Things to do : Taiwan's Sun Moon Lake

The Sun Moon Lake is the largest body of water in Taiwan. Located in the southern part of Taiwan, the Sun Moon Lake is a famous tourist destination both for travelers and locals. This article will give you information about Sun Moon Lake and as well as my experiences in it.

The best way to get through Sun Moon Lake is by bus from Taichung. Bus routes from and to Sun Moon Lake are located in Taichung Gancheng Bus Station. Round trip bus ticket from Taichung to Sun Moon Lake cost around NTD 340 and you can purchase them at the bus station. Also, there are package or combo tickets which include the roundtrip tickets plus a cable car pass, a theme park ticket and etc. You can check what combo tickets you like all for a bargain price. The earliest bus from Taichung to Sun Moon Lake is around 7-8am and the last bus from Sun Moon Lake to Taichung is around 7-8pm, you may refer here. The bus frequency is within 30mins to an hour depending if there are traffic jams along the way. The travel time from Taichung to Nantou (where the bus stop and where the lake is) should be around 1hr 30 mins but since there are unexpected traffic jams and etc. the actual time travel time was around 2 hrs 30mins so budget your time accordingly. I purchased the roundtrip ticket alone as I want to be flexible as to what I will do when I get there since I am only doing a full day trip.

Bus ride to Sun Moon Lake

Once you arrive in Nantou, just in front of the bus stop is the Shueishe Visitor Center. From there I gathered Information as to which attractions are open and on promotion. It was the cherry blossom festival at the Formosan aboriginal culture village(there is also a theme park inside it) when I visited but the tickets are a bit expensive for me and I am only interested in the aboriginal village, not the theme park itself or the cherry blossom so I gave it a pass.

Shueishe Visitor Center

There are plenty of things to do in Sun Moon Lake, from hiking, biking. Island hopping, Food trip, go to a theme park and etc but decided that I will do the Island Hopping and the Biking Trail. I did the Island Hopping first so I can reserve the best for last as the Biking Trail is one of CNN's top ten scenic biking routes.

Shui She Wharf /Pier

I paid NTD 300 for the Island Hopping tickets which comprised of 3 boat rides and 2 islands to explore.

Island Hopping Route

The first stop is the Xiangshan temple, In this area, you can visit the  Xiangshan temple and do the Qinglong Mountain Trail hiking trail leading to other Temple, I stayed around 2hrs in this area and did the hike.

Qinglong Mountain Trail

The second stop is the Ita Thao. There are lots of things to do in this area, you can do food trip, shopping,  hike, do bicycle trips and etc.. Also in this area, you can find the cable car or ropeway going to the Formosan aboriginal culture village. When we arrived we were greeted with a traditional Formosan Aboriginal song. I listen and watch the show, eat some local food and then roam around the area. I stayed around 2-3 hours before I went back to Shueishe Pier.

Formosan Aboriginal Show

Ita Thao

When I arrived back in Shueishe Pier, I hurriedly went to a bicycle rental shop to rent a bicycle. The bicycle rental price differs from which type of bicycle you are renting. I chose a mountain bike and originally the rental price is around NTD 300-500 depending on which shop and for a full day. Since I am only having around 5hrs of time to enjoy the bicycle, I haggled the price to NTD 150 and the owner agreed and gave me a map and direction of where the famous bike route was and started pedaling. The  30km  cycling route if done straight pedaling would take around an hour and a half to 2 hours depending on your pacing but since the view is worth checking then you need to do some stops in between. It was a foggy day when I went there so the views were not that fantastic but I could clearly imagine what would it like if it was on a fine weather.  I stayed until sunset before I head back to the center.

Stopped at a nearby cottage to relax and check the views

Me with the bicycle. This could have been an awesome view without the fog.

For me, it was like cycling around Palawan and seeing nearby islands in it. It was one of the best things I've done in Taiwan.

Have you been to Sun Moon Lake? Share your stories and experiences below.

Things to do in Taipei (Taiwan) for FREE

Taipei - the capital of Taiwan is known for its busy night markets, modern architectures and widely diverse cultures and traditions. Aside from this, Taipei is also home to a variety of cheap electronic devices. 

To tell you a bit of the city's history or the country as a whole, Taiwan had always been known as "Formosa" after a Portuguese voyager saw the island and named it as such.  "Formosa" which means "beautiful" in the Portuguese language was embraced by locals up to this day. Taiwan is a former colony of Japan and of China.

Taipei is one of the most progressive city in the North Asia region. Having said that, prices on this side of the world may not be as pocket-friendly as one may think of. To ease the worry about the costs of daily activities, here are some things to do in Taipei which are absolutely free of charge.

Join the Free Walking Tour

Free Walking tours in Taipei are beginning to be famous and well organized. There are lots of organizations/companies conducting this kind of tour and the organization/company that I like the most is LikeItFormosa. LikeItFormosa is an organization/company that organize tours within Taipei. Most of their guides are locals and volunteers. Aside from the free walking tour, they also have other tours offered. The tour is for free but they do accept tips(not compulsory) in order to support their organization.

In order to join, you only need to show at the meeting point on the scheduled time. You can easily notice the tour guide as they are holding a signage on a fan. Normally the tour lasted around 2hrs and there are breaks along the way. The free walking tours offered are Historic which takes you through Taiwanese history, Modern which  covers the latest innovations of the city and the up-to-date information about the coolest and most popular spots to explore day and night and the Golden Age tour walks you through places where once Taiwan’s literati and artists gathered and gives you a peek of how Dadaocheng has transformed over the years into a creative hub where traditions clash with innovations

I joined 2 out of 3 of their free walking tours offered, the Modern and Historic tour. If I have an extra change, I did give tip but not that much but if not then I just thank the guide. The tour also is a venue to meet fellow travelers, foreigners or locals (yes some Taiwanese local join the tour as well) which is good for those solo travelers like me.

For more info visit LikeItFormosa.

Historic Tour - (photo from LikeItFormosa FB page - spot me heh)

Modern Tour - (photo from LikeItFormosa FB page - spot me heh)

Drinking with fellow travelers who joined the Tour

Hike Nearby Mountain Trails

There are lots of hiking trails in Taipei and they are absolutely free. For the nature lovers out there, this sounds heaven and will probably take lots of your time and at the same time rewarding and fulfilling once you saw the view from the top. Hiking in Taipei is generally easy, safe and organized. In every hiking trail, there are English and Chinese trail signs so you will not get lost along the way.

There are lots of hiking trails within Taipei and the famous one is the Elephant Mountain Hiking Trail. It is famous because of its incredible view of the city once you are on the top of the mountain. Most people doing this trails are Taiwanese Elders doing this as their form of exercise though there are also lots of travelers doing this for the awesome view of the city.

The trail is not that hard but it is pretty steep going up with stairs. In my opinion, you can get to the top from the MRT station(Xiangshan Station) in around 45minutes to an hour but still, depends on your pace. The best time to visit is in the afternoon and wait for the sunset.

View from the top of Elephant Mountain

Visit a Night Market

As mentioned earlier, Taipei is home to lots of night markets. While visiting them is free, travelers and locals alike flock to night markets either to do some shopping for souvenirs or do some food trips. For me aside from shopping and food trips, I am always curious on how a busy night market looks like while having fun strolling around and tasting every free food samples along the way. 

The famous and biggest night market in Taipei is the Shilin Night Market. Just accessible via MRT, Shilin has been one of the must visit night markets in Taipei. It sells a variety of goods from shoes, clothes to traditional food, souvenirs, and beverages, it also home for some entertainment like shooting/fishing game or even a place to grab some drink. The market gets busy at around 5 pm until midnight. Now get ready on your haggling techniques if you are going to shop in this market.

Temple within Shilin Night Market

Indoor Fishing in Shilin Market

A not so crowded Alley in Shilin Night Market

Visit some Parks and Mall

Most parks in Taipei are free of charge and has free WIFI in it. Malls, on the other hand, gets you everything you need from electronics to souvenir, groceries(sometimes I buy grocery for daily consumption while traveling) and if you are up for window shopping then this place will be the best place for you.

One of the famous parks in Taipei is 228 Peace Memorial Park. A park that commemorates the victims of February 28, 1947 incident wherein innocent people were massacred. It is a good place to look around and rest for a while.

If you are keen on searching for some cheap electronics at the same time roaming around, then Guang Hua Digital Plaza is for you. Guang Hua Digital Plaza is a mall that sells technological and electronic kinds of stuff. On the other hand, you can also visit the famous Taipei 101, inside it is a big mall with all the luxury brands, food courts and etc.. 

Trivia: Do you know that the lights of Taipei 101 are different in each day. Locals say that they can determine if it is a Monday or a Sunday by just looking at the lights of the Taipei 101. 

Inside Taipei 101 Mall

"LOVE" sign just outside of Taipei 101

Food Court on the basement of Taipei 101 Mall

Taipei 101 at night

There are plenty of things to do in Taipei for free but the one listed above are the most common one. Taipei is a great city and there are lots of things this city can offer and it is up for you to discover.

Have you been to Taipei? Share your stories and experiences below.

Things to do in Taichung (Taiwan)

Taichung is one of the less visited cities in Taiwan and is just a few hours away from the Taoyuan International Airport (240 NT for a bus ticket). Situated in the southern part of Taiwan, Taichung is the home of the famous bubble tea where it was first created.

Some travelers might miss or skip this city, there are things in Taichung that will surely catch your attention.

Traveling within Taichung is never been a problem. Although the city doesn't have a metro/subway line as its mass public transport, an efficient BRT(Bus Rapid Transit) network does the job done. Little do we know, the BRT network in Taichung is free of charge( Yes, it's absolutely FREE as of this writing!!!) provided you have an easy card (you can buy this at 7/11) with some balance in it and that the distance you travelled does not exceed to 30km and up(if I am not mistaken with the limit). Just by tapping your easy card to the bus card terminal, you can then board the bus, be sure to retap it again when you disembark in the bus as failing to do so will cost you 20NT. You can use google maps to trace or to know which bus number(bus number is located on the upper portion of the windshield of the bus) to board and which bus stop to wait and etc. depending on the details of your trip. Attractions within the city are relatively close to each other making every trip FREE of charge, now who doesn't want to visit Taichung?

BRT Station

PS: while writing this article, I am on a bus heading to the capital, Taipei!

Now let's get started, here the things you can do while in Taichung.

Do the Free Walking Tour

The best way to know a city is through walking. Originally saw the free tour on Couchsurfing and immediately contact the organizer. The tour is facilitated by a local. In this tour, you will learn the cities history, traditions, local delicacies( love the free taste of cakes and tea!) etc and the best thing its free and you can tip them if you want, you decide. There are 2 tour routes being offered and they do have English and Mandarin. Meeting point is in Taichung Station for more info check the image below.

Taichung Station

Street Art

Tour Info

Local Guide

Visit some Parks and Temples

Parks are generally a good place to relax. You can easily see a beauty of a city by just looking on it. Temples, on the other hand, connects you to the culture and tradition of the city and its people. Parks and Temples are generally free of charge in Taichung.

Maple Garden Park (best to visit at night)

Inside Taichung Park

Temple in the central district

Visit a Night Market

The very busy streets of a night market are so inviting. The delicious food and affordable goods attract tourist and locals alike. Ranging from local food to western and Asian food, they got you covered. The famous and biggest night market in Taichung is the Fengjia Night Market. Now get ready for a ton of free taste that awaits you!

"Da Chang Bao Xiao Chang", a must try but get ready for a long queue.

Fengjia Night Market

Day Trips to Nearby Places

For some travelers, Taichung is served as their base towards other nearby attractions. Doing a day trip from Taichung to other places somewhat maximize your stay in it.

Most recommended day trips are Puli, Wufeng, Dakeng, Sun moon lake and etc. Usually, it will take 1 - 2 hrs by bus to this destinations.

Here is a link to my Sun Moon Lake day trip: here

Sun Moon Lake

Have you been to Taichung? Share your stories and experiences below.

Sleeping in Taoyuan International Airport (Taiwan)

Taoyuan International Airport

I just recently arrived at Taoyuan International Airport in Taipei at midnight via Cebu Pacific Airline and since it is in the middle of the night, most public transports were still close and the taxi was one of the only option left for you to get into where you want to go. Low-cost airline usually has a very bad flight schedule/timing commonly arriving at midnight or dawn. Having said that I will still prefer a cheap flight ticket even with the bad flight schedule.

If you are a backpacker/budget traveler, spending the night in the airport would be your best option. This way you can save a night of accommodation and a super expensive transportation fare.

This post will give you an idea what it is like sleeping in the Taoyuan International Airport and which part is the best place to stay, what to expect and why.

PS: while writing this article I'm riding a bus from the airport to Taichung on my mobile phone so bear with me.

After several minutes of roaming around the airport, for me, the best place to sleep was in the area around the North Meeting Point (NMP).

To get to NMP after immigration, proceed to the Customs inspection area then go straight and once you find an intersection,  turn right.

From here you can see a Tourist service center just go straight and then you can now see a sign "North Meeting Point".

Tourist service center

In this area of the airport you can have all the things you need like the sleeping benches/sofas with charging station(this is what I like the most), 24hrs Money changer (be sure to exchange only a small amount of money just enough for a metro ticket and food as the exchange rates are insane), Restroom and etc.

Sleeping on the benches and sofas may not be comfortable but it gets you rested(at least for people like me) before your planned adventure. Some people used the airport carts as additional space to rest their foot or their heads as it goes "kanya kanyang discarte lang". You can get crazy by sleeping on the floor or on the cart for as long as you are not blocking the way. Securities were also nearby so even if you sleep much, your things are still there and well guarded( there are lots of CCTVs as well).

Money Changer and Restroom beside it

Sleeping benches/sofas

Charging Station (sockets are similar to PH but in TW  its 110v and most plugs nowadays accept from 100v - 240v be sure to check)

Just a few steps from here you can see a pocket wifi rental if you are keen on getting one. Also just beside it is an escalator leading to the ground floor where a 24 hr store is located(if you want to grab something to eat). From the store walk straight and buses are stationed here, buses which go to Taipei city or into nearby cities. Buses leading to HSR station is also stationed here. It is also where the ticketing booth is.

As for me I went to the store, bought some breakfast items and ate them just on the benches beside the bus station and ticket outlets.

Signage near NMP

7/11 like store in the Airport

On the bus station, there is a nearby restroom and a free drinking water( hot and cold).

Water Dispenser in the airport

The spot where I slept was just beside the escalator and pocket wifi rental as it had a few people around and there is a charging station nearby.

The spot where I stayed

Overall it was a decent stay and slept for around 4 hrs before I get into my bus to Taichung. Is it safe? Yes, it is very safe.

Have you tried sleeping in Taoyuan International Airport? Share your experience in the comment section below.

How to apply for Taiwan Visa Exemption [Filipino Citizens]

Taiwan has recently become a new destination for Filipino travelers due to the increase of flights from and to Taiwan from the Philippines from different airlines. Taiwan has its own charms and hidden gems that need to be explored.

UPDATE (July 28, 2018): Filipinos are  still  VISA FREE for another year till July 31, 2019.

Update as of  August 2018: If you have an expired visa or resident card of the mentioned countries Below and was expired less than 10 years from  intended travel to Taiwan then you are still eligible to apply for a ROC. More info here.

Filipinos traveling to Taiwan requires a visa. While applying for Taiwanese visa seems to be easy (though I haven't tried it yet), there is another way to get into Taiwan without securing a visa provided you are qualified and fall into some conditions. Taiwan recently announces the ROC Travel Authorization Certificate for some Southeast Asian citizens(Applicable to citizens of India, Indonesia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos) to enter Taiwan visa-free provided some conditions are met.

To be eligible for a ROC Travel Authorization Certificate, the following conditions must be met:

1. The applicant’s passport must have a remaining validity of at least six months starting from the date of arrival in Taiwan.
2. The applicant must possess an onward/return air or ferry ticket.
3. The applicant has never been employed as a blue-collar worker in Taiwan.

In addition, the applicant must possess at least one of the following documents issued by Australia, Canada, Japan, Korea, New Zealand, any of the Schengen countries, the United Kingdom, or the United States:

1. Valid resident or permanent resident card
2. Valid entry visa (may be electronic visa)
3. Resident card or visa that has expired less than 10 years prior to the date of arrival in Taiwan

Please take note of this:

1. Nationals of Indonesia who possess a valid Japan Visa Waiver Registration are eligible for a ROC Travel Authorization Certificate.
2. The visas in the aforementioned list of required documents do not include work permits.
3. Online applications can only be made by persons holding valid regular passports. Persons holding temporary, emergency, or informal passports, or travel documents other than a passport, cannot submit online applications.
4. If any mistake is made during the online application process, the applicant may submit a new application.
5. Once the application has been approved, the applicant is kindly requested to print out the ROC Travel Authorization Certificate. The applicant must present the certificate and the required documents for inspection when entering Taiwan. Entry will be denied if the required documents are not produced.
6. An approved ROC Travel Authorization Certificate is valid for 90 days. Multiple entries within these 90 days are allowed. The holder of a ROC Travel Authorization Certificate may stay in Taiwan for 30 days, starting from the day after arrival. If the holder wishes to apply for another ROC Travel Authorization Certificate, he or she must do so seven days prior to the expiry of the current certificate.

Source: Taiwan Government

I applied for the ROC Travel Authorization Certificate since I have a valid  US Visa and by looking at the requirements, I am also eligible and have met those conditions.

Here is where you apply: ROC Travel Authorization Certificate application

Online Application for R.O.C Travel Authorization Certificate

In the online application, all you need to do is fill up the form(basically your personal info like your passport info, your VISA that you will be using and etc.). After filling up, if your request is approved you can now print the certificate. 

Important Note: You need to keep this certificate in entering and leaving Taiwan, as the immigration officer will check this.

My R.O.C Travel Authorization Certificate

Have you tried applying for Taiwanese Travel Authorization Certificate? Share your stories and experience in the comment section below.