#TaiwanItThatWay 🙂
In my head is an ongoing battle. New places bring me peace. Traveling calms my restless mind.
(Image Source: Photo taken by writer’s friend, Kirk, during the trip)
A much needed trip is what I’d like to call my recent visit to Taiwan. Although before the trip, it was what I would call a “filler”. I plan to travel later this year again and it was the trip that’s going to make waiting for the other trip to happen, a little more bearable.
I knew I’d like Taiwan but I didn’t expect to love it. If you know me, you will probably also tell me what my friends told me:
“Just go elsewhere…”
“Why Taiwan?..”
“You won’t have a good time there…”
I’ve set my expectations low. I knew that there’s no Disneyland there, no Wizarding World of Harry Potter, no Lotte World, and none of the things that I usually look for in picking my destinations. I was wrong to expect to not enjoy my visit there the same way I enjoyed my previous trips.
There people have discipline and are very friendly. The Taiwanese follow even the simplest rules (waste segregation, escalator etiquette – We, Filipinos, should really start exercising discipline!). The train system is also great (no breakdowns). You can easily go to places without being stuck in traffic for 4 hours. I didn’t have to get a visa to go there because of the relaxed tourism policy they have (I was in Japan last year and because of the Japan visa I was previously issued I only needed to get a permit online – the Travel Authorization Certification). Filipinos who have been issued visas to enter Australia, Canada, Japan, Korea, New Zealand, any of the Schengen countries, the United Kingdom, or the United States will just need the TAC to enter Taiwan.
Below is a sample TAC document:
(Image Source: Google)
The visa-free entry agreement between Taiwan and the Philippines won’t happen until September of this year. However, if you are qualified to get a TAC, you may apply for one by going to this website:
https://niaspeedy.immigration.gov.tw/nia_southeast/
Choose your preferred language and then click on Next.
Click on Next again, when you see this page:
You will then be brought to this a page that will tell you to check if you meet the requirements to be eligible for a TAC. If you are eligible then you may click on Next.
This is the next page you’ll see. Fill out the form. Before clicking on Next, make sure that the details you entered are correct. It won’t hurt to triple check if the information you’ve typed in are all accurate. (I was unsure on where to find the visa # on my Japan visa. I called the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office at 02-8876688 for help before I clicked on Next to make sure I inputted the right details.) If you have a Japan visa, the visa # is on the upper right hand corner of the visa itself.
After clicking on Next you will see the soft copy of your TAC, you may now have it printed.
For those who are not eligible for a TAC you may still apply for the payable e-visa or the payable appropriate proper visa stamped in the passport. Information on how to get a payable e-visa or the payable appropriate proper visa stamped in the passport can be found on the Taipe Economic and Cultural Office’s website (http://www.roc-taiwan.org/ph_en/index.html).
Now that we’ve got the TAC and visa out of the way, here are some tips on how you can make your visit in Taiwan hassle-free:
1. Get cheap airline tickets
(Image Source: IG: @kalespanola)
Watch out for airline promos or you may visit www.cheapflights.com to find the best fare to Taiwan. (If you will opt to use the latter option, for security, find the flight # there of the flights you wish to take then book the tickets by going to the airline’s official website – That was what I did.)
I got my ticket for only 5,440.00PHP (AirAsia). The cost of the ticket was actually a lot cheaper. It was originally only around 3,900.00PHP (I got some add-ons – travel insurance and baggage allowance). It was actually my first time to fly with AirAsia and it was a pleasant experience. My flights (to and fro) were both on time. The only thing I did not like was that when you don’t purchase seats online, even if you check-in early you won’t be able to choose a window seat. The system will choose your seat for you.
NOTE: Red-eye flights are the cheapest. It’s just that the Taipei Metro only operates until midnight. So if you got this type of flight, to get to Taipei from the Taoyuan International Airport you will have to take the bus. Bus 1819 operates 24/7. A ticket costs 125.00NTD. You may board it from bus bay # 5. If you’ve purchased tickets for regular flights, you may take the train to Taipei. The fastest way would be through the Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport Access MRT. The fare would be 160.00NTD. It is more expensive but it gets you to Taipei in just 30 minutes.
2. Itinerary
You may want to ask friends who’ve been to Taiwan for their ITs and then from there decide where you want to go and then finalize your own version. Research!
3. Hotel/Airbnb/Hostel
It’s really your choice. I haven’t tried Airbnb so that’s sort of like an unchartered territory for me but I have friends who’ve tried it and so far I haven’t heard anything negative about the Airbnbs they’ve booked. If you have a little more budget, you may choose to go for a hotel. Hostels are also ok if you really want to not spend too much on your trip. We (I went there with my old boss and an old colleague) opted to go for a hotel. Our hotel of choice is located in the heart of Ximen (choose a hotel that’s near the train station so that it will be easy for you to go around Taiwan). It is a 10 minute walk away from the Taipei Metro Ximen station (You have to take exit 6 from the Ximen station, if you are coming home from all the wandering around that you will do). Around the area are various stores. Booking a hotel in that district is like living in Myeongdong (South Korea). You just have to go downstairs to go shopping for yourself or for pasalubong (treats or souvenirs for your friends back home).
(Image Source: Photos taken by writer during the trip)
We booked it through www.booking.com. The price that we got billed depended on the exchange rate on the day the hotel confirmed the transaction. We stayed there for 5 nights for 19,005.00PHP. The service is really good. If you want someone to come make-up your room, you can use this sign to say so.
(Image Source: Photo taken by writer during the trip)
If you want to sleep in and don’t want to be disturbed, you may use the reverse side of the same sign to say so too.
(Image Source: Photo taken by writer during the trip)
(Image Source: Google – I don’t have any pictures of our room without any of my friends in it and they may not approve of me using pictures with them in it)
4. Wi-Fi
You may want to get a portable Wi-Fi device as you go around Taiwan. It will come in handy in times of confusion. Because of our flight schedule there are no portable Wi-Fi rental offices open for business anymore when we got to the Taoyuan International Airport. It’s a good thing that our hotel offers portable Wi-Fi device rental at a 50% discount. We paid 600.00NTD for our portable Wi-Fi rental device for 6 days. The good thing about getting it from the hotel is that after we check-out we don’t have to worry about anything anymore. (I forgot to take a picture of the actual device that we rented but it’s exactly the same as this one.)
(Image Source: Google)
NOTE:
The deposit fee is 5,000.00NTD (you may leave your passport instead of paying the deposit fee).
There are penalties if you damage the charger or the device itself.
5. The Easy Card.
I’ve mentioned taking the bus or the train to Taipei (depending on what time you will arrive in the airport or if you are rushing to go to the city). For bus 1819, you may pay your fare in cash or using the Easy Card. If you are taking the train then you will really have to get the Easy Card first.
(Image Source: The Writer of this blog)
You may get one from any convenience stores. The empty card is 100.00NTD. You may then just tell the cashier how much value you want to add to the empty card you’ve purchased. I sugggest start with 500.00NTD.
Enjoy Taiwan like I did! Take lots of pictures.
Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall
(Image Source: IG: @kalespanola and My Facebook page)
Shilin Night Market
(Image Source: IG: @kalespanola)
Maokong Gondola
(Image Source: My Facebook page)
National Palace Museum
(Image Source: IG: @kalespanola)
Taipei 101
The ticket price to the observatory is 620.00NTD.
(Image Source: IG: My Facebook page)
(Image Source: My Facebook page)
I travel to escape, to find serenity, and to find my soul as it wanders around places when I am living my normal life (work-home-work). I only become one with it again whenever I travel which is probably why I feel like something in me is on fire whenever I am off somewhere beautiful. May you also find the thing that will make living life worthwhile.
The Struggling World Traveler
(Image Source: IG: @kalespanola)
kalespanola 