Before we begin, it is important to note that the guides that I am elaborating below are just my personal opinion.
There is no right or wrong.
I was only hoping to assist all that is interested in visiting Taiwan to create a checklist based on my lesson learnt.
There might be a few point that seems like stating the obvious but please bear with me. =D
Determine the travel purpose which also leads to the decision of travel period.Knowing the travel period is important before proceeding to the next step.
At the same time, also find out what would be the main purpose of the trip.
Everyone has different aim and objective for a trip.
Some wanna go shopping.
Some just for sightseeing.
and some may just want to leave their country to see the world outside.
Upon deciding what is the purpose, we have to also align the purpose with the climate of that visiting country.
Taiwan experiences four season and like most countries, the time frame is as below:
Winter - Dec to Feb
Spring - Mar to May
Summer - June to Aug
Fall - Sept to Nov
Ask yourself,
What season do you wanna experience?
Does the purpose of your trip work well with the climate?
If you are a Malaysian (like me) and the purpose of your trip is shopping:
AVOID FALL & WINTER by all means.
None of the clothes that you buy back would do any good to your closet.
TRUST ME! This is based on experience.
My previous trip was on November which is when the country is preparing for winter in large.
All the clothes sold then were long sleeves, thick coats and etc.
It is so depressing to realize that after walking through night markets after night markets and shops after shops, there is practically nothing to buy.
Since Malaysia is summer all year round, some of us might say, we want to experience winter -> YESH
We will also look very pretty in those pictures with winter clothing -> Bingo Again
BUT
One should note that those clothes are space consuming, heavy and most importantly,
They are expensive (you can, of course, always borrow from relatives and friends).
Now, take a step back and think wisely, do you wanna waste your limited luggage allocation with all these clothes?
If you are visiting with your boyfriend or boy friend/s, they probably wouldn't mind donating some of their space to you (given that, guys "probably" won't bring that much change of clothes)
BUT (again)
If, it is all girls trip or family trip, I personally think that winter is too troublesome.
So if you still wanna give it a shot, make sure you have a thorough preparation (mentally and physically).
Now, if you were to ask my opinion,
I would say Spring is the best time to go.
Like Fall, the weather is just nice - not too cold nor too hot.
If it is a shopping trip that you have in mind, spring will definitely ensures that you come back with good amount of souvenirs for yourself
The locals will be preparing for their summer and thus the right type of clothes for us!
If your were to go for sightseeing, any season will be good but Taiwan is always bound to have typhoon.
You would not want your trip to be disrupted by these storms and then forced to stay in and enjoy facilities of the hotel, or just TV if you stay in AirBnB.
Based on statistic, typhoon is more likely to happen between June to October but there is also possibility for it to happen outside of these date range which is truly what we call the unforeseen circumstances.
Best of luck with that if you are really just this unfortunate.
Buying the right airplane ticket!
Now that we have the dates set, we have to figure a way to fly ourselves there.
*clear throats*
Dear Malaysians,
We always believe that Air Asia gave us the cheapest rate but frankly,
That is only during their "Free Seat" period and
It always SUPER DIFFICULT to grab a seat during that period especially for hit destination like Taiwan.
So unless if you manage to grab one, I would like to gently remind all that, Malaysia airports does not only cater for Air Asia but hundreds other airlines as well.
MAS and Cathay Pacific are equally competitive in price when it comes to Taiwan, Korea and Hong Kong and are also way more comfortable (what we mean by value for money)
As for my case previously,
I managed to secure a seat with Cathay Pacific|Dragon Air because of the Maybank Card Promotion.
With Cathay Pacific/Dragon Air, there will be complimentary of:
a) 20kg baggage allowance
b) In-flight Meal
and all I have to pay was:
RM 760 return fare.
Tadaa.. that was truly the most exciting and worthy part of this trip
Insights after checking my inbox, I realized that this promotion will take place twice a year.
Somewhere during end of Feb and then end of May or early June.
So so so.. look out for Cathay Pacific or Dragon Air's website from time to time for this promotion.
It is truly worth it.
Other than price, we would often also consider the time that might be spent waiting to arrive at our destination.
If you are from Penang like me, there is no direct flight to Taiwan actually.
Air Asia layover at KLIA 2
MAS layover at KLIA
Cathay/Dragon layover at HKG.
So anyhow, time will be wasted despite paying more or less but I would rather have comfortable seats after waiting for so long, so my choice is still with MAS or Cathay.
*Air Asia seats are really incredibly narrow*
Where to stay in Taiwan?
There is always Agoda, AirAsiaGo, Booking, Expedia and many many websites for reference if we are looking for accommodation.
Be sure to search through all the websites to look for the best price for the same accommodations place.
Agoda and Booking usually have hidden charge which would only visible when you are at the payment stage.
Therefore, sometimes their price might seems lower at the first glance.
Pay extra attention before making final transaction to make sure that none of the hidden charge went unnoticed.
Another benefits of these websites are that, previous patrons are allowed to leave feedback and comments on the webpage.
Read through the comments properly and make sure that you are ready for what you have paid for.
Most of the time, what you see is not always what you get.
Listening to experience from the previous customers will be helpful.
For my previous trip, I did not opt for commercial hotels or motels available at these websites.
We decided to try out AirBnB.
First thing first, practise similar procedure with the accommodation booking method above:
Check the price properly
Read through all the reviews.
Now for AirBnB,
It is really really important to make sure that you pick those with good reviews.
These "minsu" (homestay) available at AirBnB are usually managed by locals or youngsters with minimal experience at hotel management.
Be sure to ask them all kinds of questions or doubts that you have through the messaging feature in AirBnB.
These owners are usually quick to reply but if they are not, you might probably wanna avoid them and look for another one.
Make sure you also inform them properly on what time you will be arriving so that they can prepare for your check in before hand
It is always good to get the best map they can provide so you could perform your own research on the location of the "minsu".
It does seems very troublesome but sometimes you gotta gamble to get the money you pay and experience you get worthwhile.
For my previous trip, the amount I have paid for the accommodation is summarized below:
Taichung | AirBnB Link
Price per night: RM 167 (for 3 person)
*The management are really nice. Just tell them what you need and they can response almost instantly. The location is considerably strategic as it is near to Fengjia Night Market. The room also looked very much like the picture.
Taipei | AirBnB Link
Price per night: RM 256 (for 3 person - there was additional charge for the 3rd person)
* There were some issues when we first arrived. The aunty who is supposed to meet us somehow went to a wrong unit at some other place. We had to wait for her to come from the other place. Other than that, everything else is OK with the place. The corridor to the minsu is a bit dark but if you are with a group of people, it is actually fine. There are a few eateries just below and opposite the location. So, all is wells. Make sure to communicate properly with the aunty on how to check out and stuff.
One thing I have learned from AirBnB that might be less appealing would be:
If you are staying for a long period of time, do ask the owner if they are willing to do some housekeeping.
With a bunch of girls in the trip and staying at the same place for days without any cleaning tools, the room definitely turned into a disaster.
The floor and toilet are flooded with our hairs which are really really gross.
So, try hard to request from the owner or management and see if they are willing to help cleaning up a bit.
Oh yes, another important point to note, be sure to invite friends or ask a friend to send invitation to you before registering for AirBnB.
We missed out that. TT.TT
AirBnB actually give out some travel credits to be used for your trips if you are referred or if you refer.
Look for more details here: How do referrals and travel credits work?
Despite the good experience I had with my AirBnB experience, my boyfriend got a total opposite treatment.
Which is why I am back to the initial advice:
Read through all the comments and feedback. If there is no or very little reviews, think twice or thrice.
My boyfriend went with his family whereby they booked a minsu (AirBnB) at Taichung for 3 nights and a hotel for Taipei for 4 nights.
Minsu at Taichung: AirBnB Link
Price: RM 191 per night (accommodating 4 person)
* If you were to look through the AirBnB links now, you can see that there is very little comment and review. Only about 2 when we make the booking. Reason why we choose the room is because the toilet seems rather spacious and my boyfriend somehow just could not stand small bathrooms (OCD much huh..). Anyways, before we make the booking, we contacted him to confirm about the availability of elevator at his premise. Well, his reply actually came in like a day or two days later but we did not think that that would be an issue back then, so we still proceed with the booking. A month before the travel date, he messaged stating that he had to move us to another room because the room that we booked is now under renovation. Given that we are now only left with a month and we totally did not wanna cause any hassle, we asked him to proceed with his arrangement. Two days later, another message came by saying that there is a change in arrangement again. This time, we are moved to a room that can accommodate up to 7 person. Without much choice, we accepted it. Bigger room is a better option isn't it? Fine. Take it as it is. The next event might be a bit of our fault but truthfully, it might not be at all. On the day of our arrival, he messaged through AirBnB asking when will we arrive. It is definitely our fault that we did not share our flight itinerary with him earlier but shouldn't he be prepared for our arrival. Upon landing at the airport, we started contacting him but there was no answer. The lack of response from him continued until we reached FengJia. We have to linger with our luggage for almost an hour before he finally called us back. The map that he shared with us previously was very ambiguous. Next time, demand for a proper google map coordinate if possible. Anyway, I have mixed up the pronouns (we is actually them but I am too lazy to make the change) making the story seems like mine but nah, I was not present during that situation. Picture below shows the lane to access to their room:
If AirBnB doesn't attract you but you still would like to travel in budget, there is this budget hotel located at Ximending which is not too bad but definitely less popular compare to other hotels bearing similar names.
The one I am talking about is this Diary of Ximen
AirAsiaGo Link
There are tonnes of diaries hotel in Ximending but this was the one that we have chosen because it is much cheaper.
Follow strictly the advise above, compare prices between different websites (you may find your right gem), read the reviews thoroughly and make sure you prepared for the worst then proceed to book!
Where to visit?
This post is getting too long. I will share the itinerary in another post.
How to move around places especially those that are not accessible by public transport?
Taipei being the metropolis of Taiwan is equipped with metro train (aka subway) network that covers most area of the Taipei city. Other than having comprehensive network, the webpage/guide of the metro train is also easy to use and extremely tourist-friendly.
To start using the Metro Train Web, click on this link: Metro Train Guide: Route Map (English)
You will arrive at the page that looks like this:
1) direction to go after coming out from the exit [refer to Station Location Map]
2) where are the location of the exits [refer to Station Information Map]
3) which exit has escalator or staircase or elevator (this is specially useful if you are carrying large luggage) [refer to Exit Information]
4) what are the estimated time for each activity to start or end [refer to First & Last Trains and Timetables]
With all these information, there will be less confusion about your whereabouts in the station especially during rush hours and helps in making more accurate planning.
Another section on the main page that would be useful is the small corner at the left side of the page with the title "Fare Inquiry".
By selecting the to and from station and click on the search button, a pop up window will appear.
1) Fare
2) Estimated Travel Time
3) Transfers between station that is needed.
You can also continue on to search for another trip by clicking on [select from the routemap]
From the fare section above, you must thinking about how could we save more in terms of the public transportation fee?
The single-journey ticket is more expensive than the Easy Card/Pass but as a tourist should we get the easy pass? or should we get the Taipei Pass (cater for tourist)?
First thing to consider is how much would your fare be if you would to fulfill all the itineraries that you have planned?
Most of the time, we would have very limited time to travel to too many places. Therefore, Taipei Pass would be a waste cause you will never used up all the values.
What I did was to buy a Easy Card/Pass. Reload it and use as it is. By the time when you are done with your trip, return the card to any of the service counter at the Metro Station. You will get back the leftover balance and also the deposit that you have placed when you first bought the pass.
Easy Peasy!
You will be spoiled with different choices of public transport when you are in Taipei but if you are visiting places like Taichung, your choices seems to be just buses or taxi.
To make things easier, most travelers would book a cabbie driver for their trips around certain area.
This should be performed after you have come out with an itinerary draft so that you could negotiate with the driver about places that you would like to visit instead of following their suggestions blindly.
The cabs that I have contacted for my trip were:
Liu +886 927 888 032
He speaks Chinese only. Mr Liu has a team of driver. So, he acts like coordinator and are able to cover both Taipei, Taichung and most part of Taiwan. I shared him my itinerary but he suggested some other routes. Well, what he suggested might have worked better but I prefer to go through my own route. His price is considerably reasonable and there is official invoice after you have confirmed your booking to ensure that the service is rendered.
Charice +886 972 383 138
Best thing of all - He can speak English! However, he only covers Taipei and I only wanted driver for Taichung. He was honest upfront saying that if we want him to fetch at Taichung, it will be more expensive and suggested some other of his friends which only speaks Chinese. So, if you are looking for a driver around Taipei and wants somebody who speaks English for convenience, he will be an awesome choice.
Marvin +886 925 820 169
He is another driver who can speak English. Price were a bit on the high side but he promises that
"We provide professional introduction along the way, cover all points in the itinerary without any rush, also there is no overtime charge, making you enjoy your trip in a relaxed way."
He also mentioned that quotation is based on distance and not time. I did not charter his service, so I could not give an exact answer of how good or bad he is but there is no harm in trying to communicate with him to understand further.
Phang +886 930 605 379
Mr Phang exhibits the friendliness of Taiwanese to the max. I contacted him first to ask for quotation. Again, he covers only Taipei, so, he introduced some other drivers that were around Taichung instead. He was very helpful and tried to help as much as possible. If you were not able to lock down on minshu or hotel, Mr Phang could also give advice. He even contacted us on the day of arrival to ensure that we have arrived safely and the driver friend he recommended were there to fetch us.
Miss Ho
The above link is the Facebook contact of Miss Ho/He, 何幸芸. You can scroll through her Facebook page to find about the trips that she has made in the past and also reviews on her services. Her price was also reasonable but I could find some cheaper ones.
Mr Cheng
You can find him in webchat using 曾浩浩旅遊包車 (Wechat ID: TW0953055340). This is the cab driver that I have booked. Cons: He do not speak English. Pros: He is not a talkative driver which is good. His service was fine whereby he did not rush us or usher us for any other shopping activities. All is well with him. So, consider him if you are looking somebody who is more reserved but still friendly to provide you with the transportation you need around Taichung.
I ll come up with another post soon about this Taiwan trip. Till then
Missing Taiwan,
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