I know. I can already foresee the onslaught of questions coming my way. "What's up with all this solo travelling?" My friends have already cornered me with questions after questions. I think next time magpapa press conference na po ako choz haha I cannot reveal the bigger reason..yet. Let's just say I just wanted to see the world as much as I can or more precisely as much 'as my bank account can'. After my recent trip to Bali cut a big slashed to my savings, I need to make a damage control. Kelangan galingan ko sa Taiwan bes haha Fortunately, Taiwan turned out to be really, really, really cheap for a solo traveller or for any kinds of traveller.
How To Apply for a Taiwan Tourist Visa for Filipinos
Note: TECO just announced that Taiwan is now visa free for Filipinos starting November 1, 2017 to July 31, 2018 (on a 9-month trial period) so yes everyone can now travel to Taiwan as long as the following requirements are met:
- Stay no longer than 14 days.
- At least 6 months validity of passport
- With a return or onward ticket
- Proof of hotel booking or host's contact details
- No criminal record in Taiwan
Where To Stay in Taiwan
There are 3 things I always consider every time I booked a hotel/hostel namely 1) close to MRT transportation 2) free breakfast & 3) affordable. So I don't care whether I'll be staying in a backpacker's hostel or guesthouse for as long as these 3 conditions are met. But don't expect too much about the free breakfast though, its just free coffee, water & bread. I just think that if it's available in budget hotels, they really care about customer satisfaction so everything else follows-
free wifi, cleanliness, convenience & good facility. It's a good thing that a lot of this are being offered abroad, you just have to learn where to look.
I decided to stay in Next Taipei Hostel-Ximending & I have to say this is the best backpacker's hotel I've ever been to. I was already impressed that they actually send a direct email to me addressing my request that I will be arriving early because most of the time budget hotels won't even bother to contact you. They are very responsive & will reply to you within minutes. They actually took the time to answer all my questions i.e. thorough guide on how to reach their hotel from Ximen Station so it was easy to locate them. The hostel itself was superb, I can't say anything wrong with it. I definitely get more than what I pay for.
How To Get To Taipei City from Taoyuan Airport
Taoyuan Airport is around 45 minutes to an hour away from the airport & the two most efficient & affordable modes of transportation are MRT & Bus.
By MRT:
- You can choose to take either Express (38 minutes) or Commuter Train (1 hour & 10 minutes)
- Fare is NTD 160.00 or PHP 272.00
- Operating hours is from 6:00AM to 11:00PM
By Bus:
- Bus counters are located on the ground floor of Taoyuan airport & the buses are located just outside.
- Bus fare is around NTD 125.00-145.00
- Operating hours is only until midnight so if you're arriving later than that, you can take Bus 1819 which can take you up to Taipei Main Station only. From there just take a taxi to your hotel.
I actually arrived in Taiwan after midnight & was cleared in the Immigration around 1:30A.M. so I decided to just sleep in the airport. Backpacker at its finest mga bes! I'm really allergic to taxis abroad, I only did it in Bali & will only consider it in extreme emergency cases haha Taoyuan airport offers sleeping lounges, free drinking water, free wifi & charging so it still feels like your sleeping in a hostel.
Taipei Currency
I was surprised to discover that Taiwan doesn't have any money changers scattered in the city so I was kind of sad that I can't play my little game with them haha You can only change money in the banks but are only open during weekdays. So if you're arriving over the weekend, just change in the money changers inside the airport although there's a 3% service charge per transaction.
Language Barrier
Mandarin is the preferred & most commonly understood language in Taiwan. I was kicking myself why I didn't even bother to review my Mandarin background, I am now more exposed to Korean thanks to K-dramas (aminin niyo kayo rin) haha I can just do numbers & the smallest phrases which is not very helpful in terms of asking around. Most locals especially locals who live in the far provinces like Jiufen, Pingxi & Shifen and even bus drivers do not understand English so I had a hard time communicating with them. I suggest translate the name of your destination to Mandarin or have it google translate & save it to your phone.
Chinese Food
Oh.my.god. the food! Food is everywhere in Taiwan. It's only my first day but I was eating like crazy and I wasn't even in the night market yet. My first & second day was spent visiting the Northern part of Taiwan namely Yehliu, Jiufen, Pingxi & Shifen and the food game in there was already intense. There are a lot of varieties to choose from, it will be a crime not to try their food. It doesn't help that everybody is eating so you will surely be tempted to hoard all the food. Don't worry with all the walking that you're going to do in Taiwan, you will burn everything right away.
Places To Visit in Taipei
The thing about Taipei is that almost all the tourist spot are FREE & transportation cost is also CHEAP so you will really save a lot. Be sure to buy a reloadable Metro Pass or Easy Card which is available in the airport and any MRT station. You can use this in taking MRT & buses across the city. For more information about Easy Card, visit Taipei Metro Pass
Yehliu Geopark
It is home to a number of unique rock formations located in the Wanli District, New Taipei, Taiwan.
Jiufen
Pingxi (平溪) and Shifen (十分)
Tip: Alterntively you can visit Yehliu Geopark + Jiufen + Shifen in one day if you book through Klook. I was supposed to book this tour but all the tickets were sold out on my preferred travel dates so be sure to book early to save you all the hassle.
Yangmingshan National Park
Elephant Mountain
Shilin Night Market
Eto talaga yung finale ko mga bes haha I think I went a little crazy shopping & eating here. I almost missed my flight just to shop here one last time lol Take note I was staying in the heart of Ximending Night Market but I still went out of my way just to go here. The prices in Shilin is actually cheaper compared in Ximending so this is the best place to buy pasalubong. I did to try to haggle once but the vendor just look at me as if I'm from another planet so I don't think my charm works here haha Sorry naman hindi pa ako nkamove-on sa Bali
> Nearest MRT Station is actually Jiantan & not Shilin Station. Believe me I tried to both ways hehe
Below is my Itinerary for 5 days, 4 nights stay:
I was surprised to discover that Taiwan doesn't have any money changers scattered in the city so I was kind of sad that I can't play my little game with them haha You can only change money in the banks but are only open during weekdays. So if you're arriving over the weekend, just change in the money changers inside the airport although there's a 3% service charge per transaction.
Language Barrier
Mandarin is the preferred & most commonly understood language in Taiwan. I was kicking myself why I didn't even bother to review my Mandarin background, I am now more exposed to Korean thanks to K-dramas (aminin niyo kayo rin) haha I can just do numbers & the smallest phrases which is not very helpful in terms of asking around. Most locals especially locals who live in the far provinces like Jiufen, Pingxi & Shifen and even bus drivers do not understand English so I had a hard time communicating with them. I suggest translate the name of your destination to Mandarin or have it google translate & save it to your phone.
Chinese Food
Oh.my.god. the food! Food is everywhere in Taiwan. It's only my first day but I was eating like crazy and I wasn't even in the night market yet. My first & second day was spent visiting the Northern part of Taiwan namely Yehliu, Jiufen, Pingxi & Shifen and the food game in there was already intense. There are a lot of varieties to choose from, it will be a crime not to try their food. It doesn't help that everybody is eating so you will surely be tempted to hoard all the food. Don't worry with all the walking that you're going to do in Taiwan, you will burn everything right away.
Places To Visit in Taipei
The thing about Taipei is that almost all the tourist spot are FREE & transportation cost is also CHEAP so you will really save a lot. Be sure to buy a reloadable Metro Pass or Easy Card which is available in the airport and any MRT station. You can use this in taking MRT & buses across the city. For more information about Easy Card, visit Taipei Metro Pass
Yehliu Geopark
It is home to a number of unique rock formations located in the Wanli District, New Taipei, Taiwan.
By Long Distance Bus:
From Taipei West Bus Station - Terminal A (located
at Taipei Main Station), go to the KuoKuang (國光) window and purchase a
ticket for NT$96 to Yehliu Geopark (野柳地質公園). The journey takes around 90
minutes, and the bus will drop you on the main road just outside the park
entrance. Walk down the lane on the left side to enter.
By Shuttle Bus:
Ride comfortably in a shuttle bus from Ximen to
Yehliu, followed by the Ying Yang Sea, 13-Layer Remains, Golden
Waterfall, Jiufen (九份), and Shifen Old Streets (十分老街), leaving at
9AM and returning at 17:45.
By North Coast Shuttle Bus (from Tamsui (淡水,
Danshui) or Keelung):
Take the North Coast Shuttle Bus NT$200 all day
unlimited rides from either MRT Tamsui Station or Keelung Railway Station.
Jiufen
Jiufen, also spelled Jioufen or Chiufen (Chinese: 九份;
pinyin: Jiǔfèn; literally: "nine portions"), is a mountain area in Ruifang District, New Taipei, Taiwan. Jiufen Old Street is very interesting & unique place. I thought it's just a single aisle when you see it from the entrance but it's actually composed of numerous small alleys & lanes that snake around the area and sometimes even run beneath buildings.
By Train + Bus:
From Taipei Main Station, take the train north to Ruifang
Station. After exiting the station and facing the Wellcome supermarket, take a
left and walk 200 metres down Mingdeng Road. Next to the police station is a
bus station (named Local Residents Plaza, 區民廣場) with routes 827 and 788 heading
toward Jiufen. Please note that the bus stop next to the police station heads
east toward Jiufen, and the bus stop across from the police station heads west
toward Taipei. Route 825 provides weekend service only. From here, the bus trip
takes roughly 15 minutes, and the fare is NT$15. It is recommended to take bus
1062 back to Taipei.
By Bus:
From MRT Zhongxiao Fuxing (忠孝復興), Brown Line 1 and Blue Line 5
interchange, leave from Exit 1 and take bus route 1062 (Keelung Bus) to
Jinguashi, alight at Jiufen. The ride is about 1 hour and the fare is NT$102. Bus
788 is also available from Keelung.Pingxi (平溪) and Shifen (十分)
Both towns are rich in culture and history that provides a nice
glimpse of Taiwan's natural scenery. Events such as the Sky Lantern
Festival draw visitors year round to create a Chinese Lantern (天燈)
with a wish written on it to set into the sky, all for a modest price of NT$150-200. I personally think this 2 towns are very similar but Shifen is bigger & is well known for the Shifen Waterfall so if you only have limited time just go to Shifen instead.
How to get here:
From Taipei Main Station, take a northbound train (except
Keelung-bound trains) towards Ruifang Station. Transfer to the Pingxi Line (平溪線)
and purchase a One Day Ticket for the Pingxi Line, NT$52 or
From MRT Muzha Station (木柵, Brown Line 1), take bus 1076
towards Pingxi (平溪).
Tip: Alterntively you can visit Yehliu Geopark + Jiufen + Shifen in one day if you book through Klook. I was supposed to book this tour but all the tickets were sold out on my preferred travel dates so be sure to book early to save you all the hassle.
Yangmingshan National Park
The area is home to numerous parks, hiking trails,
interesting plants and wildlife, and the internationally famous hot springs. I thought this is just a 'simple' park, a kind of park that you can just walk around but it turned out to be big enough to fit one city so taking the shuttle bus is highly recommended when visiting one park to another.
 |
| Yes naman uso din pala ang Pre-nup shoot doon..more wedding ideas mga bes! |
How to get here:
From MRT 2 Jiantan station (劍潭), leave Exit 1 (Shilin Night
Market), and walk to the left-side bus station, busses heading north. Take
either the small bus S15 (PREFERRED) or S17 to Yangmingshan station (陽明山).
Fare is NT$15, payable by cash or Easycard. It travels past the main transfer
station to other destinations such as Xiaoyoukeng (小油坑), Lengshuikeng (冷水坑),
and Qingtiangang Grassland Trails (擎天崗).
National Palace Museum
 |
| Andito lang pala yung nawawala kung bracelet choz! |
This is the grandest & most glamorous museum in Taiwan & is sure worth the visit.
> Take bus Red 30, 304, 255, 815, S18 or S19 at Shilin Station.
> Operating hours: Fri-Sat 8:30-21:00; Sun-Thu: 8:30-18:30
Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall
> Exit 5 at Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall Station
> Opens daily from 9:00-18:00
Longshan Temple
> Exit 1 at Longshan Temple Station. Head north on Xiyuan Road for 5 minutes.
> Opens daily from 6:00-22:00
National Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hall
> Take bus Red 30, 304, 255, 815, S18 or S19 at Shilin Station.
> Operating hours: Fri-Sat 8:30-21:00; Sun-Thu: 8:30-18:30
Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall
> Exit 5 at Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall Station
> Opens daily from 9:00-18:00
Longshan Temple
> Exit 1 at Longshan Temple Station. Head north on Xiyuan Road for 5 minutes.
> Opens daily from 6:00-22:00
National Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hall
> Exit 4 at Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hall
> Opens daily from 9:00-18:00
Taipei 101
> Exit 4 at Taipei 101/ World Trade Center
> Entrance fee for Observatory is NTD 600.00 but you can buy it for a discount if you book through Klook
> Opens daily from 9:00-22:00 (last sntry 21:15)
Elephant Mountain
Also known as the Nangang District Hiking Trail and
Xiangshan (象山), it provides the best view of Taipei City. Be sure to bring a drinking water with you, the trail is quite a long stairs up & pretty steep. Hihingalin ka bes! You sure will going to burn everything that you eat for the past 3 days lol.
> After arriving at Xiangshan station (象山), the terminus of Red Line 2, leave from Exit 2 and continue walking alongside the edge of the park. At the end of this road, take a left and follow until the entrance for Xiangshan Hiking Trail (象山登山步道), total 650 metres, around 20 mins.
Shilin Night Market
Eto talaga yung finale ko mga bes haha I think I went a little crazy shopping & eating here. I almost missed my flight just to shop here one last time lol Take note I was staying in the heart of Ximending Night Market but I still went out of my way just to go here. The prices in Shilin is actually cheaper compared in Ximending so this is the best place to buy pasalubong. I did to try to haggle once but the vendor just look at me as if I'm from another planet so I don't think my charm works here haha Sorry naman hindi pa ako nkamove-on sa Bali
> Nearest MRT Station is actually Jiantan & not Shilin Station. Believe me I tried to both ways hehe
Below is my Itinerary for 5 days, 4 nights stay:
Day 0
|
||
12:30 AM
|
Arrival in Taoyuan International Airport
|
|
1:30 AM
|
Sleep in the airport
|
FREE
|
Day 1 (Yehliu Geopark, Jiufen, Ximending)
|
||
6:00-7:00 AM
|
Buy a reloadable Easy Card in the airport
Ride Bus 1819 to Taipei Main Station
|
NTD 100.00
NTD 125.00
|
7:00-7:15AM
|
Transfer to Blue line going to Dingpu & get off at Ximen Station. 5
min. walk to Next Taipei Hostel
|
NTD 20.00
|
7:20-8:20AM
|
It was still too early for my check-in but the hotel staff was kind
enough to let me leave my luggage, allow me use to their bathroom to freshen-up (borlogs na ako bes) &
access to their pantry.
|
|
8:50-9:00AM
|
From Ximen Station get off at Taipei Main Station. Walk to Taipei
West Bus Station. Buy bus ticket at Kuo-Kuang Motor Transport & ride the bus going to
Yehliu Geopark.
|
NTD 20.00
NTD 96.00
|
10:30AM
|
ETA Yehliu Geopark.
Pay the entrance fee
|
NTD 80.00
|
12:45AM
|
Lunch at the nearby eatery
|
NTD 150.00
|
1:00-2:00PM
|
ETD Yehliu Geopark to Jiufen. Ride Bus 790 to Keelung Train Station.
Transfer to Bus 788* to Jiufen.
*Bus 788 is actually on the other side of the street from Keelung
Station & it’s quite far so you better ask around. It took me around 30
minutes to locate the bus stop.
|
NTD 30.00
|
2:30-4:00PM
|
Ride the Bus 788 to Jiufen
|
NTD 30.00
|
4:00-6:00PM
|
Explore Jiufen
|
|
6:30-7:30PM
|
ETD to Taipei. Ride Bus 790 to Ruifang Station
Train from Ruifang Station to Taipei City
|
NTD 15.00
NTD 49.00 |
7:30-8:00PM
|
Dinner at Ximending Night Market
|
NTD 100.00
|
8:30PM
|
Back at the Hotel
|
NTD 529.00
|
Day 2 (Pingxi, Shifen)
|
||
8:30AM
|
Walk to Ximen Station. Take MRT Blue line to Zhongxiao Fuxing Station
Transfer to Brown line & alight at Muzha Station
|
NTD 20.00
NTD 30.00
|
9:30-11:00AM
|
Ride Bus 795 to Pingxi
|
NTD 45.00
|
11:00AM
|
ETA Pingxi. Explore Pingxi Old Street
Lunch
|
NTD 100.00
|
1:15-1:45PM
|
Train from Pingxi Station to Shifen
|
NTD 20.00
|
1:45PM
|
ETA Shifen. Explore Shifen old street & visit Shifen Waterfalls
Note: Shifen Waterfall is quite a long walk from Shifen Old Street
around 45 minutes or so but the scenery is good & the waterfall itself
is amazing. You can also fly sky lantern in Shifen for NTD 200.00.
|
|
6:30-7:00PM
|
Train from Shifen to Ruifang Station
|
NTD 19.00
|
7:00-8:15PM
|
Buy ticket from Ruifang Station to Taipei
|
NTD 49.00
|
8:15-8:30PM
|
Ride MRT Blue line from Taipei Main Station to Ximen Station
|
NTD 20.00
|
8:30PM
|
Dinner in Ximending Night Market
|
NTD 100.00
|
9:00PM
|
Back at the Hotel
|
NTD 529.00
|
Day 3 (Yangmingshan National
Park, National Palace Museum, Shilin Night Market)
|
||
7:30AM
|
From Ximen Station take MRT Blue line to Taipei Main Station
|
NTD 20.00
|
8:00AM
|
Take the Bus 260 outside of Taipei Main Station or located just one
block from Kuo-Kuang Motor Transport
|
NTD 30.00
|
9:00AM
|
ETA Yangmingshan National Park. Purchase the unlimited ride ticket or
you can use your Easy Card for Shuttle 108 around the park.
|
NTD 60.00
|
9:00AM-1:30PM
|
Explore Yangmingshan
|
|
1:30-2:30PM
|
Take the Small Bus S15 or S17 from Qingtiangang bus stop to Jiantan
Station (MRT Red line)
|
NTD 15.00
|
3:00PM
|
Lunch in Jiantan
|
NTD 150.00
|
3:30-4:00PM
|
Take bus Red 30, 304, 255, 815 from Jiantan Station to National
Palace Museum
|
NTD 20.00
|
4:15-6:30PM
|
Explore National Palace Museum. Pay the entrance fee.
|
NTD 250.00
|
6:30-7:00PM
|
Ride the bus from National Palace Museum to Shilin Station
|
NTD 20.00
|
7:15-9:30PM
|
Shop till you drop in Shilin Night Market 😊
|
|
9:30-10:00PM
|
Back at the hotel
|
NTD 529.00
|
Day 4 (Chiang Kai-Shek,
Longshan Temple, Sun Yat-Sen, Taipei 101, Elephant Mountain
|
||
9:00-9:30AM
|
From Ximen Station take the Green line going to Xindian & get off
at Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall
|
NTD 20.00
|
9:30-11:15AM
|
Explore Chiang Kai-Shek
|
FREE
|
11:15-11:30AM
|
From Chiang Kai-Shek Station go back to Ximen Station.
From Ximen Station, take MRT Blue line to Longshan Temple
|
NTD 20.00
NTD 20.00
|
11:30AM-12:00NN
|
Explore Longshan Temple
|
FREE
|
12:15PM
|
Lunch on the nearby eatery
|
NTD 100.00
|
12:30-1:00PM
|
Take the MRT Blue line from Longshan Temple to Sun Yat-Sen Memorial
Hall
|
NTD 20.00
|
1:00-2:15PM
|
Explore Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hall
|
FREE
|
2:15PM
|
Walk from Sun Yat-Sen to Taipei City Hall & Taipei 101. Explore
Taipei 101
|
FREE
|
5:00-5:30PM
|
From Taipei 101 Station get off at Xiangshan Station MRT Red line
|
NTD 20.00
|
5:30PM
|
Take Exit 2 & walk towards the Elephant Mountain Trail. Start
Trekking.
|
|
7:30PM
|
Hike down
|
|
8:00-8:30PM
|
From Xiangshan Station to Jiantan Station
|
NTD 30.00
|
8:30-10:30PM
|
Pasalubong shopping in Shilin Night Market
Dinner
|
NTD 200.00
|
10:30-11:00PM
|
From Jiantan Staion to Taipei Main Station
Transfer to Blue line & get off at Ximen Station
|
NTD 20.00
NTD 20.00
|
11:00PM
|
Check-out in the hotel
|
|
11:00-11:15PM
|
From Ximen Station alight at Taipei Main Station
|
NTD 20.00
|
11:15PM-12:15AM
|
Ride the Bus 1819 at Kuo-Kuang Terminal to Taoyuan Airport
|
NTD 125.00
|
Total
|
NTD 3,985.00/
Php 6,774.50
|
|
To sum it all up:
Plane Ticket: Php 4,026.76
Travel Tax: Php 1,620.00
Expenses in Taipei: Php 6,774.50
Grand Total: Php 12,421.76
