Top Commentators For The Year 2015

Like I always did for the past few years, it's time to reward my blog readers who leave the most comments in my blog as a token of appreciation. Here are the list of name for this year top commentators: 


Top Commentators For The Year 2015
1) Twilight Man from Twilight Zone
2) Small Kucing & Mamarazzi from Small Kucing
3) J-Mei from Interesting Corner of Me
4) Cubie from The Cube (I still owe yours last year, I remember. Sorry for that. Will figure out how to send to you)
5) Agnes from Precious Moments
6) Ng Choi Yen from Mimi's Dining Room

Unlike what I did previously, this year I decided not to reveal what are the gifts I will be giving away so that you be intrigued with the unexpected surprises. So for the six readers mentioned as above, kindly please comment below as acknowledgement. Plus, remember to leave your name, mailing address and contact number to my new email address: dtdianateo@gmail.com within 14 days from the date of this blogpost posted.

Once again from the bottom of my heart, thank you so much for the wonderful comments and lovely notes you guys left at this little humble blog of mine. I'm truly appreciate each and every comments as it serves as a feedback for me to improve better for the coming days. 

Before I end my final and last blogpost for the year 2015, I wish all my blog readers


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2015 Christmas in Hong Kong & Macau (Sneak Peek)

Last year when both mommy and I were in Shanghai for Christmas, my mom watched a TV programme and she said she loves to go Macau someday. So I decided to give her another surprised, a Christmas trip to Hong Kong & Macau. 

The trip was relatively short - we went for 4 days and 3 nights only. We stayed 2 nights in Macau and a night in Hong Kong as my mom been to Hong Kong twice. It was indeed rush and quick trip but I want to fully utilise the two days of public holidays and the weekend. 

Here are the recap of our 4 days and 3 nights trip in Hong Kong & Macau:

2015 Hong Kong & Macau 01
#1: Once we landed in HKIA, we took Turbojet to Macau directly (HK$254 per trip) 


This is my maiden experience of taking ferry from HKIA directly to Macau cause previously, we departed from Sheung Wan Station. It's obviously hassle-free as passengers do not need to get through any Hong Kong immigration procedures or reclaim any baggage. Just show the baggage tag to the counter and they will do the rest for you. Remember to claim your baggage when arrive in Macau Ferry Terminal. 

Effective 28 December 2015, this is the revised sailing schedule:
11.00 am, 1.15 pm, 5,00 pm and 9.15 pm

2015 Hong Kong & Macau 02 - Sintra Hotel
#2: In Macau, we stayed in Sintra Hotel with its excellent location and impeccable services. 

Why we love Sintra Hotel?
1) Great location with a walking distance to major tourist attractions such as Senado Square (5 minutes away), Ruins of St Pauls (less than 10 minutes), not far from Casino Lisboa and Grand Lisboa
2) The famous Margaret's Cafe e Nata with Portuguese egg tarts is just one block away
3) Free shuttle service to and from Macau Maritime Terminal is provided
4) Shuttle service to City of Dreams and Shuttle City is just located in front of the hotel

2015 Hong Kong & Macau 03 - The House of Dancing Water
#3: I brought my mom to watch The House of Dancing Water. Although it was pricey, but my mom enjoyed it so much. One of the spectacular shows much watch when one in Macau. 

Showing Time for The House of Dancing Water: 5pm and 8pm daily
Ticket Price: Starts from MOP580 (approx. to RM320)

2015 Hong Kong & Macau 04 - MGM Macau
#4: MGM Macau Grand Praca 

A trip to Macau is incomplete without a visit to any casinos. Both mommy and I went quite number of casinos such as The Venetian, City of Dreams, Wynn, MGM Macau and etc.

2015 Hong Kong & Macau 05 - Ruins of St Paul
#5: Ruins of St Paul's for the third time. We woke up as early as 6am and yet, we still can't beat those Mainland China tourists. 

2015 Hong Kong & Macau 06 - Senado Square
#6: Christmas set up in Senado Square was exceptionally impressive and amazing. 

After spending 2 lovely nights in Macau, we proceeded back to Hong Kong by taking Turbojet again (HK$166 per trip). We bought the 9.30 am trip but they allowed us to board early. 

2015 Hong Kong & Macau 07 - Jenny Bakery
#7: Jenny Bakery in Sheung Wan branch 

The first thing we did once we got back to Hong Kong was queuing for the famous home-grown butter cookies, Jenny Bakery. The butter cookies that cause visitors from various countries queued up more than an hour just for these. These butter cookies are even made themselves so exclusive that each person is limited to two cans only. Verdict? Famous cookies are much more better than these. Sorry, Jenny Bakery. 

2015 Hong Kong & Macau 08 - Le Prabelle Hong Kong Hotel
#8: Le Prabelle - The hotel we stayed in Hong Kong 

2015 Hong Kong & Macau 09 - Mongkok
#9: Mongkok for the fifth time and I still can't get enough of it

IMG-20151228-WA0009
#10: On our final day, we went for Ngong Ping 360 and Tian Tan Buddha. 

We glad that we made a smart move by booking online a day earlier cause by the time we reach, we shocked with the super long queue. Imagine queue to purchase the ticket, and then another queue again for the cable car. It's insane!

Remember to book your ticket for Ngong Ping 360 in advance - Online Booking Ticket

Before leaving Hong Kong permanently, we did quick shopping at Citygate Outlets. We were so surprised to see few international brands such as Coach, Michael Kors and Kate Spade required customers to line up and wait before could officially went in for browsing their items. From Citygate Outlets or to be specific Tung Chung Station (Exit B), we took S1 bus directly to bus which cost HK$3.50 and the journey took less than 15 minutes.


2015 Hong Kong & Macau 10 - Macau
#11: Despite all the crazy crowd, celebrated Christmas in Macau is really amazing and lovely. Wish to be back again. 
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WOLO Bukit Bintang Hotel

I love to stay in boutique hotels, that's pretty obvious.
And I love to stay in Bukit Bintang whenever I went Kuala Lumpur.
Combine both of these, WOLO Bukit Bintang Hotel certainly suits my preference and taste.

Wolo Hotel Bukit Bintang 01
#1: It's easy to spot WOLO - Just next to Tous Les Jours

One of the main reason I chosen this boutique and chic hotel is because of its strategic location - situated right in the heart of Kuala Lumpur's Golden Triangle. Less than 5 minutes walk from the 
Bukit Bintang Monorail Station, this hotel is easy access to majority of the famous and popular spots such as Jalan Alor, a haven for hawker and street fare, numerous of shopping malls such as Sungei Wang Plaza, Lot 10, Pavilion KL, Fahrenheit 88, Berjaya Times Square and more. 

Wolo Hotel Bukit Bintang 03
#2: The hotel lobby is located on the second floor 
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Mystical Myanmar (2014) Day 2: Awe-Inspiring & Magical Sunrise View of Bagan

Date Visited: 10th January 2014

It was cold and dark. We were awoke at ungodly hour by the bus driver as we were almost approaching the Bagan Ngaung U Station right after more than 8 hours long bus distance from Yangon. I still remember vividly, it was almost 5 am at that particular moment. 

Once we stepped down from the JJ Express bus, we were surrounded by few bunch of men approaching us to provide shuttle service to our hotel. Some even offered to provide day tour excursion. After negotiated in such a hurry as it was relatively chilly and cold while we were in our normal hoodie, we came to agreed price of 50,000 kyats (approx. to US$51 or RM168) for the 6 of us. 

Before the driver decided to drop us at our hotel, he politely suggested to bring us to a temple for sunrise viewing. Unclear the name of that particular temple we went cause there is no signboard or maybe I wasn't too aware of it, but I think it wasn't that far away from the bus station we arrived. 

We're required to climb up the staircases with limited of lights, or should I say we were fully dependent on our smartphones' light cause there is no street lights around. I was so worried I might tripped off but for the sake just to view the legendary Bagan sunrise, I glad I managed to climb safely with the rest of my friends.

After waited for almost an hour, finally the huge and bright golden ball arose beautifully with plenty hot balloon. Armed with our camera around, we were never stop from keep pressing our camera button.

Bagan Sunrise 02
#1
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Mystical Myanmar (2014) Day 1: Mingalabar Yangon & Shwedagon Pagoda

Right after we did mini college gathering to Siem Reap, Cambodia last two years, my friends decided we should go and explore Myanmar. Myanmar is very mysterious to me cause what I know about this isolated country is Aung San Suu Kyi only. Luck was on our side when we managed to grab the best deal which cost as low as RM138 for return flight to Yangon, Myanmar eventhough it was consider the peak season. Amazingly a great deal and how we could ever resist that, right?

With the visit of Myanmar, I unofficially unlocked all the 10 Asean countries - Malaysia, Brunei Darussalam, Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and last but not least, Myanmar itself.

Myanmar, Yangon 02

There are few things to take note before one enter Myanmar:
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Foodie Friday: Festive Cheer Review at The Majestic Hotel Kuala Lumpur

What I didn't expect of was to receive email from the prestigious The Majestic Hotel Kuala Lumpur early of this month for the exclusive invitation to review their new launch of Christmas Eve, Christmas and New Year dinner menu. Initially, I decided to reject the invitation as I wasn't able to attend but then, I was thinking why not asking my blogger friend, Sherrie Pui aka Cutebun to attend on behalf of me. It's not like this golden opportunity would come every single time, right?
_________________________________________________________________

The Majestic Hotel Kuala Lumpur has recently launch Christmas Eve,Christmas and New year dinner menu at their colonial cafe. 

We were thrilled to be invited as replacement for Diana's invitation on 4th December night. Our menu that night is a mix of Christmas Eve and Christmas day menu. This is considered my first ever fine and luxury dining in Kuala Lumpur and the feeling is quite grant to be reviewing food in a luxury hotel like The Majestic Hotel Kuala Lumpur.  

_DSC8026
#1: There are only few tables set up there, roughly around 6 round tables and few long tables.

IMG_20151204_191609
#2: Christmas set up and decoration
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Summary of My 7D6N Taipei & Taichung, Taiwan (2013) Travelogues & Travel Expenses

Here is the compilation for all the posts relating to my trip to Taiwan dating back in 2013 where we covered Taipei and Taichung within 7 days and 6 nights. In addition, I also share how much I spent throughout my trip by end of this post.

Day 1: 26th November 2013
From Taoyuan International Airport To Taichung 

Taiwan Day 1 HSR to Taichung

How To Get To Taichung From Taoyuan International Airport:
Right after getting out from the arrival hall, follow the signboard "Bus to High Speed Rail" and proceed to U-Bus counter to purchase ticket No. 705 which cost NT$30. Hop on the bus and the journey takes around 15-20 minutes to HSR Taoyuan Station. So in case you purchase HSR ticket in advance via online booking, remember to plan your time wisely, or else in the case you miss the train time, you might need to pay another additional charges.

Through the online booking, you can get an early bird discount up to 35% from the normal ticket fare. Normally this online booking is available up to 28 days from the departure date. Credit card is required for the pre-booking and charge in Taiwan dollars. 
If you are travelling with High Speed Rail (HSR), remember to retain the ticket with you cause you can take free shuttle bus 160 towards Overseas Chinese University and stop at Feng Jia University. Alternatively, take taxi which charge roughly around NT$250-350 depending on traffic condition.

Fengjia Night Market 01

Day 2: 27th November 2013
A Day Trip to Sun Moon Lake From Taichung 
Get to the bus company's ticketing office at Section 1 Shungshi Road. From there, we bought the Sun Moon Lake Pass of NT$990 which include the return shuttle service, boat trip, ropeway round trip and entrance to the Formosan Aboriginal Culture Village.

Taiwan Day 2 Sun Moon Lake From Taichug

Day 3: 28th November 2013
To Shifen From Taichung
1. Take HSR from HSR Taichung Station to Taipei Station (Normal fare NT$765; less than an hour journey). 
2. Upon reaching Taipei station, make way to Taiwan Railway Administration (TRA) to purchase  northbound train ticket to Ruifang Station (瑞芳) for NT$49 each.
3. Then from Ruifang Station, purchase One Day Pass at NT$54 for unlimited rides along the Pingxi Branch Line or a single trip at NT$20. 

Pingxi Railway Route: Sandiaoling ---> Dahua ---> Shifen ---> Wanggu ---> Lingjiao -->  Pingxi ---> Jingtong. 

Sunny Room Jiufen 04

Day 4: 29th November 2013
Jiufen (九份), An Old Charming Township
From Taipei Train Station, take the Taiwan Railway Administration (TRA) to purchase northbound train ticket to Ruifang Station (瑞芳) for NT$49 each way. After exit Ruifang Station, across the road and board on the Keelung Transit bus towards Jiufen and Jinguashi. 

By Bus
From MRT Zhongxiao Fuxing, Exit 1 and board on the Keelung bus route 1062 to Jinguashi, alight at Jiufen
Jiufen Old Street

Back to Taipei and Stay At Fox House Hostel Taipei
Fox House Hostel Taipei

Day 5: 30th November 2013
Beitou
How To Get There: Take MRT heading to Beitou Station. Get off and change train to Xin Beitou Station
Taipei Beitou Hot Spring 03

Tamsui
How To Get To Old Street: 
MRT Tamsui. Exit the station and turn left, from there walk along the waterfront. The trip takes about 40 minutes from Taipei Main Station.
Taipei Tamshui

Day 6: 1st December 2013
Taipei 101
How To Get There: MRT Taipei City Hall Station or MRT Taipei 101 Station
Taipei 101 02

Shilin Night Market
How To Get There: MRT Jiantan Station
Shilin Night Market

Day 7: 2nd December 2013
From Taipei to Taoyuan International Airport 
Up to date, there is no MRT link between Taipei to Taoyuan yet but don't worry as there are few available means of transport to reach TPE from Taipei main city. Just to bear in mind that TPE is situated roughly around 40 minutes away from Taipei. Hence, one is strongly recommend to make a move to the airport at least 4 hours before the departure time. 

1) By Kuo Kang (國光) Bus 
The cheapest option to choose from - for as low as NT$125. The bus depart from Taipei West Station Terminal A in Taipei Main Station. However, the journey to airport takes almost an hour and if you are in hurry or like us whereby our flights were in the early morning, maybe this would not be the suitable option for you as the earliest bus is scheduled to be at 4.30 am. 

2) High Speed Rail
Although it didn't reach the airport directly, this is the fastest method to travel from Taipei Main Station to HSR Taoyuan which takes roughly around 19 to 22 minutes only and a single fare cost NT$160. The earliest train is scheduled to be at 6.30 am. Upon arriving HSR Taoyuan Station, take U-Bus ticket No. 705 directly to TPE (around 15-20 minutes, cost NT$30).

3) By Taxi
Expensive but an ideal option for those who need to catch flight in early morning and most importantly, hassle-free. The taxi fare cost around NT$650 to NT$1,000, depending on the traffic conditions. We opted for this option twice because both of our flights were scheduled in the morning, like I mentioned earlier.

Taoyuan International Airport Waiting Lounge 02

And the following are the details of travel expenses breakdown for two paxes (both Boyfie and I) spent throughout 7 days and 6 nights covering both Taipei and Taichung of Taiwan, but excluding the amount we spent on shopping haul.

PARTICULARS
NOTE
AMOUNT
NT$
RM
Air Fares
KK-Taipei-KK via AirAsia
Add: Luggage allowance (20kg)
Add: Seat selection

Accommodation
Taichung Fengjia Minshu (2 nights)
Sunny Room Jiufen (1 night)
● Deposit via Paypal
● Balance
Fox House Hostel Taipei (3 nights)

Transportation
HSR Taoyuan to Taichung (NT$380)
HSR Taichung to Taipei (NT$765)
Taxi, bus, MRT, train

Admission Fee
Sun Moon Lake Pass (NT$990)
Shifen Waterfall (NT$100)
Taipei 101 (NT$500)

Food & Beverages
Food & Beverages

Others
Shifen Lantern
3G Data Prepaid Sim Card








1






2





3
3






  
-
-
-
  

1,800

1,000
1,600
4,900


-
1,530
2,600
     
  
1,980
200
1,000


5,250


200
750
   
792
150
60


203

110
180
554

   
84
173
294
   
   
224
23
113


592


23
85


TOTAL:
3,660
(The exchange rate by the time I changed NT$100 = RM11.30)

NOTE:
  1. Upfront fee of NT$1,000 is required to pay via Paypal and the balance paid upon check-in.
  2. Pre-booking via online and we got to enjoy early bird discount up to 35%
  3. If your age between 15-30 years, don't forget to apply Youth Travel card to enjoy special discount for certain tourist spots such as Taipei 101 and Shifen Waterfall.
Frankly speaking, I'm not sure whether RM1,830 for a pax is fairly cheap or not but initially, my budget for accommodation is RM100 per night and as for food and drinks, I locate the budget between RM80-100 per day but it seems like I managed to spend lesser than I planned. But the only one thing I never expected is the transportation fares in Taiwan could be slightly pricey than I thought. As I was travelled with Boyfie's friend, he preferred to take taxi more than bus and train. Plus by the end of our trip, the taxi fare cost NT$1,000 (roughly around RM113) from our minshu in Taipei city to Taoyuan. 

I found out an interesting post to share with my blog readers - How Can Malaysians Travel to Taiwan for 7 Days With Only RM1,800?
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Taiwan (2013) Day 7: From Taipei to Taoyuan & My Taiwan Loots V.2

Our flight back to hometown was 9.50 am, which mean we have to be in the airport by 8 am, at least to avoid all those unforeseeable circumstances - long queues at the counter, clear immigration and security checkpoints. 

How To Get To Taoyuan International Airport (TPE) from Taipei City
Up to date, there is no MRT link between Taipei to Taoyuan yet but don't worry as there are few available means of transport to reach TPE from Taipei main city. Just to bear in mind that TPE is situated roughly around 40 minutes away from Taipei. Hence, one is strongly recommend to make a move to the airport at least 4 hours before the departure time. 

1) By Kuo Kang (國光) Bus 
The cheapest option to choose from - for as low as NT$125. The bus depart from Taipei West Station Terminal A in Taipei Main Station. However, the journey to airport takes almost an hour and if you are in hurry or like us whereby our flights were in the early morning, maybe this would not be the suitable option for you as the earliest bus is scheduled to be at 4.30 am. 

2) High Speed Rail
Although it didn't reach the airport directly, this is the fastest method to travel from Taipei Main Station to HSR Taoyuan which takes roughly around 19 to 22 minutes only and a single fare cost NT$160. The earliest train is scheduled to be at 6.30 am. Upon arriving HSR Taoyuan Station, take U-Bus ticket No. 705 directly to TPE (around 15-20 minutes, cost NT$30).

3) By Taxi
Expensive but an ideal option for those who need to catch flight in early morning and most importantly, hassle-free. The taxi fare cost around NT$650 to NT$1,000, depending on the traffic conditions. We opted for this option twice because both of our flights were scheduled in the morning, like I mentioned earlier.

Taoyuan International Airport Christmas Tree
#1: Christmas tree between 2010 and 2013
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Taiwan (2013) Day 4 - 6: Around Taipei City

Date Visited: 29th November to 1st December 2013

To cut the long story short, I decided to consolidate my Taipei travelogues which I went in 2013 into one blogpost, instead of day to day travelogues like I always did. After spending 3 days and 2 nights in Taichung, a day trip to Shifen and an overnight trip in Jiufen, we proceeded to the vibrant and lively of Taipei city, the national capital of Taiwan. 

Here are the list of where we went and what we did in Taipei:

1) Ximending
Also known as "Harajuku of Taipei", Ximending is one of the most happening and bustling shopping district in Wanhua District of Taipei, favourite spot among young adult and young people. Majority of the visitors prefer to stay here cause there are massive variety of interesting and boutique hotels, eclectic restaurants, pubs, cafe and fashion clothing shops surrounding the area. I even decided to stay here when I went back Taiwan for the third time this year. 

Taipei Ximending
#1: Ximending - the pedestrian shopping haven
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Hanoi, Ninh Binh & Halong Bay, Vietnam (Sneak Peek)

Xin chào Vietnam!

Three years ago, I went Vietnam for the very first time and spent a week in Ho Chi Minh City alone. Although it was my maiden visit but this beautiful yet chaotic country was so fascinating and captivatingtremendously intrigued me to explore more. At that point of time, I always looking forward to visit the rest of Vietnam's cities such Danang, Hue, Hoi An and Hanoi.

Cut the long story short, I was lucky to grab the airfare to Hanoi last year within my limited budget from one of my favourite airlines, none other than AirAsia for as low as RM290 for return flight,. How could I ever resist this? One year passed in the blink of an eye and without realised here we are, landed in Hanoi, the capital city and second biggest city of Vietnam. 

Vietnam 01 - Hanoi
#1: Red Huc Bridge of Hoen Kien Lake  

Vietnam 02 - Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre
#2: Thang Long Water Puppet Theater 

Admission Fee: 60,000 dong for normal seat and 100,000 for VIP seat
Schedule: Daily at 3.00 pm, 4.10pm, 5.20 pm, 6.30 pm and 8.00 pm

Initially, our plan was to go Sapa which takes about 9 hours by train but we changed our last minute plan to Ninh Binh, which only took two and half hours by train instead. In Ninh Binh, we're given a choice to visit either Tam Coc or Trang An, and so we decided to choose the latter one which is renowned for boat cave exploration. 

20151115_111920
#3: Travel on their local train is what I always want to experience and now I had accomplished it

By Train:
From Hanoi to Ninh Binh: 79,000 dong for airconditioned soft seats and schedule at 6 am, 9 am, 1.10 pm, 7.30 pm, 8.10 pm and 10.00 pm
From Ninh Binh to Hanoi: 68,000 dong for airconditioned soft seats and schedule at 1.06 pm, 2.30 am, 3.21 am, 9.56 am, 1.14 pm and 5.27 pm

The journey from Hanoi to Ninh Binh takes about two and half hours. 

Vietnam 04 - Ninh Binh
#4: Trang An is also known as "Inland Halong Bay"

Last but not least, Hanoi trip is incomplete without a visit to one of New Seven Natural Wonders of the world, Halong Bay. We even signed up for the two days one night package where we got to experience the amazing and spectacular overnight cruise. Trust me, it's way better than Star Cruises which I experienced early of this year.  


Vietnam 03 - Halong Bay
#5: Junk boat along the Halong Bay

Vietnam 04 - Halong Bay Papaya Cruise
#6: Papaya Cruise booked from Agoda. Thanks to Jeff Chuah for recommended this

Of course, every trip of mine couldn't avoid with all these non-stop fun-packed gastronomic delight.

Vietnam 05 - Hanoi Food
#7: Banh Mi (the best baguette I ever had), Pho, fresh spring roll and legendary egg coffee 

Summary of My 6D5N Trip
Day 1: klia2 to Hanoi 
Day 2: Hanoi to Ninh Binh by train (US$12 for a single trip but it is advisable to purchase directly from train station as only charge 79,000 dong)
Day 3: Ninh Binh back to Hanoi (68,000 dong for one trip by train)
Day 4: Halong Bay cruise
Day 5: Back to Hanoi around 4.30 pm
Day 6: Goodbye Hanoi 

The exchange rate: US$1 = RM4.358 and 5,000 dong for RM1
We may not cover as many places as we want but still, travel independently is definitely way more fun than joining the organised tour operators. 
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Taiwan (2013) Day 4: Jiufen (九份), An Old Charming Township

Date Visited: 29th November 2013

Located not far away from Taipei, Jiufen (九份) is no longer a strange name for most of the visitors. Once a prosperous gold mining town, now it has becomes one of the most favourite destination to visit in Taiwan. Jiufen radiates its own rustic charm and deserves for another remarkable visit. I went before but the trip was short, fast, rush and hurry - that's the downside of joining organised tour group. 

For this time around, I decided to stay overnight at one of Jiufen's bed and breakfast - Sunny Room. Check my previous post on Minshu (民宿)  I Stayed in Taiwan

Sunny Room Jiufen 04
#1: The theme of our room - Dark Chocolate 
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Taiwan (2013) Day 3: To Shifen (十分) From Taichung

Date Visited: 28th November 2013

After spending three days two nights in Taichung, it's time to say goodbye and move forward to another destination, Shifen (十分) in Pingxi District. From Fengjia Business District, we took taxi to HSR Taichung Station and from there onwards, we took HSR train back to Taipei. Because we purchased the ticket directly from the counter instead of pre-booking, thus we unable to enjoy the early bird discount. The normal fare for a trip cost NT$765 and it takes less than an hour to reach Taipei station. 

Fengjia Business District
#1: Breakfast at our favourite 24 hours convenience store, none other than 7-Eleven

Summary of How To Get To Shifen From Taichung
1. Take HSR from HSR Taichung Station to Taipei Station (Normal fare NT$765; less than an hour journey)
2. Upon reaching Taipei station, make way to Taiwan Railway Administration (TRA) to purchase  northbound train ticket to Ruifang Station (瑞芳) for NT$49 each.
3. Then from Ruifang Station, purchase One Day Pass at NT$54 for unlimited rides along the Pingxi Branch Line or a single trip at NT$20. 

Pingxi Railway Route: Sandiaoling >>> Dahua >>> Shifen >>> Wanggu >>> Lingjiao >>> Pingxi >>> Jingtong. 

Shifen Station 01
#2: Shifen Station 

Shifen is a quaint little town but rich in both culture and history. Besides being well-known for lighting up the sky lanterns, this old street is manicured with souvenir shops, grocery stores and restaurant on the both sides of the railway. It's my first ever trip here and I glad to make this trip far along together with my Boyfie to enjoy its nostalgic and relaxing ambiance. By travel independently, definitely both of us able to enjoy all these precious moment without any rush and hurry. 
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Taiwan (2013) Day 2: Travel from Taichung to Sun Moon Lake (日月潭)

Date Visited: 27th November 2013

Rise and shine from Taichung. Cause we stayed in cheap minshu with no breakfast provided, thus we went and looked in the immediate vicinity. There were only few food stalls available and majority occupied by the young students seeing that Fengjia University is just somewhere around the corner. We joined them by having quick and light meals such as sandwiches and milk tea before started to kick off the day. 

What To Do in Taichung?
Generally, there are plenty of things to do and see in Taichung. You can engage a local driver for a day tour with a standard charge of NT$3,000 (approx. to RM400) for a maximum of 4 people per vehicle. Most recommended places to visit are:
  • Lavender Cottage (Admission Fee: NT$200)
  • Rainbow Village 
  • Carton King Creativity Park (Admission Fee: NT$200)
  • Swiss Garden (Admission Fee: NT$120)
  • Cingjing Farm
But then, we decided not to engage any local driver but travel by our own instead for a day trip to Sun Moon Lake in Nantou County. Sun Moon Lake is largest lake in Taiwan and became one of the most popular tourist attractions among both local and foreign visitors. The journey from Taichung Train Station to Sun Moon Lakes takes about two hours by taking Nan Tou Bus. Hence, plan your journey earlier.

Taichung Railway Station
#1: Taichung Railway Station from far away 
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Fengjia Night Market (逢甲夜市) of Taichung, Taiwan

Date Visited: 21st December 2010 
26th & 27th November 2013
11th March 2015

Fengjia Night Market 01
#1: Splendid and bustling Fengjia Night Market (逢甲夜市)

Once is never enough. And this apply to Fengjia Night Market (逢甲夜市) in Taichung County which I went five years ago. With only an hour given by the organised travel agent to explore and venture this splendid and bustling night market, it was indeed short and rush visit. Couldn't enjoy as much as I want, hence I decided to go again for the second time. Turned out, I went back again for third times this year. Third time to Taiwan, third time to Fengjia Night Market (逢甲夜市). 

Night market in Taiwan is not mainly about shopping for trendy clothing, shoes, accessories and so on but what attract visitors to here is ultimately for street food hunting. Claimed to be the largest night market in Taiwan, there are wide selections of food and local snacks to enjoy in Fengjia Night Market. Most of the vendors start their business as early as 5 pm to as late as 1 am. Therefore when come to choosing where to stay in Taichung, I would prefer to stay nearby this market instead of nearby Taichung Railway Station.   
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Taiwan (2013) Day 1: From Taoyuan International Airport To Taichung

Date Visited: 26th November 2013

Five years ago, my family and I joined travel agent for our very first trip to Taiwan and honestly to say, it was awfully bad experience. It was last minute decision and plus, planning to travel independently may seems to be a little difficult for me cause there were not many travelogues relating to Taiwan back then. Therefore, I always looking forward to plan another trip to Taiwan and travel independently instead of following travel agent. And three years later, my mission has been accomplished with Boyfie and his best friend tagged along for this trip.

So far, there are only two airlines serve direct flight from Kota Kinabalu to Taipei, Taiwan; Malaysia Airlines and AirAsia. Of course in terms of cost saving, we chosen AirAsia for this trip. 

Day 1 - 01 AirAsia KK To Taiwan
#1: Aerial view from my favorite window seat

We booked the earliest flight at 7.10 am and three hours 15 minutes later, finally we reach Taoyuan International Airport. It's the main getaway to Taipei and Northern Taiwan. From Taoyuan, it takes roughly an hour to reach Taipei and accessible by wide variety of public transportation.

Day 1 - 02 Taoyuan International Airport
#2: 你好 Taiwan! I'm back again to this sweet potato shaped country and also the homeland of Asus & HTC after three years. 
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Summary of My 8D7N Kansai, Japan (2013) Travelogues & Travel Expenses For RM2,850 Per Pax

Here is the compilation for all the posts relating to my trip to Kansai Region, Japan where we cover Osaka, Nara, Kobe, Himeji and Kyoto for 8 days and 7 nights. Plus, by end of this post, I also share on how much I spent throughout my trip.

Day 1: 10th October 2013
Japan - Osaka 01-2
Flew with Malaysia Airlines for RM797 (all-inclusive) and it's direct route from Kota Kinabalu to Kansai International Airport (KIX)

Japan Osaka 01-4
From KIX, we took Haruka Limited Express using ICOCA & Haruka card to Shin-Osaka station.

"ICOCA is an IC card convenient for JR, subway, private railway, buses and shopping in the Kansai Area and other places worth 2,000 yen (500 yen refundable deposit plus 1,500 yen worth in train and bus fares) wheres as Haruka is a discounted ticket for Kansai-Airport Express to access from KIX to Osaka, Kyoto or Kobe area (either a round-trip of a one way ticket)."

Price for ICOCA & Haruka:
Round-trip type = 4,060 yen
One-way type = 3,030 yen

Japan Osaka 01-03

Hotel Consort Osaka 02
Direction: Exit 2 of Subway Midosuji Line Nishinakajima-Minamigata station and the hotel on the left side.

 Japan - Osaka 04
How To Get Shinsaibashi and Dontobori:
From Shin-Osaka station, we took Osaka City Subway Midosuji Line to Shinsaibashi Station by using the ICOCA card we bought earlier. The fare is 240 yen.

Day 2: 11th October 2013
Kofukuji Temple & Nara Park 
Japan 2013 - Day 02 Nara 01
How To Get To Kofukuji Temple:
Kofukuji Temple is five minutes walk from Kintetsu Nara Station (using Kintetsu Rail Pass), or 20 minutes walk from JR Nara Station. Can also be reached from JR Nara Station by clockwise running loop bus number 2 or any of the buses bound for Kasuga Taisha (7 minutes, 190 yen). Get off at Kencho-mae bus stop.

Day 3: 12th October 2013
Universal Studios Osaka
Japan Universal Studio 00
How To Get To Universal Studios Japan:
There are several direct trains per hour and many more connections require a simple transfer at Nishikujo Station before reaching Universal City Station on the JR Yumesaki Line. Upon reaching Universal City Station, five minute walk to the entrance gate of the Universal Studios Japan. 
Admission Fee: 6,980 for adult and 4,880 for children 
Opening Hours: 10 am to 8 pm on low season and 9 am to 9 pm during peak season

Hotel Remm Shin-Osaka 02
Stay: Remm Shin-Osaka Hotel
Direction: Central Ticket Gate of JR Shin-Osaka Shinkansen line


Day 4: 13th October 2013
Japan - Himeji Castle 03
How To Get To Himeji Castle & Kokoen Garden:
From JR Himeji station, it takes 15-20 minutes walk from the Central Exit down the broad Otemae-dori street.
Admission Fee: Himeji Castle (1,000 yen)
                             Kokoen Garden (300 yen)
                             Himeji Castle & Kokoen Garden (1,040 yen)
Opening Hours: 9 am until 5 pm


Japan - Kobe 09 Kitano
How To Get To Kobe:
Kobe is located 20 minutes away from Osaka, 50 minutes from Kyoto and 40 minutes from Himeji with JR trains. Apart from JR West Kansai Area Pass or Kansai Thru Pass, another alternative passed you can opt is Hankyu Tourist Pass (1 Day Pass for 700 yen and depart from Osaka Umeda) or Hanshin Tourist Pass (1 Day Pass for 500 yen and depart from Osaka Umeda/Namba). These passes are available in Kansai Tourist Information Center Kansai International Airport.

Day 5: 14th October 2013
Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan
Japan - Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan 01
How To Get To Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan:
Nearest station is Osakako Station on the Chuo subway line. From the station, it requires 5-10 minutes walk to Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan. Out from the station, look for the huge Tempozan Ferris Wheel as Kaiyun located next to it. 
Admission Fee: 2,300 yen (I would recommend to buy 
Osaka Kaiyu Ticket)
Opening Hours: 10 am to 8 pm

Japan - Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan 04-1
We bought the Osaka Kaiyu Ticket, a combination of Aquarium Kaiyukan admission and Osaka Subway One Day Pass which sold at 2,550 yen. In the case of purchase separately, the admission fee for Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan alone is 2,300 yen and Osaka Subway One Day Pass cost 600 yen, which indicates we save at least by 350 yen for a pax by purchasing the Osaka Kaiyu Ticket. 

Day 6: 15th October 2013
We took JR train from Shin-Osaka station heading Kyoto Station using the ICOCA card we bought on the first day. As it was too early to check-in into our hotel, we went to Arashiyama which is popular for fascinating bamboo forest as well as Fushimi Inari Shrine which well-known for its astonish and exceptional sight of more than 10,000 small and vibrant orange torii gates that arch a long walking path up to the hill.

Arashiyama Bamboo Forest
Kyoto - Arashiyama 02
How To Get To Arashiyama:
The nearest station to Arashiyama is JR Saga-Arashiyama and one way ride from Kyoto Station takes 15 minutes only under JR Sagano line. 

Fushimi Inari Shrine 
Kyoto - Inari Shrine 04
How To Get To Fushimi Inari Shrine:
From Kyoto Station, take train to JR Inari station along the JR Nara line

Hotel Best Western Kyoto 02
Stay: Best Western Kyoto
Direction: Take Kyoto City Bus and stop in front of Mina Shopping Mall. Walk through the small alley and the hotel located behind it.

Day 7: 16th October 2013
Except for Arashiyama and Fushimi Inari Shrine, I personally think the best ideal to travel around Kyoto is by taking Kyoto City Bus which cost 500 yen for a day pass. This pass can be bought at the main Kyoto Bus Information Center in front of Kyoto Station.
Kyoto City BUs

Kinkaku-ji (Golden Pavilion) 
Kyoto - Kinkakuji (Golden Pavilion) 02
How To Get To Kinkaku-ji:
Take Kyoto City Bus #101 and 205 from Kyoto Bus Station to the Kinkaku-ji Michi bus stop.
Admission Fee: 400 yen
Opening Hours: 9am to 5pm

Ginkaku-ji (Silver Pavilion)
Kyoto - Ginkakuji (Silver Pavilion) 01
How To Get To Ginkaku-ji:
Take Kyoto City Bus #5, 7 and 100 from Kyoto Bus Station to the Ginkaku-ji Michi bus stop. It takes 10 minutes walk from the bus stop.

Admission Fee: 500 yen
Opening Hours: Open daily 8.30am to 5pm


Day 8: 17th October 2013
Goodbye Kansai Region & My Shopping Haul
2013 Japan (Kansai Area)10From Kawaramachi-dori where we stayed, we hopped on Kyoto City Bus to Kyoto Station and from there, boarded on Haruka Limited Express directly to the airport. The train ride takes approximately of 80 minutes.

And the following are the details of travel expenses for two paxes (both mommy and I) spent throughout the 8 days and 7 nights trip in Kansai Region, Japan, excluding the amount we spent on shopping haul:

PARTICULARS
NOTE
AMOUNT
Yen
RM
Air Fare
KK-Osaka(Kansai)-KK via MAS

Accommodation
Hotel Consort Osaka (2 nights)
Remm Shin-Osaka (3 nights)
Best Western Kyoto (2 nights)

Transportation
ICOCA & Haruka Card
Add: Top-up ICOCA
JR Kansai Area 3 Days Pass
Kobe City Loop Bus
Osaka Kaiyukan Ticket
Kyoto City Bus for 2 Days

Admission Fees
Universal Studios Osaka
Himeji Castle & Kokoen Garden
Kinkaku-ji
Ginkaku-ji

Foods & Beverages
Foods and beverages

1


2
2
2


















3

-


-
33,400
-


8,000
1,000
10,000
1,000
5,100
2,000


13,200
1,120
800
1,000



22,246

1,594


377
1,050
631


251
31
314
31
160
63


415
35
25
31



699


TOTAL:
5,707
(The exchange rate by the time I changed 100 yen = RM3.145)

NOTE:
  1. It's absolutely a great steal seeing that all inclusive including 30kg luggage allowance, in-flight meals and entertainment. Unfortunately, this direct route has been ceased permanently.
  2. Refer my post on Accommodation in Osaka & Kyoto 
  3. Refer my post on Oishii Everywhere in Japan
Averagely, we spent roughly around RM2,800 for a pax, including airfare, hotels, transportation, food as well as admission fee to Universal Studios Osaka and Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan. For this time around, I didn't share how much I spent on my shopping haul but to be frank, we spent a lot on omiyage (souvenirs) especially on confectioneries and snack such as Kit Kat and Tokyo Banana.  

Transportation wise, there is a myriad of tickets and rail passes are available for the tourists in order to save money. To know more about these, you can refer here Rail Passes for the Kansai Region. As for the exact train timetable, route and fare from starting point to the end, refer to Hyperdia

Kansai Passes & Tickets
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