[Travel Taiwan] Setting Dates II: Holidays & Special Events

I always do my homework before traveling, and after perusing many travel forums, I noticed a lot of people complain about traveling on a certain date expecting to see festive streets decorated for the holidays filled with people, only to find empty streets because everyone went to celebrate in their own home. Entertainment in Taiwan is basically 24/7, but there are still times less optimal for travel, and I've put together a guide to the holidays and other special dates for you.

(see Setting Dates Part 1 here)

[Travel Taiwan] Setting Dates I: Weather & Seasons

One of the most difficult thing for me when planning a trip is setting the date. Will I be able to cope with the weather? Is there a massive sale going on? Is the town going to be packed with tourists like me? To make life easier for anyone looking to travel to Taiwan, I've compiled all related info into two parts (part deux coming on Thursday), hope it helps!

Heme X Hello Kitty

[Travel Taiwan] Money Matters III: Tipping & Tax Refund

[Travel Taiwan] Money Matters II: Costs and Prices

Taiwan is ideal for travel, because it has all the convenience of modernized cities, but its cost of living is relatively low.

[Sugar and Spice] 蛋餅 Dan-Bing

Happy Valentine's Day everyone! Did you do something special for yourself or your significant other? :) Boyfriend and I aren't big on all the commercialized offerings such as overpriced couple meals and pink-overdosed goods, but we do like to do something nice on this day, preferably at home so we won't have to beat the crowd. One thing we particularly like is when the other person cooks for us, so what better way to celebrate than cooking together?

A Krispy Kreme Kind of Love of Line-ups

I am a huge fan of Krispy Kreme, so much so that I used to order a dozen and eat them all myself. I first had Krispy Kreme in Canada, then I came back to Taiwan and never saw it again for another decade, until recently when I had them again in Korea and Philippines. 

[Travel Taiwan] Money Matters

Travel Taiwan is a series that covers any information related to traveling in Taiwan.

Hello world! This is Lenny, reporting from Taiwan J

When traveling abroad, whether you’re a champagne and yacht kind of person, or someone with the backpacker’s spirit, it’s always better to carry some cash with you, and today I am going to talk about some frequently asked questions about money in Taiwan.

What is the currency used in Taiwan?

The currency we use in Taiwan is New Taiwan Dollar, or NTD. Bills come in  NT$100, NT$200, NT$500, NT$1000, NT$2000; coins come in NT$1, NT$5, NT$20, NT$10, NT$50. 

The currency rate is about NTD : USD = 30 : 1, or NTD : EUR = 40:1.

NT$20, NT$200 and NT$2000 are relatively uncommon, and on the rare occasion, some shops might not accept them, so keep this in mind when exchanging currencies. Don't fret when you get them though, they are probably legit! Very few counterfeit currency issues here. 

The best thing about NTD is that the size of the coins are in accordance to the value, with NT$1 being the smallest one, making it easy to differentiate the coins when you are caught at the supermarket with 20 people lined up behind you. (I'm looking at you Canada! what's up with dimes smaller than nickels?!) If all else fails, spread all your money on the counter and give the cashier a clueless look and they will help you, 99.9% chance they will not swindle you and take more than they should. (no promises though, don't sue me if they do) 

NTD is used only in Taiwan.

Picture courtesy of Taiwan.net.tw

Can I use USD or other foreign currencies in Taiwan?

In almost all parts of Taiwan, only NTD is accepted. However, in some popular tourism spots where the competition between shops is intense, e.g. Alishan or Sun Moon Lake, some shops will take USD, RMB, or HKD. This is illegal, and I won't advice running around with only USD or RMB. Other currencies are not accepted anywhere.

Where can I exchange money? 

Money exchange is only available at government-designated banks and hotels. (Click here for list of designated banks) Contact your hotel/hostel and ask them if they have the service.

IMPORTANT TIP : Most banks are only open Mon-Fri 0900-1530, so I would advise travelers to exchange at least some money before they depart for Taiwan, or, you can exchange your money at the airport, Bank of Taiwan(台灣銀行) and Mega International Commercial Bank(兆豐銀行) have booths at airports, but do take note of the operating hours if your flight has a extreme arrival time.

A common traveler's myth(?) is that banks have the worst exchange rates, but since there are NO private exchange facilities in Taiwan, there is not much difference. 

Airport currency exchange operating hours and map: (click them!)

Taoyuan Airport

Taipei Songshan Airport

Kaohsiung International Airport

ANOTHER IMPORTANT NOTE: NOT ALL CURRENCIES ARE ACCEPTED. USD is widely accepted, other currencies only accepted at aforementioned two banks (台灣銀行/兆豐銀行), and a few currencies are only accepted at the airport, such as Rupee. I have a ridiculous story on trying to exchange rupee in Taipei, and I hope no one will ever have to go through that again!

Older version of USD bills or stained bills might be charged a handling fee. (What's an old version? I have no idea. Check with the bank.)

Is there other currency exchange places available?

There are NO private money changers in Taiwan. If someone tells you otherwise, be suspicious. (or get some hard evidence to convince me, and I'll edit this post.)

How much money should I exchange? 

It all depends on your travel style and number of staying days. You can always exchange more later, or use other means of payment. Some necessary spending from landing to getting to the city:

Bus fare from Taoyuan Airport to Taipei: NT$125

Taxi fare from Taoyuan Airport to Taipei: around NT$1000 

Taipei MRT: around NT$25/ride

Taipei Public Bus: NT$15/ride

For further information on costs of Taipei please see Money Matters part 2. (coming soon!)

Can I use Credit Cards in Taiwan?

Yes! major credit cards like American Express, VISA, Master Card and JCB are all widely accepted. Obviously street vendors don't take credit cards, but convenience stores, some shops and restaurants don't take credit cards either, be sure to ask before you make a purchase. If you are caught at the counter with no cash to pay with, politely tell them so and ask where the nearest ATM is, then come back with the money after you make an withdraw from the ATM. (If you don't go back to pay then shame on you!)

TIP: An alternative to exchanging money at the bank is utilizing credit cards and ATMs. You can withdraw the amount you need whenever you wish, taking away the stress of carrying around lots of cash. There are ATMs in almost all convenience stores and all banks, so it's very convenient.

Check with your bank beforehand:
if it provides international withdraws;
if there are any additional handling fees;
it a different password is required to make withdraws.
Also take note of the daily withdraw limit of ATMs.

Bonus: Some travelers have noted that the ATM withdraws gives a better rate than exchanges at the banks!

What about Traveler’s Check?

Most stores in Taiwan do not accept traveler's check, please exchange it to NTD. Stick to cash and credit cards!

Conclusion

All in all, Taiwan is a pretty convenient place, (convenience is key) as it is highly modernized and international. Also the crime rate in Taiwan is pretty low compared to other countries, so I won’t worry about getting robbed. But don’t go around showing off your money either! If you are so unfortunate to get robbed or stolen from, report to the nearest police station immediately and those friendly non-English speaking policemen will do everything they can to help you. This is where a Chinese/Taiwanese-speaking friend will come in handy, so try to make friends when you're here!

Do you have any NTDs in your traveler’s trophy collection?

Do you have any money-related stories, good or bad, that happened in Taiwan?

[The Look] Beginner's attempt

Guess what my favourite colour is?

Base: 
Maybelline 8 in 1 Improving BB Base in 02 Natural
1028 Visual Therapy Dual Tone Flawless Concealer
Media Powder Blush in PK-2
Muji Brow Pencil in Gray

Eyes:
1028 Visual Therapy Brownie Eyes Palette
1028 Visual Therapy Eye liner

Lip:
Mentholatum Q10 Lip Gel

Being a makeup newbie, my first goal is to have a look suitable for day to day activities. I think this is quite a wearable look, I look like myself minus the dreaded dark circles (the main reason I ventured into makeup world). There's much improvement to be made, but my main issue is that my eyeliner keeps smudging onto my lower lid, must find a way to prevent that. Any tips? Also, I keep thinking this base is too light for my face, even though all my friends said I look fine. Am I being paranoid?

New Year Reflections and Resolutions

A sneak peak at my journal

One of the best things about being Taiwanese in this modern society is that I get to do over my resolutions. Wrote your New Year Resolutions on Dec 31, all of a sudden it's January 30, and you didn't take a single step to keep with your resolutions? No problem! It's a new year again and you get to make resolutions (and fail them ) all over again! 

I may or may not have made several resolutions for 2014 a month ago. Buy hey, like I said, I get a chance to do over, so I ain't gonna sweat it, neither should you, pretend you celebrate Lunar New Year and make a new list of Resolutions today! 

To make resolutions, one has to reflect on the past year first. Like always, my biggest problem is procrastination. (Fellow procrastinators please raise your hand so I won't feel all alone) 

At work, I am awesome (rare egogistic comment there). But when it comes to my personal life, I am a HUGE procrastinator. I love making plans and lists, but always fail to follow through. But "stop procrastinating" is such a vague and daunting thing to say, so my biggest resolution for 2014 is to Write in my journal everyday. In my journal , I will jot down one act of happiness, one act of accomplishment, and one thought of reflection. Hopefully this can help cure some of my procrastination, and lead to great things in life!

What is your New Year's Resolution? Have you been sticking to it for that past month?

Fashion photographer in making

It seems to be the universal rule that to be a successful fashion blogger, you need to have a loving boyfriend or husband (or girlfriend or wife) who is great at taking flattering photos of you, because who can afford professional photographers for every OOTD? 

Like so many other qualities that successful bloggers have, I have to say I'm still working to acquire one of those. Nowadays it seems like every other Taiwanese boy is into photography and owns a DSLR, but unfortunately for me, my boyfriend is not one of them, he is one to live the moment rather than to capture it. I'm slowly training him to take photos of me, but his love for me has proved to be an obstacle. (How weird does that sound?) Case in point: Boyfriend took multiple shots of the above photo before I realized my coat is caught in my bag. When I asked him why he didn't tell me, he replied "But you always look good to me." This happens over and over for smudged eye shadow, flyaway hair, untucked shirt and various other scenarios. Then again, he is the only person in my life that gives me sweet talk, so I should probably be grateful. Hopefully one day he will become skilled and capable of making my stumpy figure look great on film and be kind enough to tell me when I am not looking presentable, in the meantime, we would just have to put up with some silly photos! If you see something out of the ordinary, I'm probably not trying to make an fashion statement, I'm just being clumsy and uncoordinated. 


Who takes photos of you? do you take them yourself?