Hello Kitty at T2 of Taoyuan Int'l Airport

This is how the design of their aircraft actually looks like.

Hello Kitty Eva Air Kiosk

Hello Kitty Jet travels with you . That's Eva Air's tagline for their Hello Kitty airplanes traveling from Taipei to Shangahai , Japan , Seoul Korea, hongkong and Guam.  In the departure Hall of the T2 of Taoyuan Airport you will find the Hello Kitty lounge (i don't know really what to call it but it's sort of a lounge with eva air's hello kitty kiosk for check in purposes and some hello kitty merchandise ).

Here's Eva Air Hello kitty flight info/website.

I found a blogger who actually experienced riding the Hello Kitty aircraft. Oh how i envy him. I hope someday i may also experience it for myself. I couldn't get enough of this Hello Kitty madness as i have told my previous encounter with it in the city.

Hello Kitty in Taipei

Hello Kitty Donuts from Mister Donut Taiwan

The last place i thought would find Hello Kitty is inside a donut place immortalized in what else ? a kitty shaped donut! I went gaga over the cuteness of these donuts. I simply cannot pass the chance and went ahead and bought one.  I was like a child in a candy store feasting my eyes with the pink kitty cuteness. The Kitty donuts were unlike the ordinary ones because they are very chewy and soft to the bite. It's like it is made from glutinous rice consistency.

I wish to buy a box to take home to my niece back in the Philippines who loves Hello Kitty so much. I'm sure she would love it.

All these Kitty cuteness is available at all Mister Donut stores around Taipei city.

You may also find Hello Kitty at the Terminal 2 of Taoyuan International Airport.

Left Luggage Service in Taiwan (TMS)

One thing i've noticed in Taipei is how tourist friendly the city is! All their signages are written in chinese with a corresponding english translation. Very convenient for visitors with no whatsoever comprehension of chinese language.

One thing we find very handy is knowing that there is a left luggage service at the Taipei Main Station.

Find the Left Luggage Lockers in TMS:
At the main station look for signages pointing to building B1. When you get to B1 you will see the TRA/HSR ticketing counter and across it are multicolored lockers .

Baggage Lockers at the B1 of Taipei Main Station

For the Floor Map of the Taipei Main Station :

Download it here.

I've put a pink star to indicate the B1 floor and where the lockers are located. Spotting the multicolored lockers isn't so hard really.

From what i have seen there are 3 types of lockers. One for small bags/backpacks , second is for medium sized luggages and third is for large luggages.

Locker fee is as follows (as of July 2013):
NTD20/first 3 hours - small bags
NTD30/first 3 hours - medium sized bags
NTD70/first 3 hours - large sized bags

You can leave your bags for a maximum of 3 (three) days only.

How to use this facility?
1.Choose a locker which fits your bag. Look for a locker that is unused (door of locker is open).
2. Prepare your payment . You may pay intially the first 3 hours fee if you are not sure how long you will leave your bags.
3. Insert your payment at the coin slot.
4. Claim your confirmation ticket and don't forget to close the locker door.
5. Keep your confirmation ticket. There is a confidential series of numbers written on your ticket. Don't divulge to anyone these numbers or else they may claim your bags :)
6. Don't ever lose your confirmation ticket.

Leaving your bags in your hotel is an option too but we opted to leave it at the main station for convenience because the Airport Bus leaves at the Taipei West Bus Station (K12 exit from the K-underground mall or MRT exit M5 or underground Mall exit Z3).

Sorry but i've not known any baggage lockers in any other part of the Taipei Railway Stations. If you have any other information please feel free to input some info for the other readers. Thank you.

Taipei - day 03 (Taipei 101)

Our last day in Taipei was a bit gloomy with the onset of Typhoon Soulik . It's all over the news even the night before the government was forewarning the locals of possible havoc this typhoon can cause the country. Anway, after our swift hotel checkout at One2Stay in Ximending we went directly to Taipei Main Station ( It's just one stop from Ximen). Our purpose for going to TMS was to look for baggage lockers where we could leave our luggages before we head to the airport for our flight. I have researched and read from other blogs that there are baggage lockers in TMS. And by following directions to the TRA ticketing windows we found what we're looking for. Multicolored lockers with different sizes which you can choose which best fits your needs.

Multicolored Baggage lockers in Taipei Main Station

 How to get to Taipei 101 from Taipei Main Station?
Board the MRT going to Taipei City Hall. Upon exit look for exit 2 then go outside. Wait for the free shuttle bus going to Taipei 101.

After leaving our luggages we then boarded the MRT to Taipei City Hall. At exit 2 you will find free shuttle bus going directly to Taipei 101. It's a short ride to the 2nd tallest building in the world but then the skies are now showing it's gonna pour huge amounts of water so we then immediately sought refuge in Taipei 101. This building houses lots of branded stuff. All very expensive brand (which definitely i cannot afford to buy) but we chanced upon 50% off SALE in Longchamp store. After calculations , it came out cheaper and so was able to buy 2 longchamp bags. So happy with my purchase!!

Longchamp Flagship store in Taipei 101

We were able to collect a TAX refund from our purchase. Our total bill for the 2 bags was NTD6,100 and our refund was NTD300 so that makes our purchase price go down to NTD5,800 (approximately USD190) for 2 bags. One limited edition Autour de Halong (medium long handle) and Poney Patch (large long handle).

After our purchase we went to their foodcourt to spend our tax refund. There was lots of food choices from Korean to japanese food. We opted for local taiwanese food.

Lo rou fan , porkchop cutlet, fishball soup , oyster omelet, kangkong , chinese fried race

Our lunch cost us NTD250 good for 2 (approx usd8). It was a big lunch that would carry us through late afternoon before we get to the airport.

To burn all those food we stuffed ourselves we then walked it off around the mall. And when the rain stopped it gave us an opportunity to take a picture of the building outside.

the famous L-O-V-E sign right outside the building

Taipei 101 building.

See how gray the skies are? We were so pressured to take a picture of the building because anytime rain might fall.

How to get back to the MRT?
You see the LOVE sign? walk behind it then turn right at the corner. A few meters you will see a covered shed with lots of people queueing for the free shuttle bus to the MRT. The bus will drop you off exactly at the mrt exit and then proceed to your destination.

We originally wanted to visit Chiang Kai Shek Memorial Hall but according to authorities heavy rains are expected that afternoon so for safety, we deleted it in the itinerary. We went back to Taipei Main Station to collect our luggages and headed straight to Taipei west bus station to board a bus going to the Taoyuan International Airport.

Taipei (day 02) - Jiufen and Shifen

Day 02 in Taipei is actually my Birthday!!! My itinerary includes releasing of sky lantern in Shifen. Here's a rundown of our itinerary for day number 2:

0900am - Breakfast
1000am - Go to Taipei Main Station ; Buy train tickets to Ruifang Station (1hour ride)
1130am - etd TRA
1230pm - eta Ruifang station ; board a bus going to Jiufen (15mins ride, NTD15 fare)
1245pm - lunch in Jiufen
0300pm - go back to Ruifang station ; buy train tickets to Shifen station
0330pm - eta Shifen ; buy sky lantern to be released
0430pm - leave Shifen and board a train going back to Ruifang station
0500pm - Buy tickets going to Taipei Main Station (1 hour ride)
0600pm - eta TMS and shop a little bit in the underground mall
0800pm - head back to hotel

How to get to Jiufen?
From Taipei Main Station buy a TRA (train ) ticket to Ruifang Station. Travel time is approximately 1 hour and no reserve seating . Fare is NTD50 - NTD75. Upon arrival in Ruifang station exit , cross the road where the bus stop is. Board a keelung bus  with a signage Jiufen . The bus ride takes around 15mins only and you will disembark a few meters from the Jiufen Old Street entrance.

TRA -----}Ruifang Station------}board a bus to jiufen

Jiufen overlooking the sea

Jiufen is a small town north of taiwan. It's an old gold mining town but now a tourist attraction. Throngs of tourist buses loaded with tourists (mostly koreans and japanese) are led to this town everyday. Because of Jiufen's high altitude, it's climate is cooler than the city. It's like Tagaytay here in the Philippines. But what makes it unappealing to me is the too crowded streets laden with food vendors and tourists. Best to navigate the back streets to experience the culture of the place and to avoid people at the same time. If you're a photo enthusiast then you may find interesting subjects far away from the people. You just have to be adventurous to explore more.

We did not buy anything from here because we find the prices too high and geared towards the tourists. We found a cozy nook at a restaurant (i forgot the name) overlooking the sea. It's located at the back away from the crowd. Food served was not nice but the view is fantastic!

Yay!! Look at the throngs of tourists!!!

Maltose candies molded into cartoon characters

Grilled Snails anyone?

To get back to Ruifang Station , board a bus on the opposite side where you disembarked and board a bus going to the station.

After Jiufen, my mission is to release a sky lantern in Shifen.

How to get to Shifen?
At the Ruifang Station, buy tickets for Pingsi Line heading to Shifen. Fare is NTD20. Travel time is roughly 30 mins.

Going to Shifen the train was not too crowded and we had seats. But going back was a different story. It's way too crowded and overflowing with passengers. But it's okay .

Pingsi Line train going to Shifen

Upon arriving, we wasted no time and immediately looked for a shop that would sell us a sky lantern. It costs NTD150 for four colors lantern. And you have to write (using a calligraphy pen) your wishes.

Me writing my birthday wishes!!!

Then fly away my sky lantern.

Sky Lantern Festival is being held in Shifen every year (i think every February). I wish i could go back and witness this festival. But for now i wish all my wishes would come true!!

Taipei (day 01) - cont.

Our destination for our first day is Beitou (Thermal Valley) , Danshui ( seaside district of New Taipei City) , Shilin Night Market.

Beitou is in the northern part of Taipei which is famous for Hot Springs.

How to get there?
Take the Red MRT line to Beitou and transfer to Xinbeitou line.The Xinbeitou line is a themed mrt with colorful cabs. Upon exiting , just go straight out and there are directional signages going to Thermal Valley.

Xinbeitou line mrt colorful cabs

Inside the mrt

Because it was summer  it's quite hot walking towards the Thermal Valley. You will pass by a number of hot spring resorts and hotels and some public bath. We did not try the public hot spring bath because we were pressed for time, maybe next time.

Beitou public library

Beitou Thermal Valley aka Hell Valley

From afar you would know that you have reached the thermal valley with the smell of sulphur.
There's not much to see in Beitou except taking a dip in their public hot spring bath. Just be sure to bring bottled water to keep you hydrated specially during summer.

After Beitou, you're probably hungry with the walking done. We headed to Danshui for our first night market experience.

Hot to get to Danshui from Beitou?
From Xinbeitou ride the mrt to Beitou. Transfer to Danshui line. When you exit look out for the Mister Donut store on your left and follow the path going to Danshui old street.

Danshui or Tamsui or Danshuei is at the northern end of the red mrt line . It is very popular with tourists for its sunset and fisherman's wharf. One may explore the old danshui streets by foot and you can never go hungry with the numerous food stands.

Stinky Tofu. Not really workin for me. To each his own taste. NTD40/stick

This one is really nice. Octopus tentacles covered in special batter. Delicious!!! NTD100/cup (big)

Bittergourd Juice. Who would have thought? But it's not bitter at all. Refreshing drink at NTD60/cup (big)

Chicken Nuggets. Spicy or regular. NTD55/small bag

We were so full after trying a few . It's a good thing you only have to walk it off then resume eating. Watch the sunset for a romantic evening. Or go to Lover's Bridge.

When we've had our fill and our bellies are bursting , we rode again the MRT going to Shilin Night Market. Go down Jiantan Station (not the Shilin Station) and upon exit at the mrt you will see immediately plenty road side shops selling food and other knick knacks. Food again????? And just as we thought we couldn't take in anymore food , we still had to try food that we did not find in Danshui. The trick is, walk and walk and walk then when you go hungry again go and indulge.

Shilin Night Market entrance

Shilin Night Market houses a plethora of clothes, shoes, bags, cellphone housings and all other things you want to buy!!

By this time we were so tired from walking and eating so we decided to go back to our hotel to rest. :)

Taiwan (Day 1) - Beitou/Danshui/Shilin

Our travel to Taiwan was during the height of an ongoing issue between Philippines and Taiwan. We were resolved to postpone this trip because friends advises us it might not be good timing and safety is in question. But at the last minute when there were peace talks going on with the 2 countries , we decided to go on and apply for a visa because we wouldn't want to waste our tickets (fyi, budget airline tickets can be rebooked but with so many penalties it's better to buy a new one :)).

Visa application was swift and two days before we leave we were granted one. With a sigh of relief, i finalized the hotel and our itinerary for a 3 day trip.

Day 0 - etd MNL 1040pm
Day 1 - eta TPE  1240am
0100 am  Ride a Kuo Kuang Bus to Taipei Main Station
0200 am  Arrive Taipei Main Station and taxi to Ximen Area
0230 am Checkin Hotel (Ximen) / Rest
0900 am Breakfast
1000 am Head to Beitou
1200 pm Head to Danshui Night Market (Lunch)
0400 pm Head to Shilin Night Market
0700 pm Back to hotel
0800 pm Dinner in Ximending street

It was a red eye flight of Cebu Pacific from Manila to Taipei. We arrived on time but after going thru immigration and changing currencies we were out by 0130am. There is only one bus going to the city in this ungodly hour and that is Kuo Kuang bus company. Although there are many buses during the day until around 1100pm. You may choose from Citi Air, Freego Bus , Evergreen Bus etc. depending on where you're heading to. But for us we do not have any choice we took the 1819 Kuo Kuang Bus to Taipei Main Station.

You may also take a taxi from the airport but it would cost you NTD1,300/car (approx P2,000) . If there are 4 of you then taking a taxi would be reasonable. But me being a cheapo i opted to ride the bus which would cost me NTD125 (less than P200) only. The Bus station can be found one floor below the arrival hall in the airport. Upon exiting the baggage carousel just look to your left and you will see a sign directing you to the bus station. You will also find a convenience store there where you must change your money to an exact NTD125 to pay the driver.

This is the bus stand where you wait for bus going to Taipei City

Take note that the Taoyuan International Airport is located in Taoyuan City and is 50mins by land travel to Taipei City.

1819 Kuo Kuang Bus drops you off at the Taipei Main Station where you can get a taxi (or ride the MRT if it's still open) to your hotel. As in our case, our hotel is located in Ximending which is just one MRT stop from the main station. It is best to situate yourself near the main station if you're planning to do some travelling in and around the city. It's convenient and practical. MRT is the best way of transportation. Taxi ride can be very expensive.

I am so happy with my hotel choice. One2Stay is a sister company of Good9Stay. I learned about this when i tried booking for Good9Stay and they informed me that they were fully booked but instead offered me One2Stay. Their building is right beside Ximen MRT Station Exit 1. When exiting you just turn left and a few steps would lead you to their door. The hotel occupies the third floor with  few rooms  only so there are few guests only which makes it quiet and peaceful to stay. Their wifi is strong but the room itself is not so big but they make it a point to clean it everyday so i've nothing to complain. I'm out most of the time anyway.

Red House Theatre right across One2stay hotel. Very very accessible  and convenient!

Contact Good9stay/One2stay at good9stay@gmail.com.

There is no breakfast that comes with your hotel but who needs hotel breakfast ? You're in Taipei! Go out and try the local breakfast joint which are numerous. Our first stop for breakfast is Yong He Chinese Breakfast resto. I wanted to try the famous you tiao , Dou jiang , xiao long bao, egg roll. Everything is yummy. Though we were just limited to ordering what was in their picture menu because we cannot understand chinese :(  Our bill would come up to NTD150 (P225) for 2persons with 2 soy milk , 2 breads with ham and egg, xiao long bao (dimsum), 1 egg roll . So cheap and yet we're full to the brim.

Xiao long Bao

Be there early. Lines can get very long during breakfast hours.

Yong He address : Hankou st. in Ximen Area. Look out for the long lines and you know you're there.

After our breakfast fill we then headed to Ximen MRT Station to buy a ticket (token) to Beitou. After Beitou we plan to go to Danshui then to Shilin for Night Market. Let's look at the Taipei MRT Map:

Yellow marked star are our destination for the day. Pink marked star is where we are staying

It's best to plan your itinerary according to its location. Group together places that are nearest to each other to save time/energy and money. If you look at the map our destination for the day is along the red line (Tamsui Line). There are many places to explore along the red line but since we only had 3 days we chose to see major/popular attractions.

First stop is Beitou. Ride mrt (red line) to Beitou station and transfer train going to Xinbeitou line.Upon exit in Beitou station to transfer to Xinbeitou you will be greeted with this cute creatures.

Please CONTINUE to read ....

How to apply for a Taiwan Visa (for Filipinos)

Taiwan is Philippines' neighboring country. It's so near it is actually 2hours by plane but yet pinoys prefer to go to Hongkong over Taiwan. Why? Because unfortunately traveling to Taiwan requires a visa. But here's the good news, Filipinos are exempted from getting a Taiwan visa IF: They hold a valid visa (or Permanent Resident Visa) of UNITED STATES , CANADA, JAPAN, UK, AUSTRALIA, NEW ZEALAND, AND SCHENGEN COUNTRIES. Duration of Stay: 30 days and not extendable. Visa exempt entry cannot be converted to other types of visa. 

Please take note that if you hold a visa to those countries mentioned above it has to be valid. If it already expired then you must get a visa to Taiwan before entry.

Should you have a valid visa then you must visit Immigration Bureau of the Republic of China(Taiwan)’s website :
(https://nas.immigration.gov.tw/nase/)
and register personal profile online in advance a visa exempt entry permit which the applicant has to present to the airline's check in counter upon departure for Taiwan and to the immigration counter upon arrival to Taiwan. 

 Now let me go back to applying a regular Taiwan visitor visa. 

What are the requirements?
1. Duly accomplished visa forms online from the website https://visawebapp.boca.gov.tw
2. Two (2) passport size photos 1.5" X 2" with white background taken within the last 3months.
3. Passport valid for at least 6 months and old passport showing previous travels.
4. Birth Certificate - NSO
5. Marriage Certificate - NSO. If married.
6. Certificate of Employment and Approved leave of absence from your company.
7. Financial Statements of applicant (Bank book or Bank Statements)

Traveling on BUSINESS, you must also submit:
A. Certificate of Business Name Registration and SEC Registration（If owner of the company）
B. Invitation Letter from Taiwan company / organization in Chinese letterhead that outlines clearly purpose of your visit and duration of your stay
C. Request letter from applicant’s company
D. Certificate of Employment

If you are self employed you must include your DTI or SEC registration permit and Local Mayor's Permit of your business.

I have seen applicants walking in the TECO office in Makati with a printed application form answered in handwritten form. They were asked to go back of course because you have to fill up online the visa form.

How to answer the visa application form online?
First, you have to go to this website: https://visawebapp.boca.gov.tw . Click General Visa Applications (or whichever applies to you) . Then type in your personal details. After which you can print it out , don't forget to sign on the last page and bring it along with other required documents to the TECO office in RCBC Plaza Makati.

The embassy is very strict on how you fill out the visa form. To guide you please see below details:

When you're ready with all the requirements then you may proceed to lodging your application form in Taiwan's Embassy in Makati. 

TECO Office address:
41st Floor RCBC Plaza Makati City

Filing of Visa time: 845am to 1145am only
Releasing time: 145pm to 445pm only (Monday to Friday)

When filing your visa don't forget to bring a VALID ID (driver's lic or PRC id or SSS id ) to be presented to the TECO receptionist located in the ground floor of the RCBC plaza bldg. The receptionist will give you a queue number. If in case you weren't able to bring any valid id then you must pay P 1,000!! So don't ever forget your valid id because it will be expensive for you.

When you have your queue number then you may proceed to the 41st flr and wait for your number to be called. There are several visa application inspectors who will screen your application form. They will tell you if you are lacking any papers so to save time be sure all your requirements are complete before proceeding to lodge your application. 

After your papers has been inspected , pay the visa fee.

Visa Fee: P 2,100 (single entry) ; P 4,200 (multiple entry)  - NON REFUNDABLE
Processing Time: 3 working days
Expedite Fee for single entry : P 1,050 (Processing time: 1 working day)
Expedite Fee for Multiple Entry : P 2,100 (Processing time : 1 working day)

So there you have it. I wish all of you good luck in filing for a Taiwan Visa. And with the numerous offerings for a cheap ticket to Taiwan (by budget airlines such as Cebu Pac and Air Asia) who doesn't want to visit our neighbor? Believe me, it's all worth it. Taiwan is a beautiful country. :)