Taiwan Trip Done. Hong Kong's Awesome-Meter? Still Climbing!
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Whew, our 9-day, 8-night Taiwan
️ trip has finally wrapped up! To be honest, starting from the night of the sixth day, I missed my little kitty at home so much, as well as the convenient and modern life in Hong Kong
!For this Taiwan journey, we planned to travel from north to south along a route that took us through Taipei, Taichung, Tainan, and eventually Kaohsiung.
- Unfortunately, because of my travel companion’s poor health, we canceled the trip to Alishan (a famous mountain area known for its sunrise and forest railway).
- This made the rest of the trip in Taichung, Tainan and Kaohsiung seem a bit less exciting.
There was a big change moving from Taichung to Tainan.
- A few years ago when I visited Tainan, it left a good impression on me, especially for the prominent humanistic atmosphere (full of historical sites and cultural ambiance) and the slow-paced lifestyle.
- However, this time around, Tainan felt slightly quiet.
️Caution! The road conditions for pedestrians were not particularly welcoming. The streets seemed to be overwhelmed with cars and scooters (referred to as 'motorcycle' or 'scooter' in local lingo, which are very common here). Walking requires extra caution here, which was rather disappointing.
In contrast, the urban planning in Kaohsiung was noticeably better, and it indeed had the vibe of a major city.
- There's a variety of public transportation options and it feels quite convenient overall.
- Interestingly, there aren't too many entertainment venues, but the Pier-2 Art Center (The Pier-2, reformed from old warehouses into a creative culture park), is worth visiting, full of young people and different stalls, reminiscent of a daytime night market, and lively.
- ️Just another reminder! While hotel prices were comparable to Taipei, the value for money didn't seem to justify it.
Returning to Hong Kong, it felt like heaven!
- Being able to access free Wi-Fi even on the bus
from the airport, made me awfully touched! - And getting from the airport to Central, HK Island and Western District (the central commercial and residential area of Hong Kong Island) just takes around 40 minutes by bus, heartbroken crying!
- Hong Kong ah, you're truly awesome! The more you get to know, the better you feel about it! Must give it a thumbs up!
#TaiwanTravel #HongKong #HongKongTravel #Tainan #Kaohsiung #HongKongBus #HongKongTourism @HongKongTDA @CulturalSports&TourismBureau
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Woke up and finally, I get to use this meme too!
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You're blowing up!
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Haha, as a Taiwanese, I honestly think Tainan and Kaohsiung are quite boring; you really don't need more than a two-day, one-night trip. If you compare it to Hong Kong, HK is much more international and transportation is certainly convenient. However, the roads in Central (HK) are incredibly difficult to walk, and taxis might refuse to take passengers. In this aspect, Taiwan is way better.
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Hotels in Taiwan are already sky-high expensive, and now with the recent requirement for color-printed entry permits, I've pretty much lost all desire to visit...
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Same here. I was thinking of going to Taiwan for the summer holidays, but I gave up as soon as I saw the hotel prices and reviews.
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Hong Kong is definitely very convenient, but it's hard to compare them on the same level. As a travel destination, it's almost impossible to talk about 'value for money' for its food and accommodation. Plus, for a supposedly modern city, last time I was at a 'cha chaan teng' (tea restaurant), there was a 'No Smoking' sign on the wall, yet a whole table of ladies next to us were smoking heavily as if no one else was there—in an air-conditioned indoor space! I was completely dumbfounded.
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That must be a very isolated incident. Hong Kong's indoor smoking ban is generally well-enforced; I haven't encountered a situation like you described in the past decade. If you do encounter it, you can speak to them or report it to the police. By the way, I actually find Taiwanese food in Hong Kong more suited to my taste than the authentic dishes in Taiwan, though there's a lack of taro paste delicacies.
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How can people from mainland China travel to Taiwan these days?
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Usually through third-party channels. However, Shanghai has recently reopened for travel to Taiwan.
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I'm just saying, don't build up too much of an idealized image of Tainan, or you'll likely face an 'expectation gap.'
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Perhaps I really did have too much of an idealized view. An unforgettable experience ten years ago, riding a bike from a guesthouse to the Chimei Museum, is why I decided to stay for three full days this time.
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It's because you're a tourist in Taiwan. In Hong Kong, you might have a place to stay and possibly your own transportation, so of course, the experience will feel different.
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If you want WiFi, why not take the Airport MRT? There are 30-minute and 40-minute options to Taipei Main Station, and WiFi is available throughout the journey. Hong Kong isn't that big; if this is an issue, how would you adapt to larger places elsewhere?
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Hong Kong's airport buses are indeed much more convenient than Taipei's. One reason might be that Hong Kong's Airport Express is just too expensive.
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Excuse me, if I'm entering Hong Kong from Taiwan with a mainland Chinese passport, do I need to prepare any specific entry documents?
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I'm not too sure about that. You should probably search on Xiaohongshu (Little Red Book) for more info.
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When I visited over a decade ago, I thought Taiwan was great. Going back after all these years, it felt like it wasn't the same Taiwan anymore. Perhaps it's our perspectives that have changed, while Taiwan has remained largely the same.