Shihlin Presidential Palace is the 1st place that I wish to cover in this posting. This is a residence of Taiwan's former President namely Chiang Kai Shek. Previously this place wasnt open to public but in these recent years the government decided to open up a portion of this palace which is its beautiful garden. Also on display is a Cadillac that was the official car of Chiang Kai Shek & his family.
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| Guard yang terpaksa tahan dikacau |
As we walk down the memory lane & remembers those who have perished in the wars, Martyr Shrine is our next stop. You can watch a change of guards performance every hour. Some people thinks that those guards are 'patung', so some 'tangan amai' decided to kacau the guards but impressively they still stand still. Not even a fly or mosquito would make them move a single bit! These guards bukan calang-calang orang, as you need to fulfill certain conditions such as meeting its height requirements & of course bertahan with 'hands'. Nearby the Martyr Shrine, the famous red Grand Hotel can be seen.
Feeling hungry? Yongkang is the place you should be. Here you can find the world famous Din Tai Fung which was rated as one of the world's best restaurant by The New York Times. Its mouth-watering xiao long bao is its signature dish & be warned that you may need to wait a long time just to get a seat/table. Harap Sabar! Still have space for desserts after your meal? Yongkang is the home of the famous Ice Monster shop which sells iced mixed fruits. However due to certain 'technical problems' with the husband & wife owner it closes down in January. No worries as according to an advertorial in TODAY newspaper, its owner had emerged as an advisor to Yongkang 15, a newly opened dessert shop. Even though Yongkang 15 isnt your choice, there are still plenty of other dessert stores around the area.
After makan, you will need to burn your fats so the next stop is shopping locations. Get ready to burn your 'plastic money' & hard cold cash, lets go shopping, I mean retail therapy to burn fats, LOL!
Wufenpu Wholesale Area is a must visit as there are tons of stores selling clothes at wholesale prices. The trendiest clothes from Japan, Korea, Hong Kong & Taiwan is available here. Not forgetting that some of the stores are selling ORIGINAL branded goods at low prices but there maybe 'cacat' somewhere in the clothing e,g, Adidas 3 stripes jadi 2 stripes. No it isnt fake its factory reject. The best time for shopping in Taiwan is when the season change e.g. July & if you come on cold season memang ada baju boleh dibeli 'baju sejuk' maukah?
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| Ximending At Nite |
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| The famous Ah Chung mee sua yang terpaksa berdiri makan |
Ximending is the most hippest & coolest place in Taiwan. This shopping area have a lot to see even if you dont wish to spend your money here. If you come on the right time you can see people doing Cosplay. If you are 'lucky' you can even get free hugs so if you dont want then jalan jauh jauh sikit. There are also a lot of eyecandies as the penjual are all very good looking as they are young guys & gals. While here dont forget to try the famous Ah Chung Mian Xian but you have to makan berdiri. Feeling a bit naughty? Get a tattoo, last time while I am at Ximending entah kenapa termasuk dalam 'lorong gelap' where all of the stores are kedai buat tattoo. Lastly, dont miss to take a look inside Eslite 116 for its hippest clothes which are mostly imported brands from Japan but harganya 'lawa' jua.
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| Taipei 101 |
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| Eslite Xinyi |
Xinyi is the latest addition to the 'shopping hotspots'. With its main attraction being Taipei 101, which is once the world's tallest building. You can travel up to Level 91 for a view of Taipei & also to see the doppler ball. If shopping is your cup of tea then Taipei 101 Mall is the place to be for branded goods. Lovebirds? Why not go & take photograph of the LOVE words near Taipei 101 entrance. Bookworm? No worries Eslite Xinyi is a 8 floor bookstore to satisfy your love for books.
We cruise back to Shihlin on the busy roads of Taipei city to visit its Shihlin Night Market. Recommended to try its fried chicken breasts. Its huge & easy on the pocket too. Aiyu ping jelly is also a must try. An advice;The longer the que the stall have the better the food taste. You can also try your hand at bargaining at many of the stalls here but dont bargain too much, just start at 70% of the marked price.
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Still awake after 10pm? Eslite Dun-HuaEslite allows you to read/browse through its books & magazines there even if you dont want to buy. Eslite have the largest collection of English books & largest range of magazines in Taiwan. Outside Eslite Dun-Hua, there are a lot of penjual trying to sell their creative goodies.
After all those 'money burning', your legs & hands must be tired so lets have some R&R in the many hotsprings in Peitou area.
As an added bonus for couples, may I suggest going up to Yangmingshan which is just a little farther away from Peitou to enjoy a view of Taipei from the hill. Its the hotspot for young couples but please control yourself because there are plenty of CCTVs to monitor Taipei.
Lastly, outskirts of Taipei, the port of Keelung is the place to be if you wish to taste ikan bilis ice-cream or udang ice cream. Its really rare your know
Before we end our trip today, some pictures of the various attractions described.
Hope you have enjoyed yourself & see you again in our next trip where its going to be exploring more shopping areas outside Taipei & another R&R in Yilan.
As a community message: Halal food is very difficult to find in Taipei but there are options. Please check with your travel agent. Taipei Floral Expo is coming in a few months time so Anthony Tours had offered a package to visit the expo.
P.S. All images are from Google Images search
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| LOVE from Taipei & My Travel Express Thank You |
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