No illegal discussion on warez in the forum pleaee. probably refer to Unker google

There is no such mapping communities in Taiwan...However you can buy the NT Taiwan city navigator by Garmin. Otherwise, if u have Winmo/android.symbian, probably u can buy papago software loaded wth taiwan maps there..~RM100 which I think cheaper than Garmin Taiwan City navigator

Yeah that papago using the combined malfreemaps & navigasi.net from indonesia (Also another superb large mapping communities like M'sia)

However in Taiwan, there is no such free mapping communities and thus all the GPS maps are by commercial entities..U need to buy both the hardware/software + thye maps...In mal;aysia, u only buy the hardware/software & the maps are 100% free.

Vkeong blog the pineapple tart so small can't see shxt...probab;y polou bao kah? I tapau Oh Ah Mee sua for u...soft brix after that

(I'm now in Taipei..Changing to USD 1st than NT$ better..

I 1st changed RM2029 for US$600 & thereafter getting 1USD for 31.96 at airport thus getting NT19,146 after NT30 commission...i fchange in KL, i will be getting only NT$18,529 only..Effectively, I'm getting Nt10.65 rather than NT$10.95 in KL..


BTW, the weather is pretty hot when I arrived 2pm..29C!! currently at 20C,.Genting colder!!

Not sure on the S$ rate to NT$..I think it might be better too since S$ is more in demand..Well all the money chn=angers at the airport offer the same rate Y'day. Just hnatm whichever..commission is at 30NTD,

Yeah this week weather in Tawian abit siao-siao....Y'day avg at 25C Today 23C..Nite temp Y'day at 21C...Genting colder than this! June to Aug for sure very hot in Taipei,

My Y'day spent at Shihlin nite Market & Xi men Ding....Well, Shihlin is a bit let-down to mee.stuffy, messy 7 the Ocien so-so nia..lousy!

Xi mending, I fsil to locate Ah Chong Mee Sua..probably try again 2moro. This Morning woke up early to catch 8am Taroko Epress to Hualian station...Cost of the return ticket NTD794/pax & children 1/2 price. Cost me NT$2780 for 3 adults & 1 children.

Thereafter I just hire a taxi outside the station for N$1800. Add anoother NT#400 to goto Chin Sui Bay (To confirm the right name).....I can tell you both location at hualien is WOWWWWWWW

It'[s a MUST for those going to Taiwan!! MUST NOT MISS....

Currently raining here in taipei but temp still 21C..nothing to shout Suprsigly Hong kong was must colder when i was there last year..same time.

Yeah Jiufen & Yehliu Geopark will be part of my 2moro or Monday plan..But from the this thread & googles, I don't think it will be as good as Taroko gorge...It's musch better than Halong Bay & Tanc Coc or even Uluwatu in Bali.....just luv it...If I hv time I will load more of Taroko Gorge photos..It's a MUST!

It's been raining non stop from Y'day nite till early this Morning...Temp drop abit to avg 20C & right now about 18C. I visited Lonshan Temple without expecting anything but suprisingly stumbled into the old Taipei city without both with 7 without restoration ...Inetreting..Thereafter visited Chan Kai Shek memorial..spent too much time there & thereafter to Sun Yat Sen Memorial hall. We walked a short distance to Taipei 101 & paid NT400/ticket. Spent almost 2hrs up there! & even went to the open air observation area & also the famous earth quake damper....Interestingt..Managed to record 16C up on the 91flr open air Observation area

Dinner...2nd round Ximending & managed to que for the famaous Ah Chung Mee Sua ..damn shiok but the qyster..abit hard & not juicy..Only NT40 compare to the RM6 in KL ..Thereater tasted anopther famous Yangji Peanut & ice stall...damn yummy...

@cybersim. there is no0 need for contact, i dun even ask the taxi driver for the number..just hire any taxi outside the station will do...You can negotiate wth them. I negotiated till BT$1600 but he insisted on Rm1800. He asked additional NT$400 for Chin Sui Cliff which i agreed bcos need abit of detour.

@AEIOU, I hv not been to the IT mall. those shops around Xi meng Ding & eve the taipei train stations Mall such as the new Q-SquARE Mall which opened for business just days ago!...dun even have any IT related itemms! All yuppies, fashions PS3, WII & etc...

Today visited Yehliu Geopark & Thereafter Jiufen. Well jiufen is one very dissapointed visit... 1st waiting for the bus from yehliu to Keelung 7 thereafter from Keelung to Jiufen..The trip can take ~ 2hrs due to bad jam going to Jiufen & also the bus 1013 from Keelung to jiufen is 30min once...U missed the 1st...goner...

2nd human jam on the super narrow Jiufen old street..HORRIBLE!! Can't even walk...sommetime stuck for 5min. & the worst...The cloud covering the not so high -land....Damn can't take any sceni9c view from jiufen..More like Genting Highland!! - So abit of advise - Don't go during weekend..road to jiufen super narrow & super Jam!. Also not after 3pm bcos of the cloudy condition!

On mode of transport, We took the bus from a stand opposite Shandao temple..We just ask every bus whether they going to Yehliu!! Haha..lucky we strike jackpot on 2nd bus.
From Yehliu to Keelung, we ask the direction from the Yehliu staff. very helpfull indeed.. (bus no 1022), Thereafter from Keelung to jiufen & bback via bus 1013. From Keelung to Taipei, we just cross over from the central bus stop to Train station.

yeah dissapointed since arriving..temp never below 18C!! except on top of Taipei 101...Camron Highland during this time can reach 14C wan!

BTW..the squarish On lai cake....not chip man...Taipei selling ~RM3/pc & jiufen..RM2/pc

However, hawker food surrounding Taiwan is almost similar to KL...~RM4. to RM5 ..Chap fan wth 3 vege & 1 chicken drumstick only NT$50 or RM5.20 nia..I think KL oledi RM6 liao

This post has been edited by stimix: Dec 13 2009, 11:48 PM

Taxi siilar to malaysia 4 max. But there are SUV/MPV taxis too. Not sure thhe rate.

Yeah my hostel (Taipei Hostel) provide free wifi...but the room is super basic. & share bathroom wth others. Anyway it's clean..90% of residents are long term mat salleh back-packers/ English teachers!...Every nite I'm having interesting chats wth them...price NT$600/nite nia!!

Speed sometime can be siao-siao too...

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Added on December 15, 2009, 12:19 amWe ate at yehliu Geopark. Not really good. 2nd time lousy Ocien & economy mee.. ..it's cheap ayway..Ocien wth generous oyster but too much flour only NT$5 & noodle i think NT35

At Jiufen, there are lotsa sidewalk stalls selling lotsa nice delicacies too....Anyway, U can also eat at any restaurants around keelung too..Jiufen...don't go during weekend & Evening!..probably go there in the Morning & thereafter yehliu in the evening.

Today, i visite national Palace m,useum (NT$16/pax) take MRT to Shihlin station & thereafter bus no 304/255 to national Palace museum. - Abit dissapointent as I'm expecting better or more exhibits

thereafter having delicious steamboat lunch for NT$100/pax below Shihlin Station b4 continue toi Dansui. Nite spend our time at Wufenpu....this area remind me of bangkok chinatown/hatyai narrow alleys.. ...Having another delicious dinner at Formosa Chang Fusion food...for only NT$240 for 4 persons

Coming bck 2moro Evening....Total expenses Todate !RM1200/pax inclusive of airfare, hotesl & everything

No time visisting the IT Mall & I miss Shihlin IT Mall too...Wife kacau ..I will try it 2moro Morning..

This post has been edited by stimix: Dec 15 2009, 12:19 AM

formosa chang is located at wufenpu opposite housienpi mrt station. We ordered 4 bowl of rice & 3 more dishes. Will post more pics once in kl

Aiyah I changed all in Taipei & also remaining few hundreds at Taiyuan airport hours ago...now only left about NT$30

Just change everything to US$ 1st & thereafter there are atleast 5-6 money changers (Banks) located inside the airports. All having same rate..just change anyone u wish...However at airport, they will follow actual market rate minus NT$30 as commission. At Taipei, They follow to the nearest cent but no commission at all...

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Added on December 15, 2009, 11:34 pmNo-leh...but Ocien in Taiwan really nothing great..too much flour.. ..I luv Ah Chung Mee sua..Missed the longest que fried Chicken at Shihlin nite market...beh tahan. Tasted the white bitter gourd drink (NT$50)..not bad actually.

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Added on December 15, 2009, 11:50 pmChange 100% to US$..Dun woryy there are lotsa money changers there b4 & after immigration, arrival halls 7 even Departure hall...I think Taiwan airport having the most money changers..

This post has been edited by stimix: Dec 15 2009, 11:50 PM

Yes you can change bck to US$ at the airport..pretty fast process but NT30 for sure. If change bck at Taipei city, abit of red tape..longer period & they need to photostat your passport...rate not as good as airport but no commission. Well for small amt, converting in Taipei will be abit better.. but expecting normal banks services & que/

Easiest way to check the rate is from here:
http://rate.bot.com.tw/Pages/Static/UIP003.en-US.htm

yesterday cash buying rate for US$ was at 31.9642 at airport & 31.965 at the city.

U have to use the cash part bcos u carrying cash what..haha.

When you convert US$ to NT$ they are selling NT$ to you so use the selling rate. When you converting back, it's Buying rate..The diff is their commission kua...& the NT$30 probably to cover the rental at the airport?

What I mean is at Taouyuan airport Yesterday, I convert bck my NT$ to US$ at 31.9642 minu NT$30 but I exchanged most of my NT$ at Taipei city at 31.965 but without additional charges....changing small amt at Taipei city better.

when u change from US$ to NT$, they refer to CASH selling rate. When u exchange bck NT$ to US$, they refer to CASh buying rate...

Be patient...Very tedious process of resizing & uploading to photbucket. BTW, the Onn Lai tart at airport is at NT$550 for a box of 10 nia. I thought the one I got from Jiufen already so expensive at NT$240 for box of 12!! Cheapest & better than Juifen I got it at Dansui at NT100 for a box of 10.

Well...the 2 onn lai tart that I got so-so only...Melaka's LW much better.

Ehh any barkeries will do. there are so many of them there..can't remember which one..The barkery main HQ is infact in Hua lien..But why u want soimething that tasted like Tesco onn Lai tart?

U can get better Onn Lai tart in KL or in Melaka. ...OK posting few photos soon...

I not mean the NT550 at the airport wan lah...I mean other than the one u posted earlier...Those cheapo onn lai tarts

1st day (Thurs) - Arriving at Taoyuan airport ~2:10pm. Noted a moiney changer even b4 baggages reclaim area! There are more at the arrival hall. I changed all my US$600 for NT$19,146 after NT30 bank charges. It is strongly recommended to change US$ 1st in Malaysia & thereafter to NT$ due to lousy NT$ & Ringgit!

1) Evening - 5pm Bought Easy card at NT$500/pax & visited Shihlin nite market beside Jiantan MRT (NOT SHIHLIN MRT hor!)
Having lousy Ocien & also economy beehoon for 4 ~ NT160. Thereafter conmtinue wth drinks & also Stinky tofu..I hv to finish all...My family not dare to try ..Well Shihlin nite market not really a recommended place to visit!!




By ~7pm me at Ximending already. I combined my 2nd day Ah Chung mee sua here too as I failed to find the mee sua on 1st nite.

Famous restored Xi Meng Ding red house. Now art centre, Ximenngdi Museum, pubs & bars.

Previously Ximengdi is a old town & restored to the current state as yuppies area.



Ah Chung Mee sua (camera phone). The que can be as long as 40!!


Yanji Peanut & ice stall at Xi meng di - yummy peanut soup wth tofu far, mango ice shave, & muar chee:



OK 1st day in Taiwan...continue 2nd day soon to Hualien, Chin Sui Cliff & Taroko Gorge.....

Well 2nd day will be one of my best ever Holiday so far...2nd to Bali Uluwatu, Tanah Lot & even the Volcano of Kintamani.

1st I bought the return train ticket to Hualien station at NT794/pax & NT$380 below 12. 8am train is an express tilted train which took 2 hrs to Hualien (Coming back is normal train like KTM- slow 3hrs 15min to reach Taipei!)

Taipei main railway station. Don't be fool by the smaller size compare to Sentral KL...Activities happen 3-4 storeys below the stations where all MRT, train station & bullet trai station combined into 1 gigantic station all underground!


Once arriving at hualien, just negotiate wth the 1st taxi on the line..Offer me NT$1800 to Taroko. I asked for Chin Sui Cliff as well & he asked for additional NT500. I re-negotiated to NT2000 for the 5 hrs trip. but at the end I gave xtra NT$200 for the friendly Ah pek. so it's NT2,200 bcos we exceeded the 5hrs limit!

Photos:

Chin Sui Cliff - Remind me of Uluwatu in Bali...U can see the road tunnels & railway tunnels criss-crossing the high mountains which are .1000M high!! Super engineering on those buidings the tunnels..not 1 but many!! & very long too..




Taroko Gorge & bridge view from the train:


Taroko Waterfall temple - not far from the entrance but we visited this last!


Taroko Swallow Grotto (2nd stop & the best) lotsa hig mountains & deep canyon wth clear water river..:



jiu tong or 9 tunnels..Actually these 9 tunnels are closed to traffic as the new tunnels have been built deeper inside & now this area only a walkway..certain area closed due to fallen rock..Safety helmet provided! Infact there was a lady kena the fallen small pebbles behind me!!..so dangerous!!




3rd day to be continued...Taipei City visit to Chaing kai Shek, Sun yat sen & Taipei 101.....