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Taiwan is a favourite tourist destination among Singaporeans.
Having a DIY trip to Taiwan is probably the way to go for a trip there. The only hindrance to a successful journey is travelling between cities and attractions. Some may book a driver for the day or the entire trip. While this is ideal, finding one that would fit your schedule may not be possible.
We decided to go to Taichung and Taipei with the aid of Klook. Instead of having one driver with us and planning our own route, we book our activities via Klook and let them prepare for us. This way, it is hassle-free as it means that we simply turn up and enjoy. Since we are travelling in a group of 10, ages 9-70, we had to plan for activities that will cater to everyone.
Our One Week holiday in Taiwan consists of the following activities booked via Klook.
- Taoyuan Airport Transfers for Taichung
- Central Taiwan Private Sightseeing Car Charters (Taichung)
- Sun Moon Lake One-Day Tour from Taichung
- Alishan Forest Railway Day Tour from Taichung
- THSR One-Way Ticket from Taichung
- Yehlie Geopark, Jiufen, Shifen Shuttle Bus from Ximen
- Amei Teahouse in Jiufen
- Private Car Charter for Taipei
- Taipei 101
- Luxury Taoyuan Airport Transfers
- 4G Wifi for Taiwan
The itinerary went smoothly for most parts of the trip. Here is a glimpse of our one-week holiday in Taiwan.
Day 1
Highlights: Taichung Fengjia Night Market, Street Food and Claw Machines
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If you travel alone or in a smaller group, you might opt for alternatives such as the THSR.
On the same note, hailing a taxi on the road is nearly impossible. Most of the time, you either use their local app or ask for help from the hotel. With that in mind, it might be better to hire a private driver for your trip.
Getting to Taichung
Private Taoyuan Transfer for Taichung
THSR - Taipei to Taichung
No. 287號, Section 2, Xitun Road, Xitun District, Taichung City, Taiwan 407
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Green Hotel Taichung |
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Green Hotel Room |
The rooms were simple yet modern and clean. Breakfast was not included, but there are plenty of spots around to have a meal. There is a basement pantry and play area too for guests to unwind.
There are fancier hotels in the vicinity, but most were booked on our dates. We do suggest you make an early booking. if you are planning a trip there.
Book your stay at Fengjia Green Hotel Here
Feng Jia Night Market 逢甲夜市
Wenhua Road, Xitun District, Taichung City, Taiwan 407
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Feng Jia Market |
Feng Jia Night Market |
Flame on |
The street food is a must-try. It's fresh, inexpensive and delicious. We had large chunks of beef for NT $200, super large Fried Chicken Steak for NT $100, smelly tofu for NT $60 and many more!
Beef Cubes |
Shop till you drop |
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Claw Machine Wins |
Day 2
Taichung attractions - Zhongshe Flower Market, Rainbow Garden, Chun Shui Tang, Mirayahara, Sun Moon Lake
Taiwan Chuangtong Breakfast 台灣傳統早餐店
No. 281-2, Section 2, Xitun Road, Xitun District, Taichung City, Taiwan 407
Price-wise, it's very pocket-friendly!
Traditional Taiwanese Breakfast |
*Private Sightseeing car charter for free and easy is not available. You can try this instead.
We planned to visit ZhongsheFlower Garden, Rainbow Village, Miyahara, Chun Shui Tang (Taiwan's first bubble tea) and Sun Moon Lake. With only 10 hours to cover 5 destinations, it was amazing how our drivers managed to plan it efficiently. Also, they double up as tour guides by providing us with a running commentary on the places we visited,
Book Private Sightseeing Car Charter from Taichung here
Zhongshe Flower Garden
No. 333號, Section 5, Sanfeng Road, Houli District, Taichung City, Taiwan 421
Our first stop was Zhongshe Flower Garden. This is a big flower market that is popular as a photography stop.
You would have plenty of Instagrammable photos of the lush landscape of flowers.
If you are looking for a place to take picture-perfect family portraits, Zhongshe Flower Market would be a choice destination. If you are not planning to travel or have more time, you could visit this place together with a visit to LIHPAO Discovery Land, the biggest theme park in Taichung.
Since we had only a whole day to tour Taichung, we decided to skip the theme park and explore general tourist attractions instead.
Rainbow Village 彩虹村
408, Taiwan, Taichung City, Nantun District, 春安路56巷25號
The next stop, Rainbow Village, is a place that tops Instagrammers' list when they visit Taichung. Rainbow Village was created by a former soldier, Huang Yung Fu (affectionately known as Rainbow Grandpa). He began painting houses here to save them from demolition. His colourful artwork worked, and Rainbow Village eventually became a designated cultural area and a popular tourist hotspot.
The paintings on the walls are colourful, and you could find different Chinese good luck charms on them.
If you are lucky, you might find Rainbow Grandpa when you visit. Even if you cannot find him, you could still indulge in snacks such as Tea Eggs and Rainbow Ice cream while you are there.
Chun Shui Tang 春水堂創始店
No. 30號, Siwei Street, West District, Taichung City, Taiwan 403
Our next stop is Chun Shui Tang Original Store in Taichung. This is hugely recognised as the birthplace of Taiwan's famous bubble tea. You could have a meal there but the wait is very long.
We decided to just order the bubble tea and try it. It may not be the best bubble tea we tasted, but it was the first one invented in the world!
Miyahara Ice Cream 宮原眼科
No. 20號, Zhongshan Road, Central District, Taichung City, Taiwan 400
People come here for 2 things, Ice cream and to look at the interior. This Harry Potter-inspired ice cream parlour is famous due to its extensive decor. If you choose to visit, try to stay on a weekday. We went during the peak hour, and the queue for ice cream was too long for us. We did catch a glimpse of the impressive decor within.
Sun Moon Lake 日月潭
Yuchi Township, Nantou County, Taiwan 555
It was lunchtime when we headed to the outskirts of Taichung to Sun Moon Lake. If you plan a trip to Sun Moon Lake, it will be easier to visit via Taichung than from Taipei. We stopped at a local restaurant recommended by the drivers to sample the popular Emperor Fish.
Volkswagen 6 Seater |
Book Private Sightseeing Car Charter from Taichung here
Zhongshe Flower Garden
No. 333號, Section 5, Sanfeng Road, Houli District, Taichung City, Taiwan 421
Zhongshe Flower Market |
Are we in Holland? |
Beethoven |
Zhongshe Flower Market |
Rainbow Village 彩虹村
408, Taiwan, Taichung City, Nantun District, 春安路56巷25號
Not Rainbow Grandpa |
Rainbow Ice Cream @ Rainbow Village |
No. 30號, Siwei Street, West District, Taichung City, Taiwan 403
First Bubble Tea |
The first bubble tea. |
No. 20號, Zhongshan Road, Central District, Taichung City, Taiwan 400
Miyahara |
Yuchi Township, Nantou County, Taiwan 555
Sun Moon Lake Ropeway |
If you are not in a rush, we recommend a one-day tour from Taichung. It will be a much more relaxing tour this way.
Emperor fish |
Sun Moon Lake Ferries |
Jin Men Grandma Tea Eggs |
Sun Moon Lake |
Wild Boar bun |
Unfortunately, time was insufficient for our trip, and we had to miss all that. Soon it was time to catch the last ferry back.
You could check out the packages to Sun Moon Lake here
Formosan Aboriginal Culture Village Day Trip
Sun Moon Lake Day Tour
Central Taiwan Private Sightseeing Car Charters
Fengjia University |
Before we headed back to our hotel, we took a stroll to Fengjia Night Market to fill our stomachs.
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Angel Chicken Steak - Fengjia Night Market |
Day 3
Alishan
Alishan 阿里山鄉
Chiayi County, Taiwan 605
Alishan |
Alishan Tea |
Book your Alishan Forest Railway Day tour here
Cheers |
Alishan |
Mini Bus |
Elephant Tree |
Why are we posing on railway tracks! |
Trainspotting |
Alishan Railway |
Eternity Suspension Bridge |
It was another 3-hour drive back to Taichung; we slept most of the time on the bus and were refreshed to head out to the Night Market once again.
Bubble Tea |
Day 4
THSR, Chaing Kai Shek Memorial Hall, Shilin Market
THSR Tickets |
Book here for your discounted THSR ticket from Taichung to Taipei.
Rainbow Hotel Ximending 長虹大飯店
No. 36, Hanzhong Street, Wanhua District, Taipei City, Taiwan 108
Rainbow Hotel |
Due to its ideal location, we settled on Ximending as the base for Taipei. Rainbow Hotel, situated at the Heart of Ximending, was perfect as it was located minutes from the MRT. It provided a great value for less than $200 per night for a 2 bedroom given its location.
Some of the hotel rooms were newly renovated, and we were lucky to get one just recently upgraded through booking.com. Given the location and the price, we were pleased with what we got.
Book Rainbow Hotel here.
Book Rainbow Hotel here.
No. 10, Section 1, Roosevelt Rd, Zhongzheng District, Taipei City, Taiwan 100
Jin Feng |
The first thing we did in Taipei was to fill our stomachs. We headed to the famous Jin Feng Restaurant to try their braised pork rice. For NT 100-200, you could order rice, soup and vegetables. The food was warm and delicious though the servings can be quite small for a small bowl. There was a queue while we were there, but it did move pretty fast.
Braised Pork Rice |
No. 21號, Zhongshan South Road, Zhongzheng District, Taipei City, Taiwan 100
Chiang Kai Shek Memorial Hall |
Interestingly, there is a Singapore connection here. In Singapore, Chung Cheng High School was named after him. Chung Cheng High School students might also find the national gazetted entrance oddly familiar to the one at their school compound.
President ride |
Shilin Market 士林市場
111, Taiwan, Taipei City, Shilin District
Shilin Market |
Check out our carnival wins here
Since we had street food in the last couple of nights, we decided to head to the indoor basement food court to search for food instead.
Food Court |
To our surprise, the food offered here is similar to street food. No complaints, though as we can enjoy the food in aircon comfort.
Taiwan Oyster Egg |
Day 5
Yehlie Geopark, Juifen, Shifen, Shuttle Bus
Klook Tour |
Book your day tour to Yehliu Geopark, Jiufen, Shifen Shuttle Bus with Golden Waterfall and Shifen Waterfall
Yehliu Geopark 野柳地質公園
207, Taiwan, New Taipei City, Wanli District
Princess Rock @ Yehliu Geopark |
You need tickets to get to the park; we suggest booking them via Klook to skip the queue.
Book your tickets here
Spot the Queen's head |
Jinshui Road, Ruifang District, New Taipei City, Taiwan 224
Jiufen 九份老街
Jishan Street, Ruifang District, New Taipei City, Taiwan 224
Jiufen |
Spirited Away to Jiufen |
Amei Tea House 阿妹茶樓
224, Taiwan, New Taipei City, Ruifang District, 市下巷20號
Amei Teahouse |
The stop here lasted only 2 hours. To maximise our trip, we booked a tea session at Amei Teahouse from Klook. Instead of heading inside the small alleys and squeezing our way in, we took the back lanes and reached the teahouse in less than 15 mins ( do ask for directions from your guide)
Book your Amei Teahouse experience here
Amei Teahouse |
Our experience at Amei Teahouse includes classic Taiwanese Snacks and Oolong Tea.
Taiwanese Snacks |
Oolong Tea |
View from Amei Teahouse |
Streets of Jiufen. |
You can have your Wifi delivered to your home with a booking from klook.
Get your 4G Wifi for Taiwan here
Overseas Wifi |
Shifen Waterfall 十分瀑布
226, Taiwan, New Taipei City, Pingxi District
Suspension Bridge |
Shifen Waterfall |
Shifen Lanterns |
Shifen Old Street 十分老街
226, Taiwan, New Taipei City, Pingxi District
Shifen |
When you reach the shops, they will give you time to pen your wishes on the lanterns. We had seen this in movies, and it was a surreal experience letting the sky lanterns go in the middle of the railway tracks. In hindsight, it may not be the most environmentally friendly thing to do, so we hope there will be a biodegradable version on the horizon.
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Sky Lanterns |
In case you are wondering, it is a working railway track. When the trains come, everyone needs to get off the track. No fret, though, as the train moves slowly, and there are ample warnings when it arrives. There is still time to check out the shops along Shifen Old Street after the Sky Lantern experience.
It was back in Taipei after the trip. This was probably the best trip we had in Taipei due to its experiences and one for which we would give an A*.
Book your day tour to Yehliu Geopark, Jiufen, Shifen Shuttle Bus with Golden Waterfall and Shifen Waterfall
It's time for a day trip to Taipei. You could plan a trip via the MRT. However, if you are travelling with older folks, there will be too much walking, which may be inconvenient. To save time, we opt for a Private Car Charter instead.
Book your private car charter for Taipei here
Real Working Tracks |
Book your day tour to Yehliu Geopark, Jiufen, Shifen Shuttle Bus with Golden Waterfall and Shifen Waterfall
Day 6
Taipei 101, Ding Tai Fung, Tamsui Old Street
Chill |
It's time for a day trip to Taipei. You could plan a trip via the MRT. However, if you are travelling with older folks, there will be too much walking, which may be inconvenient. To save time, we opt for a Private Car Charter instead.
Book your private car charter for Taipei here
Private Car Charter |
Since we had a larger group, our ride for the day would be the minibus.
Taipei 101 台北101觀景台
110, Taiwan, Taipei City, Xinyi District, Section 5, Xinyi Road
Taipei 101 |
Klook Skip the Queue Taipei 101 Tickets
Mist |
Taipei 101 ball |
While you are there, check out this amazing golden globe. This device is said to be the one to stabilise the building from strong winds and earthquakes.
Who's taller, Taipei 101 or us? |
Din Tai Fung 鼎泰豐 101店
Din Tai Fung |
Xiao Long Bao |
251, Taiwan, New Taipei City, Tamsui District
What you do when you see a love sign |
Love Bridge |
Tamsui Old Street 淡水市場
No. 45之1號, Qingshui Street, Tamsui District, New Taipei City, Taiwan 251
Tamsui Old Street |
30cm tall ice cream |
Popular Squid from Tamsui Market |
Claw Machines Tamshui |
Ximending 西門町夜市
No. 127號, Hanzhong Street, Wanhua District, Taipei City, Taiwan 108
It was back to Ximending. Ximending does not have a typical 'night market' where you would see rows of street food. It is more like a shopping paradise with pockets of street food. There is a lane that caters to street food, but it is relatively small compared to Shilin Market.
Ah Zhong Mee Sua 阿宗麵線
Notable food includes the Ah Zhong Mee Sua (Ay Chung Flour Rice Noodle), Mango Shaved Ice and more.
Ximen Mango Shaved Ice 西門町芒菓冰
Ah Zhong Mee Sua 阿宗麵線
No. 8-1號, Emei St, Wanhua District, Taipei City, Taiwan 108
Ah Zhong Mee Sua |
Ximen Mango Shaved Ice 西門町芒菓冰
No. 17號, Hanzhong Street, Wanhua District, Taipei City, Taiwan 108 (Google Map)
Mango Shaved Ice |
Coincidently the former 2 are just steps away from our hotel - Rainbow hotel.
Modern Toilet Restaurant 便所主題餐廳 西門店
Ximending does have exciting shops, such as the Modern Toilet Restaurant.
It was also our dinner location. Everyone needs to order one item from the menu for a meal there. It could be a side dish or drinks.
Food is just ok, but how many times can you say I ate out of the toilet bowl while sitting on a toilet bowl AND be totally cool with it.
Ximending Graffiti Street @ Taipei Cinema Park 臺北市電影主題公園
No. 19, Kangding Road, Wanhua District, Taipei City, Taiwan 108
It's our last day in Taipei. Since our flight was in the afternoon, we wandered around Ximending.
Modern Toilet Restaurant 便所主題餐廳 西門店
2f, No. 7號, Lane 50, Xining South Road, Wanhua District, Taipei City, Taiwan 108
Modern Toilet Restaurant |
Ximending does have exciting shops, such as the Modern Toilet Restaurant.
Toilet Bowl |
Toilet Bowl booth |
Day7
Ximending Graffiti Street, Claw Machines
Ximending Graffiti Street @ Taipei Cinema Park 臺北市電影主題公園
No. 19, Kangding Road, Wanhua District, Taipei City, Taiwan 108
It's our last day in Taipei. Since our flight was in the afternoon, we wandered around Ximending.
Joker |
We stumbled upon the infamous Ximending Graffiti Street. Located around Taipei Cinema Park, you can see several interesting graffiti on the walls around the buildings.
Astro Boy |
There is even a Godzilla made of bricks and cans in the park!
Godzilla |
The only shops that were open early in the morning at Ximending were the claw machine shops. We had tough luck at the claw machines during this trip, but it was hard to resist the temptation...
Catch me |
Lo and Behold, we hit the jackpot and won 6 boxes of One Piece figures from one machine. Check out our wins here.
Taiwanese Western food |
Last but not least, we head to a nearby snack shop to stock up.
Taiwanese Snack shop |
Book your airport transfer here.
Heading home. |
Deals from Klook are featured in this post.
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