Travelling to Taiwan

[Matt_01]

Taking my standard mid year solo trip. Started in ADL and was in my standard 4C seat so did not take any photo’s.

Next off to the F lounge, I think technically I am not meant to get access to the lounge as I was travelling on a CI flight number. The lounge staff initially seemed unsure if I should be allowed in but made a call and access was granted.

Took a look at the other lounge and was glad I was given access to the F lounge. The Marhaba lounge was much nicer when it was the EK lounge.

 

[Matt_01]

Next was getting to Taiwan and I was flying with CI I haven’t flown with them before and it was much better than I expected. The cabin was nice.

 

[craven morehead]

Taking my standard mid year solo trip. Started in ADL and was in my standard 4C seat so did not take any photo’s.
View attachment 332094
Next off to the F lounge, I think technically I am not meant to get access to the lounge as I was travelling on a CI flight number. The lounge staff initially seemed unsure if I should be allowed in but made a call and access was granted.
View attachment 332098View attachment 332096View attachment 332097View attachment 332099View attachment 332103View attachment 332105
Took a look at the other lounge and was glad I was given access to the F lounge. The Marhaba lounge was much nicer when it was the EK lounge.
View attachment 332100View attachment 332101View attachment 332102

"Next off to the F lounge, I think technically I am not meant to get access to the lounge as I was travelling on a CI flight number. The lounge staff initially seemed unsure if I should be allowed in but made a call and access was granted."

This will be my situation in August, so, very glad you got in to Flounge with a CI boarding pass
Will also be first time on CI and first time in Taiwan

 

[Matt_01]

…..This will be my situation in August, so, very glad you got in to Flounge with a CI boarding pass
Will also be first time on CI and first time in Taiwan

I will send you a DM or make contact, I published the above on the train between Taoyuan and Taichung HSR so may not have had time to include all the details.

 

[Matt_01]

On arrival clearing customs was simple, aircraft to land side was around 15 minutes. First order of business for to find a place to get changed and find a place to get a smart card. Not much is open in arrivals at around 04:30 however you can pick up a smart card on level 5 at the 24/7 Family Mart. There was no need to rush at the MRT does not open until 05:45.

The first couple of day of this trip will be busy so I jumped in a cab to Toayuan HSR collected my pre ordered ticket and headed off to Taichung. Once I arrived put the wheels bag in a locker and headed towards exit 5. To get to Sun Moon Lake you just wait at stop 3.

 

[Matt_01]

The bus ride to Sun Moon Lake takes around 2 hours, in the way up I notice how close the buildings are to the road at other points the roadside vegetation hits the bus.

Not sure what these are, they are not hobbit holes and think they maybe grave stones, not sure.

 

[AIRwin]

Not sure what these are, they are not hobbit holes and think they maybe grave stones, not sure.

Chinese tombstones

 

[Matt_01]

The lake was relatively easy to get around by boat.
Stop 1


Heading to stop 2

Building a new walk way from the town to the rope way.

 

[Matt_01]

Still trying to play catch up. I headed to the cable car and this is when things went south for a while I had no plan to get on the cable car. I am generally good with heights but for some reason dislike ferris wheels, long high bridges and cable cars, I am ok going up and down and partially dislike those that go in a horizontal direction. I asked about the shuttle bus to get me to either the Pagoda or Wenwu Temple, I had mistakenly assumed the shuttle bus was just a continuous cycle but I was wrong and the next buses where not for an hour plus. Against my better judgement I hopped on the cable car.

At the other end I did not want to go back the same way so asked one of the staff was there taxis or bus at the other end of the Aboriginal Cultural Park (I had no plan to visit place) and was told buses yes. So I paid the entrance fee and proceed to wander down the hill. I was a bit interesting part recreation of old villages, part amusement park.

To be continued.

 

[Matt_01]

When I got to the bottom I wandered of the bus stop, next bus does not depart for 4 hours as I was wondering/ contemplating walking back up the hill and getting back on the dam cable car a security guy showed up. I just ask if he would mind calling a cab and offered to pay for the call. He got on his radio, spoke with someone and said he will come back and rode off. 5 minutes later he was back told me the price, I agreed. He got back on his radio and then said here in 10 minutes. I am sure I over paid and suspect the driver was a private tour operator who happened to be near by. The third row of seating was loading with cabin luggage and back packs. I actually don’t care if I over paid as it was around $23 to get me out of a jamb and hew took me direct to Wenwu Temple.

 

[mrsterryn]

My son's in laws are originally from Taiwan. Son , daughter in law and oldest grandson (pre second grandson ) went to Taiwan back in 2019. They throughly enjoyed their visit there.
On the CI topic I actually have no doubt Qantas will direct from their lounges by Dec for me. Also sadly I won't be platinum by then .
Good to hear it was a reasonable flight. I am looking forward to my trip to Seoul via Taiwan

 

[Matt_01]

As I had wasted to much time the Pagoda was given the flick and I go back on the bus for the 2 hour journey back to Taichung and onwards to Chiayi. The accommodation was basic but served the purpose. After check in went out wandering.

This morning when I opened the curtain I was expecting to see a view on the street car park of scooters but it was better than expected.

 

[Matt_01]

So one of reasons to visit Taiwan was to catch the Alishan Forrest railway. It is a narrow gauge, was a bit noisy, bumpy and rocked around a bit, think of the trip as 2.5 hours of flying through low to medium turbulence. If I could post a video showing how things move I would. Also Chiayi station is open so after collecting my tickets, I ended up talking to a group of younger people as we were all congregating around the air conditioners.

 

[Matt_01]

Some more of the railway trip. Also as you stop at each station many hikers who are near by wait to greet the train and show up ready for arrival shoots and family photos.

I will put it out there that this train trip is up there with some of my top travel experiences ever. In saying that we got to experience that the cars behind us didn’t as we could see out the front of the train.

And then these 2 caused some issues. No matter how many time the drive blew the horn at them they refused to get off the tracks and just kept trotting along in front of the train. Eventually the conductor got out to chase them away had all they did was run further up the middle of the tracks. Eventually they ran off.

 

[Matt_01]

At the moment if you plan to travel to Alishan you need to get off the train at Fenqihu and transfer to a bus. The section of railway that runs up to Alishan was damaged in a typhoon a few years back it is being repaired and is expected to reopen some tine next year. There are only 3 buses per day that tie in train arrivals, buses go at 11:30, 12:50 and 14:00. Anyhow Fenqihu.

 

[Matt_01]

Getting to Alishan from Chiayi you start at above 60 meters above sea level, the train takes you up the first 1400 meters and the bus takes you up the last 1000 meters. A few shot from the bus.

Tea plantation

One of the bus stops

Random bridge

Recharging the phone bus style

 

[Matt_01]

Arrival at Alishan and checked into the hotel, pleased to report I have a proper car park view. Also never stayed in a hotel with a water dispenser like the one pictured or an external escape system or at least one I have noticed. The decor is also interesting. I was going to finish this post in the morning however when going to get in the shower the water went cold and then stopped. I went to reception and asked about this and was informed that yo need to turn the water on 15 minutes before you want to use the shower as it takes a while to come through. That is a new one for me.
So now I am waiting for water, for more information this hotel does not have a 3 pole electrics (my universal adapter is 3 pole), not sure if hotels are the same. It is only by luck that I last minute packed my Japanese 2 pole adaptor.

 

[Matt_01]

After check in I just took a stroll in the park, it is stunning and depending on the weather the clouds just roll in and out.

 

[Matt_01]

When starting the walk I had to head up hill and this does not bother me as it means down hill on the way back. Not long after the walk seemed to be going down hill and I was wondering what it would take to get back to the hotel. Luckily I was able to make the last train at 4:30 to take me back up the hill. Also at the far end of the forrest visitor trail there is a small area selling food, public amenities and I think there was also a shuttle bus drop off and pick up area.


When I got back to the main station at around 5pm I figured I would have an early dinner before heading back to the hotel. Well it is a small place and most restaurants shut at around 5 so the pickings are slim. This was the small beef hotpot and I think it was for 2 as there was 2 off everything. It tasted fine but I could not get through it all. I asked for a beer but was not expecting it to be 600ml (almost a long neck)

 

[Matt_01]

To day another early start around 03:40 which would allow time to get up, walk to the station, get on the train, travel to the drop off station and walk around 1.5km to the viewing platform and wait for the sun rise. Thicker clouds would have been nice but that’s up to mother nature.

To day was a bit of a travel day, 3 hours to get back down the mountain then ack to the Saturday night’s accommodation to collect my wheelie carry on, into a taxi to the HSR station and catch the train to Taipei. When purchasing the ticket Chiayi to Taipei I had a moment of madness and whet stuff it select a business seat. This is what the Taiwan HSR business seats are like.