Taiwan Day 1 – Shilin Night Market

Here I am, getting all excited and been waiting for the past 9 months been very torturing as I bought my flight ticket on Airasia during zero fair promo some year year 2009 end of the year, and I was very jealous those who make their journey to one of the food paradise Taiwan by capturing a lot of nice scenery too. Hence me and my friends feeling good travelling there as there are some pre-arrangements. 😉

Our flight there was the AirAsia-x which I thought that it was their smaller flight with those compact places and I was so worrying that what will happen to me after my 4 hours flight in that cramp seat. To my surprise that, the seats are eventually bigger and something similar to MAS economy class seats which I am happy off. The only difference is that there are no cabin crews serving us with free flow of beverage and in flight entertainment. The only thing is that, we need to pay what you want to eat including water. So be prepared to bring some Malaysia currencies and also it is advisable to bring your own gadgets like i-phone with games app, PSP or anything to keep you entertain during the journey. If not will be like us, growing mushroom and BORED to death! I guess this is one way of Budget airline goes.

my window view while the air plane is flying at 30,000 feet above sea level.

Finally, after 4 hours of bored to death journey and I cant sleep, we had reach our destination.

Please TAKE NOTE All travelers below 30 years old, are entitle to apply for the ‘youthtravel card’ which benefits most of us that do free and easy tour or especially to a group of friends to entitle us greater savings on mode of transportation or entry to a park.

It was a long queue under international travel lane but it took less than 5 mins to clear us off at the immigration, as this show efficiency.

Currency Changes is RM1 –> NT 10

As travelling from airport to Taipei city, we only have to choices that we known on that day, either you take a public bus which takes about 70-90 minutes depending on traffic and by Taxi is about half that time. We were in the hurry that day, so we opted to take Taxi and trust me, it doesn’t comes cheap as 1 taxi to our destination is NT1200 = RM120. 3 of us in a car so it was 2 taxi.

This trip we were on budget so, the arrangement that my friend had arrange was home stay that a lot of my friends say that we can go for Motel, which is cheap, nice and clean. Home stay would be like a risk to go after. What can I say, that home stay would be a good experience as this is our first time staying in this option.

Taipei Home Stay was the choice as it was recommend by one of the friend there, with its convenience to a subway LRT 1 minutes walk away, 7-11 3 mins walk away and 1 train stop away from Taipei Main Station.

Upon our arrival there, we were surprise to be greeted by the landlord herself and with her friendly character had make us feel that we had made the right choice.

When I see my room, I was astonish to see how nice my room and how cozy it feels like. It feels exactly like home with a mini kitchen, filled with a queen size bed and 2 optional sofas cum bed. Actually our room is to accommodate 4 pax and my brother and housemate last minutes cancel their trip due to work, so we are occupying the whole place for ourselves.

The room all the rooms are equip with cable TV with more than 80 channels to watch, wireless connection and basic necessities in the toilet. It cost us NT1100 per night, as extra pax will charge NT 200 each, therefore is NT 1300 per night. I cannot remember what is the TYPE of my room and advisable to copy and paste to let the onwer see.

Our Cosy bed to ly on as what we were told by the landlord lady, our room is quite brand new that just newly renovated by her compare with other rooms, this would be one of the good ones.

Toilet with basic necessity (soap and shampoo), please take note that they DO NOT PROVIDE TOWELS. Therefore you have to bring your own towels or buy it at the night market.

After we had settle down and take a quite bath, she asked us are we hungry and she insisted to bring us to one of the best Fried Chicken around the area which is definitely much better than the one in Shilin Night Market. When it comes to food, I was the first one to agree.

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