Finally, weekend is here and hubby is free to go out with me!
We decided to travel around Taoyuan since we have skipped Taoyuan the past few times we were here. We found out that there is a Xiao Wulai Route Tourist Shuttle bus 502 that operates on a regular basis and stops at major attractions. So, it was a convenient option for tourists to hop on and hop off like us if you get a 1-day ticket that offers unlimited rides at NT150 per adult! Otherwise, single-ride ticket options are also available.
From our hotel, we took a 35mins walk to the Taoyuan Bus Station. Yes, hubby and I like walking, especially in such cool weather. As we approached the bus station, we started to see signboards directing us to the 502 shuttle bus queue. And we did not have to wait long before the next bus departed for the attractions.
There were a few stops interest us. Hence, we decided to head for the furthest stop before working our way backwards.
1st stop – Xiao Wulai Skywalk
We have been to Wulai near Taipei which was famous for its waterfall and hot springs there. However, Xiao Wulai or “Little Wulai” is not to be confused with that. Here, in Xiao Wulai, tourists flock here for the suspension bridge and skywalk (a glass bridge above the waterfall) in the scenic area. You will know when you’ve reached because it is the last station! It is free to walk around the area. However, we had to purchase a ticket since we wanted to challenge ourselves on the bridge and the skywalk! It usually gets crowded in the afternoon. To avoid the crowd, be sure to come here earlier like us! Although the skywalk was much shorter than I imagined, it was still instagram-worthy!
2nd stop – Daxi Old Street
We alighted 1 station earlier as we had mistaken that Daxi Old Street was near Daxi Station. Haha! It’s actually nearer to the Heping Old Street stop. Luckily, it was only a short walk, not a major issue for us! The first thing that caught our eyes were the 2 rows of Baroque style buildings that were well preserved. The streets also sold many specialties and my favourite was the handmade peanut caramel candy. From afar, we saw a large crowd and queue for the candies. Even if you are a not a fan sweet stuff, I would suggest popping by to see how they make the candy! Of course, curious as always, we joined the queue to buy some home to try!
The other interesting food was the peanut ice cream roll! Imagine having a large ball or ice cream being wrapped with peanut in a popiah roll. Interesting, isn’t it? And it was also heartening to see that they sell ‘Singapore ice-cream’ there too! What we commonly see along our Orchard Road is also 1 of the specialty there! I’m so proud of our ice-cream!
A short walk further down the street brought us to the Daxi Bridge which offered a nice sunset view as well as a breather away from the crowd! But to take the shuttle back to Taoyuan, we had to walk back to the other end of the street.
Back at Taoyuan train station, we took a train to the Banqiao station along the Ban-Nan line. We heard that there was a Christmas lighting event going on there. Being there during that period, we had to take a look! The lightings unfortunately was less elaborate than what we have in Singapore (be satisfied, Singaporeans!). After awhile, we decided to head to Haidilao at the mall next to the station. Super long queue, 2hrs! Lucky, we were able to spend time loitering around the mall. By the way, I was so proud to see many Singapore brands in the mall!
Perrine Travels 