Taiwan Trip 2: Post Winter Summary

Trip Overview:

On this trip, I handled most of the pre-planning and bookings—location, accommodation, and a rough itinerary. I learned from the last trip that my siblings were basically there just to teman me (heard they were discussing about it among themselves), so this time I changed my mindset and took the lead in decision-making. 

Delegating the Task:

• For this trip, my sister handles navigation because my phone battery is tragically weak. But, I have this cool mini superpower—a remarkable visual memory. Once I go through a route, I pretty much lock it in. So after the first round, I’d often end up leading the way back or on the next day’s outings. Handy, right?

• For deciding where to go and what to do, I’d research, discuss, and finalize plans the night before. I stayed flexible since I had only two main goals: explore and nature walk. Everything else was based on what the place had to offer.

Itinerary:

• Day 1: Kaohsiung
  
• Day 2: Kaohsiung
• Day 3: Tainan
• Day 4: Kaohsiung
• Day 5: Taipei
• Day 6: Taichung
• Day 7: Kaohsiung > KL

Places worth mentioning during this trip:

• Shoushan Zoo, Kaohsiung
• Pier-2, Kaohsiung 
• Anping Tree House, Tainan
• From Impressionism to Modernism exhibition, Kaohsiung
• Animaga & Ghibli Exhibition, Taipei
• Deking hiking trails, Taichung

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Weather:

Let’s talk weather—because wow, it was a bit of a rollercoaster. I went to Taiwan in winter three months ago, but this time it was post-winter. The temperature ranged from 17°C to 27°C. Some days I wished I had my winter jacket (especially up North when it rained), and other days I regretted not wearing a thinner shirt during a hike. Classic “layer and pray” weather.

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Steps, Shoes, and Super Legs

I clocked about 60 km in 6 days—so roughly 10 km a day. I brought new Skechers walking shoes for this trip and they delivered. No leg pain, no backache, just solid walks.

Highlight: The Deking Trail 10–9.5 in Taichung. It was a solid huff-and-puff session—minimal chatting, maximum stair climbing. Thank goodness we came back via a different path; I can’t imagine descending Trail 10. Watching fellow hikers hustle up and down on a weekend was oddly inspiring. Nature really does something to the soul, huh?

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Spending:

• Flight tix: RM 1,065 (I bought an easy cancel ticket, with an extra +7kg, breakfast and insurance)
• Airbnb + Hotel: RM 1080.50/2 = RM 540.25
• Internet: RM 50 for 7 days
• Cash + TnG: RM 1,000 (rough estimation) - this includes food, uber, shopping, tickets, high speed train etc

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Not everything went perfectly, of course. There was the earthquake. The rainy, moody Taipei day. The canceled Alishan trip I was lowkey looking forward to. Kaohsiung didn’t quite hit the nature spot like I’d hoped. And don’t even get me started on the repeating Indo food lineup.

But you know what? We were safe, we made it back, and I had a lovely distraction during Eid. So, Alhamdulillah, I’m grateful for this trip. For the little wins, the new paths, and the chance to breathe somewhere else for a bit. 

Note: Lepas ni I malas nk bawak my siblings, they were just there to teman me anyway – I'll find group trip pulak.

Taiwan Trip 2: Still Shaking, Still Stunning

Ah, I’m back, fresh from Taiwan’s crisp mountain air, still replaying that one big hike I managed to squeeze in before reality dragged me back to my desk. 12 hours later, there I was, back at my work table, zoning out whenever I could, mentally still in the forest.

But this trip? It came with a side of anxiety. The big earthquake in Myanmar last week, the tremor in Tainan while we were en route, the emergency texts from the Taiwan government warning of another possible quake... and then reading about a potential mega-quake looming over Japan? :F My nerves were doing jumping jacks. I tried to soak up every moment of Taiwan, but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t counting down the days till I was safely back.

Natural disasters freak me out, especially tsunamis. Like, deep irrational fear level. I swear I must’ve drowned in a past life or something because I’ve been anti-ocean since forever. (Sorry, beaches. It’s not you. It’s reincarnated trauma.)

This time, I explored Kaohsiung, and then hopped over to Tainan, Taipei, and Taichung. I had to scrap my Alishan hike in Chiayi, thanks to quake alerts and sold-out tickets. Fairly disappointed. But I tried to roll with it. Tried to stay cool with the sudden change of plans, the scary headlines, and the not-so-small responsibility of keeping my little sister safe throughout the whole adventure that I insisted on doing :F

But I’m back.

And despite all the scary stuff, the surprising thing is I still love Taiwan, with all the risks, dramas, and tsunami-sized baggage. I might not be traveling there again soon, for a while, but I’ll be back for sure. My mom sent a long text about "don't travel anymoreee in near future" - but is there any convincing thing to say to stop a girl in love.  

How was your Raya so far?

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Love, 

AE ✨

Taiwan Trip: Finding Solitude in Taiwan

I've never really shared much about the Taiwan trip. I mentioned sharing more about that in January, but I didn't have the energy to write as planned. Taiwan felt too personal in my self-growth journey, and other than repeating the story of the nature hikes that I loved so much, I felt like perhaps every exploration would feel like a repetition in one way or another. I did the over-thinking for awhile, so I didn't write anything.

Public bicycles to rent

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This morning, I woke up to one of Craig Mod's newsletters. If you are not familiar with that name, well, Craig is a writer, photographer, and an avid walker. He did so many walking expeditions across Japan and those newsletters kept me hoping high throughout the Covid phase when everyone was stuck in the house. I craved nature walks ever since. His writing was the catalyst of my own walking journey post-covid. 

So when I woke up this morning, I noticed that he is still writing to these people who subscribed to his newsletters even after all these years, not knowing whether we still read them, right? Then, I decided to sit and continue this draft anyway, to you, my invisible readers. It's early in the morning, there's a soft morning breeze through the window next to me, and I'm off from work. I'm going through my Papershoot camera folder while reimagining what happened in Taiwan that worth mention to you. 

I wish I could have coffee. 

At the peak of one of the first hikes in Taiwan

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The hikes

The nature walks and hikes were incredible. Honestly, it wasn’t as wet, muddy, or wild as you might imagine. Most of the trails I found were surprisingly well-maintained, lined with beautiful wooden, stone, or even metal railings guiding the way. It’s easy enough—if you don’t mind a solid relationship with stairs and hilly climbs. 

Honestly, calling it “hiking” almost felt like cheating. It was more like leisurely inclined walks... but hey, I still earned those peak selfies and stair-climbing bragging rights. No shortcuts, no regrets. 

We’d usually head out early in the morning, scrolling through Google Maps to find the nearest mountain near wherever we were staying. We’d walk there, conquer the trails, then head back to the hotel—ready to kick off the real day. I explored mountains in Taoyuan, Beitou, and Taipei. Each one had its own flavor, but all of them left a mark. I like to keep things spontaneous, so I’d intentionally limit how much research I did ahead of time. It felt more like an impromptu adventure than a boxed-in, overly structured itinerary. My daily goal was simple: explore. 

Hiking in Taiwan’s soft winter? Absolutely magical. Words fail me. 

I fell in love.

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The Art Scenes 

 

I did not expect it to be this good. Throughout the trip, I stumbled upon a treasure trove of pop-up markets, independent creative events, and quirky art hubs tucked away in every city. Art sculptures casually lounged in parks and public spaces, and even everyday things—from signage to coffee cup designs—oozed creativity. It’s like the entire island has a low-key obsession with art, and honestly? I was here for it. 

 

Some personal highlights: 

 

One of my own illustrations—yep, something I drew and uploaded to Freepik—was right there across Taipei’s Metro stations! The pregnant lady illustration? That’s mine. A little reminder for passengers to give up their seat for expecting moms. And as if that wasn’t enough of a “mic drop” moment, on my last day, I spotted a pregnant lady wearing a pin with my design on it. Wild, right? What a surreal and humbling surprise. 

And the exhibitions? I feasted on them. Taipei served up plenty, but the standout for me was the “Art Nouveau: Light and Shadow” Exhibition—think Gaudí, Mucha, Klimt, but with a modern twist of light and shadow installations. As someone who has dreamed of seeing Mucha’s work since forever, this was a full-circle moment. 

 

I probably spent a solid hour wandering around, soaking up the colors, the curves, the intricate beauty of every piece. It was like stepping into a living painting—vivid, whimsical, and completely hypnotizing.

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You know, I’d love to head back to Japan. Really, I would. But lately, it feels like everyone has the same idea. Have you seen that viral video of tourists swarming the streets of Kyoto? Just watching it gave me secondhand anxiety—and I’m usually chill behind a screen.

But hey, to be fair, I kinda got a taste of that in Taiwan too. We visited Jiufen Street in Taipei early in the morning, right as the shops were just rubbing the sleep out of their eyes. The crowd was mellow, totally manageable. But by the time we were ready to head back during peak hour? Boom. Human tsunami. Waves of people squeezed into a narrow, crammed, twisty alley. Picture sardines in a can—but sweating and taking selfies. Claustrophobic doesn’t even begin to describe it.

Moral of the story: tourist hotspots? Timing is everything. Get there early, beat the crowds, and enjoy the calm before the selfie sticks rise.

Honestly, I’m not built for big crowds. 

Give me quiet mountains, open trails, and chirping birds over-packed streets and elbow-dueling any day. Nature wins.

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Maybe that’s why this trip felt different.

I steered clear of the crowds, found myself wrapped in nature more than I had originally planned, and I wasn’t glued to my brother 24/7. We made space—deciding when to explore together and when to wander solo. It gave the trip this personal rhythm, one where I felt free but grounded. Less anxious, more me.

Traveling alone is a strange cocktail—equal parts nerve-wracking and liberating. I’m not exactly a thrill-seeker; honestly, I’m a homebody through and through. Give me a cozy corner and some tea, and I’m golden. But here’s the paradox: I crave nature walks and the thrill of discovering someplace new. It’s this weird push and pull, and finding that balance? That’s the journey in itself.

And you know what?

I want more of this.

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Love, 

AE ✨

Taiwan Trip : The Winter Trip Summary

Pre-Planning: I did this last minute and booked the ticket just less than 3 weeks before the trip. No extensive pre-planning like I usually do, I got 2 weeks of holiday from the office, and I decided to use it to complete one of my 2024/25 goals - The Taiwan Trip. 

I used Notion to plan and track everything, I also make used of their AI function to ask what/how I should make use of the week I was in Taiwan. I went there during the busiest holiday (Christmas & New Year), so there was a difficulty in finding accommodation, had to jump from Airbnb and hotels 5 times during the short stay. I left Sofi with Af and went on this trip with my younger brother.

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Itinerary:

• Day 1: Taoyuan, Taipei
• Day 2: Jiufen, Taipei
• Day 3: Taoyuan
• Day 4: Taipei > Taichung
• Day 5: Taichung
• Day 6: Taichung > Taipei
• Day 7: Taoyuan 
• Day 8: Beitou, Taipei

If I could repeat this again, I probably wouldn't go to Taichung on that date because everything was closed on that one free day we were in Taichung, and Taichung was far from Taipei - but, we had no other choice but to go out of the main city during those busy holidays. 

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How much we walked: I walked and hiked around 75 km in that week. Love it. I walked around 7 - 14 km per day. I wore good walking shoes, so my legs were not in pain, but my back was sore because I brought my backpack everywhere. I guess this is a sign that I need to strengthen my upper body. Also, extra socks, always bring extra socks and of course, shoe deodorizer.  

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Return flight tix: This also includes 7kg+ extra carriers, side-by-side seats, and flight insurance.

Total: RM 1920 / 2 = RM 960 per person

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Accommodation: I planned this last minute, during the busiest season in the year (Christmas + New Year holiday). So everything was almost fully booked, we had to book from Airbnb, Agoda, and several hotel from Trip app : 5 places in a week. 

Total: RM 1643.26 / 2 = RM 821.63 per person

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Camera: I bought a pre-loved Papershoot Camera as a backup - sempena we were going to Taiwan, it would be fun to use a Made in Taiwan product (as I was aiming for one for a while now, and it was my early birthday present). I'm planning to use the pictures I took from this camera in the zine.

Preloved Camera = RM 300

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Insurance: I bought the insurance from TnG app brought to you by AIA.

Total: RM 58 for a week in Taiwan

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Winter Attire: I used my old winter attire (still works wonderfully even after 6 years from the only trip I managed to use). So, for the winter season above 15°C, these worked for me:

• Uniqlo heat tech shirt long sleeve +
• Uniqlo Ultra Light Down +
• Uniqlo Winter Coat
• Long john + jeans

But below 0 - 15°C back in the day, I also added another thick winter sweater + long johns + extra shirt. Even then, the coldness crept in and I can't function. 

What I would change in the future for my winter attire? I would exchange jeans for something more comfortable and versatile. So I can have pants with more pockets during long walks and hikes, stretchy for happy tummy and not as rigid as jeans (maybe dah tua) and sweater for sleeping/home use sbb tanak campur dgn baju luar during travel kn, lupa. Tido mcm cocoon dah every night. 

I think it is easy to create a capsule wardrobe for winter trip sebab I managed to only use 2 long sleeve shirts tukar2 the whole week: the dark brown one and the black one. 

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On App:

Klook: To avoid using cash and queue up + I wanted to collect points, I just used klook app to see any attractions that I wanted to go to and bought the ticket from Klook. Very useful. 

• Easycard Taiwan - RM 40.90 (this card is like TnG, buy it early and pick it up at the airport, can topup at their machine)
• Bus Ticket Taipei - Jiufen - RM 12.35
• XPark Taiwan Aquarium Ticket - RM 80.95
• "Art Nouveau" Light & Shadow Exhibition - RM 61.39

Trip.com: It is my first time, yes, I booked all the hotels through Trip. I compared all the basics: Agoda, Booking, Airbnb but found all my accommodation through Trip.com. 

Google Maps: To find places to eat, to hike, to explore. 

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Internet: Just did roaming for 8 days, I think it was around RM 100 from Hotlink app. 

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Payments: As a pre-caution, I made sure I activated 3 debit cards (hahaha, I know, a bit extra kan). 

• So I used up almost all payments in Family Mart, 7/11, Uniqlo, Cosmed, Watson and Daiso using my TnG Debit Card. It is easy because I could just topup the ewallet and control my spending (and to avoid any scam ke accidental big payment). 
• I linked my Wise debit card to Uber when we needed to use Uber there. 
• As for my Maybank debit card, that was "in case of emergency card" (if we needed to book something bigger like flight ticket or hotel). 

I brought RM 800 cash but it wasn't enough - most of the restaurants and small shops asked for cash or Line Pay (if I'm not mistaken). So, bringing more cash would be the best way to shop locally. But you can definitely use cards in the city - local Muslim restaurants, no cards, mostly cash. 

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Bag: I used Bellroy Workpack together with me throughout the whole travel (probably around 2kg daily) - this is where I keep all the important stuff and basic necessities (map, passport, money, daily snack, tissue, book, camera, and water bottle). Then I borrowed Ma's luggage for the other stuffs like clothes (sebab her luggage is only 2.5kg when empty). Paling mencabar is keeping winter clothes in such a small luggage (answer: compression pack/vacuum bag). 

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Food: Tayah la bawak Brahim's ke anything pre-cooked, semua kena rampas kat airport T^T It would be advisable to bring snacks (energy bar, kurma, kismis, nuts sbb very useful for outing). Also, bring daily fiber + vitamin sachets. Other than that, we dined out because we stayed in hotels, mana boleh masak2 pun. At this age, sapa larat makan meggi lagi. Halal foods were easy to find on Google Maps (esp in main cities), just be ready to walk 1-3 km from train stations. 

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Note: I would definitely wanted to come again, like seriously considering to return to enjoy more slow hikes and nature walks. I've never loved any other place since Japan tau T^T Nasib bawak adik yang boleh layan pergi hiking, tqiu Mi :F