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 

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. 

How To Get To Fengjia Night Market From HSR Taichung Station

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.



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.

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. 

Stay: Sunny Room, Jiufen

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


Back to Taipei and Stay At 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

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.


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


Shilin Night Market
How To Get There: MRT Jiantan Station


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.



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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