Here is the continuation of my unique Taiwan travel guide for day 3 and 4. If you have not seen the first half, you can check out my previous post here: A Unique Taiwan Travel Guide: Day 1 and 2. You might be wondering why I called this trip “unique”. KKday and Taiwan tourism made sure to prepare a not-so usual itinerary for Alyssa and I. After our Pineapple cake making experience and Jiufen adventure in day 2, the team made sure that the following days would be even more exciting! Read on for the details…
Day 3: Taichung
I have heard a lot of good things about Taichung but I never got the chance to visit the city which is located at the Western side of Central Taiwan. Aside from museums and temples, it is quite popular for nature trips.
We took the Taiwan High Speed Rail from Taipei Main Station to Taichung (same route going back). Tip: You can save 20% by booking your THSR tickets through KKday. Just make sure you have your passport with you when you collect the ticket and ride the train. You can claim the voucher here: THSR DISCOUNT TICKET FROM TAICHUNG (Note that this is only one way. You still have to purchase another THSR ticket for Taipei to Taichung)
Alyssa and I arrived Taichung before 9:00am. Our first stop: Wufeng Lin Family Mansion and Garden.
Wufeng Lin Family Mansion and Garden
Despite our early start this day, my energy kicked in the moment we set foot in the Wufeng Lin Family Mansion and Garden. To be honest, I enjoyed this the most. Every corner is worth taking a photo — even the walls, doors, ceilings and paintings. The intricate designs date back to the Qing dynasty.
Just a brief background, the Wufeng Lin Family Mansion and Garden is considered to be the largest (about 11,000 square meters), most complete and finest traditional compound in Taiwan. The place was hit by a strong earthquake back in 1999 and the buildings were completely ruined. Since then, they have been rehabilitating the place – including the paintings and every small details of the buildings.
We were also told that they have future plans of installing mystery game rooms to encourage the younger markets to visit the place. Exciting, right?! I guess this means I will be back here soon!
And here is the most breathtaking part in the mansion… the Fuzhou-style stage! This was also rebuilt after the earthquake but this used to be the place where the entertainment happens exclusively for the family and their relatives and guests.
Guangfu New Village
After the Wufeng Lin Family Mansion, we went to Guangfu New Village for a short walk. It used to be a military village and now a cultural-creative hub. Let’s just say, it is a hipster village where you can find unique local shops and artworks everywhere.
WuFeng Farmer’s Association Distillery
Just before lunch, we stopped by the WuFeng Farmer’s Association Distillery. It is known for producing sake from Wufeng-harvested rice and fresh water from Puli’s mountain. Guess what?! Alyssa and I tried 6 different types of sake — one of which has whitening ingredient! Interesting, huh?
You can avail of this half day tour of Taichung, which includes Wufeng Lin Family Mansion, Guangfu New Village, and Garden, WuFeng Farmer’s Association Distillery, in THIS LINK.
Wooden Spoon Carving at Carpenter
We did not leave Taichung yet after lunch. We headed to Carpenter, which is about an hour from the distillery.
To make our experience even more unique, why not carve our own wooden spoon? Almost everything in our house is made of wood. My family is into antique furnitures so I find it interesting to know more about woodworks.
Honestly, I did not know what to expect, but it turned out to be a fun activity with a competitive friend. Haha!
So, we literally have to create a wooden spoon from a block of wood – that means using a lot of muscles and a few machines. Yes, we did it from scratch!
After almost 3 hours, I’m done! It is the prettiest wooden spoon in my eyes! Haha! After our experience, I learned to appreciate every wooden decor or furniture in our house.
For more information about this wood carving activity, you can check it out and avail the voucher HERE.
Since it was our last night, Alyssa and I headed out for dinner and drinks when we got back in Taipei. We went to ATT 4 Fun, a shopping mall with a lot of restaurant choices, to satisfy our hotpot craving. We then went to Frank, a bar with a great view of the city.
Day 4: Taipei
For our last full day, we stayed in Taipei since our flight was later that night. We started our day by eating all the must-try local dishes: Xiao Long Bao, Beef Noodles Soup, Dumplings, and Milk Tea.
And yup, we finished everything!
Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall
We did not really have an itinerary that day except for Taipei 101. Before heading there, I brought Alyssa to Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall. It is one of the most important landmarks in Taipei so I told her it is a must-see!
Trivia: Do you know that the white stairs leading to the main entrance has 89 steps, representing Chiang’s age when he died?
Taipei 101
Our last stop before heading to dinner and flying back to Manila is of course, Taipei 101. It is nice to go up the observatory just before sunset to witness Taipei’s skyline both day and night.
It never gets old… What a beauty!
You can get discounted Taipei 101 Observatory Ticket in THIS LINK.
Whew! I can’t wait to go back to Taiwan! Big thanks to KKday and Air Asia for this wonderful trip! It is my first time to travel with KKday and I wish I knew about it before. I could have booked my previous tours and activities through them. They already cater different destinations all over the world. It is perfect for travelers who want a semi-D.I.Y. trip — that is you create your own itinerary and just book your individual activities through KKday for a cheaper and hassle-free trip. As mentioned, they even have sim card, train, and airport transfer vouchers. Anyway, ’til my next trip!
Read about A UNIQUE TAIWAN TRAVEL GUIDE: DAY 1 AND 2
For instant beauty, fashion, travel, fitness, or random updates from me, LIKE lushangelblog on FACEBOOK, FOLLOW lush_angel on TWITTER and lush_angel on INSTAGRAM.
