Actually this was my very first time travel to foreign country !!! I had never been travel before other countries before except in West Malaysia ... even Sabah and Sarawak. Dun laugh at me please !!! I just received my passport on my 21 year old day. So, as my first country to travel, i chose Taiwan. This is because Taiwan is a place that i dream to step on since i'm at primary school ... as u know ... they famous with drama ... and i love TAIWAN's DRAMA !!! HAHA XD So, this travel i was travel with my three super lovely cousin !!! Three of us departed from Malaysia while one departed from Shanghai ~
After arrived at Taiwan, we took airport bus from Taoyuan International Airport to Taipei Main Station and meet each other straightly at our home stay at Taipei - HOLO Family House. HOLO Family House is a home stay which just opposite to the Taipei Railway Station. So, it is very convenient for tourist to travel to everywhere at Taipei area and it's fees is consider cheap for the student like us. Beside that, you can also meet the people from different countries in this home stay.
DAY 1
After arrived at Taiwan, we took airport bus from Taoyuan International Airport to Taipei Main Station and meet each other straightly at our home stay at Taipei - HOLO Family House. HOLO Family House is a home stay which just opposite to the Taipei Railway Station. So, it is very convenient for tourist to travel to everywhere at Taipei area and it's fees is consider cheap for the student like us. Beside that, you can also meet the people from different countries in this home stay.
HOLO Family House
Transportation : Bus (1819) from airport to Taipei Railway Station [NT 125]
Address : 22F-2, No.50 Section 1, Zhongxiao West Road, Taipei, Taiwan
· Tel : +886 (02)2331-7272
Website : http://www.holo-family-hostel.com/
Our first meal in Taiwan was the STEAMBOAT at King Food Steamboat (皇家帝国麻辣火锅). It's quite nice and my aunt strong recommended it to us. And you need to queue for some times if you didn't make your reservation earlier. It's a buffet style steamboat with limited 2 hours dine-in time and also 10 different soups for you to choose. It also provide variety of seafood, meats, vegetables, fruits, drinks, Haagen-Dazs ice-cream, and also desserts. My favourite is it's Japanese Miso soup and Spicy soup. The fruits it provide is very fresh to eat especially the dragon fruit and guava. Besides, it's beef slides and seafood also been recommended.
Selfie while steamboat-ing :-)
King Food Steamboat (皇家帝国麻辣火锅)
Transportation : MRT from Taipei Main Station to Ximen then take a short walk to the shop
Address : No. 192, Section 1, Zhonghua Road, Wanhua District, Taipei City, Taiwan
Operating hours : 1130 - 2430
Price : Adult - Lunch [NT 600]/ Dinner [NT 650] (Public holiday - NT 650)
Kid - Below 110cm [NT 100]/ Above 110cm [NT 300]
After the dinner, we had a short walk around the Ximending and took some street views and it's Christmas decoration before we back to our home stay.
Tower of Saviors' Christmas tree
DAY 2
We were heading to Tamsui or we call Danshui on the second day in Taiwan. We took MRT from Taipei Main Station to Tamsui station and then took the bus to our first visit point at Hongmao Castle (Fort San Domingo). Fort San Domingo is castle that re-constructed on 1641 by the Dutch and it also known as red-haired castle since it's built up by red brick. It's famous by it's enriched historical background since it had been owned by Dutch, British and Taiwan.
Entrance of Fort San Domingo
Cute mail box
Tamsui river view from Fort San Damingo
Red-haired Castle
Big shoes to fix. Hehe :D
Welcome to Fort San Domingo !
Inside view
Meet the man - William Morris
Cousins
Roadside view
Hongmao Castle (Fort San Domingo)
Transportation : Bus(Red 26/36/38) from Tamsui MRT station to Fort San Domingo
Address : No.1, Lane 28, Zhongzheng Rd., Tamsui District, New Taipei City
Operating hours : Weekday (9.30am - 5pm) Weekend (9.30am - 6pm)
Price : Adult [NT 60] Student [NT 40]
Aletheia University, located just beside the Fort San Damingo. It was founded by George Leslie Mackay and has close link to the Presbyterian Church in Taiwan. Besides, it also one of the oldest institutions of higher education in Taiwan. It's building is more like the church building, kinda western style. But i really love it's building !!! Just like my dream university !!! I hope i can be one of the student in this school also !!!
Aletheia University
Big Hall of the Aletheia University
Garden view with Christmas decoration
Aletheia University
Transportation : Just walk through the gate between the Fort San Damingo and Aletheia University
Address : No. 32, Zhenli Street, Tamsui District, New Taipei City, Taiwan 251
While we walked to looking for our lunch, we accidentally founded the Tam-kang High School in the alley. Tam-kang High School is famous because of the the movie by Jay Chou and also with it's rich history. It also founded by George Leslie Mackay. We just did a quick capture on the exterior of the building because we were rushing for our lunch. But i recommend you guys can go to take a look inside the campus since it's building is really nice !
Tam-kang High School
Transportation : Around 5 mins walk from Aletheia University
Address : Zhenli Street, Danshui District, Taipei, Taiwan
A-gei is a traditional and famous local Tamsui's food which a piece of fried tofu pocket fix in with the cooked cellophane noodles and sealed with surimi finally topping it with the sweet sauce. We were planned to have it at the Original Store A-gei at first but unfortunately it was closed for the weekly rest. So, we just went to the shop beside it which is another famous A-gei shop called Three Sisters A-gei. We had ordered an a-gei, fish ball soup, braised pork rice and tempura (甜不辣) as our lunch. All of it's foods is surprisingly delicious ! Since we were too hungry so i just forgot to take other foods' picture except a-gei.
Three sisters a-gei
Price list
A-gei
Original Store A-gei
Transportation : Around 5 mins walk from Tam-kang High School
Address : 新北市淡水區真理街6之1號
Operating hours : 5am - 3pm (close after sold)
Three Sisters A-gei
Transportation : Just beside the Original Store A-gei
Address : 新北市淡水區真理街2巷1號
Operating hours : 6am - 6.30pm
Website : https://www.facebook.com/pages/三姐妹阿給店/688978934453917
Tamsui Old Street is a must visit place for all tourists when you are in Tamsui. It's a old historical street with along the Tamsui river side with variety of stalls which sell traditional foods and toys. Since it was a raining day when we visited there, many stalls were no open for the particular day. But we still had the super long ice-cream which cost us NT 20 only. Beside the ice-cream many other traditional cuisine also been recommend like Lao Pai Fish Ball, A Xiang Shrimp Rolls, A Po Iron Egg, Xu Yi Fish Cracker, 83 Coffee and etc. Besides, we also visited a music box shop - Hobby Wood for it's music box collection.
Tamsui Pier
In front of a traditional grocery shop while having the ice-cream
Tamsui old street with closed stalls
Hobby Wood Music Box
Totoro
Music Box
Ocarina
Lao Pai Fish Ball
Address : No.232, Zhongzheng Rd, Danshui District, New Taipei City
Operating hours : 7am - 7pm
A Xiang Shrimp Rolls
Address : No.230, Zhongzheng Rd, Danshui District, New Taipei City
Operating hours : 10am - 10pm
A Po Iron Egg
Address : No.135-1, Zhongzheng Rd, Taiwan
Operating hours : 9am - 10pm
Xu Yi Fish Cracker
Address : No.184, Zhongzheng Rd, Taiwan
Operating hours : 6.30am - 6.30pm
83 Coffee
Address : No.83, Zhongzheng Rd, Danshui District, New Taipei City
Tel : 02-2625-5100
Operating hours : 11am - 10pm
Hobby Wood Music Box
Address : No.270, Zhongzheng Rd, Danshui District, New Taipei City
Tel : +886 2 2620 4199
Operating hours : 11am - 9pm
Website : https://www.facebook.com/TamsuiMelody
Our last station in Tamsui was at Tamsui Fisherman's Wharf. We took a single journey ferry from Tamsui Old Street's pier to Tamsui Fisherman's Wharf by took around 15 mins to reach. It's famous by the Love Bridge of Tamsui since it's opened on 14 Feb 2003 (Valentine's Day). So, you will see many couples dating along the bridge. HeheXD A good place to paktor (dating lah ~). Love Bridge is just so attractive by it's beautiful lighting design which will start to light up every evening. Under the bridge, there are also many seafood restaurants and souvenir shop along the river side which are also recommend to try =)
Taking ferry to Tamsui Fisherman's Wharf
Evening view of the Love Bridge of Tamsui
Tamsui Fisherman's Wharf
The bridge is so beautiful when it fix by light!
Bridge side corridor
Night view of the Love Bridge of Tamsui
Souvenir shop beside the Tamsui Fisherman's Wharf
Stalls besides the Tamsui Fisherman's Wharf
Moral art beside the Tamsui Fisherman's Wharf
Tamsui Fisherman's Wharf
Transportation : Ferry from Tamsui Old Street Pier to Tamsui Fisherman's Wharf or Bus(Red 26) from Tamsui MRT station
Address : Tamsui District, New Taipei City
Operating hours : 11am - 8pm
Price : Ferry [NT50 for single journey]
After visited to Tamshui, we went back to taipei and hunted for our dinner of the day at Shilin Night Market by MRT from Tamsui station to Shilin station. Night market is a MUST-VISIT attraction for all tourist who come Taiwan. It's such a concentrated area for all the representative Taiwan's foods. While Shilin night market is the most representative night market for the taipei area. So, when we went there, it actually crowded by tourist who came from different countries.
Cheezy Potato
Papaya Milk
Mango Ice
Oyster Omelets 蚵仔煎
Braised Pork Rice 滷肉飯
Legendary 大屌燒 ！
Transporation : MRT from Tamsui station to Shilin station
