Taipei In A Day (台北一日遊) Showcased in Taiwan's Leading Bilingual Travel Magazine

The book is available here, Amazon.com and at Barnes andNoble.com.

In Taipei the book is available at Cherry Valley Bookstore, Tienmu East Road, Lane 8, #99,Tienmu, Taipei (behind TAS)(台北市士林區天母東路8巷99號) (02) 2876-9293.

Thank you again for making Taipei In A Day the highest-rated Taiwan travel book on amazon.com! --Scott

Republic of China (Taiwan) Passes Public Non-Smoking Law

Taiwan has passed legislation that will ban smoking in most public areas. The sweeping law takes effect at the stroke of midnight on Friday, January 11, 2009.

In the Republic of China, smokers will no longer be able to light up in offices (defined as workplaces having three or more people), in taxis and on all public transportation, which includes tour buses as well as in bus and train stations. Smoking will also not be permitted in entertainment venues including theaters (and movie theaters), KTV parlors, Internet cafés, hotels, restaurants, shopping malls and retail outlets. Customers could receive a fine up to NT $10,000 (approximately US $300.00) while owners could fare substantially worse, with fines ranging from NT $10,000 to $50,000.

Non-smokers are rejoicing. However, before uncorking that bottle of champagne left over from New Year’s, consider this: while signs on buses forbid smoking, many bus and taxi drivers leave the driver's side front window open and smoke during their breaks in-between shifts (and fares) so passengers inhale second-hand smoke afterwards, and smoking on Taiwan will still be permitted outdoors.

That means after January 11, 2009, smoking will still be permissible in clubs and restaurants with outdoor seating or a patio, and it’s often difficult to escape the waft of second-hand smoke if one is even remotely nearly. If second-hand smoke irks you, forget about dining at choice mountain barbeque or hot pot restaurants, most seating is outdoors and patrons light up as if it were their last evening on earth.

However, one has to think that after January 11, 2009, the air on Taiwan will become a little more breathable. According to one recent survey, more than half of all companies started enforcing a non-smoking policy at the office in 2008 in anticipation of the upcoming law. Ads and billboards have also been springing up around the island from companies selling nicotine chewing gum and patches, and self-help groups and other types of organizations that charge for helping to break the nicotine habit are likely to follow.

More information about the non-smoking law is available (in Chinese) here.

Taipei In A Day (台北一日遊) Highlighted in Taiwan's Most Popular Travel Magazine

Here's the link to the article:
Taipei In A Day Includes: Taiwan From A To Z, First Edition (台北一日遊)

The book is available here, Amazon.com and at Barnes andNoble.com. In Taipei the book is available at Cherry Valley Bookstore, Tienmu East Road, Lane 8, #99,Tienmu, Taipei (behind TAS)(台北市士林區天母東路8巷99號) (02) 2876-9293.

Thank you again for making Taipei In A Day the highest-rated Taiwan travel book on amazon.com! --Scott

Giant Pandas Arrive On Taiwan

Two giant pandas, Tuan-tuan and Yuan-yuan, arrived on Taiwan this evening. The pandas are from the Sichuan province in southwest China, and it's a big deal: TVBS news dedicated an entire minute of air time of the two pandas quietly consuming their first meal of bamboo shoots in Taipei (imagine, an entire minute of two pandas silently chewing...chewing...chewing). It's as if Taiwan has received the John Lennon and Paul McCartney of pandas.

The pandas are symbolic because this "gift" indicates warming ties between Mainland China and Taiwan. Not surprisingly, when their first names ("tuan yuan") are said together it means "reunion," which may have political overtones considering that's precisely what the Mainland is hoping for.

The pandas arrived along with a 32-member delegation and had an elaborate "6-star" facility constructed for them at Taipei Zoo in Muzha by Shin Kong Group at a cost of NT$310 million (US$9.37 million). The panda exhibit will open to the public on January 25, just in time for Chinese Lunar New Year (no coincidence, it's when just about everything else will be closed). Expect extensive news coverage of the vast throngs of excited children (and adults) eager to see the exhibit. Hopefully the showrooms will be soundproof so the crowds don't frighten our two new furry friends.

If you don't think the pandas will be living in style, their facility includes a modern international conference hall for politicians, VIPs and other movers and shakers to observe them while wheeling and dealing; perhaps local companies hope that they'll score a better deal while international business representatives are overwhelmed by the site of the two pandas rolling around and chomping on bamboo? An expansive hall on the second floor is where the rest of us could view the two cuddly-looking animals. The ground floor has two air-conditioned "showrooms" (245 and 210 square meters, respectively), which will be naturally ventilated during the winter.

Will the two mate? That's what zoo officials are hoping for. If you think human conception is difficult, pandas have a three-month mating period, and during that time the female's estrous cycle lasts for only three days (and the fact that the male panda has a very small penis doesn't help, either). If you suggest panda porn to get the two in the mood, you're not far off: according to one local newspaper, "The zoo is...planning to show Tuan Tuan and Yuan Yuan videos of mating pandas to try to arouse their interest in mating."

Expect to see a plethora of panda t-shirts, dolls, and other panda paraphernalia for sale at the zoo, department stores, various retail locations and of course, at night markets around the island. Remember Hulkamania? In about a month, we'll see on Taiwan Pandamania running wild...

The story was reported here and here.

Updates

Hall Yard Resort (花月溫泉館) in Beitou, which was said to have been undergoing renovation to be reopened, has closed. For the best hot springs to frequent in the area please see Hot Springs (溫泉) on page 73.

While in town you'd be remiss not to visit Beitou, a Taipei district rife with serene green parks and natural hot springs. Try Spring City Resort (春天酒店), Youya Road, #18, Beitou District, Taipei City (台北市北投區幽雅路18號) (02) 2897-5555. They have outstanding outdoor warm and cold springs so kids could play while the adults relax.

Beitou District has a lot to offer in terms of cultural life, as well, there are several museums such as Beitou Hot Springs Museum (北投溫泉博物館), Zhongshan Road, #2, Beitou District, Taipei (台北市北投區中山路2號) (02) 2893-9981. The museum is only a three-minute walk from Xinbeitou Station (新北投站).

Also check out Hell Valley (地熱谷), a natural sulfuric pond at the end of Zhongshan Road (中山路), approximately ten minutes by foot from Xinbeitou Station (新北投站). It takes around 25 minutes to reach Beitou Station from Taipei Main Station.

Another must-see while you're in town is Danshui (淡水), the last stop on the red line station heading north from Taipei. There are ample parks (with horseback riding behind the MRT weekends), historic relics and a wharf, which also boasts a sprawling park that the kids would enjoy. The Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) ride to Danshui takes about fifty-minutes from Taipei Main Station but it’s worth the trek.

In May the weather tends to be hot and sunny in the morning and early afternoon (around 80 F) with intermittent showers during late afternoons, and umbrellas can be purchased easily (and inexpensively) at most convenience stores. It cools down evenings and is hit or miss as far as light showers go.

Due to the success of the observatory at Taipei 101, Topview Taipei, Shin Kong Observatory (新光摩天展望台), has closed.

TAIPEI SEA WORLD (Fin’s Life Taipei) (台北海洋生活館) has closed.

Fu Lin Men (福臨門) Cantonese-style restaurant at Danshui Station (淡水捷運總站) has closed.

The Maokong Gondola (貓空纜車) is currently being renovated due to land erosion and is not expected to open until sometime in 2010. Have fun and enjoy your time on Taiwan, and if you need a personal Taiwan guide, I provide custom "Taipei in a Day" tours based on my best-selling Taiwan tour guide!  Feel free to contact me via www.taipeiinaday.com for details.  --Scott

11/29 Book Signing @ TES Fall Fair & Arts Festival

I've been asked to do a book signing for Taipei In A Day Includes: Taiwan From A To Z, First Edition (台北一日遊) at Taipei European School (TES) this Saturday, November 29. The book is available here, Amazon.com and at Barnes andNoble.com.

The event will take place from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the school's Wen Lin Road campus, the address is: No. 731, Wen Lin Road, Shihlin, Taipei, call (02) 2832-6614 for more info.

In Taipei the book is available at Cherry Valley Bookstore, Tienmu East Road, Lane 8, #99, Tienmu, Taipei (behind TAS) (台北市士林區天母東路8巷99號) (02) 2876-9293.

Thank you again for making Taipei In A Day the highest-rated Taiwan travel book on amazon.com! I look forward to meeting you at TES on Saturday, 11/29! --Scott

Taichung and Nantou Attractions: Jingming 1st Street (精明一街), Fengjia Night Market (逢甲夜市) and Sun Moon Lake (日月潭)

Although Taichung City has ample department stores, a visit to Jingming 1st Street (精明一街), referred to locally as “tea street,” a European-style shopping district lined with coffee shops and boutiques, makes for a unique experience . This quaint sixty-meter pedestrian street (closed to cars) is between Jingcheng Road (精誠路) and Jingming 2nd Street (精明二街), not far from Taizhonggang Road, Section 2 (台中港路二段). From the old Taichung train station, adjacent to the bus station (Gan Train), the ride takes ten to fifteen minutes and costs around NT $170.

If you prefer to travel by bus you could board at Taichung Bus Station, the ride costs NT $20 and takes about twenty minutes one way. By bus take Taichung Keyun (台中汽車客運公司), bus numbers 27, 70, 88, 103, 106, 146, and 147 all stop near Jingming 1st Street. Fengjia Night Market (逢甲夜市) isn’t near Jingming 1st Street (精明一街), they’re in two different districts. By cab the ride takes about 12 minutes and will set you back around NT $150.

Although in Chinese, here's the official link for Taichung Bus Company: http://www.tcbus.com.tw/

Here's the official link for Jingming 1st Street (精明一街): http://www.jingming1st.com.tw/

If you're traveling by Taiwan High-Speed Rail (THSR), a free shuttle bus runs from Taiwan High-Speed Rail (THSR) Taichung Station to Pacific Sogo Department Store, (Sogo). From Sogo it’s a 15-minute walk to Jingming 1st Street (精明一街). Alternatively, by taxi from THSR Taichung Station the ride takes 30 minutes and costs around NT $350. From Taipei to Taichung a ticket on the high-speed rail costs NT $560 (standard ticket) and the ride takes an hour. Call (02) 4066-5678 for general information or (02) 6626-8000 for phone booking. Here’s the official link in English: http://www.thsrc.com.tw/en/index.htm

Directions from Jingming 1st Street (精明一街) to Sun Moon Lake (日月潭):

It's possible to go from Jingming 1st Street (精明一街) to the popular Nantou County tourist destination of Sun Moon Lake (日月潭), cab it to the old Taichung train station, it's adjacent to the bus station (Gan Train). The ride to the station takes ten to fifteen minutes and costs around NT $170. From the bus station there are several buses that run to Sun Moon Lake, one of which is Nantou Keyuen (南投客運) (049) 298-4031, which runs to Puli, Nantou County, and Sun Moon Lake. Although in Chinese, here is the bus company's website: http://ntbus.com.tw/.

Here's the official link for Sun Moon Lake: http://www.sunmoonlake.gov.tw/

Have fun and enjoy your time on Taiwan, and if you need a personal Taiwan guide, I provide custom "Taipei in a Day" (台北一日遊)" tours based on my best-selling Taiwan tour guide!  Feel free to contact me via www.taipeiinaday.com for details.  --Scott

New Book Signing 11/1 at TAS!

I've been asked to do a book signing for Taipei In A Day Includes: Taiwan From A To Z, First Edition (台北一日遊) at Taipei American School (TAS) in Tienmu, Saturday, November 1 from 11 am until 12:30 pm.

The book is available here, Amazon.com and at Barnes andNoble.com.


Thank you again for making Taipei In A Day the highest-rated Taiwan travel book on amazon.com!

I look forward to meeting you at TAS on Saturday, 11/1! --Scott

Taiwan Magazine Features Taiwan Travel Book!

Thank you for helping to make Taipei In A Day Includes: Taiwan From A To Z a resounding success! --Scott

Eddy Burrito (墨西哥捲餅)

If you're heading to Danshui, be sure to stop by Eddy Burrito for some truly outstanding Mexican food.

At Eddy Burrito (墨西哥捲餅), experience the best chicken burritos (NT $79), sopapillas (NT $25), chicken quesadillas (NT $59) and horchatas (NT $35) on Taiwan! The stand is located on Danshui Old Street (淡水老街), Gongming Street, #15 (台北縣淡水鎮公明街15號), just up the road from Danshui Station.

Top right, the author (left) of Taipei In A Day Includes Taiwan From A To Z with two other satisfied Eddy Burrito customers.

Below, Eddy and Jo Gonzalez, founders of Eddy Burrito. They not only make fantastic Mexican food, but they're also great people who care about food quality and their customers. The couple will be opening a restaurant in Danshui this summer, so be sure to visit their website http://www.eddyburrito.com/ for updates.

See you soon! -Scott