With only four days in Taipei with my mom and auntie (before going solo around Taiwan for 10 more days), my goal was to take them to as many places as possible—not just within Taipei, but neighboring cities. As the self-proclaimed queen of DIY travel, I only give in to online travel booking sites if a.) the rate is better than booking from locals in person and b.) I don’t have enough time to customize the trip.
Klook won during this leg of my trip. Check out how we saw dozens of tourist spots in just four days.
Day 1: Arrival in Taipei. We explored the Ximending Shopping District and Night Market on our own.
Day 2: Doubledecker bus tour. The four-hour pass allowed us to see 15 famous spots from the bus deck (such as Chiang Kai Shek Memorial Hall) with the help of the English audio guide. We had the option to hop off and explore the spots, but we chose only two—Longshan Temple and Taipei 101 Tower—because we had tickets to the Backstreet Boys Concert in Nangang Exhibition Hall that night and needed to save our energy. Bus ticket price per person via Klook : ₱443 ($8.75).
Day 3: Yehliu, Shifen, and Jiufen Day Tour. We explored Yehliu Geopark, did a food trip in Jioufen, and released a sky lantern in Shifen Old Street. I asked the tour guide about the environmental issue on sky lanterns. His defense: The lanterns are made of biodegradable paper, they reuse the frames, and the government hired a cleanup crew to fish for the hundreds of lanterns that fall into the water every day. I’m only 50% convinced, but feel 100% guilty for not doing more research.
Tour price per person via Klook : ₱847 ($16.75). Additional expenses: Lantern (NT$440 per lantern for a group of three), tips, souvenirs, and food. We were dropped off at Taipei 101 after the tour, and we bought tickets (NT$600 or approx. ₱1,000 each) to the observatory to explore on our own.
Day 4: Taichung Day Tour. We went to Zhongshe Flower Market in the morning, had lunch at Park Lane by CMP, got ice cream at Miyahara’s Fourth Credit Union, dropped by Miyahara building, explored Rainbow Village, and watched the sunset at the Gaomei Wetlands. After the tour, we were dropped off at Ximen MRT Station, and we went around Ximending Night Market for one last time. Tour price per person via Klook : ₱1,992 ($40). Additional expenses: Entrance to Yehliu Geopark (NT$80/person), tips, souvenirs, and food.
Me: Say no more! I’m so there.
Day 5: Mama and Tita flew back to Manila, while I took the train and bus to Dulan, Taitung County for my solo trip.
I prefer slow travel than manic sightseeing, but there are situations like this where I don’t mind Klooking around. What’s the best Klook deal you’ve ever booked?