🏔️ First Day in Taiwan – Foggy Trails, Carton Meals & Chocolate Kindness
Since I can’t travel these days (thanks, pandemic 😔), I’ve been revisiting my past adventures and turning them into stories. Taiwan has always been one of my favorite countries, so here’s a little throwback to my very first day there—cold, foggy, funny, and sweet in every sense of the word.
🌏 Whenever I travel abroad, I follow one simple rule: go to the farthest place first, then slowly make your way back to the city. That way, you can explore without worrying about catching your flight later on.
👫 Since I was traveling with friends, I made sure everyone agreed before locking in our plans (because let’s be honest—group travel = group decisions, or else… drama 😅).
🚌 I gave them two options—bus or car. The bus was cheaper, but with our packed itinerary, we decided to hire a private driver from Taichung. Totally worth it! With four of us sharing the cost, it wasn’t too expensive, and we saved hours of travel time.
📋 Anyway, here’s a quick summary of our first day in Taiwan—from the foggy hills of Cingjing to carton-made dinners and the sweetest act of kindness that wrapped up our night. 💛
We landed a bit late, around 9:35 AM, and oh my goodness—the immigration line was so long! Almost an hour just to get through. I could already feel the excitement building as we finally made it out with our bags.
We hopped on the airport bus to Taoyuan Station (just NT$30, about Php47). Cheap, quick, and simple.
Check these helpful posts to guide you when you travel to Taiwan:
✈️ How to Transfer at TaoyuanInternational Airport (TPE): A First-Timer’s Guide
🚍 From Taoyuan Airport to
THSR Taoyuan Station & Beyond (UBUS #705 Guide)
✈️ Taoyuan Airport TerminalTransfer Guide: T1 to T2 via Skytrain, Shuttle, or Foot
🚖 Taoyuan AirportTransportation Guide: Express Train, Bus, Taxi, and Car Services
🛬 Arriving in Taiwan:What to Expect at Taoyuan International Airport (TPE)
📌 Update: These days, you can take the MRT straight from the airport to Taichung HSR Station. Way easier than it was back in 2016.
🚄 11:35 AM – High-Speed Rail Adventure
We didn’t risk booking our HSR tickets online in advance (immigration delays can be sneaky 😅), so we just bought them directly at the station. The Taiwan High-Speed Rail (THSR) was impressively clean, organized, and tourist-friendly—plus, they even had dedicated luggage spaces so we didn’t have to awkwardly hug our bags on our laps. 😂
🚍 How to Get to HighSpeed Rail Taoyuan Station from Taoyuan Airport via THSR Shuttle Bus?
📶 Stay connected with
these posts:
📱 Stay Connected in Taiwan: 4G Pocket Wi-Fi vs. 4G SIM Card – Which One’s Best forYou? 🇹🇼
📦 Where to Pick Up 4G
Pocket Wi-Fi in Taiwan Airports – Taoyuan, Kaohsiung & Songshan
💡 Travel Tip: Don’t try to dash in when the doors close! In Taiwan, train safety is taken seriously—guards will blow whistles if you attempt a last-minute squeeze. 🚨
🚗 12:30 PM – Up the Zigzag Roads
to Cingjing
Our driver was waiting at Taichung Station with a sign (thankfully). He barely spoke English, but it didn’t matter—we just needed him to get us up the mountain.
The ride? Scenic, yes. Comfortable for me? Not really. The zigzag roads made my motion sickness flare up. But as the air grew colder and fog began creeping in, I knew we were really high up. It felt like stepping into another world.
By 2:09 PM, we were at Cingjing Spring Ground B&B, our home for the night. It was simple, budget-friendly, and came with a perk: free transport to Cingjing Farm and Swiss Garden. Score! 🙌 Click here to know more about this Bed & Breakfast. and to get there, click here.
📧 Contact Details:
🏡
Spring Ground B&B (Cingjing, Nantou, Taiwan)
📍
No. 20-1, Shouting Lane, Ren’ai Township, Nantou County 546, Taiwan
📞
+886 4 9280 1000
✉️
springground@hotmail.com
🏨 Looking for other stays? Check this:Where to Stay in Taiwan (2025 Guide) – Best Hotels & Hostels from Taipei to Kaohsiung
🍜 2:40 PM – Snack Run at 7-11
Before heading to the farm, we asked our host to drop us at Small Swiss Garden so we could grab food at 7-11. The moment I stepped in, I was greeted by the smell of shabu-shabu simmering near the entrance. My stomach was growling! 🍲 But with little time, we grabbed quick snacks instead.
I still regret not trying that shabu-shabu. Lesson learned: never underestimate the magic of Taiwan’s 7-11s.
🥢 Lesson learned: Never underestimate the magic of Taiwan’s 7-11s. They’re a foodie experience on their own!
We wandered without following the map, just letting curiosity (and whatever was visible through the mist) guide us. We saw sheep, fed them, and took photos with big smiles. At one point, I was so caught up snapping pictures that my friends left me behind. I had to yell into the fog to find them again (they thought it was hilarious 🙄).
It was crowded, chilly, and damp—but I loved every second.
📷 See more photos and stories here >>
By the time we returned to Mist Plaza, we were starving. We went straight to Carton King Restaurant, which I’d been eyeing when planning the trip.
This wasn’t just dinner—it was dinner in a cardboard world. The chairs, tables, decorations, even lamps—made from carton! 🪑🐼 It felt playful, creative, and surprisingly cozy. The food? Delicious. I can’t remember the exact dishes we ordered, but I do remember leaving satisfied and impressed.
📷 See our Carton King photos here >>
💡 6:25 PM – Small Swiss Garden by Night
It was already dark when we entered Small Swiss Garden, so we missed the full bloom of flowers. Instead, we got something different: a magical LED light show. 💡🌸
Rows of glowing sunflowers, fountains lit up in colors, and a misty atmosphere—it felt dreamy, almost surreal. I could see why people call it “Taiwan’s Little Switzerland.”
📌 Tip: Visit both day and night—the experience is completely different.
🎟️ Same-day re-entry is free!
📷 Read more and see photos here >>
Our last mini-drama of the day: we couldn’t reach our B&B host to fetch us. Just when panic was creeping in, the owner of a chocolate shop (Nina’s) offered to help. She called him for us, and sure enough, he came.
We were so grateful that we bought a box of truffle chocolates from her shop. Later that night, back at the B&B, those truffles became our dessert—a sweet ending to a cold, foggy, unforgettable first day in Taiwan.
💡 Travel Tips
🍲 7-11 Food: Don’t skip it! Even convenience stores here feel gourmet.
🧥 Bring Layers: Cingjing can get cold—even colder with fog and rain.
🌸 Swiss Garden: Go both day and night if you can. Totally different feels.
🍫 Local Kindness: Always, always be kind back. Taiwan locals are some of the warmest people I’ve met.
✨ Looking back, this first day set the tone for the whole trip—fog, laughter, kindness, and food (always food).
If there’s one thing I learned, it’s that travel isn’t just about places—it’s about little moments: being lost in the mist, eating chocolates gifted by kindness, and laughing with friends until your stomach hurts.
🌿 I’ll never forget Cingjing.
📌 Thinking of visiting Taiwan? Don’t just stick to Taipei—go up the mountains, feel the mist, eat chocolates, and let yourself get lost a little. 🌿 Would you add Cingjing to your itinerary? Let me know in the comments!
Check out my other Taiwandering Four Posts:
.png)
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
Thank you for reading! Please share and like my Facebook page :)