Starting off Day One in Taiwan, at Taoyuan Subway Station.
We were very pleased with our accomodation - The place was beautiful, and great for pictures too.
Great hospitality of our Taiwanese host makes us feel very much welcome during our stay. Breakfast served by them was heart-warmingly delicious!
Some AirBnB hosts go to great lengths to decorate their places, making it so dainty-looking and aesthetically pleasing for tourists like us.
清境老英格兰庄园 (The Old English Manor)
六福村主题游乐园 (LeoFoo Village Theme Park)
饶河夜市 (RaoHe Night Market)
Night markets are well-embedded in the lives of Taiwanese locals. They are a must-visit for tourists and are famous for their "小吃" (street food). The atmosphere is usually crowded and bustling. I discovered lots of good street food and drinks here like oyster omelettes, "大肠包小肠"(famous sausage in a sausage),"铁蛋" (iron eggs). Many other night markets we visited inlclude: Shilin, Shida, Feng Jia Night Markets.
纸箱王创意主题园区 （Themed restaurant @Carton King Creative Park)
Taiwan's food scene is also characterized by restaurants with creative themes. The one above uses a carton-box designed utensils, cups and more.
阿宗面线 Ay-Chung Rice Noodles
Taiwan's all-time favourite and a must-try. We got them after queueing up @ Ximending.
便所欢乐主题餐厅 （Modern Toilet Restaurant）
Here's another of Taiwan's quirky, novelty restaurants. They are not subtle at all when they serve you a "hot-potty", or your chicken cutlet in a toilet-shaped bowl. Even the seats that customers sit on - they are actually toilet bowls, instead of chairs!
九份老街 (JiuFen Old Street)
九份老街 (JiuFen Old Street)
十分放天灯 (Releasing Sky Lanterns at Shi Fen Old street)
Located in Pingxi District of Taipei, this small town is famous for its sky lanterns. This street runs along both sides of a railway track, lined with sky lanterns, eateries and souvenirs. Upon writing their wishes on the lanterns and releasing them into the sky, people hope that their wishes will be heard in the heavens. This local tradition was brought into Taiwan from the Three Kingdom period (AD 220-265), and is now a popular activity for tourists.
十分放天灯: Each side of the lantern had different colours, and they represented different aspects of life that people may want to have good wishes for: Health, Family, Wealth, Education, etc.
阳明山 (Yangmingshan National Park)
The beautiful nature scenes at Taiwan marvelled many people. Located at northern Taipei City, this area is home to nuemerous hiking trails, parks, plants and wildlife, as well as the famous hot springs.
My friends and I thoroughly enjoyed this visit. The temperature was cooling for a simple hike, and the scenery was breath-taking. It is definitely relaxing for city-goers like us.
Waterfall at 阳明山
台中日月潭 (Sun Moon Lake)
Known as the largest body of water in Taiwan, the Sun Moon Lake exudes an air of elegance and provides another picturesque attraction. The east side of the lake resembles a sun, while the west side resembles a moon, and thus its name. We took a boat ride around the entire lake, stopping by at attraction points with temples, board walks and cycling tracks. We got to taste the famous Ah Po Tea Eggs at Syuanguang Pier.
#TAIWAN-DERFUL