For my detailed travel itinerary in PDF form, click on this link:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B9_cHcmEYu0VY19YS3hwMVlhcG8/edit?usp=sharing
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FLIGHTS
I booked my flights through Scoot (keep an eye out for Morning Glory Tuesdays or any special offers).
NOTE: Booking through the airline itself instead of through an agent may actually save more.
NOTE 2: Scoot flights out of Singapore are cheap, but to come back into Singapore they aren't.
Hence for our flight back, I booked TigerAir.
NOTE 3: Scoot flights are probably cheap because they arrive at destinations at the crappiest times.
Bearing all those flight details in mind, you can opt to use websites like Skyscanner or etc. to choose the cheapest and best flight option for you.
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ACCOMMODATION
The next most important thing to plan is where to stay. Personally, I prefer to book early rather than late. It just gives me a greater sense of security. Also on most immigration forms you do have to fill out where you would be staying at, so my recommendation is to get everything settled before making the trip, instead of hoping to magically land a place to stay upon arrival.
Taipei is filled with hotels and minsus (kinda like homestays but in a more hotel/motel-ish setting). The important thing for you to decide is which one you would prefer better.
- Hotels are your typical, all about service, cleanliness, etc kinda place and they do come at a larger cost.
- Minsu(s) can cost less and give you a more homely feel or cultural experience but they may be dirtier, have less facilities and be at a less convenient place.
By luck, I found CityInn Hotel. Be careful. This hotel is so popular they have CityInn Hotel 1,2,3, Plus and Ximending - so be cautious and alert when booking your room. I booked CityInn Hotel 1 because it was the most convenient. Almost directly linked to the Taipei Main Station, it allowed us to travel to various locations with ease. Service at this Hotel is also impeccable. The staff are so friendly you feel bad for being serviced so well. The facilities are amazing (free sweets, drinks, use of washing machines and dryers, luggage weighing scale provided, etc.) and the rooms are so clean. They may be on the smaller side but they are sufficient for 2 people or 3 depending on which room you book. I absolutely love this hotel and highly recommend it.
Click on the link below to view the website:
CityInn Hotel Website (English and Mandarin Available)
I wanted to try staying in a Minsu so I booked one for our night stay in Jiufen.
The Minsu which I chose was 水映藍天民宿. Unfortunately this website is only in mandarin.
This place is lovely, great service, great view, large room. Unfortunately, they aren't in a very good spot. They are at the bottom of Jiufen. Which means that every time you want to check out Jiufen Lao Jie (Jiufen Old Street), you have to climb monstrous flights of stairs to get there. Trust me, by the time you reach the old street you feel like collapsing. It is draining. Nevertheless, if you are smarter than me and booked a cabbie for the day, or if you are super athletic, this minsu is really wonderful. The owners are extremely friendly and the breakfast in the morning is divine. The room is large and spacious and the hotel is conveniently located next to the taxi pick up stand (where all the cabbies are waiting to pick up customers).
In English, the hotel name is "Water Reflect the Blue Sky" - sounds cheesy in English but its lovely in Chinese.
For more information, click on the link to the website below. If you have more questions about this Minsu and you have difficulty or cannot read Mandarin, you can ask me and I will be more than happy to help!
水映藍天民宿 Minsu Website (Mandarin Only)
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Thereafter, you're pretty much set. It will be down to deciding what tourist landmarks you would rather visit, what kind of traveller you are, how much money you are willing to spend, etc.
Stay tuned to the next post for more on my Taiwan Trip.
Don't forget to leave any comments or tips for me on how to improve my blog posts!
Fly Safe and Eat Happy,
V
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