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We are currently in Taiwan and will be back this Sunday evening. As such, we will not be having any blog updates till then.
Meanwhile, we heard that the haze situation in Singapore was pretty bad over the last few days. Do remember to drink lots of water and as much as possible, avoid any physical activities when you’re outdoor. Also, it would definitely help a lot if you are wearing a N95 mask if you’re outside. In case you’re wondering if a normal surgical mask would suffice, we’re afraid not as it only helps to filter out particles that are larger in size. However, if the N95 mask is out of stock, a surgical mask provides the simplest form of protection. If you have the N95 mask, be sure you are wearing it properly and that there are no leakage of air; otherwise, it would defeat the purpose of having it.

Anyhows, if you’re interested to find out what we’re up to in Taiwan, do check us out on our Instagram.

Take care everyone! 🙂

Continuing from where we last left off in the previous blog entry about our stay at Mulan Motel, we will be covering about the Miramar Entertainment Park and the Five Dime Restaurant @ Taipei, Taiwan in this blog entry.
The Miramar Entertainment Park is a shopping mall that is situated in the Zhongshan District of Taipei, Taiwan. The nearest MRT Station is Jiannan Road Station and it is located just next to the Miramar Entertainment Park.

From Day 4 Taiwan Holiday 2012 [Melvin’s Perspective]

On the roof of Miramar Entertainment Park is a 70-metre tall Ferris wheel; the second tallest in Taiwan, and the building and wheel have a total overall height of 100 metres.

From Day 4 Taiwan Holiday 2012 [Melvin’s Perspective]

Frankly speaking, there really isn’t anything much to shop at Miramar Entertainment Park. In fact, we found the products to be quite pricey and the retails shops there mostly cater to upscale customers. The one and only reason why we were there was to take a ride on the ferris wheel.

From Day 4 Taiwan Holiday 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]

A standard adult ticket will normally cost $150 TWD [approx. $6.37 SGD].

From Day 4 Taiwan Holiday 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]

Our tickets came together with a Haagen Dazs $50 TWD discount voucher.

From Day 4 Taiwan Holiday 2012 [Melvin’s Perspective]

There are two different types of carriages that you can board, one which is entirely transparent and the other which is the normal one. However, the waiting time for the transparent carriage will take quite a while as compared to the normal one.

From Day 4 Taiwan Holiday 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]
From Day 4 Taiwan Holiday 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]

So here we are onboard the ferris wheel!

From Day 4 Taiwan Holiday 2012 [Melvin’s Perspective]
From Day 4 Taiwan Holiday 2012 [Melvin’s Perspective]

Here are some photos of the wonderful views that we saw from the ferris wheel.

From Day 4 Taiwan Holiday 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]
From Day 4 Taiwan Holiday 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]
From Day 4 Taiwan Holiday 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]

After admiring the breathtaking views from the ferris wheel, we adjourned to the Five Dime Restaurant [which was nearby] that my mum personally recommended to us.

This is how the external facade of Five Dime Restaurant looks like.

From Day 4 Taiwan Holiday 2012 [Melvin’s Perspective]

From the external facade, you can tell that Five Dime Restaurant is quite a unique dining place. However, when we arrived there, the interior decorations of Five Dime Restaurant was even more quirky.

From Day 4 Taiwan Holiday 2012 [Melvin’s Perspective]

Here’s the entrance to Five Dime Restaurant.

From Day 4 Taiwan Holiday 2012 [Melvin’s Perspective]

And here is how the interior of Five Dime Restaurant looks like.

From Day 4 Taiwan Holiday 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]

Even the furnishings and decorations are uniquely designed.

From Day 4 Taiwan Holiday 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]
From Day 4 Taiwan Holiday 2012 [Melvin’s Perspective]

They even have a water feature in the restaurant!

From Day 4 Taiwan Holiday 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]
From Day 4 Taiwan Holiday 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]

Their restrooms are also designed in a rather peculiar way.

From Day 4 Taiwan Holiday 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]
From Day 4 Taiwan Holiday 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]
From Day 4 Taiwan Holiday 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]

There are a wide variety of food choices to choose from and we were so spoilt for choices. By the way, Five Dime Restaurant serves authentic Taiwanese cuisine.

From Day 4 Taiwan Holiday 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]

After having our order placed, tea was served and we waited for our food to arrive.

From Day 4 Taiwan Holiday 2012 [Melvin’s Perspective]
From Day 4 Taiwan Holiday 2012 [Melvin’s Perspective]

Here are photos of the food that we ordered.

Fried Mushrooms Coated with Salted Egg Paste

From Day 4 Taiwan Holiday 2012 [Melvin’s Perspective]

Fried Rice

From Day 4 Taiwan Holiday 2012 [Melvin’s Perspective]

Crispy Chicken with Spicy Sauce

From Day 4 Taiwan Holiday 2012 [Melvin’s Perspective]

The food portion at Five Dime Restaurant are pretty huge and even the both of us couldn’t finish what we ordered. Nevertheless, the quality of the food is superb and the price was quite similar to the average restaurants in Singapore. Not only that, Five Dime Restaurant is even featured on Tripadvisor‘s website. Overall, we found Five Dime Restaurant to be quite a unique dining place and it is one restaurant you must visit at least once in your lifetime.

Here’s a parting shot at Five Dime Restaurant.

From Day 4 Taiwan Holiday 2012 [Jacqueline’s Perspective]

In our next blog entry about our Taiwan Holiday Trip, we will be covering the Raohe Night Market, the Vogue Star Serviced Apartment, and many other interesting sights we saw in Taipei, Taiwan.

Stay tuned to more updates from us.

God bless!

Hello Everyone,
this blog entry about our most recent trip to Taipei would be the final entry as it dictates our last day in Taipei.

Well, as our flight was in the early afternoon, we had to check in at about 0900 hours. As the journey from our serviced apartment to Taoyuan International Airport takes about an hour or so, we had to leave at about 0800 or earlier. Prior to our departure from the serviced apartment, I logged onto the internet the night before to search for taxi services that could bring us to Taoyuan International Airport and I chanced upon the following site: http://www.taipei-taxi.com/

I called the number that was listed on the website and the driver promptly arranged our transport arrangements to the airport. When we met him on our departure day, he was really friendly and he even bought us coffee to freshen ourselves up. The journey to the airport was an interesting one as the driver engaged us in conversations about the scenic and nice places to visit in Taiwan. We then found out that he is also a tour guide and offered to arrange a personalised itinerary the next time we travel to Taiwan. And by the way, the rate he charged us was one flat rate of NTD$1200 which was way cheaper than the regular taxis on the streets. Honestly, we were very pleased with his services that we will definitely recommend him to those who require transport arrangements.

Acknowledgements

This trip would not have been possible and enjoyable if not for the following people:

Dad & Mum, for sponsoring part of my trip expenses

Baby, for taking leave to accompany me during the trip, for arranging the accommodations and itinerary, for the treats and presents, for taking nice photographs and for everything else

Uncle, for sponsoring the air tickets

The People of Taiwan, for their hospitality and graciousness in accommodating our needs and exemplifying the high service standards of guest services

Well, we didn’t took much photographs during our last day but here are just some photos that I took while I was on the aircraft back to Singapore.

Can you see an Angel here?

From Taipei Day 6
From Taipei Day 6
From Taipei Day 6
From Taipei Day 6
From Taipei Day 6
From Taipei Day 6
From Taipei Day 6
From Taipei Day 6
From Taipei Day 6
From Taipei Day 6

So that’s all for our trip to Taiwan and I hope you have found the entries informative and entertaining!

Hello Everyone, today I am going to blog about Day 5 of our trip to Taipei.
Some Background Information: Baby and I initially wanted to go to Taipei Zoo and also take the Maokong/Gondola to view the surrounding scenery; but due to the rain/bad weather, we had to take that out of our initial plan. As such, we visited the Bao An Temple, Confucius Temple, and once again, back to Ximending for some last minute shopping before we called it a day.

First Stop: Bao An Temple & Confucius Temple

From Taipei Day 5
From Taipei Day 5
From Taipei Day 5
From Taipei Day 5
From Taipei Day 5
From Taipei Day 5
From Taipei Day 5
From Taipei Day 5
From Taipei Day 5
From Taipei Day 5
From Taipei Day 5

Some of the Interesting Stuffs We Saw @ Confucius Temple

From Taipei Day 5
From Taipei Day 5
From Taipei Day 5
From Taipei Day 5
From Taipei Day 5
From Taipei Day 5
From Taipei Day 5
From Taipei Day 5
From Taipei Day 5
From Taipei Day 5

And Baby and I were really lucky because we even got the opportunity to participate in a 30 mins tea-appreciation presentation conducted by the staffs from the Confucius Temple and man, we were really blessed and fortunate to have been there at the right time.

From Taipei Day 5
From Taipei Day 5
From Taipei Day 5
From Taipei Day 5
From Taipei Day 5
From Taipei Day 5
From Taipei Day 5
From Taipei Day 5
From Taipei Day 5
From Taipei Day 5

After touring the whole of Confucius Temple, it was time for some souvenir-shopping and yes, we spent about 45 minutes inside the gift-shop hunting for souvenirs for our family and loved ones.

From Taipei Day 5

Since we didn’t have any plans, we decided to head back to Ximending once again for some last minute shopping and of course, to try their Japanese Cuisine!

From Taipei Day 5
From Taipei Day 5
From Taipei Day 5
From Taipei Day 5
From Taipei Day 5

Pictures of the Yummy Japanese Food that We Had!

From Taipei Day 5
From Taipei Day 5
From Taipei Day 5
From Taipei Day 5
From Taipei Day 5
From Taipei Day 5
From Taipei Day 5

Overall, the service standard and food quality at the Japanese restaurant was superb! Though quite pricey, but it was totally worth it. Thanks to Baby for this treat as she knew that I was craving for some Japanese food.

After which we headed to the Modern Toilet restaurant for desserts. And well, this particular restaurant has a “toilet” theme and so, everything [from the seats to the decorations, and even the food] are themed in such a way. Though it may attract first-time goers, Baby and I reckoned that it would probably be the first and last time we would be visiting this theme restaurant. It’s not the price but rather the quality of the food that was served which made us reconsider whether to dine here again in the future. Unique as it may be, but I guess people would patronise a restaurant again and again ONLY IF the food served was up to expectations. Either way, here are some pictures of our dining experience at Modern Toilet.

From Taipei Day 5
From Taipei Day 5
From Taipei Day 5
From Taipei Day 5
From Taipei Day 5
From Taipei Day 5
From Taipei Day 5

If you looked closely enough at the above pictures, you would have noticed that both of our hairstyles are quite different from the photos in the previous blog entries. That’s only because we went to have our hair done at Ximending. Its pretty worth it if you ask me, so if you want to get your hair done, you might just want to head to any one of the many hair saloons over at Ximending. [Just a precaution: please don’t blame me if your hair is not done up to your expectations]

Well, Baby and I had a really fruitful trip to Taiwan. Although it was our last night there, we decided that we would definitely be coming back to Taiwan again to let our hair down and unwind. Although its more than a week since we have been back from Taiwan, we still miss the place quite alot [the locals were really hospitable, the service staffs were very accommodating, and there are just so many positive things to write about our experience in Taiwan that we can’t really put it in words to you because you really got to experience Taiwan for yourself]

That’s about all for the last night as we wanted to have a good rest back at our serviced apartment so as to keep ourselves fresh and ready for our flight back to Singapore. Stay tuned for our final blog entry about Taiwan!

Hello Everyone,
today’s blog entry on Taiwan might perhaps be the most interesting part of my trip to Taipei.

For this entry, I will be blogging about our sightseeing and dining experience on the 4th day of our trip [in details].

Some Background Information:

Baby and I initially planned to go Beitou Hot Springs to relax and rejuvenate ourselves but because of the rain [bad weather], we decided to cancel that and headed straight to the city [Zhongxiao Fuxing] to shop and eat.

[We decided to wear our couple tees out]

From Taipei Day 4
From Taipei Day 4
From Taipei Day 4
From Taipei Day 4
From Taipei Day 4

1st Stop- Kitchen Pucci

Most of the time, Baby and I would go for Brunch instead of Breakfast because we would always be back at our apartment in the wee hours and wake up really late the next day. So, on the 4th day of our trip, we headed to Kitchen Pucci for Brunch. By the time we went there, it was already past 1pm and they do not have staple items like rice/noodles on their menu. Instead, they only had Dim Sum. Either way, as both of us were really famished and decided not to walk any further, we dined here instead.

From Taipei Day 4

What We Ordered:-

Custard Bun & Char Siew Bun [nothing special though, pretty similar to what Singapore has]

From Taipei Day 4

Boiled Chicken Mushroom Soup [tasted too “gingerish”]

From Taipei Day 4

Steamed Dumplings [average tasting]

From Taipei Day 4

Fried Yam Cake [nothing out of the ordinary]

From Taipei Day 4

Pan-Fried Dumplings [pretty tasty. in fact I like this quite alot]

From Taipei Day 4

Prawn Siew Mai [tasted pretty good. in fact, its almost similar like the steamed dumplings because when you bite into it, you can taste the juicy broth]

From Taipei Day 4

Total Bill: NT$615 [approximate SGD$26.74 for 2 persons. Not really expensive as compared to Singapore]

From Taipei Day 4

And so, after our lunch, we headed to Hello Kitty Sweets for desserts. When we arrived there, there were already people in the queue but thankfully, we made a reservation the day before and thus we managed to dine there. Oh, and the Hello Kitty Sweets Experience was my treat to Baby for our anniversary of being together for 10 months. Anyway, if you like more information about Hello Kitty Sweets, <– click here

The Interior of Hello Kitty Sweets [the interior decorations of the Hello Kitty Sweets shop will really appeal to ladies and really, its an experience you must try for yourself]

From Taipei Day 4
From Taipei Day 4
From Taipei Day 4
From Taipei Day 4
From Taipei Day 4
From Taipei Day 4
From Taipei Day 4
From Taipei Day 4

Some of the Cakes That Were For Sale [given the quality and visual appeal of the cakes, I felt that the price for the cakes were pretty reasonable. in fact, it would be a really nice and sweet gift for someone special.]

From Taipei Day 4
From Taipei Day 4
From Taipei Day 4
From Taipei Day 4
From Taipei Day 4

The Menu [they do not just have desserts alone. in fact, they do have main courses and side dishes on their menu as well.]

From Taipei Day 4
From Taipei Day 4
From Taipei Day 4
From Taipei Day 4

Merchandise and Souvenirs That Were For Sale

From Taipei Day 4

The Service Staffs [most of the service staffs there were guys and the service rendered were exceptional]

From Taipei Day 4

Our Desserts! [the drinks were very appetising and the cakes were of quality. I guess the visual appearance of the dishes really whet up one’s appetite]

From Taipei Day 4
From Taipei Day 4
From Taipei Day 4
From Taipei Day 4
From Taipei Day 4

And The Bill Folder [alright, dining here was slightly pricey but for an experience like this, I felt that it was totally worth it especially if you are bringing your loved ones there for a celebration]

From Taipei Day 4

As we had quite a lot of time to kill for the day, we decided to catch a movie @ Ximending/??? and well, we caught the movie, “Tower Heist”.

Alright, for those of you who have been complaining that watching movies in Singapore is expensive [which I used to be guilty off], I’m sure you wouldn’t want to catch a movie in Taipei. In this theatre that we caught Tower Heist, tickets were sold at SGD$12 per person and mind you, it was a typical weekday. And when we entered the screening hall, the seats were really very “old school” and well, they still use the really traditional way of screening movies. If you ask me, Singapore’s movie/cinema experience is way better and well, cheaper too. [anyway, I’m just sharing about my experience of watching a movie in Taipei, not exactly doing a down-to-earth review]

From Taipei Day 4

After the movie, Baby and I went straight to Raohe Night Market/??????? via the taxi. Well, the reason why we went there was because we wanted to eat the oreo peanut shaved ice dessert but it wasn’t open when we went there. But either way, it wasn’t a wasted trip as we decided to get souvenirs for all our family and friends at Raohe Night Market/???????. Baby also bought a bag for herself and well, there wasn’t anything much because it was raining when we wen there.

Baby’s Favourite Street Snack!

From Taipei Day 4
From Taipei Day 4
From Taipei Day 4

The Place Where We Got All Our Souvenirs [its seriously a good place to shop for souvenirs here as we have compared prices amongst the different places we visited and we felt that this shop provides the best value]

From Taipei Day 4
From Taipei Day 4
From Taipei Day 4

After a long day, Baby and I headed back to our apartment and put down our shopping bags. As we haven’t had dinner yet, we went out again to the nearby MOS Burger & 85 Degrees C/85?C to packet dinner back and eat.

Their MOS Burger although have similar items on their menu as compared to Singapore, but other than that, they do also have merchandise [2012 calendar, tea-set. tumblers, and etc.] for sale. I guess that’s what really make them different from the MOS Burger Stores in Singapore. And yes, service was exceptional though its just a fast-food restaurant.

From Taipei Day 4
From Taipei Day 4
From Taipei Day 4
From Taipei Day 4

Eggs Boiled with Tea-Leaves from 7-Eleven Store [really yummy and fragrant]

From Taipei Day 4
From Taipei Day 4

Tiramisu Cake

From Taipei Day 4

Blackforest Cake

From Taipei Day 4

And so, that’s how we ended day 4 of our trip. 2 more parts to go and we will have come to the end of this series of blog entries about our trip to Taiwan. We hope you have enjoyed reading about our travel experience in Taipei so far. Stay tuned for the last 2 parts of our blog entries about our Taiwan experience!

Hello Everyone,
now that I have got a huge assignment off my shoulders for awhile, I am able to continue where I left off about our trip to Taiwan.

Before I move on, some readers have actually asked why we chose to stay in Vogue Star Service Apartment instead of the local hotels.

Here’s my answer to your question:

Prior to our departure to Taiwan, Baby and I had scouted a few awesome deals on many websites and in fact, http://www.deals89.com/ had some great offers on accommodations in Taiwan. After a few considerations, we decided to put up at Vogue Star because:

1) a relative of  Baby’s Taiwanese friend owns the service apartment and as a result, we were able to obtain really good rates [SGD$69.57 a night]

2) Vogue Star has a lot of amenities such as refrigerator/microwave oven/washing machine/jaccuzi bath tub

3) Vogue Star is about 10 minutes walk away from the nearest MRT station known as Shuanglian

4) Vogue Star is situated in a really convenient and safe location (Police Station/Fire Station/Hospital/Convenient Stores/Fast Food Restaurants/Night Market are all just around the vicinity)

Thus, these were the reasons why we decided to put up at Vogue Star Service Apartment;  in fact, we will definitely be staying there again in our future visits to Taiwan. For pictures and more information of Vogue Star Service Apartment, you may refer to my previous blog entry.

Now onto, part 2 of our trip to Taiwan.

For our morning breakfast on day 2 of our trip, we made a trip to the 7-Eleven Store. Seriously, the 7-Eleven Stores in Taipei are so much bigger than those in Singapore and they even have Wifi and seating area for customers to consume their meals. What’s even awesome are the fact that many convenient food products are available at a rather cheaper price than what Singapore 7-Eleven stores are selling. As compared to the 7-Eleven stores in Taipei, Singapore 7-Eleven stores really cannot make it.

Baby Bought A Big Bun

From Taipei Day 2

How Big The Bun Really Is

From Taipei Day 2

I Bought A Rice Wrapped with Meat and Egg

From Taipei Day 2

How The Inside of The Rice Wrap Looks Like

From Taipei Day 2

Ready-Made Clam Chowder Soup (its seriously quite tasty)

From Taipei Day 2

How The Clam Chowder Soup Looks Like After Adding Hot Water

From Taipei Day 2

Dining at the 7-Eleven Store

From Taipei Day 2

Caramel Macchiato, a product of 7-Eleven (if only they have it in Singapore, sigh!)

From Taipei Day 2

After our breakfast, we decided to head to Wufenpu Commercial District for some shopping.

Alight @ Houshanpi MRT Station if You Are Heading to Wufenpu

From Taipei Day 2

The Bakery Store That Tempted Our Taste Buds

From Taipei Day 2
From Taipei Day 2

As we were at Wufenpu around 11am, most of the stores were not opened; so, if you’re heading to Wufenpu, the best time to go would probably be in the evenings, say around 5pm. Furthermore, Raohe Night Market is about 15 minutes walking distance away and it would be more ideal to combine these two places to visit on just one whole evening.

As most of the stores at Wufenpu were not opened yet, we decided to take the train to Zhongxiao Fuxing MRT Station and check out what the town has to offer.

Some Random Photographs We Took

There’s A Waiting Zone for Female Passengers @ Night At the MRT Stations

From Taipei Day 2
From Taipei Day 2

Baby Checking Out Places to Go Around Zhongxiao Fuxing MRT Station

From Taipei Day 2

Random Photographs On The MRT Train

From Taipei Day 2

Some Art Pieces We Saw @ Zhongxiao Fuxing MRT Station

From Taipei Day 2
From Taipei Day 2
From Taipei Day 2
From Taipei Day 2
From Taipei Day 2

A Flea Market cum Concert Organised By The Churches in Taipei Around Zhongxiao Fuxing MRT Station

From Taipei Day 2

We Happened to Chance Upon A Taiwanese Celebrity Who Was Promoting the Latest Motorola Mobile Phone

From Taipei Day 2

The Paparazzi of Taiwan

From Taipei Day 2

Hello Kitty fans will definitely love to visit the Hello Kitty Desserts Shop which is situated around the Zhongxiao Fuxing MRT Station. Initially, Baby and I wanted to have desserts at the Hello Kitty Desserts Shop but unfortunately, the shop was really packed with people and reservations have to be made in order to dine there. However, in my upcoming blog posts, I will be sharing about our dining experience at the Hello Kitty Desserts Shop as Baby and I managed to make a reservation and we dined there on a separate day. For now, do enjoy the photos.

Hello Kitty Desserts Shop Front

From Taipei Day 2

Entrance of Hello Kitty Desserts Shop

From Taipei Day 2

Desserts @ Hello Kitty Desserts Shop

From Taipei Day 2

Hello Kitty Cake

From Taipei Day 2

More Desserts @ Hello Kitty Desserts Shop

From Taipei Day 2

Because Baby and I didn’t got the chance to dine at Hello Kitty Desserts Shop, we decided to head to Breeze Centre to have our lunch.

Baby and I had lunch @ the food court situated in Breeze Centre

From Taipei Day 2

We Ordered A Plate of Rice Wrapped with Egg served with Curry Sauce, Fries, and Seasonal Vegetables (the portion was so huge that it  filled the stomachs’ of Baby and mine)

From Taipei Day 2

Soup and Unlimited Free-Flow of Drink Was Included In The Set

From Taipei Day 2

After our late lunch, Baby and I made a quick visit to Taipei 101 for some photoshoot and walk-about as I haven’t been to the area before.

The Magnificent Taipei 101

From Taipei Day 2

With both our legs aching like crazy from all the walking, Baby and I decided to take a quick break at Mister Donuts.

Baby and I Ordered Caramel Latte (best part was that the beverage were on a 1 for 1 promotion)

From Taipei Day 2

After a quick break at Mister Donuts, Baby and I headed straight down to Wufenpu again for more shopping and eating before heading to our final destination, Raohe Night Market.

A Street Stall Selling Quail Eggs @ Wufenpu (Must Try)

From Taipei Day 2

Me Trying The Quail Eggs

From Taipei Day 2

A Street Stall Selling Sweet Corns @ Wufenpu

From Taipei Day 2

A Street Store Selling Taiwanese Sausage @ Wufenpu

From Taipei Day 2

Raohe Night Market

From Taipei Day 2

The Traditional Glass-Bottled Soft Drinks

From Taipei Day 2

We Had Pork Cutlet Set for Dinner @ Raohe Night Market

From Taipei Day 2
From Taipei Day 2
From Taipei Day 2

Colourful Glass Products Sold @ Raohe Night Market

From Taipei Day 2

The Master Shaping and Crafting the Glass Pieces

From Taipei Day 2

Having my Pants Tailored-Made On The Spot @ Raohe Night Market

From Taipei Day 2

This is one dessert store that’s really worth mentioning. Even as I blog about it, I can still even remember how appetising the dessert was.

The Dessert Store that Sells Shaved Ice @ Raohe Night Market (seriously, the taste is way better than the ones in Singapore)

From Taipei Day 2
From Taipei Day 2

We Ordered the Peanut Shaved Ice served with Oreo Crumbs and Chocolate Sauce

From Taipei Day 2

How The Dessert Looks Like

From Taipei Day 2

The Desserts Menu

From Taipei Day 2

Taiwanese really love dogs alot and you will see many of them bringing their dogs around the street.

We happened to pass by a pet shop @ Raohe Night Market that sells dogs and the cost is around SGD$400++. Their miniature dogs are really miniature. In fact, the photos shown are dogs which are already 4 years old and they are still so miniature; unlike the ones we have in Singapore where the miniature dogs can really grow quite big in size.

From Taipei Day 2
From Taipei Day 2

Some Random Photographs

From Taipei Day 2
From Taipei Day 2

After one long day of shopping and eating & shopping and eating, we journeyed back to our apartment via  Taxi and seriously, the Taxi fares are not very expensive; thus, you might just want to consider taking a Taxi if you’re carrying lots of shopping bags. So, that’s all for part 2 of our trip to Taiwan and there are 4 more parts to go. Stay tuned for further updates! =)

Meanwhile, should you have any queries about our trip to Taiwan (like our itinerary, the places we visited, and etc.), you might just want to drop me an email at melvin.ocs@gmail.com

Hello Everyone,
pardon my absence from the blogging scene for such a long time as I have been held up by my assignment and work. Thankfully, I have been able to take a week’s off from work and I am now typing this blog entry right here in Taipei, Taiwan. The next few entries will be about my trip (with Baby) to Taiwan and I hope that through my sharing, my writing and sharing will inspire you to visit this really beautiful place.

For this blog entry and the ones that follow after this, I will be sharing about Taipei City in Taiwan.

Why Taiwan?

Well, Baby and I initially wanted to travel to Bangkok but because of the severe flooding, we decided to change our travel plan and booked our flight and accommodation to Taiwan instead.

Our Preparations For The Trip

Flight– for this trip, we booked our flight through Misa Travel <– (click here for more information) and the price was a steal. For a round trip ticket on Cathay Pacific <– (click here for more information) with one stopover in Hong Kong, the price is SGD$560 nett per person. The last I checked, the price for the same ticket cost SGD$803.30 now.

Insurance– whether you’re travelling on a group tour or going on a free & easy trip, it is highly recommended that you purchase a travel insurance plan as you will never know what could go wrong in a foreign place. For our trip, we purchased the Chartis Travel Guard <– (click here to see what are the benefits & coverage) for SGD$40 nett per person.

Accommodation– Baby and I saw many deals on tons of websites but because we are staying in Taipei for 5 nights and we have a friend whose Uncle owns an entire block of service apartment, we decided to rent the service apartment for NT$8000 (which is equivalent to SGD$347.83) for 5 nights, which works out to be SGD$69.57 per night. (seriously, its really worth it). By the way, the name of our service apartment is Vogue Star <– (click here for more information) or ????????? (in Chinese).

Currency Exchange– although many people believe that it is better to change the local currency (SGD) to Taiwan currency in Singapore, it is better that you change it in Taiwan as they offer a slightly higher rate.

Itinerary– if you’re going on a free & easy trip, it is highly recommended that you plan your trip thoroughly so as to avoid any inconvenience. There are a few websites that you might want to check out so as to plan your trip:

1) http://wikitravel.org/en/Taiwan#b

2) http://eng.taiwan.net.tw/ (official Taiwan tourism website)

3) http://www.lonelyplanet.com/taiwan (recommended website for your travel planning)

Now so much for the preparation part, time for some photographs…

Flight Check-In @ The Airport

From Taipei Day 1

Baby Calling Home Before Our Flight

From Taipei Day 1

Us Waiting for Flight Boarding

From Taipei Day 1

Our Plane to Hong Kong

From Taipei Day 1

The Meal Served On-Board (Quite tasty although it doesn’t look appetising)

From Taipei Day 1

Mini Hard Liqueur Bottles

From Taipei Day 1

Baby On the Hong Kong Airport Sky Train

From Taipei Day 1

Macau As Seen From Hong Kong Airport

From Taipei Day 1

Baby Watching Care Bears While Waiting for Our Transit Flight to Taipei

From Taipei Day 1

Me Trying to Imitate Spongebob

From Taipei Day 1

Look Out for These Currency Exchange Counters @ Taipei Airport (the rates they offer are much better than the ones in Singapore)

From Taipei Day 1

The Cloudy Sky at Taipei

From Taipei Day 1

The Bus Terminal Where We Waited for Our Bus to Shuanglian MRT Station (cost us NT$150, approximately SGD $6.52 per person)

From Taipei Day 1

Our Bus to Shuanglian MRT Station

-seriously, if you’re on a free and easy trip, it would be more cost efficient for you to take a bus to Town than to take the cab or arrange for a limousine.

From Taipei Day 1

Scooters, a Common form of Transportation in Taipei

From Taipei Day 1

Me Using Public Payphone to Call Home

-Handphone SIM Cards are extremely hard to obtain and if you want to get one, you will need two IDs (passport & 1 other ID- could be driving license/identification card). Without the two, you cannot even purchase a SIM Card. Even after purchasing  the SIM Card, it takes two hours to activate the mobile network.

From Taipei Day 1

The Hot Sunny Weather in Taipei (although its supposed to be the Winter season)

From Taipei Day 1

Our First Meal in Taipei- Dumplings

From Taipei Day 1

The Place We Had Our 1st Meal in Taipei

From Taipei Day 1

Fishball with Seaweed Soup

From Taipei Day 1

Steamed Dumplings

From Taipei Day 1

Pan-Fried Dumplings

From Taipei Day 1

Our First Meal in Taipei

From Taipei Day 1

Me Having Lunch

From Taipei Day 1

The First Bubble Tea Store We Patronised

From Taipei Day 1

The Menu at The Bubble Tea Shop

From Taipei Day 1

The Bubble Tea Shop

From Taipei Day 1

Honey Peach Oolong Tea with Pearls

From Taipei Day 1

Zhongshan Metro Mall

From Taipei Day 1

Taipei Main Station Area Map

From Taipei Day 1

Places of Interest from Zhongshan/Shuang Lian MRT Station

-the underground network of the MRT stations are all well connected. In fact, you could walk from one train station to another train station via the underground passage which has stores around for you to shop and sight-see as well.

From Taipei Day 1

A Group of Ladies Dancing @ Zhongshan Metro Mall (there’s even a stage for performance)

From Taipei Day 1

Artwork On The Shutters of A Shop in Zhongshan Metro Mall

From Taipei Day 1

Ladies’ Toilet @ Zhongshan Metro Mall

From Taipei Day 1

Mens’ Toilet @ Zhongshan Metro Mall

From Taipei Day 1

Vogue Star Service Apartment- Overall Look

From Taipei Day 1

Vogue Star Service Apartment- Steps to the 2nd Level

From Taipei Day 1

Vogue Star Service Apartment- The Living Room

From Taipei Day 1

Vogue Star Service Apartment- the Kitchenette wih Refrigerator, Washing Machine, Microwave, and even a Gas Stove

-Baby and I travelled really light because we had a washing machine available for our use

From Taipei Day 1

Vogue Star Service Apartment- The Bathroom with a Jacuzzi Bath Tub

From Taipei Day 1

Vogue Star Service Apartment- The Bath Room

From Taipei Day 1

Vogue Star Service Apartment- The Bedroom

From Taipei Day 1

Baby Showing Off The MRT Coin/Ticket

-anyway, the MRT do offer a Tourist Day Pass which cost NT$180, but if you are just travelling around the vicinity, you would be better off purchasing single trip tickets because single trip tickets cost only NT$20.

From Taipei Day 1

@ Jiantan MRT Station to Go to Shilin Night Market

-alight at Jiantan MRT Station instead of Shilin MRT Station if you want to go to Shilin Night Market.

From Taipei Day 1

@ Shilin Night Market (crowded with so much people)

From Taipei Day 1

Vibrant and Colourful Billboards around Shilin Night Market

From Taipei Day 1

@ Shilin Night Market

-this is one place you must visit. There are just so many things to eat and shop for and you can even bargain for a good price.

From Taipei Day 1

Interesting Stuff @ Shilin Night Market

From Taipei Day 1

Salmon Sashimi @ Ningxia Night Market

From Taipei Day 1

Pork Hor Fun @ Ningxia Night Market

From Taipei Day 1

Thai Style Fried Rice @ Ningxia Night Market

From Taipei Day 1

Playing with BB Gun @ Shilin Night Market

-cost NT$50 per magazine of 10 rounds. When I tried my hands on this, people watching me thought I was a professional shooter. Fact is, I am a trained soldier so obviously its no big deal that all my 10 rounds landed on the balloons.

From Taipei Day 1

Playing with BB Gun @ Shilin Night Market

From Taipei Day 1

Fried Chicken Fillet @ Shilin Night Market

From Taipei Day 1

Me Posing with the Gigantic Chicken Fillet

From Taipei Day 1

That’s all for Day 1 of Taipei and I have about 4-5 upcoming blog entries about my trip to Taipei, hence; stay tuned for more updates coming your way soon! =P