There are countless things to do and attractions in San Francisco USA really and this post merely touches the surface. Nonetheless, if you’re heading to San Francisco, we hope this list of things to do and attractions in San Francisco can kick start your visit and give you an idea of what you might like to do there!
Things to do in San Francisco USA
1. Endless Dining Options!
There are so many dining options in San Francisco and we’re gonna introduce some of the yummilicious stuff that we had during our visit!
Pizza Bianca Con Arugula E Prosciutto – Fresh mozzarella, fontina cheeses, prosciutto, arugula, shaved parmesan and white truffle oil (Umbria Ristorante San Francisco)Rice noodle roll with BBQ pork with yummy soy sauce (Great Eastern Restaurant Chinatown San Francisco)Dungeness Crab roasted in garlic and olive oil (Fisherman’s Grotto San Francisco Fisherman’s Wharf)Clam Chowder in a sour dough bread bowlLinguini with meatballs at Fior d’Italia – Possibly the best pasta ever eaten! (17USD)Cannoli usd4.50! but very nice and creamy on the inside, crispy and buttery on the outside
2. Steep Slopes of San Francisco
Cars are advised to park perpendicular to the slope – Haight Park San Francisco
San Francisco is built upon steep slopes and as a result, many picturesque views can be derived at the top or bottom of these slopes. Do enjoy these views as one of the things to do in San Francisco!
San Francisco Attractions
3. San Francisco’s Fisherman’s Wharf
San Francisco’s Fisherman’s Wharf is surely one of the main tourist attractions. You can learn about the history, see the various attractions and of course savour the freshest sea food! This section will cover some of the things and attractions at San Franciso’s Fisherman’s Wharf!
Fisherman’s Grotto @ Fisherman’s Wharf San Francisco – Where we had our lunchSea Lions at Pier 39 – they just happened to be there one day and have been there ever since!Boudin Bakery & Cafe – Famous for its sourdough bread (since 1849)
4. Historic Cable Cars of San Francisco
The Cable Car is one of the most iconic attractions in San Francisco. Invented by Andrew Smith Hallidie to overcome the steep slopes of San Francisco, it was one of the main modes of transport in the early part of the 20th century.
About an hours wait for the cable car (6USD one way) at the edge of San Francisco’s Fisherman’s Wharf
5. Historic F Line
Historic F Line San Francisco
6. The Crookedest Street in San Francisco – Lombard Street
To overcome this steep slope at Lombard Street, a series of winds and curvatures were designed on this street making it the crookedest street in San Francisco, attracting many visitors, tourists and locals alike, daily! View from the top of Lombard Street – The Crookedest Street in San Francisco
“Crookedest Street” in San Francisco Lombard StreetCoit Tower and Bay Bridge San Francisco as seen from Lombard Street (Crookedest Street in San Francisco)
7. Golden Gate Bridge
One of the main reasons why we decided to make another trip to USA (West Coast this time round) is because of San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge. But we did something better this time, we drove through it and this is the video of that drive!
Driving through Golden Gate Bridge San Francisco!
8. Chinatown
The Chinatown of San Francisco is not only the oldest Chinatown in America, it also offers many picturesque locations, souvenir options and of course great tasting Chinese fare.
San Francisco Chinatown Gate
9. Ferry Building – The Embarcadero
The clock tower atop the Ferry Building is surely one of the picturesque location in San Francisco. On Saturdays, there is also the Ferry Plaza Farmer’s Market where you can find many local farmers set up tents to sell their produce. Do try the peaches there, they’re REALLY SWEET!!
Ferry Building Clock Tower San Francisco
10. Golden Gate Park
There are many attractions at Golden Gate Park where visitors and locals will head to over the weekends…
Golden Gate Park San FranciscoJapanese Tea Garden Golden Gate Park San FranciscoFountain at Music Concourse Golden Gate Park San Francisco
11. Haight Ashbury
Haight Ashbury is known for its hippie culture and it is evident from this picture below. The atmosphere is really lively and there are many trendy little shops here. Had great tasting sandwiches at the Panini Cafe as well!
Haight Ashbury San FranciscoPanini(7.5USD) @ Panini Cafe!
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Related Posts
This is part of our coverage of San Francisco, Seattle and Vancouver USA. Check out these posts if you’re visiting the West Coast of USA!
We hope that you have enjoyed our coverage of the things to do and attractions in San Francisco. Don’t forget to check out this post before your next visit to San Francisco!
Monkey Goes West is W!ld Rice‘s year end holiday musical for 2014. We’ve caught the musical and here’s the review of Monkey Goes West – just for you!
Monkey Goes West Musical Review
Monkey Goes West by W!ld RiceMonkey Goes West @ Victoria TheatreEntrance to Victoria Theatre for Monkey Goes West Monkey Goes West @ Victoria TheatreTickets of Monkey Goes WestInside Victoria Theatre Monkey Goes West
Synopsis of Monkey Goes West
The matinee session that we attended started at 2:30pm and ended at 5:15pm. The entire musical took approximately 2hrs 20 minutes with a 15 minutes intermission in between.
The first half of the musical shows Ah Tang (played by Joshua Lim), the star of the show, falling out with his adoptive parents. He runs away from home and finds himself at Haw Par Villa where he meets with the Monkey King (played by Sugie Phua) who was punished to be placed under the 5 finger mountain. Ah Tang frees Monkey King and they begin their journey to the West in a mystical world of demons and fantasy. Along the way, Ah Tang meets Pigsy (played by Frances Lee) and Sandy (played by Siti Khalijah Zainal) who joins him in his journey to the West.
After the intermission, the party of 4 meets their obstacle – the fire mountain. The only way to quench the fire is to use Princess Iron Fan’s (played by Chua En Lai) fan who is also the wife of King Bull (played by Lim Kay Siu). Monkey King then uses ways and means to get the fan…
A typical conversation between Ah Tang and Monkey King goes something like this…
Ah Tang : Wu Kong (referring to Monkey King), you should do it (referring to using the fan to put out the fire from fire mountain)
Wu Kong : Master, zhe si ne eh journey (translating to “Master, it’s your journey (you should use the fan)”)
and
Ah Tang : Wu Kong, what should I do now?
Monkey King : Actually…Master, zhe bo wa eh dai ji (translating to “Actually…Master, it’s none of my business”)
At the end of the journey, Ah Tang learns a few things about himself. What did he learn? Catch the musical to find out!
Cast of Monkey Goes WestApplause for the cast of Monkey Goes West
Review of Monkey Goes West
Monkey Goes West is a laugh out loud musical and is the perfect year end holiday musical for all Singaporeans. As for non-Singaporeans who would like to catch the show, there are more than several phrases in hokkien and it would be recommended for you to bring along a Singaporean friend to do some translation.
What we loved about the show is how the characters took every possible opportunity to interact with the audience. Throughout the show, we could hear the audience (especially kids) shouting and telling the characters what to do and to be aware of impending dangers. Kudos to the production team in going to great lengths to get the audience involved throughout the musical.
There are ups and downs, fun and laughter as well as lessons to be learnt at the end of the musical!
Everyone should catch Monkey Goes West!
Ticket Prices and Discounts for Monkey Goes West
Ticket Pricing
Previews: 21 Nov 2014, 7.30pm & 22 Nov 2014, 2.30pm
Standard: S$70, S$60, S$45
Discounts from 23rd October onwards
– Discounts available for Students, Senior Citizens, Full time NSFs, OCBC Cardmembers, SAFRA, PAssion, British Club and IKEA FAMILY Card Members
OCBC Family Package – Limited Availability
– 25% discount for Family of 2 Adults and 2 Children (16 years and below)
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Enjoy W!ld Rice’s year end holiday musical – Monkey Goes West!
While you may already know that there are many things to do and attractions in Seattle USA and that Seattle is home to many top companies such as Amazon, Starbucks and Microsoft, there are also many attractions that you may wish to visit while you’re here. In this post, we’ll cover the top 8 things to do and attractions in Seattle that you should not miss!
Things to do in Seattle USA
1. Metropolitan Grill Seattle – For the best lava cake ever?!
Located at 820 2nd Ave, Seattle, WA 98104, United States, Metropolitan Grill is famed for its prime beef cuts and this time, Kate made arrangements for us to visit this upscale joint (remember to make reservations to avoid disappointment!) to have a taste of its legendary grills but we left with another recommendation…
The Works Burger – 15 USD (Seattle Metropolitan Grill)8 oz Filet Mignon – 56USD at Metropolitan Grill SeattleChocolate Lava Cake at Metropolitan Grill for 12USD
After having the Works Burger (great tasting American-styled burger btw) and the juicy and flavourful filet mignon, you’d think that we would recommend these at Metropolitan Grill. Well, if you can only drop by for a quick afternoon tea, you MUST try the chocolate lava cake! For details of why we say so, do visit our post covering Metropolitan Grill!
2. Crab Pot Sea Feast – For a “hands-on” experience!
After seeing the recommendation by Adam Richman on Man versus Food, we decided that we HAD to experience the Crab Pot Sea Feast for ourselves. No regrets here. The pictures speak for themselves…
The novelty of eating seafood ONLY with your bare hands at Crab Pot SeattleOur order of the Westport sea feast at the Crab Pot SeattleThe “after math” of Westport sea feast at the crab pot Seattle. All wiped out – every last bit of it!
3. Seattle Underground Tour by Bill Speidel – To know more about the history of Seattle
Seattle Underground Tour started as a conservation effort by journalist Bill Speidel. But because of his style of articulation (usually intertwined with humour and hard truths), the conservation has since evolved into tours of the “underground city of Seattle” today.
In memory of Bill Speidel who revealed the truth behind Seattle Underground ToursHeading to another part of the Underground Tour in SeattleSky light above (Seattle Underground Tour)
We shall not ruin the fun by telling you everything about the tour (which we already did in our post on Seattle Underground Tour by Bill Speidel) but we will tell you this, the Seattle City that we know today, actually re-built upon the former city itself! Why and how? Join this interesting, fun, humorous and informative tour to find out! Yes, it is, in our opinion, one of the MUST DO THINGS IN SEATTLE!
4. Gas Work Park – For the best views of Seattle’s skyline
Besides Kerry Park View Point, you can also check out Gas Work Park for a splendid view of Seattle’s city skyline!
Seattle City Skyline with Space Needle as seen from Gas Works Park
While you’re at it, why not drop by Le Fournil Bakery for some great tasting pastries enroute?
Seattle Attractions
5. Seattle Space Needle and Chihuly Garden and Glass – Seattle’s Top Attractions
Huge glass sculptures at Chihuly Garden and Glass
Both Seattle Space Needle and Chihuly Garden and Glass are iconic attractions in Seattle. If you have the time (and money), these are attractions in Seattle that are not to be missed! Do check out the restaurant at the top of the Space Needle for gourmet food with great views!
6. World’s First Starbucks in Seattle – For a quick touristy shot
Yes, the world’s 1st Starbucks was founded in Seattle and it is located close to Pike Place Market. Do stop by to do a “been there done that” shot of this Starbucks. To ensure that you arrive at the correct Starbucks (there are 2 in the vicinity of Pike Place Market), do check out our post on the World’s First Starbucks in Seattle to find out more!
Entrance of the original (aka very 1st) Starbucks Coffee in Seattle
7. Pike Place Market – To feel the vibe of Seattle!
No other attractions tells of the life and vibe of Seattle more than Pike Place Market, making it one of the must visit attractions in Seattle. Since we cannot show it through mere pictures alone, we decided to video and hopefully you too can experience and feel the vibrancy at Pike Place Market!
Feel the vibe at Pike Place Market Seattle!
8. Gum Wall @ Post Alley – Sweet smell or Disgust?
A side attraction in Seattle near Pike Place Market, would be the Gum Wall @ Post Alley. Whether it is the sweet smell of the gums or the disgusting thought that so many have spat there, it certainly is a sight to behold…
Gum Wall @ Post Alley – An unusual Seattle Attraction
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Related Posts
This is part of our coverage of San Francisco, Seattle and Vancouver USA. Check out these posts if you’re visiting the West Coast of USA!
We hope that you have enjoyed our coverage of the things to do and attractions in Seattle. Don’t forget to check out this post before your next visit to Seattle!
Yu Garden Shanghai (also known as Yu Yuan 豫园） is a garden attraction in the old city of Shanghai. It was built some time in the 16th century but had swapped owners several times before finally being rebuilt, reopened and reinstated as a national monument in 1982.
Today, Yu Garden Shanghai is not only a must-visit attraction in Shanghai, but is also a garden with several secrets for visitors to discover…
Old City Shanghai
Old City Shanghai
Description of Yuyuan Garden
Description of Yuyuan Garden
Jiuqu Bridge – Bridge with 9 bends @ Yu Garden
Jiuqu Bridge – Bridge with 9 bends @ Yu Garden
Huxin Pavilion – Teahouse in the centre of the lake at Yuyuan
Huxin Pavilion – Teahouse in the centre of the lake at Yuyuan
One of the many garden views in Yu Garden
One of the many garden views in Yu Garden
Platform made of stone in Yuyuan
Platform made of stone in Yuyuan
Bridge across a lake in Yu Garden
Bridge across a lake in Yu Garden
The famous 玉玲珑 of Yu Garden
The famous 玉玲珑 of Yu Garden
Zooming in on 玉玲珑
Zooming in on 玉玲珑
玉玲珑 is the famous centre piece of Yu Garden. Also known as the “Naturally Hollowed Jade Boulder”, it embodies a saying “瘦漏皱透“ meaning, Skinny, Leaky, Wrinkled and Transparent. In essence, the saying describes the jade boulder and its uniqueness, with a word play of these 4 words that rhymes. The saying describes the jade boulder as skinny and wrinkled-looking and because of the holes formed in it, it allows light (transparent) to shine through and water (leaky) to seep through.
Yu Hua Hall
Yu Hua Hall
Description of Yu Hua Hall
Description of Yu Hua Hall
Yu Hua Hall was the study room of the original owner of Yu Garden – Pan Yun Duan. Constructed in the Ming Dynasty, approximately in the 16th century, you’ll soon realise the uniqueness of the furnitures within. They are firstly entirely carved out of wood, no nails used. But more interestingly, you’ll find that the bold outlines of the furniture actually resembles the outlines of modern furnitures today. Meaning to say, trends will return to fashion 500 years later?
Zhao Wall within Yu Garden Shanghai
Zhao Wall within Yu Garden Shanghai
Description of Zhao Wall
Description of Zhao Wall
Ancient Opera Stage Yu Garden – whose secret we’ll reveal later…
Ancient Opera Stage Yu Garden – whose secret we’ll reveal later…
Another view of the Yu Garden Opera Stage
Another view of the Yu Garden Opera Stage
Secrets within Yu Garden Shanghai
In this section, we’ll reveal some secrets which you may otherwise not notice if you do not look at them carefully…
蝙蝠鹿豫园 – Mosaic at exits of Yu Garden
蝙蝠鹿豫园
This mosaic placed on the floor of exits actually signifies (through the deer), 出路平安 – safety when you leave and enter the house. The bats on the other hand (because of the 2nd part of the word in chinese) signifies 福 or fortune (blessings). The coins surrounding the entire mosaic signifies 财源广进 or influx of wealth.
Talk about significance of a picture eh?
Zoomed in view of the Ancient Opera Stage
Zoomed in view of the Ancient Opera Stage
Now for the secret of the ancient opera stage…If you take a closer look at the centre of the ancient opera stage, you’ll realise that there’s this spiral cone-shaped structure that is painting in gold. In fact, it acts as an olden day “amplifier” that increases and amplifies the sounds of the performers so that the audience can better hear the performance even though they may be seated a distance away!
Window in Yu Garden Shanghai
Window in Yu Garden Shanghai
Is this window really just a window? If you notice closely, the words 福禄寿喜 are written on the four corners of the frame signifying fortune, prosperity, longevity and happiness!
Framing with a window
Framing with a window
This window was created so that when people look through it, they may see an alternate view of the garden, as though the garden is “framed” within the window. How cool is that?!
Dragons of Yu Garden Shanghai
Yu Garden Shanghai is said to be “protected” by many different dragons all around its premise. The different dragons have different characteristics and also tells of which era they are from…
Dragons guarding the entrance to the inner gardens of Yu Garden
Dragons guarding the entrance to the inner gardens of Yu Garden
Smiley playful dragons – one of the oldest ones in the garden
Smiley playful dragons – one of the oldest ones in the garden
Another pair of dragon guarding an entrance
Another pair of dragon guarding an entrance
A majestic looking dragon
A majestic looking dragon
Anything interesting about this dragon Not unless you look behind…
Anything interesting about this dragon? Not unless you look behind…
Yes, a dragon with a spine!
Yes, a dragon with a spine!
How to get to Yu Garden Shanghai
Map of Yu Garden Shanghai
Yu Garden Shanghai is located at 218 Anren St, Huangpu, Shanghai, China
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The next time you visit Yu Garden Shanghai, we hope you’ll look out for these “hidden secrets” and hopefully discover some secrets of your own as well!
The National Museum of Singapore is our favourite museum in Singapore. Not only because its free (for Singaporeans and Permanent Residents) but because of the high quality exhibits that are always on-going at the “grand old dame of museums in Singapore”. In addition, it’s always enjoyable for us to reconnect with our Singaporean roots through the Singapore History and Singapore Living Galleries at the National Museum of Singapore!
National Museum of Singapore
National Museum of Singapore
National Museum of Singapore Exhibitions
Masak Masak Exhibition National Museum of Singapore
Masak Masak Exhibition National Museum of Singapore
There is an ongoing exhibition entitled “Masak Masak” (which usually means children playing with toys) which is suitable for kids ages three to seven. Games, interactive installations and films will surely allow the kids to have an enjoyable time at the National Museum of Singapore.
WE : Defining Stories at the National Museum of Singapore
WE Defining Stories @ National Museum of Singapore
WE : Defining Stories @ National Museum of Singapore
The WE : Defining Stories is a photo exhibition that shows the defining moments of Singapore from the post-war years to independence and finally to where we are today as a nation.
Description of WE Defining Stories Exhibition
Description of WE : Defining Stories Exhibition
Significant stories such as the racial riots, MacDonald House Bombing, Singapore’s Independence from Malaysia, collapse of hotel New World, hijack of SQ 117, the cable car incident, SARS, floods as well as more light hearted stories such as the queues for hello kitty, new property launches and historic wins by the soccer, swimming, water polo and table tennis teams.
Inside WE Defining Stories Exhibition
Inside WE : Defining Stories Exhibition
Sebastiao Salgado Genesis Photo Exhibit @ National Museum of Singapore
We also enjoyed Sebastiao Salgado’s Genesis photo exhibition at the National Museum. Some of his photos of landscapes and animals seemed very unreal. Really makes you wonder how in the world did he get those shots?! We’re guessing he must have “camped” like Sean Penn in the “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty” and waited for the opportune moment to take those shots. Enjoy!
Singapura 700 Years : The Latest Singapore Gallery @ National Museum of Singapore
Singapore Stone as explained by our guide Mike
Singapore Stone as explained by our guide Mike
Singapura 700 Years is the latest Singapore history exhibition at the National Museum of Singapore. In the meantime, the “resident” Singapore History Gallery will be closed for renovation and will be slated to reopen in 2015. The gallery will therefore get a new lease of life in time for Singapore’s Golden Jubilee celebration!
How to get to the National Museum of Singapore
Map of the National Museum of Singapore
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For us, the National Museum of Singapore is definitely one of the top attractions in Singapore. For more of what to do in Singapore, visit our post on the top 101 things to do in Singapore!
Singapura 700 Years is the latest Singapore history exhibition at the National Museum of Singapore. In the meantime, the “resident” Singapore History Gallery will be closed for renovation and will be slated to reopen in 2015. The gallery will therefore get a new lease of life in time for Singapore’s Golden Jubilee celebration!
Singapura 700 Years National Museum of Singapore
Singapura 700 Years National Museum of Singapore
Map of Singapura 700 Years exhibition
Map of Singapura : 700 Years exhibition
Exhibits at the Singapura 700 Years exhibition
Exhibits at the Singapura : 700 Years exhibition
Singapura : 700 Years has 6 sections including Archaeology in Singapore, Ancient Singapore (1300–1818), Colonial Singapore (1819–1942), Syonan-To (1942–1945), Road to Merdeka (1946–1965) and Independent Singapore (1965–1975).
Archaeology in Singapore
Archaeology in Singapore 30 years of uncovering the past from 1984 to 2014
Archaeology in Singapore : 30 years of uncovering the past from 1984 to 2014
Over the last 30 years, excavation works have been secretly but carefully carried out. This section unearths some of the findings that confirms the historical, colonial and modern past of Singapore. Find out some of the techniques that are used so that historical evidences are well documented for future generations of Singaporeans!
Ancient Singapore
Ancient Singapore with Dragon’s Teeth Gate on the left
Ancient Singapore with Dragon’s Teeth Gate on the left
Singapore Stone as explained by our guide Mike
Singapore Stone as explained by our guide Mike
The Ancient Singapore section tells of Singapore’s history before the founding of Singapore. This includes records of the Dragon’s Teeth Gate (see above) which formerly stood at the gateway to today’s Keppel Harbour, the Singapore Stone with inscriptions that up to this day no one knows and how Singapore got its name – Singapura (Lion City – did Singapore really have indigenous lions?).
Colonial Singapore : 1819 to 1942
Colonial Singapore – Singapura 700 Years
Colonial Singapore – Singapura : 700 Years
Milestones of Colonial Singapore
Milestones of Colonial Singapore
Chinese in Singapore during colonial times
Chinese in Singapore during colonial times
European settlements in Singapore
European settlements in Singapore
Colonial Singapore was a time where British firmly had rule over Singapore. Unknown to most Singaporeans, Sir Stamford Raffles only established a trading port in 1819 and it was in 1824 that Singapore was formerly ceded to the British. This section also depicted the life of the rich (mostly Europeans) as well as the poor during those times. The rich Europeans would spend their days horse riding, socialising and enjoying parties (Literally! take a look at the 24 hour schedule of a typical European at the exhibition!) while the poor had to work long and hard hours as rickshaw riders or coolies.
Syonan-To
Syonan-To means “Light of the South”
Syonan-To means “Light of the South”
This section tells of how the Japanese had a grand plan to conquer Southeast Asia which included Singapore. In fact, General Yamashita had a plan to take down Singapore in 100 days which he eventually only took 70 days. During the Japanese Occupation, it was grim and dark times for Singapore. Food was scarce, men suspected of supporting China were executed and locals had to adapt to a new language and a new colonial master.
Road to Merdeka : 1945 to 1965
Road to Merdeka (Independence)
Road to Merdeka (Independence)
Countries gaining independence after World War 2
Countries gaining independence after World War 2
Referendum held on 1 September 1962 to decide on the options for merger
Referendum held on 1 September 1962 to decide on the options for merger
Singapore was part of Malaya from 16 September 1963 to 9 August 1965 (approximately 2 years)
Singapore was part of Malaya from 16 September 1963 to 9 August 1965 (approximately 2 years)
After the war, both Singapore and Malaya knew that the days of the British as a colonial power were numbered. This triggered Singapore’s march towards independent. In 1959, Singapore obtained self governance with Singapore Flag and National Anthem introduced the same year. On 16 September 1963, Singapore and Malaya obtained independence from the British and because of political differences, Singapore was forced to be an independent state on 9th August 1965.
Independent Singapore
Independent Singapore Post 1965
Independent Singapore : Post 1965
Singapore’s Leaders
Singapore’s Leaders
Developing Singapore in key areas of defence, diplomacy, economy and education
Developing Singapore in key areas of defence, diplomacy, economy and education
Full marks for being a Singapore Buff!
Full marks for being a Singapore Buff!
When Singapore gained independence in 1965, leaders of Singapore went straight to work, developing Singapore in areas of defence, diplomacy, economy and education. With the development of public housing, Singaporeans were well taken care of for the first time. Proper sanitation also came along with these public housing. Our guide, Mike also made a joke about the huge contributions Dr Goh Keng Swee made. When Singapore needed to be developed in a certain area, he would be the minister. Hence, he was the minister for finance, defence and education where he played key roles in developing Singapore into what it is today.
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Guided Tours are also available at the following hours. Just gather outside the entrance at the stipulated times!
From 1 to 10 November English
Mon – Fri 11am
Sat & Sun 11:30am, 2pm and 3:30pm
Mandarin
Mon 1:30pm
Sat & Sun 11am & 1:30pm
From 3 November onwards Japanese
Mon – Fri 10.30am
Every 1st Sat of the Month 1:30pm
From 11 November onwards English
Mon – Fri 11am & 2pm
Sat & Sun 11:30am, 1pm, 2pm, 2:30pm (from 11 Nov to 31 Dec only) & 3:30pm
Mandarin
Mon 1:30pm
Sat & Sun 11am, 1:30pm
From 1 December onwards French
Every 1st Thu of the Month 12pm
We hope you have enjoyed our coverage of the latest Singapore history exhibition – Singapura : 700 Years. If you have visited the exhibition, let us know what you think in the comments section below!
Angry Birds Activity Park makes its debut in Southeast Asia at the Komtar JBCC in Johor Bahru! Making its debut on 31st October 2014, Angry Birds Activity Park adds to the suite of kids attractions in the state of Johor which includes Legoland Malaysia, the Little Big Club and Hello Kitty Town…
Angry Birds Activity Park JB
Angry Birds Activity Park JB
The park features fun interactive games including Lazer Bird Shoot, Red Bird Goal, Piggy Shooting Gallery and the Captain Black Bird Ship. The keyword here is “activity” and there is never a dull moment for the kids here with loads of activities in store for them!
Map of Angry Birds Activity Park Johor Bahru
Map of Angry Birds Activity Park Johor Bahru
Entrance of Angry Birds Activity Park JB
Entrance of Angry Birds Activity Park JB
Inside Angry Birds Activity Park JB
Inside Angry Birds Activity Park JB
Opening Hours and Ticket Prices of Angry Birds Activity Park Johor Bahru
The park opens from 10am to 10pm daily and ticket prices are as follow
Single Pass : RM75 Single Annual Pass : RM230 Family (2 Adults and 2 children) Pass : RM230 Family Annual Pass : RM700
Address of Angry Birds Activity Park Johor Bahru
Angry Birds Activity Park Johor Bahru is located at level 3 of Komtar JBCC. Komtar JBCC is located at Jalan Wong Ah Fook, Bandar Johor Bahru, 80000 Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia.
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We hope you have enjoyed our coverage of the Angry Birds Activity Park Johor Bahru. If you have visited the park, do let us know what you think of it in the comments section below!
If there is one thing that you MUST do when you visit Seattle, it is the Seattle Underground Tour. The tour was started by Bill Speidel, a journalist who wanted to preserve pioneer square, which was then a run down district on the verge of being torn down for rebuilding. In doing so, he researched and found a series of underground passages which sparked his first underground tour in 1964.
Bill Speidel – The man who started the Seattle Underground ToursIn memory of Bill Speidel who revealed the truth behind Seattle Underground Tours
Since then, petitions and arrangements have been made to use these underground passages to show the “illustrious” history of Seattle to locals and visitors alike. We signed up for the tour and we enjoyed every bit of it. Today, the tour is pretty much based on Bill Speidel’s book – Sons of the Profits (book above), which is also an interesting read.
In this post, we will try to remember everything (as much as possible) that we have learnt during this tour, which was humorous, packed with alot of information and largely entertaining!
About the Seattle Underground Tour
Commencement of Seattle Underground Tour in this pub / tavern
The tour costs $17 for adults for a 75 minutes tour and it all starts in this pub / tavern, next to the counter where you buy your tickets.
If you take a closer look at this picture, you will find 3 portraits – the founders of Seattle. 2 on the top and one (full body) on the extreme left. The top left is Henry Yesler, the top right is Arthur Armstrong Denny and the extreme left with a full body portrait is David Swinson “Doc” Maynard.
So how do they all come together to become the founders of Seattle? For this we have to learn about how they arrived in Seattle in the first place.
Arthur Armstrong Denny. According to our guide Dave, Arthur (the leader of the Denny party) came to Seattle for the cheap lands. During the gold rush era, the government were giving away many acres of land for a measly price and Arthur came here precisely to capitalise on it. When he first arrived, he was pleased with what he saw as there were acres of cedar and fir which he could sell for a profit. But he also wondered to himself why others did not come to claim the land? Well, soon enough, he found out the answer. During high tides, his acres of land quickly reduced to only 8 acres. But to him, 8 acres was still a good deal. So he settled and that place became what we know today as Pioneer Square, the original centre of Seattle.
Henry Yesler. Yesler was a businessman who saw opportunity in the vast fir and cedar that Seattle had. He then built the first saw mill and positioned it such that trees from the hills could slide down the hills right into his mill. This later came to be known as “Skid Road” or “Skid Row”. Because of the tides, Yesler also built his mill such that at high tides, his ships could come directly beside the mill, load up and leave, saving precious time in transportation. With his saw mill, he provided much of San Francisco’s timber needs and became one of Seattle’s wealthiest man.
David Swinson “Doc” Maynard. Doc as he would be referred to during the tour, came from a rich background. He pretty much had success in whatever he did. He bought and sold businesses, was a medical doctor and also provided land to the Denny party. Because of his successes, he decided to try out something new. After hearing about the gold rush of San Francisco, he headed west. Enroute, he treated Catherine Troutman Broshears of cholera but failed to save her husband (what a convenient excuse), came to fall in love with her. Because of their love, Doc diverted from his trail to San Francisco, heading northwest instead to Seattle.
Introduction to the city’s sewage problem – lowlands of mid town seattle (extreme left picture)
If you take a look at the picture on the left, you’ll realise that right in the middle of the town, it was the lowest point in terms of elevation. Remember the tides we talked about earlier? These tides actually came in twice a day. What this meant was that, due to the poor sewage system (more like non-existent sewage system), the tides would bring out the sh#$ twice a day – Yay right? NO! The tides would also bring back the sh#$ twice a day, known as Tacoma’s Revenge!
The rich people like Yesler didn’t really cared about the condition because his mills (and ships) continued to move off on time, everytime the tides came! In addition, the rich people (who could do something about it) usually lived on top of the hills. When they did their “business”, it would be brought downhill through a gravity-pulled wooden sewage system. Guess where that sh$% went? Again to the mid town!
So one day, hope came in the form of this…
Thomas A Crapper’s Flushing System
Much to contrary believe, Thomas A Crapper (Yes, his real name – that’s where the word “crap” came from we think) did not invent the flushing system. But he did improve it and made many modifications to it, having 9 patents to his name which made him very rich. When the flushing system finally arrived in the West Coast (ideas and products then usually takes about 10 years to move from the east coast of USA to reach the west coast), people thought that their sewage problems would magically disappear, they couldn’t be more wrong. After opening the boxes, they realised that the system doesn’t work by itself, it will still need to be connected to a sewage system. Guess what? It was connected to the wooden sewage system (mentioned above), throughout town. Sh#@ geysers started to appear throughout town! Turns out that pressure from the top of the hill and pressure from the tides caused pressure to be built up so much so that if you’re unlucky, when you flush one of the Crapper systems, the crap would literally explode before you!
Yet all these did not cause the people to want to redesign the city until the Great Seattle Fire of 1889 forced their hand…
The Great Seattle Fire of June 6, 1889
On a hot summer’s day in June 6th, 1889, John Bach, who was working in a carpentry shop, overturned a hot pot of glue and started the Great Seattle fire of 1889. To make matter’s worse, there was a paint shop next door and they tried to use water to put out the fire. If you do not know, this was a class B fire (flammable fluid) which if you used water, would spread the fire even more! So on that day, the entire Seattle was burnt down and this in one sense, forced the people of Seattle to rebuild the city on higher ground.
Left – Great Seattle Fire of 1889 wiped out the city of SeattleInside the Underground Tour – mainly left as it was when Bill Speidel found it
Rebuilding of Seattle on higher ground – The creation of “Underground Seattle”
After the fire, the city administration decided to rebuild the city upwards – on higher ground. The plan was to take 8 to 10 years to complete. However, the merchants wouldn’t have any of that. In fact, they rebuilt their shops at the original location within a short span of 3 years. So then, you would imagine that there are some parts of the city on the original lower parts and newer parts of the city on the hills…
Notice the wall behind Dave – Seattle Underground Tour
So in this picture, you will see Dave on the right with a wall behind him. You will have to imagine this…
1. The original street was where everyone’s standing. This is also the original store front where the merchants rebuilt their shops.
2. Above the wall behind Dave, the other parts of the city have begun rebuilding so you will see that there’s a disconnect between the old city and the new city.
The people of Seattle thought. “Hey, no problem, we’ll just place ladders on these walls to connect the old part of the city and the new!”
What a “brilliant” idea!
As a result…
1. Power Shopping. You could be shopping on the main streets of the old town and once you’re done, you’ll climb up these ladders to the top of the walls to go home to the new part of the city! Talk about “Power Shopping!”
2. Dead while Shopping. From the top of the walls, some barrels would be delivered on the streets above. And sometimes, these barrels fell from the top of the wall, right smack into the main shopping street. People sometimes just “go” when the barrels fall. So you literally have to watch out for barrels when you shop!
3. One-step Programme. Sometimes at 2am in the morning, after leaving the pubs drunk, some of these drunkards would walk to the edge of the wall and fall 35 feet and plunge to their deaths! Talk about a “one-step programme” to quit drinking…
So to stop all these, shop owners decided that they will have to be connected to the higher part of the city. So I-supports and arches, like the one you see in the picture above, joined the wall to the buildings. Some owners also started to have 2 separate store fronts. One at the lower level, the original entrance and a second one at the second level in anticipation for the connection to the higher levels.
If you realise, in doing so, the “Underground” was created!
And now you see that the Underground Tour is not a tunnel that was dug out. It was a rebuilding of the city upon itself that created these underground walkways!
Heading to another part of the Underground Tour in SeattleSky light above (Seattle Underground Tour)
To allow natural sunlight to enter the “Underground passages”, sky lights such as these were sprinkled throughout the city. But because it was constructed with manganese, some of these started to turn purple and rendered it useless. The other interesting that you might want to know is that because of the building and rebuilding over the city, if you take a plan view of the city, it really resembles that of a giant waffle – compartmentalised. This explains why we had to move out of this part of the underground, go above ground and enter another part of the underground, simply because they weren’t directly connected anymore.
Seattle’s Rat Plague of 1907
In the early 1900s, a rat plague started to emerge in the underground passages of Seattle. It started to get out of control and the administration decided to pay 10cents to each rat tail that was given to them. Guess what?
Children started to rear rats in order to claim the bounty of 10cents! Such entrepreneurship! Seattle is afterall the home of Amazon, Microsoft and Starbucks!
So in 1907, the underground passages were shut down in a bid to control the rat plague.
What really went on in Seattle’s Underground
A side story came up during our tour…
Our guide Dave (of Seattle Underground Tours) was humorous and knowledgeable – Thanks Dave!
A population census was conducted on the population of 25,000 then. Of these, 2500 ladies declared their profession as “seamstress”. This was quite unusual for a town of miners and loggers. Alot of “mending” must have taken place.
So they sent a group of investigators to find out the truth and after 2 months of “exhaustive research”, they found out that this group of ladies were not really seamstress and there was not a single sewing machine to be found!
Mdm Lou as seen in this picture – no one’s sure if its her though
In comes Lou Graham, better known as Mdm Lou. She owned the best parlours in the city of Seattle. She was a successful businesswoman who had a keen eye for investments. This made her really really rich. In fact, after she died, she donated all that she had to public education. Even in today’s terms, after adjusting for inflation, her donation is still the single largest donation ever in Seattle! But the sad thing is that not a single school in Seattle is named after her.
At this juncture, Dave introduced about the “Underworld Tour” which is only meant for adults. We did not go for that. But we were told that “advanced stitching techniques” would be discussed in this tour. Do tell us about it if you have attended!
Naming of the City of Seattle after Chief Seattle
Dave told us that if we could only remember one thing from the tour, it was how to pronounce Seattle. Remember Doc – one of the founding fathers above? Turns out that he had a personal relationship with Chief Seattle who was the chief of the Suquamish tribe. Doc then lobbied for the city to be named after Chief Seattle.
The actual way of spelling Chief Seattle’s name is Si’ahl and the actual way to pronounce it is Siak! You will have to pronounce the “ke” with your tongue rolled up as though you’re about to spit. Ghosts were also briefly discussed on this tour and suddenly, the air started to fill cold…
Entrance to our first underground area at door 115 for Seattle Underground ToursMore underground areas seen during Seattle Underground Tours
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This is part of our coverage of San Francisco, Seattle and Vancouver USA. Check out these posts if you’re visiting the West Coast of USA!
The Seattle Underground Tour is definitely something that you must do during your visit to Seattle. It is entertaining and packs alot of information which allows you to understand the city that much better. If there’s one thing that YOU MUST DO in Seattle, it must be the Seattle Underground Tour!
While planning for our next trip, Kate and I were thinking about what are some handy travel accessories that we would need for our travels. These accessories should help us make the entire trip well, hassle free. With that in mind, we have teamed up with Lazada.sg to bring you some handy travel accessories that you may need for your next trip!
Backpacks
What we don’t really like about luggages when we’re on the road is that you’ll need to check-in your luggage and pick them up on the conveyor belts after you land. Sometimes waiting for ages. The solution? Good old backpacks! These days, backpacks come in all shapes and sizes. Find a suitable size (and design) and you’ll be able to quicken your flight experience just like that!
Simple Dimple Papa Bag Silver
The Simple Dimple Papa Bag is a stylish yet compact backpack that will fit the job. We like both the silver and white colour for its simplicity and elegance. Travel in style and scoot in and out of airports with ease!
Cameras
Cameras capture memories while you’re on the road. For us, we chose Samsung’s EX2F because of its night shot functions. Many times, we realise that night shots can be so memorable but our camera seems to always lose that shine when it comes to night shots. The EX2F does just that and more!
Samsung NX300 20.3MP
At 20.3MP, no detail escapes from the Samsung NX300. Depending on your needs, EX2F and NX300 will be able to capture those amazing moments while you’re out and about during your next trip!
Tablets
Gone are the days where laptops are favoured by travel bloggers for the road. With simplicity and a convenient interface, the tablets (and of course smart phones) are now the blogging instrument of choice when we’re on the road. Just slip it out, blog and slip it back into your backpack and you’re good to go!
Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1
For a more powerful yet stylish machine on the go, Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 will be an excellent choice. With a 3GB RAM and a 32GB (internal) memory, the possibility of laggy machines is greatly reduced. WiFi and Bluetooth features will make social media sharing a breeze – important for bloggers you know?
Watches
These days, watches don’t just tell the time. The V700 for instance syncs with your phone and you’ll be able to receive calls, messages and even take a picture on the go – making sure that you don’t miss any unforgettable moments!
Casio G-Shock GW-A1000FC-5 Black
Thinking of getting a Casio G-Shock in Singapore? The GW is a sporty version of the G-Shock series that can be used on and off the beaten roads. A great addition to the sophisticated traveller.
G-Shock GA-100A-7 White
But of course, the classic G-Shock white, a watch loved by many has to hit this list. Sure it “attracts” dirt somewhat but who says that you shouldn’t have some fun, while being fashionable on your travels?
We hope that you have enjoyed this quick list that we have compiled and will be using for our next trip. Do check out Lazada for more travel accessories and travel ideas!
Pattaya Thailand is well-known resort destination in Thailand and this post will tell you all the things to do and attractions here! Let’s check out the top 3 things to do and attractions in Pattaya, Thailand right now!
Things to do and Attractions in Pattaya Thailand
1. Incredible Sunsets
Beaches? Nah…
If you’re thinking of a beach getaway, Pattaya may not be the ideal place (you’ll understand from the picture above). BUT! The sunsets over the Gulf of Thailand are certainly beyond description…
Sunset views at Pattaya Thailand
Enjoying the sunset together
Sunset with Cocktails
As the sky, sea and pool merged into one beautiful sea of blue, it really accentuates the colour of the sun. As you enjoy the marvelous sunsets, why not enjoy it over a cocktail or 2 as well? Chillaxing!
2. Pattaya Walking Street
Pattaya Walking Street
Pattaya Walking Street Views
Over the years, Pattaya has also acquired an infamous reputation for its go-go bars, pubs and the “you-know-what” industry. Nonetheless, along the beach, you can still get to do loads of shopping and of course visit the many restaurants here. Clean, decent massages can be as cheap at 10 bucks for an hour!
3. Shopping & Eating!
Central Festival Pattaya
Royal Garden Plaza Pattaya
Mango sticky rice
Further down from Pattaya Walking Street, you’ll come to several shopping malls including the Royal Garden Plaza as well as the more upscale Central Festival next to the Hilton Pattaya. With brands like Mango, Zara and Dorothy Perkins, the ladies are sure to have a great time shopping! For the family, there’s a shooting gallery, a karaoke joint, spa and of course tons of food options.
While you’re here, remember to try the mango sticky rice! One of Thailand’s most famous desserts. The version we tried at Central Festival is definitely one of the best we’ve had – absolutely sweet mango and awesome sticky rice to taste!
Where to stay in Pattaya Thailand
Views from Royal Cliff Hotel Pattaya
Best swimming pool EVER at Royal Cliff Hotel Pattaya!
If you’re visiting Pattaya, Royal Cliff Hotel should be your hotel of choice. As you have already seen above, the hotel offers the best views of sunsets over the Gulf of Thailand. But the greatest attraction here for us? The infinity pool at Royal Cliff Hotel! There are spa beds sprinkled throughout this amazing pool. You can also enjoy views of the sunset while lazing in this amazing pool. As the sun sets, the beautiful night lights of the pool also brings vibrancy to this gorgeous swimming pool. Click on the link for more details of the Royal Cliff Hotel Pattaya!
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Things to do and attractions in Pattaya Thailand
We hope you have enjoyed our coverage of all the things to do and attractions in Pattaya Thailand! Do let us know of other things to do in Pattaya in the comments section below!
Space Needle Seattle and Chihuly Garden and Glass are probably one of the biggest attractions in Seattle. However, we did only a “been there done that” as we were late for Chihuly Gardens that day and there was a queue for the restaurant at Space Needle. Nonetheless, this post will give you an idea of how a visit to these attractions would be like should you be visiting them in Seattle.
Seattle Space Needle
The Seattle Space Needle
The Seattle Space Needle is probably Seattle’s most significant landmark. As we drove towards Kerry Park Viewpoint, it was the most obvious sight as we took in the city skyline…
Kerry Park for views of the Seattle Space NeedleView of Seattle City Skyline and Space Needle from Kerry Park Viewpoint
Video taken from Kerry Park Viewpoint
The observation deck, located 520 feet (158.5 metres) above ground, gives a splendid view of the city of Seattle. Tickets costs $11 (for general admission), $17 (for 2 visits within 24 hours) and $21 for both Chihuly Garden and Seattle Space Needle. The other way to visit the observation is through the Skycity Restaurant – though there is a minimum charge of $35 per pax. Opening hours for the observation deck and Skycity Restaurant is as follows
Chihuly Garden and Glass is founded by Dale Patrick Chihuly. He was born in Tacoma Washington in 1941 and is considered a master for glass sculptures, especially in the realm of HUGE glass sculptures.
Huge glass sculptures at Chihuly Garden and GlassAnother view of Chihuly Gardens and its “greenhouse”
Chihuly’s influences are far and wide. Even in Singapore, there’s a restaurant named Chihuly Lounge at Ritz Carlton, seeking inspiration from his works.
To round up the evening, we took the mono rail from Space Needle (by the way the Space Needle and Chihuly Gardens are within walking distance of each other) to Westlake Center. There are only 2 stops on the monorail, one to the city center and the other at the Space Needle. A one-way ticket costs $2.25 while a return ticket costs $4.50. We took a one-way ticket to Westlake and had dinner at the food court…
Monorail from Seattle Space Needle to Westlake Center (Downtown Station)Inside the Monorail where the cashier is and tickets can be issuedNot too man people taking the monorail ehArriving at Downtown Station – the one and only stopFood Court at Westlake after alighting from the monorail
At the food court, we went to the noodles stall and ordered the hor fun with satay sauce. Sounds strange doesn’t it? But it was a surprisingly good combination. The hor fun had a springy texture while the satay sauce was quite close to the taste back home, slightly on the creamy nutty side. Shiok.
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This is part of our coverage of San Francisco, Seattle and Vancouver USA. Check out these posts if you’re visiting the West Coast of USA!
We hope you have enjoyed this little account of our visit to the main attractions in Seattle and do let us know if you have any insights to these attractions!
Over the weekend, Kate and I took a day trip to Johor Bahru City Square and enjoyed “Singaporean Activities” (i.e. eating, shopping and watching movies) at a cheaper price…
What to do at Johor City Square
1. 100 Doraemon Secret Gadgets Expo
100 Doraemon Secret Gadgets Expo at Johor City Square
The 100 Doraemon Secret Gadgets Expo is currently on at Johor Bahru City Square from 30 August 2014 to 4 January 2015. Entry tickets costs RM25 for adults and RM15 for children.
Although Kate and I did not visit the exhibition, we managed to “sneak” a few shots just for you! 😉
Doraemon Expo at Johor Bahru City Square
“Sneak” at the Doraemon Exhibition at Johor City Square
Kate’s favourite Doraemon pose
Inside the Doraemon Expo at Johor Bahru City Square
2. Shopping at Johor Bahru City Square
Shopping at Johor Bahru City Square
With more than 200 retailers at JB City Square, Singaporeans can take advantage of the 2.5RM to 1SGD exchange and enjoy the host of shopping options available!
This time, Tom bought a pair of spectacles. To be precise, it was a pair of Braun Buffel frames with transitions signature lenses. The total cost came up to 750RM or about 300SGD. Is the price ok? Let us know in the comments section below!
Spectacles from Eyesmate Johor Bahru City Square
3. Dining options at Johor Bahru City Square
As most of the restaurants maintain numerical values for their prices, Singaporeans will be spoilt for choice when it comes to dining options at City Square JB. We were contemplating between Japanese, Western or Korean cuisine. Eventually, we decided on Bornga Korean Restaurant due to the additional discounts that it was giving!
Entrance to Bornga Korean Restaurant at JB City Square
Recommended dishes at 15% discount!
We decided on the Chadol Duenjang Jigae (traditional Korean soybean paste stew with beef) @ 20.40RM as well as the Kimchi Jigae (spicy stew with kimchi, pork and various vegetables) @ 17RM…
Every order comes with 5 side dishes and dessert
Chadol Duenjang Jigae with rice – YUMMY!
Kimchi Jigae from Bornga Korean Restaurant City Square Johor Bahru
4. Movies at discounted prices
Kate and I also caught November Man (starring Pierce Brosnan – which was surprisingly AWESOME!) at 15RM, approximately 6SGD. But if you watch movies from Monday to Thursday (before 1pm), it costs only 7RM! Just remember that Friday is considered “weekend”!
How we got from Singapore to Johor City Square
We first took the MRT to Kranji station and took bus 170. Bus 170 actually takes you all the way to the checkpoint, crossing the causeway and alighting you at the checkpoint in Johor. All in all, you would have to tap your ezlink 4 times per way for bus 170 (boarding 170, alighting at Singapore’s checkpoint, reboarding at Singapore’s checkpoint and alighting at the Malaysia checkpoint).
The total trip 1 way costs $2.30 (inclusive of our MRT ride).
After alighting at the Malaysia Johor checkpoint, you can walk about 5 minutes to Johor Bahru City Square. The best part is that this entire walk is sheltered! 😉
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Johor Bahru City Square
We hope you have enjoyed our review of Johor Bahru City Square! City Square JB is definitely a great place for Singaporeans to shop, dine and catch a movie! Tell us more about your day trip from Singapore to Johor in our comments section below!
After opening its doors to foreign investors, Vietnam is now an attractive tourist destination with many things to do and attractions, especially in Ho Chi Minh City. In this post, you’ll find out where to eat, stay and enjoy the things to do and attractions of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam!
Things to do in Ho Chi Minh City
1. Shopping at Ben Thanh Market and Saigon Square
There are 2 great places to shop at in Ho Chi Minh City. Ben Thanh Market and Saigon Square.
Saigon Square Ho Chi Minh CityInside Saigon Square Ho Chi Minh City VietnamBen Thanh Market Ho Chi Minh CityInside Ben Thanh Market Vietnam
At Saigon Square, you can get high quality shirts and bags at a fraction of the cost as compared to shopping centres. Not sure of its authenticity but quality is definitely good. Still using the bags we got from Saigon Square. No problems so far.
At Ben Thanh Market, it is centrally located in Ho Chi Minh City and is a venue to shop for local goods. You can get coffee, souvenirs and more here. The cool thing is that at night, the market itself closes but the street along it converts into a night market, bustling into life. Clothes at the night market somehow costs cheaper than the market itself during the day. Strange…
Last but not least, close by Ben Thanh Market, there’s an art gallery where you can get high quality art at cheap prices. For instance, we got a huge oil painting for 60USD including framing! Here’s a video of the artists at work…
2. Authentic Vietnamese Food
Tired of having low quality food that touts themselves as “Authentic Vietnamese Cuisine”? Fret no more! In Ho Chi Minh City, you’ll be able to really savour authentic Vietnamese cuisine and here are some examples of the great Vietnamese food that you can get in HCMC!
Lunch at this stall inside Ben Thanh Market Ho Chi Minh CityVietnam Coffee and Grilled Pork / Spring Roll Vermicelli for a total of 100,000 dong about 5USDPrawn and chicken spring roll Saigon Centre Cafe TerracePork Vermicelli Saigon Centre Cafe Terrace
Ho Chi Minh City Attractions
3. Cu Chi Tunnels
One of the biggest war memorial and attraction in Ho Chi Minh City is the Cu Chi Tunnels. Here you will learn about the Vietnam war and how the Viet Cong fought to hold off US attacks. You can also get to experience the tunnels by climbing through the cramped, 120km long tunnels. Of course just a stretch of it. Not all 120km. It’s really tiring and dark! Definitely not recommended for people who are not fit or have claustrophobic tendencies…
4. War Remnants Museum
The War Remnants Museum tells about the cruel realities of war. Be prepared for gory depictions of this reality. If you’re not prepared for the gruesome details, just scroll through the following and really treasure the peace that we enjoy today…
5. Reunification Palace aka Independence Palace
The Reunification Palace was the home and workplace of the South Vietnamese President during the Vietnamese War and was also where the war ended in 1975.
Reunification Palace also known as Independence Palace Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam
6. Take a picture with one of these Ho Chi Minh City Attractions
There are several places tourist spots sprinkled throughout HCMC and you may want to take a couple of shots with these tourist attractions in Ho Chi Minh City..
Rex Hotel – Drop off point of transport by Royal Caribbean CruiseCity Hall Ho Chi Minh City VietnamOpera House Ho Chi Minh CityThe Post Office Ho Chi Minh CityNotre Dame Ho Chi Minh City
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We hope that you have enjoyed our coverage of the things to do and attractions in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Don’t forget to check out this post before your next visit to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam!
How can a trip to Taiwan be complete without a trip to Taipei and the renowned Taipei 101? On day 10 of our Taiwan trip, we decided to check out all the things to do in Taipei!
To ensure that we fully maximised the day, we set off from Audi Garden Business Hotel, early on at about 830am in the morning. From Taoyuan Train Station, we took a 40 mins ride (NT42) to Taipei Train Station and we had to contend with the morning crowd…
Things to do in Taipei Attractions – Xi Men Ding (西门町) Shopping District
After making our way past the crowd to the MRT station, we decided to head first to Xi Men Ding (aka 西门町), Taipei’s premier (young people’s) shopping district! Attractions at Xi Men Ding includes the Red House (known for the North Square Markets as well as the Riverside Live House), the Xi Men Pedestrian Shopping Area, Tian Hou Gong as well as many eateries that caters to the young and young at heart (hey, that’s us!)
After hanging around in the Xi Men area, we decided to head to the next big attraction in Taipei – The Chiang Kai Shek Memorial Hall!
Things to do in Taipei Attractions – Chiang Kai‑shek Memorial Hall
By now, you would have realised that the entire Taipei can actually be covered via the MRT! Which is really convenient (and cheap) for tourists! Remember to get your Easy Card so as to have discounts on your travels!
At first, we did not really want to head to the Chiang Kai Shek Memorial Hall (中正紀念堂) as it was probably just a memorial hall with artifacts of CKS. But we were so wrong! It was a whole area with a HUGE memorial hall which one has to ascend the steps of, much like that in the Rocky Movies…
The National Theatre Hall and National Concert Hall by themselves are also picturesque locations. But what’s really cool is that after we ascended the CKS Memorial Hall, there was a change of guard ceremony!
Not the usual change of guard ceremony where the guards just swap positions. But a SUPER LONG one with arms drills and all! It was so long that we did not even finish watching the entire changeover! Be there at 12pm sharp if you want to witness the change of guards at Chiang Kai Shek Memorial Hall!
Our next stop took us to the most famous attraction in Taipei – Taipei 101!
Things to do in Taipei Attractions – Taipei 101 (aka 臺北101 / 台北101)
A visit to Taipei is only complete if you have been to Taipei 101 (2nd tallest building in the World!)
But the age old question when visiting such sky scrapers is always…
“Is it more worth it to dine at Taipei 101 than to pay to ascend to the top?”
The answer?
Dine at the top of Taipei 101 in style of course! Why? The entry to the observation deck of Taipei 101 actually costs NT500. But to dine at the top of Taipei 101 costs only NT2000. Which means for NT1500 more (approximately $60 more), you’ll get
– A seat by the window overlooking Taipei
– High class food including bird’s nest, abalone and truffles (for only $60?!)
– Excellent service and ambience, no need to rush, wait in line or squeeze with the crowds
To allow you to make a better decision, here’s what we ate at Ding Xian Restaurant at Level 86 of Taipei 101…
Having seen through the menu and the stuff we ate at Ding Xian, you’d probably think that it’s worth it as well. There’s also actually a slightly cheaper menu which doesn’t sit you by the window. But that’s ok because if you stay to about 3pm (slowly enjoying your food), most patrons would have left by then and you will be able to approach the window and take shots from there.
The other down side is that it faces the mountainous area and not the city area. Apparently, the city area is slightly more expensive as its at the VIP area. But there are other observatory restaurants at level 85 (The Best 85 – Diamond Tony’s / Shinyeh Taiwanese Cuisine ),86 (Ding Xian 101) and 35 (Japanese Restaurant / Elly’s Flower & Cafe) that you can choose from.
Also, there are cheaper alternatives at Shin Yeh and Diamond Tony’s. So these are also options to the NT500 which requires you to wait in line to ascend Taipei 101. If you have visited other Observatory Restaurants, do share your experience with our readers in the comments section below!
After the sumptuous meal, we headed to Da An park for a stroll and a short session of feeding! Then, we proceeded to one of the best rated night markets in the whole of Taiwan – Shilin Night Market!
Things to do in Taipei Attractions – Shilin Night Market 士林夜市
The first thing that you will need to know when you visit Shilin Night Market is that IT IS LOCATED NEXT TO JIAN TAN TRAIN STATION not Shilin train station.
We were really glad that we finally got to visit Shilin Night Market and it does live up to its reputation have some great street foods and also for the fact that we finally got to eat the HUGE SQUID as well as taro ball dessert (at a very reasonable price!)
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We hope that you have enjoyed our coverage of the things to do in Taipei as well as all the attractions that Taipei has to offer! This post concludes our series on the Taiwan trip and on day 11, we flew back comfortably on EVA air back to Singapore. Ah…
Snuggled comfortably onboard EVA from Taoyuan International Airport back to Singapore
Remember to wear your seat belts!
You have just finished a post on our Taiwan Trip in 2014 which started here. Here is the full list of posts written about Taiwan Trip 2014…
While we were staying at Audi Garden Business Hotel, we asked Ricky (our host) what are some of the Taoyuan Attractions that we must visit. Hence, he recommended us to visit Da Xi Old Street (大溪老街) and Da Xi Flower Field (大溪花海）.
To get to Da Xi Old Street, you will have to take bus 502, a tourist’s bus (or bus 5096) from the bus terminal next to Taoyuan Train Station. To get to the bus terminal, cross the underpass next to the train station (see picture) and walk towards this white building (again see picture) and you will see buses leaving this particular building.
Upon reaching the bus terminal, to confirm if you are on the right track, the friendly attendants at the bus terminal will direct you accordingly 😉
On the bus however, our itinerary changed when a local tour guide boarded the bus. It seemed to us that the normal day trip (starting real early about at 7ish in the morning) will begin at Xiao Wu Lai (小烏來). Hence, we decided to go with her plan and head out to see the Xiao Wu Lai waterfalls (小烏來瀑布) before heading back to see the flower fields. On hindsight, we were so glad to have visited these Taoyuan attractions. But remember, if you’re making this trip, you will have to cater time for the bus timings and expected crowd to ensure that you’ll have a seat on the bus!
As a result, we took bus 502 direct to Xiao Wu Lai!
Taoyuan Attractions – Xiao Wu Lai (小烏來)
One of the main attraction at Xiao Wu Lai is the Skywalk (aka 天空步道）. If you take the tourist bus to Xiao Wu Lai, you’d only need to pay NT30 (what?!) instead of NT50 (what?! still very reasonable!) to enter into the Xiao Wu Lai Skywalk.
What you need to do when you first arrive, is to head to the ticketing counter, let her know that you took bus 502 and purchase the tickets first. There will be an allocated timing for you to visit the Skywalk (ours was the 1100 to 1130 session）. Once you’re closer to the timing, head towards the entrance and start to queue. It pays if you bring along your umbrella as well…
In the meantime, you might wish to enjoy the peaches at Xiao Wu Lai! It was DEFINITELY THE SWEETEST AND JUICIEST PEACH WE’VE EVER TASTED! The price though was not that cheap. At first, we bought a small one for NT80, to try it out. But since it tasted so good, we bought a box of 12 (small ones) for NT600! Yup, it’s cheaper if you buy in bulk. To cool yourself down, you may wish to have a cup of ice blended peach for only NT60.
The Xiao Wu Lai Skywalk was indeed amazing. The view and pictures taken there were really awesome. You’d have to “shovel” a little to get those great spots amidst the crowd ;P Nonetheless, it was only NT50 to visit the Skywalk! This compared to the Grand Canyon Skywalk for $75USD!
After visiting the Xiao Wu Lai Skywalk, we headed to the water area to cool off and take a dip in the waters. Really nice to dip our feet and let the streams run by. If you’ve brought extra clothing, why not enjoy a dip as well? Just be careful that when you enter, due to moss growing on the rocks, your foot may slip. While in the water, be careful of the currents and rocks that may cut you. Oh, we saw a sign that said “Beware of water snakes” Yikes!
Taking the bus at 1230pm towards Ci Hu, we again took bus 502 for NT54.
Taoyuan Attractions – Ci Hu (慈湖) and Da Xi Flower Field (大溪花海）
At Ci Hu, we were told by our host that the bronze statues there are especially popular with the Chinese tourists. Probably because of the common heritage that they share. But for us (Kate actually), the main purpose of the visit was the flower fields! The entrance was NT150 per person. But we paid NT50 more (i.e. NT200) to get the package which included the DIY soap making session as well as ice creams and Lavender Latte inside the flower field. Not too bad eh?
During our visit to Taoyuan, it was relatively hot (above 30 degrees) but still we enjoyed ourselves with views of the flowers. Though not all the flowers were blossoming during our visit, you should still make a trip and if you have time, tour around the lake as well!
Taking the same bus again at 3:05pm, we left for Da Xi Old Street for the price of NT18.
**You’d also realise by now that the buses are starting to arrive later than scheduled. This is because of the crowds and build up of traffic, especially along the single lanes at Xiao Wu Lai.
Da Xi Old Street is a well preserved area with old intricate structures. In fact, at Da Xi, there are 4 streets, but this main street is the one that is the most well-preserved. There are also several food joints here that you may wish to try out as well.
The sad part about this trip was that when we wanted to finally head back to Taoyuan city, the “snowballed” effect of the late buses were so bad that we waited for 1.5 hours before the bus 502 finally came! Nonetheless, it was still an excellent day trip to check out the attractions of Taoyuan.
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After heading back to Taoyuan city, there’s actually a “local Taoyuan attraction” that we would like to introduce. And that’s the fried and roasted chicken joint featured above! BOTH versions of the chicken were juicy and tender, which explains the super long queue and waiting time, even for a fast food joint!
But the best part (or genius part we would say) is that the combo comes with SWEET POTATO FRIES AND FRIED GLUTINOUS RICE BALLS!! We did not even know that this combination would be possible and tastes this awesome!
Taoyuan was our destination on day 8 of our Taiwan trip and it was definitely an event-filled day checking out the things to do in Taoyuan.
But first, while we were still staying at Miaoli Maison De Chine, we decided to check out the attractions in the vicinity. After a hearty breakfast at Miaoli Maison De Chine, we decided to head out to Kuo Tai Glass Park to check out this local attraction!
The visit to Kuo Tai Glass Park was just fantastic. You can take part in glass blowing, watch the masters in action and have a guided tour around the glass factory. Definitely an itinerary that you can consider for the entire family. Check out our post of Kuo Tai Glass Park (國泰玻璃觀光工廠) to find out more!
We then took a train from Zhunan to Taoyuan for NT154 each and the trip lasted for an hour. Then it was time for us to check into Audi Garden Business Hotel!
After checking into Audi Garden Business Hotel, we decided to take a stroll along the main shopping street of Taoyuan – Zhong Zheng Road. A local temple, Jing Fu Gong 景福宫, is also easily spotted along this road. But the main thing that we really want to talk about is the oyster mee sua next to the temple! Look out for Hao Fu Ji vermicelli, definitely one of the best oyster mee sua we’ve had in Taiwan. It is flavourful, thick but not overpowering plus the ingredients did not have any foul gamey taste at all! But the most amazing part was that it was milky. YES MILKY! Strange, but because of it, differentiates itself from the field of oyster vermicellis out there 😉
Taoyuan Night Market located at Bei Pu Lu and Zhong Zheng Lu was actually the place that we were heading towards as we “journeyed” down Zhong Zheng Road. Along the way, we got to rest and re-energise at Sun Louis Bakery (almost thought it was the same as the Sun Moulin in Singapore. It isn’t but it looks equally atas/high class), before arriving at Taoyuan Night Market!
We didn’t really eat much at Taoyuan Tourism Night Market this evening because of the food that we had along the way (oyster vermicelli, breads and egg tarts). Nonetheless, if you’re feeling that you’d need some “night market fix” in Taoyuan, the Taoyuan Night Market is a great place to eat and do some simple shopping 😉
By the way, the walk from Audi Garden Business Hotel to Taoyuan Night Market was 1.7km (usually 20mins walk) but we took our time to walk at a leisurely pace, snacking along the way, thus we took slightly less than an hour for the trip.
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Hope you’ve enjoyed our coverage of the things to do in Taoyuan. Next, we’ll be visiting Xiao Wu Lai (Huh? Where is that?) on Day 9 of our Taiwan Trip!
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Kuo Tai Glass Park in Zhunan was one of the places we visited during our stay at the Miaoli Maison De Chine Hotel. In addition to our own research (which didn’t reveal much information, hence this post), we were also introduced to this Zhunan attraction by the concierge at our hotel. If you’re thinking of the things to do in Miaoli, do check out Kuo Tai Glass Park as it promises to be a fun-filled venue for the entire family!
After a 15 minutes walk from our hotel, we arrived at Kuo Tai Glass Park (aka 國泰玻璃觀光工廠) and we were just in time for the next guided tour! The tour starts with a glass blowing session where even kids are allowed to join in!
When you arrive at Kuo Tai Glass Park, the receptionist will welcome you and bring you into the glass store where you will be introduced to the entry fees. It costs NT250 per person. But, the NT250 can also be used as store credits. Hence, if there are 2 of you, although the entry fee would be NT500, you would also have a store credit of NT500. To participate in the glass blowing session (and blow your own glass to be taken home as a souvenir), it costs NT350. Hence, we still had NT150 which we used to get 3 small glass pieces to be taken home.
Our recommendation? Participate in the glass blowing session! We did not have the chance when we were in Venice!
During this weekend, there were also several parents who brought their kids along. The kids seemed to have lots of fun participating in the glass blowing session and answering the quizzes from the guide. When the kids got an answer correct, they would be rewarded with a glass souvenir (worth NT50)!
During the glass blowing session, we were instructed by the master to blow VERY gently and rotate the rod that holds the glass. This is because as you blow, the glass becomes lob sided and you would have to continuously rotate the rod to balance it. But don’t worry, the master is always on hand in case the glass goes “out of shape”. He even does moulding, shaping and refining at the end so that your product is still in a “presentable” state when you go home with it 😉
During the live demonstration, we were really impressed by 2 procedures that the master did. Firstly, the brothers (together – both of whom are master glass makers) did a “bridging” so that the vase can be disconnected from its original base. Secondly, he did this TWIRLING action at the end that formed the flowery opening at the top of the vase. The other interesting was that newspapers (YES NEWSPAPERS!) were used in forming the glass! This is because newspapers have ink that helped to provide a layer of (oil) protection, preventing scratches on the glass wares! Cheap and good!
Take a look at this live demonstration where the process of “bridging” is shown!
After the awesome demonstration, the guide continued to bring us around the glass factory, showing us the tools that were formerly used to produce glass ware in the factory. Lastly, the tour ended at the factory’s museum where we were introduced to some of the masterpieces that were produced, including
1. A green vase with a huge opening at the top. If you think about it, the greater the opening, the greater the skill of the master as it really requires alot of experience to know whether “stretching” the glass further would break the product or not. Hence, for this particular piece, ALOT of skill was required!
2. Red glass ware that are NOT painted red. It is rather difficult to do red glass wares because the colour red, can only be produced in glass wares WITHIN a certain temperature range. Hence, all the crafting and heating must be done within this particular range. If the temperature is not controlled well, the colour may change outside of this range and therefore the master will have to re-craft again.
3. Bamboo glassware. According to our guide, it took about 3 years for the master to be able to create this bamboo glassware. It was then proven that it had some qualities that allowed the drinks held within these glass ware to taste better. No change to the flavour per se, but it is supposed to make the drinks smoother to the taste.
How to get to Kuo Tai Glass Park Zhunan?
From Miaoli Maison De Chine, it is relatively easy to get to Kuo Tai Glass Park. It is in fact just a 15 minutes walk along Gongyuan Road. Once you have reached Kanding Street, continue walking till you reach an overhead crossing. Just before this overhead crossing, you will see a sign on the right leading to Kuo Tai Glass Park. Head on the small path and you will arrive at Kuo Tai Glass Park Zhunan!
Address of Kuo Tai Glass Park : 350, Taiwan, Miaoli County, 新南里崁頂151號
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At the end of the tour, we were taken back to the glass store again to choose items that we could bring home with our remaining NT150 credit. We were also shown our glass product (after the master’s refinement) before it was packaged in a box for us to bring home. It is in fact still safe and sound in our house!
If you’re visiting Miaoli, Zhunan some time in the future, do stop by Kuo Tai Glass Factory (國泰玻璃觀光工廠) and you’ll be sure to have an awesome time, especially with the glass blowing demonstration!
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Wondering what are some of the things to do in Miaoli Taiwan? Thanks to the great folks of Miaoli Maison De Chine, we were hosted to a stay and enjoyed some of the wonderful facilities there. Also, it provided us with a great base to check out all the attractions and things to do in Miaoli Taiwan!
Actually, we headed from Taichung to Tong Xiao Beach first. However, when we arrived, due to a carnival, we had to pay $20SGD to enter the beach area (which is usually free). As we were only there for an hour, we did not enter. But if you do have more time, it is encouraged that you visit as the $20SGD includes shows and displays for programmes throughout the day.
If you’re travelling from Taichung to Zhunan, it takes about 1 hour by train. After arriving at Zhunan train station, to get to Miaoli Maison de Chine, you’ll have to take a taxi for NT120 (walking takes about 30 minutes). It is a fixed price for visitors to the hotel.
Things to do in Miaoli Taiwan
1. 天厨海鲜楼 (Tian Chu Seafood Restaurant)
Located at No. 19, Gongyuan 5th St, Miaoli County, Taiwan 350, 天厨海鲜楼 (Tian Chu Seafood Restaurant) serves up great seafood at an excellent price. In fact, when we visited, they were having a promotion whereby each dish only costs NT100 ($4!). That’s even cheaper than Zi Char in Singapore! Plus, we were having stuff like prawns (really fresh ones at that), squid and pork ribs. If you’re staying at Miaoli Maison De Chine, do check out 天厨海鲜楼 (Tian Chu Seafood Restaurant) to enjoy great food, an excellent ambience at a fantastic price!
The Zhunan Beer Factory is the largest brewery in the whole of Taiwan. But in order to go for a visit, you’d have to at least have a group of 20. In addition, there are allocated times for visit. This time, we unfortunately missed the last group tour of the day. Hence, it would be wise to give the factory a call first and ask the group tour timings before you head over. Oh, the taxi ride from Miaoli Maison De Chine to Zhunan Factory is between NT150 to NT200.
As we were not able to join the tour, we were only able to walk around within the store area. Inside, the various types of alcohol and beers, produced by the factory are sold. In addition, we also got to try the 18 days Taiwan Beer for free. It tasted a little bitter (which we prefer) and the usual price is NT65 per bottle.
There is also a restaurant where you can order dishes to go with the beer. But do note that it is just like a regular restaurant NOT ANYTHING LIKE a microbrewery with beers on tap. But do give the 18 days Taiwan Beer a try, you won’t regret it!
We were also informed by Shelly (Marketing Manager from Miaoli Maison De Chine Hotel) that, within walking distance of hotel, there’s a famous bun store ( 曾记馅饼） at the intersection of Ba De Yi Lu and De Yi Lu. Located next to the 7-11, it is a mobile truck that sells buns with pork, beef or sweet red bean filling. Definitely a must try if you’re in the vicinity!
4. Zhunan Integrated Sports Complex
Before we headed back to our hotel for great food and spa pool enjoyment, we headed to the Zhunan Integrated Sports Complex just across the road from Miaoli Maison De Chine. There, residents can enjoy runs around the track, play some basketball or croquet.
On day 6 of our Taiwan trip, we checked out all the things to do in Taichung and its attractions! If you’re not sure what to do (and eat!!!) in Taichung, you’ll find some great information to get you on your way to discovering Taichung!
Things to do in Taichung Taiwan
1. Chun Shui Tang 春水堂 – Originator of the Bubble Milk Tea
On day 6 of our Taiwan Trip, we woke up to a sumptuous breakfast at Park City Hotel Central Taichung. After the hearty meal (which included braised pork rice!!), we checked out the Taichung 2nd market. As we were early, the breakfast crowds were still having their breakfast as well. We also noticed the scores of fruit stalls at Taichung 2nd market, probably a great place to find great tasting fruits at an excellent price.
Next, we headed to Chun Shui Tang!!!
Chun Shui Tang, as we found out, is the originator of the world-renowned Taiwanese Bubble Milk Tea. But there are actually many of its franchise around in the city (close to 20 of them), so just pop into any one of the joints to enjoy the original bubble milk tea!
Located at Xiang Shang North Road, at the area of Mei Cun road, lies a cluster of quaint cafes and restaurants. Here, we also saw this unique robot cafe where the server invited us in just to have a look (no purchase required). There, we saw the HUGE resident cats who startled us with its sudden movement. The truth was, it was so huge that we thought it was just a soft toy that was lying around. When it moved, Tom just jumped!
Enroute, we also had the egg beef porridge which we realised actually goes quite well with spinach.
One more tip, remember to get the Easy Card. It costs NT200 at any 7-11, of which, NT100 goes to the deposit. But the great thing about the Easy Card is that specifically in Taichung, the first 8km is free! Yes! FREE!!! In other cities, there are usually fare discounts for Easy Card holders as well. Do pick up one if you’re intending to travel Taiwan for an extended period of time!
3. Shop and Eat in Taichung – Yi Chung Shang Quan 一中街商圈, Taichung Park, Feng Jia Night Market and Miyahara Ice Cream
For more shopping options, you can head to the Yi Chung Shang Quan (or just Yi Chung Street) where there are endless shopping options and street foods available. It’s a closer option for night market from Taichung City as compared to Feng Jia Night Market. From Taichung City, we took bus 88 (for free!) to the Yi Chung shopping street.
As we were still early that day, we decided to head back to Feng Jia Night Market again for a 2nd time! This time, we tried out all the foods that we wanted to eat, including 大腸包小腸 (Direct translation of Big Sausage Wrap Small Sausage), Deep Fried HUGE Squid / 酥炸大鱿鱼, 熊手包 Bear Paw Buns and 章鱼小丸子 / Takopachi Octopus Balls. Do check out our post of what to eat at Feng Jia Night Market to find out more!
Enroute back, we dropped by the Taichung City Park and enjoyed a leisurely stroll by its lake as well as a visit to the Lake Heart Pavilion.
To cap off a fun-filled day in Taichung, we headed back to Miyahara – 宮原眼科 for its famous ice cream! This time, we finally got to eat this famous ice cream! But there’s one catch, we had to go to 4th Credit on 72 Zhong Shan Road ( 第四信用合作社）and this is because the outlet at Miyahara 宮原眼科 is so popular that it has a minimum spending of NT380 ($16). Therefore, we decided to take a short walk (5 minutes really), along Zhong Shan Road and ate at the 4th Credit outlet.
For NT245, we had a waffle bowl with 3 scoops of ice cream and choice of 4 toppings. Do not think that the toppings are simple and common items such as strawberry sauce or chocolate sprinkles. THEY ARE REAL DESSERT TOPPINGS! You’d be surprised but we chose cheesecake, pineapple tart, floral cake and rum raisins! (WHAT?! THOSE ARE TOPPINGS!!??)
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We hope you’ve enjoyed our coverage of the things to do and attractions in Taichung Taiwan! Do let us know if you have any other recommendations in our comments section below!
Stay tuned for day 7 of our trip in Miaoli Taiwan!
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Changhua and Taichung were our next stops during day 5 of our Taiwan Trip! Our plan was to stop by Changhua to taste the famous Changhua meatballs before heading to check in at Park City Hotel Central Taichung. In the evening, we visited the most famous night market in Taiwan – Feng Jia Night Market.
Chiayi to Changhua and Taichung
Something happened that morning…Kate realised that she lost the McDonald’s coupons for our breakfast! So we decided that we would visit the local pan fried bun (生煎包) joint since it was closed at 5pm (starts selling for afternoon sessions at 3pm) the day before. But when we reached there at 8am in the morning, although there were many people having their breakfast, THERE WAS NO FRIED BUNS!! To us, this was the elusive pan fried buns joint, if you have visited it, do let us know how it tasted!
The train ride from Chiayi to Changhua took approximately 1hr and 30 minutes. From Changhua, it takes about 30 minutes to reach Taichung. Hence, the entire trip from Chiayi to Taichung takes slightly under two hours. Our original plan was to buy 2 separate tickets from Chiayi to Changhua and from Changhua to Taichung. However, we made a “mistake” and bought the Chiayi to Taichung ticket for NT144 (approximately $6 each). The good thing was you’re able to stop anywhere along the way just as long as you remember to validate the tickets upon exit. And you’ll have to exit via the station personnel at the exit (do not insert into the automated gates!)
At Changhua, we tried all 3 famous Changhua Meatballs from 彰化肉圓, 老担阿璋肉圓 and 正彰化肉圓. Do check out our post on the best Changhua Meatballs to find out which one we thought was the best!
In between our meatball adventures, we did snuck in a couple of other snacks such as the braised pig trotters and the traditional cake. But to our surprise, this “Old Time Delights” Bakery in Changhua turned out to be one of the best cakes we’ve ever tasted! This time, we tried the pumpkin cake. The cake was firm but not so sweet. The top of the cake were lined with healthy nuts and seeds but the best part was what was within…the pumpkin fillings! It was the eastern version of the swiss roll but 10 times nicer! No wonder the queue was quite long even in the mid afternoon. The choice that you’ll have at this stall is dependent on what was being baked at that point in time. There’s a schedule that locals know about.
These cakes were baked on huge trays and cut to size. We ordered the smallest cut (which was still quite big for the both of us) at NT65. If you’ve tried the other flavours or are a local who frequents here often, do share in the comments section below on which you think is the best flavour!
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After checking into the Park City Central Hotel Taichung, we took a bath in the hotel’s sexy bathtub (with views of the TV) and had the amazing pumpkin cake before heading to the famous Feng Jia Night Market!
Feng Jia Night Market is the 2nd largest Night Market in the whole of Taiwan (the biggest night market in Taiwan is the combination of Jin Zuan and Kai Xuan Night Markets) and there are many great foods here. If you’re wondering what to eat at Feng Jia Night Market, do find out more in our separate post.
On the way back to our hotel, we stopped by one of the tourist attractions in Taichung, the Miyahara – 宮原眼科. Although we did not have the famous ice cream this evening, we did try it on day 6 of our visit and there’s a little secret that you should know about it as well…
Stay tuned to Day 6 of our Taiwan Trip to find out more!
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Feng Jia Night Market (逢甲夜市) is one of the biggest night market in Taiwan and if you’ve been to Feng Chia Night Market, you’d realise that you’re spoilt for choice when it comes to food options. Many have asked the sacred question of “What to eat at Feng Jia Night Market?” and “What are the best foods at Feng Chia Night Market?” This post will thus source out the best food to eat in Feng Chia Night Market, just for you!
Feng Jia Night Market. Not so crowded on a Wednesday night.
Feng Jia Night Market 逢甲夜市 Best Food To Eat!
大腸包小腸 (Direct translation of Big Sausage Wrap Small Sausage)
大腸包小腸 is somewhat like a novelty for us. It is actually an outer layer of “rice sausage” wrapping Taiwanese sausage and other condiments within. At the entrance of Feng Jia Night Market, there are 2 stalls selling 大腸包小腸, let’s call them “yellow” and “red” stall respectively.
大腸包小腸 Feng Jia Night Market – Yellow StallFeng Jia Night Market 大腸包小腸 – Red Stall
On our first night there, yellow stall had a super looooooooong queue! Hence, we decided to go to the comparatively shorter queue at red stall (still had to wait 10 minutes…Zzz).
Feng Jia Night Market 大腸包小腸 from Red Stall NT40
When it is your turn to order at “Red Stall”, the lady will ask if you’d want normal, or “small/medium/large” spicy. We went for the small spicy (小辣）and it tasted quite good with a hint of spiciness. For Singaporeans, remember not to go for the bamboo shoots (竹笋）as part of your condiments.
On our second day at Feng Jia Night Market, as we were there relatively early (about 3pm), we tried 大腸包小腸 from the yellow stall. This time, we went for the normal version and again we requested not to have bamboo shoots added.
Feng Jia Night Market 大腸包小腸 from Yellow Stall NT40
The results of our comparison? Red stall had the better version. The outer rice sausage was fragrant and had a slight crisp on the outside while the condiments tasted better (in general) compared to the yellow stall. Somehow, the peanuts added to the yellow stall’s version didn’t taste as good. As a guide though, if you have not tried 大腸包小腸 before, just go for the shorter queue. You don’t have to die die try the yellow or red stall but if you must, the red stall for us, has that sliiight advantage.
熊手包 Bear Paw Buns
熊手包 Bear Paw Buns Feng Jia Night MarketTop selling buns at 熊手包 Bear Paw Buns Feng Jia Night MarketHoney Mustard Chicken Pumpkin Bun from 熊手包 Bear Paw Feng Jia Night Market @ NT60
How can we not try bear paw buns right? 2bearbear, bear paws? :p We went for the no.1 top selling bun, the honey mustard chicken pumpkin bun and it was so delicious! The patty was hot and juicy while the honey mustard was just a perfect dressing. Most interesting of all, the hint of pumpkin could absolutely be tasted from the buns! Yummilicious!
Deep Fried HUGE Squid / 酥炸大鱿鱼
Deep Fried HUGE Squid / 酥炸大鱿鱼 Feng Jia Night Market
The deep fried HUGE Squids or 酥炸大鱿鱼 are available at many other night markets. At Feng Jia Night Market itself, there are already quite a few. But of all the deep fried squids we’ve tried, this version is still the best. The cook has a certain way of making sure that the squids are deep fried to precise perfection. Each time she sees that it requires a little more time in the oil, in it goes. By seeing the surface of the squid, she knows whether it is done within. And that takes experience. And with experience comes your yummy portion of deep fried squids!
Feng Chia Night Market Deep Fried HUGE Squid / 酥炸大鱿鱼 NT50
For the sizes, you can choose from NT50 (medium), NT70 (big), NT80 (bigger), NT100 (HUGE). There are also 7 tastes that you can choose from including the original (salt and pepper), lemon/pepper (which we chose), wasabi and seaweed, just to name a few.
Cheese Potato / 起司马铃薯
Cheese Potato / 起司马铃薯 @ Feng Jia Night MarketFeng Chia Night Marke Deluxe cheese potato combo / 综合起司马铃薯 @ NT65
Strongly recommended by netizens, we decided to give the cheese potato a try. Not knowing which flavour to choose, we decided to go for the deluxe (and the most expensive) as it had a little bit of everything within. Frankly speaking, it was just loads of cheese over mashed potato. The mashed potato itself did not have that “wow” factor of truffles (kidding lah…) or at the least tastes of good grade butter. To us, this was just a “filler” dish. You can give this one a miss 😉
章鱼小丸子 / Takopachi Octopus Balls
章鱼小丸子 / Takopachi Octopus Balls @ Wen Hua StreetTakopachi Octopus Balls Feng Jia Night Market for NT40 章鱼小丸子
The Takopachi Octopus Balls were SHIOK!! The octopus balls were prepared only upon order (as it was early in the day) and topped off with dried fish, mayo and wasabi dressing. The cool part was that the mayo was not like the usual fatty tasting mayonnaise. Instead, it was milkilicious! With the mayo/wasabi combination, the “fresh-hot-off-the-stove” takopachi, tasted amazing!
Taro, Papaya Milk Juice / 木瓜牛奶，芋头牛奶
NT50 Taro Milk Drink from Feng Jia Night Market introduced by 2moro
This version of the Taro milk drink still had shaved ice bits on each sip. Not the smooth and rich type of milk drink that you would normally expect. Nonetheless, the ingredients are fresh and its still worth 1 try (emphasis on the one). Don’t think we’re coming back for seconds though.
Fruit juices 3 for NT100 @ Feng Jia Night Market
If you’re travelling in a group, the deal of 3 fruit juices for NT100 is definitely worth it. Usual price of a cup is NT40 for papaya milk and NT35 for lemon with ai yu (爱玉）jelly.
Foods at Feng Jia Night Market 逢甲夜市
YOU may have tried
Longest queue at Feng Jia Night Market for 炒面面包 (Fried Noodles in a Bun?!)German pork knuckle at Feng Jia Night Market 逢甲夜市
There were 2 particular stalls that we would have tried (given more time and space in our tummies). There was a ridiculously long queue for 炒面面包 (Fried Noodles in a Bun?!). Seriously, can this really be good? If you’ve tried it, do let us know in the comments section below. Also, we’ve stumbled across a german pork knuckle stall in Feng Jia Night Market (and not in an upscale german restaurant). Can this pork knuckle be good? Do let us know if you’ve tried it as well!
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Changhua is synonymous with meatballs. Whenever one talks about Changhua, the term meatballs will somehow enter into the conversation. Hence, the term 彰化肉圓 (aka Changhua meatballs).
But the big question is this. Which is the best Changhua meatball?
As with the battle of the Malacca Chicken Rice Balls, we made it one of our missions during this trip to find out which stall has the best meatballs in Changhua!
The Candidates for the Best Changhua Meatballs
(彰化肉圓)
Kate did the research for all the meatballs stalls in Changhua and we arrived at Chenleng Rd, there were 2 meatball stalls right across from each other. The idea of creating a “meatball node” at Chenleng Rd is a clever one. Most people, whenever they crave for a taste of Changhua meatball, they’ll head over here to have their meatball fix.
This version at 正彰化肉圓 costs NT35 and had a generous serving of peanut sauce over it. We also enjoyed the generous portion of meat filling within. The minuses? Waitress took SOOOOOOO long before she brought over the chili sauce! We were almost at our last mouth when the chili arrived. Sigh. But the other big minus for us was the taste of 竹笋 （bamboo shoot) which was relatively strong. Lovers of 竹笋 would definitely love this rendition at Zheng Changhua Meatballs.
Candidate 2 : 老担阿璋肉圓
(No. 144, Cháng’ān St, Changhua City, Changhua County, Taiwan 500）
Lao Dan Ah Zhang Changhua Meatball 老担阿璋肉圓
Lao Dan Ah Zhang Changhua Meatball 老担阿璋肉圓 for NT35
Pork Ball at 老担阿璋肉圓 for NT15
After finishing our rounds at 正彰化肉圓, we crossed the road to visit 老担阿璋肉圓. This version of meatball at Lao Dan Ah Zhang Meatball (老担阿璋肉圓) had a slight edge over 正彰化肉圓 in that the chili for the meatball was readily available on the table! Haha…
But jokes aside, what we enjoyed about this version was that the fragrance of the garlic permeated with each mouthful of the meatball. The skin was also chewy and TAONG which brought a different texture as you bite on the skin and its fillings. The downside? A tad lesser in terms of meat fillings within.
The funny thing was, so far, we’ve seen both versions of the meatballs being deep fried but they’ve both been “drowned” with their sauces such that they don’t taste fried at all. Was it supposed to be like that? We soon found out with the third candidate…
北門口肉圓 Changhua Meatball with dried scallop for NT80
北門口肉圓 is just a short walk away from the other 2 meatball joints and it was pretty crowded when we reached there. The boss did not even have time to take our orders, just busily frying the meatballs away. Some “cut” the queue by shouting their orders. Hence, don’t be shy (or courteous), just order away!
There were several things we loved about this version. At NT80, we ordered the bigger version with dried scallops. The taste was certainly better and there was more meat fillings within. Chili also accompanied the meatballs well. But what we really enjoyed about 北門口肉圓’s meatball was the crispy outer layer! After trying 3 meatballs stalls, we finally found one that maintained the crispiness of the skin after frying and addition of the sauces! The down side of this version was that the sauce was a tad too sweet.
The Best Changhua Meatballs (彰化肉圓) goes to…
北門口肉圓
Bei Men Kou Changhua Meatball!
Well, we’re coming from a Singaporean point of view. 正彰化肉圓’s meatballs was knocked out after having a relatively strong taste of the bamboo shoots (need to wash them clean you know?). It was really a close fight between 老担阿璋肉圓 and 北門口肉圓. But the crispy outer layer at 北門口肉圓 definitely made the difference.
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If ever possible, we think that the best version of Changhua Meatballs (彰化肉圓) would be the meatballs (with crispy outer skin) from 北門口肉圓, laced with the garlicky,peanuty sauce of 老担阿璋肉圓 and 正彰化肉圓!
Hope you’ve enjoyed our coverage of Changhua Meatballs (彰化肉圓), do let us know your thoughts in the comments section below!
You have just finished a post on our Taiwan Trip in 2014 which started here. Here is the full list of posts written about Taiwan Trip 2014…
After checking out the Things to do in Chiayi on day 3 of our Taiwan trip, we decided to visit the other Chiayi Attractions such as Lan Tan Lake / Reservoir (蘭潭水庫), Sun Shooting Tower (射日塔) and eating our way through Zhong Shan Lu (中山路) – Chiayi’s main shopping street!
Chiayi Attractions Taiwan!
On day 4 of our trip, we actually started the day early at Duke Hotel. 4am early. Yes, it was the world cup and we caught match between Germany and Algeria. Germany managed to pull through in extra time and won the game 2-1!
2bearbear watching Germany vs Algeria World Cup 2014! 4am in the morning!
Back to Chiayi Attractions… 😛
After collecting our breakfast at McDonald’s we took the bus from Chiayi Terminal to Chiayi University for 18NT. If you’re unsure, the friendly aunty at the ticketing counter will be able to advise you. The bus ride took about 20 minutes. Lan Tan aka 蘭潭水庫 is actually located very near Chiayi University. You’d probably see couples from the University, hanging out by the Lan Tan Lake or just enjoying views of the mountain ranges in the distance.
Now, the important information…HOW TO GET TO LAN TAN LAKE?
Lan Tan Chiayi / 蘭潭水庫
After arriving at Chiayi University, you’d realise that you may have entered into the University and may be erm…a little lost. Fret not! We have been lost in Chiayi University as well and here are the simplified steps for you to reach Lan Tan!
Step 1 : Head towards the entrance of Chiayi University, where you will see the office of the security guards. Step 2 : On the right of the security guard house, you’ll see a car park with lots of motorcycles, head towards it and turn right towards a flight of stairs. Step 3 : You’d probably be pestered by mosquitoes (bring a repellant) and small crawling lizards by now. IGNORE THEM! Continue up this flight of stairs and you’d end up at the University’s dormitories. Ironically, this path is known affectionately by the students as Ai Qing De Xiao Lu (爱情的小路 or Love’s Little Path). Kate was “loved” by several mosquitoes here… Step 4 : Continue walking on the only path and you’d arrive at another security guard house. Walk across the road and keep right and within 2 minutes, you’ll arrive at Lan Tan! Yay! (After all that treacherous climb) OR You’d probably be lost like us and ask the security guards. He’d actually say the exact same thing to you – that’s because we asked! We’re trying to prevent uncles being asked the same question (“Where is Lan Tan?”) over and over again. So be brave. Cross the road and keep right!
After reaching Lan Tan, we took a short stroll around the lake, taking shots at Rippling Moonlit Talk 月影潭心, San Xin Ting 三信亭 and of course the mountain ranges in the distance. We’re actually not sure what those mountain ranges are. But we’re secretly hoping that it’s the Alishan (阿里山) Mountain Range (it is in the correct general direction!).
Views of Mountain Range from Lan Tan
The reason why we did not go to Alishan is because of the duration and probably, the “treacherous” journey. The trip takes about 3 hours from Chiayi, making it 6 hours for a return trip. Plus, mountainous roads are usually windy (thus evoking motion sickness). Last but not least, parts of the roads to Alishan have been blocked off for reconstruction due to landslides in 2010. Most locals we asked said that Lan Tan would be the best alternative in terms of cost and time.
After our visit to Lan Tan, we took the same bus (remember to refer to the bus timetable!) back towards Chiayi. Oh, you can also feed the ducks at the pond next to the bus stop and even send a post card back home as well!
The main reason why we stopped at Chiayi Park is because of the Sun Shooting Tower. However, we forgot to check out the opening hours before going. Apparently, it closes on Mondays and Tuesdays. But thank the Lord, there was an exhibition (Alessi) going on and it was open on the Tuesday that we visited 🙂
As you approach (and leave) the Sun Shooting Tower, be careful of the sudden LOUD sounds play through the PA system. We were startled TWICE as we entered and left the Chiayi Tower. However, views from the tower was simply amazing and there’s even a nice alfresco chillax area at the top of the tower…
Our first stop was at the Hong Jia Zhuang Beef and Pork Noodles Restaurant. What attracted us was its cute banner and of course the fact that it had pork noodles in addition to beef noodles at the restaurant. Yes, we tried the pork noodles.
It happened that the restaurant got famous because of the cute twins, grandchildren of the owner of the restaurant. The best part was that they happened to be visiting from Taipei (they have since grown up and shifted to Taipei for their education) and the cute twins served us our lunch! The noodles were quite tasty and the pork was very tender. However, we wouldn’t say that it’s superb. Just good. Perhaps, the “twins effect” bumped up the unique factor of the restaurant. They’re still soooo cute at 10 years of age! 😛
Still on Zhong Shan Lu, we stumbled upon 恩典方塊酥 shop. A bakery that specialises in selling square shaped biscuits – hence the name. We bought a couple because even the prime minister of Taiwan visits this place. When we finally got to try it back in our room, we understood why. The texture was flaky and crumbly both at the same time (how is that even possible?!). Taste was the usual buttery taste but not too sweet. Definitely a great gift to bring back home.
As for the oyster mee sua? We’re featuring it so that you wouldn’t make the same mistake of visiting it. The flavour was bland and the intestines still had the funny smell that remains if you don’t wash it clean. Bottom line, give this joint a miss.
Located at 中山路325号 (325 Zhong Shan Lu), the famous 嘉义喷水鸡肉饭 Chiayi Spurting Turkey Rice is a must try for foodies visiting Chiayi. We’ve tried 3 different versions of the turkey rice in Chiayi and the spurting chicken rice comes up top! This is because of the flavourful fried shallots and bits of turkey skin that are prepared so well that it had a gelatinous crunch along with the firm turkey meats. Wash down with Taiwan Beer? Yum! The garlic squid on the other hand managed only an “ok” rating from us. Somehow, it lacked the fresh crunch that a good plate of garlic squid should have.
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Rounding off the evening, we decided to pamper ourselves to VIP screening of Transformers 4 : Age of Extinction. And yes, it was in English. The seats were actual sofa seats and even comes with “Transformers” cushions. Each VIP ticket (at the cost of 330NT about $13 SGD) comes with a choice of soft drink or popcorn. Since there were the 2 of us, we decided to go with 1 popcorn and 1 coke.
All in all, it was a fantastic day out, visiting all the attractions in Chiayi! We hope that our day 3 post on things to do in Chiayi and day 4 post of Chiayi attractions can be a good resource for you when you visit Chiayi Taiwan in the future!
Stay tuned for day 5 of our Taiwan trip, next!
You have just finished a post on our Taiwan Trip in 2014 which started here. Here is the full list of posts written about Taiwan Trip 2014…
Chiayi was our next destination on day 3 of our Taiwan trip. After our breakfast at 鹿早茶屋, we headed to Chiayi to check out the many things to do in and attractions in Chiayi Taiwan!
Things to do and attractions in Chiayi
The train ride from Tainan to Chiayi takes about an hour and costs NT107 per ticket. After arriving at Chiayi train station, we checked in with Duke Hotel before venturing out in search of the yummy foods in Chiayi!
We also found out at the reception that breakfast was at the McDonald’s downstairs! All you have to do is just bring the coupons down and let the cashier know which burger and beverage you’d like. BUT on the 2nd day, Kate actually lost our McDonald’s coupon! But that’s another story to tell… -_-”
Chiayi Turkey Rice
Chiayi is famous for its Turkey Rice aka 火鶏肉飯. Right round the corner from Duke Hotel, there are 2 traditional Turkey Rice stalls claiming to be around for about 50 years. We popped right in and ordered a portion for 30NT. We also had the braised pork belly rice and fish belly soup for NT60 each. After tucking in, we soon discovered that the secret to a good bowl of Turkey Rice lies in the fried shallots! The fish belly soup on the other hand was really fresh and tender! The fish together with the lining of the belly, literally melted in my mouth on each bite! The only thing that I had to be careful was the small bones that appeared from time to time. Chew slowly!
After lunch, we went back to our hotel for a short rest before walking to Wen Hua Night Market aka 文化路观光夜市. The night market is simply a long stretch of road with food stalls on the sides. Not many stalls to choose from though. This was probably one of the least interesting night markets during this trip.
We tried the braised items stall with choice of braised beancurd, beancurd skin and liver. We actually wanted to heat up the items but the aunty managed to convince us that it tasted nicer cold – SO NOT TRUE! Nonetheless, it was still quite palatable with the chili and preserved vegetables mixed in. But you should really ask for the heated version!
For desserts, we tried the peanut beancurd. This version was quite tasty, not too sweet and had the peanuty goodness (and flavours) that went quite well with the beancurd. Again, this is a traditional beancurd stall, so expect firmness and not the silky smooth textures of beancurds found in Singapore.
To round up the evening, we recalled seeing eel noodles as a specialty of Chiayi on the in-flight magazine of EVA air. We happened to chance upon a stall enroute from our hotel to Wen Hua Night Market and decided to give it a try (though our first choice was actually 肉羹 which was closed when we wanted to order!). This version was actually quite tasteless and oily. BUT! Nothing a little vinegar and chili powder cant salvage! After adding (incessant amounts of) vinegar and chili powder, the noodle was more palatable and together, we actually slurped up the whole plate of noodles!
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Things to do in Chiayi Taiwan
Though it was a disappointing first day at Chiayi (except the Turkey Rice), there are many other things to do in Chiayi Taiwan and in fact, our next day in Chiayi turned out to be much better! Stay tuned to find out more!
You have just finished a post on our Taiwan Trip in 2014 which started here. Here is the full list of posts written about Taiwan Trip 2014…
There are so many things to do in Tainan and day 2 of our Taiwan trip was when we really started to explore Tainan altogether. Early on in the morning, we decided to set off from 1967 City Central Hotel Tainan to Anping Old Fort by foot. The entire journey took approximately 2 hours but we had several stops along the way, most of them at 7-11 (affectionately known by locals as “seven”)…
Things to do in Tainan Taiwan
Enroute to Anping Old Fort
From 1967 Hotel Tainan to Anping Old Fort, we passed by several attractions in Tainan, including the National Museum of Taiwan Literature, Confucius Temple,
Although the walk in Tainan was wonderful (mostly because I was walking with my lover – Kate) but IT WAS HOT!!! We had to stop at several 7-11 along the way to cool down (mostly by enjoying the free air conditioning) and replenish our water lost due to the intense heat. It was about 33 degrees Celsius so if you’re taking the same walk in the June period, remember to pack a bottle of water and probably an umbrella to block off the sun’s rays.
About 2 hours later (and it was still before 10am!), we arrived at Anping District!
Anping Old District and Anping Fort
After crossing Tainan River (台南运河)，we finally entered Anping District! The Anping District is one of the old towns in Tainan and is one of the tourist attractions in Tainan. It can get pretty crowded, especially during the weekends where the stalls are open (with games and food, even during the day) and of course, many flock to visit the Anping Old Fort. Nearby, you can also stay at the Anping Old House for a local feel of the area. Entrance to the Anping Old Fort costs only NT50 ($2 SGD) and you will be able to ascend the Anping Watch tower and visit exhibitions to understand the history of the fort as well as that of Taiwan…
Right next to the Anping Old Fort lies a restaurant by the name of Rui Zhen (aka 瑞珍虾仁馄饨). One could possibly pass by it if not for the persistent calling by the restaurant’s owner. Having seen several features of the restaurant (with local Taiwanese celebrities and even one with Singapore’s 早安您好）， we decided to give it a try and we were glad that we did!
During this visit, we ordered several of the restaurant’s specialties including the oyster mee sua, coffin bread (棺材板）as well as the shrimp dumplings, all at a reasonable price of NT60. The mee sua had many fresh, huge oysters and the garlicky but fresh taste of the soup made it an irresistible dish. The coffin bread was crispy at the toasted edges while the shrimp dumplings had a crisp bite on the outside and a sweet crunch of the prawn on the inside. Yum!
After the scrumptious lunch, we headed towards the Anping Tree House for a visit. Though we did not enter, we were able to catch a glimpse of the tree house as we headed towards 海头…
Kate who planned the entire Taiwan trip, remembered that the Si Cao Green Tunnel was in the vicinity of Anping District. After cooling down at Seven, we headed to the bus stop next to it to see if any bus went there. Unfortunately, we did not know that there were actually tourist buses that ply between Si Cao Green Tunnel and Anping District, all the way back to Tainan Train Station. As a result, we took a cab. Though it was not THAT expensive, the 5 minutes taxi ride from Anping to Si Cao costs NT165 (about $6 SGD on meter). Fortunately for us, we caught the bus 99 on the way back for only NT18 per person. There are 2 public tourist buses that ply the vicinity – Buses 88 and 99. Do check out these bus routes for easy access to the tourist attractions of Tainan. But do take note of the bus timings as well. Sometimes, if you miss a bus, you might have to wait for about an hour!
As we did not get to eat the famous Anping Tong Ji Beancurd in Anping itself, we were glad that we were able to try it at its other stall near our hotel back in Tainan city. We tried the traditional beancurd (NT30) and the shaved ice series (NT55) and were quite satisfied with these choices. You can choose 1 “topping” for the beancured (we chose lemon) and 2 “toppings” for the shaved ice (we chose red bean and strawberry sauce). Special mention must go to the beancurd with lemon which was surprisingly nice and refreshing! But do not expect soft silky textures like those in Singapore, this version has the traditional textures with a firm texture to taste!
Huayuan Night Market (aka 花園夜市）was the first night of many night markets that we would be visiting during this Taiwan trip and it is also one of the must do things in Tainan. At a typical night market, you’d get to shop, eat and play games. Huayuan night market covers all of this PLUS the fact that you can get a HUGE PORTION OF SWEET MANGOES FOR ONLY NT50!
Remember to take 0左 (Zero Left – this bus loops so if you take Zero Right you’d probably still reach Huayuan Night Market but maybe 2 hours later?) from Tainan bus terminal (next to the Tainan Train Station) for NT18. The trip is about 8 stops and most people (after 5pm) would stop here. Do note that the special stop for Huayuan Night Market is only activated after 5pm, so do check in with the bus driver for specific directions.
And here’s a quick snap shot of what we did at Hua Yuan Night Market!
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On the way back from Hua Yuan Night Market, we actually waited for 1 hour before the bus came! We must have just missed the bus as we headed towards the bus stop. Hence, it is important to be about 5 to 10 minutes earlier than the stipulated time in order not to wait such a long time for the bus back!
All in all, we had a fantastic day out in Tainan and there are still more fantastic things to do in Tainan Taiwan. Do tell us more in the comments section below about the fun and interesting things that you’ve done in Tainan as well!
You have just finished a post on our Taiwan Trip in 2014 which started here. Here is the full list of posts written about Taiwan Trip 2014…
During our recent trip to Taiwan, we decided to do a whole of WEST COAST trip which included Tainan, Chiayi, Changhua (because Tom wanted to eat the Changhua meatballs after watching 食尚玩家), Taichung, Miaoli, Taoyuan and Taipei. The plan was to first fly into Taoyuan International Airport and take the HSR (High Speed Rail) all the way down to Tainan before journeying back up north again. We also realised during the trip that the rail transportation network is really well developed and with the HSR, it was just a 1.5 hours ride from Taoyuan to Tainan!
Map of Taiwan Trip 2014
We started the trip with a complimentary airport transfer and a visit to the Dnata SkyView Lounge. Both are perks of joining the ANZ Travel Card. Just by joining the card, there are 3 immediate perks that you can enjoy.
1. Complimentary to more than 80 airport lounges world wide. ANZ did a tie-up with Veloce. 2. Complimentary Airport transfer (if you spend a cumulative amount of $1500). Air tickets plus hotel bookings will typically hit the amount. 3. Complimentary travel insurance if you pay for tickets using the card.
From Taoyuan International Airport, you will need to first find the Ubus 705 that takes you from Taoyuan International Airport to the HSR station (signs are easily recognisable once you exit the customs check). The tickets costs only NT30 ($1.20). From there, we took the HSR from Taoyuan Station to Tainan Station for NT1305 ($52) which took 1hr and 24 minutes (from 1921 to 2045）…
During the ride, the top speed of the HSR hit approximately 300km/h which was why in no time at all, we reached Tainan Station. From there, we had to change to the local line (TRA – Taiwan Railways Administration) on the 區間車 to Tainan TRA station. This ride was NT25 which took about 25 minutes…
1967 City Central Hotel Tainan was just a short 5 minutes walk away from the station. As it was already close to 10pm at night, we were feeling quite hungry and decided to stop at a local beef noodles stall to have a quick bite. Turns out that this beef noodles was going to be one of the best beef noodles during this Taiwan trip, just minutes away from 1967 Hotel!
As we had already informed the hotel in advance that we would be late that evening, the receptionist was already expecting us and promptly showed us around the hotel. After taking a few shots of the room and hotel, it was time for us to turn in early for the start of our Taiwan trip tomorrow!
Alive Museum Singapore located at Suntec City Tower 3 is the latest attraction to hit the shores of Singapore! Alive Museum is actually a 3D illusionary museum that makes use of trick art, digital art, object art, experimental art and dark room to bring about a fun and entertaining visual sensory tour!
Alive Museum Singapore Location & Opening Hours
If you’re thinking of visiting Alive Museum Singapore, here are some quick facts for you…
Location of Alive Museum Singapore : Suntec City Mall #03-372 (between towers 3 & 4). If you’re still wondering, where it is exactly, you may want to know that it is actually at the location of the former Eng Wah cinema!
Ticket Prices of Alive Museum Singapore : $25 (Adults), $20 (Children 3-12 yrs)
Operating Hours of Alive Museum Singapore : 10am to 10pm daily (Last admission at 9pm)
3D Illusionary Fun @ Alive Museum Singapore
Here are some of the fun and interesting shots we took at Alive Museum!
Alive Museum Logo
There more than 80 exhibits at the Alive Museum and each of these exhibits invites you to pose and take a shot. There are also indicators throughout the museum to tell you the position to pose as well as the position to take the shot from…
Alive Museum Suntec City Singapore
Our views on Alive Museum Singapore
Avoid the crowds. As we visited Alive Museum on a Monday, there was a small number of people within the museum. Still, we had to wait (about 3 minutes) for a couple of more interesting exhibits. We extrapolate that during weekends, the situation would be quite bad. Hence, we recommend visiting on weekday nights or weekend mornings to avoid the crowds and have more time to get the great shots without people obstructing your shots or “breathing down your neck” during your shots.
Ladies and kids. During this visit, we realised that kids/teenagers as well as ladies, somehow enjoy the exhibits more. There were 2 groups of ladies who were laughing out loud and really enjoying themselves as they moved from one exhibit to another.
High Quality. The exhibits were actually of a high quality. High quality in the sense that the materials used to construct the exhibits were thick and hardy. Paint used were also able to withstand prolonged interaction with visitors. The other aspect of high quality also refers to the directions, pictures and signs that allows you to appreciate each exhibit much better and to let you know how you should pose and take the pictures.
Video Tour of Alive Museum Singapore! A scary exhibit at the end of the video : Listen out for the scream!
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Alive Museum Singapore
Well, the million dollar question : “Would we visit Alive Museum Singapore again?”
It depends. We think it’ll be fun if you go in groups of 3 or 4. Some of the shots are nicer if there are 2 or more people posing. Plus, while one poses, the rest can help to take photos and laugh at the amusing shots that have your friends in it! Not recommended for party of 2 or less.
Have you visited Alive Museum Singapore lately? Tell us more in the comments section below!
*Special thanks to the great folks at Alive Museum for making our visit possible!
During our recent visit to Ipoh Malaysia, we visited the Lost World Hot Springs and Spa – located next to the Lost World of Tambun theme park!
Lost World of Tambun Ipoh – Entrance to Theme ParkLost World Hot Springs Ipoh and Spa is actually beside the theme park with its own entranceEntrance to Lost World Hot Springs and Spa Ipoh
Lost World Hot Springs and Spa opens from 6pm to 11pm daily (after the theme park closes) and costs 20RM. Alternatively, you can pay for the Lost World of Tambun theme park entry at 45RM and stay from 11am to 6pm for the theme park. Using the same ticket, you can take a walk over to Lost World Hot Springs and Spa. 45RM for both attractions 🙂
What to do at Lost World of Tambun Hot Springs and Spa
Map of Lost World Hot Springs and Spa Ipoh
According to the Map, the attractions are as follows
1. Entrance
Ticketing counter to Lost World Hot Springs and Spa IpohSpa packages available at the ticketing booth – you must purchase packages here before you head to Crystal SpaDragon at the Entrance of Lost World Hot Springs and Spa Ipoh
2. Saphira’s Bistro / 3. Infinity Pool / 4. Lost World Steam Cave / 5. The Geyser of Tambun
Lost World Hot Springs and Spa
If you take a look at the picture above, to the left, you’ll see Saphira’s Bistro (notice the Milo dispenser). Right in the middle, you’ll see the Geyser of Tambun and entrance to the Lost World Steam Cave. Of course right in the fore ground, it is the entrance to the Infinity Pool!
Minerals Benefit – Why you should visit Lost World Hot Springs and Spa Ipoh
6. Top of the World Pool
Entrance to Top of the World Pool at Lost World Hot Springs and Spa IpohTop of the World Pool @ 43 degrees celsius – Ouch!
7. Foot Spa
Foot Spa Lost World Hot Springs and Spa IpohBenefits of Foot Spa
8. Crystal Pool
Crystal Pool right opposite Crystal Spa at Lost World Hot Springs and Spa Ipoh
9. Crystal Spa
Entrance to Crystal Spa Lost World Hot Springs and Spa Ipoh
For 180RM, we had 60 minutes of Aromatherapy Massage as well as 60 minutes of Hot Springs Aromatic Facial. Pure bliss!
10. Saphira’s Lair
Saphira’s Lair at 37degrees – Nice place to Chill out at night (Lost World Hot Springs and Spa Ipoh)Saphira’s Baby Pool – Allow the rushing waters to “massage” your shoulders!
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All in all, we thoroughly enjoyed the Lost World Hot Springs and Spa. For us, the entrance to the Hot Springs and massage at Crystal Spa was sufficient. By the way, if you purchase any spa package, entrance would be free. Something that we only realised later 🙁
Also, for an easy access to the hot springs, you may also choose to stay at the Lost World Hotel, next to the Lost World Hot Springs and Spa.
Do tell us your experience at Lost World Hot Springs and Spa or if you have visited Lost World of Tambun, do tell us about it as well!
World Club 10s Rugby is the first event that Singapore Sports Hub is hosting after completing a 1.33 billion dollars makeover. As the centre-piece of the sports hub, the National Stadium, with a capacity of 55,000 reopens to host this inaugural event!
World Club 10s Rugby @ Sports Hub Singapore National Stadium
Smart design and colouring of the seats (notice the varied white and red national colours?)
Can you see the Singapore Flyer and Marina Bay Sands in the distance?
During the matches of World Club 10s Rugby, teams also interacted with the fans through photo taking opportunities and even a traditional dance (akin to the All Blacks Haka) performed by the Samoan Team!
Petrarca – An Italian Rugby Team
Samoan Team performing topless traditional dance!
Traditional dance performed by the Samoan Team
Upon entering into the new national stadium, we experienced a vibe similar to that of what we have experienced during World Cup 2006 in Germany. The stadium is HUGE and coloured with our national colours of white and red. Smart colouring of white among the red (and vice versa) gives an illusion of seats being taken up and not empty.
In the distance, you’ll also realise that the whole stadium is orientated in such a way that it faces the Singapore Flyer and Marina Bay Sands! Closer to the seats, there’s an internal cooling system which you’ll feel at your feet as you get seated down. Because of the design of the dome, you’ll get great perspective of the field no matter where you’re seated – a sign of a world class stadium!
Clear view of the matches at new national stadium
Can you spot the rugby ball?
For a befitting end to the inaugural World Club 10s Rugby, the finals was played between the Blues from New Zealand (captained by Piri Weepu of the New Zealand All Blacks) and the Brumbies from Australia! It was a very close match right from the start and the end of regular time, the match ended in a 5-5 tie. This meant that the match went into extra time “golden point” with the Blues winning it deep into the 2nd period of extra time!
Blues and Brumbies at 5-5 at the end of regular time
Before the start of the first period of extra time
At the end of the first period of extra time
The Blues winning the World Club 10s Rugby in the 2nd period of extra time!
Final score of inaugural World Club 10s Rugby!
How to get to Sports Hub National Stadium
Map of Singapore Sports Hub
There are several ways to reach the Singapore Sports Hub. You can either take the circle line to Stadium MRT station or Mountbatten MRT station (and walk about 600m) or take the east line and alight at Kallang MRT station. That walk would be about 600 metres as well.
Alternatively, buses 10, 11, 14, 16, 70, 70M and 196 alights close to the national stadium or within the sports hub.
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After visiting the National Stadium, we’re really proud that we finally have a world class stadium at the sports hub that we can call our own! Good job Team Singapore!
Many people think that there aren’t many things to do and attractions in Bandung Indonesia. Well, this post is going to show you what are some of the things to do in Bandung and the attractions in Bandung, Indonesia that we have covered during our recent trip to Bandung!
Things to do in Bandung – Shopping
1. Shopping Malls and Factory Outlets
There are so many shopping options in Bandung that range from huge shopping malls to factory outlets. Trans Studio Mall, Cihampelas Walk (Ci-Walk), Bandung Indah Plaza (BIP), Paris Van Java and Braga City Walk are just some of the malls that we’ve been to. Our favourite? Paris Van Java! There are al fresco dining and shopping options as well as a few levels of underground shopping, including a mega market as well as a cineplex. In other words, all shopping, dining and entertainment options under-one-roof!
Food street at Ci-WalkCihampelas Walk aka Ci-WalkBandung Indah PlazaParis Van JavaShopping street at Paris Van JavaBraga City WalkRiau Street – factory outlet optionsThe Secret Factory OutletHeritage Factory Outlet
Things to do in Bandung – Dining
2. Endless Dining Options in Bandung
There are countless dining options in Bandung and there simply wasn’t enough time (and room in our tummies) to try all of it. In this section, we’ll feature some of the things we ate during our trip!
The Valley
The Valley Bistro and Resort Hotel offers great dining options with splendid views overlooking the city of Bandung.
The Valley Bistro Cafe and Resort HotelCombo Platter – Tenderloin beef, BBQ sausage, chicken cordon bleu and king prawns for 187,500rpSingaporean Claypot Rice – 97,500rpViews as seen from the ValleyCan get quite crowded at the ValleyChilling out and enjoying the views over Bandung City
Local Delights
Soup Buntut – with ridiculously tender meat!Nasi Goreng Kampung – fried rice with an assortment of small dishes in itBakso SoupTauhu Telur – especially shiok when freshly fried!Beef Kway Teow with Bandung Dinosaur (don’t have to try the Bandung dinosaur though)Nasi Goreng Pattaya
Other Dining Options
Richeese Factory Fried ChickenSushi platter at Tokyo ConnectionJapanese food at sushigroove Paris Van JavaJapanese Omu rice
Bandung Attractions
After covering the things to do in Bandung (including dining and shopping options available), we’ll next touch on the attractions in Bandung that you may wish to visit as well.
3. Bandung Attractions – Trans Studio Bandung Theme Park
Trans Studio Bandung theme park is an indoor theme park that includes a 45 seconds roller coaster ride known as the Yamaha Racing Coaster. For approximately $20sgd during week days, a visit to this Bandung attraction is well worth it. Well, less so on weekends at $30sgd.
Entrance to Trans Studio Bandung – Walk past the entrance and get your tickets on the leftYamaha Racing Coaster – 45seconds roller coaster ride
4. Bandung Attractions – Djuanda Forest Park
Djuanda Forest Park offers a tranquil greenery walk for visitors at Dago. Visitors can enjoy a serene walk, visit the famed Japanese caves or the waterfalls within the park’s vicinity.
Intan at the entrance of Japanese Caves at Djuanda Forest Park
5. Bandung Attractions – Dago / Bukit Pakar
The Dago and Bukit Pakar area offers splendid views over Bandung city. There are many dining options, galleries and even a golf course – all of which enjoy marvellous views…
Congo Art GalleryViews from Mountain View Golf Club Bandung Indonesia
6. Bandung Attractions – Asian African Museum
Asian African MuseumAbout Asian African Conference 1955
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