TAIWAN TRIP 30 Dec to 07 Jan 2018

TAIWAN TOUR PLAN

30 Dec 17 to 07 Jan 2018

A short trip to Taiwan in winters was a great trip. 

Taiwan general.

The main Taiwan is a large island with hills. The west coast has plains hence more polulated. The east cost has high hills along coast , it is less polulated but has more natural beauty. It is 390 Km from North to south and 140 km at its max width . Tropic of Cancer passes through the Island. In general the best time of year to visit Taiwan is considered to be from October to April, when weather conditions are typically dry and warm across most of the country. However a jacket is must to be carried as it can suddenly get cooler due to rain. East cost generally is cooler.

TIPs. Tipping is not a norm in Taiwan. Except for bellhops and service personnel  in International Hotels, tipping in Taiwan is generally not expected. But in general don't worry about tipping when you are eating out and It is not necessary to tip Cabbies -- in fact it will confuse them.The Tour Guide and Driver will expect a Tip, if you are more than Day with the Guide/Driver.

Currency    1 $=30.23TWD      1Euro= 36.16     1 Rs=0.47 TWD     1TWD=2.14Rs

Best place to change your currency is at the Airport. Keep the receipt given on currency change. On return you can return the currency and take back  your/ other currency. While taking currency the charge is 30 TWD and on return is 100 TWD.

Time Zone. Time Minus 2.30 TO Delhi     Eg. 11.30AM Taipei = 9 AM DELHI

Flts.

30 Dec 2017

New Delhi to TPE Air India  310    DEL 23.15 4 hr 40 Min    

31 Dec 2017  Arr   Hong Kong 09.05   Connection time: 2h 35m

HK Airline HX 252  09.05  ARR TPE 10.55

Return Flts  07 Jan 2018 

TPE 12.15 2Hr 5  Hong Kong 14.20  Cathy CX 421

Connection time: 3h 40 m

Air India 317  Dep 18.00 HK  4 Hr 15Min    21.30 New Delhi

The connecting Boarding Passes were NOT given at starting place, we took the Boarding passes of second flt at Hong Kong. You walk to Transfer Desk and take boarding passes.

Air India flt was OK for timings but was poor in maintenance. The entertainment system did not work and cabin crew had no knowledge of it.

VISA. If you have  valid US Visa  or Schengen Visa then you can get free permit to travel in Taiwan for 90 days. Just go on their web site and fill the details, print your permit and carry with you.

I had taken the Tour from Edison Travel in Taipei. One of the best travel company. Contact;
 Yang (Mr.) + 886975060568  
EDISON TRAVEL SERVICE CO., LTD.
Add:  4th floor, No.190, Song Jiang Road, Taipei 10467, TAIWAN
Tel:   +886-2-2563-5313 or +886-2-2563-4621
Fax:  +886-2-2563-4803 or +886-2-2531-1353
Email: yang@edison.com.tw / edisonts@ms6.hinet.net
Web:  www.edison.com.tw

On arrival at Taipei went thru immigration and the car was waiting for pick up. Went and checked into hotel. The check in time is 3 PM but on request they gave us room on arrival at 1 PM.

The Riviera Hotel .  Excellent Hotel . Food Court. With Indian restaurant is just 300 Mtrs walk.  No.646 Linsen North Road, Taipei 104, Taiwan

Tel: 886 -2-2585 -3258     E-mail : rivtpe@rivierataipei.com ; 

Free Shuttle Service From Hotel.

Beitou Hot Spring Area (Beitou Museum / Marshal Zen Garden) Friday ～ Sunday 09:30 AM & 01:30 PM Dec-Mar

  CKS Memorial Hall/Yongkang St./MRT Zhongxiao Fuxing/Taipei 101 Mall

   Friday ～ Sunday 10:30  AM

CKS Memorial Hall / Yongkang St. / Taipei 101 Mall  Fri～Sun 02:30 PM

MRT Zhongxiao Fuxing station  Mon～Thu 10:30  AM 

Shihlin Night Market    Daily 06:00  PM

   

Rivera Hotel

Lounge Area

View From Room

     

The basic 5 Days , 4 Nights Tour Plan.

                     

1 Jan Mon Day : Sun Moon Lake Scenic Tour. We were picked up from our hotel after break fast at 07.40 AM . The Coach was very comfortable and we had a English Guide. We drove south to central Taiwan for a scenic tour of Sun Moon Lake. 

 En route had a halt at Bakery Shop at  Puli . Then you drive to for a glimpse of sun moon lake and go to tribal village.

Sun Moon Lake

This is Lunch Halt but this is not a tribal village anymore . It 
is a normal market for tourists to have lunch. You can take a boat ride too  on the sparkling lake. Next halt is at Holy Monk Shrine(Longing Gong).

Tse-En Pagoda

           Holy Monk shrine


Those who want can  go for a climb and walk of 1 Km to Tse-En Pagoda. Next you visit the Wen Hu Temple.

Wen HuTemple

There after you check into your hotel by about 5 PM. 
Overnight:  Fleur De Chine Sun Moon Lake. Excellent hotel. Has Hot Spring facility. Incase you do not want to go to central facility of the Hotel Hot Spring, where you need to be totally nude in water, you can use the facility given in your hotel wash room.

Hot spring in room

View From Hotel Room

View From Balcony

2 Jan Tue Day: Sun Moon Lake - Tainan - Kaohsiung

You start off at 9.15 AM after breakfast . There after drove to a Temple. The original temple was destroyed by earth quake. The new temple has been built next to it. You can see both temples. 

Earth Quake Damaged Temple

New Temple

There is a lunch break at a Rest Room halt area which is developed with food court. There after you drive to Fo Guang Shan Monastery (Buddhist University). You walk upto main prayer Shrine  and there after you can see Great Buddha Land with a large golden Buddha and many Buddha statues.

Main Prayer Hall

Buddha garden

Buddha garden

Love River 

Later, head north to the second largest city in Taiwan - Kaohsiung, where you'll see the beautiful Love River. 

Love River

Fish Turning To Dragon Statute Love River

You are given a short boat ride and taken to night market where you may taste local delicacies at this Lio Ho Night Market. You will find several highly acclaimed steakhouses serving the affordable-and-tasty steaks. Seafood is low-priced and fresh.

Lio Ho Night Market

There after check into hotel by 7 PM, The hotel is in a Shopping Mall.

Overnight: Kaohsiung Grand Hi Lai. Excellent Hotel. We stayed on 40^Th Floor and breakfast was on 30Th Floor. There is food court in the basement as the Hotel is in a Mall.

View from room

Hotel Lobby

3 Jan Wed Day: Kaohsiung - Kenting. Started at 09.30AM after breakfast. Drove to Kenting National Park, the first and the most famous national park in Taiwan, We could not enjoy  spectacular coastal view and tropical Forests as it was extremely windy.

Strong Breeze

The a Oluanbi Lighthouse was closed for public today. 

Kenting National park

8 Pillar Bridge

Then we drove to Maobitou scenic coastal area. Walked over the bridge with  8 Pillars. Checked into Hotel at 6 PM.

8 Pillar Bridge

Overnight:  Royal Chihpen, Taitung   The Hotel is the best in the Tour. They have performance of tribal dance at 8.30 pm for all.

Royal Chihpen Hotel

Tribal dance

4 Jan Thur Day : Kenting - Hualien

Started at 08.00AM after breakfast, heading  north to Hualien along the East Coast National Scenic Area. This scenic area stretches 170 kms long and is endowed with many distinctive rock formations and attractions. Stopped  en route for Lunch . There after drove to Hualien through Taroko National Park. Stopped for a 1km walk which had very good scenic value including seeing of Swallow Caves. 

Swallow Caves area

Swallow Caves Area

Checked into Hotel at 6PM.

Overnight: Silks Palace Taroko Hualien. Excellent Hotel. Has Hot Spring facility. Have singing by tribal in the evening and Free Movie.

Hot spring in Room

 Roof Top  View

5 Jan Fri Day : Hualien - Taipei. Started at 8.00 AM after breakfast. A full day to explore Taroko National Park! Trek the best section of the Taroko Gorge and take in the spectacular scenery of lofty mountains and marble canyons, stopped to see Eternal Spring Shrine. 

Eternal Spring Shrine

Add caption

Stopped at old road area to see beautiful costal line before going back to Taipei. 

Coast Line

Checked into Hotel at 3PM

Overnight: Rivera Hotel, Taipei

6 Jan Sat Day .  Took two half day tours.

North Cost and Yehliu Geo Park and City Tour.

Yehliu Park Tour
Started at 8.15 AM after breakfast. It was a rainy day. Bought the rain capes at 30TWD each. First stop was at Buddha Temple of Keelung City after passing Keelung Harbour.

Buddha Temple

Reached Yehuliu Natational Park. Went and saw rock formations. Yehliu Park is famous for its natural rocks formations which are an amazing array of artistic shapes created by erosion and other natural forces. Among the rocks, the Queen's Head is one of the most famous one.

It is 40-minute one way drive to northeast of Taipei.

Cleopatra Head Rock

City Tour Half day.

This tour includes a visit to the grandiose Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall, in downtown Taipei to pay homage to the late President Chiang Kai-Shek. The change of Guards takes place here every hour. 

Change Of Guard

Change Kai Shek Memorial

There after you fgo to National Revolutionary Martyrs' Shrine, to see an excellent example of classical Ming Dynasty architecture dedicated to the fallen war hero. 

Martyrs Shrine

 There after you visit the National Palace Museum, which houses the world's largest and most valuable collection of Chinese art treasures--There are permanent displays of ceramics, bronzes, oracle bones, porcelain, paintings, calligraphy, enamelware, jade, Ching dynasty costume and carvings.

7 Jan Sun Day.  Started for Airport at 9.15 AM after breakfast. Airport is 45 mins from city. A good airport. Changed the balance TWD into USD.

Cost of Tour For 2 in INR

Air tkts         84484.00

In TWD

Airport Transfers            2600

5 Days trip                     33800

3 night Hotel Taipei       12100

2Half day tours               4600

Spl Concession              - 6100

Paid price                       47000    = 1,00,580.00 INR

Food n Misc                   3250     =        6,955.00 INR

Visa Charges                NIL Holding Valid US Visa

Total INR                     1,92,019.00