Relax weekend at Taipei + Wulai Hot Spring

Relax weekend at Taipei + Wulai Hot Spring
台北+烏來溫泉
20160416 Sat-Mon



This is a relax short weekend break in Taipei with hot spring in WuLai, a forest valley south east of Taipei city, around 35 minutes by bus.  So here we go ...

Our flight landed around 10am, to beat the queue, walked quickly to the immigration counters, which usually is the bottleneck of the whole arrival process when you visits a foreign country, so go to washroom after immigration.  As we don't have any check-in luggage, we quickly reached the arrival hall.

班機大約十點到台北，快手快腳行去 immigration counter (因這是bottleneck) 排隊，之後才去洗手間，沒有check in 行李，所以好快就出到arrival hall.

side notes:

1. Taiwan visa can be applied online for those eligible passports, like HKSAR or BNO, a full UK passport is visa free.

2. Money exchange, the cheapest & most convenient way to get TW$ cash is via ATM cash withdrawal of your own current / savings account via Visaplus (vsia card with deposit accounts) or Cirrus (MasterCard with deposit accounts), look for ATM with these logos in the airport or town. But remember to enable overseas ATM withdrawal prior to your departure.

3. Data access sim card, buy it from the ChungHua telecom counter, show passport, 3 days unlimited data, tw$300.  There are longer days packages. Only airport counter offers these special cheap price for tourist. You can ignore the so called iTaiwan free Wifi, not many places have it, so not worth the registration with the information counter at the airport.

4. The Airport bus terminal is on the right of arrival hall, take the bus #1819 to Taipei main station, the route has the least stops. Cost tw$125，make sure you go to the right counter with this bus# listed to buy your ticket, takes about 45mins to reach Taipei Main station.

Side notes:
1. Taiwan visa 可之前上網apply.
2. 換錢最低是到了台灣在ATM 扲 cash withdrawal of your HK savings or current account via Visaplus (vsia card with deposit accounts) or Cirrus (MasterCard with deposit accounts). 但記得飛之前enable overseas ATM withdrawal.
3. Data access sim card, 去找中華電信counter 買，要show passport, 3 days unlimited data, tw$300, 只在airport counter 才這麽平。
4. Airport bus terminal在右邊，坐#1819去台北中央站是停最少站，tw$125，要找對counter 買飛。車程大約45分鐘。

To Tamsui:

Off the bus went into the Main Station complex, it is very large with multi levels below ground, make sure you follow the sign to MRT (mass railway transit) as there are normal above-ground train  and the high speed train.  To reach the MRT platform to Tamsui just follow the MRT #2 red line, Tamsui is the final stop in Tamsui direction. Takes around 35mins.

去淡水:

下車入去坐捷運MRT 去淡水食「街邊亅午餐。記住要行落去捷運線(因中央站有火車及高速)。找紅色2號「淡水信義線」，淡水方向，就會去岩platform. 車程大約35分鐘。

Side note:

5. It is easier to travel within Taipei if you purchase a value stored card called Easycard, just like HK's octopus card. Only needs around tw$300 for 3 days of travel. Any remaining value can be refunded at MRT service counter, or keep your Easycard for your next Taipei trip.

https://www.easycard.com.tw/english/index.asp

Side note:

5. 最好買張悠遊卡(似香港octopus card) 坐地鐵及巴士都得，去烏來要坐巴士的。入二三百台幣夠二三日用，回港前可在捷運customer service 做remaining amount refund 或帶回港，下次去台灣再用。

http://travel.ulifestyle.com.hk/m/article/view.php?id=ADsRYhEp&type=9

Tamsui:

Tamsui is an old seaside / riverside village now designated for tourist, with whole streets of food stalls and souvenir shops. There is an old street away from the shoreline, which retains the original old building charm, so worth a visit for new comers.

One can take a 5 minutes ferry across the river (tw$23 single) to the opposite shore called Bali Wharf, it has similar food stalls etc but slightly cheaper, and in a smaller scale. However, there is a park, better view, and bike lanes, a number of bike rental shops, most rent out those kids electric 'cars', some with remote control, so daddies can take control of the direction!  These are illegal in HK because it is motorized, but in Taiwan, innovation takes higher priority! Good for a family out.
When you drop off from the ferry, walk to your right, passed the park and bike rentals, then you will see a "BALI Four Seasons" restaurant on the left, further down the road there is a "deserts factory", which offers free coffee but you have to queue first, and lots of food tasting. you can buy some cake/deserts back to HK for your family / friends.

淡水：
淡水除了近海邊及舊街外，可坐船去對面岸的「八里左岸」，tw$23單程，5分鐘左右，似淡水食街，但平D，及多D地方行下，公園，租單車，單車經，等等，有間蛋糕工場，叫「亞典菓了工場」，有free coffee 飲，但要先排隊，落船後向右行，過了「BaLi水岸四季景觀餐廳」，就會見到間蛋糕工場。內有好多試食。可買手信。

在八里左岸這邊有大人單車租及小朋友「私家車」租！所以好識合一家大細。

Tamshui Fisherman Wharf:

You can walk there from Tamshui, takes about 30-40 minutes, by bus will be less than 10 minutes, or by ferry (tw$60 single) 10-15 mins.  For the return journey, if you the bus, it may take more than 30 minutes due to heavy traffic towards Tamsui old street. There is a small fishery museum, a white walking bridge called 'lover bridge', and a great sunset view.

淡水魚人馬頭：
由淡水行路去要30至40分鐘，或坐巴士10分鐘，或坐船15分鐘($60單程，淡水上船)，回程如坐巴士要有準備會大塞車，可能塞半小時!
馬頭有條白色的「情人橋」，及睇到整個海景，日落會好美麗。

First night hotel, Horizon Inn:

This is a newish hotel opened in 2014, occupying 2 floors of a commercial building.  It is a chic style hotel, room size is bigger than similar priced hotels, clean sheets and comfortable beds, new toilet shower. We got a free upgrade to a room with a large window.

A double bed room for around HK$600-$700 on a Saturday night, it is a real bargain.

第一晚酒店：「大地清旅 Horizon Inn」
2014開的樓上新酒店，有兩層，房算大，新格調，乾淨, 光亮, 自助早餐超靚，睇得又食得!
星期六2人房包早餐HK$600至$700倒，越低!

The nearest MRT is Nanjing Fuxing Station, only 6-8 minutes walking distance. On arrival of the MRT, take the #3/#4 exit to the ground, the take 1st right onto a narrow lane called Lane 216 Nanjing East Road, after 20 steps you will see a small Japanese restaurant called 多田壽司屋 on the right.

最近的地鐵站是「南京復興」站，行六至八分鐘，3/4號出口，上到地面，直行12步轉右入一條小街叫「南京東路lane 216」，20步內會見到「多田壽司屋」，

Continue this narrow lane and passed 7 small junctions, then reach a big road called Chang An Road, Horizon Inn is on the opposite building with its big yellow logo.

Enter the building, you can ignore the porter downstairs as he does not interested in who has entered the building, just go to the lift and press #4 for the reception floor.

直行過七個小街口，第八個街口是大路，長安東路二段，酒店就在對面馬路，大大個黃色版。大廈保安亞伯不用理會，入lift 4字樓是酒店reception。

Places for dinner:

Night market, there is a small night market 5 minutes walk diagonally left of hotel called Liaoning Street Night Market, but it is a small affair, mostly shops instead of stalls on the street.

晚餐好去處：
夜市，酒店斜左對面行五分鐘有個遼寧街夜市，但好細，冇街邊食，只有店鋪食，是個冇乜夜市的夜市。

If you are really after night market, suggest goto the biggest one called Shilin Night Market，which is only 7 MRT away.

If not interested in night market, suggest go to the Japanese restaurant that we saw earlier near the MRT exit called 多田壽司屋, it is a gem in this part of the city, makes you feel as if you are in Japan, food are fresh, price is a bargain in HK standard (tw$200 for a sushi rice), you won't regret it. Mind you, it closes early at around half-eight.

如果要去夜市，建議去士林夜市吧! 7個地鐵站。
如不去夜市，建議行返去「多田壽司屋」，有日本feel, 平靚正，超新鮮的魚生飯都係tw$200. 但八點幾就閉門。

Horizon Inn beautiful breakfast:

The hotel breakfast is fantastic, all foods are in smaller dishes beautifully layout, and also taste good, less waste. Has both Western n Eastern foods.

大地清旅的美麗早餐：
不一樣的自助早餐，所有食物做到好似5星甜品自助餐，減少浪費，及每樣食物都好味！

離開酒店右斜方向行10分鐘倒就是小巨蛋，但無乜好睇，只是似香港紅館，鄰近就是「小巨蛋」地鐵站，不用行回去南京復興。

to Wulai:

The way to Wulai is by bus, around 35 minutes.  The bus stop is just outside the Xindian MRT station, which is the last terminal in the green lane down south. On existing the station barrier turn right, and the bus stop is immediately in front of you without crossing the road. On return, you drop off the bus across the road. The bus # is 849, cost only tw$7 to go, and tw$13 when come back.

去烏來：
要坐巴士，巴士站在「新店」地鐵出口，新店是綠色線向南方向的尾站，如在小巨蛋或南京復興上車可直到新店站。過了出口(只有一個)轉右，路邊就可見到去烏來的巴士站，回程在對面馬路落車，記住這個不是總站，回程要識落車。巴士#是849。我上次坐去只係tw$7，超平，可能是因坐了地鐵當connection。回程好似是台幣13元。

Wulai:

Wulai is the last stop of the bus route, for the 35 minutes journey, most are country side, sit on the right will command a better view.

Drop off the bus continue walk straight ahead for 75 steps will reach the Wulai main street, which is also the only street. There is a Family Mart on the left after the bridge, if you want some cold drinks suggest walk a further 38 steps, there are a few local fruit and tea drink stalls. The must try street food here is the BBQ wild boar meat sausage, and have to be THE last stall at the end of the street on the right, called 雅各, expects long queue in the afternoon, but worth the wait.

烏來：
烏來是巴士尾站，坐太約35分鐘就到，如有坐位可以「合」一陣！坐右邊會多D風景睇。因左邊多是斜坡！下了車向前行75步就到了烏來的大街，也是為一的街。左邊過橋後有family mart, 要飲野見意行多38步左邊有台灣飲品。這裡一定要試食的是燒山豬肉香腸，重要係行到街尾右邊這間「雅各」，中午打後排長龍!

BBQ wild boar meat sausage:

Whether it is really wild boar or domestic pig is anyone's guess, but the BBQ sausage is very tasty and chewing, not salty and free of MSG. After eaten one, you will want another. You see some people eating the sausage with fresh garlic, there are free garlic at the counter, just pick a piece,  peel off the skin, then 1 bite of garlic plus1 bite of sausage, wow, the garlic gives the extra kick to the whole experience.

食燒山豬肉香腸：
是否真是山豬就不為人知，但有口感，D肉是粒粒，有咬感，唔覺落了味精，因食了不口渴。通常D燒腸店會放一些生蒜頭在店口，初時不知要來做乜，後來試過一小口生蒜頭加一大口香腸，間直是「食過返尋味」，回味無窮也！

http://www.fullmoonspa.net/about.aspx

Full Moon Spa:

This is a Japanese style hot spring hotel, including the 1 night 2 meals packaging. Very wooden deco, some rooms have nice view of the river and forest hill.

It is located on a slight slope on the left after the bridge & family mart after getting off the bus. On entering the empty hall, there is a lift on the right behind the door, go to #5 floor where the reception is located, and the breakfast, dinner area.

Just beside the lift on both sides, it stood 2 huge wooden barrels, open the cap and take a big breathe, then your body will be relaxed by 25%

明月溫泉會館：
這間好有日本feel的溫泉酒店，一泊二食都似足日本。
位置是落了巴士直行，過了橋及便利店後左邊第一街口，不是行平路，而是沿一條短的梯級斜坡行上去，入到之後右邊有lift, 五字樓才是酒店 reception。好大的reception, 因餐廳也是在這裡。出lift 的左右邊有兩個好大的木桶，有個小蓋子，試下打開蓋子吸一大口氣聞一聞，即令你個人relax 25%！

Apart from the common hot spring pool downstairs, which are gender segregated and no clothes allow, each room has its own hot spring pool, with wide window view, almost feel like outdoor hot spring if you dare open the window wide.

To get hot spring water into the pool, you need to call the reception to ask for "open the water please", then the hot water will be rushing in, and auto stopped when it reaches a certain level. Remember to put in the stopper before you call the reception, the water temperature is too hot to enjoy immediately, you either wait for 15 -30 minutes, or add cold water yourself to reduce the water temperature quickly. If it becomes not hot enough, you can always add further hot water yourself, which come in a much slower flow.

除大眾裸湯池之外，每間房都有房內私人湯池，有大大的沙窗,有些可以望河流及山景，有少少室外池的感覺。池的大細比北投的大小小。房間有和式牀或普通西式牀，木地板冬天是發暖的。開泉水入池要打電話去櫃台說「開水」就可以，她會知道你的房林把。當然開水前你要放個黑色波球在池底的去出位，否則D熱泉水可能會燙傷隻手。放夠時它會自動停水，之後可以等半小時或加凍水，試過適溫後就可以浸啦！如果D水凍了，可自加熱水，自加的水會流慢D。

Next thing I want to talk about is the eating area, on a good day, you must sit outside, it has a refreshing view with the  river and mountain surrounding, and high up above the town, even the air taste fresher! I guess this is what we called tranquility.  By just sitting there alone will make you relax by another 25%!

另想講下個餐廳，如果天氣好一定要坐出邊，因個view好靚，高高在上，可望見整個烏來，河，林，及市。坐在這景進餐又relax多25%!

The dinner set menu has 4 - 5 choices, but no drinks apart from water, which you get it yourself. No problem and don't eat too much so you have room to try out street snack, drinks and deserts in the main street afterward.

Breakfast you have a choice of Western or Eastern set, ie menu A or B.

晚餐有四至五種定食選其一，但除了水之外好似無包飲品，無問題，最好不用食太飽，之後可以有空位去掃街！ 早餐就有中或西式選。

.

Wulai Waterfall:

This is a good place to visit to immerse your body 360° with "chi" (aka energy air).  It is a leisurely 35 minutes’ walk from the main street, along the beautiful river valley, slightly uphill, the actual path is called ‘lover’s path’, how nicely named.  There is a clean toilet half way through, you should buy some snack or drinks from the main street before your journey, which makes it more enjoying.  The path starts at the end of the main street, passed the BBQ sausage stall, cross another bridge, then turn left.  Immediately after the left turn, there is a stall on the left selling some rice dumping with different filling (eg peanut, almond, black sesame etc), they make to order on the spot, very tasty, suggest to buy it on the way up, to enjoy it immediately and there will be long queue when you come down.    

They used to have a miniature rail train to go up there, but the track was destroyed during the 2015 heavy typhoon, even the main road to Wulai was blocked, with hundreds of tourists stranded for a few days.  The miniature rail track is damaged beyond repair, and there is no new money to build a new one. 

烏來瀑布:

這是一處有靈氣360°吸氧的好去處，步行約35分鐘，小小斜，最好買些小食才起行。以前有一小形火車上去的，但自2015年的颱風+山泥倒塌後，已無法再修復了。由明月酒店行落去烏來大街轉左，行到街尾(即山豬肉腸店)，過橋轉左，行入去溫泉街，原路有好多細細間的溫泉酒店。在街口有一當賣似「糯米糍」，有四種口味，下午會排長龍，所以最好上山時買小小一路行一路食, 食過返尋味！

When you reached the waterfall area, there is a ‘street’, with some souvenir shops and cafes, also a small museum on the left that talks about the local history, one level down at the back of the museum, there is a wooden platform to take photos, sit, and enjoy the waterfall view. 

這山路好易行，全馬路，小小斜，中途有廁所, 它又叫「情人步道」。太約35分鐘後到了瀑布，有好幾間咖啡小食店，一間小形博物館，它的樓下後門有個靚瀑布view及木板平台可以坐坐。

At the end of the ‘street’ on the right, there is a small café, it only sells handmade drinks,  if you want some food, the café owner can order it next door for you!  The freshly made fruit drink and coffee is really nice, and the owner can speaks some English.

行到街尾右邊有間小cafe，靚果汁及咖啡，可以叫格離店的個食物在cafe食，老板會幫你落order！

The Book Street:

We left Wulai in late morning, after another hot spring of course, back to Taipei city, to walk around the famous Book Street, where there are more than 10 book stores, some old some new, and most with multi floors selling all kinds of stationery, which are much cheaper than in HK. 

The ‘Book Street’ is located in Chongqing South Road, the nearest MRT is the Taipei Main Station, where you passed through the underground street of the station complex to reach Chongqing South Road, when you arrived at ground level, on your right is the start of the so called ‘Book Street’, where you can see a line of book stores already.  After a few book stores on the left 1^st corner, is the very famous ‘pepper bum’, this corner shop only sell one thing, and has been selling it for 10s of years, which is a freshly baked hot ‘pepper bum’, with beef meet and lots of white pepper. If it is just off the oven, it is real hot in temperature, so eat it real slowly otherwise it will burn your month.  The bum is large enough for 2 persons to share, then you have room left to try the next delicacy just opposite the side street on the right, which is a Taiwan beef noodle.  

書局街：

書局街是在臺北車站(重慶南路一段出口)，街頭左邊兩間書店後的轉角位就是全台最好味的胡椒餅，福州世祖胡椒。兩人食一個熱陣陣的胡椒餅就岩岩好，因食完後就過橫街斜左對面的良品牛肉麵！

This 良品 beef noodle shop has also been in the same location more than 10 years ago, but this time I visited it has been refurbished and looking like new shop, but I like the old primitive looking family shop more.  So half of a pepper bum plus a bowl of beef noodle, what can you ask for as a good lunch.

良品已有十幾二十年歷史, 位置無變，但店內返新曬，似新店。

Most book stores here sell Chinese book, but you may be able to find some classic English fiction like Sherlock Holmes.  Now a day I come here for bargain hunting of cheap stationery, even foreign brands are much cheaper than in HK, such as 3M tapes.  Locally Taiwan made stuffs are unbelievably cheap prices.

書店除了買書外，就是買文具，平過香港好多，外國牌子的都平過，台灣牌就不在話下啦，之後好有戰利品的感覺！

To airport:

The normal route is to go to Taipei main station, find where the airport bus stop is (note the location is different from where you dropped off from airport to city), catch the next bus to airport.  A more luxury way is to call a pickup car to airport, TW$800 per car; I assume can sit 4 persons with their luggage.  You can use whatsapp to book the car, with very clear pickup location address, and then pay on arrival.  So no need to worry about unclear instruction in local language.  See below URL for the details and whatsapp #. 

http://taiwanwu88.com

Before we went to Wulai a day before, we left a small luggage in the 1^st hotel, so we booked our car to pick up at the hotel address, the car arrived a few minutes before our time, we went straight to the hotel reception to get our luggage, then off we go to airport with a private car and our own chauffeur, all for TW$800, cheaper than a taxi.  The car was a newish (you can smell the new car smell) black Toyota Wish, with a very long boot.

回程去機場：

通常是到中央車站坐機場巴士，另一豪小小的方法是call 私家車，TW$800，平過香港，及好方便，不用左一袋右一袋咁去中央站找巴士位置。可用whatsapp call 車，可寫清晰地址。落車比錢！當日是架新車, Toyota Wish.

http://taiwanwu88.com

這是call 車綱址，內有whatsapp #

我們之前一日在淡水買了好多手信，入烏來前放了一袋行理在清旅酒店，所以book 車就在清旅門口等，好方便！

This long weekend trip was a relax, recharging affair, Sat, Sun & Mon, I hope you enjoy this blog, and I certainly hope this will inspire you to take 1 work-day leave to enjoy a long weekend to relax and to recharge in this slow heart beat city, especially in Wulai, which is refreshing and totally different from our concrete HK city. 

這就是今次台北烏來relax 之旅，平靚正，希望你會鍾意，及請一天的假期去relax 下！

Final side note:

Most hot spring hotels do not allow single occupancy, because they afraid a single person may have faint when sitting in the hot spring bath for too long, but with nobody noticed.

要兩人同行喎，因溫泉酒店不可一人住的，怕浸暈了無人知!