Taipei, Taiwan

Famosa ( Portuguese for Beautiful Island ) aka Taiwan is indeed of dreams for many a Singaporean. While our own island city has lost alot of its culture and tradition as modernization spreads like a virus, Taiwan has managed to keep alot of its historical appeal. A holiday destination for many due to its very active entertainment industry with dozens of Taiwanese dramas featuring young , hip and visually pleasing stars, the Land of Dreams it has become for many.  The first impression I had of the country was while traveling from The Taiwanese International Airport in Taoyuan, was that feels very much like Malaysia….. definitely not as clean and green as Singapore. The Cab driver was extremely polite and was excited that we – Singaporeans , a city state of First World status choose to come to their country. Strangely, it was this reason that made this getaway so much worth remembering. The country seems to be similar to Singapore in many aspects- a Chinese Speaking Majority and a island nation just to state a few…… it feels so much like what Singapore used to be in the 1980s….. what it feels like growing up…… very nostalgic .

Raohe and the much hyped Shilin Night Markets were like our old Pasar Malam – full of wonderful foods and game stalls that makes life look colourful with a monochrome tinge. Ximending is a shopping heaven much like our own Orchard Road. The temples Long Shan Temple and the Raohe Temple have many believers and the smell of incense lingers in the air on your clothes as the blessings of the Gods leaves with you through the temple doors. Foodwise, the famous bubble tea and extra large chicken chop are perhaps the most famous exports of the country. Bubble tea of every imaginable flavour with pearls, aloe vera , jellies etc …….. deep fried chicken chop seasoned with fragrant chilli powder and pepper . The cost of having a vacation in the country is affordable too. Travel on the Taipei Metro and the interstate High Speed Rail are all cheaper than what you can see in most cosmopolitan countries. Food’s nice and of a great variety but weight watchers should find it a torture here as there is so many wonderful dishes yet a big number is of high fat or sugar content. Shopping wise, one has to exercise the powers of bargaining as most stores outside the shopping centres tend to jack up their rates once they notice you are not local. One bad experience when I got a Iphone portable Charger for 500 Taiwanese Dollars  on the ground floor to find the same product available at 250 Taiwanese Dollars on the 4th….. and the 500 NTD price was after bargaining down from 700……. For those looking for cheap yet chic clothes, you can try visiting Wu Fen Pu which is a street that does wholesale of clothes. The designs are trendy and up to date but do visit during Spring or Summer as they only have winter clothes towards the end of the year. we were staying in Caesar Park Hotel which is located directly above the Taipei Main Station so going out on our own was easy. The rooms had the necessary ammenities to make us comfortable till we sometimes feel lazy to leave our hotel rooms.

Overall , a positive experience and a place I will look forward to visiting again, perhaps to the more rural areas the next time….. where the villages, mountain tribes and hot springs lies….