I blogged about an exclusive discount code if you wish to book RoundTaiwanRound's Jiufen custom tour here.
I was so thrilled to find out that my relatives are visiting Taiwan in October as I can share with them about this revolutionary travel service product, Tripool. Tripool is similar to uberPOOL/GrabShare concept - getting to your desired destination at a cheaper rate. In this case, travellers are allowed to customize their itinerary while enjoying the cost-benefits of carpooling with the rest.
A huge thank you to Cher Chang for inviting my relatives to experience this seamless Tripool service. π
More about RoundTaiwanRound (RTR):
- Received TripAdvisor's Certificate of Excellence 3 years in a row
- Lonely Planet local tour partner, Jetstar, AirAsia content partner
- Handcrafted more than 50,000 customized itineraries for global trotters
- More than 10% of English speaking visitors have used our site to plan their itineraries
- Each year, more than 1,500 groups of international tourists enjoy our hospitality & superb service
- More than 2,000 different Taiwan destinations to introduce and 100,000+ beautiful images all photographed by RTR
RTR focuses on promoting Taiwan travel
experiences the smart & fun way. They engage with travellers from
all walks of life to ensure that they get the most out of this
wanderlust, experiencing Taiwan authentically. More than a
licensed travel agency, their online travel planning platform provides
instant quotes, hassle-free reservation & planning services and
professional tour guide to provide an unforgettable voyage. To find out more about their reviews, please click here.
My aunt plans to visit 6 tour spots in Jiufen - Houtong, Shifen old street, Shifen waterfall, Jiufen old street, PingXi and Jingtong. However, there are 2 groups who joined them for this Tripool service so my relatives get to experience an additional 5 tour spots π
They are not kidding when they claim that their website has 100,000+ images (see above). What I love about RTR's website is that they bother to attach the image to every tour spots you can find in Taiwan. You may even refer to their recommended spots if you need inspiration whilst planning your Taiwan trip. Saw that button in orange at the bottom right? Hit them up with any questions and they will answer your queries via online chat.
Even though the website states that Jiufen custom tour may take up to 9 hours, please do not plan anything on the same day as you will never know how many riders are taking the same route as you. The exact pickup time and vehicle plate number will be provided via email 1 day before the tour. Generally, the tour starts at 8.30am and ends at 6.30pm in summer (Apr to Sep), or starts at 8.00am and ends at 6.00pm in winter (Oct to Mar).
For your information, the vehicle used will be based on the total number of participants for the shared trip.
The pickup location is at Westgate Hotel in Ximending. It was a gloomy Wednesday morning for my relatives to explore Jiufen π² fret not, the driver provides umbrellas and even gave them bananas π Not sure if this is part of the standard operating procedures haha. He is an affable gentleman and my aunt is glad that he is mindful of the timing at every stop. Whenever they visit a tour spot, the driver will set a timing to gather before moving on to the next destination.
*I'm only sharing certain tour spots which they have covered on that day*
1. Nanya (ει )
"Nanya is the northernmost attraction of this area and is a powerful example of the wondrous forces of nature at work. The weathering and wave erosion of this sandstone that has taken place over time have carved out alien-like shapes and revealed the layering of iron deposits in these stones." - RTR
They stayed at Nanya for a good 5 to 10 minutes and the driver may or may not alight together with the participants. As mentioned, Nanya is not part of my aunt's desired itinerary so they are given the option to either stay in the van or explore the unplanned tour spot π
2. Golden Waterfall (ι»ιηεΈ)
"Although real gold flowing from these falls would be too good to be true, the water is certainly a beautiful gold colour as a result of the combination of regular rainfall in this mining area and the abundance of heavy metal elements deposited in the riverbed. The cascade of gold flowing down the hillside contrasts to the luminous green grass at its head." - RTR
My aunt plans to visit 6 tour spots in Jiufen - Houtong, Shifen old street, Shifen waterfall, Jiufen old street, PingXi and Jingtong. However, there are 2 groups who joined them for this Tripool service so my relatives get to experience an additional 5 tour spots π
They are not kidding when they claim that their website has 100,000+ images (see above). What I love about RTR's website is that they bother to attach the image to every tour spots you can find in Taiwan. You may even refer to their recommended spots if you need inspiration whilst planning your Taiwan trip. Saw that button in orange at the bottom right? Hit them up with any questions and they will answer your queries via online chat.
Even though the website states that Jiufen custom tour may take up to 9 hours, please do not plan anything on the same day as you will never know how many riders are taking the same route as you. The exact pickup time and vehicle plate number will be provided via email 1 day before the tour. Generally, the tour starts at 8.30am and ends at 6.30pm in summer (Apr to Sep), or starts at 8.00am and ends at 6.00pm in winter (Oct to Mar).
7-seater sedan
The pickup location is at Westgate Hotel in Ximending. It was a gloomy Wednesday morning for my relatives to explore Jiufen π² fret not, the driver provides umbrellas and even gave them bananas π Not sure if this is part of the standard operating procedures haha. He is an affable gentleman and my aunt is glad that he is mindful of the timing at every stop. Whenever they visit a tour spot, the driver will set a timing to gather before moving on to the next destination.
*I'm only sharing certain tour spots which they have covered on that day*
1. Nanya (ει )
"Nanya is the northernmost attraction of this area and is a powerful example of the wondrous forces of nature at work. The weathering and wave erosion of this sandstone that has taken place over time have carved out alien-like shapes and revealed the layering of iron deposits in these stones." - RTR
Pictures taken by my aunt
2. Golden Waterfall (ι»ιηεΈ)
"Although real gold flowing from these falls would be too good to be true, the water is certainly a beautiful gold colour as a result of the combination of regular rainfall in this mining area and the abundance of heavy metal elements deposited in the riverbed. The cascade of gold flowing down the hillside contrasts to the luminous green grass at its head." - RTR
Here's the friendly driver at the bottom left!
Please don't give in to your temptation to touch the golden rocks. Both the rocks and water are highly toxic and it's toxicity makes it unsafe even for touching.
Time spent here: ~15 minutes
3. Buyan Pavilion (δΈεδΊ)
"Buyan Pavilion is the best spot to see the beautiful scenery of Shuangxi district, Ruifang district and the sea because it was built at the border between Shuangxi district and Ruifang district. The name of Buyan Pavilion refers to a poem which was made by a famous Chinese poet, Li Bai(ζη½). No matter how long people stay to see the scenery, they never feel bored, which is the meaning of this pavilion." - bigcoinonline
Pictures taken from RTR website as my dad only took 1 shot here π
4. Jiufen Old Street (δΉδ»½θθ‘)
"Tea houses and coffee shops line the old streets of Jiufen and provide exquisite views of the sleepy mountainside town and Keelung Harbor, providing a great place to rest your feet!
Fun Fact: A long time ago, there were only nine families living in the area. As there were no roads serving it, goods could only be delivered by ship. Due to the inefficiency of transportation to the region, the families used to reserve nine portions of household goods to be delivered at one time. Thus, the name Jiufen, "Nine Portions", is stuck and has been the name of the town ever since." - RTR
Random temple near Jiufen old street
Peanut icecream!!! I miss this πͺ
Also, check out my blogpost on Jiufen and Shifen here!
Time spent: ~45 minutes
5. Houtong (η΄η‘)
"One of Taiwan's largest coal-mining sites until 1970s. However, oil later replaced coal when electric trains took over. The coal mining industry began to fall in the 1990s. As a result, Houtong became just another train stop along the Yilan Line that most travellers bypassed. Whether by chance of design, cats began to appear on the scene and have replaced the once vibrant human population. The village is not only a paradise for cats but also a must-visit spot for cat lovers. You are guaranteed to see plenty of wide-eyed visitors snapping hundreds of photos of the lazy yet infinitely cute cats." - RTR
Houtong train station
They have this vision hall aka a coal mining museum in Houtong! Free admission
Time spent: ~1 hour 15 minutes
6. Shifen Waterfall (εεηεΈ)
"Shifen Waterfall is the most reowned cascading waterfall (40metres) in Taiwan. Recessed within a beautiful forested mountainside setting, this waterfall often delight visitors with a bright rainbow on sunny days. At various points along the river, the uneven flow of the water creates vortexes that traps passing rocks, causing them to spin and carve deep holes. This constant erosive action has produced potholes and are in greatest abundance in the area." - RTR
Bridge to Shifen Waterfall
Photos taken by my aunt/dad
Now I kinda regret not making a trip here as I only stayed at Shifen old street π Next time I'll definitely be back and make use of this Tripool service (if applicable)!!!
Time spent: ~45 minutes
7. Shifen Old Street (εεθθ‘)
"Shifen Old Street stop has now become one of the most popular along the Pingxi rail line. It is easy to see why visitors are drawn here - local food, souvenir shops and puffing trains add to the charms of this little gem, as well as make it a fantastic place for photography. The sky lanterns were once used as a signaling system for those living and working in the railroad industry. Today, visitors paint their wishes with calligraphy ink before releasing the lanterns to the sky." - RTR
HAHAHA HE TOLD ME NOT TO POST THIS PICTURE
Candid shot at its best π
You will also find the food street near the sky lantern area. Be sure to try some of their local snacks or else you'll get hungry - preparing your sky lantern with calligraphy ink may take up quite sometime due to your preference and wishes. You are strongly advised to brainstorm beforehand π
Time spent: ~1 hour 30 minutes
After spending the day by using Tripool, the driver will drop you off at your preferred location. The other groups that joined my relatives are also Singaporeans, hence they befriended them effortlessly π³ Quite amused that they could click well by using the same travel service.
What are you waiting for? Start designing your customized Jiufen tour with RoundTaiwanRound now.
*Discount code ends on 31 December 2017. Fastest fingers first! Please also refer to the terms and conditions before confirming your shared tour. They have this pop-up chat located at the bottom right-hand corner to answer every queries you may have.
