Yes Hokkien for sure..Normally the announcement will be in Mandarin, Hokkien & Hakka. Forgotten liao whether got English or not

Those restaurant although no english are very common food you can find in m'sia too..Even there is Roti Canai in taipei but super pricey lah haha.
Anyway, Food in Taiwan, is rather over-rated to me..Can eat only lor

Even a 4 dishes chapfan wth one big chicken, 1 tofu, 2 Vege + free winter melon drink only cost NT55 in downtown Taipei

National Palace Museum is not at Danshui lo..It's closer to Shihlin station and from there take a connecting bus to National Palace museu.

For me, it is just a meseum showcasing the gift, & belongings of China past emperor since thousand years ago. Haha From Beijing Forbidden city now stucked in Taipei

For me, I rather skip National Museum.. Abit boring actually bcos not really a history museum but showcasing of Forbidden city collections.

Chiang Kai Shek memorial is a MUST lah..so scenic and Sun yat Sen memorial is actually not far. From Sun Yat sen can walk to Taipei 101

Cher..meaning wanna try their 3G? 3g speed limited to max 3.5mbps wor.. for what leh? If your hotel having wifi, than diff story-lah. The last I tested at the hostel I stayed managed to get ~ 8mbps..but mostly ~ 3mbps bcos line shared by so many Kwai lou there haha

Not really fast..I can get even avg fast from a hotel in Hanoi..wth avg speed of 4mbps constant and using skype bck to M'sia so superb

Haha..Bopiliao area..I stubled on that area after visiting Longsha temple. And it's actually not far from Ximending area. Even the MRT is only 1 station after Ximending

That area surrouding Longshan temple really very old & look more like the 50's era buildings - There is one wet market, one street where selling chinese herbs and the Bopiliao..

Some photos I hv taken ~ Longshan temple /Bopilao:

I stumbled the street while trying to walk to Ximending lor..It's on the left hand side of Longshan temple and 2nd street after the Chinese Herbs street. When I was there, that oplace just newly renovated and newly opened & thus you can the picture I took so quiet haha.

Ximending b4 restoration also something like Longshan area..all the 1930s & 1940's style buildings wth red bricks..

For me Ximending not really for shopping.as u said, expensive. Ximending normally like a version of open air Sg Wang..lotsa eateries, Tong Sui, Street vendors & those cute litte ladies accesories, bags & etc..

For real shoppings for clothes & etc goto Wufenpu. BTW, nothing much in the 3 underground shopping malls in Taipei main stations (Yeah there are 3 undeground malls there wth one new one attached to the ground level mall behind the station.

Sorry, I dun really shop for IT related thingies..It's not cheap from what I was told..Eventhough the Guanhwa IT ctr so near to my hostel & also passing by another at Shilin station, I dun even pay them a visit haha

If you hv more than 3 or 4 in the group, sharing the cost of taxi for sure OK. but if only 2, just DIY via train & buses will be much cheaper.

For sure wth taxi, you need not waiting taleast 1/2 hr for nxt bus or train & also walking 1km+ from Yehliu Village entrance till the Geopark

All those promo by AA, booking & actual flying time is atleast 9 to a year ahead. So chances of ppl cancelling due to lotsa reasons also very high & thus, additional income to AA haha

The promo is mostly 9mth to 1 yr ahead lah..So not easy..furthermore. to get ticket really to coincide to your wanted date will not be easy. ..as an idea, any ticket ~ RM800 return consider very good dy

That's non- promo gurantee get price liao lor...Yes if you dunwan to wait..If date to close, normally ~ RM1200-1300.

Promo, sometime can get ~ RM300-RM400. but you need to chase like hell & also lotsa network busy & hours of frustration b4 you can get those tickets

But still better than MAS going to Taiwan using only Boeing 737-800..My Taiwan trip, MAS using B737--super narrow plane & so small..and seat similar to AA quality i.e the common black leather. The only consolation is the free food, drinks & comfort kit.

AAX to Taipei using bigger plane A330 or A340? so much more comfortable..unless MAS using 747 or A330/A340?

Yehliu + Jiufen already 1 whole day. I remembered taking the bus to Yehliu at ~ 9am and by the time I took the train back to Taipei from Keelung after Jiufen, already ~ 8pm!! This excluding Jing gua shi gold mine.

Yes, if willing to pay for sure hire a driver/taxi will be faster...Imagine waiting atleast 1/2 hr for bus to Yehliu. Once at Yehliu Village entrance hv to walk 1km+ to the geopark and walk bck & waiting another 1/2 hr to Keekung & another 1/2 hr wait for bus to Jiufen..and so on at Jiufen & back to Keelung haha

After think of this, If got $$ can actually hire a driver/taxi for whole day..I think you will enjoy better like I hired the driver at hualien...

OK. Infact you can even add Taipei 101 haha bcos CKS, Sun Yat Sen all within 1 area

Depending on how long you wanna visit the memorial. Those places like Ximending red house, & Shihlin Nite market can do it at nite mah haha..So Morning go round Taipei lor..proabbaly start wth Longshan Temple & Bopoliao & thereafter to CKS, Sun Yat Sen & Taipei 101 b4 going to Ximending & Shihlin.

National Palace museum actually very boring. I would rathe skip this than others. Just collections of Beijing Forbidden City personal belongings, gifts from Foreign envoys from the past Emperors.

It's huge but boring. Not really history museum at all.. I you visited Perdana Gallery in Langkawi i.e the collections of personal gifts from ppl to Tun mahathir..Well, something likedat

Why you say so far when the 1st place once you touch down is Taipei airport?
The airport money changers (Well more like banks)..offering one of the best rate I ever seen and almost similar rate to those banks in Taipei. i.e almost to market wth additional NT$30 commission on each transaction if I can stil recall.. hmm i dun wish to go that far tho....btw inside big department store have ?

RM is not well traded in both KL & Taipei, so the best if you wanna save ~ RM30-RM40 for every RM1K, change to US$ 1st & thereafter to NTD$ at Taipei airport.. check the example of converting on page 1

This post has been edited by stimix: Aug 5 2011, 12:21 PM