Tips for preparation of the trip

Today I shall list down my tips for the trip:



Guide book for preparation: The rough guide to Taiwan, bought @ Borders (A very good guide. It shows quite detailed way of getting to a place and entrance fee etc, a must-buy book if you are planning free & easy trip).



Websites for info:

http://crazy_azn1.tripod.com/taiwan/index.html (i relied alot of info on this web. There's even planned trip for free & easy tours depending on how many days you want to go. So for those, who wanted to go free & easy but yet is lazy to plan, you can just pluck out the itinernary from there).

http://www.virtualtourist.com/ (this is a good travel forum, if you visit the taiwan / taipei side, there's a guy call Nuttyen who is always very helpful to answer queries. He should be the one that started the website mentioned earlier).

http://www.virtualtourist.com/travel/Asia/Taiwan/Taipei_Shih/Taipei-1074413/TravelGuide-Taipei.html (same as above. But this link provides general info).

http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowForum-g293910-i9303-Taiwan.html (see itineraries of others)

http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g293910-i9303-k587086-Itinerary_thread-Taiwan.html (this thread gives very detailed itinery - take a look, fr same website as above)

http://www.cksairport.gov.tw/chinese/transportation/taipei.htm (to find out transport from airport to the hotel or place you want to go, To alight at Main station, just take GuoKuang（國光）cost NT125).

http://www.thsrc.com.tw/tw/index.htm (taiwan high speed rail aka bullet train website)

http://www.railway.gov.tw/en/ticket/ticket-1.aspx (website of train ticket)

http://www.thsrc.com.tw/tw/ticketing/timetable.asp (timetable of the High speed rail. You can also get a copy of the timetable from the counter @ the sales of the bullet train ticket).



Hotel in Taipei: (good location, opposite Taipei Main Station, next to Xin Guang San Yue 星光三越shopping mall).

Hostelling International Taipei ( HI-Taipei ), Taiwan

13F - 38 No. 50 Sec 1,

Zhangxiao W Rd, Taiwan 100, ROC

Taipei

Phone: 886 2 2388 0885

Fax: 886 2 6632 9288

E-mail: yhtaipei@hotmail.com

Website for booking: http://www.hihostels.com/



Hotel in Taichung:(boutique hotel, 10mins walk to Fengjia Night market, voted as one of the best hotel in Taichung)

The Galerie Hotel

No. 242-33, Sec 2, Cing Hai Rd,

Si Tun District,

Taichung City

拓程商旅　　

407台中市西屯區青海路2段242之33號

t: 886-4-2708-9000　

Website for booking:http://www.thegaleriehotel.com/



Cabby driver: 陳獻周

Tel: +886 25952144 / 2595 1335 / 2551963

HP: +886 910140026

Email: w24286950@yahoo.com.tw

Trip from hotel to airport cost NT800. From Airport to hotel will cost another NT100 more for waiting time and parking. This driver is very friendly and good. Doubt he speaks English. But one thing good is you can book him via email. Tour Keelung, taipei, jiufen, yehliu, jinguashi would cost around NT3200 for whole day. He will also purposely go by longer route for you to see the scenery)

陳義河 (For Wulai. He was the one who brought us to the hotspring).

Tel: +886 930 199 585

Maps: Don't need to buy any maps. You can easily get alot from the visitor information counter @ the airport as well as the train station. In fact, @ alot of the MRT stations, there's also visitor information counter. If not, there'll also be brochures which we can take)

Shop for facial masks: COSMED (康是美） www.cosmed.com.tw,

　Recommended brand: 我的美麗日記

Watson

Taiwan's popular bookstore: Eslite (誠品）www.eslitebooks.com

(there are branches in alot of place, just like our popular bookstore)