Summary of My 2024 Kaohsiung, Alishan & Tainan Trip [6D5N]

SUMMARY OF MY 6D5N KAOHSIUNG,  ALISHAN & TAINAN TRIP

DAY	DESTINATIONS	ACCOMMODATIONS
1 2 3 4 5 6	Kota Kinabalu ® Kaohsiung ® ChiaYi ® Fenqihu Day Trip To Alishan National Park from Fenqihu Fenqihu ® Kaohsiung Day Trip to Tainan From Kaohsiung Explore Kaohsiung Kaohsiung ® Kota Kinabalu	Fenqihu Deep Forest Inn Fenqihu Yeashow Villa AirBnB Kaohsiung AirBnB Kaohsiung AirBnB Kaohsiung

MY BLOGPOST

• To Kaohsiung Again! But This Time Flying With AirAsia From KK
• From Kaohsiung Airport to Chiayi & Fenqihu
• Day Trip to Alishan National Forest Recreation Area From Fenqihu
• Tainan Day Trip From Kaohsiung
• Kaohsiung 3.0
• Goodbye Kaohsiung International Airport

TOTAL EXPENSES PER PAX

PARTICULARS PER PAX	AMOUNT
	NT$	RM
Air Fares AirAsia Kota Kinabalu – Kaohsiung Add: Luggage 25kg for round trip [Shared]   Accommodations Fenqihu Deep Forest Inn [1 Night] Fenqihu Yeashow Villa [1 Nights] Kaohsiung AirBnB [3 Nights]   Transportation Trains Taxi from Fenqihu to Alishan [Shared among 3 persons] Buses and ferry in Cijin Island Attractions AnPing Old Fort AnPing Tree House   Food and beverages   Others E-sim Taiwan (10GB for 7 Days) – Hello1010 Shopping & travel haul	- -     900 750 -     1,886 533 275     70 70   -     - 2,657	533 119     124 104 278     260 74 38     10 10   232     32 366
	TOTAL	2,180

Exchange Rate as at November 2024
NT$1,000 = RM13.78

MY TRAVEL HAUL

#1: Bought some clothes for my brothers and my lil son from Nanhua Shopping Area Market

#2: Taiwan is famous for pastries such as pineapple cake and sun cake. So everytime when I went Taiwan, it's a must buy for family and friends. 

#3: Found this shop not far away from our Kaohsiung AirBnB 

I have to admit I was attracted to their packaging 

DOWN MEMORY LANE

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Goodbye Kaohsiung International Airport

 << Previous Post: Kaohsiung Trip 3.0 <<

Although I've been to Taiwan like a couple of times before (to be exact 5 times), I have to say this is my first time flying in to Kaohsiung International Airport. Being the gateway to the southern part of Taiwan, Kaohsiung International Airport is consider to be the second busiest airport in Taiwan, after Taipei Taoyuan International Airport. If not cause of AirAsia, I will never have the opportunity to land in this airport at all cause almost all airlines prefer to fly in to Taipei International Airport. Unfortunately AirAsia suspended this direct route between Kota Kinabalu and Kaohsiung.

I did blog and share regarding arriving at Kaohsiung International Airport (here). Now, let me share about departing from this airport. 

GETTING TO KAOHSIUNG INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

You can opt for either Kaohsiung Metro, public bus or taxi. Of course the most convenient and fast option is by taking Kaohsiung Metro under the Red Line. The distance from the major stations especially from the Formosa Boulevard Station takes nearly 15 minutes. The train approximately every 10 minutes. 

#1: Easy accessible from the city centre to Kaohsiung International Airport via metro or public bus

INTERNATIONAL TERMINAL BUILDING

Now, let's take a look at Kaohsiung International Airport's international departure area. 

Maybe due to this airport is less busier and less crowded, hence the check-in process, security and immigration processes were swift and hassle-free. However as for the shopping and dining options, there were pretty limited and not many choices. Probably you might need to consider to fill up your hungry tummy in the city centre before heading to Kaohsiung International Airport. 

Anyhow, there is one thing I love about this airport is that it is meticulously designed and decorated with several unique and interesting public art installations, light and an overall design that reflects the local culture and maritime atmosphere with specific notable works located throughout its terminals. 

#2: Always in awe of Christmas decoration

#3: One of the dining options we came across

#4: Anyone love to shopping at the airport before flying?

#5

#6

#7

#8

#9

#10

#11: Goodbye Kaohsiung! 

#12: My must order meal and drink whenever I'm flying with AirAsia - Grilled Peri Chicken with Jollof Rice and Pistachio Latte 

And that's concludes my 6D5N trip in Kaohsiung. 

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Kaohsiung, Taiwan 3.0

 << Previous Post: Tainan Day Trip From Kaohsiung <<

Well, this is not my maiden nor second trip to Kaohsiung but it has been my third visit to this second largest city of Taiwan. 

• Trip to Kaohsiung in 2010 - post here.
• Trip to Kaohsiung in 2015 - post here.

OUR ACCOMMODATION IN KAOHSIUNG

We booked a studio through AirBnB where it comes with 1 queen bed attached with private bathroom. Location wise, it's just merely 5-minutes walk from MRT Formosa Station and Liuhe Night Market. The only small issue for those with huge and heavy luggage is that you need to overcome few staircases before reaching the lift. Other than that, we're pretty satisfied with this studio. 

#1: A cozy studio with one queen bed attached with private bathroom

#2: There's 7-Eleven right opposite of our AirBnB

#3: The only downside is the staircases before reaching the lift. So if you are carrying huge and heavy luggages, you might need to reconsider this.

Date Stayed: 29 November - 2 December 2024 

Room Rate: RM555 for 3 nights (Booked from AirBnB) 

WHAT WE DO & SEE IN KAOHSIUNG

Since this is my third trip to Kaohsiung, actually I should go and explore more places which I haven't been and experience before. But because my husband has never been to Kaohsiung and this is his first time here, therefore there are few places I repeated over and over again, except for The Pier 2 Art Center. 

1) The Pier 2 Art Center

Located on Kaohsing Port, The Pier 2 Art Center is an abandoned shipping warehouse converted into a unique and colourful art space and outdoor sculptures. This is my first time here and I'm absolutely love this place as it seems lively and manicured with colourful atmosphere. Besides that, you can even find cafes, souvenir shops and restaurants here too.    

How To Get to The Pier 2 Art Center:

Take the orange line of Kaohsiung MRT and alight at Yanchengpu (Exit 1); or

Take light rail tram to Dayi Pier-2 station. 

Opening Hours: 10am - 6pm (Monday to Thursday); 10am - 8pm (Friday to Sunday)

2) Cijin Island 

From The Pier 2 Art Center, we walked to Gushan Ferry Terminal which it's about less than 20 minutes of walking in order to catch the ferry to Cijin Island. Been to this island before in 2015 but would love to return again as my husband has never been here before. 

How To Get to Cijin Island:

From Sizihwan Station under the orange line of Kaohsiung MRT, head over to Gushan Ferry Terminal. Get out from Exit 1, turn left and walk to the end of the street. From there, turn right and you will able to see the ferry pier.

Ferry Schedule: 5am to 2am with the frequency of every 10-15 minutes during the peak hours and every 20-30 minutes during off-peak hours.

3) Love River

The reason why I'm back to Love River again is because I didn't get to experience the boat cruise during my previous second visit to Kaohsiung. Therefore, I took this opportunity to experience the Love River cruise with my husband and we decided to pick the departure time during the sunset time in order to enjoy the romantic sunset moment from the boat. We got our ticket from Klook (here) which costs RM18 per person. 

How To Get to Love River:

Take the orange line of Kaohsiung MRT and alight at Yanchengpu Station. Take the exit for Wufu road and walk east up Wufu Road toward Love River. 

Boat Cruise Schedule: 3pm to 10pm daily.

4) Night Markets 

A trip to night market is a must when one is visiting any part of Taiwan. During my third visit in Kaohsiung, we managed to visit at least 2 night markets - Liuhe Night Market and Ruifeng Night Market. The reason why we visited Liuhe Night Market was because it's pretty close to our AirBnB. However, I found it's just so-so and nothing seems interesting to me whereas for Ruifeng Night Market, I would highly recommend one to go and visit it. We found out many yummylicious and pretty good local food and snacks there that we didn't realise we had spent nearly 2 hours wandering around this night market which holds more than thousand stalls.  

HOW TO GET AROUND KAOHSIUNG

Most of the times both my husband and I were using EasyCard which make our trip around Kaohsiung is super convenient, faster and easier. You can use this contactless smartcard on any public transports such as Kaohsiung MRT, buses and even light rail tram. You can purchase and even topup an EasyCard at Kaohsiung MRT stations, convenience stores such as 7-Eleven and Family Mart.  

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Tainan Day Trip From Kaohsiung

Sits on the southwestern coastal plains of Taiwan. Tainan is easily reachable from Kaohsiung via train as it takes super short 13-minutes ride (if taking the fast high-speed rail). This is exactly what we did right after came back from Fenqihu and Alishan. 

HOW TO GET TO TAINAN FROM KAOHSIUNG 

There are two types of trains you can opt for:

1. High-Speed Rail (HSR) - Super fast and easily reach Tainan within 13 minutes from Kaohsiung. However, HSR stations are situated quite distance away from the city centers.
2. Regular TRA train - Slower than HSR but TRA stations sit right in the heart of both cities which make this more convenient and direct option for going from one downtown area to another. Although the ride takes roughly around 30-35 minutes, it's cheaper than HSR. 

Credit to Asia Odyssey Travel

WHAT WE DO IN TAINAN

1. Anping Old Street 

Built by Dutch, Anping Old Street is Taiwan's oldest street featuring countless shops, stalls and eateries. It's pretty nice historical street to visit with plenty of handmade items along with good selection of light Taiwanese street snacks. 

 

2. Anping Old Fort

Known as Fort Zeelandia, Anping Old Fort is the first fort built by the Dutch in Anping District, Taiwan where it has been the administrative center of Dutch regime and the hub for trading. Today the only remnant of the Dutch period is the southern brick wall outside the front gate of the Old Fort, covered in the tangled roots of old banyan trees. 

Admission Fee: NT$70

Opening Hours: 8.30am - 5.10pm daily 

3. Anping Tree House

Anping Tree House is a former warehouse in Anping District but currently overtaken and occupied by banyan trees. It features a platform above known as The Skyway. There is a coffee shop within the premise but bear in mind, they only accept cash. And don't forget to try their ice-cream, especially during the summer time.

Admission Fee: NT$70

Opening Hours: 8.30am - 5.10pm daily 

4. Blueprint Culture & Creative Park

Nestled within the historic Old Judicial Dormitory area, this creative space features quaint shops, art studios and hosts cultural events. If you are looking for local handmade crafts and arts, this is the place that you are looking for. 

Opening Hours: 1pm - 9pm (Closed on Tuesday)

5. Hayashi Department Store 

Being the largest of Tainan's old building, Hayashi Department Store was the first modern department store with elevators in Tainan during the Japanese occupation. This cultural based shopping mall has not only features Taiwanese designer clothing, household items and traditional desserts but also brings more fine cuisine and restaurants to the renewed version. Japanese Izakaya, retro cafes, tea shop and desserts can be found within the building. And on the rooftop, not only you can the amazing view of Tainan streets, but there is also a Shinto shrine built during the Japanese Colonial Era right on the top floor. 

Opening Hours: 11am - 9pm daily

6. Chin Men Theater

Also known as Quan Mei Theater, this historic cinema is one of the oldest second-run theater in Tainan. It gained international fame for its hand-painted movie posters. And for your information, it was a favourite haunt for the world-famous director Ang Lee when he was a student in Tainan.

7. Garden Night Market 

Often considered to be the largest and most famous night market in Tainan, you shouldn't leave Taiwan without dropping by this night market. With nearly 400 food stalls and many dining facilities available, be prepared to feast your hungry tummy. 

Opening Hours: 5pm - 12am on Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday only 

IS DAY TRIP TO TAINAN FROM KAOHSIUNG DOABLE?

Yes, a day trip from Kaohsiung to Tainan is exceptionally doable, especially with it's a short 30-35 minutes train ride away. This makes it easy to see many of Tainan's must see sights and attractions in a single day.  

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Day Trip to Alishan National Forest Recreation Area From Fenqihu

<< Previous Post: From Kaohsiung Airport to Chiayi & Fenqihu <<

 

Fenqihu, where we overnight is the half-way point on the way to the top of Alishan and it takes almost an hour from there to Alishan. As we need to catch the earliest train in order to witness the sunrise, we pre-booked taxi from Fenchihu Hotel to pick us up at 4am. The 1-hour ride to Alishan National Forest Recreation costs NTD1,600 (approx. to RM220) and we're lucky to find someone to share the ride with us. 

#1: From Fenqihu to Alishan, it takes nearly an hour car ride.

Originally built to transport log of cypress trees, Alishan Forest Railway is now operating as a scenic tourist route from Chiayi to the Alishan Forest Recreation Area. The railway features 3 branches within the park; the Zhushan Line for sunrise and sea clouds viewing, the Zhaoping Line to the Chaoping Area and the Sister Ponds Trail, and the Shenmu Line to see the scared trees. After extensive repairs following typhoon damage, the line to Alishan fully reopened in 2024, connecting it to the mountainous region's villages and cultural heritage sites.  

#2: Zhushan Line Schedule & Fares 

They will even clearly stated the sunrise timing

#3: Zhushan Station - The highest point on Taiwan's railway network

#4: While waiting for the sunrise, you can grab some hot drinks or food from the stalls outside the railway station 

#5: Actually both of my husband and I were more anticipated on Unkai (sea of clouds) than the sunrise but unfortunately, we didn't catch any of Unkai. 

#6: Right after the sun rose, we need to immediately catch the train from Zhushan Station because there will be no more train after that. 

#7: From Zushan Station, we alighted at Chao Ping Station for some hiking activities. 

If you are visiting in spring time (between late March to early April), Chao Ping Station (Zhaoping Station) is well-known for cherry blossoms viewing area. Even though it's not a spring time during our visit, Chao Ping Station marks the starting point of the hiking trail that leads to the Sister Ponds Trail. 

#8: Hiking through the lust forest was breathtaking. 

#9: Sister Ponds Trail

#10: Shouzhen Temple, the largest temple within Alishan area and also the highest altitude temple in Taiwan. 

#11: By the way, if you are wondering how's the hike? Well, it's one pretty easy hike for us 

#12: Three Generation Trees 

#13: From Chao Ping Station, the trail leads us to Shenmu Station 

#14: Mandatory photo with the railway track in Alishan 

#15: Shenmu Line to Alishan 

#16: Hotels within Alishan area 

#17: Other facilities can be found in Alishan National Forest Recreation Area:

• Visitor's center
• Post office with ATM 
• Restaurants, tea shops and souvenir stores 
• 7-Eleven convenience store (the highest 7-Eleven in Taiwan) 

Is it day trip from Fenqihu to Alishan doable? Yes, it's possible for us where we able to witness sunrise at Zhushan, hiking at Chao Ping and catch train from Shenmu back to Alishan. 

#18: We ended our Alishan trip by taking train back to Fenqihu

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