Taiwan Day 1: Taichung - Gaomei Wetlands + Fengjia Night Market

Traveling is the best take away lesson that one can gain. Rather than reading it online nothing beats experiencing the world yourself.

Traveling is an eye opener affair and the greatest escape from reality. Before the peak of my work and new school term begins, we went on a 8D7N vacation to Taiwan to recharge ourselves. We got the booking done 3 months prior our trip. Both of us love traveling, we make it a point to travel at least twice a year.

My trip to Taiwan was a fruitful one, it was the best trip I ever have because I have seen many breathtaking sights and experienced many new thing that I will never get to experience in Singapore.

We reached Changi Airport at about 4am and went for our usual breakfast at McDonald after check in. Wow, my luggage was already 9kg even before I start to buy anything. The thick clothing I brought over must have contributed to the heavy luggage. McDonald was exceptionally crowded today, we waited for a long time before our order was ready. 

After eating, we immediately set off to the boarding gate. Upon reaching the gate, we discovered that our gate has been changed to another terminal due to the rain and have to fasten our pace and head to the new boarding gate. Lucky we were still on time for boarding. We took Scoot to Taiwan.

This time round, we didn't book window seats but row near toilet. Our plane departed Singapore at 6 plus. During the first hour of flying, our plane was experiencing turbulence and have the feel of sitting roller coaster. The plane only stable down after an hour. Feeling tired, I kept dozing off and awoke every hour to check the time. 

We arrived at Taoyuan International Airport at about 10.30am. We took about an hour for the clearance. During the clearance, I took a look at the people around and discovered that the two of us have the lightest clothing. We were the only few persons wearing shorts.

The first thing we did after immigration clearance was to purchase prepaid card from Taiwan Mobile, we purchased the prepaid card with 10 days data plan at NT$500 (or S$23.15). Our exchange rate was SGD1 : NT$21.60.

We then went down to bus terminal at basement level to purchase tickets for bus charter to Taichung City. We bought the bus tickets that will depart Taoyuan at 12.15pm. As we have 20 minutes waiting time, we went to 7-11 which was at the same level to grab a quick lunch.

Bro was telling me that coming to Taiwan definitely must try their 花雕鸡面, rice wine chicken noodle, so I decided to give it a try for my first meal in Taiwan. The cup noodle costs NT$53 (or S$2.45).

The cup noodle comes with huge chunk of chicken that make it worth the money paid.

The broth was very tasty and the chicken was tender, it was hard not to clear the whole bowl. 

We got up the bus, the journey from Taipei to Taichung was about 2 hours 45 minutes via bus. I was eagerly looking out at the scenery for half an hour, after which I began to feel tired and eventually reclined my seats and took a short nap.

The temperature was about 16°C, it was so cooling. It's the season for clothes layering.

Finally we alighted at Taichung bus terminal which was about 10 minutes walk away from our hotel. On our way to the hotel, we met a very friendly taxi driver who become our private driver for our 3 days in Taichung. He offered to drive us to our hotel for free (though we were just 2 minutes away from our hotel). If you are interested in getting a private driver in Taichung, he is highly recommended. Here is his contact details:

Name: Ah Kun 

Contact no.: 0966-762958

Arriving at our hotel, Twinstar Hotel.

Twinstar Hotel is a 3-star Twinstar Hotel is set in East district, it is just 300m away from Taichung Station. We were able to check in to our room and the time has just passed 3pm.

It was an overall pleasant stay which basic amenities available. We have no time to waste because Ah Kun was waiting for us at the hotel entrance. After freshened up and changed into a thicker jacket, we were ready to leave the room in 15 minutes time.

Our taxi charges was NT$2,000 (or $92.60) for a half day tour going to 2 locations - Gaomei Wetlands and Fengjia Night Market. 

One thing to note when coming to Taichung, the transport fare is not cheap because all the tourist attractions are located far from the city. You have to book a private charter in order to get around. Be prepare to cater at least NT$4,000 transport fee for a whole day tour (for 4 pax) if you are coming to Taichung.

After an hour of ride, we arrived at Gaomei Windmill Park at 4.30pm, a wetland in Qingshui District of Taichung.

The first thing that I noticed was the clear blue sky with no cloud, it just show how vast the sky was. I was captivated  by the view ahead. If it wasn't because of the harsh wind blowing on us, I would love to stay on longer to admire the surroundings.

The row of windmills is the trademark of Gaomei Wetlands. 

I regretted wearing such a thin clothing out. The sea breeze was really strong and I was freaking cold, I should have wear a long pant out. I was trembling as I walked. We didn't took much photos of ourselves because it was so windy and my hair were flying all over.

This place is a great spot to unwind ourselves but the cold wind made me want to go back to the car for some warm.

Admiring the beauty of the nature and watching the migratory birds from far. The sight was simply breathtaking. This tourist attraction offers a great place to capture worthy Instagram shots. 

We then went back to the car and drove down to Gaomei Wetlands.

We reached Gaomei Wetlands just in time for the sunset, a popular spot for catching sunset.

We stopped by this roadside stall to get some food, Ah Kun was also waiting inside the stall for us while we went to catch the sunset.

Some warm food to ease the cold. 

We bought fish balls (NT$30) and Taiwanese sausage (NT$25).

The fish balls were savoury and delicious. Perhaps we were feeling a bit hungry, everything tasted so nice. I have my second Taiwanese sausage for the day, it was flavourful. I ate them at almost all the night markets we went.

We began our walk toward the end of the broadwalk to catch the sunset, the beautiful sight has captured my attention. The feeling in Taiwan is different from any other places that I have been to, this place is just so surreal.

Constantly caught up in a busy schedule, I never have such a luxury to visit seaside in Singapore for a long time. Even my weekend was spent either at home or in a shopping mall. That's why I love traveling because I get the opportunity to enjoy the surrounding and see the world.

I have a clear view of the horizon, we soaked ourselves in the incredible view ahead of us. 

January is the coldest month of the year in Taiwan, my super thick jacket from Uniqlo was finally put to use.

It was only 5.10pm and the sun was setting down.

This was the most memorizing sunset that I ever seen. We watched how the sun is hanging low and went down bits by bits with no obstruction.

We stayed until the last rays of sun disappeared.

Though I have watched many beautiful sunset before, nothing beats the experience of this. It was simply fantastic.

We then walked back to the village and ready to proceed to our next destination. I like how the sky was painted with gradient of pastel colours. Though the sun has set, our night only just began.

Gaomei Wetlands

Qingshui Dist., Taichung City 436, Taiwan

Before going to Fengjia Night Market, Ah Kun drove us to Ruyi Sunny Cake shop, 如邑堂餅家, to try their pastry. It was about half an hour ride from Gaomei Wetlands. The shop provided free sampling for customers to try their pastries before buying. 

Bf got 3 boxes from them while I came out empty handed. I didn't want to carry them over to Taipei so I decided to purchase when we are in Taipei. Ah Kun was very nice, he offered to send the pastries to our hotel so that we don't need to carry around when going Fengjia.

Ruyi Sunny Cake Shop

No. 235, Hanxiang Road, Xitun District, Taichung City, Taiwan 407

We have reached Fengjia Night Market. It was only 7.30pm and the sky was already dark due to winter solstice, it seemed like it was already 9pm.

Night market is a must visit place when you travel to Taiwan, it's the best way to experience their local culture and trying their local delight. Taiwan is known for their bustling night markets, we have planned our itinerary with each night ending with a visit to different night markets.

Be prepare to come in empty stomach because there is lots of delicious food to eat in night market.

Fengjia Night Market is Taichung most happening night market, it was packed with people. There were many food stalls and we were spoiled for choices. We went for our first food stop for Taiwanese Fried Oyster Omelette.

The Oyster Omelette has a generous spread of eggs and the oysters were chewy. It was not as starchy compared to the one we have in Singapore. Taste was good.

My first bubble tea in Taichung was dedicated to 蔡大明青娃嗑奶, a highly recommended stall to try in Fengjia. 

We got milk tea with caramelised pearls at NT$45 (or S$2.08).

Bubble tea is originated from Taiwan, that's why there are so many bubble tea stalls and almost every lane will have one stall. It's a must have drink when you are at night market.

The temperature has dropped to about 10°C in the night, we need something hot to ease the coldness. We bought Cheese Takoyaki, the tako balls were huge and drizzled generously with sauces.

We got a packet of Faye Barbecued Squid that was well marinated and grilled, it gave a nice and chewy texture. Flavouring was toppled on the squid to enhance the taste. 

We decided to purchase a cup of fresh strawberries for consumption too. The strawberries were drizzled with white chocolate sauce that added sweetness to the strawberries. Though it was sweetness overloaded, I still love it very much.

We ended the night with Mee Sua at one of the small eatery. The bowl of mee sua was NT$40 (or S$1.85).

FengJia Night Market

Wenhua Road, Xitun District, Taichung City, Taiwan 407

Operating hours: 2pm to 12am daily

Though it was only 9pm, I started to feel lethargic. Not sure if it was due to the early sunset that made me feel like I was out the whole night or because I only have 3 hours of sleep last night. We decided to call it a day.

I got myself a top at NT$190 at Fengjia today. Though there was many shops selling clothes but it was not easy to find a suitable one because they were all selling winter clothing. Winter season is not the best time to shop in Taiwan. Besides that, I got a heat pack for my mum at NT$150.

My first day at Taiwan was a great one, we enjoyed exploring around the country. One of the reasons for traveling to Taichung was to experience the countryside of Taiwan, allowing us to unwind ourselves from the stress, enjoy the peaceful and carefree vacation.