Saturday, September 26, 2015

Day Trips and Never Ending Snacking in Taiwan


Umm… Sorry guys. I haven’t  been posting for a while.  ^^;  

Do you have a plan to visit Taiwan for holiday vacation? Then, here you go. I am going to tell you Taiwanese Snacks and best day trip spots from Taipei.  



Two best day trips from Taipei



Taipei, the capital city of Taiwan, has many tourist attractions such as Taipei 101, the National Palace Museum and night markets and so on. But there are also many stunning day trip spots near Taipei.

  • Jiufen (九份) & Jinguashi (金瓜石）


Jiufen is a mountain village which is famous for its old street that is full of local snacks and exquisite hand made crafts stores. You can try various snacks in Jiufen such as  peanut ice cream rolls (花生冰淇淋), Yu Yuan (taro balls, 芋圆). Traditional teahouses are also very popular here. People drink tea while appreciate the beautiful sunset view. In 2001, Jiufen became more popular. The famous Japanese animation director Hayao Miyazaki used Jiufen as a model in his film “ Sen and Chihiro’s Spiriting Away.”

Jinguashi is an old mining town right beside the Jiufen. Jinguashi was famous for its rich gold mine. When gold rush ended, it became a tourist attraction. After your journey in Jinguashi, Let’s try ‘The Miner’s BianDang’ - A special Taiwanese lunch box.  
 

  • Wulai Hot Spring (乌来)


In Taiwan, there are many hot springs such as Beitou, Jinshan and Wulai and so on. Wulai is my favorite one. There are two ways you can enjoy hot spring bath: either bath in a public pool or private spa in the resort/ hotel. My recommend is Volando Urai Spring Spa & Resort. You can bath in odorless spa, some hot springs smell strongly, and enjoy delicious cuisine. The resort also provides shuttle service from Xindian station to the resort.

source: evasion homepage (www.evasion.co.kr)

Address: No. 176, Sec. 5, Xinwu Rd Wulai Dist., New Taipei City, 23341 Taiwan
Reservation Tip: If you make a reservation on evasion website (www.evasion.co.kr), you can get very good price.  But I just know a korean website, though.
 

Taiwanese Snacks (Street food)


Below are tasty Taiwanese snacks and food you can not miss!


  • Bubble Milk Tea (珍珠奶茶)

    • Chen San Ding (陈三鼎)
      • Located at  Gong Guan Night Market (公馆夜市)
      • Recommended Menu: QingWa Zhuang Nai (青蛙撞奶)
      • Holiday: every Monday
    • Coco Fresh Tea & Juice (www.coco-tea.com)


  • Fried Chicken Fillet (鸡排）

    • 豪大大鸡排 in Shilin Night Market (士林夜市) serves the best fried chicken fillet! (www.hotstar.com.tw)
    • Cui Pi Ji Pai (脆皮鸡排)
      • located  near Chen San Ding (陈三鼎)

  • Tempura (甜不辣)

    • Do not be fooled by its name! It is different from Japanese tempura in a sushi shop. Taiwanese tempura is more like fish cakes (Eomuk/ Odeng).  
    • Keelung Temple Night Market (基隆廟口夜市) is famous for its fresh seafood.

  • Pork Vermicelli (米線)

    • A Zong Mian Xian (阿宗面線) at  Xi Men Ding (西门町) serves really tasty intestine noodles.

  • Beef Noodle Soup(牛肉面)

  • Shaved Ice Mountain (刨冰山)

    • Especially recommend mango shaved ice!
    • Smoothie House (思慕昔)
      • located at  Yong Kang st (永康街)
      • www.smoothiehouse.com
    • 三兄妹雪花冰
      • located at  Xi Men Ding (西门町)
    • Ximen Mango Shaved Ice (西门町芒果冰)
      • Address: No. 17, Hanzhong St, Wanhua District, Taipei City, Taiwan 108
      • located near 三兄妹雪花冰
    • Ice Monster


  • Dim Sum (上海点心)

    • Kao Chi (高记)
      • Address: 5 Yongkang St, Taipei City (台北市永康街5号); 152, Fuxing S Rd Sec 1, Taipei City (台北市复兴南路一段152号)
      • Tel: (02) 2341-9984 (YongKang); (02) 2751-9393 (FuXing)
      • Website: www.kao-chi.com
      • Recommended Menu : Xiao Long Bao (小龙包) - steamed buns stuffed with pork,  Xia Ren Shao Mai (虾仁烧卖)- pork and prawn dumpling

  • Si Chuan Cuisine (四川料理)

    • KiKi restaurant
      • No.28, Sec 1, Fuxing South Road, Taipei, Taiwan
      • Website: www.kiki1991.com
      • Recommended Menu: Lao Pi Nen Rou (老皮嫩肉), Cang Ying Tou (苍蝇头)

  • Oyster Omelet (蛾仔煎)

  • Scallion Pancakes (葱抓饼)

  • Braised pork rice (Lu Rou Fan, 卤肉饭)


Posted by at 2 comments:

Saturday, September 19, 2015

The best restaurants I have visited in the United States



  • IN-N-OUT


IN-N-OUT is one of the most popular burgers in the United States. I love IN-N-OUT. They only use fresh ingredients. They never use frozen beef. It really tastes like Mom-homemade burger! They have a very simple menu whose items are only three burgers, and french fries ; Double-Double, Cheeseburger, Hamburger and French fries. But there is also a ‘Secret Menu’ which is not visible on their menu such as Animal Style, Wish Burger, Protein Style burger and so on. IN-N-OUT has its stores only in California, Arizona and Nevada so far.


Business hours: Sun-Thur 10:30-01:00, Fri-Sat 10:30-01:30


  • Oyshi Sushi

Do you have a plan to visit Las Vegas? Do you like Sushi? Here is a perfect restaurant for you. Let's order 'All You Can Eat' on the menu which includes sushi, roll, tempura, appetizer and dessert except sashimi. You can eat super fresh and delicious sushi as much as you want. It is like a Sushi Buffet, but you don't need to walk around to get your dishes. You order your dishes at your table and servers will serve you what you order. It is located a little far from the main street of Las Vegas. But if you have a car or take a taxi, then it doesn't matter. Simply type 'Oyshi Sushi' in your Google Map, and it only takes 10 minutes to go there.

Business hours: Sun 11:30-22:30, Mon-Thurs 11:30-23:00, Fri-Sat 11:30-23:30
Location: 7293 W Sahara Ave, Las Vegas, NV 89117
           Price: Lunch $22, Dinner $28  (not including tax, tip)


Posted by at 11 comments:

Wednesday, September 16, 2015

Things to do in London


London is one of the world's most visited places. There are many attractions to visit in London. People buy the London Pass and visit attractions such as the London Eye, British Museum, Buckingham Palace, National Gallery, Big Ben, Tower Bridge and so on. London is also a great shopping spot. Girls and women walk straight into Topshop store and walk out with several bags of clothes. Guys get Premier League soccer tickets and watch their favorite teams play. As for me, I would rather visit Harry Potter Studio and West End theatres.

  • Harry Potter Studio Tour


When I planed to visit London, the first thing came into my mind was going to Harry Potter Studio. As a big fan of Harry Potter, it was the perfect place to enjoy my stay in London. I wanted to try the infamous Every Flavour Beans and Chocolate Frog. Unfortunately, the tickets to the Harry Potter Studio tour were all sold out, even though there were still two weeks left before my arrival in London. If you plan to visit the Harry Potter Studio in London, I strongly recommend you to buy your ticket as far in advance as possible.  

Warner Bros. Studio Tour London Website: https://www.wbstudiotour.co.uk

  • Seeing London Musicals


While you are walking down the central London streets, you can see many Musical theatres. I saw ‘Mamma Mia!’ and ‘Billy Elliot: The Musical’ during my stay in London. They both cost a lot of money, but it was totally deserved. These are my favorite musicals:



Wicked


             Sources: ticketmaster.co.uk

    • Theatre:  Apollo Victoria
    • Comments: This is the untold story of  ‘The Witches of Oz’ which reveals the truth behind Wicked Witch of the West.

 

Mamma Mia!

      Sources: ticketmaster.co.uk
    • Theatre: At the Novello Theatre
    • Comments: You can admire bunch of handsome and well-built guys with their shirts off!!
       

Billy Elliot: The Musical


      Sources: ticketmaster.co.uk
    • Theatre: At the Victoria Palace Theatre
    • Comments: People in this musical speak British dialect, which is quite challenging to understand. But I love this musical! You will be surprised  how lovely a small boy sings and dances on the stage.
       

The Lion King

      Sources: ticketmaster.co.uk
    • Theatre: At the Lyceum Theatre
    • Comments: The African Savanna unfolds before your eyes!
 

The Phantom of the Opera

      Sources: ticketmaster.co.uk
    • Theatre: At Her Majesty’s Theatre
    •  Comments: I love the main theme song of this musical. I so love the organ sounds at the beginning of the song!   

Posted by at 3 comments:

Monday, September 14, 2015

Places to visit before you die -- Jordan 2

 
 
 
 
The Dead Sea Beach
If you want to enjoy your stay in Jordan, but you only have a short time to visit, then you can visit theses two places which are located only one hour from Amman, the capital city.  

  • Dead Sea


The Dead Sea is one of the best vacation spots in the world. There are many luxury beach resorts along the Dead Sea. It will be a great experience to stay at an exquisite resort and have fun at its private beach. You can not swim in the Dead Sea because of the high salt content in water, but you can float on the surface of water instead. You can even see people reading a book or a magazine while floating in the Dead Sea water. There is also a public beach you can use for free which is full of local people as well as tourists. The salt and mud in the Dead Sea are known to have abundant minerals which are beneficial to the skin. If you visit Jordan, you can buy Dead Sea products as souvenirs including mud mask, mineral soap, salt scrub and so on.



Salt-Covered Rocks in the Dead Sea

 
 

  • Jerash

Are you interested in historical sites? Would you like to visit Ancient Roman cities? Then I recommend you to visit Jerash no matter what. The ancient city Jerash, located in Northern Jordan, is famous for its Roman ruins. It is called “The Pompeii of the Middle East” as it is one of the most well preserved Ancient Roman cities outside of Rome. If  you visit Jordan between the end of July and beginning of August, you can go to Jerash Festival which is held in Jerash.
 


    

References:
Rivait Chris, Jerash - The Pompeii of the Middle East, Historic Travel Destinations, November 4, 2011, http://blog.yesteeyear.com/jerash-the-pompeii-of-the-middle-east/


Posted by at No comments:

Saturday, September 12, 2015

Places to visit before you die -- Jordan 1


 


The entrance to the Lost City of Petra

When I heard one of my colleagues was going to take a business trip to Jordan, I knew nothing about this country except it is located in the Middle East. When my colleague was returned, he brought lots of Dead Sea Salt as souvenirs of Jordan.
One year later, I myself was on a business trip to Jordan, which gave me a positive lasting impression. After that, I decided to learn Arabic and stayed in Jordan for the following two years.
During my stay in Jordan, I traveled a lot and visited several historic sites, and natural wonders. These are the four best places I recommend you visit in Jordan.  


 

  • Petra
Have you ever seen 'Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade'? Several scenes from this movie was filmed in Petra. Petra is an ancient city built by the Nabataeans, which was once a thriving trading center of Nabataean empire between 400 B.C. and A.D. 106. But a large earthquake which destroyed most of the city and shift in trade routes triggered its collapse. Petra was totally forgotten in the West for hundreds of years until 'rediscovered' by an European explorer in the early 19th century. So that's why this city is also known as the 'Lost City.' Today this beautiful ancient city has become one of most-visited tourist attractions in the Middle East.



  • Wadi Rum
This beautiful desert is where ‘Lawrence of Arabia’ was filmed.  You can join a jeep tour to explore Wadi Rum and the best part of the tour is watching the sunset in red sand desert. I recommend you to stay overnight at Bedouins’ tent. As night approaches, you can see countless stars in the night sky. Wadi Rum is one of  the best stargazing spots in the world.  
 
to be continued...


References:
  • Milstein Mati, "Lost City" of Petra Still Has Secrets to Reveal, National Geographic, ____, http://science.nationalgeographic.com/science/archaeology/lost-city-petra/   
  • Markoe Glenn, Petra Rediscovered: The Lost City of the Nabataean Kingdom, November 1, 2003
  • David Lean, 'Lawrence of Arabia'
  • Steven Spielberg, 'Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade'

Posted by at 2 comments:
Labels: , , , ,
Location: Jordan
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)