Lost in Taipei (Part 1)

With Taiwan opening its doors to visa-free travel for Thai citizens, why wouldn't we take advantage? No time to waste! We started by finding a travel companion, and with my close friend Bow by my side, we booked our tickets and planned our itinerary, giving birth to our "Lost in Taiwan" adventure. Let me tell you, we were lost from day one until the very end! If you're planning a trip to Taiwan and want to avoid getting lost like us, I highly recommend reading this. It will provide you with some guidance. Before I delve into the details of our exhilarating journey, let me first summarize the trip's expenses. This might be helpful for those who haven't been to Taiwan before and are looking for some budgeting guidance. I must warn you that we indulged in luxury accommodations and fine dining (or perhaps not), which may have inflated the cost of our plane tickets. If you can find cheaper options, feel free to deduct them from the total expenses.

Cost per person

• Round-trip flight ticket (Full Service, Cathay Pacific Airline) 12,000 THB

• Accommodation 4,300 THB (3 nights hotel stay in Taipei)

• The bus fare from the airport to the city is 400 THB.

- Bus fare for the entire trip: 1,000 THB

• Admission fee to various attractions: 600 THB.

- Food expenses at the discretion of the organizer 3,000 THB + Other expenses 2,000 THB

- Mineral bath fee: 1,000 THB per person

Total: 24,300 THB per person

With all the travel arrangements in place, it's time to embark on an exciting adventure in Taipei!

Lost on the First Day The first day was just for traveling. It took about 4 hours to fly from Thailand to Taiwan. However, since we flew with Cathay Pacific, we had to transfer in Hong Kong. In short, the first day was spent traveling. By the time we arrived in Taipei, it was already evening. We took the MRT into Taipei City to check into our accommodation. We had carefully chosen a hotel with reviews saying it was right next to the MRT exit to avoid getting lost and having to walk far. But we still managed to get lost. Anyone who has been to Taipei will know the feeling of Taipei Main Station. It's huge, with many exits. You could almost spell out the entire English alphabet with them. We stayed at Sunrise Business Hotel - Taipei Main. We thought we wouldn't get lost today because they told us to walk upstairs and we would find the hotel. But when we found the exit to go upstairs, we were immediately confused. We had to quickly open Google Maps to help us get there. As you know, Google Maps often gives confusing directions. We could only follow it with a bit of trepidation because the reviews said it would take less than a minute to walk to the hotel from the exit. But why did it feel like the farther we walked, the farther away it got? We wondered if we were lost, but we had no choice but to trust Google Maps because it was already dark, around 8 pm, and the air was starting to get a little chilly. So the two of us had to drag our luggage and keep walking. Then we walked past the MRT exit Z10, and my eyes caught a glimpse of the hotel's name sign. Oh my god, it was right next to the MRT exit, but it was the last letter, Z. We had booked for three nights, and we could only accept that we would have to walk our legs off every day to get to the MRT.

Day 2: Exploring Yangmingshan National Park

Yangmingshan National Park, located near Taipei, is a popular destination for hiking, relaxation, and enjoying nature. The park is a former volcanic area and covers a vast territory, making it a favorite spot for Taiwanese people to unwind. As nature enthusiasts, we couldn't miss the opportunity to explore this beautiful park. In the afternoon, we planned to visit a hot spring resort near Yangmingshan for a relaxing soak.

Transportation:

MRT: Take the Red Line to Jiantan Station. Exit 1, turn left, and wait for the bus at the stop.

Bus:

• 535 or R5: These buses go directly to the park. Relax and enjoy the ride!
• 260: This bus also goes to the park, but it's the last stop, so you don't have to worry about missing your exit. Catch it at Taipei Main Station, Exit Y6. Buses run every 10 minutes during peak season and take about 45 minutes to reach the park. The route winds through mountains and may feel long, but it's scenic! You'll pass a university where many students get off. Stay on the bus until the end.

Hiking:

Once you arrive, you can explore the park on foot. Many locals enjoy hiking here.

Shuttle Bus:

If you prefer not to hike, take the park's shuttle bus (Route 108) for NT$60. It circles the park, offering convenient access to different areas. Be warned: the drivers are known for their spirited driving on the winding mountain roads! If you're prone to motion sickness, this might not be the best option. But for thrill-seekers, it's an exciting ride!

Park Tourism

The park is divided into several sections, with the 108 bus stopping at various points. While there were many potential stops, we only chose two that we found particularly beautiful. As it was the rainy season during our visit, the weather was quite unpredictable. In the morning, a heavy storm with thunder and lightning struck, but we were determined not to be deterred. We started by buying umbrellas, but the wind was so strong that they were unusable. We then bought raincoats, and despite the heavy rain and thunder, we were determined to explore the park.

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Extinct volcano

The morning scene still has some rain and fog.

Rain or shine, we'll still travel and take photos. 55+

However, due to our limited time and the unfavorable weather, our morning trip was quite a struggle. We were also worried that we wouldn't make it to the hot spring we had booked at Yangmingshan Tien Lai Hot Spring and Spa Resort. This is where our confusion began. We tried calling the resort to ask for directions, but the staff's English was either very good or not good enough (haha). In the end, we couldn't understand each other. So, we relied on Google Maps, which only showed us the bus we needed to take. We had to take a bus down from Yangmingshan to start over at Jiantan Station. We waited for bus number 535 or R5 as Google Maps suggested, but after more than half an hour, there was still no sign of the bus. We started to panic because our reservation was for 2 pm, and the voucher stated that if we were late, our reservation would be canceled. We looked at each other and then nodded towards a taxi. We decided to take a taxi. We met a kind driver who seemed to welcome Thai people often. He spoke a little Thai and even tried to play Thai songs for us (from YouTube).

The taxi driver took us back to the same road we had taken up Yangmingshan Mountain. We started looking at each other and laughing. It turned out that it was on Yangmingshan Mountain, so why did we waste time driving down for an hour and then coming back to the same place? The way back was exactly the same, passing the same places we had been to in the morning. This is what you call getting lost and wasting time. But in the midst of the bad, there was still something good. The taxi driver was very kind to us. Whenever he saw a beautiful view, he would stop the car and let us get out to take pictures, and he would even take pictures for us. He even took us to a place we hadn't stopped at before, a place where we could see flowers. The atmosphere was different from the morning when the sky was cloudy with rain, but now the sky was clear, so we had the opportunity to take pictures again in a new view, which was beautiful. We thought positively. In our hearts, we thought, "Sister, please take us to the hotel. It's almost two o'clock in the afternoon." In conclusion, it was like having a tour guide. The kind taxi driver took us to the hotel on time. As for the damage, which was the cost of our getting lost, it was in the thousands. But it was worth it because we got to take beautiful pictures, see beautiful flowers, and we still made it in time for the hot spring appointment. Stay tuned for the next episode of Lost in Taipei, our (lost) adventure is not over yet.

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Admired the flowers.

He stopped for us to take a picture here. The view is nice.

Hotel atmosphere

Finally, I will be able to enjoy a private soak in the mineral springs.

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