National Museums, night markets, salt flats and the journey home! Here is part two of my 8-day trip to Taiwan. For part 1, click here!
With another busy day behind us, we headed to Puli, where we stayed at the Yoou Shan Grand Hotel.
Admittedly, the next day was one of the hardest for this Pacific Northwesterner. Spring is already melting into Summer in Taiwan and the temperatures were already climbing into the high 80’s with LOTS of humidity — neither of which am I built to withstand very well. Regardless, our visits to the Southern National Museum, Salt Fields and Spoonbill Reserve were educational and I’m grateful for the experience.
Our next hotel was the jewel in the crown of all our accommodations. The Shangri-La Far Eastern Plaza Hotel is THE 5-star hotel to stay in when visiting Tainan. It towers high over It is so high class that it’s even attached to a designer department store, complete with private entrance for hotel guests so they never have to leave their tranquil oasis air conditioning. (Obviously, this was a HUGE plus for me.)
With one full day remaining, we decided to visit a couple of inner city temples and wander the sidestreets full of artisan designers. Our guide had saved the best for (almost) last; after checking into our last hotel, we would finally visit a Night Market!
(Polite) Shenanigans ensued when we were unleashed to roam the Kaohsiung Night Market! Fresh seafood and deep fried snacks lined the buzzing streets, lit by neon signs that stretched high into the inky sky. I had given myself a mission: to acquire and taste the (in)famous Durian Fruit.
After our bellies were full and our feet were tired, we headed to Just Sleep, the last hotel on our itinerary before we prepared for the journey home the following day. As much as I loved the opulence of The Shangri-La, this was my favorite room during the whole stay.
The High Speed Rail was our next destination, a train that would reach speeds of 100 mph, to hurry us back to Taipei where we would visit Taipei 101, the 5th tallest building in the world and dinner at Din Tai Fung, the famous dumpling house!
Finally, all that remained was the airport. Our ride home was even more lavish than our ride over: we were to fly back to LAX in EVA Air Laurel Business Class. That’s right! Fully reclining seats within a semi-private alcove complete with noise-canceling headphones, pajamas, slippers, 3-course meals, and priority boarding! To quote a friend, “Working in the Travel Industry does not suck.”
With all these miles and photos behind me, I’m grateful to be home. I have memories that are sure to last a lifetime and made friends with people who I would happily travel with again in a heartbeat.
Thank you Taiwan Board of Tourism for putting this trip together and for choosing me to participate. Thank you Cheryl Robbins of Tribe Asia for being our guide and answering all our questions, as serious or as silly as they were. Thank you everyone on the Taiwan 2016 FAM, especially Nicholas Tan, for sharing your photos and filling in the gaps of my memory. I am eternally grateful for this opportunity to expand my horizons, not only as a professional, but as a world-traveler and can’t wait to visit Taiwan again, very soon!
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