✈️ 19-23rd Trip: Aaaand... We're Done.
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Sure, here is the translation:
I have just wrapped up my Taiwan trip
️ (from the 19th to the 23rd), mainly visiting Taichung and Taipei.- For the night markets in Taichung, truthfully speaking, I visited three, finding them rather average, leaving me slightly disappointed.
- (The night market is a place filled with various snacks stalls and a lot of energy, which has made Taiwan famous, but the ones I visited this time in Taichung weren't great.)
On the other hand, I highly recommend the Raohe Street Night Market in Taipei! The food there is generally very tasty with few traps.
- Moving around Taichung is a small challenge for sure:
- Firstly, Taichung does not have a metro system. Hence, moving within the city is not as convenient as it is in Taipei, where you can conveniently take the subway.
- When traveling with a large group, consider renting a car (which means hiring a private vehicle with a driver). Why? Because the distance between the attractions is quite far. Buses may take about 1.5 to 2.5 hours for a one-way trip, plus many transfers, and you end up losing a lot of time.
️ NOTE: Taichung transportation:-
Bus services usually end quit early.
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In an effort to save time, I often took taxis, which ended up costing as much as it would in Hong Kong! Not worth it at all, so don't follow my example!
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If you don't rent a car, make sure to plan ahead by figuring out which transportation will get you between attractions and their last班车时间。晚上景点附近出租车超级少，即便是用叫车软件（如Uber或当地打车软件）也很难叫到车。
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In contrast, Taipei has a much better transportation system:
- With High Speed Rail (HSR) trains, similar to bullet trains suitable for long-distance travel across different cities; regular trains (TRA) that connect more places, and MRT (subway) for city travels.
- ️ TIP for friends visiting Taipei: The names of these different transportation stations can confuse people! When planning my routes, it made my head spin trying to figure them out before I ultimately quit. I often ended up taking taxis instead since I was too lazy to think about and had locals or drivers help me along the way.
- I found that some transportation methods recommended online were less convenient in reality. Using Google maps, I typically found the best and shortest route. There were lots of wrong addresses that I never got right, so I always asked either the locals or the taxi drivers directly.
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If you want to visit the Raohe Street in Taipei, a non-private car day trip with this plan might work well for you:
- My suggested route: Shifeng Train Station -> Jiu Fen Old Town -> Raohe Street Night Market
- (Shifeng is a quaint town where sky lanterns are released to bring your wishes all the way to the heavens, whereas Jiu Fen is a mountain town that is considered as ‘inspiration’ of Studio Ghibli’s most famous film – Spirited Away)
- Here is how to get around:
- On the way there: Buses No.965 near Ximen Station (a bustling commercial district) can get one you to Ruifang Station. Take the train to Shifeng Train station from there. After you take pictures and play around and set those sky lanterns free, take the same train to Ruifang Station and get off at nearby stops where buses go to Jiu Fen.
- For the way back: Ride buses or call an Uber taxi from Jiu Fen, go through Ruifang Station and take trains to Songshan Station (which is one of the major stations operated by Taiwan Railway Administration). Just walk a few minutes once you step outside and you’ll see the night market!
- My suggested route: Shifeng Train Station -> Jiu Fen Old Town -> Raohe Street Night Market
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**TIP: MOST IMPORTANT!**- If you wish to visit any outdoor attractions, especially those abundant with trees and shrubs (such as mountains or parks), be prepared to wear insect repellent, especially long skirts or shorts.
- The ones that can be applied directly onto your skin are preferred. During my trip, I forgot to use it and was bitten miserably!
- Why stress it? Because pests in natural areas are much stronger than the ones in the city. Once you're bitten, red swellings will appear all over the bitten area, and they take forever to heal since they’re several times stronger than regular mosquitoes! So, no matter how itched you feel, just bite the bullet and try not to scratch!
- If you wish to visit any outdoor attractions, especially those abundant with trees and shrubs (such as mountains or parks), be prepared to wear insect repellent, especially long skirts or shorts.
- For the night markets in Taichung, truthfully speaking, I visited three, finding them rather average, leaving me slightly disappointed.
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