Packing List For Taiwan, Hong Kong, Japan and South Korea

Planning a big trip requires research. Some trips can be more problematic than others in terms of logistics.

For instance, when we traveled to South America we had to take medication or when we went to Southeast Asia we had to take a bunch of passport pictures  and carry them with us to apply for visas on arrival. Each trip needs some preparation and it takes time.

Our favorite guide book

For us planning a trip involves lots of joy and passionate research.

Our first source of information is our favorite guide book, Lonely Planet. But sometimes the information is not accurate or updated. Tripadvisor reviews and forum posts give us some extra and useful practical tips.

Other than that we rely on travel blogs that we find through Google.  

For this trip in Asia we didn't need to apply for any visa. It should be like that for everyone but I won’t write a dissertation on immigration policies right now.

My essential packing tips for this trip (Taiwan, Hong Kong, Japan and South Korea) are pretty simple,

1- Umbrella and raincoat. During the summer it rains almost every evening. And it lasts at least for a couple of hours.

2- Sunscreen, sunglasses and hat are a must pack. It’s always very bright. Most times it was cloudy but still very hot. Sunburns are very common.

3- Antihistamine cream. In my case it would be useful if I had packed some. If you suffer from any skin condition namely very sensitive skin, you can be in trouble like I was in Taiwan and Hong Kong. I developed an ugly and uncomfortable skin rash that lasted for a couple of weeks due the very high temperatures.

In my case La Roche Possay, Vichy and Avene work well and they are very easy to find in the main cities in Taiwan, Hong Kong, South Korea or Japan.

You should consult your physician.

Essentials

4- Light clothing. If you are travelling during the summer light clothing is the way to go. Taiwan and Hong Kong were by far the hottest places that we visited in this trip.

5- Laundry travel size detergent. In the countries that we visited almost all the hotels had self-service laundries. Some are complimentary and others you have to pay to use it. And some don’t provide laundry detergent. TIDE travel size packets can be useful. They are small and light. You can find it on Bed, Bath & Beyond or other large supermarkets.

6- Electronic device with wifi connection. Despite being young and owning smartphones, we used to travel in an old fashioned way. For the first time ever we traveled with a device to connect to wifi. We find it very helpful. It’s easy for westerns to get lost in Asia. It helped us to keep in the right track and planning or changing plans. There are many free wifi connections available in all of these countries that we visited.

I always travel with a small notebook and a Rotring mechanical pencil to write reviews

7/11 is a respectable institution in these parts of Asia. It’s not just the place to buy coffee when there is no Starbucks around. It’s the place to find essentials, pay parking fees and find ATM’s suitable for foreign cards. 

Part II: East Coast Highway 11

A Guide to Road Tripping in Taiwan's East Coast: Intro

Part I: Preliminaries and Advice

Part II: East Coast Highway (Highway 11)

Part III: East Rift Valley (Highway 9)

Part IV: Taroko National Park

Part V: The cross island Highway (Highways 8 and 14)

Our trip started in Hualien and we headed south. There were many scenic bays and the sea was beautiful from highway 11. 

The first stop we made it was at Baci Scenic Lookout.

We weren't sure about the Platform of the Three Immortals because we were expecting too many Chinese tour buses but since we went there in the early side we could enjoy it.

The Dulan Sugar Factory was highly recommended by our guide book but honestly we didn't get the hype. Probably is the first hipster spot in Taiwan. All the businesses around it are overpriced.

Free Things to do in DC

There is always something happening in DC. And most of it is free. You can visit museums, embassies, watch outdoor movies, walk in the Mall, go to the Capitol, take a walk tour or... Are you already tired and struggling to keep focused?!

Let me give you some suggestions about the city where I am the Tripadvisor #1 reviewer.

- National Art Gallery 

It has one of the finest art collections in the world. You can easily get lost and spend one day checking European and American paintings, sculptures, photography or furniture (I would skip the last one).

Sometimes the Garden Cafe invites famous DC chefs to create special menus. For instance, in 2012, during the Miro exhibition, chef Jose Andres presented a special signature menu of Catalonian food. BTW, It was delicious!

- National History Museum

I took some time to realize that this museum deserves a visit. Some rooms are too diverse and not so objective but there are many fascinating things to see and learn, you just have to be selective.

- Freer Gallery of Art (Asian)

I never get tired of it. It's the museum that I visited more times. There is always something new to see. 

The Buddhist sculptures and Japanese screens are my favorites.

If you want to learn more about Asian art or just see the highlights they organize some tours for free.

- Capitol tours

These tours are free of charge and there is no nationality requirement. You can book it in advance or just show up. We watched a short movie about the US History and then we were guided through several rooms.

- Eastern Market

There are many markets around the city. During the summer there is one every Thursday just across the White House that is really cool. It's a small market where you can get food prepared by the Amish  or farmers.

During the weekends my favorite so far is the Eastern Market. The area around is very nice and it's the right place to take a walk, check street vendors or grab some light food. Or pupusas if you want to try Salvadorian food. 

- Walking Tours

There are many and some are free of charge. It's a great opportunity to learn more about DC and History. 

We went to one organized by the University of Chicago Alumni Association in the U Street that was very interesting, maybe a bit too long... You know the style... Chicago.

- Theodore Roosevelt Island Park

I always wondered how to get to this amazing island. It took me more than 1 year to realize that there is a bridge... 

It's the perfect weekend plan if you like nature and (short) treks. The views are beautiful. A bit of wilderness in the middle of DC. I bet that you can't find this in any main city.

- DC Outdoor Films

During the summer you can watch movies in several parks namely in the Mall. It's a great opportunity to organize a picnic with your friends.

- Mall

It's one of my favorite places in DC. I like to go there at late evening because it's more quite not so busy and its even nicer. If I had to pick just 3 spots my choices would be Lincoln, Jefferson and Martin Luther King memorials.

- U Street and Mount Pleasant

The most ethnic neighborhoods in DC. 

U Street is the center of the African American History and culture. There you can find the Memorial and Museum of the African American in the Civil War. 

I learned recently that Mount Pleasant was the center of the Salvadorian Human Rights organizations and groups. Some of the most important activists lived in this area. At that time it was already the place that Central Americans in DC called home. There are many good restaurants in this area serving home made style food, very affordable. You can find more info about some of them here and here.

Part I: Planning an East Coast Road Trip - Preliminaries and Advice

A Guide to Road Tripping in Taiwan's East Coast: Intro

Part I: Preliminaries and Advice

Part II: East Coast Highway (Highway 11)

Part III: East Rift Valley (Highway 9)

Part IV: Taroko National Park

Part V: The cross island Highway (Highways 8 and 14)

Top Highlights
Best Food
Best Hotel
Best Sight/View
Best Trail

The rental decision: Company and Pick-up/Drop-off
We picked-up a car in Hualien with Avis.com. Many people recommend against driving in Taipei and the road from Taipei to Hualien is apparently notorious for heavy truck traffic. Avis was not the cheapest, but in the end we chose it because we have a membership to their loyalty program and it is international. Normally one way rentals (i.e. you pick-up in one place and drop-off in another) are much more expensive but in Taiwan they are common and there are even some companies that don't charge extra. Do your research months ahead to be sure. We dropped-off the car in Taichung's HSR station, which was very convenient since we wanted to cross back to the west coast through Taroko NP. From there we were whisked away by the fast HSR back to Taipei main.

Getting to Hualien
We took a train from Taipei main station. The train is very easy to get, although the reservation system is not good. I found this blog post very helpful going through the process. One thing to note is that you can only reserve up to 2 weeks ahead and you have 3 days from your reservation day to pay it in full. The major hassle we had was that foreign issued credit cards are apparently not accepted! We tried multiple times and we even called their office where we were able to speak with an English speaking lady who told us basically "no foreign cards". In the end, we just booked when we got to Taipei, 1 day ahead of our train ride. I guess we were able to do so because it was on a Tuesday. We heard on weekends the train gets very crowded. It took us 2:30h to get there. The train was comfy and the landscapes are beautiful, they alternate between mountain and coast.

Details in Hualien

When we arrived to Hualien, we went to Avis (left side from train station, in the main roundabout) and picked up our car. The rental included full coverage insurance. The staff was professional and efficient.

First time we parked the car we got a ticket... We were puzzled. Luckily we went to a 7/11 to ask about it. Turns out it was not a ticket but rather a parking spot fee. The way it works is: you park the car and don't have to worry about paying anything. Then some guys constantly pass-by and leave a ticket on your windshield stating the time you arrived. When you return to the car, you go to the closest 7-11 that charge you according to the expired time. So don't freak out like we did! We had just gotten the rental...

Driving in Taiwan
I thought that driving in Taiwan would be challenging but in fact it was perfectly OK. Just avoid the tour buses. If you go inland, landslides are constant and mountain roads are always under repair. Gas has the same price everywhere, so your only main worry there should be to be cautious about availability of service stations. In Taroko there are none for kms and kms so just try to have your tank full before you go on mountain roads, particularly Highway 8 and then Highway 14. Drivers are a bit reckless, but not nearly as much as we thought they would be and we are Portuguese so we are used to crazy driving. Cars have automatic shifters convenient for those who do not drive manual.

Accommodation in the East Coast/Central Highlands

Tripadvisor is not very helpful in this part of Taiwan. However, we found that accommodation is generally good provided you do your research and check out the rooms before you decide to stay. We had good experiences in Antong Springs, where we stayed in a fantastic onsen and got great stories to tell. People will be super nice but they might not know English so you'll need to give your sign language it's best shot. 

Food
Hualien has many options, but on the road sometimes we found there were not many restaurants available. One of the best meals we had in Taiwan was in the hotel we stayed in Antong Springs, that dinner was great. There are many seven elevens on the road and sometimes bigger supermarkets.

A Guide to Road Tripping in Taiwan's East Coast: Intro

I will write a series of posts about road tripping in Taiwan's East coast since I didn't find much info online. 

There are basically two main roads on the north-south direction along Taiwan's Beautiful East Coast: Highway 11 which goes right along the coast and Highway 9 that goes a bit inland in the lush East Rift Valley. These two roads basically connect Hualien, in the North, with Taitung in the south.

Then you have the wonderful Taroko National Park (prob Taiwan's best attraction) close to Hualien and, through it, you have the winding and ever climbing Highway 8 that eventually turns into Highway 14 and allows you to pass through the mountainous middle of the island to the other side, into Nantou Country where Sun Moon Lake (prob Taiwan's most touristy area) is located.

I plan to first discuss some practicalities about road tripping in Taiwan's East Coast. General tips and thoughts. 

Then I will go into detail of things that we saw/did along the two main roads. We actually took several smaller roads (that basically link the two main ones), and will talk about them when appropriate.

Taroko National Park is a must and I will devote another Part to it.

And finally I will talk about driving through the heart of the island, through Wulai pass, the highest passable road in East Asia at above 3200 meters.

Here's a quick index to all the parts:

A Guide to Road Tripping in Taiwan's East Coast: Intro

Part I: Preliminaries and Advice

Part II: East Coast Highway (Highway 11)

Part III: East Rift Valley (Highway 9)

Part IV: Taroko National Park

Part V: The cross island Highway (Highways 8 and 14)

We would have liked to have read something like this so hopefully it will be useful for others.

Why you should be planning to go to Taiwan

When we decided to go to Taiwan we knew very little about it. 

We just knew 3 things: 

1) Eva Air rocks, 

2) it's all about nature, and 

3) Taiwan is off the beaten track. 

This was enough for us to get a 14h flight there.

The first assumption was completely right, Eva Air is the best (we used miles to go on business and that was a great call). The service was good, the food was tasty and I loved the Rimowa kit that they offer passengers.

The second was also spot on. The central part of the island and it's Eastern coast are precious. Basically the island is composed of huge mountains that rise quickly above the sea, particularly in the East. This makes for great views, and winding roads, which we took full advantage of, when we cruised along the East coast and central Highway of the country. More on that for a later post.

We totally got why portuguese sailors called it Formosa (Beautiful).

The third was actually not totally right. It is true that Taiwan doesn't have many western tourists, but it has Chinese tour buses to compensate. And boy do they compensate. If you go to a stop on their hell tour across the island, you will have to fight for your life (ok just for a photo). But if you get off the main highways, and explore small places you'll be left completely to yourself. That's why we rented a car and that was a great decision that I would encourage others to do if they want to get out of the cities and out of the circuit.

Then we had a few pleasant surprises:

1) The food was simply amazing - I will write a post just on what we saw and ate!

2) The hotel quality was good, especially for the price, making Taiwan a really good destination all-around for tourists;

3) Taiwanese are extremely nice and want to help you, even if they might not speak english.

All in all, we loved this island. We are even considering going back, and that's something for us, since we avoid "repeating" destinations (the World is so big, why would you?!).

In the coming days I will write a few more tailored posts on Taiwan. Stay tuned!

Check pics here