Taiwan beyond Taipei: A ‘Biyahe ni Drew’ itinerary

“If you’re thinking that Taiwan’s just like Hong Kong, it’s not,” says travel junkie and host Drew Arellano. “Without even thinking of getting the culture and history of the places we’ve been to during our two-day trip, the richness of the culture just naturally shines through.”

Here’s the itinerary used by Drew and the crew of “Biyahe ni Drew.”

[Related: Unique Taipei: A ‘Biyahe ni Drew’ itinerary]

How to get there
We booked our flights with Cebu Pacific Air. Follow them on Facebook and Twitter to get the latest updates on their seat sales!

How to get around
Taiwan’s High Speed Train is the fastest way to get to the provinces. Within Taipei City, most destinations are easily reached via MRT subway.

Where to stay
Hotel 53
Taichung City, Taiwan
An old fire station turned posh hotel, this one’s near the train station and the famous Miyahara pastry and souvenir shop.

Where to go

Jinguashi Gold Museum
Ruifang District, New Taipei, Taiwan
One hour’s drive from the city center is a ghost town-turned-tourist attraction. Yellowish seawater and orange rock break against this town’s shore, remnants of Jinguashi’s heyday as the center of gold mining in Taiwan.

Now, tourists visit Jinguashi to see their odd yet beautiful landscape. Apart from the brightly colored mountainside, you can visit their detailed indoor museum to learn about Jinguashi’s mining.

One of the attractions here is a 220-kilo solid gold bar that tourists can touch! It’s worth an estimated $10,000,000. Just don’t take it home, biyaheros. You can also enter an actual gold mining tunnel that has been preserved for tourists.

A trip to Jinguashi, including travel time, can take up the whole day. Don’t forget to bring a jacket, because it can get cold. Entrance fee is NTD50 or P75.

Flying Cow Ranch
Miaoli County, Tonsia Township, Taiwan
Want to get away from city life? Visit a “tourist farm,” or a park designed like a farm!

Flying Cow is two hours away from Taipei City. Entrance fee is NTD100 (P150), and once inside, you can feed as many animals as you like at no added cost. Cows, goats, sheep – you name it! You can also milk cows, then head over to the DIY Center to make ice cream using dairy products from the farm. If you’re traveling with kids, seeing the process is very educational.

“Siguro hindi ito masyadong appealing para sa mga Pinoy na laking-probinsya, pero para sa mga taong laking-siyudad at napalilibutan ng mga gusali, isa itong living and breathing theme park,” says Drew.

For foodies, their hot pot restaurant is a must-try: beef, pork, lamb and veggies in a milk-based broth. On your way out, you even get a free bottle of milk! Price range is NTD300 to NTD450, or P450 to P675.

Want more time on the farm? Flying Cow also has rooms that you can rent overnight. The interior design is simple and colorful, with little cow figurines here and there. Travel tip: Flying Cow Ranch gets crowded on weekends because it’s also popular among locals. Try going there on a weekday!

Fulong Beach
Fulong Village, Gongliao Township, New Taipei City, Taiwan
Forty-five minutes north of the city center is a beach that Taiwan locals enjoy. It’s not as beautiful as the white-sand beaches and clear blue waters of the Philippines, but what you can look forward to are parties and events held by the sea. At the end of May, Fulong holds an International Sand Sculpture Art Competition. Their quartz sand holds its shape well, so we were able to see sand sculptures twice as tall as Drew! Entrance is NTD100 or P150. There are plenty of restaurants and hotels in this area, too.

Fantasy Story
Taichung City, Taiwan
Here, old military barracks have been converted to quirky clothing stores, coffee shops and restaurants. Each block has a different style that breathes new life into old buildings, kind of like Cubao X in Metro Manila. Drop by for an Instagram-perfect meal and a quick shopping trip.

What to see
Taichung City Park
Taichung City, Taiwan
Looking for a cool place to rest? Snack stalls, musicians and balloon vendors come together in this colorful park. We even saw an animal welfare center that had brought their adorable, rescued dogs to offer them for adoption.

Ping Xi Sky Lanterns
Ping Xi Old Street, New Taipei City
Did you know that the first sky lanterns were invented in Taiwan? You can buy one of these paper-and-bamboo contraptions and set it loose for NTD100 to NTD200 (P150 to P300). “This is a great tourist destination,” says Drew. “Matututo kang gumawa ng sky lantern tapos pag dumilim na, papaliparin mo.”

Drew and the crew visited the shop of Wang Jay-Gin, who has been making sky lanterns for the past 20 years. Even with the language barrier, we understood each other just fine. For souvenirs, there are postcards, paperweights, and small lanterns in display cases.

Ping Xi sky lanterns are fueled by twelve sheets of gas-soaked paper. These represent the 12 months of the year, and symbolize year-round blessings. Ping Xi also has a high-tech version of the sky lantern, a 360-degree lantern-shaped LED screen that displays floating lanterns no matter what the weather.

Where to eat

Jiufen Old Street (Also known as Nine Portions)
Ruifang District, New Taipei, Taiwan

Near the Jinguashi Gold Museum is a small street decorated with colorful lanterns and souvenir shops. This whole area is believed to be one of the visual inspirations for Hayao Miyazaki’s animated film “Spirited Away.”

In the alleys surrounding the main street, there are street food stalls, including some that sell Taiwan’s famous “stinky tofu.” “It’s actually good, it’s really good,” says Drew. “This smells like rotten cheese but tastes like...not rotten cheese. It’s good.” The reason why it smells funny is it has fish sauce, or patis. There are other unexpected street food combos like ice cream in a lumpia wrapper, as well more traditional fare like custard and taro puff pastries. You can also buy boxes of tea to bring home to your loved ones.

Cai Shen Halogen Meat Food
Taichung City, Taiwan
That’s one funky name, biyaheros. This 24-hour restaurant is popular among Taiwan locals, and serves traditional Chinese food that they say is based on century-old recipes. Their best seller is pork rice topped with egg.

Chun Shui Tang
Dadun Street, Taichung City, Taiwan
Bubble milk tea is everywhere these days, but the original came from Taiwan in the 1980s. The inspiration for it came from Japanese iced coffee, and with the addition of chewy pearls, the milk tea craze was born. At Chun Shui Tang, you can either buy a cup or if you have more time, sign up for a milk tea-making lesson! There are also noodle dishes and main courses. Price range for a full lunch is NTD380 to NTD520 (P570 to P780). — Cristina Tantengco/CM, GMA News