Getting from airport to Taipei
There are many buses and transport companies available, just need to go to the bus counters and ask for for the earliest departing bus to your destination. However, note that the bus will not bring you directly to your hotel, they will drop you off at a central place (e.g. Taipei Central Station) and either arrange for a transfer bus or they give u free public bus tickets. Note that you will also need to handle the luggage yourselves. To save us the trouble, we just took a cab from there to our Royal Castle, hotel at XiMenDing, which is quite affordable (think its less than S$10).
Buses from Taoyuan International Airport to Taipei (travel time ~45-60min)
Free Go 飛狗巴士 http://www.freego.com.tw
Yang Ming Shan National Park (陽明山國家公園)
Zhuzhihu Calla Lily Festival - 竹子湖海芋季 (Mar-May)
Beitou MRT Station --> minibus 9 --> Zhuzihu stop
(every 30~40 minutes) 10 runs on weekdays, 20 runs on weekends and holidays
Meet some friendly aunties who advise us when to alight the bus. subsequently, just follow the crowd to the calla lilies farms. For ~NT200 and you can enter the farm to take pictures and pick 12 lilies for yourselves. Was busy enjoying the beauty of the lilies and didn't realised all those insect bites, it was quite bad and my feet still itch even when i am back in singapore. So do remember to bring some insert repellent if you intend to enter the calla lilies farm.
The queue for public bus down YangMingShan was very long, with the assurance from the 2 taiwanese gals, we shared a cab with the taiwanese gals down to the YMS bus terminal. We followed the 2 gals to queue for public bus back to taipei. The bus trip down to Taipei was a nightmare due to the traffic jam during peak hours, it took us around an hour before we get to the MRT. Find that its not easy to get around YangMingShan by public transport, you may want to hire a cabbie for half a day if you intend to visit a few tourist spots there.
http://www.taipeitravel.net/user/article.aspx?Lang=2&SNo=05000101
Zhuzhihu Calla Lily Festival - 竹子湖海芋季 (Mar-May)
Beitou MRT Station --> minibus 9 --> Zhuzihu stop
(every 30~40 minutes) 10 runs on weekdays, 20 runs on weekends and holidays
Meet some friendly aunties who advise us when to alight the bus. subsequently, just follow the crowd to the calla lilies farms. For ~NT200 and you can enter the farm to take pictures and pick 12 lilies for yourselves. Was busy enjoying the beauty of the lilies and didn't realised all those insect bites, it was quite bad and my feet still itch even when i am back in singapore. So do remember to bring some insert repellent if you intend to enter the calla lilies farm.
The queue for public bus down YangMingShan was very long, with the assurance from the 2 taiwanese gals, we shared a cab with the taiwanese gals down to the YMS bus terminal. We followed the 2 gals to queue for public bus back to taipei. The bus trip down to Taipei was a nightmare due to the traffic jam during peak hours, it took us around an hour before we get to the MRT. Find that its not easy to get around YangMingShan by public transport, you may want to hire a cabbie for half a day if you intend to visit a few tourist spots there.
http://www.taipeitravel.net/user/article.aspx?Lang=2&SNo=05000101
YeLiu Geo-Parks
Take Guo Kuang bus from the Taipei Intercity Bus Terminal (next to Taipei Main Station) to Yehliu. The journey takes about 1hr 30 mins, bus fare is about NT$80. The bus stop is quite far from YeLiu Geo-Parks, check with the driver where to alight. It's a long walk (~20min) to the geopark, furthermore it was drizzling and very windy that day. If not for the warm coffee from a convenient store, we would have gave up along the way. Remember to gear up with some warm clothings and waterproof wind breaker. YeLiu is definitely not to be missed, enjoy the scenic coast with unique rock formations - Queen's head, Fairy's slipper and candlestick rocks.
Night Market & XiMenDing
- Raohe st night market 饒河街夜市
- Shilin Food Square / Night Market
We brought a food guide with us, eating our way from stall to stall, following all those recommended "must-try". When we can't stuff ourselves anymore, we will just packed the food back to the hotel for supper. Pure Gluttony!
Fairy's Slipper
Queen's Head
Night Market & XiMenDing
- Raohe st night market 饒河街夜市
- Shilin Food Square / Night Market
We brought a food guide with us, eating our way from stall to stall, following all those recommended "must-try". When we can't stuff ourselves anymore, we will just packed the food back to the hotel for supper. Pure Gluttony!
Mee Sua 阿宗麵線
大腸包小腸 (super with garlic sauce!)
Pepper Biscuit 胡椒餅
