Taiwan Trip Dec 2015 – Day 6 Tamsui

Hey lovelies! ♥

Started the day late as we slept in till brunch time! I guess all the walking in the zoo the day before put a toll on our legs and back!

 

Greeted the day with Taiwan’s comfort food! Lou rou fan (braised pork with rice)! I had this for several days in Taiwan and wasn’t bored of it one bit! Nothing can go wrong with this simple dish 🙂 Our meal come up to NT$220 /RM30 for 5 pax including drinks.

Brunch at 365小吃店 ! It’s located on the main street of Ximending, just walk down the road from UNIQLO and it’s about 3 minutes walk away! Here’s the menu and price. Some dishes has large and small portion.

Snacks and drinks menu

It’s impossible to miss this bright orange sign! If this isn’t open, try out the store next door, also pretty good! I had my breakfast at the next door store on my last day in Taipei before my flight 🙂

Travelling using the Taiwan subway is the easiest and cheapest for tourists! Only NT$50 / RM 7 for the long journey from Ximen Station to Tamsui Station. Besides, the Taiwan MRT system is really easy to use in comparison with Hong Kong, Malaysia and Korea!

Line 2 (Red) to Tamsui. Interchange at Qiyan Station! A little confusing here, but just keep your ears peeled for the announcement in the MRT on the route to Tamsui station.

Tamsui is located at the end of Line 2. Thank goodness for the bright skies on that day! No rain!

 

Once you step out of the Tamsui Station, turn left to Tamsui street. However, I walked on the curved road on right side of this street so that I can walk from the other end of the street and end right at the Tamsui Station.

Right side of the street outside the station. Walk until you past by a seafood restaurant store, then turn left and you’ll end up on Tamsui Street.

 

Cat cafe in front of the train structure! 🙂

 

Pay for a meal and get to pet them kitties!

“So are you coming in or not?”

Could only take a pic outside the cat cafe because

Taiwan Trip Dec 2015 – Day 5 Taipei Zoo

Hey lovelies! ♥

Finally it’s our first day on Free and Easy in Taipei after a long ground-tour on the Eastern side of Taiwan. It’s mid December and the weather in the city is sunnier and less chilly than the Eastern side, so less layers of clothes is advisable, just bring along a cardigan.

Started the day by taking a cab to our own booked accommodation smacked right in the streets of Ximending! ♥ More info of our accommodation later on in the post 🙂

 

The taxi driver stopped us at one of the alleys leading to the main streets of Ximending.

 

Via Hotel is a boutique hotel in Ximending. It is located on the ground floor of a clothing building opposite ’86 Shop’ and few steps away from 7-Eleven and UNIQLO.

 

Shared kitchen concept with (FREE) bread, biscuits, choco pies, tea bags and soft drinks 🙂

 

The staffs can speak in English fluently, so no worries on the language barrier for tourists 🙂

 

I discovered my new favourite packet drink! Casa Milky Flavour Tea in Brown Sugar flavour, it’s like Chatime Roasted Milk Tea in a packet 😀

 

A bag shop at the corner, right infront of UNIQLO and 7-Eleven. Enter this alley and you’ll find your way to Via Hotel.

 

7-Eleven and Starbucks just conveniently at the end of the alley 🙂

 

Ximending is the equivalent to Myeongdong in Korea!

 

Ximen Station just about 3 minutes walk away.

 

Heading to Taipei Zoo! Long ride as the Taipei Zoo station is at the end of the MRT line.

 

We took the MRT to Taipei Zoo instead of the cable car 🙂

 

Come on a weekday if you wish to avoid the crowd. We went on a Sunday :p

 

Entrance fee of NT$60 only! Cheap and the zoo has

Taiwan Trip Dec 2015 – Day 4 Yilan > Taipei

Hey lovelies! ♥

Finally the last day of the tour has come! We’ve extended another 3 days in Taipei on our own because the tour only covers a fraction of the city 😐 That’s the thing with tours, they don’t really offer comprehensive tours in the city.

The east part of Taiwan is pretty chilly from the light drizzles throughout the day.

 

 

Yilan Vegetarian dishes

 

Desktop kimchi? 😀

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ducks by the lake

 

 

 

We head out at 8.10am from our cosy accommodation, Toucheng Leisure Farm and started an hour-long bus journey back to Taipei. 

 

 

9.15am reached a feng shui centre.

*yawn* I wish we could skip spots like this during the tour.

Eg. Crystal/ginseng/pearl shops and what not.

11am Lunch time at King Da One Noodle.

Free flow of side dishes and noodles! Just the meat aren’t refillable :p

 

Taiwanese version of “ban-chan”

 

Crispy marinated pork chop paired with springy flour noodles!

 

 

 

12.20pm Grand Hotel

Prolly the grandest hotel I’ve ever seen. It just stands out like a sore thumb in comparison from the other luxury hotels!

 

Here for photo op and also,