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A-hotel, Workers Stadium, Beijing

We stayed for five nights in a very large deluxe business room, but it was a long walk from the lobby lift. The rooms are around a stadium so all face outward – ours looked over a small lake. It’s in an excellent location close to the Saniltun where there are excellent restaurants and shops. There is a breakfast facility but we had our own breakfast in the room of cereals, fruit and yoghurts (a fridge is provided). There is also a bar/lounge next to the lobby. (It's some way from the nearest Metro so, if you are wishing to do lots of sightseeing near the centre then it may not be the best choice).



Tango Hotel, Nansh, Taipei

Excellent service by front desk staff . It’s a bit dark, having black décor. The rooms are cramped – we had a Premium King and Superior Studio (this one had no windows) on the 7th floor. Storage space is very limited so, be prepared to live out of a suitcase. Lots of amenities including over the luxury adjustable office chair which was unnecessarily complex. Free wifi, bottled water, soft drinks, tea and coffee and pineapple cake. Good food selection for buffet breakfast with free tea /coffee and light snacks all day. (However, it’s a great location, near the MRT station and about 5 minutes walk from the main Taipei rail station and bus station. Great shopping and lots of restaurants around the hotel)



City Suites Hotel, Taichung

Small and cramped rooms. Nearby street of ‘westernised’ restaurants, in particular Italian style food.


 

Wei-Yat Toong Mao Grand Hotel, Tainan

This hotel has all the amenities a westerner is used to, unlike most places in Taiwan. An extensive buffet breakfast is included. Our room was huge with a large bathroom. Dinner was amazing value



Kaohsiung at Jen Dow International Hotel

Our room was internal with no window. The bathroom was separated from the bedroom with a curtain. There are no nearby restaurants, only a night market. The staff in the hotel restaurant did not speak English



Silks Place, Taroko Gorge

We had a large room with lounge area, balcony and large bathroom on the ground floor looking towards the gorge. The breakfast was the best we had in Taiwan. We dined in the Wellesley Chinese restaurant as it was a set menu in the main restaurant. The natural and beautiful setting was ideal to unwind and relax at the end of a busy two weeks. We didn’t have time to enjoy the rooftop pool. Wish we had stayed longer.

 
 
 
 

ITINERARY



BEIJING, CHINA

Fri 18 May, 2012

      Depart London KLM 11.45 >14.05  - 17.35

Sat 19              

      Arrive Beijing 08.55     Stay at A-hotel, Workers Stadium

      Lunch ‘at home’ / Visit tailor for made-to-measure shirts (100 RMB each)

      Cambulac wine (on the roof) / Salud 2 story bar  / Dali Courtyard for dinner / Amilal – courtyard bar

Sun 20

      Hire taxi for the day - Hike on the Great Wall / The Old Schoolhouse for lunch

      Tea Tasting at the Green T House / Duck De Chine for dinner

Mon 21            

      Mausoleum of Mao Zedong (closed) / Capital M for lunch / Summer Palace  / Hatsume Japanese restaurant for dinner

Tue 22             

      Shopping / lunch at Mosto / Collect shirts / Olympic Park

      Na Jia Xiao Guan for evening dinner / Julian pub quiz at Tim’s Texas BBQ

Wed 23

      Cycle to Qianhai Park / Tap water museum /  lunch Panino Taco  / Temple Restaurant for dinner

 

TAIWAN

Thu 24 

      Air China 08:35 arr Taipei 11:45 (3hr 25m) 

      From the Airport to Taipei downtown a taxi will cost around NT1200, and NT1000 going the opposite direction.

      Buses (NT$20) every 20 minutes to connect with the High-Speed Rail (HSR) in Taoyuan, which takes you to Taipei in 25 minutes. (NT$160).

      Stay at Tango Hotel, Taipei

      Lunch in shopping mall / Longshan Temple / Snake Alley / Medicine Alley

      Dinner at local Japanese restaurant (near hotel)

Fri 25               

      Yangmingshan.(by bus then 208 bus to Erzihping)  Hiked to lakes / 208 bus circuit of the park back to the bus station

      Taipei 101

      Dinner in 101 Mall food hall

Sat 26

      Wulai by MTR and 849 bus, mini train, cable car to Yun Hsien Resort, exit via museum about aboriginal culture,

      Train museum.

      Dinner at the old American Embassy

Sun 27 

      National Palace Museum

      Lunch at restaurant Beitou Squid (claims to have movie posters but we none there now)

      Danshui (Tamsui) Fisherman's Wharf (fish restaurants closed on Sunday)

      Shilin Night Market

      Dinner near hotel

Mon 28

      Hire Taxi driver for the day – Mr Wu (only speaks Chinese -3500 TWD) – trip to north coast

      1. Yehliu 野柳,

      2. Jiufen Old Street 九份老,

      3. Jin Gua Shi 金瓜石,

      4. Gold Ecological Park

      5. Gold Waterfall 黄金瀑布, 

      6. Yin Yang Hai 阴阳海,

      7. Nanya Rock Formations 南雅風化石,

      8. The Bitou Cape Park 鼻頭角, &

      9. Keelung harbour and Night Market 基隆夜市

      Dinner at Mihan Honke at the Regent Hotel

Tue 29             

      Suho Paper Museum

      Miniatures museum of Taiwan

      Lunch in Casa de ??

      Julian/Anna left at 3pm for flight to Beijing18.10

      Dinner at Mihan Honke at the Regent Hotel

Wed 30:   (Have Fun Travel Service)

      8am Pick up from Hotel for Island tour (Driver/Guide – Vincent Wen)

      Bagua Mountain Dafo Scenic Area – Big Buddha

      Changhua for lunch – Cat & Rat Noodle

      Lukang Historic Area

        Longshan Temple

        Old Street, Mo Lu Lane, Nine Turns Lane,

        Ma Tzu old Temple

        Mz Tzu new Temple

      Wanggong Wharf - Oyster Beds

      Taichung – City Suites Hotel (was supposed to be Splendour Inn)

      Restaurant – Little Italy

Thu 31:            

      Visit Sun Moon Lake

         Assam Tea Plantation

         Wen Wu Temple

         Xuan Zang Temple

         Cih-en Pagoda - Holy Monk Shrine

         Te Hua Village – dancing

         Boat trip across the lake

       Puli Town - Rice Wine Brewery (Culture & Arts Center)

       Overnight in Tainan - Wei-Yat Toong Mao Grand Hotel

        - all you can eat (freshly cooked) for TWD$389 so we had:  Appetiser – Beef with veg then Soup of the day (chicken)

          Cantonese fried rice – 2 x fresh fish fillet in sweet and sour sauce – 2 x stir fried seasonal veg – 2 x roasted duck

          fried water chestnut sticks – (we declined the free dessert). Plus a bottle of wine for only TW$ 1127 ie £24

Fri 1 June:

      Tainan City Tour:

        Eternal Golden Fortress

        Anping Old Fort (Former Fort Zeelandia)

        Chihkan Tower (Former Fort Provintia)

        Koxinga Shrine

      Lunch (no English menus or English speaking cafes – burger and fruit on ice

      Travel to Kaosiung to visit Fo Guang Shan (Buddha Memorial Centre)

      Stay overnight in Kaohsiung at Jen Dow International Hotel  (dinner in hotel restaurant)

Sat 2:              

      Kaohsiung City Tour

        Former British Consulate

        Sizih Bay (Sizihwan)

        Lotus Lake, 

      Train 305 12.40 arr 16.54 at Hualien ~ overnight in Silks Place Taroko  (Driver/Guide Leo Wang)

Sun 3:              

      Visit Taroko Gorge National Park

        Eternal Spring Shrine

        Tunnel of Nine Turns

        Marble Bridge

        Tiansiang Lodge

      Afternoon at leisure and overnight in Silks Place Taroko

Mon 4:             

      Hidden Summit Pagoda and Liwu River

      2.00 pick up from hotel.   Swallow Grotto, Shakadang trail, Train to Taoyuan Station #181, 1640 arr 1949

      KLM Depart Taipei 23.10

Tues 5:    

      Arrive Amsterdam 06.10    Depart 08.30 arrive London 09.00