Day 1
Our flight was at noon so we arrived at the airport at about 10am for check-in, went to grab something to eat at the Wang cafe at T3:
My aunt and grandma =)
Walked around for a while before we proceed to the gate for boarding and off we go =)
View from plane
View from plane
After touching down at the Taoyuan airport, we took a cab to Taipei coz the buses don't stop near our hotel and since there are 4 of us, it's more worth it to take cab. Total cab fare: about NT1200.
Check into our hotel at about 6+ in the evening, we stayed in the TS Hotel at Ximending.
Check into our hotel at about 6+ in the evening, we stayed in the TS Hotel at Ximending.
Our hotel room:
After settling down, went out to check out the Ximending area..the hotel's location is pretty convenient, just a few minutes' walk to the MRT station and to the shopping district in Ximending. The weather was cooling, a bit chilly with wind blowing at times but it was perfect!..hehe..we didn't go to a proper restaurant for our dinner as both my grandma and mother have always wanted to try their local delights, so we had 小吃 from those stall vendors and not forgetting the all-famous 阿宗面线:
Other stuff we tried:
Tastes like our roti prata, but we can add fillings like ham, cheese etc..very nice! =)
Crowded as usual..hehe
Other stuff we tried:
Potato balls..quite nice, i prefer them with the sour plum powder but my mother they all don't..hehe =p
Tastes like our roti prata, but we can add fillings like ham, cheese etc..very nice! =)
After having our fill, did a bit of shopping and I ended up with a bag and 2 dresses while my aunt bought t-shirts..hehe =p Headed back to the hotel at about 10 plus when the shops are starting to close for the day.
Day 2
Woke up and had breakfast at the hotel before heading out, the spread was pretty decent, with chinese & western breakfast - chinese: porridge, vegetables, mince meat with preserved veg, pork floss etc; western: ham, sausages, scrambled eggs, bread etc.
After breakfast, made our way to the Longshan Temple which is 1 stop away from Ximen station to make offerings and pray for a safe trip there.
The outdoor Observatory on the 91st floor..it was very windy, our hair get blown like mad women..haha =p
With the yellow Damper baby ^^
Grandma with the silver Damper baby
There were alot of crystal exhibits and my grandma decided to pose with some of them..hehe
So cute!..hehe
=)
Day 2
Woke up and had breakfast at the hotel before heading out, the spread was pretty decent, with chinese & western breakfast - chinese: porridge, vegetables, mince meat with preserved veg, pork floss etc; western: ham, sausages, scrambled eggs, bread etc.
After breakfast, made our way to the Longshan Temple which is 1 stop away from Ximen station to make offerings and pray for a safe trip there.
Wanted to check out the 'Huaxi Street' nearby the temple after visiting the temple but it was too early and the shops are not opened yet..so we made our way to Danshui instead.
The timing was just nice, by the time we reached Danshui it was around 12 - 1pm so most shops were already open for business so we get to look at a lot of stuff along the 淡水老街. Had our lunch at a shop that sells 鲁肉饭 and 猪血汤 which are on my mother's 'to-eat' list for the trip..haha..
The yummy 鲁肉饭 and 猪血汤!..the 猪血汤 may sound gross to some of you, but it's really nice, too bad we cant get any of it in Singapore anymore..hehe =p
The timing was just nice, by the time we reached Danshui it was around 12 - 1pm so most shops were already open for business so we get to look at a lot of stuff along the 淡水老街. Had our lunch at a shop that sells 鲁肉饭 and 猪血汤 which are on my mother's 'to-eat' list for the trip..haha..
The yummy 鲁肉饭 and 猪血汤!..the 猪血汤 may sound gross to some of you, but it's really nice, too bad we cant get any of it in Singapore anymore..hehe =p
After having our full, continue with the walking/shopping..hehe..came across a dessert shop while my aunt n grandma was checking some bag shop and decided to rest & have their 豆花
My 豆花with 粉圆(bubble tea's pearls)
My 豆花with 粉圆(bubble tea's pearls)
My mother and grandma still prefers our local ones..think they aren't really used to it bah..haha =p
We did not go to the 渔人码头 coz they weren't really interested, guess that's more of a couple place..hehe..we spent half a day just at the 老街 itself and headed back to the hotel to rest coz we've been walking for 4-5 hours straight..heh
After a 1-2 hour rest, we went over to Shilin night market for our dinner. We had the 蚝煎 and the famous 炸鸡排 there...the queue for the 鸡排 was the longest amongst all the stalls..keke..
We did not go to the 渔人码头 coz they weren't really interested, guess that's more of a couple place..hehe..we spent half a day just at the 老街 itself and headed back to the hotel to rest coz we've been walking for 4-5 hours straight..heh
After a 1-2 hour rest, we went over to Shilin night market for our dinner. We had the 蚝煎 and the famous 炸鸡排 there...the queue for the 鸡排 was the longest amongst all the stalls..keke..
This was taken when we were at abt one third of the queue
Thereafter was shopping and more shopping!..haha..so didn't take any photos after that coz my hands are too busy buying & carrying stuff...keke =p That's all for Day 2!
Day 3
Had breakfast at the hotel in the morning and made our way to Taipei 101..took MRT to Taipei City Hall station and then the free shuttle bus to 101.
At the entrance to the Observatory
Day 3
Had breakfast at the hotel in the morning and made our way to Taipei 101..took MRT to Taipei City Hall station and then the free shuttle bus to 101.
At the entrance to the Observatory
There was a station to take memorial photos with 101 as the background before we get on the lift, bought 1 each for my mother and grandma..hehe..the lift was very fast, it travels from the 5th floor to the 89th floor in 37 seconds!
In the indoor Observatory on the 89th floor
The outdoor Observatory on the 91st floor..it was very windy, our hair get blown like mad women..haha =p
With the yellow Damper baby ^^
Grandma with the silver Damper baby
There were alot of crystal exhibits and my grandma decided to pose with some of them..hehe
So cute!..hehe
=)
After leaving the observatory, we didn't really shop in the 101's shopping complex coz all the shops there are the branded stuff..heh..so we took the shuttle bus back to the City Hall station and had lunch at one of the HK cafe there. The food was nice and service's good too =)
Next stop was Wufenpu = more shopping!!..haha..with the nice weather, we had a great time zooming through the streets of shops, buying clothings w/o much thought coz they are all pretty cheap!..hehe..even though some places maybe a bit crowded but the cooling weather made it bearable for us =)
Planned to go to the Raohe night market nearby in the evening, but my grandma & mother seemed abit tired so we headed back to the hotel to rest instead. We came out again for dinner at Ximending, did not know where to go so we kinda wandered around to see what choices we have..came across those hot pot restaurants but it was crowded so we moved on to other places, and finally settled on a Thai restaurant..hehe..
More exploring of the area after dinner and bought some cut fruits & 卤味 for supper back in the hotel..hehe =D
Day 4
Gotta change room on this day as the particular room category was fully booked on this night when I made my reservation so had to change to a higher category room which is available..not too ex, costs abt S$25 more than the room we had for the 1st 3 nights..hehe..so we packed up and brought our luggage down to the reception for the room change.
It was a pretty sunny day, just nice for our trip to Jiufen..hehe..after breakfast at the hotel, we took MRT to Zhongxiao Fuxing intending to take a bus up to Jiufen..there are actually other methods like taking a train to Ruifang or Keelung and then take a bus up to Jiufen..but that will mean that we need to take MRT to Taipei Main Station, railway to Ruifang or Keelung, and bus to Jiufen..seems like a hassle to change so many modes of transport, so I thought taking the bus from Zhongxiao Fuxing is more straightforward.
When we were there waiting for the bus, a cab driver approached us asking if we are planning to go to Jiufen. He says the bus will take 1.5 - 2 hrs to reach (which is true) and cost us about NT120 each, whereas if we take his cab, it will take abt 50 - 60mins at NT200 per pax per way..sounds like a pretty good deal so we decided to take his cab instead..hehe
Scenery at Jiufen! =)
The 九份老街 which is packed with tourists and locals
The 'kuay' there..the one on the left is greenbean, and the right is yam
Next stop was Wufenpu = more shopping!!..haha..with the nice weather, we had a great time zooming through the streets of shops, buying clothings w/o much thought coz they are all pretty cheap!..hehe..even though some places maybe a bit crowded but the cooling weather made it bearable for us =)
Planned to go to the Raohe night market nearby in the evening, but my grandma & mother seemed abit tired so we headed back to the hotel to rest instead. We came out again for dinner at Ximending, did not know where to go so we kinda wandered around to see what choices we have..came across those hot pot restaurants but it was crowded so we moved on to other places, and finally settled on a Thai restaurant..hehe..
More exploring of the area after dinner and bought some cut fruits & 卤味 for supper back in the hotel..hehe =D
Day 4
Gotta change room on this day as the particular room category was fully booked on this night when I made my reservation so had to change to a higher category room which is available..not too ex, costs abt S$25 more than the room we had for the 1st 3 nights..hehe..so we packed up and brought our luggage down to the reception for the room change.
It was a pretty sunny day, just nice for our trip to Jiufen..hehe..after breakfast at the hotel, we took MRT to Zhongxiao Fuxing intending to take a bus up to Jiufen..there are actually other methods like taking a train to Ruifang or Keelung and then take a bus up to Jiufen..but that will mean that we need to take MRT to Taipei Main Station, railway to Ruifang or Keelung, and bus to Jiufen..seems like a hassle to change so many modes of transport, so I thought taking the bus from Zhongxiao Fuxing is more straightforward.
When we were there waiting for the bus, a cab driver approached us asking if we are planning to go to Jiufen. He says the bus will take 1.5 - 2 hrs to reach (which is true) and cost us about NT120 each, whereas if we take his cab, it will take abt 50 - 60mins at NT200 per pax per way..sounds like a pretty good deal so we decided to take his cab instead..hehe
Scenery at Jiufen! =)
The 九份老街 which is packed with tourists and locals
The 'kuay' there..the one on the left is greenbean, and the right is yam
Cold & hot versions of the 芋圆 (taro balls)
Walked through the street and bought snacks like 一口酥 etc back as souvenirs, and tried the grilled cuttlefish, nice!!..don't think we can eat stuff like that back in Singapore..hehe..we arranged with the cab driver to drive us back to taipei at the same price and so contacted him when we were ready to head back and met him where he waited for us..pretty nice guy, he kinda specialises in driving tourists to the sightseeing spots so maybe next time can look for him if we intend to go to places for signseeing =)
Back at the hotel, only 1 room is ready as the other room's previous guests had late check-out so we let my grandma & aunt have the room 1st coz they wanna take a shower..so meanwhile, my mother & I stayed in their room watching tv while they freshen up..hehe..the room is much bigger, with a sofa and coffee table at the side =)
So after that was another trip to Shilin night market again, as this is our last night for the trip..had the famous 鸡排 again, did more shopping and last minute buying of souvenirs for relatives & friends.
Our room was finally ready when we got back and we moved our luggage from my grandma's room to ours..its of a different concept to my grandma's, with a sofa bed instead:
Back at the hotel, only 1 room is ready as the other room's previous guests had late check-out so we let my grandma & aunt have the room 1st coz they wanna take a shower..so meanwhile, my mother & I stayed in their room watching tv while they freshen up..hehe..the room is much bigger, with a sofa and coffee table at the side =)
So after that was another trip to Shilin night market again, as this is our last night for the trip..had the famous 鸡排 again, did more shopping and last minute buying of souvenirs for relatives & friends.
Our room was finally ready when we got back and we moved our luggage from my grandma's room to ours..its of a different concept to my grandma's, with a sofa bed instead:
The toilet has 2 doors, one which is the normal toilet door and the outer one to blend in with the wall when it's closed, abit extra if u ask me..haha.. =x
Day 5
Last day of our trip, our flight is at 6pm so have arranged for a cab to pick us up at the airport at 3.30pm..last day liao, decided not to have our breakfast at the hotel, so walked around the vicinity for places to have our breakfast. Came across a shop that sells noodles and wantons, so decided to eat there, we had their 'zha jiang mian' and wanton soup which are pretty nice..hehe, seems that most food in Taipei are much to our liking..heh..Came across another shop that sells carrot cake and decided to get some to share, such a heavy breakfast!..hehe..
Walked back to the hotel to do some final packing and brought our luggage down to check-out. Left our stuff with the hotel and went to the Ximending shopping district to eat 1 last item: 芒果冰! Haven't got the chance to eat it so far and my mother made sure I bring them to have it on the last day..hehe..
My mother and grandma just wanted the mango flavoured one while my aunt wants those 3-in-1 fruits combination..so we decided to order 2 to share, but...
Last day of our trip, our flight is at 6pm so have arranged for a cab to pick us up at the airport at 3.30pm..last day liao, decided not to have our breakfast at the hotel, so walked around the vicinity for places to have our breakfast. Came across a shop that sells noodles and wantons, so decided to eat there, we had their 'zha jiang mian' and wanton soup which are pretty nice..hehe, seems that most food in Taipei are much to our liking..heh..Came across another shop that sells carrot cake and decided to get some to share, such a heavy breakfast!..hehe..
Walked back to the hotel to do some final packing and brought our luggage down to check-out. Left our stuff with the hotel and went to the Ximending shopping district to eat 1 last item: 芒果冰! Haven't got the chance to eat it so far and my mother made sure I bring them to have it on the last day..hehe..
My mother and grandma just wanted the mango flavoured one while my aunt wants those 3-in-1 fruits combination..so we decided to order 2 to share, but...
Ours turned out to be this huge!!
I didn't read the order sheet properly and ordered the mega huge one which is meant for 3-4pax! *faintz* It's just me and my aunt only lor..the staff also didn't check with us when we ordered this big one and a normal mango ice when there were only 4 of us there...haiz..It's about 4 times bigger than the mango ice below... =_=
And the other customers were looking at us when the staff served the huge bowl of ice to us..haha..so embarassing!!..keke..anyway, they were very generous with the fruits and there were even bubble tea pearls at the bottom of the ice..hehe..but it was too much for us, so we juz finished the fruits, ice cream, some ice and pearls...my mouth got numbed eating too much ice..haha
After that my grandma and aunt went on a 'get rid of all the NT' operation..haha, they bought more clothings and stuff, and I bought a skirt and manga as well!..hehe..we got back to the hotel ard 3.10pm and packed our new purchase into our luggage while waiting for our cab..and we are on our way home~~
I was kinda stressed that my grandma may not enjoy some of the places I brought them to coz they aren't really hardcore shoppers so too much shopping may bore them out..so gotta try balance things abit..am relieved to hear fr my mother that my grandma says she wanna go back there again some day and even 'showed off' to my other aunties..haha..glad to hear that, hehee..I had a great time too, got to buy lotsa stuff and the perfect weather, no rain during our 5-day trip, lucky!!..hehe
After that my grandma and aunt went on a 'get rid of all the NT' operation..haha, they bought more clothings and stuff, and I bought a skirt and manga as well!..hehe..we got back to the hotel ard 3.10pm and packed our new purchase into our luggage while waiting for our cab..and we are on our way home~~
I was kinda stressed that my grandma may not enjoy some of the places I brought them to coz they aren't really hardcore shoppers so too much shopping may bore them out..so gotta try balance things abit..am relieved to hear fr my mother that my grandma says she wanna go back there again some day and even 'showed off' to my other aunties..haha..glad to hear that, hehee..I had a great time too, got to buy lotsa stuff and the perfect weather, no rain during our 5-day trip, lucky!!..hehe
