Taiwan has been full of surprises for a first time visitor like me. Going to Schokolake was one of them, making the exploration of small towns from Taipei to Tainan so much more memorable. Schokolake in Dahu Township, Miaoli County, is the island country's first chocolate-themed manor, with English countryside houses surrounded by beautifully manicured gardens ... continue reading »

One of the places that we visited was in Sanwan Township. Interestingly, no one knows its name, because it doesn't have one yet! Let's just call it the Sanwan Township Park for now. Sanwan is Mandarin for "three curves". It is a rural township in Miaoli County, also populated by Hakka descent. A major landmark in ... continue reading »

Prior to my trip to Taiwan, I had no idea that Hakka is one of Taiwan's largest ethnic minorities. Hakka is the other Chinese dialect I am comfortable with, besides Cantonese. I had thought that Taiwan is out of bounds for me due to my perceived language barrier, as I can't speak Mandarin or its ... continue reading »

Ringggggg, ringggggggggg. the alarm clock shrilled. Time to wake up and get ready for the morning market! 'Twas only 6am but the market starts from as early as 6.30am, a great time for a traditional Taiwanese breakfast. At the morning market The YongLe Market is just a five-minute stroll from Tainan Fushin Hotel, which makes Fushin a ... continue reading »

Early to bed and early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise. And so, it was yet another early morning for us, checking out of Child Story (彰化童年往事莊園民宿) at about 8.30am. The naked one As Child Story does not provide breakfast for guests, our choice venue for the first meal of the day was this ... continue reading »

On Day 3, our first stop of the day was Shengxing Station, also in Sanyi Township, Miaoli County. In fact, this Taiwan tourist attraction is just 7 minutes' drive to the west from Zhou Ye Cottage. Rail tourism What makes Shengxing so popular is because it was built in 1908, which means it is 111 years old ... continue reading »

We were out the door first thing in the morning, after a scrumptious breakfast at the coffee house of City Suites Taoyuan Gateway, as we looked out from the windows to the fast trains on the Taiwan High Speed Rail that head to Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport. It was going to be full day on the ... continue reading »