Tag: backpacking

How to visit the world of Avatar without leaving this planet? Gardens by the Bay

Travelling around the world is a one of a kind experience. That said it doesn’t mean we always see unique sites. Another garden, medieval palace, another Incan ruin. Especially after spending a long time in one country we start to see trends and similarities. But there are rare cases when we see something special. Something absolutely unique. Something we know we won’t see anywhere else, anytime soon. That’s what Gardens by the Bay was for us. A journey to another world, journey to the future. We literally couldn’t help but go back there over and over again. To be honest no words or pictures can quite explain how remarkable the place is… but well we will try 🙂

What are Gardens by the Bay?

Gardens by the Bay are the lungs of this vibrant metropolis. It’s all about nature and humans creating something special around it, not instead of it. The most prominent part of the Gardens are the Supertrees. Those are actually human-made trees serving as vertical gardens, producing energy. It’s a growing concept in Singapore in order to make us live more sustainably and in direct contact with nature. 12 of those giants (25 to 50 m) can be found in the Supertree Grove while the remaining 2 groups of 3 are in the Golden and Silver Gardens.

Except for those there are sculptures, greenhouses, cafes, restaurants and lots of areas to picnic. Although it sounds like a lot, it’s all close together, certainly within walking distance and it’s possible to see the most important sights in a day.

What to see?

Supertree Grove is by far the most breathtaking spot and a must see in Singapore. It’s also an absolute must to come in the evening for the best light show I have ever seen (and I’m a light show freak). It’s free of charge and there are two shows daily at 7.45 and 8.45 pm.

OCBC Skywalk is a 128- meter-long aerial walkway between the Supertrees. It gives a completely different perspective on the trees and Gardens in general. It’s especially spectacular to walk on there during sunset or the light show. It costs 8 SGD (around 5 euro).

Cloud Forest is a greenhouse garden that will take you straight to the Cloud Forests of Peru. The path takes you through the forest and leads you higher and higher to finally end up on a skywalk above the garden. Cloud Forest wouldn’t be complete without a bit of mist and so at certain times of the day (10 am, 12 pm, 2 pm, 4 pm, 6 pm, 8 pm) you can see it mysteriously surrounded by it. The only negative is that as a foreigner you have to buy a joined ticket to both greenhouses. It’s 28 SGD (around 18 euro) and considering that except for the spectacular Cloud Forest you are forced to see the mediocre Flower Dome, it’s a bit of a ridiculous price. For me the Flower Dome was like any other greenhouse garden, except bigger.

Dragonfly and Kingfisher lakes are small lakes that are just perfect for a stroll away from the bustling city. Not to mention there are some great spots to just chill out with your market-bought coffee. A bargain considering how expensive cafes are in this city. After a bit of a rest we also appreciated the photographic perspective that the boardwalk along Dragonfly Lake gives.

Bay East Garden is the most calm, chilled out spot, perfect for a picnic with a view.

Except for the spots mentioned above there are few other gardens and sculptures but I wasn’t overly impressed with those so I also won’t recommend them.

How much does it cost?

Gardens by the Bay are free of charge. You can walk around freely in there and also visit the Supertree without paying anything.

OCBC Skywalk is 8 SGD.

Cloud Forest and Flower Dome cost 28 SGD (joined ticket without possibility to buy only one of the two).

Shuttle service costs 3 SGD for a day. In my opinion it’s not necessary.

Best views on the Supertrees and the Gardens

For me the most impressive view on the Gardens stretches from the platform on the bridge coming from Marina Bay Sands’ mall. I got an impression not many people go that way because you really have to know it exists and I never saw it anywhere online. Walking on the bridge I saw the crown of the supertrees emerging above the greenness of the park. It made me feel like if I was seeing a distant land of Avatar that I’m about to visit.

Marina Bay Skypark Observation deck provides stunning views from far above. You can see the Gardens by the Bay in full glory. To get the best out of the 23 SGD (around 14 euro) ticket we went there before sunset to enjoy the beautiful colors of the sun setting above Singapore as well as the light shows both at the Marina Bay Sands’ mall and the Supertree Grove. If you’re not travelling on a shoestring, there is also an infinity pool above the observation deck reserved for guests of the hotel. Judging by the amount of people in robes there, it’s a rather popular spot.

OCBC skywalk gives a unique opportunity to walk in between the crowns of the Supertrees. It’s tough to put a price on an experience like that. One of the best and most original views on the trees and Marina Bay Sands for sure.

Walking around the trees is also a great way to see them in full glory and fully understand how massive they are.

Our favorite street art in Singapore

Many say Singapore is such a sterile place, limited by the rules and strict laws. Maybe… but it’s also a place of magnificent street art which is probably better maintained than in most Asian cities. In most of them murals are like mandalas, they cost a lot of work, precision and patience just to be destroyed later by the pass of time or vandalism. Not in Singapore. Here these fragile pieces seem almost eternal.

  1. The Coffee time one

Café ARC has a massive mural on one side of their lovely spot. It’s all about coffee in there. Made with different techniques, by different people… always with love 🙂

  1. The Holy Cow

That one we found completely by accident. I have no idea who the artist is or who commissioned him but the mural is magnificent! It’s colorful, playful and it’s all about cows. Unfortunately it’s also in a very narrow street and it’s massive so I wouldn’t say it’s a mind-blowing picture option.

  1. The peeking boy

Ernest Zacharevic is one of the most amazing street artists in the world. He is mostly famous for his pieces in Penang in Malaysia but he also did a few murals for Singapore. I always like how he adds dimension to his work and how playful and beautiful it is. And this boy looks literally like he is on a mission to spot someone!

  1. The exclamation mark

Another one out of Ernest Zacharevic pieces is a boy(s) playing with exclamation marks.

  1. Girl with a cub

The girl is huge and she lies there with a cub with her little, piercing eyes staring at anyone passing her by. Also by Zacharevic 🙂

  1. Kids in the carts

It seems like it’s only Zacharevic’s art in Singapore which is really not true but this one is so worth seeing. Two kids playing in shopping carts and the carts are actually real, placed in front of the kids. I absolutely love how reality and art meet in a playful way like that:)

  1. Just a colorful wall

Singapore has many really colorful walls that make the city bright and cheerful and for tourists they bring extra background for a portrait. We especially loved these two 🙂

  1. The life of the Indians

The art of the streets embrace all the different cultures merged together in one, tiny country. These ones show the simple Indian life.

  1. Something for the carpet lovers

There are many murals representing the past of Singapore. We especially loved the one showing life of a carpet/basket seller back in the days. Wouldn’t it be lovely to sit on a stunning, unique carpet rather than to shop it out from a supermarket knowing there are millions of the same ones?

  1. The faces of the Singapore club

There are quite some faces on that one although the most prominent is an elderly man in a turban. You could almost overlook a Chinese lady and a Malay man hidden in behind the tables of the Singapura Club.

Those 10 are just our subjective favorites. There are sooo many others spread all over the city and guess what, every day there can be a new one coming on these urban canvas' 🙂

How much does it cost to travel on Taiwan? Our budget and tips

Many say that if you can’t afford Japan, Taiwan is a good alternative. That made us think and expect this little island would be a lot like our beloved Japan. It’s definitely cleaner and more organized than other parts of Asia but that’s almost all the similarities it has with cherry- blossom- land. Still we completely fell in love with its nature, culture and beauty of its coast and mountains.

And I have to admit it’s more budget – friendly than Japan:)

Over 61 days we spend 3875 euro so around 63 euro per day for the two of us. A little above 30 euro each makes it a great alternative to Japan. But let’s break it down.

 

Where did we travel?

Taiwan is a pretty small island with a lot to offer. We visited their furthest southern part with its beachy national park (Kenting), we also emerged in their mountainous pearl of Taroko National Park. We couldn’t miss some of its most prominent cities like Taichung, Kaohsiung and obviously Taipei. When we got tired of the cities we relaxed by its magical Sun Moon Lake.

How did we travel?

Honestly I think renting a car on Taiwan is a great idea. We didn’t do that and regretted it afterwards. From what I read it’s not very expensive and some spots are difficult or even impossible to reach by public transport.

On transportation we  spent “just”398 euro. The prices of trains and buses were dirty cheap compared to Japan. A train from Taipei to Taichung was around 20 euros for both of us (750 TWD). Return bus from Zuoying to Kenting was 33 euro for both of us (1200 TWD). Actually we felt so sorry for ourselves that we didn’t try the high speed trains in Japan that we took one on Taiwan. It was “just” 2980 TWD (83 euros) so really cheap compared to the ones we saw in Japan.

The transport section includes some uber and taxi rides.

Curiosity! Buses in Taichung are FREE! Ok they can be pretty slow and a pain in the ass but who looks a gift horse in the mouth right?:)

Where did we stay?

Accommodation was the biggest part of our budget and it came up to 1876 euros. Out of this sum we spend 975 USD for a month of a private apartment in Taipei rented via airbnb (32.5 dollar a night). That one was a serious bargain considering that 99% of the studios I saw were for above 50 US dollars a night especially taking under consideration that we were in pure city center. The owner was going on vacation and wanted someone who could stay as long as possible so he offered 40% off for a stay above 28 nights.

For the rest we didn’t have that much luck anywhere else. The smaller and more beautiful the place was, the more pricey the hostel/ hotel was. At the Taroko National Park we had a private room at a local community home and that cost us 223 euros for 4 days.

We spent only 12 nights in dorms but those were not particularly cheap actually. For 7 nights in our hostel in Kenting we paid 234 euros for the two of us (around 20 euros per night). 

What did we eat?

Our food beginnings were difficult. Coming from lean, low fat, veggie Japan we had a hard time adjusting our bellies to more decadent, fatty Chinese cuisine. As usual we cooked ourselves most of the time but after some time we also enjoyed dinning at night markets, local restaurants and cafes. We didn’t deny ourselves many bubble teas either!

Food turned out to be 1369 euros out of which just 363 went on eating out on night markets, coffees and bubble teas. The rest was what we spent on ingredients to cook with. It might seem like quite a sum but we didn’t save, we treated ourselves buying fruit every single day and we tried out some weird ingredients. In this little fortune we also included quite a sum of tea, bought for gifts and for ourselves.

To give you an idea of eating out costs:

A very good bubble tea (good so not the cheapest) is around 70 TWD (around 2 euros)

Eating out at a night market we spent 200 - 400 TWD (5.5-11 euros) depending on what we bought. Barbecue was always the most expensive stand, together with fancy seafood. For cheaper meals we always turned to onion pancakes or dumplings.

How expensive are museums, tours etc?

On tourism we spend 139 euro. Many of the museums, temples and exhibitions were actually free. The most we spent on an entrance fee was when we went to see the Paul Smith exhibition in Taipei (560 TWD= around 16 euros for both of us). After all this free or dirt cheap cultural entertainment that one felt like a fortune. Although well spent.

In tourism we included mountain bikes rentals at the Sun Moon Lake (400 TWD = 11 euros) as well as renting an electric scooter in the Kenting National Park for two days (around 33 euros). A “huge” budget breaker was mountain bike rental with drop off in Taroko National Park. That was 1600 TWD (around 45 euros) well spent as it’s a super mountainous and dangerous area so we wanted to have the best equipment and calmly slide of a tremendous series of hills.

Where did the rest of our money go?

93 euro in the equipment and miscellaneous parts of our budget went to postcards, souvenirs, splurge in a private bath, a hat, some flowers and not much more:)

Money- saving tips and tricks

  1. Travel smart! Lots of spots on Taiwan are famous as weekend getaways and prices for accommodation get double or even triple during weekends and vacations. Try to avoid that. The three most popular of those are Sun Moon Lake, Kenting National Park and Taroko National Park.
  2. Hop on public transport! Buses, trains and metro are really cheap on Taiwan. In Taichung buses are actually free of charge. Just make sure you get yourself an Easy Card. You can buy it in many spots for example on metro stations and you put money on there to travel. It’s very easy, convenient and it makes everything even more affordable. The great thing is it works in buses and metro of Taipei as well as other big cities.
  3. Consider Airbnb! We managed to get a really great deal for an apartment in Taipei. It was central, pretty and it felt so homie. During the hottest summer months many people go away on vacation and some rent out their spots pretty cheap especially for longer stays.
  4. Enjoy free cultural events and exhibitions! Many of the art museums and cultural events are just free and really interesting.

Exchange rate used: 1 Euro = 34.48 TWD

8 must sees in Taipei

Like many other Asian cities, Taipei can be a bit chaotic and needs few days to fall in love with. For those who stay and explore, it offers tones of amazing tea houses, cafes, museums and art neighborhoods. We were heartbroken leaving it after a month and we know we will go back there someday. For now we want to show you our favorite spots in this vibrant city.

  1. Get creative at the Huashan 1914 Creativity Park

We discovered this pearl literally two days before we left Taiwan. I was almost heartbroken knowing I could have spent days there. Like many other places on the island, Huashan was a leftover of Japanese business, in this case an ex-sake winery taken over by art and given a new life. It’s a spectacular place with lots of cool, artsy cafes, museums, interesting exhibitions and the most original gifts and postcards ever. There are a lot of events happening there and plenty of green areas so it’s a perfect spot to picnic with a concert in the background. Heaven!

  1. Get even more artsy at Songshan Cultural & Creative Park

Similar idea to Huashan except Songshan is bigger and even more beautifully situated. Pond on one side, park on the other and a green courtyard in the middle made us forget we were still in the city. Obviously it has hyper interesting exhibitions and artsy souvenirs but what sets it apart is its charming, little bookshop/café. In a country where reading is essential and done by everyone, everywhere you really need places like that. Just crossing the doorstep I felt this lovely atmosphere of an old office with this specific smell of books and coffee.

After you're done reading we strongly recommend the best natural juice ice cream we have ever tasted! Location on our map below.

  1. See the army in action at the Martyrs’ Shrine

This pretty new shrine (built in 1969) is dedicated to Chinese soldiers who sacrificed themselves for their country. As many other important places it changes guards every hour. But honestly, this one is the most spectacular that we saw. Sheer precision, synchronization and shoes almost creating music. We stayed even after the "performance" to explore the beauty of the surrounding. Thankfully it misses some new, kitsch additions which leaves just perfect repetitions and a shrine that looks old and traditional.

  1. Feel the grand Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall

Built in memory of a former president of China, Chiang Kai-shek, the memorial hall is one of the main sites in Taipei. The hall itself is not extremely impressive for someone coming from Europe … but the change of guards is mesmerizing and the square on which it’s situated is massive and gives this feeling of a massive empire.

  1. Get cultural for “nothing” in the Taipei Fine Arts Museum

I was shocked a country famous for producing electronics and cheesy goods would have so much art. I completely didn’t expect that they would do even more. Spread art for everyone. Fine Arts Museum is another example of that. Entrance is just 30 NTD so less than a euro and you can literally spend a whole day walking around and exploring different exhibitions. We were especially interested in the exhibition about victims of the “Made in Taiwan” phenomenon.

  1. Emerge in a “weekend” garden on Chien Kuo Weekend Flower Market

Da'an’s flower market is a perfect event for all the flower lovers. You can literally find all the flowers and herbs that I’ve ever seen and also some micro plants kept in lab-like flasks. There are also lots of other curiosities like little fish kept in separate plastic containers or fresh honey on honey comb. Just next to the Flower Market there is also a Gem market.

  1. Get the best views on the city from the Elephant Mountain

Some might argue that the best views on the capital are from Taipei 101. For us it’s simple, why pay a lot of money to go on a tower when you can sweat for 20 minutes and see the whole city, tower included, for free? For us it was an easy choice. And judging by the biggest tripod crowds ever, we weren’t the only ones with that opinion. The mountain offers plenty of viewing platforms, the further you go, the more options and different angles you get. We decided to go there in the late afternoon to get the sight of the city during the day as well as with the sunset and at night. We never regretted those few hours, it was magnificent although crowded.

  1. Shopping around Taipei 101 and Xiemending

Especially Xiemending reminded us of shopping districts in Osaka or Tokyo. Obviously on a smaller scale. There and around Taipei 101 you can get everything: fine tea, clothes, electronics, souvenirs, nice Taiwanese cosmetics. You name it!

Cycling around the Sun Moon Lake

The Sun Moon Lake is the biggest lake on Taiwan and on an island that small, it can get pretty crowded during the weekend. Because of the potential crowds and insane prices during the weekend we decided to go there during the week.

Although from many Taiwanese we heard that the Sun Moon lake is “just” a lake. I knew with a name like that it had to be spectacular. Arriving in the main town in the north of the lake I was actually pretty underwhelmed with what I saw. Instead of an oasis of peace and few charming houses by the lake I landed in a place full of not so cheap hotels, overpriced touristic shops and not so great restaurants.

Fortunately our hostel (Yue Lake Backpackers) turned out to be just outside of all that mess and it was actually pretty charming.

There are many ways to explore the area but since we love biking and having the flexibility of stopping everywhere, we decided to cycle around the lake (30km). I noticed that many bikes didn’t even have gears so I was calm that it would be a walk in the park. Flat as Holland. The touristic map was indicating all sorts of biking paths along the way so it seemed wheel friendly. It turned out that those were mostly very short and the longest one, the Moon lake bikeway, was suited only to push your bike. It was so steep that they even put signs everywhere to walk along your bike rather than riding it. But that came at the very end… first I was shocked and in a world of pain going up from our hostel to the Wenwu Temple for what seemed to be hours.

Wenwu Temple itself, although big, didn’t impress us with its architecture. It looked almost brand new even though it's 100 years. But it offers one of the most spectacular views on the lake and shade, very, very appreciated detail on Taiwan.

Cycling to the temple was the worst part of the biking trip. From there it was flat or even downhill… mostly.

The views we got were well worth the effort. The route is full of small side trails to walk to the lake or through the forest next to it. That way we spotted the weirdest boats that looked like floating apartments with huge nets waving on board like a flag.

Floating islands are another sight not to be missed on the lake. We spotted them on Songbolun Hiking Trail and Tutingzai hiking trail. Patches of land on the water where locals grow some vegetables. Although popular method in the area, no one could explain which plants were grown on them. So if you do, let us know!

Half way through the round we saw the most incredible pagoda (Cien Pagoda). Built in 1971 doesn’t make it too much of a historic sight. But 46 m and the fact that it’s been built on a mountain top assure spectacular views over the whole lake and surrounding mountains. Not to mention it’s one of very few pagodas that we saw, that was available for climbing all the way up. In Japan we could only admire them from a distance.

Cycling downhill from Cien pagoda we stopped at Xuanguang temple which was tiny and not much to see anyway. Just a small sneak peak at the Lalu Island which is this micro island surrounded by floating gardens. Looking at it it’s hard to believe that not so long ago it was much bigger and inhabited. Most of it ended underwater during an earthquake in 1999. Lalu used to separate the lake into a crescent moon and a sun.

Although the trip was supposed to take around 5 hours it took us the whole day. The last hour we spend in a pouring rain cycling like crazy to the Xiangshan Visitors Center looking for a shelter. Right when we reached it, the rain stopped and a kaleidoscope of colors came with the sunset. I couldn’t imagine a better place to see it. It’s not just any other tourist information. It looks more like an alien ship landed and never left. If that wasn’t enough facing the lake, there is a great pond that gives an illusion of an infinity pool. No wonder locals come here to take wedding pictures! There is even an open room for wedding photo session preparations.

We decided to come back and admire the spot for a great sunrise on the next day and we really weren’t disappointed. It was so serene, beautiful and misty.

Many people say that the Maolan mountain has the best sunrise views but that’s absolutely not true. In fact I wouldn’t even recommend that one. Maybe only for people who really want to see tea plantations but only for the sake of seeing the bushes. Don’t imagine mountain slopes going down to the lake covered in tea. I would be heartbroken waking up in the middle of the night and walking 45 minutes to see nothing special. But well, it’s also part of traveling, isn’t?

Practical info:

  1. Going around the lake is 30 km. It’s possible to do it on a bike. Just make sure you get a one with gears or an electric one. It’s also possible to go by bus.
  2. It’s possible to rent a bike as soon as the shop opens (7am) and bring it back on the next day in the morning. Renting a bike for a day with gears costs 200 TWD (5.57 Euro) including our discount that we got from our hostel.
  3. The Sun Moon Lake is easily reached from Taipei. There are a couple of direct buses per day. It takes around 6-7 hours to get there. For more frequent options you would have to go from Taichung.
  4. On the weekends it’s the number one destination for all the locals. During the week it’s practically an oasis of peace.
  5. Although we haven’t found anything mind blowing to eat. We managed to find a cheap and good restaurant selling noodle soup. One of very few spots that had veggies included in their options and not deep fried ones. The location is on our map below. So is our favorite (and best priced) bubble tea shop and waffles with assam tea (a must try snack!)
  6. It’s worth checking when the firefly season is. We heard there are a lot of festivals and millions of beautiful fireflies flying around not far from the lake.

Are you guys going to the Sun Moon lake? Or maybe you have already been and want to share your experience? Tell us below 🙂

Taichung in a day

Taichung is the 3rd largest city on the island and a perfect stop on the way to the Sun Moon Lake. It offers amazing street art, stylish cafes and a true Taiwanese experience but without the crowd of the capital. Even better... all of the spots are reachable by public transport and buses are for free!

Morning at the Rainbow Village

The Rainbow Village is the absolute must see and the only busy spot in Taichung. But early morning is pretty peaceful even there. Later in the day it's only busy when the tour buses unload and storm in there but after 15 minutes of chaos they are mostly gone and the village goes back to its calm state.

15 minutes sounds like very little time for a whole village but in reality it’s not that much of a village. It's just a small area of few houses with a square and few little streets. But still it’s worth the visit and I would even dare to say: a slow one:) 

Rainbow Village has been created by a veteran who goes by the name of Rainbow Grandpa. Those houses were dull and practically on the edge of ruin when he decided to give them a new life. He started painting everything from walls to floors, including details like lanterns. Although the patterns look childish, together they create a unique, colorful and heartwarming feeling. There is nothing like to wake up in the morning and have a rainbow of colors bringing you to life.

Rainbow Grandpa still hangs around there so you can definitely spot him in the village... we did 🙂

A stroll full of art in Stock 20

Although the area is not very big, it’s situated next to the central station which provides a very convenient location. It still needs a lot of work, there is just one café and the opening hours of the ateliers are not clear but… it’s just such a charming place full of art and murals. When the ateliers are open it’s even more interesting with some amazing stainless glass beauties, paintings and other handicrafts. It’s hard to believe that those were just some old warehouses used during the Japanese occupation and left for decades since then.

Coffee and a cake at Fermento

Fermento is a really lovely café with hip furniture and art. Not to mention the joy of light coming through glass walls. It’s a perfect spot to have a cup of coffee or taste some of the delicious Taiwanese teas. To go with it they have a selection of cakes. If that wasn’t enough Fermento is situated in a very nice neighborhood with plenty of nice restaurants and artistic shops. There is even a shop dedicated to masking tape with millions of designs. That one is a true art on its own that is now extremely popular on the island. From there it’s nice to walk around on the Greenway. The most popular green area in Taichung that offers so needed shadow at any time of the day.

Read a book in the National library of Public Information

Taiwanese love reading. In fact I don’t think I ever saw more people reading in my life. Even bookstores are actually encouraging their clients to stay and read with nice tables, stylish lamps and comfy chairs. We were told they try to earn money on other merchandise and in house restaurant instead.

It made us wonder how a library would look like so we decided to visit one in Taichung. It was quite an experience, people were reading everywhere and it looked more like a stylish café than a dull library. Not to mention the building itself is futuristic and worth a visit even without a book in your hand.

Cool off with a big cup of bubble tea

Coffee might be the new hip thing but its still tea that leads the way. Taiwan produces 20% of world’s oolong tea and it proudly grows also green and black varieties. What better place to try some bubble tea than Taichung, where it was invented in the '80s.

Bubble tea comes in a variety of flavors, it can be green, black or oolong, with fresh or powdered milk, with tapioca or other kinds of pearls. They often even put jellies in it. We tried many different shops but only one made us come back over and over again. Europa served in our opinion the nicest tea bubble or normal. Although the guys preparing it looked clueless, what came out of their hands was delicious.

Explore some fine art for free in the National Taiwan Museum of Fine arts

The museum itself is not an architectural pearl like many others are. But it offers a variety of interesting exhibitions and it’s actually for free. When we were there it presented amazing work of an artist creating moving art with light installations on it. It was literally the most soothing exhibition I saw in my life as the objects were almost floating above and next to us. Another room was all about explaining gravity in a beautiful, approachable way. 

Get some dinner at one of the night markets

Taichung just like any other place on Taiwan is all about night markets, they are literally everywhere and they vary in size and quality. The biggest one is Feng Chia. Although not as good as in Kenting or Taipei, it’s still satisfying especially if you pick up their barbecue meat and veg with a decadent sweet sauce. It’s not exactly picture perfect so you will have to see it with your own eyes:)

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