Before the year ends, better rush out this post because it has been half a year since the trip in Feb 2018. The longest I have procrastinated. Well done!
So in Feb 2018, I made a trip to cover the central part of Taiwan. Yes, basically I don't go one shot the entire Taiwan but cover bits by bits. So that it gives me a reason to travel again the next time. Some may find it a waste of time and money. It all depends on individuals. So just don't bother lah. Happy can already.
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| Picked SGD70 worth of strawberries at Strawberry Farm |
Okay 长话短说. You peeps may find it boring because is neither food nor shopping. Haha... more on visiting places of interest in Central Taiwan. A very laid-back kind of travelling. And I have picked a few of my favourite places to complete with my previous post on 2 others I went like Rainbow Village (took a photo with 彩虹爷爷 too) and Gaomei Wetland. Click on my post right here.
Let's start.
Wu Ling 武嶺/ Kunyang Rest Station 昆陽休息站
Went on the trip up 合歡山Mount Hehuan (altitude of 3,275m) on the day of arrival in Taiwan as 小李 said it was snowing up there. We were that lucky. After our breakfast, we headed for a pit stop where there were shops that sells snow chain for the car wheels. For safety purpose, please at least get the 2 front wheels chained if you intend to go up. No worries if you do not know how to fix up as there will be people along the road up the mountain to help. Just pay them a small fee.
Didn't expect the coldness and was freezing all the way. Couldn't even take some good photos but videos instead. Windy and foggy. And you could see most people were geared up with their thick winter wears (except us). So remember, snow chain the wheels and bring at least one set of winter wear for this trip.
And then we went down the mountain for the rest station. It was cold as well but not as bad like up there. And it was sunny and bright. The view was great without much fogginess.
Old Streets of Lukang 鹿港老街
Lukang is a conservation area with heritage houses and a touristy attraction that is packed with visitors in the narrow walkway. There are still people living there (because I saw clothes hanging outside) so beware of not intruding their privacy when you visit. The place was quite big and you might spot mural arts or works in some alleys. Do look out for your photo stops. And you could see shop vendors promoting their stuff from food to the essentials. There were temples, art village and even acrobatic performance (at certain timing) to visit and watch. It will probably take you half to a day to have a good walk-through. So take your time, snap some photos, have your lunch/tea and continue walking through this old street of the past.
Che Cheng 车埕
A place for railway fanatic! Che Cheng is a railway station located at Nantou County. Stationary trains for photo taking. And how peaceful your mind and soul while sitting down in a tea house, sipping away a cuppa tea and mesmerizing at the greenery view that it offers.
Changhua Fan-Shaped Train Depot 彰化扇形车库
Another place for railway fanatic. Honestly speaking, only if you have a drone to take a top-down view then you will see that it looks like a fan-shape. Go google it and you will know what I mean. They still maintaining the trains so don't mistaken it as museum.
It used to be a dormitory compound built by the Government to house employees of the auditing office. Left unused for years after the Government restructured, now Shen Ji New Village has became a place for young entrepreneurs to start their businesses. This place is quite similar to Haji Lane in Singapore. Not much changes to the exterior appearance of this place but the shop owners injected vibrant to their shops. There were cafes around, small shops that sells exquisite stuff and even a hipster barber shop. What I heard from 小李 was that some of his customers wanted to come here but with just a glance, they gave it a miss. So not many people know how to appreciate such 文青 places.
Summary of the Places:
- Wu Ling 武嶺/ Kunyang Rest Station 昆陽休息站 (touch and go, not >20mins)
- Old Streets of Lukang 鹿港老街
- Che Cheng 车埕
- Changhua Fan-Shaped Train Depot 彰化扇形车库 (touch and go, not >20mins)
- Shen Ji New Village 審計新村
Though they are my favourite but I still rank them from top to least favourite. So what is yours?
Plannings for the Trip:
Decided to take my virgin flight by Scoot because couldn't get a cheaper price from Cathay Pacific which would bring us to Taichung (transit in Hong Kong). Instead, we flew to Taoyuan International Airport where our reliable driver cum guide, 小李 picked us up to begin our 5 days trip in Central Taiwan. The cost of our flight was about SGD 396 per pax that includes seat selection, check-in baggage and one meal on return flight. I chose night flight to arrive early in the morning at about 6 in order to have more time to tour around.
Stay at Mini Hotels Feng Jia Branch: about SGD 176 per pax for 4 nights
Tour + Transfer: about SGD 310 per pax
Optional: Snow Chain and fix up - top up about SGD 25 per pax (only for trips up to snow mountains)
Expensive this trip because is nearing to Chinese New Year or I should say is just before CNY. But then, any trip is worth so long as is Taiwan! Hook up with 小李 through his Facebook page 'Tour Taiwan Hong Lee' now!
Ending this post with one of my breakfast in Taichung! Bye!