I went to Taipei, Taiwan with my family. My sister came back for a visit, so we figured a family trip was much needed.
The very first thing we did once we landed was to pick up the 4G sim card that was booked via Klook.
It's a nano sim card, so it would be good to be prepared with a safety pin for when you have to insert it inside your phone.
We went for the sim card instead of the portable wifi device for the following reasons:
- Once you buy it, it's yours; you have your own Taiwan number which you can load up and use in case of emergencies while you are there.
- Unlimited data for 3, 5, 7, or even up to 10 days, depending on your choice and on how long you plan to stay. It helped us greatly especially since we needed Google maps to find the places we needed to go to. It's got real high speed internet too.
- There's no need to return it.
I guess the only downside is that if you're travelling with a big group, you won't be able to share the wifi with them.
As for the portable wifi device, you'll be able to share it together with your group. It'll be rented out and has to be returned to the airport after your stay. There are additional charges in case it breaks or if you lose it.
You'll be able to pick up your sim or portable wifi device here at this booth with the sign "Unite Traveler":
Open Hours: 5:30AM - 1:00AM
Just present the voucher that Klook will be sending to you, and two valid IDs, one of them must be your passport and the other should have your photo on it.
Another essential item would be the Easy card! It's kind of like a beep card which you can use in convenience stores, buses, and trains. You can get one through the Easy card vending machine at the airport.
It's February, so it's still considered winter time in Taiwan. I was expecting it to be cloudy, although I prayed and hoped with all my might that it wouldn't rain so much. It was cold definitely, ranging from 12 - 17 degrees. That's cold for me already, coming from a tropical country, and just with me being a person who gets cold easily.
Chiang Kai Shek Memorial Hall and the National Theater and Concert Hall
First on the list for the day was to visit the Chiang Kai Shek memorial hall and the National Theater and Concert Hall. Prior to coming here, I had no idea that all these halls were situated in one area only. I originally thought they were in separate places and that we had to go all the way to visit each one. It turns out that I only needed to find the center of all the circular patterns on the floor to take the perfect shot of each hall.
Excuse the muddy shoes!
It rained all day, so it was colder than usual. There was fog all around as well, which was why my first few photos of the halls were quite foggy.
Once we got inside the hall, we were able to see the guards performing with their batons, although I was unable to capture that bit because of the many people with their phones up!
When I went up the stairs to the theater, I was greeted by the scene of groups of people performing different dances. On one side was a group of youngsters dancing to hip hop music, while on the other side was a group of middle-aged aunties doing some sort of exercise (I'm not sure if I can call this zumba?). There was also a group of elderly folk doing some slow exercises with tranquil music. It was fascinating to witness all that there.
We left after a few more photos because there was an incoming group of tourists.
Taipei 101
We then decided to head to Taipei 101. We did this via train, through the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall MRT station going to the Taipei 101 / World Trade Center MRT station. I must say that their subways may be old, but it's efficient and the people are also mindful of following the rules (e.g. falling in line, standing to the side when passengers disembark, giving priority to the elderly when it comes to the seats).Can I just mention how I admire their culture of respecting the elderly? I've witnessed how they would purposely stand and offer it to them, and if the elderly refuses, they'd still stand on the side anyway.
Lines are also organized with how it was painted on the floor. I didn't notice it at first.
When we finally got to our stop, right outside was already the World Trade Center and right beside it was the Taipei 101 building. Sadly, since it was foggy, it didn't make sense to go up to the top most floor on that day since we basically wouldn't be able to see a thing. So we just settled with admiring it from the outside. We also went inside the mall, in which we were able to dine in Din Tai Fung. I haven't eaten in this restaurant here in the Philippines, and I know it was very touristy to try it in Taipei 101, but it was a good experience to do so in the country in which it came from.
Xiao Long Bao ❤❤❤
Where the Xiao Long Bao Magic making happens
National Palace Museum
After eating, we headed out to see the National Palace museum, which houses a collection of the most number of ancient Chinese imperial artifacts and artworks in the world. It was indeed a huge collection, filled from the first till the topmost floor. We got there via train then bus. We went to Shilin station, then took the bus number 255.
It was hard to get around because it was raining, but still the place for me was beautiful.
Walking under this canopy of trees was a relaxing experience, together with the sound of birds chirping
That was it for our first day. It was a lot of walking, but it was easy to get around all these touristy places. I especially liked my train and bus ride experiences. It was like a day in the life of a commuter there, especially during rush hour! Having an Easy card is convenient as well. If in case you run out and you need to take the bus, you can use your coins too.
It was raining all day long, but fortunately we bought raincoats beforehand. I think this is an essential when traveling to Taiwan because the weather can be unpredictable. Of course we shouldn't let the rain spoil our wanderings, so it's best to be prepared!
Day One | Day Two | Day Three
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I regret not eating at Din Tai Fung when we were there! The lines were about two hours long! It's sucky that it was foggy on your visit. There's definitely a lot to see once on top of Taipei 101, but I agree that it'll be a shame to visit it given the weather.
ReplyDeletexx, Richel V.
We went there at around 11AM, just in time for the mall to open, so we were able to get a table. I was sad about not being able to go up!! But it's okay, we ate a lot instead hehe. That's the thing with Taiwan weather, it's a hit or miss since it always seems to be unpredictable. Thanks for reading, Richel!
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