Friday, December 30, 2016

Itinerary: Taipei, Taiwan

Accommodation: Where to stay in Taipei?
City Inn Hotel

Itinerary: Places to go, Things to see, What to do in Taipei in 7 days?

DAY 1: MONDAY (PM)
- touch down @ 13:10pm (Airport) @ Terminal 1 (Tentative Gate: B1, B3)
- BUY: easy card - 500NT
- Take BLUE and WHITE GUOGUANG BUSES (Western Route) going to Taipei - 120-150NT
- Check-in: City Inn Hotel
- MRT: Zhongshang Junior High School Station - for St. John Bosco Church
- MRT: Jiannan Rd Station Exit 3: Miramar (Ferris Wheel - 200NT)

DAY 2: TUESDAY
- CKS Memorial MRT (National Chiang Kai Shek Memorial, opens: 9am)
- NTUniversity (Gongguan MRT), checkout Esprit only if possible (opens @ 11:30am)
- Lunch @ Mr. J Restaurant (http://www.mrj-tw.com/)
- Dr. Sun Yat Sen Memorial Hall
- Taipei 101 - 500NT
- NY NY; - Warner Village

DAY 3: WEDNESDAY
- Taroko Guided Tour (2000NT via http://old.taiwantourbus.com.tw/jtbusphp5en/index.php?act=toursdetail&ID=149&VideoID=193 )
- Dinner @ Modern Toilet

Optional:
- Short walk in Ximen
- Check Redplayhouse
Taroko National Park (above), Tomita Farm (below)

DAY 4: THURSDAY
AM: 9am - 1pm
- Taipei to Daxi Bus (Ta Shee Blooming Oasis and Tomita Farm) - 110NT
- Daxi to Ta Shee Blooming Oasis proper - Taxi: 160NT
- Ta Shee Blooming Oasis Entrance - 100NT
- Tomita Farm Entrance- 50NT

DAY 5: FRIDAY
- Go to MRT Shipai
- P.S. Bu Bu Restaurant (roughly 400nt/per head ; take off: Shipai MRT)
- Walking on Tianmu Area
- Fisherman’s Walking Area

Optional:
- Transportation Taipei-LeoFoo-Taipei (240NT)
- Taipei to LeoFoo Village (Entrance: 860NT)
- Mall Hopping: Wufenpu Mall, RT Mall, Go Living Mall

DAY 6: SATURDAY
- Hello Kitty Restaurant
- National Palace Museum (160NT) (take off: Shilin MRT)
- Taipei Story Land (near MRT Taipei Main Station) - 250NT (voucher 150NT)

DAY 7: SUNDAY
- Taipei Fine Arts Museum
- Taiwan Storyland
- Departure

Hopefully this Taipei travel blog was able to help you plan your trip and build your own Taiwan Itinerary.
Travel Date: October 19 (Mon) - 25 (Sun) 2009


Tips and Note for Taiwan Travel


  • When to go to Taiwan? February - late February to mid-March would be good for cherry blossom.  Late March would mean less to no flora for Taichung (Lavender Cottage, etc.) 



Other sample itineraries and expense reports:
For my further sample itinerary, expense, and trip reports please visit links below:


*Remember, you still need to decide for yourself based upon your attraction and fascination over a place or activity.  As well as to consider the pace you want to have while traveling.  Planning too many targets on a day will either exhaust you rather than give you peace and joy on the culture and tradition.

Create your own road, rather than taking someone else's path.  
It can only be a road when one passes it.


Philippines: Taguig: Art ala Carte

Art ala Carte: An art exhibit and workshop of Kulay Diwa Gallery of Philippine Contemporary Art, currently being held in Ground Floor, Uptown Mall.  There's a wall dedicated for travel addicts, the famous landmarks that will keep you excited even by just looking at these art piece.


Saturday, December 24, 2016

South Korea: dal.komm

Another coffee brand that became more famous across the kdrama world is dal.komm.  I have not visited the actual location of where the drama were taken, but I got a chance to visit the one in Suncheon.  

dal.komm
Suncheon-si, Jeollanam-do, South Korea
Food: mummy hotdog and peach ice tea, 7500krw
Personal Preference: 9 out of 10, expensive.  For the sake of re-living Descendants of the Sun, although this is not the actual location shoot, you'll be successful in hunting Jongki.  They have replays of DOTS on the video near the counter, his magazines were everywhere.

Sunday, December 18, 2016

2016 Nov: South Korea: Heyri Art Village

We have visited Heyri Village because it is nearby English Village Paju.  If you are looking for what to do in Paju, here is another place to visit.  It just came along my research that this is one of the drama locations.

Autumn Trees
Coming from English Village, we walked from Gate 9 to Gate 4 (almost 30-45 minutes stroll), passed by the mountain side and saw a deer on the wild.


Thursday, December 1, 2016

2016 Dec: Philippines: Metro Manila: Christmas Display

Here comes the season for the night lights and Christmas display on the streets, malls and buildings!


SM Malls

Has a theme of white Christmas, where instead of using big green trees, they have decorated the malls  with huge twigs, covered with white "as if snow" and decorative shining balls.  They have also added winter animal like deer.



Philippines: The Taste of South

Las Pinas
Ikkoryu Ramen
Location: Food Strip, Southmall
Food: chasu ramen, chicken karaage
Personal Preference: 8 out of 10.  Tasty and quick service.  Was able to accommodate us with house tea and roasted sesame seeds for the perfect taste of Japanese cuisine.


Are you looking for famous, best, top restaurant or places to experience food in the Philippines, click on the following links:

Thursday, November 17, 2016

5 Hotel Room Hacks To Make Your Stay An Awesome One

Whether someone is staying in a hotel for just one night whilst attending a work conference or staying for two weeks on holiday, it is important to make the most of it. There are dozens of ways to make the hotel stay more enjoyable, whilst saving both time and money. Use this helpful guide in order to learn some hotel hacks which people use all the time with lots of success.
Email The General Manager In Order To Leave A Complaint
Most people will email a generic hotel address in order to leave a review of their stay, or they will use a third-party site such as Tripadvisor to tell other web users about their time in their accommodation in Broome. However, it is a good idea to email the general manager of the hotel if the stay was less than satisfactory.
General Managers are eager to avoid bad publicity and they want to please any guests who may have some complaints about the hotel. If they receive a complaint in their inbox, they will be motivated to offer perks in the hope that the disgruntled guests will stay at the hotel again sometime in the future. These perks can include free upgrades to better rooms, complimentary vouchers for spa treatments, as well as discounts on room prices.
Get Last Minute Deals Cheaply With Coupon Websites
Some people might think that booking a room at the last minute will cause the Broome hotel room to be much more expensive than booking well in advance. However, last-minute deals at rock-bottom prices can be found by using specialist coupon websites. This can be a great way to save lots of money which can be spent on other activities during the holiday. Make sure to compare several discount websites before making a final decision on the desired deal.
Negotiate Over Long-Stay Prices
Some people will stay in hotels for a long period of time, whether they are working or on a holiday. Long stays can become expensive, so it is a good idea to negotiate a cheaper rate. Either ring ahead in advance of the stay or talk with the general manager on arrival. The most important thing to remember is that a cheaper price will be easier to negotiate if people tell the hotel manager that they will leave a positive review on sites such as TripAdvisor after the stay is finished.
Use Booking Sites With Loyalty Points
Certain booking sites offer loyalty points to people who place repeat bookings. Make sure to compare several booking sites in order to find one which offers these loyalty points. This will ensure that people save lots of money in the long-run.
Ask To See Different Rooms Before Checking In
The quality of rooms can vary in the same hotel. Some rooms may be dirtier than others or may broken fixtures. If the room is unsatisfactory, ask to be moved into another one.
Use this guide for some helpful hotel hacks.

Disclaimer: Paid Advertisement
The article above came from Lily Bentley , for broometimeaccommodation.
Broome-Time Accommodation & Art Gallery is centrally located on the Broome Peninsula in Western Australia.  

The views and opinions expressed in this article are the author's own and do not reflect the view and opinion of the blog owner. Comments on this article are the sole responsibility of the writer and the writer will take full responsibility, liability, and blame for any libel or litigation that results from something written in or as a direct result of something written in a comment. The accuracy, completeness, veracity, honesty, factualness and politeness of comments are not guaranteed.

The blog owner have not personally tried the service, but for other comments regarding the place read here. 

Tuesday, November 15, 2016

South Korea: Autumn Itinerary for 4 days in Seoul


Note: If first time traveler to Seoul, please visit the detailed entry and guide on Itinerary for First-time Visitors or see more autumn itinerary options on this link.

Seoul: Dongdaemun: Kyung Hee University

I never heard of this place, until I was looking for where to hunt autumn leaves in Seoul from instagram.  

Then I got interested as the place has Gothic architecture.  Bad that we were not allowed to go further in the campus, but given sometime go ahead and go further the castle like building which is the Hall of Peace.



2016 Nov: South Korea: Dongdaemun: Doota Exhibition Center

As Descendants of the Sun, taken Asia by storm and going to Taebaek will take some time by bus, I'm thankful that I was able to visit the DOTS exhibition in Doota a week before it closes. 





South Korea: Gyeonggi English Village Paju Camp

Gyeonggi English Village Paju Camp
경기영어마을 파주캠프
Location: South Korea, Gyeonggi-do, Paju-si, Tanhyeon-myeon, Eoreumsil-ro, 40
website


Monday, November 14, 2016

South Korea: 2016 Seoul Lantern Festival

2016 Seoul Lantern Festival


This has been an annual activity in Cheonggyecheon Stream in Seoul, where lanterns sit on the water.
Accessibility: Purple Line No. 5 Gwanghwamun Station Exit 5 [Map]
Links: Official Site, Visit Korea, My 2011 Visit



2016 Themes:



  • Han River Theme Lanterns
  • Municipal government's and overseas' lanterns
  • Participating corporation's lanterns
  • Artists' lanterns
  • Children's character lanterns







2016 Nov: South Korea: Flavors of Seoul

Gyeonggi-do

The Farmer's Table
Location: Heyri Artinus 1F, 1652-393 Beopheung-ri, Tanhyeon-myeon region, Paju town, Gyeonggi-do province | Heyri Art Village
Heyri Art Village Gate #4, straight ahead until the first intersection, first quadrant on the right.
Food: pizza (25,000 KRW = 1,000 PHP) 
Personal Preference: 9 out of 10, definitely a posh restaurant, thus expensive.


Seoul: Hongdae: Swanhouse

Swanhouse 
156-2 Donggyo-Dong, Hongdae, Seoul, South Korea, 121-816
서울시 마포구 동교동 156-2 마젤란 21 빌딩
Magellan 21 Building, Donggyo- Dong, Mapo-Gu, Seoul-City


Price: Discounts you might get from Agoda is not applicable, as it is fixed rate when you pay it upon arrival at 100,500krw/day. [Date Stayed: 2016 November]


Location: Got this place from Agoda, however it looks to be part of airbnb.  This is not a guesthouse where you’ll see other guests, computer unit or a tour desk that you’ll meet each time you go out for the day.  This is like a condo unit in a building nearby the university belt. 

From Line 2 Hongik University (Hongdae) subway station Exit 2 (with escalator), it is just 1-2 minutes walk going to Magellan 21 Building (just beside Jewel Shop - DOROCY at ground floor).  

Monday, November 7, 2016

2016 Philippines: Flavors of Kapitolyo

United Coffee 
Location: 16 United St, Pasig, Metro Manila
Food: coffee, tea, sweets, cake
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Unitedcoffeeph/
Personal Preference: 7 out of 10.  There is a narrow passage and stairs before getting there.