Cliff(y) Goes Travelling

[BR226] SIN-TPE (4h 35m) Boeing 777-300ER ETD:  1.15pm (GMT + 8) ETA: 5.50pm (GMT + 8) Here's to a new travel series! Join us as we set out on our very first round-the-world trip, a voyage filled with anticipation and wonder as we went back to Canada after the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, and ushered in the festive spirit of Christmas in Panama and New Year in Colombia. The journey began with EVA Air BR226 from Singapore to Taipei, Taiwan.

TPE-SIN (4h 25m) Boeing 777-300ER ETD: 7.40am (GMT + 8)  ETA:  12.05pm (GMT + 8) Here's a follow-up to the story in the previous post on Taoyuan International Airport , which shall be the closing entry to this particular trip series. For those who've visited my food blog earlier, I'm sure you'd have noticed that my BFF and I actually managed to have the long-awaited Hello Kitty experience. So, what went wrong?

9 Hangzhan South Road, Taoyuan, Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport is Taiwan's largest and busiest airport, which is situated approximately 40 km from the capital city, Taipei. Starting its operation. Formerly known as Chiang Kai-shek International Airport till the third quarter of 2006, it was ranked the best airport for its size in the Asia-Pacific region by Airports Council International in 2016.

41 Zhongxiao West Road Section 1, Cosmos Business Building, Taipei, Taiwan As my BFF and I'd be leaving for the airport the following day at around 3.30am by bus, we wouldn't want to waste money by staying at a hotel. NiHao @ Taipei Hostel (2*) provides clean accommodation that's quite wallet-friendly. It's within walking distance from Kuo Kuang Bus Terminal and Taipei Main Station.

Wanhua District, Taipei, Taiwan Referred to as the 'Shibuya of Taipei' or 'Harajuku of Taipei', Ximending was the first pedestrian zone in not only the capital city, but also the whole of Taiwan. On average, it attracts over three million shoppers per month.

7 Xinyi Road Section 5, Taipei, Taiwan Daily: 9.00am - 10.00pm Classified as the world's tallest building in 2004 till the completion of Burj Khalifa in Dubai, United Arab Emirates in 2010, Taipei 101 is a skyscraper landmark in Xinyi District of the capital city of Taiwan. It stands at 509.2 m with a total of 106 floors, five of which are basement levels.

3 Zhongxiao East Road Section 4 Lane 243, Taipei, Taiwan Mon-Fri: 11.30am - 9.00pm Sat-Sun: 11.30am - 9.30pm You may probably wonder, "What's an eatery post doing here since you have a separate food blog?" I've just come up with a new self-explanatory label called 'Theme Eatery' as I feel the need to publish all the following cute photos (myself excluded) for Rilakkuma fans out there.

64 Hankou Street Section 1, Taipei, Taiwan Taipei M Hotel (3*) is a short walking distance from Hotel Relax II . It seems like a pretty popular hotel that houses a total of 280 rooms with a complimentary self-service laundry. The check-in time, however, is set at 3.00pm.

Sioulin Township, Hualien, Taiwan Originally known as Tapido, which means 'sugar cane' in the language used by the aboriginal Truku tribe, Tianxiang is a small village that serves as a resting area for many visitors. It was renamed to honour the Song Dynasty hero who resisted Kublai Khan and subsequently executed after four years of imprisonment.

Taipei - Xincheng (2h 1m) ETD: 10.26am (GMT + 8)  ETA:  12.27pm (GMT + 8) Having heard of the unparalleled beauty of Taroko Gorge, my BFF and I made it a point to see it with our own eyes despite the rainy season in June. Our journey began from Taipei Main Station by making use of the Taiwan Railway Administration (TRA) system on Tze-Chiang Limited Express (Puyuma), the newest, fastest and more spacious train type introduced in 2013.

15 Hankou Street Section 1, Taipei, Taiwan Hotel Relax II (3*) is one of the four hotels owned by a group of contemporary artists, interior designers and marketing experts. All of the hotels are located within walking distance from Taipei Main Station, as well as Ximending if you feel like exercising a little bit instead of taking a public transport.

MNL-TPE (2h 15m) Boeing 777-300ER ETD: 12.40pm (GMT + 8)  ETA:  2.55pm (GMT + 8) After we got bored with the new, but uninspiring Terminal 1 of Ninoy Aquino International Airport , it was finally time for my BFF and I to fly to our last holiday destination for our mid-year trip: Taipei, Taiwan. That was my virgin experience with EVA Air.