Our itinerary for this day was tight and required a lot of travel time as we planned to visit six key locations within and outside Taipei namely: Addiction Aquatic Development, Jiufen, Yehliu Geopark, Tamsui, Chiang Kai Shek Memorial, and Ximending.

This is going to be an exciting entry since this trip was very diverse but put together in an organic order based on proximity. Read on as I share to you the layers of today’s trip including directions, scenery, and fun in between.

Here is the detailed itinerary for our fourth day (part 1). This will help you visualize the order of tourist spots that we visited on this day:

Addiction Aquatic Development

Addiction Aquatic Development is not your ordinary fish market in the heart of Taipei. Inside the place are series of areas where you can let your market desires out. Area one is an aquatic alley where most of the biggest, fleshiest, and varied seafood products are displayed. Other areas include: delicacies like sushi, seafood bar, hot pot,  grilled seafood barbeque, fresh food supermarket, cooked food, collectibles, fruit selections, and flowers.

AAD is like a one stop shop except that it is technically a market place.

Important Information about Addiction Aquatic Development (AAD)

• CASH. There is no credit card services in the place so prepare cash as a payment
• Reservation not accepted. Except for the hot pot area, all other areas are on a first come first served basis, so be there early.

Direction to Addiction Aquatic Development (AAD)

Here is our travel map going to AAD. This will give you a high level direction to the place.

Moreover, here is a downloaded map from google to help you visualize your route (please be mindful that our starting point for this trip is the Taipei Main Station):

The direction is pretty much clear: Once you alight from Zhongshan Junior High School Station, walk straight and on the first block, turn left and walk some more until you see a Park. You have to cross diagonally on this park until you see this sign pointing you to Wuchang Street:

This will be your landmark of the Wuchang Street (of course there will be a sign as well telling you that you are already on this area)

You have to cross at the intersection to go to the other side which will lead you to AAD:

There you go! The busy market street is now your queue – you are already approaching to AAD. Walk straight to this area until you reach LongJiang Road, then turn left on the first street you will see after LongJiang Road. Here, you will find the Addiction Aquatic Development.

Now that you have found this hidden gem in the heart of the busy market street, it is now time for us to give you a tour of what it has to offer inside.

I was honestly overwhelmed upon seeing this king crab in person – look at how only one crab fits into the the large woven tray.

Another huge crab still wiggling – oh gosh, they are really fresh!

More crabs on the iced bar were stealing the spotlight in the market!

You can choose any variation of milk to your heart’s content too!

How could you not be excited when you see these super fresh Salmon slubs?

You can buy fruits of your choice here

I beamed upon seeing my favorite Kewpie Mayo.

Macarons are indeed plenty on the display too!

There are also displays and collectibles that you can explore

Whether you are a foodie or just plainly hungry, Addiction Aquatic Development is the place to go if you want a one stop market that will offer you a variety of food options. It will not only satisfy your eyes but your hungry belly as well.

 

Jiufen

After a leisurely visit in Addiction Aquatic Development, the besties were off to the famous place in Taiwan – Jiufen.

Jiufen is situated in the high place of Ruifang District. More than anything else, the district became famous after it was used as a location inspiration of the famous writer Hayao Miyazaki in his one of a kind anime film: “Spirited Away”.

Direction from Addiction Aquatic Development to Jiufen

Specific to our trip, we took a cab going to Jiufen for 200 NT/head. We chose this because the travel time would only take us 40 minutes as opposed to the bus trip which will take us 1.5 hours. We need to really optimize our time since we would visit two more places outside Taipei during the day.  However, be cautious when getting a cab since they may not have permit to really operate traveling from the main city to Jiufen.

Getting Around Jiufen

 

It was very refreshing while we were in Jiufen. The place has a spectacular view of lakes and mountains with street alleys that are narrow but enigmatic.

I loved this entryway with graffiti that added a very nice look to it

The door, the Chinese writing, the floor, and the lanterns all contribute to the “traditional Chinese” look of this structure.

Oh, for everyone planning to visit Jiufen, you have to ensure you are prepared for the weather since the breeze from the ocean air could be very cold to bear.

Some of the stores in front of Jiufen

One of the alleys inside Jiufen: you can find stores after store here and could even get discounted rates for stuff you like

It always feels great to be in a high place looking very far dreaming…

Tourists were swarming, a real proof of the popularity of this place

Temples at the foot of the Old Town are beautiful

Because the place is just small, an hour to tour around it was enough for us. We immediately headed to the bus stop at the foot of the town (do you notice that shed on the picture above? That is the bus stop).

 

Yehliu Geopark

 

Yehliu Geopark is a a landscape showcasing natural and awesome rock formations merely caused by waves, weathering, and the earth movement. We were really anticipating what this place can offer to us.

Direction from Jiufen to Yehliu Geopark

Before going to Yehliu, we took considerations of the Keelung bus schedule to ensure we won’t miss the trip. Below is a snap shot of the Keelung Bus trips that could help in your planning (photo credit to www.taiwantrip.hello):

Transportation from Keelung to Yehliu

Once you reached Keelung, this place here is the terminal for the bus #790 going to Yehliu.

That waiting shed in front of Family Mart is the exact stop for the bus going to Yehliu

Hop on the Bus #790 which will bring you directly to Yehliu. Once you reach Yehliu, walk a few meters more towards the park. If the air in Jiufen is cold, Yehliu’s is much colder as it is near the ocean.

Getting Around Yehliu

This was my first time seeing an incredible rock formation so I was really amazed. The rocks, the ocean, the park – everything looks beautiful to me. I have validated this with my bestfriend and we both agreed that the place is indeed picturesque!

Look at these rocks – they look like mushrooms born in the heart of the sea! Very pretty!

This rock formation is formidable and serves as a bridge going to the other side of the geological park.

This is a picture of the “Queen’s Head”. This rock is a symbol of elegance that has been preserved to retain its glorious shape.

How about playing hide and seek behind these beautiful rocks?

Bestie bracing the cold real hard. Both of us did not really expect that it would be extremely cold here.

Oh, what a wonderful day to take a photo! Click, click!

 

Who cares about a bad hair day when the background is this great!

These massive rock formations were really adorable!

Kid at heart finding her beautiful treasure!

If there is one key take away for our fourth day, it is the realization that Taiwan is a hidden gem in Asia with a lot of natural wonders to explore. The place is indeed beautiful and if there is one thing I could assure you, it is the fact that traveling in Taiwan is really affordable!

Stay connected as I bring to you the second part of our fourth day in Taiwan including the infamous YTB’s very detailed point to point itinerary.