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Well, this is a month of super late posts...
I'll be dividing this post in 5 parts. It's a week-long, 5 days for me and 4 days for my aunt, trip and is divided into the night and 2 days my aunt and I spent in Kaohsiung, then the high speed train from Zuoying Station in Kaohsiung to Taipei and about 2 days again in Taipei with her, my getting lost in the convoluted and confusing streets of Taipei in search of a mom and daughter-run cafe/tea house I hung out in back in 2018 for the Pentagon Prism Concert Tour stop there on me and my aunt's last day in Taipei, and then just me exploring Kaohsiung, especially Cijin Island on my own.
We arrived in and made it out of the Kaohsiung International Airport around maybe 7 p.m. so it was dinner time. Our flight from the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 left around 5 or 6 p.m.
There was even a commotion before we made our flight because I wasn't able to fill up the e-travel form on the e-gov app/site in advance so I had to do a lot of that and almost didn't make the flight but I did. Thankfully.
At around 7 ish p.m., after we'd taken the train to Formosa Boulevard from the airport, we just had ample time to check into the hotel I booked there and then go down directly to the Liouhe (or some also write it as Liuhe) Street Night Market to eat or check out whatever's there. The hotel is just right above the Liouhe/Liuhe Street Night Market so it was a pretty, well, a very, very convenient place to be. I would recommend to check out hotels in this area if you want or wish to have convenient access to both Liuhe Street Night Market and the Nanhua Tourist Night Market which I discovered later when I was left on my own in Kaohsiung.
This trip is mostly a DIY-ed one so we didn't book a tour except for one from Taipei that I did and you'll find out more about in a later, upcoming post.
Super random 'fit check deets:
Top: Hanes tshirt from here -> Hanes 3 pcs Classic Crew Neck Tshirts from Cottonhouse NCR on Shopee PH
Cottonhouse NCR is my go-to for everything Hanes. Hanes tshirts and Hanes' comfy underwear. I'm pretty much a Hanes shill, to be honest, or Fruit of the Loom, too, rather than a Uniqlo, H&M and other fast fashion shill nowadays. They're tried and tested by others before me including the Olsen twins who own the Row which is a high fashion brand and yep, I've been stuck on Hanes everything since. And if I'm not mistaken, they're in Lazada PH too if you prefer to buy stuff from there than in the orange shopping app, Shopee PH, like I do.
This skirt is admittedly not my best Shopee PH purchase in terms of silk skirts. I've had a better one in a different color from another shop that's sadly not there on Shopee PH anymore but it did its job and all for the flight going to Kaohsiung and the first night at the Liuhe Street Night Market there.
Other options for good silk skirts on Shopee PH would be this:
NO ZIPPER High Waist Silk Midi Skirt | Garter Back Satin Skirt for Women 24-34 Inches Waistline from Gina's Flowerbee Collection on Shopee PH
Bag: Kipling Defea I got from a stopover in Taipei going back to home to Cagayan de Oro, Philippines from California, USA back in 2023...ish, I think, if I recall correctly.
Find it here: Kipling COOL DEFEA Cosmic Emerald Shoulder Bag via Zalora PH
Personally speaking, I'd get the Kipling Defea in this colorway because I'm not really a huge fan of pink. ....and if I had the means (funds) to (for it) get it. Mine's in blush or something but it's really functional a lot of the time so it's my go-to bag almost all the time, almost everyday rn.
Shoes/sneakers: gifted and found by an aunt in a Marshall's in Norcal Asics
I don't think I've ever seen Asics anywhere here including in Zalora Ph so I'd default to World Balance (PH local brand) and Puma (the Palermo looks nice~) soon for the next pair of sneakers I have in mind to get rn.
First meal, dinner at Liuhe Street Night Market on the eve of September 16, random scenes in the said night market, a random 'fit check and I tried the ampalaya (bitter gourd/melon) shake here. I didn't know white ampalaya (bitter gourd/melon) existed. I always knew them to be green. At least the ones we have here that we cook more than that we process into shakes anyway.
I, of course, got sliced dragon fruit to go I got to eat for breakfast before we headed to Taipei via the high speed train from Zuoying THSR Station.
I booked this one via booking dot com site and app. I'm not linking that one here for now since I don't really recommend this one much.
Subways in Taiwan (everywhere in Taiwan aside from Kaohsiung) is a totally different world from the one above. If you want to see a livelier Taiwan, I'd suggest to go out at night especially around this area we were in, Formosa Boulevard. They have these dome of lights that light up there nicely when or after the sun sets.
Oh and there's always something for the anime or ani-manga fan. I used to be one, I'm not so much into that anymore now.
This is September 17 by the way, my birthday. This trip was also a happy birthday trip one for me~ (Thanks to my dad who had me book for this one then I just had to help my aunt book her trip because she had to go out of the country for a bit to get a new stamp or so on her American passport. Yes, she's an American passport holder, I'm a Philippine passport holder.)
The bears always get me. These are random street and scenery photos from wandering around a different part of Kaohsiung to find a Roman Catholic church to pray for (or try to attend mass) for my birthday. We usually do this, pray or attend mass on special occasions like birthdays and more. They're just regular Roman Catholic things.
We got lost on our way to the church however. Typical tourist thing to be lost in a new place, yes. Haha.
Pro-tip when you're in a country with a cuisine you're not familiar with (though in the case of Taiwan, I'm sure everyone's familiar with Chinese cuisine, authentic Chinese cuisine...that's their thing and in other countries like Hongkong around here, too), look for a western restaurant. We found a South American one for lunch on this day and got the Argentinian barbeque which is good, by the way, sooo good for my flexitarian, more meat lovers/carnivorous brethren...err...fellows or something. I'm back to being flexitarian for the time being rn. We also got salad and spaghetti (pasta, pancit/noodles in Filipino Culture is to wish the birthday celebrant long life and it's never absent in birthday celebrations like this more intimate one...because there were just two of us eating this lunch spread), of course.
The owner who's also the cook (she's from South America herself and is a very kind older lady married to a Taiwanese national) was very kind to gift us lemonade or these lemony drinks because it was my birthday. We only ordered or asked for water for drinks.
This was definitely a birthday to remember for me. My...I forgot and keep on forgetting...37th, I think. Yep, 37th.
I noticed on my first trip to Taiwan--this was 2018 for the Pentagon Prism Tour Concert back then, a kpop boy group I like a lot--that their restaurants are on a reserve a spot basis. If you find that a hassle then it's best to stick to night markets for dinner and yep, my aunt and I got lucky finding this restaurant in the area near or by the church we went to, that allowed walk-in customers. I think if you want to go to high rated restaurants, or those with michelin stars and all, you'll have to book tickets to them or call them for reservations. Anyway, for the latter, there's the Klook and KKDay app and sites you can visit and check out.
Uniqlo and/or GU stores seem to be where I'm the most me lately thanks to the mirrors there.
'fit deets: Dress is thrifted Eagle Outfitters. Sneakers are Asics, another aunt's find in a Marshall's in Northern California/NorCal from about two ish years ago.Bag is the Kipling Defea I bought from a layover in Taipei from the US to the Philippines (flew EVA Air at the time so...) from also 2 or so years ago. Running cap is from Puma PH via Lazada PH.
My only mistake in (window) shopping around Taiwan, specifically in Kaohsiung, is going to the malls. Stores in their malls are expensive because they're usually Japanese brands and others. Uniqlo, GU, Muji, etc. I'm not honestly big on Japanese brands that's not featured much on Vivi Magazine (I grew up with this one and still like it and its contents very much and their preferred brands tend to be more girly, ladylike, fast fashion Forever21, and not androgynous and basic like the aforementioned 3 brands). I'm also more of a thrifter than someone who buys stuff new, so...that adds up to my disinterest in those three brands. Anyway, this is a mistake for me because if in another country, the key is to go local and local shopping for Taiwan is Net25. Next time, I'm checking out Net25 in Sanduo Shopping District. I spotted a standalone shop of this there and I never got to go in there because it was still closed really early in the morning when we were on the hunt for the church. Sanduo Shopping District area was where we kind of got lost. The one with a park anyway. It's a policeman who kindly told us we needed to take the train again to get to the church because that wasn't supposed to be our stop. Lol.
Yep, Taiwan's Net25, I'm checking this one out on my next Taiwan trip...whenever that will be again (hopefully soon).
Last photo is of us going on our way to the Rueifong Night Market.
I don't know where my photos of that one went but it wasn't as eventful and easy as being in Luihe Street Night Market. Rueifong Night Market felt more chaotic for me. We did try the steak there with pasta which is pretty heavy meal for us. But they did have free tea and soup which was cool so there's that.
I'm a chocolate milk fiend...err...more like addict. Yep.
*****
If you're not fond of DIY-ing trips like I do here, you can always download the Klook or KKDay app or visit their websites for available Kaohsiung, Taiwan or just Taiwan tours in general to make your stay there much more convenient and planned out.
Things to do, see, and experience in Kaohsiung
Here are some Kaohsiung Tours I can recommend from the Klook app and site:
You can book and take this one if going around and getting lost in Kaohsiung, Taiwan isn't really your thing. Hehe. And if you want to see what Kaohsiung is about in a nutshell.
Kaohsiung is sea side and Taiwan is basically just a tiny island so if you're a beach and sea/ocean life lover (although the depths of the ocean do scare me) like me, then you'd likely like this tour a lot. It's pretty chill and a trip to the aquarium, if you have kids with you, will surely be a treat for you and the whole family.
Oh and I like light houses so I think I would've enjoyed this tour had I booked me and my aunt this one. Heh.
You can customize a tour of or around Kaohsiung with this one if you're not into wandering around it on your own. I think this would be good for solo travelers but it really depends if you're like me who prefers to find her own way when travelling and explore new places on my own (no booked tours, mostly the guided ones needed) or you prefer to have others see new places, experience new things with you. Either way, any can work as a solo traveler.
This would also be a fun tour to book and figure out with your tour guide if you're there with family and/or friends, too.
Kaohsiung also offers activities for travelers to look into and experience:
I'm a huge fan of various amateur detective series (books and in tv series form) and true crime and of course, I've heard of Detective Conan. It's an animanga from Japan. Anime and manga. I'm not a big fan of this however so I probably wouldn't bother much with this if I found myself in Kaohsiung at this time. I'm a bigger fan of Kindaichi (Kindaichi Shounen no Jikenbo), Hajime Kindaichi than I am of Conan, to be honest but if this is your thing then by all means, check this one out when in Kaohsiung!
This event ticket is also 22% off now so book it if you're in Kaohsiung and you like lights and stuff. I'm good with just seeing the lights in the subways there and that's it. Oh and those above ground in Formosa Boulevard at night. Hehe.
If I were to be in Kaohsiung again the soonest, I would go for this place and activity:
I'm a nature lover--aspiring beach bum here--and I would love to make accessories, earrings out of stuff from nature so this one is indeed for me. I'd book this in a heartbeat when I'm in Kaohsiung again.
I would love to go on these two or either of these two with a very close friend or an SO (significant other). Whenever it will be that I'd get an SO. Heh.
For those who like adventure and fun, Kaohsiung has some theme parks there too:
To go around Kaohsiung, you can get the EasyCard from the Family Mart counter at the arrivals area of the Kaohsiung International Airport or get it from any 7-11, Family Mart around Kaohsiung. You can conveniently top up the amount in your card if it's not enough for going around anymore from those convenience stores, too. This easy to load/top up card is also what you use to get into the ferry that takes you to Cijin Island and possibly other attractions so it's good to have this one when in Taiwan. (The card from Kaohsiung can also be used in Taipei so it doesn't really matter if you get just one from just one Taiwan city/province or region.)
There are plenty other things to see and do in Kaohsiung if you find yourself there one day and yes, my Cijin Island tour blog is still up and coming for one so stay tuned for that one here. You can always check on Klook app and site or KKDay app and site if you want to see whatever else there is to see and do there and then just book away.
Going Around Kaohsiung and even around Taiwan (from Kaohsiung, etc)
If you choose not to get the EasyCard at the airport, you can also use the:
The EasyCard is much more convenient (I think they also have the ipass and icard, too so you have different options to choose from) but if you have the klook app then you don't have to get this card, really.
We booked our high speed train tickets here:
For this trip, I just booked the Kaohsiung via Zuoying THSR Station to Taipei Main Station tickets for 2 then the Taipei Main Station back to Kaohsiung via Zuoying THSR Station for 2 separately because we were just going to Taipei and back together from Kaohsiung anyway.
If you're staying in Taiwan for longer than 5 days, however, (I was given 2 weeks by the one who stamped my passport at the immigration) and you want to explore Taiwan further or more than just both Taipei and Kaohsiung, you can always book the:
It's available in the form of the 2, 3, and 5 day unlimited passes. Just take note that high speed rail tickets are much more expensive, pricier than the usual metro rail or MRT and LRT tickets so yes, plan and budget your whole Taiwan trip accordingly.
Oh and if you need mobile data and some text and call credits while in Kaohsiung or Taiwan in general, there's a counter at the airport that sells this one. You can get a sim card for your phone that can be used for like, maybe 2, 3, 5 days to a couple of weeks and more there so get those when in Kaohsiung or Taiwan in general. The sim card can be useful for when you need to contact someone like your hotels and more when there.
Note that there is no booking or rather, pre-booking for this one in Klook, at least for Kaohsiung International Airport anyway. You can pre-book a sim card instead for your Taiwan stay and just pick the sim up at the airport if your entry is Taipei instead of Kaohsiung:
I think this was the sim card I got during this trip at the Kaohsiung International Airport counter that sold different kinds of sim cards to travelers. It might even have been the one I got on my last trip before this one to Taipei for the Pentagon Prism tour Concert stop there. I don't remember much anymore for the latter but I know my phone was cray during that one so...yep. Anyway, you can choose which Taiwanese telecom company's sim to get when you arrive at the Kaohsiung International Airport so there's really no need to prebook for this one for those who's entry to Taiwan is Kaohsiung.
And let's meet again at the next post/entry in this series!
P.S.
Vegetarian and vegan food options for my favorite vegetarian and vegan babes (I'm flexitarian rn but mostly into seafood and veggies and fruits so I'm technically more pescetarian than anything) will be coming right up in later posts. You know me. I like and prefer these kinds of food the best...well...my flexitarian but mostly carnivorous family aside.
