Taiwan- Taipei and Taroko Gorge

Taipei and Taroko Gorge

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Taiwan was on my 2012 Bucket list as it was known for the worlds fastest elevator and underground shopping throughout the city.

We chose to stay at the Taipei Garden Hotel which was a quick metro ride away from most of the site including Taipei 101. For Asia hotels the room was spacious and the hotel had a bar connected just outside. The city was easy to get around especially with the metro being less than $1 per ride. Major sites for us were the Presidental building, Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall, Traditional Taiwanese Temple and National Palace Museum. 

The city felt like any larger city in USA with shopping districts and restaurants lining the streets. It was a true shoppers paradise with high dollar items and lower priced items in the shops under the city which were connected to the metro links. The best shopping was under the main train station and it went on for miles with lots of markets and full of all sorts of clothes, shoes, and purses. The locals loved us in the city. We were seen posing with many of them as they would grab us to take photos with them and their groups.

 

We witnessed a changing of the guard at the palace which was caught really by surprise, but it was at 10am so this is something you could do if you made it over there earlier enough. The buildings in Taiwan can be overwhelming as they are vast in size. The courtyards are usually bigger than football fields. We found the local Hello Kitty sweet shop. It is well worth a visit if you want to enjoy everything in the shape of Hello Kitty. The place was decorated and staff were dressed in suits ready to serve your pastries on silver platters.

 Taroko Gorge

We did a day trip to Taroko Gorge which was definitely the highlight the trip. If you have read my other posts you will know I am sucker for waterfalls and trekking. They collected us early morning for our flight from the tiny airport in the center of the city. The flight was about 45 minutes through the mountains and onto Taroko area.

We visited Eternal Spring Shrine, one of the most photographed scenes around the gorge. If in Taiwan it is a great stop over to beat the hustle and bustle of the city. Random fact we found a Cold Stone Creamery and tried the merlot ice cream. Booze and ice cream is was a tasty combination. After we finished the trekking through the gorge we headed to the rock beach for some fresh drinks and cool down after a long day.

 

 

Happy Traveling

 

Katrina

 

 

Singapore - Fun for all

Fun for all ages

Singapore is a great stopover location in Asia. Many low cost carriers leave from Singapore and the it has many direct links to Malaysia and beyond. We stopped in Singapore for a total of 3 days as we embarked on our cruise through Asia. The best way to describe Singapore is envision Disneyland. There is so much to do and see for all ages. 

Zoo and promenade

On arrival we negotiated a fare with the taxi to watch our bags and take us around Singapore before we set sail. We set off on our first stop to the zoo. It is known as one of the largest and most prominent zoos in the world so we had to check this out. Take my advice and pay the extra money for the tram, as I cannot explain how huge the zoo is in words, but rather blisters and sweat. There is a reason it is deemed worlds best zoo and it did not disappoint. the pandas were visiting from China on our visit so that was an exciting experience. After the zoo we set off into town to see the famous Merlion and the Marina Sands Hotel. A walk along the promenade, a detour to Starbucks and off we set off on our cruise.

Culture

We stopped in Singapore again on Day 4, but this time armed with a map of sites to see. We decided to focus on the temples and cultural side this visit and then headed to Little India area which is the oldest area of Singapore. We used the MTR to get around which had great connections all over the city and a short walk from the main cruise terminal. 

Sentosa

Day 8 we stopped over for our last stay in Singapore, but this time porting on the island of Sentosa. This can too be reached by the MTR if you are on the other side of Singapore.  The island has Universal Studios, Hard Rock and numerous outdoor and indoor activities. We just spent a few hours walking around and located the bridge that led us to the southernmost part of Asia sign. The beaches provided lots of facilities for families. We rode the Luges down the side of the island, if you have older kids this is a nice way to get the adrenaline running.  

Good tip: 

A great tip while in Singapore its the hub for most Asia airlines so for under $50 you can get to Kuala Lumpur, Bali, Indonesia, Thailand and even India. 

Siem Reap - Cambodia - An Adventure of a lifetime

Ankor Wat and Siem Reap

The adventure to Cambodia was an amazing one. With an abundance of temples and delicious food it was a top choice for myself and friends to visit on a long weekend. 

We stayed at the Tara Angkor, which was centrally located. The staff at the hotel were so respectful. We were greeted on arrival with cool towels and tea. The rooms were large and spacious. We shared a triple and found it the perfect size for everything we brought. The hotel has a full-service spa, which was pricey based on Cambodia standards. When I say pricey, a one-hour massage cost $25 versus $18 in town. The spa was gorgeous and inviting. The pool area and court yard are picture worthy. We were on tours most of the time so no pool time was really available.

We went during May and the weather was doable. We were told it was the start of the rainy season. It rained at night and a few spurts during the day, but not enough to ruin the days. Again, I would recommend booking a private tour as it was nice to sit in the air conditioning after we had been trekking through temples all day in the heat.

The time frame we went was perfect, as I was able to get nearly every picture with no one in them. It was hot and humid, but not as bad as it gets in summer. I wore a dress one day and was not allowed into a temple because my dress was sleeveless. So when packing, bring capris, cardigans, Bermudas and some t-shirts.

Another note: English is widely spoken and the U.S. dollar is preferred currency, but you can get the Riel if you like from small vendors.

You will notice the people are nice and accommodating to your every desire. I wanted to ride elephants and they made that happen. Right down from Angkor Wat complex is a place where monkeys live, and we were able to feed them twice on our stay. The monkeys really didn’t care for the bananas the children were selling so I recommend highly recommend picking up some fruit from market for them. Lychees are cheap and they enjoyed them the most. We also ventured to the temple where the famous painters live and observed them painting some very large murals. The paintings were incredible and quite affordable–less than $50 for a huge one!

We went to the dinner theater one night and it was a fantastic experience. The hotel can book this advance for you. Watching the traditional dancers and trying some local cuisine was indeed a highlight from the trip. The last day was a free day so we went shopping for some local goods and went to Tonlé Sap Lake. That was an experience in itself. The people live, bathe, and wash dishes in the lake that can only be described as a wasteland. The lake experience is not something I would recommend if you have not done your research on the region as most of the people living on the lake are Vietnamese and living in poor conditions.  It was $20 for the tour and lasted about an hour. We headed to the alligator farm at the end (more like alligators piled in a small pen). All-in-all the experience was great and a learning curve even for the well traveled explorer.  

Take note, if you decide to drink the fresh coconut please do in moderation. Apparently it’s a natural laxative! I brought right at $250 cash and was able to buy everything I wanted with that over the course of 4 days. 

Happy Traveling,

Katrina