Things to do in Kaohsiung

Our guide, Alisia, was excellent, providing a soft-spoken and friendly tour. She guided us in both Chinese and English, with 14 years of experience and a calm demeanor. She even sang for us, creating a wonderful atmosphere. We visited on a Sunday by bus and learned that the Hinoki (cypress) trees are truly massive, and Alishan is an incredibly vast mountain. Since it's an all-day journey, we recommend bringing snacks. Of course, there are food stalls available along the way.

Highly recommend this museum for just about anyone. Great price for adults and free for seniors (65+) and elementary school kids. There are six floors of interactive exhibits for all ages AND virtually all of them are also in English. The IMAX film (~17 minutes) was also great! I went on a Tuesday with half of the elementary schools in the city so just a heads up as there were kids everywhere (loud and running around). Eat before or after as not many options and not good. Could easily spend all day there. Water refills stations and bathrooms throughout and exhibits were well done.

1. Introverts are advised to go with at least one other person, then have staff on-site arrange for you to team up with strangers. 2. There's very little time to complete the challenges, so finishing everything might be difficult. We recommend cooperating with other groups and sharing passwords and stamps. 3. One person from your group should be responsible for exchanging cards at Masadora. The second area is the last chance to exchange cards, so make sure to do it. You can get specific pocket cards by battling NPCs for "steal cards," and then you can choose your favorite to take with you at the end. 4. Photography is prohibited for anything related to the puzzles to avoid spoilers.

The transportation is convenient, with many buses picking up and dropping off from different MRT stations and areas. I went from Zuoying, and it also passed by several E-Da affiliated hotels along the way. To enter E-Da World, you need to go through the outlet and up the floors. There are signs in the mall, so don't worry about getting lost. You can exchange your tickets at the ticket office with the QR Code, which is very convenient. There are many different kinds of amusement facilities inside, including thrilling roller coasters and 360-degree rotating facilities. There is also a building dedicated to amusement facilities for children, as well as claw machines and gashapon machines. There are both outdoor and indoor facilities. There are also parades on the weekends, and the performances are quite fun. There are not many restaurants, but the food is acceptable. The main thing is that there are not too many people, so you can play without much queuing, which is great.

There's currently a special offer: one adult and one child for $399. The park is quite large, so it's a good idea to plan your visit in advance. If you want to experience close-up interactions, I recommend lining up for experience tickets right when the park opens at 10 AM, or for the second session at 1 PM. The weather in the mountains can be unpredictable, so if it's not a beautiful day, I suggest getting your experience tickets, then heading down to the sloped area to interact with the foxes before coming back up for the small animal feeding experience. This is because if the weather is bad, the foxes will be taken indoors to rest, and you won't be able to see them. You can also interact closely with the capybaras; watching them eat the fodder provided by the park is truly therapeutic. The park also offers exquisite dining options, and you can even enjoy your meal while watching the sloths in the restaurant—it's a real treat! The next stop requires a bit of a walk, and since it's downhill, it's easy, but be careful not to rush. The park's only birds currently are raptors—eagles. This time, we happened to witness an eagle 'bullying' another, haha! After hearing the explanation, it turns out it's because the eagles are from different breeding groups and have territorial instincts, which leads to gliding attacks. It made me worried the staff might get accidentally hurt! Finally, there's the slide, which the kids love most. Make sure to put on the safety gear provided by the park before playing happily. There's also delicious afternoon tea available for purchase nearby, so parents can enjoy snacks and refreshing drinks while watching their children play happily—it's quite nice! We returned with many happy memories. Since the previous section was downhill, the park thoughtfully provides a shuttle bus for the return trip, so your feet won't get tired and sore. Some areas of the park seem to still be under construction, so more animals should be moving in later. I'm really looking forward to it!

If you have the money, I highly recommend this experience. If you have two people, it’s much cheaper as well (it was just me though). I’ve done this in Taipei and at EuropaPark theme park in Germany so it was cool to see the history of this this experience originated. Staff are friendly and speak English. Recommend using Klook and must book at least one day in advance (earlier spots are less busy). It’s a little out there location wise but I eventually found it.

Facilities: The venue offers a diverse range of facilities, ensuring dedicated play areas for children of all ages. (Baby Royal Cruise VIP Lounge, Track Exploration Play Area, Ball Pit, Supermarket, Creative Engineering House, Trampoline Play Area, Projector Game Area, Caribbean Pirate Shell Beach Area, Shell Castle Dress-Up Area, Fantasy Dollhouse Area, Secret Realm Play Area, LEGO Zone)

I have to give it 5-stars based on value for your money. Seniors (65+) and primary school kids are free, and adults are less than $2! I paid extra for the little zoo tram as it was crazy hot, hundreds of school kids, and the monkeys are no joke! stole a water bottle right out of a boy’s hand in a big school group (ran off with it)! The best part was the water area, like a splash pad. Although older and rundown, it did the job of cooling us off. There’s 3 areas, with rain water coming from above, and two shallow areas maybe 1-4 inches of water. Animals weren’t too active due to heat/sun. Don’t recommend eating here as not many options, nor good quality.

It was pretty good, and buying tickets on Klook was super convenient! They introduced a lot of things, and the photo spots were really cute. Although the venue felt a bit small and we finished exploring quickly, the theme was "transformation," so they also showcased early products. Personally, I think it would be great if they could create a photo op area for the early designs too, because they were just too adorable.