Taiwan: The Introduction and Rough Plan + Budget.

I'm suppose to write another post bout Suratthani, Thailand but we didn't really spent much time there, all we have been is only the ChinaTown aka Night Market, that is the good place to hunt food though.

So i will skip that and go to Taiwan trip, which is happened in May 2013.....

And yes, my blog has been delay for more than one year now, hurray!

... alright i'll catch up, as soon as i can.

So hmm Taiwan, the country (or some people argue that's just a province of China) that i have been once long long time ago, and that's because of work too.

So this time was purely holiday + meeting friends that i make in New Zealand.

Again, i dislike city so beside Taipei, where we landed and departed, we choose to go HuaLian, the eastern side of Taiwan, a small town by the seaside.

And HuaLien has gave us the best memory in the whole Taiwan trip.

Oh yea, my travel mate this time is Elaine, my dearest cousin sister, this is also the first oversea trip between me and Lynn.

I'm not sure how should i start with my Taiwan posts, but i guess Taiwan is a familiar destination for everyone, so i think my plan and budget isn't that important.

Yea perhaps just a rough summary on the trip to kick start the post la.

10/5
KUL - TAIPEI
- Airport to Taipei Train Station (aka the transit center for all kind of transport)
- Check in SK-Stay which is only only 5 minutes walking distance away from the station.

11/5
Taipei - Hualien
- Take High-Speed Rail from Taipei to Hualien.
- Check in to Hualien guest house, YouZiJia (review in the later post)
- Relax and explore around the place.

12/5
Hualien (Taroko Day Trip)
- Rent car to QiXingTan (seaside), Taroko National Park, SongYuan Villa (Old Japan Building), and ZhiQiang Night Market.

13/5
Hualien - HuaDong (Eastern Part of HuaLien, Day Trip)
- Rent car to the most beautiful Uni in Taiwan, DongHua Uni, FuXing Sugar Mill (Old community), LinTianSan Village (old community), FengLin (Hakka Village), YanLou (Tabbaco mill and field).

14/5
HuaLien - Taipei
- Check in to Travel 365 @ XiMenDing studio unit and wonder around.
- Go to WuFenPu (the wholesale city) in the night time.

15/5
Taipei (Day Trip)
- Rent car to go YeLie National Park. JinGuaShi Village and Falls, JiuFen Mountain Village and ShiFen Village for old railway and lantern.
- Drop in ShiLin Night market for dinner.

16/5
Taipei (Day Trip)
- DanShui old street and view, ChengPin BookStore (Yes book is important in my trip)

17/5
Taipei
- Touch and go all the famous shopping mall in Taipei.

18/5
- GuoFu Memory Hall and Museum.
- Back to XiMenDing for luggage and depart to airport by 7pm

19/5
TAIPEI - KUL

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I don't remember how many i spent in the whole trip but and my original budget plan is RM4000 / person including everything (air tix, train tix, accommodation, eat and play, exclude own shopping spending).

But i only spend like RM3500 in the end, including shopping.

Well i always mark up budget so i will be happier whenever i found money left in the end of the trip.

I consider 3.5k is the worth, consider on we rent car + driver for 3 days, and a return high speed rail ticket, not to forget i brought back 8 books which cost me only RM300!

If you think i'm crazy, Elaine brought back more than 10 books, and all bout IT.

Alright so next post will be the guest house review in Hualien.

Hope I will get back soon.







Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
20140828, 1124am
Rach in goin to work soon mood.  

Thailand: Koh Tao - Island Hopping and Koh Nang Yuan.

On my previous post of the review on Toscana Hotel, that is mostly negative, and the only positive thing that i could recall on is the private island hopping tour. 

That's small group (max 12) and for hotel guest only tour, that's what we're looking for although they charge 1050bath / person, including lunch on boat and water (we found other agency offer 800 to 1000/person, but that is big group), so we decided to take the tour. 

We gathered in the hotel lobby by 930am in the morning, and departed to the pier by hotel car together with another 4 hotel guest from Thai. 

Weather was good in the beginning but turn cloudy after lunch time. 

We had our own boat, very comfortable for only 8 of us (6 guests + 2 staffs). Despite the current was strong, the 3 snorkeling points has crystal clear water and all of us enjoyed very much.

Lunch was fried rice, curry chicken, vege soup and fruits, of course unlimited drinking water supply. Food tasted just nice and so grateful to had hot soup after snorkeling (the staff boil the soup on the boat). 

and i called it Gugu rock LOL

perfect weather

arhhhhh

short clip on the surrounding.

on of the snorkeling point. 

this is another one and less tourist. 

our Thai travelmates.

shocked when saw a school of fishes, never seen so close and that much before. 

love the jewelry alike coral 

that's our boat. 

short clip on what we saw under the sea, i was trying to swim ahead John hahahahah 

lunch was good. 

oh did i mentioned hot tea is unlimited too?

So weather turned to grumpy after our lunch, but that's alright because we went to all the snorkeling point and going to Koh Nang Yuan after lunch.

Koh Nang Yuan is a very small island on the top left of Koh Tao when you see it from the map. That's beautiful island where you can climb to the peak and look over the whole island and even Koh Tao.

But we didn't take the trail because it was cloudy and all we wish to do is lay on the beach with fresh coconut juice.

So we stop by the island for 2 and half hours, our boat will come back and pick us up in the pier.

For foreigner, we gonna pay 100bath for admission, not sure how much for local, and that is not including in the tour package.  

weather is grumpy after lunch.

the pier of Koh Nang yuan.

oh yea there is only resort in the island, so if you wish you can stay there instead of Koh Tao. 

colorful long tails. 

wooden bridge along the pier to island

crystal clear water. 

protect the island from rubbish. 

this is the famous long beach connect to the mountain.

we got a drink and relax on this beach, heaven. 

lastly, us. 

So you might ask, what if you don't wanna take the whole day island hopping but go to Koh Nang Yuan directly?

Plenty of travel agency for boat ticket in Koh Tao, alternatively you can buy your ticket in Koh Tao pier, and of course, you can decide how long you wanna stay in Koh Nang Yuan.

Alright next post will be Suratthani, a quick one last post before we move to Taiwan post! Finally!










Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
20140801, 1117am
Rach in don't wanna go to work mood.