你好! I just went back from my backpacker trip to TAIWAN with 2 my crazy friends, Cath and Chacha. We prepared this trip around 2 weeks before departure. We kinda budget not budget trip #youknowwhatimasayin? HAHA we wanted to save money but we ate alot so yeah we chose all cheapest accomodation and transportation to save our money for food. #KIDDING at first we wanted 7days trip but my friend in Kaohsiung, Marcel said it wouldnt be enough and must be exhausting, 10 days is perfect. So yes! This is !
10 DAYS BACKPACKER TRIP AROUND TAIWAN
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🔻ITINERARY🔻
DAY 1 | 08 AUG // SEOUL- TAOYUAN by airplane - TAICHUNG by bus
DAY 2 | 09 AUG // TAICHUNG - SUNMOONLAKE- TAICHUNG- KAOHSIUNG by hsr train
DAY 3 | 10 AUG // KAOHSIUNG- KENTING by bus
DAY 4 | 11 AUG // KENTING
DAY 5 | 12 AUG // KENTING- HUALIEN by train via fangliao&taitung
DAY 6 | 13 AUG // HUALIEN-TAROKO GORGE by bus
DAY 7 | 14 AUG // TAROKO GORGE - TAIPEI by train via xinchengst.
DAY 8 | 15 AUG // TAIPEI-YEHLIU-JIUFEN-SHIFEN-TAIPEI
DAY 9 | 16 AUG // TAIPEI
DAY 10 | 17 AUG // TAIPEI-TAOYOAN-SEOUL
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🔻BUDGET ESTIMATION🔻
(per-person)
// Flights
Flight SEOUL-TAIPEI-SEOUL (by Eva air) = ￦280.000
➥Flight total = ￦280.000 (1 KRW = IDR 12) = Rp. 3.360.000
// Transportation in Taiwan
Bus TAOYUAN AIRPORT-TAICHUNG (by local bus ) = TW$ 280
Bus TAICHUNG-SUNMOONLAKE-TAICHUNG ( by localbus) = TW$200
HSR Train TAICHUNG-KAOHSIUNG = TW$790
Bus KAOHSIUNG- KENTING (by NO.88) = TW$ 392
Bus KETING ONE DAY PASS(by Klook.com) = TW$ 80
Bus KENTING-FANGLIAO = TW$ 209
Train FANGLIAO-via taitung-HUALIEN CITY = TW$ 565
Bus HUALIEN ST.- TAROKO GORGE = TW$20/stop x5 = TW$100
(I stop at taroko visitor center,shakadang,lushui,yenzhukou, and back to taroko)
Taxi TAROKO-XINCHENG ST = TW$160:3 =TW$55
Train XINCHENG-TAIPEI = TW$391
Taipei transportation card for 4days = TW$300 (barely use it cause of walk)
Airport Train TAOYUAN = TW$180
➥Bus total = TW$ 3.542 ( 1TWD = IDR440) = Rp. 1.558.500
// Stays
( based on private room price)
➥USD 23/person x 9 nights = USD 207 ( 1USD = IDR 13.356) = Rp.2764.700
// Tours
We booked several tours from Korea and some package one the spot
➛YEHLIU-JIUFEN-SHIFEN (1-day trip by 여행가는길) = TW$429
➛TAIPEI 101 (by klook.com) = TW$510
➛SUNMOONLAKE BLUEPASS (boat tour,cablecar on the spot) = TW$330
➥Tour total= TW$1.269 (1TWD = IDR440) = Rp. 558.400
// Meals
Eat budget (heavy meal) TW$100 x 2 ( lunch & dinner) x10days = TW$2000
➥Meals fee total = TW$2.000 (1TWD = IDR440) = Rp.880.000
GRAND TOTAL
Rp. 9.121.600
( ~USD 701 // ~KRW 760.000)
what do you think? MAN!! if you read my vietnamcambodia backpacker its the same budget! Taiwan isn't as expensive as i expected but im suprised with their transportation and accomodation that even more expensive than my Japan trip :/ but as for food its damn cheap no water for everyday just MILK TEA HAHA
P.s if you out of budget here our tips
#1 use AIRBNB and ask more friend to join your trip,hostel and hotel in Taiwan not really help your budget since the price is similar
#2 instead of HSR or high speed train within cities, you can use train or bus. but it'll takes a loooong time.
#3 walk all the time! Tourism objects always located not really far one to each other just within 5km HAHA so try to walk because especially in Taipei, their MRT is expensive around NTD 30-50 or try to take bus less stairs and just NTD15!
#4 my NTD100 meal is super decent meal because actually taiwanese meal only around NTD 40-50 for a bowl of pork rice or rice noodle on a street shop. Better take a heavy meal in one time than trying snacks on the night market or regular street for NTD100 just to make your teeth dirty.
#5 bring your water bottle! Mostly restaurant doesnt give your water or some just give you paper cups so better bring your water bottle and fill it when you find water tank to preven bubble tea craving on the street
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After itinerary and all the money that we used now i will give you detail each city and some important travel tips to survive in Taiwan!
#1 BEST TIME TO VISIT
Taiwan is super famous with their typhoon so have to ready anytime HAHA especially around mid august to September . We suggest you around JUNE TO EARLY AUGUST. It hot as hell but hello its holiday right HAHA taiwan also has winter but no snow just lil bit cold in Taipei but in thr southern part like kaohsiung just a cool breeze. No need coat or what just a hoodie will be fine.
#2 VISA NEEDED?
You can check depends on your country you can check your country list here
. But me Indonesian needs visa BUT for you who holding America, Schengen, Australia,Japan and Korea visa just need online visa here
#3 MONEY!
TAIWAN DOLLAR
Their money changer is super rare almost no money changer inside the city. Because all the money controlled by the goverment so you can only change your money at the airport or some bank in the city. But becareful they only accept fews like USdollar,Euro and Pounds so like JapaneseYen and Koreanwon or other money currency have to recheck because not all bank will receive it. Or just take money from the ATM. but you have to bring cash since mostly street food and transportation doesnt accept credit card.
#4 SIM CARD / LOCAL NUMBER
you can buy in the airport or local provider office. Depends on how many days you stay in Taiwan. Usually it priced around NT$100/day for unlimited data and phonecall. But if you go together with your friends better rent a wifi. I rented at klook.com for only NT$90/day for 5 devices.
#5 GET FROM CITY TO OTHER CITY
Well Taiwan has HSR (high speed train), regular train, buses. It depends on your budget. You can click on transport name for direct link to each website but for bus i use google map to detect the timetable. I personally used everything so i changed everytime i went to other city so i could try all Taiwan's transportation. For big city like Taipei, Taichung, Tainan, kaohsiung (western part) all covered by highspeed train but for southern and eastern part only have regular train. For taiwan's train, they offer you discount for early bird booking ( you can check on their website) but because i dontk now what time i done with my schedule, i bought all on the spot so sometimes i didnt get a seat and ended up sitting on the floor. But for some "difficult" train trip like from Kaohsiung-Kenting, Kenting-Hualien and Taroko-Taipei i will explain it more below!♡
#6 GET AROUND CITY
Taking bus is the best and cheapest HAHA. Google map super helpful for this one. If you together with so many people just take taxi better.
#7 TRANSPORTATION CARD
Whole taiwan uses "transportation card that known as EASY CARD. You can use this card for everything, bus,train,taxi, and even shopping in some merchants. You can get this at the airport at the machine or buy at 7evelen for NTD 100/card and then you can top up that empty card at station or 7eleven.
#8 EATING
For this backpacking post, i hardly giving recommendation of the restaurant SINCE all name in chinese and i had so many difficult times also in ordering and finding the restaurant. Mostly taiwanese food is similar with chinese but not as greasy as that. But still it chinese afterall HAAHAHA me and my friends barely eat super heavymeal because we wanted to try lots of food. The comfy part is Taiwan is not like Japan and Korea where we have to order each person each meal so usually when entering resto we 3 person just ordered 2 or 1 meal HAHA.
#9 BUBBLE TEA CULTURE
coffee shop? Nope pretty tea shop ? Nope but MILK BUBBLETEA EVERYWHERE everymorning, afterlunch, snacktime,before dinner all bubble tea HAHA all places price ranges around NTD35~60 which super affordable and yummy. I cant say recommendation place for this. But the biggest chain is 50lan that you can find it everywhere and the rest like comebuy, chatime,happy lemon, prestea, blablabla so many brands but only one only one that for me HAS THE BEST MILKTEA EVER even the price is 3 times more expensive than regular brand but it super worth to try. They also have D.I.Y bubble tea class.
read more :
#10 SOUVENIR!
Indonesian cant live without oleh2 like usually. So! Mostly is snacks and instant noodle. In taiwan, you can find it at 7eleven, Carrefour, on thr street or even in the airport. Typical pineapple cake, sun milk cake, or chips suoer easily be found. But for me, i love carrefour the most, i bought packs of my fav papaya milk, milktea, frozen dimsum and also taiwanese mango back to Korea. There is even a CARREFOUR that opens 24 hours in ximending area so you can buy your souvernir anytime!
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TAIPEI
As the capital and biggest city in Taiwan, Taipei offers tons of attraction from cultural side to the skyscraper. From morning till morning, you can find easily foods in every corner of the street, quite complicated yet beautiful.
(+) many tourist objects which super interesting and walk distance friendly
(-) city lively no natural objects.
BEST PLACE TO STAY: XIMENDING AREA / TAIPEI 101
MY AIRBNB : http://abnb.me/EVmg/qGrZ4gMVKF
REASON: its cheap and also convenience to take a bus to everywhere
Read also:
KAOHSIUNG
same like korea, Taipei can be said as Seoul and Kaohsiung as Busan. Taiwan's 2nd largest city is much slower and less city feel as taipei. Everybody is walk clamly and super humble.
(+) less crowded, slow city
(-) nothing to be seen actually
BEST PLACE TO STAY: NEAR RAOHE NIGHT MARKET/ ZHUOYING HSR STATION
MY AIRBNB: http://abnb.me/EVmg/cSMU8oYVKF
REASON: because i need to take bus and train fast in next morning so i prefer stay near station so i can wake up late LOL
Read also:
TAICHUNG
3rd largest city after Taipei and Kaohsiung. As Industrial city its kinda hard to recommended Taichung as must visit in Taiwan. People only knows it as transit place when you want go to Sunmoonlake but nobody knows it has the BIGGEST night market in Taiwan
(+) easy to reach sun moon lake
(-) everything LOL i just cant stay here more than a day
BEST PLACE TO STAY: FENGJIA NIGHT MARKET AREA
MY HOSTEL: MAKIDO HOSTEL (by booking.com)
REASON: its cheap and i wanted till mid night so i chose this hostel.
Read also:
HUALIEN
Same as Taichung, Hualien also famous city if you want to transfer to TAROKO GORGE but i discovered it more than that!! HUALIEN is full of youngers and great food, landscape and beach
BEST PLACE TO STAY: NEAR HUALIEN ST. OR DONGDAEMUN NIGHT MARKET
MY AIRBNB ( HUALIEN): http://abnb.me/EVmg/NHYUgUrWKF
REASON: his is super clean and own by handsome guy LOL KIDDING WILLIE
MY AIRBNB (TAROKO): http://abnb.me/EVmg/PWWx4gAWKF
REASON: if you spend 2 days in hualien might be boring, so i tried oneday stay in mountain area for healing and this airbnb super lovely! The owner is super kind, delicious breakfast and fantastic mountain view from your private room
(+) i ate more than 10times a day here
(-) i gained weight
Read also:
KENDING
Southest part of Taiwan has the best view so far. As i love beach more than mountain it just the right place to enjoy summer.
BEST PLACE TO STAY: NANWAN ( for watersport lover) / KENDING STREET ( for eating lover)
REASON: Its right in the middle of kending street where the night market everyday be held. And just 1 mins walk from kending express bus stop from zuoying, kaohsiung
(+) great beach great night market
(-) sun burn and emba looked skin.
Read also:
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**SPECIAL PART**
I was flight using EVA AIR and suprisingly for my flight TAIPEI back to SEOUL i got EVA AIR SANRIO EDITION!! badtzmaru plane hikkk so cute.
Read more:
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Everybody said TAIWAN is nothing boring blablabla i think that to at first but when i was there, Taiwan just so beautiful, friendly people even they cant speak english, delicious cheap food and exhausting sun HAHA this my very first trip without luggsge and totally felt adventureous. Hope can go back to Taiwan special for food tour since it never enough. Hope this post help you all as your itinerary recommendation.
Muchlove,
HJ
Thanks so much for this! I'm going to Taiwan next year for 2 weeks. Did you have trouble getting around Kenting? I want to see lots of that park, but without having to rent a car. ;; I also worry because I don't know Mandarin! But a phone app could help....
ReplyDeletewow! good for you :3 no I used public bus and totally fine all you need just google map trust me haha rent car is kinda pricey around NTD4000 ( that I knew ) maybe just local bus very convenience :)
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