9D8N SOUTHERN TAIWAN

9D8N Southern Taiwan

Day 01 – ARRIVE KAOHSIUNG 
Upon arrival at Kaohsiung Airport, your driver will meet you at the arrival hall.  Head to Kaohsiung city and begin your tour with a visit to the Pier 2 Art Centre and Cijin Island and also a ride on the Love River (ferry and river boat ride tickets included).  In the evening, enjoy Kaohsiung city and its night markets at your own leisure.  One of the famous night markets is Liuhe Night Market (short walking distance from your hotel) with many stalls selling fresh and tasty seafood dishes like crab, shrimp, octopus and squid.  You may also wish to try the famous braised minced meat rice with flavourful gravy (located in a corner at the end of the night market).

Day 02 – KAOHSIUNG   [B] 
Visit the Fo Guang Mountain Monastery (the largest Buddhist monastery in Taiwan).  Next highlight is Yida World which houses over 300 well-known brand-name shops (Coach,  Polo, Tommy Hilfiger and Armani Exchange to name but a few) offering discounts off their regular priced items.  Within the same complex is also the Yida Theme Park with several amusement park rides (entrance ticket included).  Next, you will proceed to the bustling Qishan Old Street with century-old Japanese era store fronts that were previously owned by wealthy merchants and now selling food and beverages.  Qishan is filled with banana plantations where farmers grow different variations of banana.  You can literally find eight different kinds of bananas being sold.  Continue on to Lianchi Lake – an artificial lake with several huge statues and pagodas.  End the night at the famous Ruifeng Night Market, the biggest and most diverse of the night markets in Kaohsiung.   

Day 03 – KAOHSIUNG – TAINAN   [B]
Depart Kaohsiung and head to Tainan, the original capital of Taiwan and home of oyster farms.  Enroute you will visit Chimei Museum.  The museum’s collection is divided into 5 categories: Western Art; Musical Instruments; Natural History; Arms & Armour; Antiquities & Artifacts.  This museum is also home to the world’s biggest and most comprehensive violin collection.  Next, visit the Chihkan Tower – a Dutch outpost built around 1653.  Proceed on to Anping Old Street, a long narrow alley lined with low brick houses and Western mansions selling locally-made ornaments and delicious traditional Taiwanese foods like fried wontons, shrimp rolls, milkfish soup and deep-fried sandwich.  The next must-see landmark is the famous Anping Tree House which was the warehouse of Tait & Company, a British trading company, more than a century ago.  End the day at any one of Tainan’s vibrant night markets.

Day 04 – TAINAN   [B]
Visit Qigu Salt Mountain & Museum, a popular scenic spot famous for its snow white peaks towering above the coast.  Next attraction is Guanziling Water Fire Cave, one of the seven natural wonders of Tainan and a strange geological phenomenon whereby fire and water emerge from the same cave at the same time, making it look as though fire is burning on water.  Guanziling is also renowned for its mud hot springs with sulphuric therapeutic water (said to be good for the skin and joints).  Enjoy the Guanziling hot spring facilities.  (Entrance tickets included.  Hot spring facilities in private rooms are at your own expense).  Thereafter, visit the Greening Ranch – an interactive eco-park for recreation, tourism and entertainment.  The renowned dairy ranch offers samplings of premium pasteurized milk and merchandise, in addition to facilities for barbequing, swimming, lawn skiing, endangered insects’ observation and bird watching.  Whilst  in Tainan, it is recommended to try the Tainan “rice cake bowl” (own expense) – a traditional home-style snack made of steamed rice paste topped with savoury pieces of meat, shiitake mushrooms and salted duck egg yolk.

Day 05 – TAINAN – CHIAYI   [B]
Depart Tainan and head to Chiayi.  Enroute, stop at the famous Tian Chang Di Jiu Suspension Bridge, also known as “Lovers’ Bridge”, with casading waters from the river running below.  Next stop is the enchanting town of Fenqihu located midpoint to Alisan National Scenic Area.  Stroll along Fenqihu Old Street (1,400m above sea level) that is filled with souvenir shops and restaurants selling delicious food and snacks.  There is also a locomotive museum detailing its storied past and some walking paths to enjoy the bamboo forest and fresh mountain air.  Whilst in Fenqihu, it is recommended to try the authentic and hearty Fenqihu bento lunchbox (own expense) that comes with rice, vegetables, chicken drumstick/porkchop and braised egg.  Continue on to Alishan Forest Recreation Area for splendid aerial views of the surrounding mountain range.  Time permitting, enjoy a Alishan Song and Dance Performance.  (Other attractions that require an overnight stay on the mountain and hiking ability include watching the famous Alishan sunrise from Alishan Observatory, the Sisters Lakes, the 3,000 years old Sacred Tree, the Shouzhen Temple, and the “sea of clouds” view atop the mountain).

Day 06 – CHIAYI   [B]
Visit Bear Cottage, a former soap factory transformed into a fairytale-like coffeehouse with adorable colourful bear statues and teddy bears displayed inside the cottage.  There is a section showing the process of making soap and also retailing some of these locally made products.  Next stop is Chiayi National Palace Museum for an insight into Asian calligraphy, porcelain, paintings, bronzes, rare jade pieces and more.  End the day at Chiayi’s most popular Wenhua (Cultural) Night Market where some of the stalls have been around for more than 50 years.  Some highlights at this night market include the “Chiayi Penshui Turkey Rice”, and the famous “Lin Cong Ming Fish Head Casserole”.  Also visit the “Yuxiangwu” – a beverage bar renowned for selling the best grapefruit green tea in Taiwan.

Day 07 – CHIAYI – KENTING   [B]
Depart Chiayi and head to Kenting located on the Hengchun Peninsula at the southern tip of Taiwan.  Check out Hengchun Old Town.  Historical and quaint, this ancient city, built in accordance with traditional feng shui and surrounded by an exceptionally well-preserved city wall, is a delightfully quaint memento of a Taiwan from the past.  Continue on to Kenting National Park famous for its long and beautiful sandy beaches, coastline and lush vegetation.  Visit the National Museum of Marine Biology and Aquarium to explore the various in-house exhibits – “Waters of Taiwan”, “Coral Kingdom” and “Waters of the World”.  Like in every major city in Taiwan, Kenting also has its famous night market – a 2km long and huge Kenting Night Market.  It is apparently the largest night market in Pingtung City and also the second largest in Taiwan after Feng Jia Night Market in Taichung.  Lined on both sides of the street are stores and street vendors selling the usual tourist souvenirs, accessories, snacks, food stalls and restaurants.

Day 08 – KENTING – KAOHSIUNG   [B]
One of the most scenic spots in southern Taiwan is the vantage point Feng Chui Sha (otherwise known as “roadside beach”), where the wind blows sand onto the road until it is covered with sand for some months of the year, and during other months the wind blows from the opposite direction to clear the sand from the road.  As you journey along this coastal road, the panoramic view of the ocean and the steep cliffs leading down to the beachfront avails a picturesque photo stop.  Continue on to the southernmost point of Taiwan and arrive at Cape Eluanbi, where you can see the 21m tall Eluanbi Lighthouse built during the Qing Dynasty in 1888.  From here, you can take a short walk on the stone pavement trail leading to the monument of Southernmost Point of Taiwan.  Facing the ocean, the Pacific Ocean is on your left and the Bashi Channel between Taiwan and The Philippines is on your right.  After this, head back towards Kaohsiung, and check-in at your hotel.  Enjoy the evening at your own leisure.

Day 09 – DEPART KAOHSIUNG   [B]
Free time until your transfer to Kaohsiung Airport for your departure flight.

Whether you prefer the above itinerary “as-is” or have it customised, if you will indicate the start/end dates of your intended travel and provide your contact details, we will get in touch with you to discuss the itinerary on a no-obligations basis on your part.