Chiayi

This is my third visit, and the restrooms are still clean. However, there's a minor drawback: this time, only one of the women's restroom stalls had hot water... Hopefully, this can be improved as winter is approaching. The afternoon meal was delicious, and the BBQ set was just right. Breakfast was also delicious 😋, and the rooms were comfortable.

Lubos na hindi inirerekomenda na pumunta tuwing Lunes, pareho ang presyo ngunit kulang ang mga katumbas na benepisyo—sarado ang coffee shop, at dahil walang ibang customer, wala ring DJ, wala ring mga gawaing kamay at paghuhukay ng mga kabibe, atbp., may pagkakaiba sa nilalaman na nakalakip sa itaas, ang tuwalya at sipilyo ay kailangang ipaalam bago ibigay, wala ring water dispenser at sobrang uhaw sa kalagitnaan ng gabi (ngunit matapos naming tumawag upang magtanong, nagpadala sila ng mineral water sa amin, labis kaming nagpapasalamat dito) kung alalahanin, iminumungkahi na tumawag muna upang magtanong. Ang ibang mga bituin ay para sa: Napakabait ng mga tauhan ng serbisyo, bukod sa pagiging palakaibigan sa alagang hayop, napakacute din ng mga aso sa kampo, masayang-masaya ang aso namin sa paglalaro, masarap at sariwa ang talaba at seafood.

We took the 7322C Alishan route bus from in front of the Chiayi Railway Station. We originally missed the 8:10 AM bus, so we had to wait for the 8:40 AM one. Unexpectedly, the bus arrived at 8:30 AM. Passengers with physical tickets were allowed to board first, followed by those who scanned their QR codes, and finally passengers using EasyCards. It was a Saturday, but luckily there weren't many passengers in the morning, so my travel companion and I were able to sit together. After arriving in Alishan, we were also able to enter the Forest Recreation Area smoothly with our QR codes. For the return trip, we took the 3:40 PM bus. There were noticeably more people heading down the mountain, and my travel companion and I were forced to sit separately. However, if we didn't take this bus, we would have had to wait until 4:10 PM, so we settled for it (the last bus was at 5:10 PM). We arrived in downtown Chiayi as the city lights were coming on. The ride up the mountain took about 2.5 hours. Although the mountain roads were winding, the driver was experienced and drove steadily, allowing us to relax and enjoy the scenery or take a nap. Overall, the bus service was convenient and suitable for travelers who don't want to drive themselves.

I had fun exploring Southern Taiwan with this 3 day pass. Very easy to use, it comes with a booklet that you'll get from the HSR counter. You can book your HSR in advance through the website, can even change your time of departure when you go to the counter. My accomodation is in Taipei and the day trips in Taichung and Tainan was just a breeze. HSR also provides free shuttle bus between HSR station to the main city, just research for the bus number. You have to go through the staff at the gates to pass through, they will inspect the booklet. I'll comeback to explore more of South Taiwan!

Unfortunately, it’s rainy day so we didn’t make it. They will refund your fees due to unexpected weather conditions, though their cancellation was late.

I booked on Klook, and when I had a problem, I contacted the store via LINE. The store responded immediately and helped a lot. They were friendly and professional. I highly recommend renting a scooter here in Chiayi. It's super close to the Chiayi Transfer Station. You just walk a few steps from the station to the store, which is very convenient!

Our Alishan tour was absolutely unforgettable! The scenery was breathtaking, from the misty forests to the iconic mountain views, and everything was perfectly planned. What truly made the experience exceptional was our tour guide, Victor. He was knowledgeable, friendly, and genuinely passionate about Alishan’s history and nature. Victor made sure everyone was comfortable, shared interesting stories along the way, and knew all the best spots for photos. The entire day was smooth, relaxing, and enjoyable. I highly recommend this tour to anyone visiting Alishan—especially if you’re lucky enough to have Victor as your guide!

Napakaayos ng paglalakbay na ito. Hindi ako umaasa ng malaki at higit pa ito sa inaasahan ko. Mula sa mga mensahe ng kumpirmasyon sa whatsapp hanggang sa pagsagot sa aking mga tanong, mabilis sumagot ang tour operator at naintindihan niya ang aking tinatanong (sa Ingles). Sa araw bago, inilalagay ka sa isang malaking whatsapp group at lahat ng sasama sa tour ay binabato ng mga mensahe upang ipaalam sa kanila kung aling mga sasakyan ng transfer ang kanilang sasakyan. Iba't ibang mga driver at gabay ang lumilitaw sa daan. Isang information package na may mga voucher, mapa, at itineraryo ang ibinibigay sa sandaling makilala mo ang iyong unang driver. Ang malalaking bagahe ay inihatid sa hotel, ang pagsakay sa tren papuntang Alishan ay masaya at maganda sa isang lumang gumigiray na tren, at pagdating ay may naghihintay upang sunduin ka. Ang mga oras kung kailan babalik ay binibigkas nang pasalita, gumamit ng isang translator app kung hindi mo maintindihan. Bantayan ang iyong mga oras. Maraming tao ang naghihintay para sa sunrise train, binibigyan ka ng opsyon na lumipat sa bus upang pumunta sa isa pang lokasyon din.

We had an amazing experience with Apple Tour Guide on our trip to Alishan Forest. Apple was knowledgeable, friendly, and made the entire day smooth and enjoyable from start to finish. He shared interesting facts about the area, nature, and local culture, and made sure everyone was comfortable and well taken care of. I can’t recommend him enough.