Taipei

The past week went by all too quickly in a whirl of endless pairs of shoes, dresses & frilly blouses! Those who have been to Taipei will gladly concede to the fact that shopping here is very pleasant as the service is impeccable and the locals are so friendly. Despite our short stay here, we managed to acomplish quite abit and the occasional rain showers did nothing to dampen our spirits!

Recommendations:

Hot Spring: Beitou (XinBeiTou Station) Sweet Me or Spring City. Paid about 800NTD for the outdoor pool with different pools and jacuzzis. Both are expensive going by local rates but overall enjoyable.

JiuFen( 九份): Do visit the moutain town of JiuFen if not at least for the scenary as well as snacks. We took the express train from Taipei Main Station--> Ruifang Train Station (NTD 80 every 30 mins) then a cab (NTD 150) up the mountain. On the return journey, the cab driver offered to send us back to the hotel for NTD 800 which is reasonable if you are travelling in a group.

Sunset: DanShui (Danshui Station) Try to catch the elusive sunset over a cup of cuppa @ Starbucks. If you are game enough do also patronise the stall games; for T-drama fans, this is a familiar sight in all Taiwanese dramas.

NOTE: I have been here several times and still not been able to catch the sunset as the sky is often overcast or it is raining! Good luck!

WufenPu(HouShanPi Station): Despite this place being a "wholesale" centre, do not be misled, most shops have very nice decor and most of the market is pretty much covered. However, do not expect rock bottom prices. We believe that there is a sneaky "wholesalers" price vs. "retail" price which is often quoted. We did try to bargain alittle though some retailers absolutely refuse to budge. Shopkeepers here aren't desperate to sell off their wares! DO check out the shoe shop called Wink! Though prices aren't cheap but the workmanship is good and they export to Japan ( sizes for certain shoe models are really tiny though) We bought 7 pairs from this shop so we were given quite a sizable discount!

Accessories Wholesale: Kiss Diamond @ 太原路 22 巷 ( Near Taipei Main Station) On the first visit, you need to purchase 10 items to qualify for the "wholesaler" card/discount paying the lower price seen on the tags. Subsequent visits using the card, you will get the "wholesaler" price even if u are merely buying 1 item.

Shopping Malls:

Taipei 101 (台北101) for brands like Oasis UK & Ted ( all the more better if there's discount!)

Shin Kong Mitsukoshi (新光三越) for cosmetics brands like RMK, Shu Umeura, Anessa, Sofina, Benefit etc as well as Wacoal Lingerie. Prices are cheaper for some of the brands so do shop around.

Eslite @ Ximenting (西門町) for Japanses brand shoes ( lurve lurve lurve the cute shoe boxes!) and accessories. A bargain especially if there are discounts!

NOTE: Do remember to ask for 5% GST refund esp if u are purchasing more than NTD3000 in the store!

Ice-cream: Coldstone Creamery @ New York New York. Pop by to rest your tired feet. We lurve the ice-cream here. Prices range from 90-200 NTD. Yummy!