Taking The Train

My bro and his gf are heading to Taiwan in October. They're going for a week and I am soooooo jealous! Since I've been trying to advise them on where to go and what to do, I thought I should re-start my blogging on Taiwan. So sorry I haven't been updating as much as I'd liked as I've been caught up with work and other stuff.

Anyways, while travelling across Taiwan, you have the usual options of taking an internal flight or driving or taking the train. For us, we preferred the train as it is a more budget-friendly option as compared to a flight and also less brain-intensive than driving.

Before booking our train tickets to Hualien from Taipei, I came across this really good step-by-step guide on how to book the tickets! The good news is that since the guide was 'published', the payment website now has the option of instructions in English so if you jiat kantang like me, you won't have any problems navigating it ;) The bad news is that train tickets can only be purchased from 6 am to 11 pm and only two weeks in advance so it can be quite stressful trying to get the popular express train tickets - plus there is only a maximum number of tickets that you can buy a day, so if you fill up the details wrongly, you have to use another passport number to purchase your tickets or wait another day.

We didn't manage to get the express train tickets which we wanted (as we were travelling on a Saturday and the shortest duration rides got snapped up really quick!) but settled for an approximately 3 hours train ride tickets there and back. You can try out the different permutations on the website and decide on your train tickets before you pay for them.

On the day we arrived (i.e. one day before we were to take the train), we decided to be ks and get our tickets first so we could sleep in and take our time the next day before our morning ride out of Taipei. Thank goodness we were ks. The queue at the ticket counter was so lonnnnnng that we queued for more than 1/2 hour. I also made the mistake of not printing the ticket so I had to fill up a form with our booking details before I could make payment (the form is in Mandarin, by the way). Apparently you can collect your tickets from any of the convenience stores too, but I wasn't very confident going that route.

The ticket counter for our train (Tip: Do check with the information counter if you're unsure whether it's for the right train as the trains for the western coast of Taiwan are under a different operator)

Can you spot me?

That's me in brown!

Our trip to Hualien was on the Fu-Hsing Semi Express 684, which was 2 hours 35 minutes. Prior to our departure, we nipped down to the bento lunch store and were greeted by this sight! Lots of hungry people! They were mostly queueing for the meat bento boxes so we managed to cut queue by purchasing the less popular alternatives of vegetarian and fish bentos.

The train station also has a mini exhibition area chronicling the history of their operations and some cool models.

Down at the platform, we were pleased to see that our train was "ON TIME" :D

Do note which train you are taking because different trains pull up to different platforms depending on the length of the train.

Lucky us got the front seats so there was ample space for us to dump our bags! (No need to lug it up to the overhead compartments!)

Gorgeous scenery!

Train conductor checking our tickets

Mama and baby snoozing happily

Here's a look at our yummy bento boxes!

ZX's vegetarian bento

My fish bento

Family shot at the end of our train ride from Taipei to Hualien!

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Before we left Hualien, we dumped our bags at the station at one of the huge lockers and took a cab to Qi Xing Tan (read here). According to our cab driver, that was a mistake :(:( There is a cheaper option of the baggage room at the left of the station where you can place your bags. The lockers are for 'cheating' unknowing tourists. (Well, mission accomplished right?!)

For our ride back, we went back on the Tze-Chiang Limited Express 177 which was 2 hours 51 minutes. The train was more modern than the first one so we were quite pleased :):) This train also offers bentos (unlike the first) so there's no need to purchase food beforehand.

Bielet getting her iphone entertainment fix

And a last family shot for the album as we approached Taipei :) Funny!

Leader Hotel Taroko - Our Room

If you're wondering why I'm acting all mysterious about our day at Taroko Gorge (teasers #1 and #2), I'm laying my cards on the table and saying it - there are too many photos, that's why! Please bear with me as I sort out the photos and pick from the gazillions that we took. Yes, we were so fascinated by the rock formations and stone faces that we got a tad carried away.

Let's start with our accommodation there, shall we? We had a bit of a disagreement over whether to stay at one of the hotels at Taroko Gorge or at Hualien. Of course, we ultimately decided to stay at a Taroko Gorge hotel because: 1) the main aim of going to Hualien is for Taroko Gorge, 2) there is basically nothing to do in downtown Hualien at night (so might as well stay closer to the main attraction and do nothing too), 3) the bus ride from Taroko Gorge to Hualien is about 1.5 hours one-way. On the flipside, the hotel is really pricey. Like really. We stayed at Leader Hotel Taroko for 2 nights at NT$10300 (around S$430) inclusive of 4 breakfasts, 4 dinners, 2 afternoon teas, tax and service charge - some promo rate on their website. They also provided a complimentary mattress for Bielet.
[For comparison, we were also contemplating Silks Place Taroko, this swanky 5 star hotel at Taroko Gorge. The price was roughly S$500 higher overall, which was also one of their promo rates. Leader Hotel Taroko is supposedly 4 star accommodation, but we felt that Leader Hotel was more rustic and out of the ordinary.]

All the rooms are housed in a log cabin with your exclusive entrance and private deck (for double bedders, there are 2 rooms in each cabin). The beds are all mattresses, which are puffier and less hard than futons. In case you're wondering, the yellow cushions on the right of the photo isn't Bielet's mattress. Hers was laid out later on.

The little TV space and tables for our stuff and drinks, as well as a small fridge. Our room also had a small selection of books and a couple of hats for our use.

Cool wood carving on the door leading to the loo. More on wood carvings a bit later on.

Right. I won't lie. We thought that the loo was slightly dodgy, and we kind of regretted not going for the 5 star hotel. The shower area is fine though it is recommended there be an interval of 15-20 minutes between showers so that the heater can sufficiently warm up the water (which is icy cold from the gorge!). Oh, and do remember to close the blinds before you shower! 

It was the pee area that we didn't like. Firstly, the low class (sorry!) pink wall tiles are really ugly and the darker pink floor tiles are equally bad. What's worst was that the floor tiles around the toilet bowl were conspicuously darker than the rest. And did I mention the odd musky smell? Super icky. We aired the loo by drawing open the blinds and the smell dissipated somewhat. As for the floor, I just wore my room slippers into the bathroom and not the room. There - all better. I think.

This is what the sleeping area looks like from outside on the private deck. Just draw the curtains for privacy. Note the step that delineates the sleeping platform from the rest of the room? Bielet stumbled on the step coming down a couple of times but mastered it soon after. Claps all round!

Yummy chocolate mochi provided for us :):) Mochi is one of the Hualien specialties so it's something to try when you're here! There are plenty of stores in downtown Hualien hawking an astounding variety of mochi so do spend some time picking the best if you enjoy this soft, chewy confectionery. (I don't particularly like it, but this chocolate one was really good!) 

Remember the hats provided? Bielet shows you how to carry it off :):)

Will be continuing on another post on what else we did at the hotel :) Don't want to be too chong hei, right?

舞衣新宿 (Mai Hotel)

We also stayed at Mai Hotel 舞衣新宿 during our Taipei leg. (Remember my criteria for choosing travel accommodation?) Initially, I was torn between this place and Nanking Little Mansion when sourcing for suitable accommodation on Asia Rooms - both hotels had really classy interiors and the rooms looked divine. Ultimately, we settled on Mai Hotel as it was more competitive price-wise and the location was easier to get to. I have to admit though that I busted our budget slightly on this one still, spending NT$5360 for 2 nights (around S$225) inclusive of breakfast. Nevertheless, we discovered it was totally worth it!

ZX and Bielet resting at one of the benches in the sleek white lobby.

Granted the tagline is rather cheesy, I liked the soothing colour combination of soft purple and pink against the white cabinetry and lamp. The rest of the room continued the mutual palette, with dusty gold and beige. I stepped into the room and instantly felt relaxed already (especially after we had walked about 7 minutes in the rain to reach the hotel from ZhongShan station as the hotel is not directly at the train station exit).

The glass tops of the table and TV console, coupled with the see through cupboard, just added to the illusion of space in this roomy nook. Aside - I yearn to have a transparent, see through wardrobe (not necessarily glass) like this. I liiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiike! For our future home!

Bielet disembarking from her seat in the backpack carrier (with help on Papa). Look! She's already excited looking at the humongous bed!

And when I say 'humongous', I mean it. The bed was expansive and oh, so comfortable! We sank in and couldn't move thereafter. The lightings are all soft, mood lightings as well so none of that harsh, clinical overhead lights that usually dominate rooms. Fancy! Check out Bielet lounging right in! ;)

As for the loo, it was also done up minimalist and with plenty of mirrors. This was my favourite bathroom of all our Taiwan hotels, replete with a generous four-suite facility. It's really smart that they managed to put all of it into a cosy space. And best of all, the shower consists of a rain-shower as well as a half showerhead aka at Bielet's level. So it was really easy for her to have her bath. 

As for breakfast, it is a small buffet spread with some Taiwanese porridge / ingredients / condiments and Western fare of bacon / eggs / sausages / bread / cereal. I thought it was quite a nice selection and thankfully, not the staid affair at TS Hotel. (Qualifier: Despite the meagre breakfast at TS Hotel, the rooms are reasonably priced and cosy while located a stone's throw away from Ximending and the local police joint. It is quite the hit with Singaporeans travelling to Taipei apparently.) The Mai Hotel restaurant is rather spacious but it lacked high chairs for Bielet so we just tucked her into her sack seat. Like the baby backpack carrier, the sack seat elicited peals of laughter from onlookers and coos of how cute Bielet looked in it. Score!

Compared to our accommodation on Day 1, this place is obviously more upmarket and probably targeted at travelling executives who would like something more out of the ordinary. And of course, it has a wardrobe and fridge. Hahaha

Our drinks getting chilled in the fridge. With convenience stores littering every street in Taipei, there are plenty of selections for drinks and snacks, so hotels don't stock up these at marked up prices. Not worth their buck. If you intend to get in drinks and snacks by the truckloads to your room, best bring your foldable or standby plastic bags with you so you don't have to pay for bags at their convenience stores.

All in all, we really enjoyed our stay at Mai Hotel. The service was excellent and even the restaurant ladies manning the counter and replenishing the food kept showering Bielet (and us) with attention. Thumbs up! For families travelling with loads of baggage and/or pram, it might not be a good idea to trudge through the streets from the train station. I'm not going to recommend taking a taxi either, as we took cabs twice and both times, the cab drivers got lost trying to drop us back at the hotel (incidentally on different days too). What the?! The first guy insisted that the lane didn't exist, while the second guy made a wrong turn and couldn't send us to the entrance because he was in the wrong direction of the one-way street. We just paid up and walked back. Make sure you know the exact way to get back, though, and you'll be fine!

City Inn Hotel Taipei Station Branch I

The City Inn Hotel chain has five cosy hotels around Taiwan (four in Taipei with 3 at Taipei Main Station & 1 at Ximending, and one in Taichung at time of this post). What's great about these hotels are that they are all centrally located and easy on the pocket :):)

We stayed at the Taipei Station Branch I on our first night during our recent trip because it was the best deal among the rest, and we wanted an easy place to get to the Taipei Main Station for our train ride to Hualien the next day. Ever since I started planning my own overseas trips, I have been rather picky about my accommodation. Previously I harped on location being the main factor for my choice, but then the aesthetic factor became a critical factor as well. With the arrival of Bielet, of course, cost and comfort is high up there too ;)

I was chuffed that I managed to get this place as it ticked all the right boxes! For 1 night, we managed to get this hotel at NT$2080 (roughly S$87), without breakfast. It's a stone's throw away from Taipei Main Station and the decor is really cute! 

Caution: you might find it too small for your liking. The lobby was a tight squeeze, especially with a row of bags lining the wall. It is basically the size of a corridor, with no chairs for guests to plonk into and wait. There was just enough space for me to go up to the reception counter while ZX and Bielet waited near the entrance. I overheard the hotel staff informing some guests to go up to the waiting area at the second floor. Cosy, eh?!

Standing at the far most of the lift, this is the most I could capture on my camera. Reality check: that's a really tight lift! The 3 of us plus our bags = FULL

The room is just a small cube layout. You can see the entire room once you step through the door.

There is no luxury of a wardrobe here. Just a simple full-length mirror and a few hooks with hangers.

The loo. Nice and bright, spic and span. It has a rainshower as well :) The door is just a sliding door with no lock, but there is frosted glass all round so no worries about seeing what's inside.

Bielet looks mighty pleased with the room! The queen-sized bed got some getting used to but we got sorted out in half an hour. The bed is right smack next to the loo (so if you work it out, the length of the entire loo is the same as the bed) so whoever is sleeping on the right of the bed gets to kiss the frosted glass.

Other than the usual bottles of water provided, there's some snacks and drink packets too. Not too shabby right? Oh, prepare yourselves though - there isn't a fridge for you to refrigerate your own drinks or baby food.

Instead of hanging signs on the door knob, you just paste the relevant magnet on the front of your door. Cute!

When we first reached the ground floor lobby, ZX said he never thought I would book us a place like this because it appeared like a hostel. But when we stepped out from the lift to head to our room, he said this is not a hostel lohhh, sure very expensive. He was, however, pleasantly surprised that I kept to my budget of less than S$100 per night. *Beams with pride*

What greets you once you step out from the lift! What a happy sight, right? I loved that the hotel was decorated with loads of cutesy art all round :):)

This graphic was at the end of the corridor, and our room was just to the right!

ZX trying to be farnie...

To find this place within out budget was such a good deal, don't you think? I admit that it is kind of small and it might be somewhat inconvenient without a wardrobe and fridge, but it's not utterly necessary for 1 night. I was initially worried that we might have to relegate ourselves to a hostel with our budget in such a central area. Not that I'm trying to be atas, but staying at a hostel might incur the wrath of other guests because Bielet sometimes gets grumpy and really noisy at night. In other words, this was perfect :) There was yummy food around as well and since we didn't have a breakfast package, we roamed around the next morning and bought from whichever stalls were open. We still had time leftover to pack and stroll over to catch our train. Nice and easy!

[Update on 25 Jul 2012]
Realised that I forgot to mention a couple more amenities of this hotel. On the second floor, you'll find a self-service laundry room open from 7 am to midnight (with washer, dryer and complimentary detergent) and a 24-hour self-service kitchen room. The kitchen has the fridge (if you really need it), microwave, toaster oven, coffee machine and water dispenser. Any parents with young children and require a baby bathtub can also request it from the front desk.