Day 7 :
Woke up super early today cause we are going to Hualien! Took train from Zhubei station to Taipei Station and from Taipei station, we took the HSR to Hualien.
Took the Taroko Express to Hualien! 2 hrs of train ride and off we go! I will advise to book train ticket online or buy a few days before the actual day cause we only bought the tickets on the day and we could not get seats that are together.
Nice scenery that we pass by.
Finally we saw the sea! Which means we are reaching Hualien soon!
Reached Hualien and flap a taxi to bring us around Hualien. We told the taxi uncle that we got a few place that we wanted to visit but first we are hungry and so he brought us to a restaurant for lunch.
After lunch, we walk over from the restaurant to the entrance of the Taroko Geopark but went elsewhere first before going into the geopark.
Beautiful place! By right the water should be clear but due to the typhoon that occur 1 or 2 weeks before, the water now are all muddy grey colour.
Yes! We went to the Qingshui cliff first since it is more out of the way from the Taroko Geopark and also our hotel. Qingshui cliff is know as one of the Eight Wonder of Hualien.
Beautiful scenery!!Clear sea but gloomy sky as it is going to rain soon!
Here we are back to Taruko National Park! First we went to the Shakadang Trail.
Due to the typhoon, some of the rock falls and therefore the trail is open to 0.45km only until falling rocks are cleared.
We are walking in the Hyax Valley. They explain the place in Chinese, English and also the native language which looks like Malay too!
Mable rocks.
We reach the 0.45km and we have to u-turn back now.
Beware of falling rocks but lucky it didn't happen.
Continue our visit within the Taroko Geopark!
Next, we reach the Eternal Spring Shrine Trail! Don't this beautiful scenery looks like some Chinese ink painting? But it's real!
Our driver told us that we should go up there to see the temple but we thought that we might not have enough time so we told him to skip, so he told us to go at least the one at the bottom one which is the one that looks the Chinese ink painting.
Inside the cave.
Walking in the cave!
Here we are at the Chinese ink painting look alike temple.
Next, our driver brought us to Changuang Temple. Why temple again? We are not very sure also but the uncle told us it's a nice place to go and since it's on the way so we are fine with it.
Here we are at the Changuang Temple but we didn't went in to do any praying.
Instead of going into the temple, we went to walk through this drawbridge!
Looking down from the bridge! It's kinda high so people who are afraid of height better not try.
Our driver uncle!
Helmet on, and off we go to the last destination, Yanzikou a.k.s Swallow Grotto Trail! Helmets will be given before entering the Swallow Grotto and can be return at the end of it.
The cliff is so high that it seems that it is touching the sky! How I wish I can see the whole view with clear water, I guess it will look even more breathe taking!
Finish exploring a small part of Taroko Geopark, time to check in our hotel at Leader Village Taroko. Book this hotel very last minute like 2 weeks ago but luckily they still have vacancy. I saw about Leader Village Taroko from my guild book and always wanted to stay here and finally here I am!
The lobby and eating area..
This view is the main reason why I so wanted to come here and I am glad I manage to stay here! No regrets at all. Suddenly I feel like I am one of their local native! The atmosphere and weather here is just so good! I feel so good even I am doing nothing but resting outside the room enjoy the view and the wind.
Our room! But only half of this house.. Haha!
Interior of our room!
Interesting key. In the past, the native always have a knife hanging on their wall to protect themselves and their family. So the hotel key is also a wooden knife representing protection to us.
After some resting and we went roaming around the hotel. Most of the guest are local Taiwanese and Caucasian in small groups and we are the only group of Singaporean. I also get to know from them they don't really accept big tour groups to book their hotel which I guess the main reason is they do not have enough rooms and also big groups tend to make more noise and will spoils the quietness here. I am glad that they thinks that way!
Spotted a super huge spider hanging on it's web!
Time for dinner! They started our dinner with a traditional ceremony which is use to celebrate that they have hunted a wild bore and everyone gets to eat together! Now they do not hunt for bore now, so they used a wooden bore instead for this performance.
Queuing up for our BBQ pork! Smells so good!
Just tell them how many piece you want and they will slice for you.
After dinner, all the guest are invited to watch their performance. If the whether is good the performance will be outside here.
But since the weather is not good and they are afraid that it might rain so the performance will be held indoor.
Found a seat and waiting for the performance to starts.
Oook... things happen when you gets a bit bored while waiting... Haha!
Performance starts! Oh wait.. this emcee looks familiar.. Yes! He is the staff that helps to slice our BBQ pork! All the performer are either the hotel staff or sibling and kids of the staff.
Fake camp fire cause we are in the indoor.
The other emcee is the guy who helps to BBQ the pork!
They even can dance Kpop song! Nice one!
We really enjoy the performances by all the staff and children!
Time to sleep after the performance.
Day 8 :
Morning!
Time for our breakfast.
Went roaming around again after our breakfast before we leave this beautiful place.
This should be how the real kitchen look like in the past.
Initially we bought the train ticket back to Taipei on the same day we arrive Hualien at a later timing, seating in three different cabin cause there isn't many seats left but the ticketing staff told us that we can go to the counter earlier to see if we can change to a earlier timing or change our seats so that we can seat together. So we did went to the train station earlier to try our lucky and we manage to change to a earlier train and also manage to seat within the same cabin.
This really teach us a lesson that we need to book our train tickets earlier next time!
Heading back to Taipei! Beautiful Hualien, you have been good to us!
Only the two of us manage to sit together and her poor husband have to sit with stranger. Haha!
Reach Taipei and straight to hunt for our lunch! We are going to Kiko's Diner for lunch! Cute display outside the restaurant. The interior are also decorate with Sanrio family character.
Their honey-mustard chicken wing is nice!
Kiko's Diner are famous with their burgers so we ordered 2 different type of burger with 1 all-day-breakfast and it is proven their burger taste better and it is really good!
Little Twin Stars everywhere!
Even toilet are with Little Twin Stars!
Yes! Even inside the toilet!
Hello Kitty products selling in the restaurant.
How to go : Zhongxiao Dunhua station, Exit 2.
Adress : 忠孝東路四段205巷7弄7號
106, Taiwan, Taipei City, Da'an District Alley 7, Lane 205, Section 4, Zhongxiao East Road, no.7
Tel : +886 2 27319135
How to go : Zhong Xiao Dun Hua Station, Exit 2
Basically this is a heaven for kids and Lego collector.
Lego for sales too.
Their table and chairs are as colourful as their Lego and all table comes with a Lego box. So, what you need to do is go to the Lego area to grab the Lego you want, put in the box and start to assembly your own Lego on the table.
Cute Lego lunch box for sales. I am sure kids will be happy to eat with this lunch box!
Dessert time! They only sell dessert and sandwiches but saw online that they are selling pizza now too. Minimum spending there is NT$80 ( SG$3.40 ) per person from 1 year old and above. So, this is how some of the dessert we order looks like...
Lego cupcakes @ NT$80 ( SG$3.40 ) ...
Banana Chocolate Waffle @ NT$180 ( SG$7.70 )...
Minifig Waffle @ NT$180 ( SG$7.70 )...
Lego Jelly @ NT$80 ( SD$3.40 )...
Even their utensil works like a Lego! Everything here is cute but honestly speaking the dessert here is not very fantastic. Not sure about the taste of the sandwiches or pizza but i think maybe not really worth going unless if you are a Lego fan or you purely want to take picture of the place.
There is a few Brick Works outlet but we choose to go to the one at Arena because they are the only outlet that have the Lego engraving service there. We bought a few for ourselves and our friends. One engraved Lego key chain is NT$250 ( SG$10.60 ) for a single side and NT$300 ( SG$12.70 )for double side engraving. Not cheap for a key chain but at least it is unique and personal.
Tel : +8862-25789253
Address : 台北市松山區南京東路四段2號1樓16、17店鋪
Operation Hours:
Mon - Thurs :11:30~21:00Fri :11:30~21:30
Sat : 11:00~21:30
Sun : 11:00~20:00
Every first Tuesday of every month, they will close at 16.00.
The nearest subway station should be Taipei Arena station, exit 2 and you will see Taipei Arena once you are on the main road. Not very sure has the train line start operating cause when we were there it is still not in operation.
If Taipei Arena Station is still not in operation, there is two other station that can reach there but walking distance is crazy.
How to go : Zhong Xiao Dun Hua Station, Exit 7
or can alight at Nan Jing Fu Xing station.
Took the HSR back to Hsinchu in the late evening.
We didn't have any dinner so when we are back home, and after i finish packing my luggage, we had cup noodle and green tea latte that I bought earlier on in Cingjing for supper! Tonight is the last night in Taiwan... Why do holiday pass so fast??? *Sob*
Day 9 :
Last day in Taiwan!
We went out to hunt for breakfast quite early, most of the place is not open yet so we got no other choice but have our breakfast at the 24hr Style Cafe.
Thinking that it's a 24hr cafe, food here should be quite expensive but to our surprise, price are very reasonable! We are also very lucky to be in time for their breakfast promotion which the second set of breakfast are only at half price!
Food was not bad here...
Got my coffee fixed before heading to the airport.
And off to the airport alone!
It's really time to say good bye to Taiwan! You have always been awesome and I will definitely see you in 2015!
Officially back home! Here ends my 9 days holiday and back to work tomorrow!
Please look forward for my upcoming trips!
