Travel Answers

Anyone has any recommendations on where to stay in Sun Moon Lake, Nantou, Taiwan? There are many hotels available from the Internet all claiming to have a lake view but I believe some do have and some are exaggerated. Prefer on the west side of the lake so as to be able to see the sunrise over the lake.
The hotels are mainly clustered on the west side and east side of the lake. Is there any difference in these two areas? For example, is one of them less populated, or less touristy, or less shops, or less night life etc.

Hi all... I am planing to go during the Moon Cake festival period somewhere mid sept. But is it a good time to go during the Moon Cake festival period? will the night market still happening during that period? and the shops are they open?

Hi all, I am planning to visit Taiwan (Taipei, Taroko Goorge, etc) during Lunar New Year Feb 2013. We are 2 adult, 2 children. But recently I read, Taiwan will have one full week holiday during Lunar New Year 2013. My questions are: 1. Is it a good time to visit Taiwan during Lunar New Year? Will it be very crowded? Or maybe all shops, restaurant, museum, attraction places will be closed whole week? 2. Will the hotel be fully booked during that period? More expensive? 3. How about transportation? Will it be difficult to catch buses / taxis? If we go out from Taipei, will the highway fully jammed with cars? Hmm... really want to go holiday during the Lunar New Year. But do not know where to go.. I am thinking some alternative destinations e.g. Korea or Japan.. but I heard that both Korea and Japan are very cold in February... :((. Thanks a lot

Hi all, Firstly thank you for answering my questions. I would be travelling to Taipei in early Decemeber this year and staying near to ximending. I would like to ask is it possible to travel to Sun Moon Lake, PingXi, Jiufen and sunnyhills shop to buy the pineapple cakes? if possible, how do i go about it?

Hi all, I am almost done with the itinerary planning, travelling in Kaohsiung and Taipei, but need advise for two questions: 1) Found this interesting route: Visit Fo Guang Shan Mountain (Buddha Lights Mountain), Tsoying Spring and Autumn Pavilion, Chengching Lake and then Sizihwan Bay (西子灣). Tour to Eternal Golden Castle, Anping Ancient Castle and the Chamber of Red Hill in Tainan. Is this do-able in one day? Where is Fo Guang Shan Mountain. -_-' I have tried to google it and found it in Tainan, really? 2) Yeliou Ocean World to Miao Kou NM Is there any public bus going to Miao Kou NM from the ocean world? Thanks in advance!

Dear all We are planning a leisure trip to Taiwan especially to Leofoo resort for 2 adults & 1 toddler. A bit last minute as its aldy July, still thinking if to go by tour or free& easy. Any one knows any good tour package that include Leofoo & 小人国 to recommend ? Could anyone advise me 1) Weather in Taiwan around Leofoo and nearby areas in early September to early october? 2) Any lovely and interesting place to recommend ? Thankyou

Hi Ladies & Gentlemen I am planning my honeymoon trip next year in end of January 2013.1 week holiday in Taiwan. Wish you all can give me some tips & advise if my travel date is 1 week before Chinese New Year it is advisable to go taiwan at this time? How's the weather this time? Will Tourist attraction very crowded? How about the hotel, is this time expensive also? I am look forward to hear from you all soon. Thank you Cheers Christine

I will be in Taiwan for 2 weeks in July 2012. My rough itinerary is Taipei-Yilan-Hualien-Cingjing-Taichung-Tainan-Taipei. Appreciate if anyone can advise transport options from Hualien to Cingjing, Taichung to Tainan. Also if there are any recommended homestays in Hualien and Tainan? Thanks in advance

Hi, I've booked a week-long trip to Taiwan this February and I would like to ask a few questions regarding the itinerary I drew up. I will be traveling solo, traveling light, and traveling on a tight budget, so I'm planning on staying in hostels. Here's my proposed itinerary: Date of Trip: February 3 (Friday) to 10, 2012 *Day 1/8 - Airport/Chiayi/Alishan From the airport, go to Taoyuan HSR bound for Chiayi Take Chiayi Bus to Alishan *Day 2/8 - Alishan/Chiayi/Taipei Around noon, depart Alishan for Chiayi Take Chiayi HSR back to Taipei *Day 3-4/8 - Taipei/Pingxi Pingxi for Sky Lantern Festival *Day 5/8 - Taipei/Hualien/Taroko Take Early AM Train to Hualien Tour Taroko/Overnight in Taroko *Day 6/8 - Taroko/Hualien/Taipei Back to Hualien Take afternoon train to Taipei *Day 7-8/8 - Taipei Questions: 1. (Day 1) Flight arrives at 9:25 AM, planning to take bus to Taoyuan HSR station -> HSR to Chiayi, can I make it to the 2:00 PM Bus to Alishan? 2. (Day 4) What's the suggested time to Pingxi to avoid the crowds of commuters? Also, is it easy to commute back to Taipei after the festivities at night, and what are my options? 3. (Day 5) Is it better to take a buffer day from going to Pingxi if I have to get up early to go to Hualien or is this schedule okay? 4. (Day 5/6) Is it better to do a day trip of Taroko Gorge or stay in the Gorge overnight? 5. (Day 5/6) Since I'm traveling alone, would it be cheaper to join a tour group or hire a taxi/driver for a day? Or can I go about the Gorge solo? It would be better to take the Taroko Express Train from Taipei to cut down travel time to around 2 hours, right? Regarding this: 6. (Day 5/6) Do I have to reserve tickets for this train or can I just drop by the station on the day itself to buy tickets? 7. (Day 5/6) I'm kind of confused on where to get off. Should I get off at Hualien or Sincheng? I would also appreciate any suggestions regarding my itinerary. Thanks a lot =)

Hi all, I will travel to lovely Taiwan from 4-Mar until 11-Mar. I will stay the first 3 nights in 台北市. For rest of 4 nights, I wish to visit 高雄 (2 nights) and 清境/阿里山 (2 nights) then back to 桃园机场 around 1pm. I will travel all by my own, not plan to signup any tour package/hire private driver. Therefore, I need advices how to arrangement my last 4 nights and the related transportation, so that i can back to 桃园机场 on time on my last day. Please help to comment. Thanks! Regards Marcus

i'm going to arrive in Taiwan in January 13th, 2012 and plan to travel around the island. first stop would be Taipei city. currently i'm looking at where to stay, what to do in different parts of the island. would appreciate if anyone can recommend some decent hotels to stay. i'm not looking for fancy hotels, just to be clean and in convenient locations. thanks

hi, i'm interested to visit Taiwan around 2012 Lunar New year (1/23/2012). is this a good time to visit Taiwan? would the stores and sightseeing places open during the New Year celebrations? Also, what's the average temperature around this time of year? i'm from U.S. thanks

Hi, my family will be going to Taiwan, Taipei on Dec. Our arriving time is morning 0:20am. Please advise me the cheapest way to get to ximending(we plan to stay there). Does the free to go bus available at that time? What will the taxi fares to get there?(we are 4 persons). Thank you for your help.

Today I will fly from india to taiwan I want to know that were I have to go to enjoy my trip

Hi, i wish to travel to Taiwan on end of Sept to early Oct 2012 (30/9/12-6/10/12). i plan for 7D6N travel and i wish to travel from north to south. any concern on the duration and the date of travel that will complicate the whole travel? Thanks

Hi Everyone, My wife and I plan to head over to Taiwan from Late Jan to Mid Feb. We wanted to check out a Lantern Festival while we were here. I checked the Taiwan government website and they said that the next Lantern Festival will be in Lugang form Feb 6- Feb 19. What I cannot figure out is if there is also a Lantern Festival in Pingshi (outside Taipei) in 2012. (I know there was in 2011) Is there a Lantern Festival in 2012 in Pingxi(Pingshi)? On what dates (day/month) will it take place? Where in Pingxi will lanterns be released? Is there a website where I can re-confirm above info? Thank you for your reply.

I wish to get views of locals or experienced travelers that know the best way to travel around Taiwan, places worth visit, local popular food,best and economical place to stay. Best Time to visit Taiwan.

Dear VTers, I am arriving Taipei Taoyuan airport in mid Dec around 9pm and we are staying at Cosmos Hotel (next to Taipei Main Station). Would you be able to advise me: 1) As there are 4 of us, would it be better to take airport bus or by taxi? How long is the journey? How much would it cost us? 2) by the time we check-in - we will be too tired to venture anywhere far. Are we still able to grab food near our hotel? Or should we eat at the airport before heading to hotel? Appreciate your advice. Thank you.

Hi, I am heading to Taiwan in June. Will be going to Taipei and Taizhong. Any suggestions for the types of food or drink that I shouldn't miss out when I'm there? And preferably where to find it too. Thanks! :D

I would like to know if there are areas that are safe to travel alone as a female who does not speak Chinese. Do you recommend a tour company/train/ or renting a car? I will have 5 days to travel in the Kaohsiung area alone then I will meet a friend to see more of Taiwan. Any advice is appreciated!

Dear everyone, this is the first time my family (2 adults, 1 senior citizen, 2 pre-teens) visit Taiwan, and we would appreciate your advice. 1) when is a good time to go? Due to school schedules, we can only go either in late June/late Dec. I understand that June is a rainy season, and Dec is cold (my fren told me it's snowing in Dec!!). Our objective is to admire the nature, enjoy the night markets and local food. We intend to visit Taroko Gorge, Alishan and Taipei. Would you pls let us know whether it would be better for us to visit in June/Dec? 2) Contact for a good driver with MPV (vehicle that can take 7 people): With granny with us, we try to make the trip as easy as possible. We plan to engage a driver with MPV (large enough for 5 people & luggages) to drive us A) from Taipei to Taroko Gorge (we will stay 2 nights at Hualian) B) from Hualian to Alishan (we will stay 2 nights at Alishan) If you know of a good driver with MPV, would you pls provide me with his name and contact details (if we could have his email, it would be wonderful) For the return trip, we will take the antique train from Alishan to Chiayi, and transfer to the HSR to Taipei (hopefully this is not too much a hassle). We will stay 2 nights in Taipei before we head home to Singapore. Please let me have your view - whether the plan is feasible or what changes would you recommend? Thanking you in advance.

Dear fellow travellers! I am planning my trip to Taiwan on January 2011, and probably engaging local tour group to bring us around. I am wondering if you guys have any recommendation on the local tour group? I've google on some local tour agency's websites which looks pretty fine to me. Have anyone travel with these tour groups, maybe I can have some feedback on their itenerary before I engage on their tour. http://www.gogo-alishan.com.tw/ small-swiss.so-buy.com/front... Thank you! :D

we are 3 ppl coming and I have read many times from travel books it is so much better if u have ur own car to drive from chungte and heping, and to the gorge.. my question is at the Hualien train station, will they rent us the car if we have international permit? if not, is there scooters big enough for 3 ppl to ride on? is scooter each to handle? I do not know how to drive a motocycle

Hi fellow VTs I would appreciate your suggestions guidebooks on Taiwan. I am interested in guidebooks in English as well as any in Chinese. I can read Chinese. For English, I have only come across Lonely Planet and Rough Guide but they are much too old, published in 2007. Can anyone recommend anything in English and Chinese (separate books) that is 2010? Thank you

Hi everyone, I'm looking into travelling around the whole of Taiwan over 10 to 14 days. Has anyone here done so? Could you share your itinerary with me? Thanks!!

i want to travel by bus or train from Taipei to Kaohsiung. pl give the ticket charges, travel hours, departure and arrival times

Im looking for carbon fibre manufacturers in taiwan. for sports car parts. Example GTR 35. Pls provide me with address or phone numbers. greatly appreciated thks for all

Dear all, I am posting this itinerary I make for my Taiwan trip in Late May 2010. I would need your help to vet through to see if there are any mistakes and are there any way to make it flow more smoothly? Also, how to people travel around in Sun Moon Lake, going to all the attractions? by boat or cycle? Saturday • Fly from Singapore to Taipei, reach @ 1815HRS • Check in Hotel • Shilin Night Market(市林夜市) Sunday • Take Train to Hualian in morning • Taroko National Park (太魯閣國家公園) o Engage cab to go through these places  Tunnel of Nine Turns (九曲洞步道)  Eternal Spring Shrine Trail (長春祠步道)  Baiyang Trail (白楊步道)  Swallow Grotto (燕子口步道)  Cingshuei Cliff (清水斷崖)  Tiansiang (天祥)  Cisingtan Scenic Area(七星潭)  East Coast National Scenic Area(东海岸风景区)  (Optional) Hualien Ocean Park花蓮海洋公園 • Book in Hotel • Back to Hotel for spring Monday • Whale Sighting花东赏鲸 (optional) o (at 0600, 0800, 0900, 1000HRS….) o huadong.com.tw/whale-note.ht... • Checkout hotel • Take train to NanTou(南投) • Check in Hotel • Sun Moon Lake 日月潭 Tuesday • Sun Moon Lake o Watch Sunrise OR Rest • Take train to Taipei before noon • Check in at hotel (Taipei) • Taipei Main Station (台北車站) o Taipei underground Market (台北地下街) o Taipei New World Shopping Center (台北新世界購物中心) o Shin Kong Mitsukoshi Taipei branch branch (新光三越) o Nova Taipei (訊息廣場) Wednesday • National Palace Museum(國立故宮博物院) • Taipei Confucius Templ (臺北市孔廟) • Danshui Old Street(淡水老街), Fisherman Wharf) (漁人碼頭) • (optional) Huaxi Night Market(華西街夜市), Longshan Temple(龍山寺) • YangMinShan (YMS) 陽明山國家公園 Thursday • Take train to Keelung(基隆) o Engage Cab at Keelung(基隆) o Yeliu Geological Park (野柳風景區 ) o Sunflower Farm (向阳農場) o Yeliu Ocean World(野柳海洋世界), 18 Kings Temple(十八王公廟) o (optional) Miaokou Night Market (基隆廟口夜市) o (optional)Fairy Cave(仙洞巖) o (optional)Raohe Night Market(饒河街夜市) o (optional)Shifen Waterfalls(十分大瀑布風景區) • Back to Taipei o Taipei 101(台北101) OR o XiMengDing(西門町) Friday • CKS Memorial Hall(中正紀念堂) • Wufenpu (五分埔) • (Optional) Global Mall (環球購物中心) • Miramar Shopping Mall(美麗華百樂園) Saturday Leave for Airport, flight at 1015hrs

Hi, May i check if any of you have any idea on voluntary work in taiwan for people from other countries like us? Me and my friend would like to do something meaningful while learning about another coulture this year birthday. Thank you.

Dear VTers, Will be headed to Taiwan this 2-9 April 2010 and need some help/comments on my following itinerary. Day 1 (Fri) - Arrive at TPE late afternoon. To Ximending after check-in/rest Day 2 (Sat) - Yehliu and Jiufen Day 3 (Sun) - City tour covering Taipei 101, Longshan temple, National Museum, and Shilin Night Market Day 4 (Mon) - To Hualien. Visit Taroko and Chingsui Cliff Day 5 (Tues) - Hehuanshan (HHS) Day 6 (Wed) - Back to Taipei. After check-in/rest, Wufenphu and Raohe Night Market Day 7 (Thurs) - Wulai and Yangmingshan Day 8 (Fri) - Home Sweet Home Questions: 1. Is the above itinerary do-able? 2. Day 4 is it a public holiday for tomb sweeping day? 3. Day 4 and 5, can they be combined so that I overnight at HHS and return to TPE on Day 5? 4. Any recommended places to stay (eg nice and cute minsu) in Hualien and/or Hehuanshan? Budget is max NT2,000 for a twin/double room. 5. How do I book ahead the express train to Hualien? The website say must pay and collect 7 days before but I would not be in TPE 7 days before my travel. 6. During my travel time, where can I see sakura? 7. Any recommended hotsprings in Wulai? (Not going Beitou since already going Wulai). Thanks in advance!