Taiwanderland: Guide To Taipei & Tainan

I have travelled to Taiwan for 3 times in the last 6 years and I can confidently declare it as one of my favourite places to return to. It's a country of rich Chinese culture, modern city life, and nature, all within close proximity. Earlier this year, I was extremely lucky to attend my very first press trip with Everrich Duty-Free Group along with many other Southeast Asian bloggers to experience this amazing country like never before.

Based on my travels to Taipei and Tainan, I have made a guide of places and things to do to help you make the most out of your trip. If you have special recommendations to share, leave it in the comments!

Stay tuned till the end of the post for a special treat for my Southeast Asian readers who are travelling to Taiwan!

Tokyo: Vintage Shopping & More

When it comes to shopping, I always make it my personal mission to go thrift and vintage. I see it as my personal "me time" as I spend a slow day getting lost among racks of pass-me-downs, people watching, wandering around with a warm latte in one hand. It also supports a conscious lifestyle decision of mine to reduce my consumption in fast fashion. 

I focused on three main districts I found particularly interesting, namely Shimokitazawa, Harajuku, and Shibuya. Keep scrolling as I share my best shopping, dining experiences, and other goodies I discovered along the way!

Hokkaido: A Countryside Diary

Hokkaido may be a winter time destination but that doesn't mean it has anything less to offer in the summer. Being my first trip to Japan, I chose to head north because I craved a quiet destination with beautiful scenery away from the city's chaos. There are many perks to summertime Hokkaido. The weather was absolutely perfect, ranging from 6—23-degree celsius, making road trips a breeze. That being said, the long journeys and curvy mountain roads took a little getting used to, though a good music playlist would make everything better.

12 Hours In Shanghai

During June last year, my maternal grandfather passed away which resulted in an emergency family trip back home. Shanghai, where I spent my childhood and kindergarten years in, is a nostalgic yet modern city. I decided to take a day to myself exploring some places as I reminisced and thought of my grandfather, wondering about the stories he would tell me if he were still alive.

Tian Zi Fang 田子坊

Xin Tian Di 新天地

Cheng Huang Temple 城隍庙

Old Shanghai Street 老上海街

The Bund 外滩

Nanking Road 南京路

Photographs and video originally recorded in June 2015.

Europe: Living Like A Local

There are many forms of vacation. Growing up, my ideal holiday comprised of a well-equipped hotel room (e.g. Disney Land hotel) and lots of shopping. My ideal changed throughout the years as I observe backpackers and people living abroad. I think the notion of living like a local, at least among my age group, is picking up on popularity and it's easy to understand why. When I try to live like a local, I pick up native habits, preferences and culture. In return, the locals are more than happy to reveal the best and underrated hideouts. Instead of crossing off a list of "must-sees" determined by the city's tourism guides, I'm better off experiencing recommendations of the like-minded. As this is a collaborative post between Nigel and I, his words will be marked in green!

Also read: Europe: Finding The Perfect Holiday Home

Personally, I feel I'm pretty well-traveled but if you ask me about my previous travel experiences, I'd struggle to tell you much, reason being: my previous travels were all with my family and mostly on tour groups. Hence, I'm sure it will resonate with many readers when I say I hate tours because the schedule is always so packed, making the travel experience a rushed and unpleasant one. I'll always choose free and easy travel over tours. 

One of the best things about that is that you can choose your accommodation. Today, we can experience a myriad of accommodation through the numerous accommodation portals online (mentioned in the previous post) and it's easier to meet people from different cultures who are nice enough to host you and show you how the locals live.  Often, these mean eating local food, living in a local neighborhood, exploring what the locals frequent instead of the over-rated touristy landmarks and sharing conversations with locals which allow both parties to learn more about each other's cultures. Isn't all these what travel is about?

In this blogpost, Uli and I will share with you the homes that we lived in during our month long trip to Europe.

Europe: Finding The Perfect Holiday Home

Welcome to the first post that documents my month-long European adventure! Starting with the basics, I think it'll be helpful that I talk about how to find your ideal and budget friendly accommodation. My tips are based on personal experience and tailored to my needs. 

Also read: Europe: Living Like A Local

Duration of stay - How many days do you plan to stay in a particular city? Is it short or long term? 

Budget - I personally prefer to treat myself if I intend to spend lots of time staying in.

Facilities - Depending on lifestyle, a washing machine and kitchen may enhance your stay drastically.

Privacy - How comfortable are you with sharing common space with your host and/ or other guests? The more you share a space with someone, the higher the level of interaction.

Location - As a rule of thumb, closer to city centre the better. However, be prepared to lower expectations for other factors as good locations usually suggests higher rental and may be less desirable.

Transport options - I've learnt that convenience very much depends on easy and direct links. In other words, as a tourist it's more bearable to travel longer distances on direct lines as compared to multiple transfers.

There are of course exceptions. But answer yourself honestly to avoid disappointments. Once you have a rough idea of your expectations, pick an appropriate website to find your accommodation. Below are some which I have used and trust.

AirBnB - Stands for "air bed and breakfast". Note that not all provides breakfast. This is my personal favourite and the best place to find unique spaces (e.g. tree house), homes and live like a local. (Click and sign up here to get S$34 off your first booking. Not an Ad.)

Booking - From hostels to hotels and anything in between, you can book at ease knowing there are no booking or cancellation fees.

Hostelsworld - Good site for a wide range of budget and hostel type accommodations.

Couch Surfing - As the title suggests, you can find "couches" to live on, at no cost. While couch-surfing is obviously the cheapest form of accommodation, you must understand that CS is no way a hotel and should not be abused. CS requires a lot of trust and interaction between the host and surfer and reviews are extremely important. It is not worth it if your sole intention is to find a roof and pay no rent. I had a great experience with my host in Belfort but I recommend this option only for people who truly wish to spend time with your host while exploring the city. Hosts hate feeling used! Be open-minded and you'll have the best time in your life if your host is right for you. Do your research and comb through every inch of their profiles to find a good match. Think of it as looking for a potential partner!

Most generic booking sites are rather straightforward. But relationships based networks like AirBnB and CS often requires a bit of chat with your host. Here are my tried-and-tested tips on how to score the best accommodations and maybe make a friend or two!

Always introduce yourself - Some of my friends find my BnB requests longwinded, but I can confidently tell you that it'll make an impression and give your host a good reason to accept your request. Put yourself in their shoes; wouldn't it be nice to know what else is the stranger interested in other than to live in your home? Talk about your age, occupation and interests as a start. 

Ask for discount - 50% of hosts I spoke to offered me a discount when I asked nicely. For that to happen, be reasonable and play your cards right. Don't be cheap. Use polite phrases like "will you be so kind to offer me a special rate?" Emphasising that I'm a student helped.

Ask questions - If you have doubts, ask. Don't set yourself for a nasty surprise! Some considerations I came across were if I needed a car to explore an area and if there were night buses to send me home.

Trust your instincts - They say women have ultra accurate gut feelings. Hosts whom I favoured naturally (even those with little reviews) turned out fantastic in real life! If you feel uneasy about a certain host, consider letting him or her go. 

Feel at home - To truly respect somebody else's property, you must feel like it's your own. Whether it's a hostel, home or hotel, maintain cleanliness throughout your stay. Your host will feel really appreciated. Besides, nobody owes you a living.

Make the bed - Especially applicable to BnBs. Many times, I felt like it was a true privilege to live in somebody's personal bedroom. This is a basic gesture so often forgotten. Leave the space like how it welcomed you.

Say thank you - Most BnB hosts collect scraps of drawings and notes left by their international guests, so why not add to their collection? A hand-written thank you note is timeless.

Final thoughts

At the end of the day, the emotional experience will be what you remember most from the stay. When I was staying with hosts, I like to offer them iconic Singaporean beverages like Milo and Ah Huat coffee. My hosts were delighted to try something foreign and made me very happy in return. If you can, seize the opportunity to interact with your hosts. They are the ones who will reveal to you the best hideouts in the city you'll never discover on Trip Advisor.

Bali Itinerary Part 2: Seminyak

Welcome to the second and final part of the "Nigel and I" Bali Itinerary series. I'm so glad that many of you enjoyed part 1 and we are very encouraged by all the positive comments you have showered us with. Seminyak is like the city area of Bali and very popular for its beaches, shopping district and nightlife. Nigel and I spent 4 nights in Seminyak and we absolutely enjoyed our stay. Food and shopping were within reach, with its amazing beaches being our favourite part. So read on to see what we experienced in Seminyak!

Bali Itinerary Part 1: Ubud

I took a week long vacation with Nigel to Bali earlier in May. I grew up in a family where an overseas trip was relationships driven; either visiting my dad (who worked overseas a lot) or my relatives (majority of them are located in Shanghai and Hong Kong), rarely had the chance to experience touristy activities by myself. Most of my time in bustling cities like Hong Kong revolved around shopping. In my poly days, I seized opportunities to travel with the school for study trips, the main reason being the subsidies and second because I had so much more freedom with my friends. This time, however, I am sick of pleasing people, shopping and always rushed around by someone else. I was craving for a beach vacation that allowed plenty of time for relaxation and indulgence. So that explains why Nigel and I decided to take 7 days off to Bali!

I was extremely flattered by many of you who have followed me on Instagram, liked my photos and requested for a Bali blog post. Firstly, I'd like to highlight that the itinerary was completely planned by Nigel, just because I am a bum who gets anxious easily. He is so awesome and deserves all the credit. The best I could do was documenting our journey for you to enjoy. I have organised this blog post in chronological order.

p.s. As a collective effort, Nigel will be guest editing in green text!

Hello dear readers, thank you for reading Uli's blog and I hope you enjoy our first co-authored blog-post!

Shanghai Day 11: Shoes!

My sincere apologies for breaking my promise of blogging daily about my Shanghai trip. My schedule was packed and I couldn't keep up. Anyway, I asked on Twitter if you would like me to blog about shoes I purchased in China, and the response was positive. Hopefully this post would help you when you shop on Taobao or visit Shanghai. Whether you are a shoeaholic or plain curious, here it is - Shoe Porn!

GUCCI Minimalistic Sandals, RMB274/ S$54

I hope I don't offend anymore here for purchasing a GUCCI duplicate. I have been looking for a pair sandals like this but most I have seen in Singapore are either too expensive (ZARA) or uncomfortable. It's expected for heels with little straps to be uncomfortable, but this pair was made with platforms which makes it a lot better. I'm sure you'd understand. The studs are kinda unnecessary but I don't mind. The price is relatively high because it's duplicated to look very similar to the real deal and it's real leather. Even came with a GUCCI shoe box! In case you're getting the exact pair, it's true to size, but do get one size down if you have narrow feet like mine.

Boho Fringe Boots, RMB159/ S$32

I call this my 'Pocahontas' boots. I would probably dress myself entirely in fringe if it was deemed acceptable by society lol. These boots will look super cute with a maxi dress and denim shorts. I'm not sure if it's even partially leather but it's good quality and very comfortable. Runs true to size.

Oxford Boots, RMB356, S$71

This is my favourite pair out of the lot. It's expensive because it's all-over genuine leather, even its interior. I love the faded and slightly glossy appearance, giving it a worn out look by default. Compared to my Dr Martens, these fit my narrow feet a lot better with its slim cut. They can look very androgynous with skinny jeans or pants, just the way I like it. If you are getting the same pair, buy one size down!

FEIYUE Canvas Sneakers, RMB69/ S$14

Probably the most iconic shoes you can buy from Shanghai, also the cheapest out of the lot. They were very popular among local youths in the seventies, worn mainly for sports. I cannot tell you where to buy these because I happened to find them in a small shop along Nanjing Road. FEIYUE had become a timeless classic, and according to the shopkeeper, it's now very popular among the French. In Europe, a pair like this retails for 50 Euros. Ironically, the local youths don't fancy these at all. To me, I just wanted something practical and memorable from Shanghai. Ah, canvas shoes always remind me of good ol' school days!


*Update: I just found out there is an official Taobao web store for Feiyue sneakers! Here: www.cmfeiyue.taobao.com

Shanghai Day 3: Coffee Culture

Knit sweater - Mango | Leggings - Blackmilk | Boots - Dr Martens | Beanie - H&M

Today was a relaxing day. I visited the Propaganda Art museum and got coffee at a French café along Shanghai's renowned street, Hua Shan. The street is known for its French architecture and according to mom, condos were exclusively built for the rich and famous. In every city which I have gone to, I always try to find an afternoon to sit in a cafe. Besides the market place, a cafe is probably the best place to immerse among locals. I like to listen to conversations and observe people around me.

In China, foreigners often perceive everything here as 'cheap', but it's not true anymore. The coffee alone costs RMB35, breaking down to about S$7. Cheap? Not at all. The standard of living in Shanghai is improving tremendously over the recent years, and the locals sure know the art of coffee indulgence. People were well dressed, poised, some were silently engaging in Taobao on their mobile devices. As a tourist, I could only imagine how the life of a Shanghainese is like outside the cafe.

夏朵西餐厅(丁香店)

徐汇区华山路855号(近复兴西路)

Twitter | Instagram | Vine @ulimali

Shanghai Day 2: Road Accident

A heated argument almost broke into a full fight when our car ran over a man's foot while reversing at a road junction. Let me just refer to that village man as 'Bob'. Bob claimed that his right foot was injured from being run over under our wheel because he was looking at his phone when we reversed the car. 

The moment after the run over occurred, Bob started knocking violently on our car window and demanded uncle (driver) to get out. To be honest, that scared the crap out of me because I didn't know how to react. According to mom who was looking out from the back seat when the accident occurred,  Bob was walking in opposing direction away from the car, which meant nothing would have happened if he were to continue walking away. But somehow Bob made a sudden turn towards our car which caused his foot to get under our wheel.

All I could make out of the situation from inside the car was a very agitated 'victim' demanding for compensation. By then, the local police have already arrived to intervene the argument, and suggested to drive Bob to the nearest hospital for an X-Ray to see if his foot was indeed injured.

Long story short: Bob made it look like an accident on purpose! It's a crime gimmick altogether.

The X-Ray proved that there was only minor abrasion which could not possibly be it if it was a real run over. I didn't even feel like the car ran over something. No bumpy feeling whatsoever, It's funny because when asked, Bob could not produce his ID. He was also very reluctant to go the the hospital. We suspect that he was already injured prior to the accident.

If a victim is seriously injured, he would probably ask for immediate medical attention, right? If it was a real injury, wouldn't Bob be more concerned over if his toes were broken, rather than having the energy to argue? But Bob didn't. In fact, he was unable to answer us properly when we asked what exactly was it that we wanted.

In the end, we still had to compensate a small sum because uncle might have been negligent when reversing. A lesson for all drivers to be extra careful when reversing a car. Especially in China! People do all sorts of things for money. I am just thankful that nothing serious happened! Think I witnessed the darker side of China today..what an eye opener.

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Ending off on a positive note, here's a picture of me, grandpa and mom taken at a garden which was built to tell the story of a classic tale, 红楼梦 a.k.a. Dream of The Red Chamber! It's almost like Chinese Garden but ten times bigger and more scenic.

Bow Print Sweetheart Dress - Nishe

上海大观园 

上海市青浦区青商公路701号 

邮编 201718

Shanghai Day 1: Cat Café

宁静名猫生活馆

Ning Jing Cat Café

275 Dahua No. 2 Road

I have always wanted to visit a cat cafe. There are plenty of pet restaurants in Singapore, which is a great idea, but what about people who do not have pets of their own? Today I went to check out a cat cafe near my residence in Shanghai. It' such and it's a cozy little space! Inside, I enjoyed a cup of coffee with about a dozen cats roaming around freely. These felines were so comical and mischievous, really playful too! They were well groomed and incredibly soft to touch! It was a joy to watch cat enthusiasts entertain these little rascals with laser pointers and toys. Me being me, spent half the time snapping pictures and baby talking to those furry felines. Ah, I just love being around cats!

Watch the short video:

Follow me around in Shanghai on Instagram &Vine @ulimali!