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Taipei to Hualien Using a Combo Ticket (Bus and Local Train)
Booking the express train from Taipei to Hualien isn’t always a walk in the park. Worst case scenario that tickets are sold-out, the other option is the combo – bus + train. The combo ticket is not available online. Reservation or advance booking is not possible. It has to be bought in person at the bus ticketing counter on the day of travel. The bus company will provide you with tickets for the two legs of the trip: Bus from Taipei to Luodong Local train from Luodong to Hualien Based on my research, there are two bus companies that offer the combo ticket. Your choice will most likely depend on where…
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Seven-Day Vacation in Taiwan: 2 Days in Taipei
As I’ve mentioned in my introductory post about my seven-day vacation with friends in Taiwan, two days were allotted for Taipei. Since I’ve already explored parts of Taipei before, I had to come up with something else to do. Getting to Taipei City from Taoyuan Airport Our flight’s ETD from Manila was 23:40 of January 31 with ETA of 2:05 February 1 at Taoyuan Airport Terminal 1. With this arrival time, our options to reach Taipei City is to take either a taxi or a public bus. We opted to take the Kuo Kuang Bus 1819. This bus has a stop at both terminals 1 and 2 of Taoyuan…
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Seven Day Vacation in Taiwan
In 2017, my friends and I were playing with the idea of vacationing in Taiwan for the first quarter of 2018 to explore its countryside. We agreed that if cheap fares become available, then we’ll push through with it. In November 2017, two of us – Melvin and I – were able to book a flight with Cebu Pacific Air for PHP 4,500 (USD 86.95) each pax, no check-in bag included. Days before the flight, we added 15kg of check-in bag for PHP 690 (USD 13.33) each passenger per way. Another friend, Carol, decided to join part of the trip and booked her flight in January 2018. Another thing…
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My Experience with Booking a Train between Taipei and Hualien
If you’re planning a visit to the Taroko National Park, your adventure will probably start with booking a train ticket between Taipei and Hualien. The ideal ride to take is either the Puyuma Express or Taroko Express which goes for, more or less, two hours of travel time. Booking opens 14 days in advance. But, if the opening of ticket sales for your travel date falls on a Saturday or Sunday, it will already be up for grabs by Friday. I learned that the hard way. My friends and I scheduled a day trip in Taroko for February 3. With the 14-day rule in mind, I was expecting ticket…
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2017 Year-End Thoughts
As the year comes near to its end, I look back to everything that happened in 2017 and the best memory is my trip to Central Europe and Israel. This reminded me of how it first came as an idea. Two years ago, I started thinking of travelling to Europe. No concrete plans, no target dates. All I had in mind back then was “one day, I’m going to do it”. I started reading about schengen visa application, reading about train travel in Europe, checking-out hostels, reading blog posts, estimating the budget, and checking fares for flights going to Europe. I learned that there’s a chance to book a…
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25 Days in Central Europe: Hows and Whys
You can find here questions we received from friends regarding our trip to central Europe.
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Philippine Credit Cards and Foreign Transactions
Not all cards were created equal. Do you sometimes make transactions using your credit card that is charged in a foreign currency? Do you have more than one credit card? Have you compared the difference in rates on foreign transaction fee for each bank? I don’t usually shop online, and there were only a few times that I used my credit card to purchase an item that is in foreign currency (whether online or on a trip abroad). I was planning a trip last year when I read a travel tip of using a credit card which charges the smallest foreign transaction fee possible. I’ve been traveling abroad for a…
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Staying Connected While in Taiwan
When on a trip, some people are able to stand not being connected when they’re outside their hotel while others can’t. For those who prefer to always be online, one way to stay connected while in Taiwan is by buying a prepaid sim card that comes with data. You can buy a sim card at the airport’s arrival hall or in stores around the city. When I arrived at Taoyuan International Airport, I didn’t have an immediate need for data so I purchased one in the city instead of the airport. I stayed in New Taipei City and opted to buy a Taiwan Mobile sim card days after my arrival.…
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I Scored a Cheap Flight from my Union Bank Credit Card
It was August 2016 when my friends and I passed by a Union Bank booth offering “free” roundtrip flights for their new credit card applicants during a certain time period who are subsequently approved. The new cardholder is then required to reach a certain spend requirement within a specified period to qualify for the “free” flight. It was kinda hard to pass on a chance for a cheap flight and we still had some time to kill so we decided to apply and fill up the forms. The new cardholder had a choice between domestic, short haul, or long haul Cebu Pacific Air flights. Once the spend requirement is met…
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Trekking Batad Rice Terraces to Tappia Falls
Prepare your muscles. If you’re planning to see the Batad Rice Terraces and Tappia falls, I suggest you start doing bit of exercise now. The trek will most likely be challenging if you have a sedentary lifestyle. One of my friends and I trained for and did a 21K run before this trip and still had sore legs a day after the trek. The trek might be a challenge but is totally worth all of your time and effort. We started the trek after lunch, with our guide whom we met there in Batad on our way to the inn. Going to the falls took under 1 hour, but going…
my life. my travels. my thoughts.
