4 days in Taiwan

Hi again! I know its been so long since I wrote something here huhu but this summer I'll try to make up for it!! Here's a blog from our Taiwan trip! I'm gonna be posting photos too! Hope you enjoy!

1. Taipei 101, Xinyi District

This building had the worlds tallest building title in 2004 before it was overthrown by Burj Khalifa, Dubai in 2010. It has 101 floors and we were brought up by the elevator in just minutes. This was 1km away from our hotel (Pacific Business Hotel, Xinyi DIstrict) so we had a view from our balcony!

The elevator will bring you to the 89th floor, it's a whole floor with glass walls so you'd see the skyline and the buildings below. You have the option to go to the 91st floor (outdoor view deck) & 88th floor (indoor/virtual view deck) through flights of stairs. Our tickets were booked a month earlier through klook, I will link it below!

(the photos below were taken from the 89th floor)

2. Elephant Mountain (aka Xiangshan)

This "hike" (it has a quotation mark because we used stairs to go up haha) was very hard for me because I wasn't physically prepared for it lol but I'm proud to say that I've reached the top!! When you're there you'd see a beautiful contrast of nature and high rise buildings. That's what I actually noticed about Taiwan. The combination of the urban city and the overlooking mountains created a breathtaking scenery because for me, it was perfectly balanced. (Elephant Mountain is a free hike so there's no ticket/entrance fee)

3. Yehliu Geopark, Wanli District, New Taipei, Taiwan

This park is well-known for its rock formations because of its striking similarities to mushrooms, a queens head, ice cream & etc. Because of various environmental elements, the rocks are due to deformity anytime, so they suggest that you visit it before it gets deformed. The rock formations are far from each other so It's better that you'd wear your sneakers and pick a not-so-sunny day for this trip because it can be really hot during lunchtime. It was also beside an ocean which has a very scenic view. Make sure to visit every formation to get your money's worth! We booked this with a shuttle service from Ximen. I will link it below!

4. Sky lantern, New Taipei City, Pinxi Disrict

Pinxi District is famous for its huge sky lanterns. My family picked a multicoloured one and wrote our prayers and wishes with black paint and a paintbrush. Each color has a corresponding meaning and you can also get a monochromatic color if you want. We're standing on an active railway surrounded by lantern shops, souvenir shops and food shops as well. When the train comes, there is a bell that warns everyone to stay out of the railway. The lantern has four sides so you have so much space to write on! This is also where I ate THE BEST SPICY TAKOYAKI I've ever tasted!!

5. Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial, Zhongzheng District, Taipei City

This place was the largest open space I've ever been in. The area is composed of three infrastructures, one is the National Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall (first photo) that can be found in the middle of the National Concert Hall and the National Theatre, which are similar with one another.

I wasn't able to take a photo of the National Theatre because we were in a hurry so we won't miss the last bus ride. The second photo is taken by my Instax mini 90, this is the side angle of the National Concert Hall.

Aside from these, we also went to two night markets namely, Linjiang Street Night Market in Da'an District and Ximending in Wanhua District. You will get tired from shopping and eating because the number of shops can be overwhelming. Although, night markets are also dog-friendly/pet-friendly and there's just so much dogs strolling alongside their owners. It can be a real stress reliever especially when you're drained. For our last night in Taiwan, we also visited a hidden bar in Da'an District called MONO MONO. It's a small bar but it's pretty nice and cozy.

To cap off this blog post, all I can say is that Taiwan is a very beautiful country (from what I've seen) and the weather is actually a bit similar to the Philippines but they have cleaner air haha. Also, it's really odd that I've only seen two police officers for our whole stay. They said it's because the crime rate is so low and there are street cameras everywhere.

That's it! Make sure to visit Taiwan if you have free time this summer! They have a visa-free treatment for Filipinos until July 31, 2018!

TIP: It's better if you buy your tickets beforehand to save a few bucks and make your itinerary ahead of time!

Here's a link for the packages that we bought:

1. Taipei 101 - https://www.klook.com/activity/1659-taipei-101-taipei/?krt=s20&krid=6659bbda-5153-4e65-7df0-5f5eeeb777b3

2. Yehliu Geopark - https://www.klook.com/activity/2953-yehliu-geopark-shuttle-bus-ximen-taipei/?krt=s10&krid=b63882af-dcce-4aee-78d6-00abf7c1ebb4