Click here if you would like to read an overview of my 2 weeks vacation in Southern Taiwan. We were told by everyone about how amazing the food in Tainan is. I think we expected a little too much. We were also quite unlucky in a way that the highly recommended food stores were either closed for the day, sold out, or closed during the timing we were at. Well, we had our fair bit of fun in Tainan. We took a train from Kaohsiung to Tainan which cost only SGD$3 and takes about an hour. We stayed at Tainan Station Oldman Captain Hostel 台南車站 老曼船長 青年旅館, recommended by my godbrother. Great location! (located right beside Tainan train station), it used to be the railway office. The owner of the hostel is extremely funny and nice, we had such a great time chatting with him! The cheapest dorm cost about SGD$20 per night. We spent 3 days in Tainan and what we did mainly was food trail. Here are some of the food stores that we were recommended:
Other places that we went:
Overall, Tainan was my least favorite place out of all, but it's still a good place to visit especially if you are interested in Taiwanese History.
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Click here if you would like to read an overview of my 2 weeks vacation in Southern Taiwan. It’s my second time to Taichung. I didn’t intend to go there initially, but because I have 2 Taiwanese friends that I met in Japan living there, so I decided to stop by to say hello. We took a bus (Ubus) from Tainan which only cost SGD$7. My friend booked an Airbnb private room for SGD$41 per night (Haha house own by Jun). There’s shared dorm too. I highly recommend you to stay with him because he is a super awesome guy who took care of us extremely well. Truly the best Airbnb service you can find. On our first day, we went to the National Taichung Theater, a fairly new theater in Taichung that is well-known for it’s architectural. We then headed to Fei Jia Night Market to meet my Taiwanese friends and they brought us to Qiu Hong Gu秋红谷, a pretty nice place to chill. The next day, we rented a motorbike for TWD$350 and rode to Xin She to see the Xin She Flower Festival 新社花海and Lavender Cottage. It took us about 2 hours to get there. We stopped by Tong Tong Yu Yuan 东东于圆 for dessert, it’s kinda similar to Black Ball in Singapore. We Singaporeans are so fortunate to have so many international delicious food here. I had so much fun riding even though we were freezing because of the strong wind. I was expecting to see a whole field of lavender at the Lavender Cottage, but it was not the right season yet, there were only a few tiny lavenders, what a pity! But it was still very nice to walk around there. We had a very good meal at the Lavender Cottage! The entrance fee to Lavender Cottage is TWD$100 but it includes a TWD$100 voucher where you can use to buy anything there. We then rode back to Taichung and went to Yizhong Night Market. We heard that Yizhong is the best place for shopping but we didn’t managed to find anything nice, Fei Jia is still better in my opinion.
I stayed for another day in Taichung mainly doing nothing and went to Fei Jia again at night for shopping. If you would like to find out more about other things to do at Taichung and also about places near Taichung like Cing Jing and Sun Moon Lake, you can refer to my Northern and Central Taiwan Trip post. :) Click here if you would like to read an overview of my 2 weeks vacation in Southern Taiwan. I went back to Kaohsiung after Taichung as my flight back to Japan was from Kaohsiung. I took a bus which cost about SGD$11. I rested a day at Kaohsiung and headed to Xiaoliudao the following day. To get to Xiaoliudao, simply take the MRT to Siaogang Station, from there take bus 9117 to Dong Gang (about 40mins), and then walk to the jetty and take a boat (SGD$20 both ways). There is only 1 hostel in Xiaoliudao and it was under renovation. They have plenty of minsu there but it was way above my budget. Thankfully, I found Liu Xing Dive Shop 流星潜水 and the instructor told me that they provide accommodation too. TWD$600 for a private room with 2 queen size beds. Breakfast included too! I did 2 boat dives there and it was fantastic (It cost me TWD$2800 in total)! I saw so many sea turtles and the water visibility was excellent! I rented a bike from the bike shop outside the jetty for TWD$350. The owner of the shop is so kind. He offered to bring my friend and I to the dive shop as it was pretty far away and he was worried that we might get lost. I was extremely amazed by his kindness. It was not as if he was too free, there were many customers there then. We toured around Xiaoliudao on our bike on the first day. It’s a rather small island, you can cover everything in a day, so my friend took the last boat back, while I stayed another day for diving. There are a couple of nice beaches and caves to see. Hua Bing Yan 花瓶岩 is one of the most popular sightseeing place there. You might be able spot a couple of sea turtles there. I’m so glad that I went to Xiaoliudao. If you dive and love sea turtles like I do, don’t missed it!
I'm currently in Japan, wwoofing. I've been gaining lots of new hands on experiences that I'll probably remember for life. I knew I needed this kind of experiences, as i hate being that overly protected girl at home. So it's really fulfilling for me now. I'll share more about my wwoofing experiences, tips, etc when i'm done with my trip. :) As for now... Some thoughts came into my mind and I would like to share about it. I've been cleaning a lot ever since i came to Japan; washing dishes, toilets, kitchen, cafe, etc. Recently I've been cleaning farming tools and equipment, removing stains and rust. I must say that i felt a great sense of satisfaction when i saw how my magic hands have turned the once old and rusty items into as good as new. It's actually much easier to clean them than I expected, when given the right tools. I started reflecting about how i used to throw so many still good to used items away simply because it's dirty. From young i was taught a couple of things:
1. Time is money. "Why spend time and effort cleaning when it doesn't cost much to buy a new one?" 2. You are contributing to the economy when you buy things. What's the consequences of such mentally? WASTE. Huge amount of waste that not only have detrimental effects on our environment but harms the society in general too. What about the argument on contributing back to the economy? GDP growth has been sold to us as the only way to create a better world. But has it? Does it makes us happier? Does it reduce poverty? What i see is a huge gap of inequality and other sorts of social ills. Isn't it time that we rethink about all those things that we were taught? Isn't it time that we come together to create a new global economy that focuses on not merely GDP but human well-being and environment? It's also important to know that it's not enough to simply agree and hope for change. Change will not happen unless we stand up together and act upon it. This applies to all kinds of issues that we are facing in this world. We need to change our habits, we need to advocate, we need to get up on our feet and start moving together as one. Omg! I'm finally done updating about my Vietnam trip! Jumping with joy now! It took me quite awhile to do so. Hats off to all the bloggers out there! I never intend to be a blogger and i don't consider myself as one. There are so much more work to be done in order to be considered as a true blogger, i don't think i have the energy for it. I started this blog because i wanted to force myself to consolidate all my travel experiences in a more organise way, so that it can be useful for others. There were a couple of occasion previously when my friends came to me asking for advise about a country that i've been. I wasn't able to share much then because i forgotten most of it. I felt a little ashamed for not being able to help, so i decided to start recording everything down as i travel - pricing, timing, hostels etc. I truly hope my little effort will be useful for your planning and please feel free to ask me anything. :) Favorite CitiesA lot of my friends asked me this question. I feel that every city is unique in its own way, but if i really have to choose, it will be: They are basically cities that have plenty of things to do and see. Click on the individual city if you would like to find out more. :) Most Memorable Experience:That's all i have for now. My next trip will be JAPAN! Till then my friends :) Click here if you would like to read an overview of my 3 months experience in Vietnam. I had my fair share of fun at Mekong Delta. In my opinion, there isn't much to do, but is a good place to step away from the touristy area into a more local scene. Can ThoI took a bus from Ho Chi Minh to Can Tho for $6. It takes about 3 hours. I stayed at Nguyen Shack, a lovely place away from the town that has excellent service. $12 per night. I spent most of my time chilling at the hostel. I had a private room with balcony because it was low season so they upgraded me from the dorm. Woo Hoo! It felt so good to finally have my own private space. The food there is awesome too but it's quite expensive. I made lots of friends there at Nguyen Shack and we went to check out an English class organised by the Nguyen Shack's tour guide. It was a fun-filled night mingling with the locals. I went on a boat tour the next morning to see the mekong river. It cost me $18. Honestly, i dont find it impressive at all. But you should still visit it if you are in Can Tho, because there aren't much else to do. haha. Some of my friends went on a bicycle tour, i didn't because i wanted to save money, as usual. But i think they had a great time cycling around. You can also rent a bicycle for free to go around on your own, but i was too lazy and the hostel is too comfortable for me to leave. haha Ben TreBen Tre wasn't in my plan at all. I wanted to head back to Saigon after Can Tho but i met a group of awesome people who were going to Ben Tre and i decided to join them. We took a bus from Can Tho to Ben Tre for $4, it took us about 2 hours. We walked around for quite some time looking for hostel and we found a very decent and cheap place called Khach San Phuong Hoang which cost only $3 per night. Cheapest hostel i've ever stayed in Vietnam! Unfortunately, the owner couldn't speak english at all. It was sign language all the way. There was basically no other tourist in Ben Tre except us when we were there. It's so funny in a way. We spent the first day walking around the little town and we went for another boat tour on the second day. I'm not a fan of boat tour but i felt the one we took at Ben Tre is pretty nice. We saw fire flies, a beautiful pink sky sunset, and also visited the well-know Ben Tre coconut candy factory. We had a hard time bargaining the price for the tour and we managed to get it at $14 per person. The best thing that happen at Mekong Delta is the wonderful friends that i've made there. We are still in contact today and i really hope to see them again soon. ^^
Click here if you would like to read an overview of my 3 months experience in Vietnam. I've visited HCM before, many years ago, on a school trip. So i've already seen the Cu Chi Tunnel. Even though it has been years, I can still remember clearly how i felt about that place. It left an impression which means it's definitely worth going to. I didn't intend to do much in HCM. It's just a city and i am not a city person. But the trip turns out pretty well thanks to the friends that i've met. I took bus from Mui Ne to Saigon for $8, it took about 4 hours. I stayed at Saigon Friends for $7 per night. Great location, comfortable beds, but the toilet is quite dirty because there are only a few toilets and many people are sharing it. Just a few places to recommend in HCM:
I'm sorry that i don't have much to recommend for HCM, it was towards the end of my trip where i got a little tired of researching and moving from one place to another. I basically had lots of fun talking to my friends at the hostel, hanging out at some bar, walking along the street, drinking coffee. I had a great time, it wasn't as bad as i expected. :)
Click here if you would like to read an overview of my 3 months experience in Vietnam. Mui Ne wasn't in my original plan, i added it in because it was highly recommended by some of the travelers i met. Magnificent indeed. It was my first time seeing sand dunes and it's so beautiful! I took a bus from Da Lat to Mui Ne which cost $10 and it took about 3 hours. I stayed one night at Mui Ne Hills for $7, breakfast not included. It has a very nice pool which i'm sure you will love. I think the sand dune tour package that they offered is the cheapest in town, only $3! I took the sunrise tour which depart at 4am in the morning instead of the sunset tour. I'm happy with my choice because the sunrise view at the white sand dunes is sooo pretty! The white sand dunes is massive! I really love it. We then went to the red sand dunes which is smaller than the white sand dunes but still as pretty. Our guide then brought us to a fishing village where you can see the similar kind of coconut shaped boat that i saw in Da Nang and Hoi An. Lastly, we went to Angle Lake, gorgeous as well. All these for just $3, most value for money tour ever! We arrived back at the hostel around 9am and i left at 2pm to Saigon.
It was a short stay in Mui Ne but that's all you need. I'm so glad that i adjusted my plan to add Mui Ne in. Lovely place, perfect for photography. Click here if you would like to read an overview of my 3 months experience in Vietnam. Oh Da Lat, i love that place so much, especially the weather. After months of scorching hot weather, it's so nice to be in somewhere cooler. You will never get bored in Da Lat, there are so much thing to see and do. I took a bus from Da Nang to Da lat which cost me $18. It's a 14 hours journey on a sleeper bus. My longest bus trip in Vietnam. Most people stop for a day or two in Nha Trang, which was also part of my original plan, but i decided to skip it in the end because there isn't much there beside beaches, which i have already seen a lot in Da Nang and Hoi An, and plus the weather was getting too hot, i just can't wait to get to somewhere cooler. I was there in early June btw. I stayed at Brothers' Hostel which is about half hour walk away from the main city area. It's a very nice hostel with exceptional service. They provide FREE DINNER and it's delicious! How rare is it that dinner is provided. Family owned hostel and everyone of them are very warm and friendly. I spent 4 days in Da Lat, though i covered all the places that i wanted to see in 3 days and basically chilled the whole morning and early afternoon at the hostel before heading off to Mui Ne. I spent my first day walking around Da Lat main central area. The weather is so good that it makes walking extremely satisfying. I visited some temple and cathedrals and then i went to the Crazy House. Very interesting place that i think is worth going to. Entrance fee about $2. The house is designed by a local who wants to incorporate nature into architectural. I could relate to her intention and i felt that it was very beautifully designed. Some places at the house is rather dangerous though, like the roof area, which has a pretty view of the city, but you should be careful especially if you are with kids. I walked around the Xuan Huong Lake. Chilled a little there before heading back to my hostel. Very peaceful. I rented a bike on my second to go to Pongour Waterfall, the widest waterfall in Vietnam. Gorgeous place, with an entrance fee of a dollar. A lot of people chose to go on a easy rider tour in Da Lat. But I couldn't afford tours, so i did everything on my own. I must say, the direct route that you can find on google map to Pongour Waterfall is extremely dangerous! I think it's the most dangerous highway i've ridden in Vietnam. Lots of big trucks, road works, sandy paths. I got hit by stones every now and then, right onto my face, and my eyes were red because of the sands. If you plan to ride there on your own, which takes about 2 hours. I will suggest you to take the longer road that passes by the Elephant waterfall. It's a mountainous road and it is much more pleasant to ride. It will take you about 3 hours to reach, but i think it's safer that way. I met some friends at Pongour Waterfall and we went to Thien Vien Truc Lam Monastery together. You can take a cable car up to the monastery from the main city, but we rode there. The monastery has a nice view over the damns below and lovely garden of beautiful flowers. I rented a bike again on my third day to visit the Elephant waterfall. I stopped by Me Linh Coffee Plantation for a cup of weasel coffee ($4). Beautiful place with a great view. The civets seems to be treated well there. I would say that they are an ethical organisation. I got myself so wet and muddy when i was at Elephant Waterfall. The paths to the viewing point is extremely slippery. Muds everywhere, but it was definitely worth the climb! Entrance fee - $2. I headed back to Da Lat central and visited the Flower Garden at Xuan Huong Lake. That place is huge! You should visit it if you love flowers, i got a little bored though. haha. I went to 100 Roof Cafe after dinner with some friends that i met at the hostel. It's a very cool bar with many weird stairs and decorations. A little like crazy house. I also went to the night market, it's huge! I heard it's even better on weekends. You should try the "Vietnamese Pizza", grilled rice paper with egg and dried shrimps. It's delicious! Overall, i'm very satisfied with my experience in Da Lat. I could easily stay there for a couple more days. I love that Da Lat!
Click here if you would like to read an overview of my 3 months experience in Vietnam. Hoi An, everyone's favorite. I think it's definitely one of the must go place in Vietnam. The ancient town has a great vibe. I was there only for 2 days though and i went to My Son too on my second day. It's only 2 hours away by bike. My local friend from Da Nang rode me to Hoi An. :) There are buses available at only $2 and it takes about 45mins. I stayed in at Trisbee Hostel which cost $11 per night. Hostels in Hoi An cost a little more, that's why i was only there for one night. I chose Trisbee Hostel because it's near the Ancient Town. There are also many nice hostels near An Bang beach, if you prefer a more chillax experience. I knew i would want to spend the night at the ancient town, admiring the beautiful lightings, so i didn't want to have to cycle all the way back to An Bang beach area after a long night. That was why. On my first day in Hoi An, my local friend brought me to Thanh Ha Pottery Village - entrance fee $2. It's a pretty cool place with a lot of unique potteries. I love the world famous icon miniatures exhibition! I spent the late afternoon and evening walking around the old town. The old town is exceptionally nice in the evening when the sun is setting. Go to the river bay for the perfect sunset view, then cross the bridge to the night market. By right, you have to buy a entrance ticket which cost about $4 to enter the old town. It includes entrance fee to 4 museums. I wanted to save money, so i didn't get it. I walked through the ticket counter as if i already bought the ticket. They don't usually check, they will simply ask "have you bought your ticket?", and i said "yes". haha. The rules about the ticket is still very unclear, so i just ignored it because i dont intend to visit the Museums. I rented a motorbike for $6 on my second day to go places around Hoi An, which includes An Bang Beach and some coconut plantations. It nice to cycle too instead of riding, but i wanted to visit My Son too, that's why. I had some issue with my bike on my way to My Son, thankfully i managed to get it fixed at $12. My Son to me, wasn't that impressive, probably because i've been to Angkor Wat and it is way better, of course. But it was still nice riding around. There are lots of food to try in Hoi An, namely, chicken rice, a little similar to our Singapore Chicken Rice but ours is way better of course, lol. They use glutinous rice instead, still tasty. Cao Lau, Hoi An specialty noodle. Hen tron, which is made from many baby clams, and the locals eat it with rice crackers, delicious! You will be able to find them at the Local Market. Overall, Hoi An is a nice place to visit. I definitely wouldn't want to miss it out. A lot of people go there to tailor suits and dresses, I was a little tempted to do so when I was walking along the row of streets of beautiful dresses. But i knew i didn't need them. I personally wouldn't want to stay too long in Hoi An though, because is very touristy, that's also why it's more expensive to stay as compared to Da Nang, for instance. Check out my experience in Da Nang, i love that place!
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