the IO I give my passport and my visa and copy of hotel booking and ROund trip ticket. 

IO: are you working in Japan embassy? 

Me: no sir I work in travel agency.

IO: Akala ko nag work ka sa embassy, kasi naka lagay sa work mo Japan visa staff. And he smiled.

Me: Hindi po sir. 

IO: looked at the camera

And after that he stamped the passport. 

I went straight to the final checkpoint of the baggage and even asked me to removed my sandals.

Went to the boarding area and waited until the time the gate is open.

The airplane staff gaged us the arrival card and fill out this card to be ready for immigration once we land Taiwan

August 12

I reached Taiwan at 1:26am, go straight to the immigration, I showed my passport, Taiwan visa, hotel booking. 

IO: is this your first time in Taiwan?

Me: yes mam

IO: looked at the camera and fingerprints  and he put stamp in my passport and in my visa.

After passing the immigration I went to the information booth and asked where I can ride a bus.   She  gave me a piece of appear written down the bus line where I will buy my ticket for the bus ride.

I payed 125NTD for the bus. And I asked the teller where will I get off the bus and I showed him my hotel booking he told me, first station.

So I followed his instruction it's 45mins drive from the airport.

First stop I asked the driver and showed him my hotel booking and he told me yes you will get off from here and take a taxi. There were taxi waiting in the bus stop. I paid 135 taxi fare from the bus stop going to the hotel.

Finally I reached the hotel safe. I went straight to the front office and they accommodated me well give me the key card to my room.  I reached the hotel at 3:30am

I woke up 7:30am and went straight to the bathroom and get ready for the first day adventure.

First thing in the morning I did not expect it will be a crazy morning for me, I toked the MRT that is very near to my hotel just across the street.

I bought easy card worth 100NTD in the MRT station and load it for 100NTD. 

Looking at the train map I did not expect it will be quite hard. I asked some Taiwanese if the train i rode is the correct one going to Taipei Main Station and when I transferred to the other line I don't know where will I exit and where will I take the other line. I asked for help and I made it I reached taipe main station.

Hop on hop off via kkday

After the hop in hop off I decided to go home first because my feet was hurting. And after that Instead of taking the hop on hop off I decided to asked the teller in the MRT which station is the shilin night market, and I am amazed it's just few stations from my hotel.

So I tried different kind of street foods and walked around to see the place there were many things to see.

At 9:30pm I decided to go back to my hotel and rest.

August 13

Day tour: Jiufen, Yehliu and Shifen

Woke up 6am and get ready for the tour. I toked taxi going to the MRT main station wondering where is the meeting place.

It was really in the 7-Eleven East 1 Exit we waited for the tour guide and I meet again the Filipina ladies from the day hop on hop off, and we also have a one Japanese lady and a Vietnamese Guy. 

We saw the tour guide Sharon she was holding a kkday and we finally saw her and we walked from east exit 1 to the where the bus was waiting.

After an introduction of her self and the first place we are going.

Yehliu Geopark 

I want to give you a piece of advice please bring umbrella 🌂 to shade you from the sun. 

It's an open area and it's hot but the wind is cool it's near the ocean 🌊.

We decided to go together me the Japanese and the Vietnamese guy, we were solo traveler and it's was fun.

The Vietnamese guy asked me did you have anything like umbrella or cap because it to hot.

Me: I don't have anything just my blazer with me.

Vietnamese guy he toked his umbrella out and he told we can share 😊 

Thanks for being gentle man My friend.

The tour guide both the ticket for us so that we will not fall in line it cost 85NTD. 

After that we're all sweating, but still we did enjoy the tour, you just have to be have your mind be creative to see what was the rock formations was.

Shifen

We were all excited about shifen and I am really excited to try the lantern where you can write all your wish. Our tour guide was really entertaining she gave us some ideas what to put on the lantern.

Ex. To travel around the world for free, to go shopping without paying, to have unlimited credit card without paying, to meet a rich man and get married. Hahaha she was the best tour guide I liked her for being witty.

I bought one lantern with 4 colors with different meanings. Do not worry guys if you are alone they will helped you in taking photos and videos for free, so you will have a great memories.

In my case I asked for the Vietnamese help to hold the other end of the lantern like he did to the Japanese lady he also help her.

After that we went to buy lunch it's a chicken wing with stuffed rice inside it. And we went to the plat form cafe I recommend you to try the mango bubble tea it's really delicious and it's the only place that has air conditioned in the area.

We decided to see the bridge and the train station just across the plat form me and the Japanese lady toked photos of each other.

We tried stinky tofu I don't like to comment but I want you guys to try it. It worth 80NTD we shared me and the Japanese lady.

We went to the meeting place where but we did not see them 1:50pm I felt that there is something wrong where are they? I went to the store were we bought our lantern and asked the sales lady if I can use her phone to call the tour guide. She gave me her phone and I called our tour guide and she told me.

Tour guide: We are waiting for you and it's already time we already go.

Me : did you leave us?

Tour guide: Yes i told you 1:15 be there in the meeting place. Take a taxi going to Jiufen and I will meet you in the family mart.

Me: okay, see you

Lesson learned be on time if the tour guide give you a time be there or else you will end up like us me and the Japanese lady.

I told the Japanese they already leave us and we need to take taxi going to Jiufen and we will meet her in the family mart. And we did take a taxi it cost us 1,000NTD and we both paid half of the price.

I felt paranoid I don't know if the driver really understands us. We are talking to him in English of course but he can not understand he gave his phone with google translator and I spoke to him, can I make a call so that you can talk to our Taiwanese tour guide and she can give you the right place where to drop us off. And he listened to Taiwanese version he gave me his phone and I dialed the tour guide no. And gave to him and they talked and understand each other.

He drop us off in the family mart and we saw Sharon, waiting for us he gave us the map because the other already started to tour around. From there we were laughing now we need to hurry so that we will not be late and be left by the bus. 

After the tour we saw each other again the Filipino ladies were worried about us, but I told them we're good, it's just crazy and funny all we've been through.

We took do a bus going to the parking lot where the bus where. It cost 15NTD we used our easy card.

After the trip we say good bye to our new found friends and we did take there emails so we can get in touch with them.

I still have full energy and decided to go to elephant mountain, take note I am on my sandals with heels. But still it did not hinder me to climb. 

At first it was just simple but when I reached the first  station I decided to take off my sandals and climbed barefoot well I don't care what other people may think it's me and I love what I am doing. And I finally reached the 6 famous rocks where the people where taking photos. I took the chance to have a photo of me with the help of the Koreans I asked them to toke a photo of me and they did well.

I am not yet tired so I decided to go in shilin night market and bought some pasalubong for my family's and friends. 

I did not spend much on the tours I spend a lot in pasalubong all my NTD where used, I love shopping ❤️.

I reached hotel 11:30pm and sleep and I woke up at 9am and I just arranged my things, even meet a Swiss man he is one of the occupants of the capsule where I stayed.

At 8pm I decided to check out and toked MRT going to the airport 45mins and went to the last station it's written there show your easy card and if you want to refund the extra money in your easy card you can have it. The card is valid until 2020 you can keep it.

Look on the flight schedule and see if the counter is open for check in. I waited until 10pm check in. 

Next I went to immigration for stamping if passport 

Went straight to the boarding area and waited for the gate to open for boarding, 1:35am.

Reached Philippines at 3:30am and headed straight to immigration 

IO: where did you came go

Me: Taiwan po

IO: stamped the passport 

I went to duty free for chocolates and booked a grab a car going home.

Tour Itinerary 

Date	Activity Plan	Contact	Accommodation
Aug. 11, 2017	Departure Manila  Fri 11 Aug 2017 11:15pm		Taoyuan Airport
Aug, 12, 2017	Arrival TPE Taipe-Taoyuan Sat 12 Aug 2017 1:02am Check In – the Hotel and Take Rest.	+8862-8988-0000	Hey Bear Capsule Hotel   8F, No.1, Sec. 2, ChongXin Rd., SanChong Dist. New Taipei City, Taiwan
Aug, 12, 2017	1 Day Pass Tour via Klook Explore Taipe in two Double Decker Bus.
	And back to hotel. Expericne the Night Market in Ximending	+8862-8988-0000	Hey Bear Capsule Hotel   8F, No.1, Sec. 2, ChongXin Rd., SanChong Dist. New Taipei City, Taiwan
Aug 13, 2017	Day Tour Jiufen, Yehliu and Shifen via Kkday
	Experience the Shilin Nightmarket Back to the hostel	+8862-8988-0000	Hey Bear Capsule Hotel   8F, No.1, Sec. 2, ChongXin Rd., SanChong Dist. New Taipei City, Taiwan
Aug 14, 2017	- Shifen Station and Shifen Waterfall -Taipe cinema park, ximending  -elephant mountain trail	+8862-8988-0000	Hey Bear Capsule Hotel   8F, No.1, Sec. 2, ChongXin Rd., SanChong Dist. New Taipei City, Taiwan
Aug 15, 2017	Departure TPE Taipei – Taoyuan Tue 15 Aug 2017 01:45AM Arrival MNL Manila Tue 15 Aug 2017 03:55AM		Taoyuan Airport  Welcome back Philippines J

4 days 3 nights Itinerary