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Leisure trip at a glance
Country / Region: Republic of China (Taiwan Region)
Period: 14 Feb to 17 Sep 2020
Flight timings:
14 Feb: SQ 876, SIN–TPE, ETD 0810 ETA 1255
17 Feb: SQ 877, TPE–SIN, ETD 1410 ETA 1855
Air tickets:
Return tickets at SGD 420.20 (inclusive of airport taxes)
Accommodation:
CityInn Hotel Plus • Ximending Branch – 新驛旅店 • 西門捷運店 (14 to 17 Feb)
Currency exchange rate:
TWD 100 = SGD 4.50 (Feb '20 period)
There is no time difference between Singapore and Republic of China (Taiwan) as both are in GMT +8 time zone. Total damage was about SGD 900 including flight tickets, transport, food and hotels, excluding personal expenses.
Day One
Took a grab car to the Airport Terminal 3 in the morning.
Kopitiam @ T3 Changi
Decided to have breakfast in the food court located at basement of Terminal 3 (left photo below). Got a bowl of "Kway Chap" with some side dishes at SGD 6.00 (right photo below). Taste was acceptable for this meal.
Singapore AirlinesGlad that SQ 876 took off on schedule at 0810 hours (left photo below). The aircraft carrier was from a newer series and thus did not have window blinds but a button to adjust the tint instead (right photo below).
I selected beef noodles during inflight meal serving (left photo below). Towards the end of the route, majestic central mountain range of Taiwan could be seen on the right side of the flight (right photo below).
Pandemic situation during my trip
- It is not exaggerating that I used the word "risk" to describe this trip from 14 to 17 Feb 2020 because the situation had begun to decline.
- First case in Taiwan was announced on 21 Jan 2020 while first case in Singapore was reported on 23 Jan 2020.
- First death in Taiwan was confirmed on 16 Feb 2020 and spreading in communities began with a woman, who had not traveled outside Taiwan for two years, was tested positive on 19 Feb 2020.
- Almost one month later after my trip, Singapore issued travel advisories to Singaporeans to defer all non-essential travel abroad on 15 Mar 2020. And three days later on 18 Mar 2020, Singaporeans are advised to defer all travel abroad with immediate effect.
- All foreigners were banned from entering Taiwan, except on valid reasons, starting from 19 Mar 2020.
Noval Coronavirus Health Declaration Card
- A Health Declaration Card was given to me for completion prior entering to the Taiwan Immigration Clearance (photo below). It was just a few straight forward questions but what caught my attention was the third option as "Other" under the "Gender" category !
Taoyuan Airport MRT is a rapid transit line that connects the municipalities of the capital Taipei, Taoyuan and New Taipei with Taoyuan International Airport (left photo below). Similar to the flight, I also noticed there were very few passengers on board this train (right phot below).
CityInn Hotel Plus • Ximending Branch (新驛旅店 • 西門捷運店)
CityInn Hotel Plus Ximending Branch is a 3-star hotel located near to the Exit 3 of Ximending metro station (西門站) of Songshan-Xindian Line and Bannan Line.
Booked this hotel online at TWD 8,052 for three nights per standard room without breakfast. The room design was bright and simple with modern décor (left photo below). In addition, the attached bathroom was bright and clean (right photo below). Although there was no window in the room, it did not affect me as I do not have claustrophobia.
One additional measure taken by the hotel was to monitor the temperature of every guest entering its lobby.
Gourmet Wanton (老虎酱 温州大馄饨)
Decided to look for my late lunch around the hotel after checked in. Saw this familiar dumpling store Gourmet Wanton, thus walked into this restaurant without hesitation. Ordered a braised bean curd (left photo below) and a bowl of dumpling noodles (right photo below) at total cost of TWD 110.
Food was savory and in an affordable price.
| 🍔 Gourmet Wanton (老虎酱 温州大馄饨) | |
|---|---|
| Address: | 1F, No. 133, 108, Taiwan, Taipei City, Wanhua District, Hanzhong St |
| Access: | Ximending metro station |
| Operating Hours: | 1100 hours to 2100 hours; daily |
Eslite Bookstore
Proceeded to the 24-hour flagship Eslite Bookstore (誠品) at Xinyi district to browse at its wide selection of books. Managed to get 2 books from the bookstore.
| ✍ Update: |
|---|
| Unable to renew its lease, Eslite Bookstore at Xinyi district is closed permanently on 24 Dec 2023. However Eslite's Songyan outlet will continue to stay open 24-hour. |
Bread & Deli Saison du Soleil Yamazaki
While walking back to the metro station, I happened to see the Saison du Soleil bakery located in the underground mall (left photo below). Thereafter got three breads as my breakfast at TWD 114 (right photo below).
Carrefour Guilin StoreAfter leaving off my purchased items in the hotel, I then walked to the Carrefour Guilin Store which was about 10-mins away. This is a shopping complex that has Decathlon, Carrefour supermarket, and several eateries and restaurants (left photo below). Gotten some Taiwanese snacks and groceries from the Carrefour supermarket (right photo below).
Sushi Express (爭鮮迴轉壽司)Had my dinner in the Sushi Express that is located in the Carrefour Guilin Store (left photo below). Took a total of seven sushi plates which cost TWD 210 (right photo below).
Sushi served in this restaurant was fresh.
| 🍔 Sushi Express • Carrefour Guilin Store | |
|---|---|
| Address: | 108, Taipei City, Wanhua District, Guilin Rd No. 1, Carrefour Guilin Store, Ground Floor |
| Access: | Ximending metro station |
| Operating Hours: | 1100 to 2130 hours (Sun to Thur); 1100 to 2200 hours (Fri and Sat) |
Shopped in Decathlon before heading back to the hotel.
Day Two
Initially wanted to visit the palace museum, but due to the concerns on the pandemic I switched to visit the zoo as it is in open spaces. It had been four years since I last visited the place.
Taipei Zoo (臺北市立動物園)
Taipei Zoo, often referred by the locals as 'Muzha Zoo' (木柵動物園), is located in Wenshan District and has a total area of 165 hectares of more than 350 different animal species (left photo below). Gotten a physical admission ticket with a cost of TWD 60 (right photo below).
Tropical Rainforest Area
- Animals from the rainforests of Southeast Asia and South America are featured in this area, including false gharial (left photo below), Asian elephants (right photo below), toco toucan (bottom left photo) and giant anteater (bottom right photo).
African Animal Zone
- This area simulates the East African savanna of several large animals such as hippopotamus (left photo below) and bongos (right photo below).
- The insectarium has a butterfly garden with more than 125 species of butterfly including the popular paper kite butterfly (left photo below).
Koala House
- It houses the koalas from Australia together with other Australian animals (right photo below).
Lunch in the Zoo
- Had my lunch at this Hei Mien Tsai (黑面蔡) store located in Hippopotamus Square (left photo below). Got myself a cup of milk tea at TWD 65 and a 'Five-spiced Beef Noodles' at TWD 159 (right photo below).
Taste was good and the price was reasonable in a touristy place.Amphibian and Reptile House
- Over 90 species of reptiles and amphibians are housed in this exhibition, comprising of Yellow Poison Dart Frog (left photo below) and Blue Poison Dart Frog (right photo below).
Animals such as the hundred-pace pit viper (百步蛇) (left photo below) and Yangtze alligator (揚子鱷) (right photo below) from China were also displayed.
Giant Panda House
- Was fortunate to spot 'Yuan Zai' playing in its outdoor exhibition (photos below). 'Yuan Zai', born in 2013, is the offspring of 'Tuan Tuan' and 'Yuan Yuan' gifted by People's Republic of China to the Republic of China.
Formosan Animal Area
- Located near the zoo entrance, the area features animals indigenous to Taiwan including Formosan rock macaques (left photo below) and Formosan sika deer (right photo below).
| 🎫 Taipei Zoo (臺北市立動物園) | |
|---|---|
| Website: | https://english.zoo.gov.taipei/ |
| Access: | Taipei Zoo Station (動物園站) of Wenshan-Neihu Line |
| Opening Hours: | 0900 to 1700 hours; daily |
| Admission: | TWD 100 (General Admission) or TWD 60 (Taipei Resident) |
Dihua Street (迪化街)
Dihua Street is the oldest street in Taipei constructed during 1850s and since then it has been an important center for commerce in Taiwanese products throughout the rest of the 19th century. Its traditional architecture along the street have been under preservation and conservation efforts by the city (photos below). The street is a major destination during Chinese New Year festivities where shoppers flock in to buy necessities.
Dihua Street can be reached by taking the metro to Beimen Station of Songshan-Xindian Line, and walked north along Tacheng Street for about 5-mins.| 💡Travel Trivia: |
Shin Kong Mitsukoshi A8 Food Court (新光三越A8馆美食街)
Had my early dinner at about 5.30 pm in this food court located at basement two of Shin Kong Mitsukoshi department store in Xinyi district. Really like the Taiwanese snacks sold in this stall (left photo below), I then ordered the 'Oyster Omelette with fried noodle and soup' set at TWD 130 (right photo below).
The omelette was savory but its portion seemed rather small.
| 🍔 Shin Kong Mitsukoshi A8 Food Court (新光三越A8馆美食街) | |
|---|---|
| Address: | Shin Kong Mitsukoshi Taipei Xinyi Place A8, Basement 2 |
| Access: | Taipei City Hall metro station Exit 5 |
| Operating Hours: | 1100 hours to 2130 hours (Mon to Thur & Sun); 1100 hours to 2200 hours (Fri & Sun) |
Supper from Ximending
As the weather turned cold during the evening, I decided to get some snacks from the nearby Ximending area and had them in the hotel room. It was also part of the consideration to avoid crowded places due to the rising pandemic.
Bought a brown sugar boba tea from Xing Fu Tang at TWD 85 (left photo below) and cheese Takoyaki at TWD 150 (right photo below).
Had a good rest after a fulfilling supper.
Day Three
Took metro to the Taipei Main station.
Taiwan Railway Bento (台鐵便當)
As did not purchase any bread the day before, I then walked to the Taiwan Railway Bento store (臺鐵便當舖1號店) for breakfast (left photo below). This store is located near the concourse in the Taipei Main station. Bought a bento set at TWD 80 (right photo below).
The braised egg and chicken chop were good but I could only finish half of the bento due to its big portion.
| 🍔 Taiwan Railway Bento (臺鐵便當舖1號店) | |
|---|---|
| Address: | 1st floor, West Gate 3, 3 Beiping W Road, Zhongzheng, Taipei |
| Access: | Taipei Main station |
| Operating Hours: | 0930 hours to 1400 hours and 1400 hours to 1900 hours; daily |
Gloria Outlets (華泰名品城)
Gloria Outlets is the largest American-style outdoor shopping mall in Taiwan. Visited this outlet mall again for running shoes and few T-shirts.
Transportation
- The fastest way to travel from Taipei Main station to Gloria outlet was to take the High-Speed Rail (HSR). Each trip cost TWD 155 (photos below).
- After some satisfying shopping, I then had my lunch in the food pavilion located on its second floor (left photo below). Ordered a beef curry rice set for TWD 189 (right photo below). Taste was acceptable for this set meal.
Its opening hours is 1100 hours to 2100 hours (Mon to Thurs) or 1100 to 2200 (Fri to Sun).
A-Kuan Hotpot Restaurant (阿官火鍋)
Decided to have hotpot in A-Kuan Hotpot located at the basement of Shin Kong Mitsukoshi. From the numerous selections available in the menu (left photo below), I opted for a "Preserved egg and coriander leaves" broth (皮蛋香菜湯底) (right photo below).
Ordered a beef set which included several pieces of thinly sliced beef (left photo below) and a bowl of A-Kuan standard hotpot food (right photo below).
Due to the pandemic, the restaurant staff allowed customers to sit with an empty seat between them even though there was a long waiting queue. Total cost for this meal was TWD 350.| ✍ Update: |
|---|
| A-Kuan Hotpot outlet at Shin Kong Mitsukoshi Place A8 is closed permanently. |
Bread & Deli Saison du Soleil Yamazaki
Bought three breads from the Saison du Soleil bakery located in the underground mall as my breakfast (left photo below). Total cost was TWD 112 and detailed description could be found in the receipt (right photo below).
Supper from Ximending
Walked to Ximending again to hunt for my supper. Got some duck tongue from Lao Tian Lu (老天祿) at TWD 175 (left photo below). Also bought two bottles of "chun cui he" (纯粹喝) of different flavors at total cost of TWD 58 (right photo below).
New Year Decorations
Decorative lanterns with "Rat" as its main theme were put up in Ximending area for the Chinese New Year (photos below). It was the "Year of the Rat" in 2020 and a new beginning of the Chinese zodiac 12-year cycle.
However, seemed like there was no Chinese elements in these decorations compared to the ones I saw back in 2007. Had a chat with my Taiwanese friend on this and based on the political atmosphere in Taiwan, it was likely due to the ideology that the current government has to dissociate links with mainland China including any cultural elements.
Day Four
Transport to Taoyuan Airport
Took metro to Beimen station (北門站) then walked for about 10-mins to the Taipei Main station of Taoyuan Airport MRT line. While walking along its underpass, I saw a colorful mural of "Bare Bears" that were depicted in the famous Chinese painting "Along the River during the Qingming Festival" (清明上河图) (photo below).
Detailed sections of the mural showed the "fun part" of these "Bare Bears" (photos below).
After which took the Taoyuan Airport MRT Line to Airport Terminal 2 station.Taoyuan Terminal Two Food Court
Ordered my lunch from the Royal Beef Noodles (皇家傳承牛肉麵) shop located at the basement of Airport Terminal 2 (left photo below). Ordered a bowl of beef noodle set at TWD 280 (right photo below).
Taste was good especially its beef.
| 🍔 Royal Beef Noodles (皇家傳承牛肉麵) | |
|---|---|
| Address: | Basement of Taoyuan Terminal Two Food Court |
| Access: | Airport Terminal 2 station of Taoyuan Airport MRT Line |
| Operating Hours: | 1100 hours to 1900 hours; daily |
VAT Refund
The VAT refund counter was located on the second floor of the terminal. Managed to get back a refund of TWD 172 after deducting 14% handling fee.
Singapore Airlines
Glad that the flight took off on time at 1410 hours (left photo below). Selected 'Braised chicken with glutinous rice' as my inflight meal (right photo below). Similarly, the flight was rather empty with less than 20% occupancy due to the pandemic outbreak.
Glad that the flight SQ 877 landed safely on Singapore. With this, it ended my 4-days short trip to Taipei.