End of the year for sure cold-lah winter mth going to start soon..currently day time ~20C i.e Cameron Highland weather, by December will be ~12-15C...Jan ~11c liao

no need-lah..sweater will do...

AEIOU..DIY saja-lah..me going nxt mth...currently only air-tickets..I yet to book any hotels yet!!

Got during last Jul' MAS promotion..days b4 AA dropped price!..Got it for RM780/pax returned when AA ~RM750/pax return...exc food. So thinking good dy untill days later, AA dropped their price, & same date travel to Taiwan only cost <RM500!! haizzz.

No problem..sure but cash very tight after my recent MTB accident.. ..Not sure whether I can afford going to Hualien (Taroko george area)

We hv just diecussed about winter in Taiwan a page b4 this...Well it will be cool in day time, cooler than nite Genting and at Nite & early morning temp ~11-114C..sometime can drop to 6C...sweater will do..

For Taroko car rental/driver ..someone posted this driver b4 but I hv yet to book wth him...probably soon...

Unfortunately No in Malaysia..the best either wawasan or Sg wang plaza also ~10.90...comparing to avg 10.6 in the market or Taiwan exchangers. So I'm thinking to change USD 1st & once arriving change USD to T$...

but wait..suprisinghly T$ now dropping at Wawasan..10.85 liao...hopefully drop further...

http://www.wawasanmoneychanger.com.my/exchangeRates.asp

H4E mean the one at Mid Valley near Jusco side..I think I tried that wan ...but that time lousy..now dunno. probably they too realise Wawasan comptetitive edge liao

OK...Yes you will incurred double commission for sure but Taiwan rate really bad in M'sia!! Something like vietnamese Dong & Peso Phillipines..Thjose are another few lousy exc rate in M'sia! For these countries, exchanging to USD 1st might be better...abit of calculation...Today rate, the actual mean rate fro Taiwanese vs RM is ~10.49 but the best by Wawasan is 10.85...see the huge diff? 35 sen wor...

So if convert RM2028 today to USD, I'm getting US$600 at 3.39. Thereafter at Taiwan airport I change bck to T$ using usd rate of 3.25...I'm getting T$19,680

If I direct change to T$ in Mid Valley, I'm getting only T$18,690 ..immediately I lost almost T$1,000 dy....Well T$1000 can purchase return train ticket for ~3 to hualian liao..wor...

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Added on November 18, 2009, 2:40 pmYeah I have been reseaching this snow cap mountain & highest road in East Asian b4 this...I think it will really snowing only after Dec ~Jan & Feb.. Dec, it will be patches of ice nia according to my research...So still thinking whether going or not... You can check more by googling youtube hehuan snow..This is the location where the whole of Taiwan will flock to Hehuan to see the snow & resulting in jams & lotsa accident due to lack of proper tyres & etc..

I even asking in world travel forum on possibility of going via Taroko route..which I found later possible but via Hitch hiking via 4WD...not easy!!

This post has been edited by stimix: Nov 18 2009, 02:40 PM

taking abit risk lohh..but my experience exchanging Dong & Peso at respective countries are good...feeling great when you getting better than exhanging in M'sia...But I might consider direct conversion also bcos the diff is not so bad comparing wth Peso & Dong

As u know right now T$ is not well traded here in m'sia thus lousy rate...& experienced by other here, they are getting better rate by using CC in Taiwan..so maximise CC usage in Taiwan=lah...exhange rate using CC ~10.6 whereas exxhange rate here 11

The taroko one I think is not from Taipei..That is from Hualian raiway station...Can't be so cheap bcos Taipei to Hualian is 200KM away!

Something like traveling from Kl to Jasin or Bidow in Perak..

Thanks Civic for the tips..Probably I will rent a car from Taipei..somwewan in MFM forum managed to rent a gps ready colt for T$2000. I think this is much cheaper than taking train & renting driver..(for 4)..The only problem is to avoid kena caugfht by the authorities there for driving without int license!

Currently those Northern areas are facing dry & cold season lah...The most important thing is jacket or sweater.

Yeah, I know..& the int license iis more espensive than Singapore which is ~S$20 nia...me beh song so dunwan apply RM150...just try my luck renting without Int license loh...esp from thos private car rental..

Oh Yeah..at my own risk...no insurance & whatever..
This post has been edited by stimix: Nov 26 2009, 06:29 PM

Just google for the Taipei weather-lah. It's alm,ost simialr to Hong Kong condition
http://www.wunderground.com/NORMS/DisplayI...86&Units=metric

Avg temp ind Dec 19C, Jan 17C & Feb 18c. However on certain date, when there's strong wind, temp might drop below 10C...

Taichung..centre of world Bicycle industry..Can buy lotsa MTB parts

Also strating point to Hehuan Mountain & C.... farm...hehuan is famous for snow capped mountain during winter 7 also the highest road in East Asia

However due to whole Taiwanese also wanna see snow during this time....it will be super jam..That's what I hv read..Hehuan was my top list but now no more..dropped liao.

Going there nxt week...O Ah mee sua & pinang gal ...me cumin soon liao

1hr by High speed train:
http://www.thsrc.com.tw/en/ticket/tic_time...date=2009/12/11

price at T$700 or RM77/pax.

To Hehuan it will be another 3hrs journey from my research..Thus..impossible if u intend day trip there!

I think more sense going to Taroko although train journey much slower (2hrs) & thereafter shorter jopurney to taroko & be bck to Taipei by Nite.

This post has been edited by stimix: Dec 3 2009, 02:30 PM

I'm staying at Taipei Hostel nxt week. Got it for NT$700/nite or RM75/nite/ room. I will update & review once there.

http://www.taipeihostel.com/

Nxt week is my 1st time to Taipei-lah how will I know..all budget DIY trip...however I hv researched since mid of this yr, thus can goreng abiot here & there..haha

UGPM liao... wait for my review later....semi Backpacking style..