Where Have You Been Recently?
The Dora Lakwatsera Adventures: Taiwan Edition
By Rodett Asilum
August 14, 2015 marked another entry on my travel diary as Jaz, a friend of mine and a former UN employee, and I embarked on a new adventure in Taipei, Taiwan.
Before we started drafting our itinerary, we made sure we read as many travel blogs as we can. From there, we listed down all the places we wanted to visit, activities we wanted to do, and food we wanted to taste. We even had a food trip itinerary!
Another important travel trick is to get maps from the airport or hotel. Like us, the train map from our hotel served as our travel guide on majority of our trip.
The Taipei Itinerary
DAY 1
Our first stop was the biggest zoo in Asia, the Taipei Zoo. Unfortunately, the scorching heat prevented us from roaming around so we headed to Maokong Gondola ride which was only a few minutes away from the zoo. I definitely recommend this when visiting Taipei! I no longer recall how many times I’ve said amazing inside the crystal cabin with that majestic view from above. That and the fresh air will make anyone say, “Wow.” What astonished me most was how they positioned the cables from one point to another and its whole construction. I really could not imagine how they made it.
A few steps from Maokong Station were different kinds of food stalls and several cute tea shops which Taipei is famous for. We, then, visited their national monument, Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall, and shopped at Shilin Night Market. One thing I’ve noticed was the abundance of Korean apparels for sale instead of Taiwanese products. K-Pop Fever continues in Taipei, I guess. To cap our night, we tried their delicious street food.
Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall
Modern Toilet
DAY 2
An important part of our itinerary that will not be missed was going to church. After the worship service, we went to 2004’s world’s tallest building, Taipei 101. Inside was Taiwan’s famous restaurant, Din Tai Fung. So famous that the long lines prevented us from knowing first-hand what the fuss was all about. Inside Taipei 101 are two observatory decks, one on 89th floor and the other on 91st.
Our hotel was located at the shopping area of Ximen, giving us time to explore the different nearby stores and stalls before having dinner at Modern Toilet. I’m sure you’ve heard of it. It’s one of the renowned themed restaurants in Taipei. Seats were toilet bowls, urinals as wall accents, food placed in little toilet bowls, and free poop-shaped and colored dessert, made it such a unique experience. It was as if you really were eating inside the toilet!
DAY 3
There was neither traffic nor long MRT queues on our last day despite it being a Monday. How I wished Manila was more like that. “Dito hindi ka male-late sa work tsaka ‘pag sinabi mo sa kausap mo na I’ll be there in 10 minutes magagawa mo, eh sa atin?” This was the conversation I had with my friend and reminded me of an excerpt I read from a blog, “The cost of living in Taiwan is at par to the cost of living in the Philippines but interestingly, Taiwan is far more developed and advanced than the Philippines.” I leave that to you to ponder on.
For brunch, we went to the Hello Kitty Restaurant. It’s another themed restaurant but smaller compared to Korea’s. Although the concept was the same, the designs from the ceiling to the restrooms were all different. After buying souvenirs, we decided to head back to our hotel for some rest before our flight. Iba na ata talaga kapag bumabata, madali nang mapagod. Hahaha!
With that, another adventure has ended. It was a wonderful trip that I would definitely want my friends to experience too.
Hello Kitty Restaurant
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Here are some tips for those planning a vacation in Taipei:
- Book in advance to avail the promo fares from different airline companies. And if you really want to shop for shoes, make sure that your check-in baggage going home is bigger to avoid paying for excess.
- Wear comfortable shoes and be prepared for a walkathon.
- If you are into budget trips, avoid taking a cab. Their MRT is much cheaper and more convenient.
- Look for a cheaper accommodation since you will be out the entire day.
- Instead of eating at fast food chains or restaurants, try their street foods. It’s delicious and cheap.
ON THE LOCAL TRAVEL SCENE
Jade Celis in Matin Loc Shrine, El Nido, Palawan,
September 4, 2015 | “I loved all the islands because they are perfect. El Nido is a picture of paradise. The best part about this trip was interacting with the locals and marveling nature’s beauty.”
Rona Jimenez in Kayangan Lake, Coron, August 17, 2015 | “More of rock formation, sand, sea, and skies of Coron, it’s time to unwind and appreciate His wonderful creation.”
Leng Castillo and family in Bangui Wind Farm, Bangui, Ilocos Norte, April 1-3, 2015 | “For this year, my family chose to travel to Ilocos Region again. We love swimming in the clear and shallow water of Pagudpud beach. We were fascinated with the Kapurpurawan Rock Formation, and had a rewarding visit at Calle Crisologo and Bangui Windmills. My family, to whom I shared the experience with, made the trip extra special.”
