[katarina]

how is the VAT refund like in a boutique shop?????

[paco]

Oh for the dolphin-watching, Yiu Ah Yi will ask you to fill up a form the night or the day itself, a van from the dolphin watching company will come to pick you up from the minsu, very convenient. If i remembered correctly, each person paid around NT800, well-worth it.


Caution: DONT eat too much for breakfast, cos we have seen others puke on board....

[aCidz]

eug3n3_ang wrote:

Hi, tml i will be going to taipei le. Would like to know which underground sell the most lady heels? And may i know which MRT station and exit? I only know there is underground malls @ taipei main station and zhong xiao fuxing but dunno which exit, correct me if i'm wrong. Pls advise.

Refer to http://home.trtc.com.tw/INFO92/Lmap.asp?SID=051

It's Station Front Metro Mall. It would be best if you can read chinese on their signboards for directions, because there's like at least 3 underground malls around the area.

[RadEoNic]

the toilet theme restaurant is nice to look at.........but thats about it
the food is actually pretty normal.

[awbrab]

paco wrote:

Just came back yesterday from Taiwan!!! was so fun! Stayed 2 days at hualian at the famous minsu recommended by Mr Cai

http://www.sutohome.com/

Highly recommended!!! Very fun.

When we reached hualian train station (weather was good, around 18 to 22, nice cooling weather, at nite very shiok, nice cool breezy wind, however this week weather in taipei slightly starting to turn warm now!)
1) Liu Ah Yi came to pick us up from train station,
2) we told her we wanna see tarako first day, arrange Mr Cai, friendly and funny taxi driver to show us around for whole day (NT2000 for 2 people, try to find more minsu if other couples willing to share, then more worth it ), he brought us to a very nice 'Cong You Bing' (like Prata with egg and spicy chilli) store (some store out of the blue on the streets), it's not the same as those in shilin, more crispy and nice
3) Liu Ah Yi + Mr Cai brought us to firecracker store, met 10+ Singaporeans there, like mini Singapore!!! Each person fork out NT200, brought lots and lots of firecracker, those big big huge huge kind + small ones so all can play together, so shiok. Yiu Ah Yi will take video and burn a copy for each and everyone of us, below is a sample of the fireworks, enjoy!

http://www.sendspace.com/file/3zpt6c

Will post more later about the minsu, very tried now...

Hello, I also stayed in Stone House from 17/5/08 - 20/5/08
Really highly recommend to stay there when u visit hualien.
Liu Ah Yi is very very friendly and if u stay at her place she do provide some value added service like free fruit, stone painting, bringing u to see the aboriginal performance although the show is free but she will arrange pple to bring u there and fetch u back w/o any charge, and she is free sometimes she will bring u to the place (nearby) u wan to go for free, burning ur pics or video into CD. And also she got some activities where other minsu dun provide like playing firework outside the minsu, see firefly ( i didnt see cos raining), lighting the Kongming Lattern.

The pics of her minsu is not very nice but in fact the room is quite cosy, I was stun went i enter the room. Visit her website: http://www.sutohome.com/

Lastly, she accept VISA to pay for her room charge, but not Mastercard.

[awbrab]

paco wrote:

Oh for the dolphin-watching, Yiu Ah Yi will ask you to fill up a form the night or the day itself, a van from the dolphin watching company will come to pick you up from the minsu, very convenient. If i remembered correctly, each person paid around NT800, well-worth it.


Caution: DONT eat too much for breakfast, cos we have seen others puke on board....

Basically in Hualien things r a bit different from Taipei. The attractions in Hualien mostly provide transportation thru n fro, like dolphin watching and water rafting. For water rafting they include insurance and lunch also. And u can buy the tickets of the attractions from the minsu and pay to minsu instead of the ticketing booth of the attraction. I recommend u all to nuy from minsu cos they hav cheaper tickets cos they always buy in bulk...

As for dolphin, i tink is worth the money although it is about 2hrs. I saw 3 species out of 5 species which is consider lucky. If going dolphin watching, pls prepare enough memory card for ur video taking. Take pics is almost not possible as the boat rocks and u do not know when the dolphins will come up to change their breath.

[voxvoxz]

I plan to visit Asia Pacific Resort hot springs in Beitou. Does anyone know if this resort use sulphuric water in the hot spring? I read somewhere that most hot springs in Beitou use sulphuric water in their hot springs. Is it true? Some forumers commented sulphuric water stinks. Can I request for non-sulphuric water?? I plan to visit their private hot spring "Sen Tang" Anyone visited this resort, any comments?

First time going to try a hot spring so pardon my ignorance....

[Bubblejoyzzz]

Hi

Wanna if any1 can help me on this as its my first time going to Taipei & hualien...
I have seen some thread regarding taking train from Taipei to Hualien but I am not sure which train is it referring.

Understand that there is this website: http://www.thsrc.com.tw/tw/index.htm
Is this the website to book Hualien's ticket? If yes, which stop should I select?

Understand that there is another website: http://www.railway.gov.tw/index/index.aspx
Or is this the one? I am totally confused!

Is online booking of ticket to Hualien safe? Has any1 try it before?

Pls help......................................

[awbrab]

voxvoxz wrote:

I plan to visit Asia Pacific Resort hot springs in Beitou. Does anyone know if this resort use sulphuric water in the hot spring? I read somewhere that most hot springs in Beitou use sulphuric water in their hot springs. Is it true? Some forumers commented sulphuric water stinks. Can I request for non-sulphuric water?? I plan to visit their private hot spring "Sen Tang" Anyone visited this resort, any comments?

First time going to try a hot spring so pardon my ignorance....

I jus went to Asia Pacific Resort recently, i also wanted the Sen Tang but it was close for maintanance therefore i went to the Jin Tang instead.

I hot water is sulphuric as it is a bit yellowish but u need to mixed with some cold water which they say is spring water. There is smell of sulphur but it is not very strong smell. However the smell is stronger and more yellowish than Yangmingshan as YMS also offer sulphuric hot spring. If u wan to try sulphuric hot spring u may try at YMS. But not to worry, the sulphur smell at both places are not to the extend of stink. BTW sulphuric water is also good for skin.

If u really do not wan sulphuric hot spring then go to Wulai. The water there is clear and they say is safe to drink. Btw i hav tried hot springs in all three places.
List of Wulai hot springs: http://taipeibucket.wordpress.com/2007/10/22/misc/
List of Taiwan hot springs: http://hotspring.network.com.tw/

You may also wan to visit the Taiwan Tourist office in Singapore to get a maganize which has the popular hot springs resort in Taiwan.

[aCidz]

Bubblejoyzzz, read http://forums.hardwarezone.com.sg/sh....php?t=1696672

[awbrab]

Bubblejoyzzz wrote:

Hi

Wanna if any1 can help me on this as its my first time going to Taipei & hualien...
I have seen some thread regarding taking train from Taipei to Hualien but I am not sure which train is it referring.

Understand that there is this website: http://www.thsrc.com.tw/tw/index.htm
Is this the website to book Hualien's ticket? If yes, which stop should I select?

Understand that there is another website: http://www.railway.gov.tw/index/index.aspx
Or is this the one? I am totally confused!

Is online booking of ticket to Hualien safe? Has any1 try it before?

Pls help......................................

At the moment there are a few types of railway system in Taiwan, first is the Metro system (like our MRT) which is only available in Taipei city (台北捷运) and Kaosiong city (高捷), second is the Taiwan High Speed Rail (高铁) which only operates along the Western corridor of Taiwan, third is the Taiwan Railway (火车 ) which lets u travel along the perimeter of Taiwan.

More info of Taiwan railway: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rail_transport_in_Taiwan

http://www.thsrc.com.tw/tw/index.htm is not the conventional railway system and do not go to Hualien. They called it 高铁 which is their high speed train. THSR only travel along the Western corridor of Taiwan but Hualien is at the estern part of Taiwan.

There are a few types of train from Taiwan Railway http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taiwan_...Administration. The difference is the number of stations the train will stop. For example from Taipei to Hualien, some train will take 4 hrs to reach but some will take 3hrs to reach. The fastest is the Zi Qiang Hao 自强号train, it only stop at the bigger station.


http://www.railway.gov.tw/index/index.aspx is their conventional railway train which lets u travel all around Taiwan. And if u r going to Hualien, u should look in this website. Advise if u r taking train to Hualien during Fri, Sat or Sun, do buy the tickets early, best is 4 - 3 days ahead. My experience was I got train ticket from Chungli to Hualien on Fri but my tickets only allow me to hav the seat from Chungli to Fulong, and then the rest of the station i have to stand or find any empty seats inside the train. But luckily nobody bought the my seat from Fulong to Hualien therefore I get to sit all the way. http://service.tra.gov.tw/tw/index.aspx, this page tat allow u to calculate the time needed to travel between stations and the difference types of train service available. Btw i did not buy the tickets online, i bought at the train station itself. One point to note is, 30mins before the train depart there will be some reserve ticket release if u r lucky. So if u do not get the desire timing u wan, buy the next earliest ticket, then proceed to the train station 30mins b4 ur desire timing and if they do hav the reserve ticket released jus use ur existing ticket and change the timing but mayb u need to top up. Oh ya, it is also cheaper if u buy with a return ticket together.

Hope my info helps

[katarina]

How did u guys normally purchase train ticket @ the Taiwan Railway stn???I cant seem to be able to buy tickets online

[damienloh]

katarina wrote:

How did u guys normally purchase train ticket @ the Taiwan Railway stn???I cant seem to be able to buy tickets online

The online booking only allow Taiwanese to make booking and accept only Taiwan credit card.

[paco]

damienloh wrote:

The online booking only allow Taiwanese to make booking and accept only Taiwan credit card.

err.. bro, i singaporean managed to book with my passport number (not the same as my IC) and my singapore credit card wor. This is what i posted in the other thread:

Yup I booked my train tickets online from here too http://railway.hinet.net/net_eng.htm and paid via credit card, Must still go and collect the train tickets from the counter with the printout too.

There's a new company, called "Tai-ru-ge Hao", supposedly faster too, you guys can try that if you want.

[Bubblejoyzzz]

awbrab wrote:

At the moment there are a few types of railway system in Taiwan, first is the Metro system (like our MRT) which is only available in Taipei city (台北捷运) and Kaosiong city (高捷), second is the Taiwan High Speed Rail (高铁) which only operates along the Western corridor of Taiwan, third is the Taiwan Railway (火车 ) which lets u travel along the perimeter of Taiwan.

More info of Taiwan railway: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rail_transport_in_Taiwan

http://www.thsrc.com.tw/tw/index.htm is not the conventional railway system and do not go to Hualien. They called it 高铁 which is their high speed train. THSR only travel along the Western corridor of Taiwan but Hualien is at the estern part of Taiwan.

There are a few types of train from Taiwan Railway http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taiwan_...Administration. The difference is the number of stations the train will stop. For example from Taipei to Hualien, some train will take 4 hrs to reach but some will take 3hrs to reach. The fastest is the Zi Qiang Hao 自强号train, it only stop at the bigger station.


http://www.railway.gov.tw/index/index.aspx is their conventional railway train which lets u travel all around Taiwan. And if u r going to Hualien, u should look in this website. Advise if u r taking train to Hualien during Fri, Sat or Sun, do buy the tickets early, best is 4 - 3 days ahead. My experience was I got train ticket from Chungli to Hualien on Fri but my tickets only allow me to hav the seat from Chungli to Fulong, and then the rest of the station i have to stand or find any empty seats inside the train. But luckily nobody bought the my seat from Fulong to Hualien therefore I get to sit all the way. http://service.tra.gov.tw/tw/index.aspx, this page tat allow u to calculate the time needed to travel between stations and the difference types of train service available. Btw i did not buy the tickets online, i bought at the train station itself. One point to note is, 30mins before the train depart there will be some reserve ticket release if u r lucky. So if u do not get the desire timing u wan, buy the next earliest ticket, then proceed to the train station 30mins b4 ur desire timing and if they do hav the reserve ticket released jus use ur existing ticket and change the timing but mayb u need to top up. Oh ya, it is also cheaper if u buy with a return ticket together.

Hope my info helps

______________________________________________________________________________________

Thanks awbrab. Ur info reali help... I will do the reading from the website u provide...