Taiwan Day 1 + 3 travel tips!

by - April 25, 2018

As early as age 4, I was already traveling to Taiwan. It's the first country I ever went to and it's what I call my second home since my mom is based there. She spent most of her life working there and during summer time, I go to her and stay there for a good two months, so we could bond. :) That went on until second year college for me, but eventually, a lot of things happened and I stopped going there for almost 7 years straight. I always yearned to return and would look at the post of my friends who would go. It was sad that I couldn't go back anytime soon, but after so many years, I was finally able to and an added bonus, with my blogger bestie Ana! ^_^

I forgot how it exactly went. But I knew as soon as I had my passport last year and with the timely announcement of Taiwan being visa-free, I asked Ana if she wanted to finally push our trip. Fortunately, she did and she booked our flight via Cebu Pacific sometime February. We got our tickets on a seat sale, so it was around Php 7,500 round trip. :) I mentioned to her that April was the perfect time for me to go since the kids are off school and wouldn't need me as much. Plus, its been a while since I last celebrated my birthday with my Mom too, so April it was! :)

We left for Taiwan last April 17 to 22.

Slept well thanks to my travel accessories from SM Travel! :)
I personally love the neck pillow cos I can easily deflate it when not in use! Check SM Stores or SM Travel out for affordable travel accessories and luggages! ;)

The flight to Taiwan is only 1 hour and 30 minutes. Pretty fast compared to Singapore, Japan or Korea, so after snoozing for a bit, Ana and I woke up to the plane tracks of Taipei! :)

As soon as we landed in Taoyuan International Airport, I felt giddy and excited! It was so good to be home again and to see this...


Hello Formosa!! How I missed you so!!

After the long line at Immigration, Ana and I searched for the WiFi booth, where we would pick up our 4G sims that was booked via Klook!



As soon as we got our baggage and beyond the customs, this booth was already easily seen. My first travel tip is this - get a sim card instead of a pocket WiFi! :)

Ever since I tried using the sim card option in Singapore (also booked via Klook), I am more keen now in availing this kind of service than the pocket WiFi cos I only have to charge one gadget! For Taiwan, we got the 4G/LTE Unlimited valid for 5 days. The validity varies on the day pass you're getting. Since we were only going to be in Taiwan for 5 days, we got the 5 days Pass, but there's also a 7 or 10 day. :) Another reason why I wanted this is so my Mom could easily reach me via call or text even if she didn't have WiFi. :)


I loved our 4G connection! It was superb and I could even do Viber calls with my family back home! Impressed how fast the connection is in Taiwan! :) 

Since I haven't been in Taiwan in ages, I was surprised to know that there was already an MRT option within the airport going to Taipei Main Station. Back then, my Mom and I would take the bus going to the main city.

The purple line is a new one and if you want a quicker way to get to Taipei Main Station, this is it!



Photo from Ana
Second travel tip: One of the best ways to travel around Taiwan is definitely by train! It's fast, efficient and inexpensive! :) A flat down of Taxi's there is N$70 = Php 124, so if you wanna save a bit, go for train or bus! :)

You can easily buy tokens via these vending machines!




The train lines are really easy to understand. Just follow the color of your exact location. :)


When we got to Taipei Main Station, we were already feeling a bit hungry. Fortunately, it's a really busy station and this was in plain sight...



My favorite snack or quick lunch as a kid! NT$10 = Php 17 sushi! :) This is the best! Fresh and yummy! You can get them for NT$10 each and you have an option between the 5-7 or 8-11 pack. :)


Third travel tip: If you want a hassle-free commute, get yourself an Easy Card! Almost everyone in Taiwan has this and it is so useful! I highly recommend this! Load if up with at least NT$1000 (if you're staying for 5 days) or depending on how much you're gonna use it and you'll be able to use this on the MRT, Bus and even some food establishments! :) I even heard from my Mom that you get certain discounts on train rides when you use this. :) In case you ever run out of load, you can easily load it up in train stations and convenience stores. ;)


Finally, we reached our station at Zhishan to meet my Mom! :)

When we got to our apartment in Taiwan, Ana and I rested for a bit, had a quick lunch with Mom, and went around. :)




Only in Japan, Korea or Taiwan do you see Kawaii drinks! :)
 

More about Day 2 to 4 in the coming days! :) Hope this helps on your upcoming trip to Taiwan! 

In case you want to read on my old a.k.a. ancient travel posts about Taiwan, click here: https://www.artsyfartsyava.com/search/label/taiwan.

Artsy Ava

You May Also Like

0 comments♥

Thank you so much for reading my blog and for leaving lovely comments. Will also try my best to drop by your blogs!:) xo


All photos/materials ⓒ 2020 Ava Te-Zabat unless otherwise specified. Please do not use them without acknowledgement or permission. Thank you.

Designed byStudio Vawter