September 2019 – The Wknd Travel

N9 In Straya Series: PUFFING BILLY RAILWAY & YARRA VALLEY WINE TOUR – Victoria’s Heritage Steam Railway & Wine Region In A Day

Hey, I hope you’re having a great day so far. I was checking my list of topics to post & noticed that I’ve left out the Puffing Billy & Wine Tour we had in Melbourne last April. All other activities or happenings have already been posted on this website – Melbourne Walkathon Part 1: Parks, Gardens & Heritage Sites, Melbourne Walkathon Part 2: Hipster Laneways, Communal Spaces & Modern Areas, Brighton Beach Bathing Boxes, Great Ocean Road Tour & Phillip Island Day Trip. I’ve also shared with you some details about Melbourne’s most famous CBD hostel – Flinders Backpackers, located near Flinders Street Station.

Just like New South Wales’ Hunter Valley, Victoria also has its own wine region called Yarra Valley.

Back to the last Melbourne post, allow me to share with you the details of this relaxing day tour we had in the Dandenong Ranges. We booked the day tour through an online tour provider & then we were endorsed to another company who actively runs this trip around the area. The trip was divided into 2 parts- the Puffing Billy Railway Experience in the morning & the Yarra Valley Wine Tasting Tour in the afternoon. Let me give you a quick background of our destinations before we fully go into the details of the day tour.

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Puffing billy railway

Puffing Billy Railway is Australia’s heritage steam railway that has been in operation since 1900. This railway used to be the main transporter for the local farming & timber community. This was used to bring goods to & from the Dandenong Ranges & served a vital role in the lives of the Victorians.

The railway used to operate from Upper Fentree Gully to Gembrook. Now, the railway starts operating mostly from Belgrave Station up to the Lakeside. It has also become a popular attraction in Melbourne where thousands of tourists ride the steam train each year.

Yarra Valley Wine Region

Yarra Valley is Victoria’s own wine region that is known for producing world-class Chardonnay, sparkling wine & Pinot Noir. The region’s cool climate makes it a perfect place to have vineyards & wineries all year round. At present, there are over a hundred wineries operating in this region & we were lucky to visit 3 of them on this tour.

Tour Booking

My friends & I found Last Minute Day Tours Australia to be the cheapest tour provider for the Puffing Billy Railway & Yarra Valley Wine Tasting Tour for our planned date. The tour cost AUD 129 per person. The fee included hotel pick-up & drop-off, a luxury tourist coach transport, national park fees, a professional tour guide, railway tickets, morning tea & wine tastings at selected Yarra Valley wineries.

We also decided to upgrade our tour & availed of the AUD 46 lunch set in one of the fine dining restaurants. Each of us paid AUD 175 for the whole day tour – that’s around ₱6,500 per person at that time. Last Minute Day Tours Australia then endorsed us to AAT Kings, the tour provider for this day trip. AAT Kings is one of Australia’s prime tour operators & is known for its upscale tour programs. The company offers this tour for a more expensive rate; glad we got it discounted through Last Minute Day Tours.

The day trip to the Dandenong Ranges may be a little expensive but it was all worth it.

Tour Itinerary

Let me share with you the specific happenings on this luxury day tour. It all started with a scheduled pickup from one of the hotels near Flinders Backpackers Melbourne. We were then brought to the AAT Kings luxury coach somewhere in the CBD. Upon boarding, we were given the menu for lunch. Our orders were taken & was forwarded to the restaurant for early preparation. We left the city a few minutes past 8 in the morning.

MORNING TEA

Our first stop was Grants on Sherbrooke for morning tea. It is a family-run business in the middle of the forest & is a famous stop for those going to the Puffing Billy Railway. We were given hot bread with butter & jam plus coffee or tea for a snack. All these items were unlimited; guests can eat & drink as much as they want. Each AAT Kings guest was also given a free tray of bird seeds to feed the wild birds. I went for both the morning tea & bird feeding session. There were a lot of cockatoos present during our visit. It was fun feeding these cockatoos.

PUFFING BILLY RIDE

After morning tea, we headed to Belgrave Station of the Puffing Billy Railway. AAT Kings had already resereved a number of wooden coaches for our tour group. Our guide brought us to these coaches & then we boarded the steam railway to Menzies Creek Station. The train line was operated by one of the many original steam engines that were used way back in the 1900s. In this modern day & age, one doesn’t get to ride a steam railway a lot of times. This 20-ish minute train ride was a cool experience.

LUNCH AT ISABELLA’S RESTAURANT

After getting off at Menzies Creek Station, we all went back to the bus & headed for lunch at Isabella’s Restaurant. This restaurant is located within Rochford Wines‘ winery & offers a fantastic view of the vineyards.

Our lunch set started with flat bread & butter for appetizer. Our previously-selected main course followed. I went for the 16-hour oyster blade of beef & slow roasted pumpkin tangine with feta & toasted almond. The main course came with a glass of Rochford wine. After the main meal, were were given a slice of cake & macaron with a cup of tea of coffee.

We had a great lunch. I never had a perfectly-cooked beef dish in a while. Honestly, we had more than the amount we paid for this lunch set. The place was also beautiful & classy.

WINE TASTING TOUR

We had our wine tasting tour after lunch. We went to 3 different wineries & tried their best-selling wines. The wineries included in this tour were Rochford Wines, Dominique Portet Winery & Yerring Farm. Each winery had its own unique element, but what I enjoyed most is the laid back & authentic experience with Yerring Farm. Check out the photos of our wine tasting tour below.

Rochford Wines

Dominique Portet Winery

Yerring Farm

In case you missed it, I visited another Australian wine region last year. I went to Yarra Valley in New South Wales for another wine tasting tour. Check out this post to know more about the day tour.

After having a few glasses of wine in Yerring Farms, we all headed back to the coach & started the trip back to Melbourne. We arrived back in Melbourne at around 5:30 in the afternoon. My friends & I enjoyed this relaxing & fun Puffing Billy Railway & Yarra Valley Wine Tasting day trip. This day tour is worth trying when in Melbourne!

Have you tried the Puffing Billy Railway? How about the Wine Tasting Tour in Yarra Valley? How was your experience? I am looking at flying back to Melbourne in the coming months. Is there another place which I should visit? Feel free to post your experiences or suggestions in the comment section below. Alternatively, you can send all these messages via e-mail to contact@thewkndtravel.com. I’ll respond as soon as I can. Don’t forget to follow me & please also help me in promoting my social media channels – Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.

Thank you very much for joining me in this Australia series. I’ve had great times in both Sydney (& Brisbane) & Melbourne trips over the last year. I cannot wait to go back to these cities & explore more! ✌️

PS. Photos were taken using my HTC U11.

Flight Report: INDONESIA AIR ASIA QZ 7550 – Jakarta to Yogyakarta – Low-Cost Domestic Flight To Indonesia’s Royal City

Hello & welcome to another flight report! Today, I will share with you my experience with Indonesia Air Asia on their domestic service from the country’s capital Jakarta to the royal city of Yogyakarta. I will discuss on the fare, in-flight service, pricing, etc. just like the previous flight reports.

Let me take you to Yogyakarta (JOG) via Air Asia – Indonesia’s Royal City located in Central Jaya!

In case you missed yesterday’s post, I shared with you details about my $24 international flight last month on Cebu Pacific Air from Manila, Philippines to Jakarta, Indonesia. It was an awesome night flight – crew was great, the emergency exit seat pitch was spacious & the flight arrived on time. I was a happy passenger considering I only paid a that much for the 4-hour flight.

Be sure to also check my previous flight reports on EVA Air’s Taipei to Manila service & Cebu Pacific Air’s domestic service from Legaspi to Manila. Now back to the Indonesia Air Asia, allow me to discuss the flight details in the parts mentioned below.

indonesia Air asia

Indonesia Air Asia is a low-cost airline headquartered in Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Jakarta, Indonesia. It is the Indonesian counterpart of Air Asia Berhad based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The airline currently flies to over 20 destinations in Indonesia, Southeast Asia & even in Australia. It operates an all economy class Airbus A320 fleet. Just like any other low-cost carrier, the airline offers basic flight services. Any additional service needs to be purchased.

*Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Jakarta is a clean & nice airport. It has that local vibe! 🙂*

Air Ticket

You might have noticed in my previous post that my recent Indonesia trip was booked only 2 months prior. I wasn’t able to get the chance of getting really low fares for the domestic sector in Indonesia. Thank God for Indonesia Air Asia, I was able to get a Jakarta – Yogyakarta – Jakarta ticket for about ₱3,155 (amount reflected on my credit card statement.) This fare is already cheap considering it was booked 6 weeks before the trip & I was flying in & out during peak days of Friday & Monday.

The ticket summary – each flight comes with 15 kilograms complimentary checked baggage!! 🙂

The airfare includes a guaranteed seat in the flight plus 7 kilograms carry on baggage. Unlike other low-cost carriers, Indonesia Air Asia offers complimentary 15 kilogram check-in baggage for all its domestic routes. Take note this free baggage allowance is only applicable to flights departing & arriving at an Indonesian destination. I don’t have any idea on what’s the reason behind this, but it is a great free add-on!

Flight Details

This flight service from Jakarta to Yogyakarta was operated by a 6.2-year old Airbus A320-200 aircraft with an all economy class configuration. The plane has 30 rows, with 6 seats per row.

The flight started taxiing 10 minutes after scheduled departure time & arrived 40 minutes after the scheduled arrival time at Adi Sucipto International Airport . The flight was delayed due to the busy air traffic at Yogyakarta Airport. The flight that was supposed to only take 50 minutes ended up taking 1 hour & 48 minutes. It was not Indonesia Air Asia’s fault. However, the delay still affected the flight experience.

Check-In, Baggage & Boarding

Indonesia Air Asia flies from Soekarno-Hatta International Airport Terminal 2 in Jakarta. Check-in counters in this terminal are spacious & efficient. Passengers are expected to check in using the self check-in kiosks located near every counter. After printing the boarding pass, passengers with check-in baggage are advised to go to the bag drop counters to leave their bags. There were no lines or whatsoever. In fact, I finished the check-in process (with bag drop – of course I had to make use of the free baggage allowance) in less than 5 minutes.

As mentioned above, Indonesia Air Asia offers complimentary 15-kilogram baggage allowance in all of its domestic sector. It is a great addition; at least passengers don’t need to purchase baggage allowance for their flights. My luggage was a little over 7 kilograms but I still checked it in. It feels good to walk around the airport without a heavy bag on your back.

Indonesia Air Asia, just like any other Air Asia flights, board passengers via seat numbers. They prioritize Premium Flex guests & those assigned on Rows 1-5, 12 & 14. Passengers seated from rows 15-30 come next & those seated from rows 6 to 11 board last. The boarding process in this flight was smooth & organized. It didn’t take us long to board the aircraft.

Seat, In-Flight Meal & Entertainment

Like any other low-cost airlines, these services are for additional fees. Indonesia Air Asia assigns seats to all its guests days before the flight. If you want to change the seat assigned to you, you need to pay extra for your preferred seat. They also do not allow seat changes upon check-in. You either take your assigned seat or pay at the check-in counter for your preferred seat. In my recent Cebu Pacific Air flight, the ground staff granted by request to be seated in the emergency exit row free of charge.

The legroom – not the best. It was okay for a short flight but not for a medium / long haul flight..

I got seat 3B for this flight. I got a premium or hot seat as they call it. Is it really premium? I don’t think so. Legroom has 29-inch seat pitch – the same with Cebu Pacific Air’s. The only difference is that Air Asia’s seats are the soft, old & thick ones while Cebu Pacific Air’s seats are the thin new ones that provide more legroom for the passengers. The seats were already old up to the point my back can feel the knees of the passenger behind me. The seats & tray tables were not that clean; the seatbelts were too tight. I guess I’m not a fan of Air Asia’s seats.

In-flight meals or snacks can be pre-ordered or purchased on board. The cabin crew goes around with the snack tray & offers food to the passengers. Air Asia offers an extensive choice of snacks & drinks. The choices can be found on the airline’s inflight menu called, Santan. I didn’t avail of any meal or snack for this short flight. Airplane food for sale on-board are expensive & overpriced.

There’s nothing in front of you except for a red seat cover & magazines to read during the flight..

Indonesia Air Asia doesn’t have personal entertainment screens on their aircraft. Passengers are only given in-flight literature & Duty Free magazines to read / browse during the flight.

Lavatory

I didn’t get the chance to visit the aircraft’s lavatory during the flight. I was a bit shy to tell the person seated beside me to stand & I also didn’t feel the need to use it.

Cabin Crew Service

Air Asia’s cabin crew service is known for being passenger-friendly & hospitable. The crew on this flight isn’t an exception. They welcomed all the passengers with their smiles in their faces. They were all nice & attentive. Crew service was fast & efficient; they were able to finish meal service 20 minutes after take-off. The only downside I can remember was the noise they created in the front galley when we were waiting for landing. 2 ladies were chatting in loud voices about random stuff. Other than that, service was good.

Verdict

I had an ‘okay’ flight experience with Indonesia Air Asia on flight QZ 7550 from Jakarta to Yogyakarta last August. The flight had both hits & misses so I can’t generally say it was an awesome flight. First miss, the aircraft used was already old & some cabin features are already outdated. Seats are not comfortable; legroom isn’t that good. Second, the flight was delayed due to runway traffic in Yogyakarta Airport. It was not the airline’s fault, but then again, it has stained the flight experience. Third, cabin crew were alright. They were responsive, friendly & hospitable, but they also had unnecessary noise in the front galley towards the latter part of the flight.

The flight also had some wins. First, the fare was great. Considering I booked the ticket about 2 months into the trip; I still managed to get it for around ₱1,600 per way. Second, the ticket included a complimentary 15 kilogram check-in baggage allowance. This is a rare add-on for low-cost airlines – thank you Indonesia Air Asia. Lastly, check-in & boarding process was fast & efficient. It didn’t take long to finish all these processes.

At the end of the day, the airline was able to bring me to Yogyakarta for that affordable price. I am thankful I got the my destination safe & sound. Will I fly them again in the future? Maybe yes, maybe no. I really can’t say. The main deal-breaker will probably the airfare. If it’s cheap, then I’ll give it a go. If it’s almost the same as a full-service airline, I’ll go with the full-service airline.

In case you’re interested in the flight & aircraft details, check out the specifics below.

Airline: Indonesia Air Asia
Flight Date: 23 August 2019
Flight Number: QZ 7550
Route: Jakarta (CGK) Indonesia – Yogyakarta (JOG) Indonesia
Duration: 1:48 hours
Seat Number: 3B
Aircraft: Airbus A320-214 Sharklet
Aircraft Registration: PK-AZE
Age: 6.2 Years
Year Delivered: 2013

Have you ever flown with Indonesia Air Asia? Where did you fly to & how was your flight experience? Share your thoughts & experiences in the comments section below. If you want to remain anonymous to everyone, you can also send it via email to contact@thewkndtravel.com. I’ll respond as soon as I can. Don’t forget to follow me & please also help me in promoting my social media channels – Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.

Thanks for joining me in today’s Flight Report! Watch out for the next one.

PS. Photos were taken using my HTC U11.

Flight Report: CEBU PACIFIC AIR 5J 759 – Manila to Jakarta – ₱1,236 ($24) International Flight To Indonesia

Last month, I flew to Indonesia to spend a long weekend with my friends. We all flew to Yogyakarta to go around the city for 3 full days & visit the majestic Borobudur Temple. Watch out for the post about that trip. I first flew to Jakarta & spent the night there before continuing my journey to our destination. Believe it or not, I flew with Cebu Pacific Air for only ₱1,236 one way. It’s crazy cheap for a 4-hour flight; guess I’m lucky in getting these kinds of deals. I will share with you how my experience was on that flight. Note that I won’t be covering my Jakarta to Manila flight because I just slept the entire flight.

Did you know that I already talked about my previous Taipei to Manila flight with EVA Air & Legazpi to Manila flight with Cebu Pacific Air? Check out those flight reports in this link.

Cebu Pacific Air

As mentioned in my previous flight report, Cebu Pacific Air is the Philippine’s largest airline, flying to over 60 destinations across the country, Asia Pacific & the Middle East. The airline is known for it’s Piso Fare promotion where they offer flights for as low as ₱1 base fare. They hold these promotions at least once every quarter or during special occasions, milestones or holidays.

If you want to know more about the airline, feel free to visit their corporate website by clicking this link.

Airfare

My ticket from Manila to Jakarta & back cost me only ₱2,471 – ₱1,236 from Manila to Jakarta & ₱1,235 from Jakarta to Manila. Jakarta’s airport authority, Angkas Pura II, has pretty much the same fees & taxes imposed by our own Manila International Airport Authority. I was able to book this cheap ticket last 12 June 2019 when Cebu Pacific Air had their Independence Day Piso Fare sale.

The ticket included only 7-kg carry on baggage. I didn’t avail of any additional services because the trip only lasted for a 4 days; I didn’t have to bring a lot of stuff. What do you think of the airfare? Imagine flying 4 hours for only that much; that’s around ₱300 per hour – even cheaper than my almost an hour Grab ride to the airport.

flight information

The flight was operated by an 8-year old Airbus A320-314 aircraft – built & delivered in 2011. The plan operates an all economy class configuration with 3 seats per row & 180 seats in total. It took us 4 hours & 13 minutes to get to Jakarta, 2 minutes earlier than the airline’s allotted 4 hours & 15 minutes flying schedule. The flight had a lot of turbulence along the way, especially when we were flying to our assigned cruising altitude.

Airport Check-In, Baggage & Boarding

Cebu Pacific Air’s check-in facilities at Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 were alright. They divided the flights & check-in counters by destination. They also have a special line for web & mobile check-in & a priority lane for senior citizens, persons with disability & people travelling with infants. I already checked in via the airline’s mobile application so it only took me about 10 minutes to check-in.

One of the many Cebu Pacific Air check-in counters in Ninoy Aquino International Airport T3!! 🙂

I mentioned in my previous Cebu Pacific Air flight report that the airline offers prepaid baggage on all its flights. My recent Indonesia trip only lasted for 4 days, so I didn’t avail of any check-in baggage for my flights. In case you are wondering how much the updated baggage rates are for Cebu Pacific Air’s Jakarta route, check out the screenshot below.

The boarding process was done by sections / seats. Those travelling with infants, small children, senior citizens & those needing special assistance were asked to board first. They were followed by those seated from rows 16 to 31. The last group to board were those seated from rows 1 to 15. Boarding didn’t take us a lot of time – all passengers were already inside the aircraft about 20 minutes after boarding started.

Seat, In-flight Meal & Entertainment

Cebu Pacific Airline, being the country’s biggest low-cost carrier, offers all add-ons for additional fees. You can avail of these extra services as early as during the ticket booking process up until 4 hours into the flight.

Seats are automatically assigned by the airline a week before the flight. Passengers can view their assigned seats in the ‘Manage Booking’ section of the website. If any case they don’t like the seat assigned to them, they can change it & purchase their preferred seat for a fee. Alternatively, passengers can just ask for a window, an aisle or an exit seat during check-in.

Here’s the updated seat selection free for the Manila-Jakarta route. Rate as of 21 September 2019.

I was initially assigned seat 24A during this flight, but I asked the ground staff for an available emergency exit seat during check-in. Voila, I was transferred to seat 12F with no extra cost; plus I had the whole exit row to myself. The legroom on exit seats is amazing; seat pitch is big – not the usual 28 or 29 inches in a regular seat. The only downside of getting this emergency exit seat is that the seats do not recline. I guess you really can’t have it all.

Thank God for this spacious seat pitch on seat 12F; glad I was able to request for an exit seat to CGK.

Cebu Pacific Air doesn’t offer free in-flight meal & entertainment. Rice meals & snacks are available for purchase from the time the ticket is booked up to 24 hours into the flight. Guests who failed to purchase snacks or meals can still buy from the items being offered on-board by the cabin crew. Feel free to check out these snack items at the Fun Cafe menu found in the pocket in front of each seat. I didn’t avail any snack during the flight; I made sure I had a heavy dinner before the flight. The airline also doesn’t have personal entertainment screens; they only have their in-flight magazine & duty free magazine for you to check or read.

Here are the updated prices if you decide to pre-book your in-flight meals & snacks on the website

Fun Cafe menu – this contains the treats & drinks available for purchase onboard during the flight

I didn’t really expect anything from Cebu Pacific Air in terms of these matters. They’re a low cost airline; they will only provide passengers the basic flight needs for super affordable fares. I don’t mind flying with them in short haul international destinations – you’ll arrive at your destination after a few hours.

lavatory

I used the aircraft’s front lavatory before we left Manila & prior to landing in Jakarta. I must say that the lavatory was clean & properly-maintained by the crew. Kudos to the flight crew for constantly checking on the front lavatory.

cabin crew

Cabin crew on this 4-hour flight were great & welcoming as expected. One thing I found good about this crew was how fast they finished meal service after the seatbelt sign was switched off. If I remembered it right, it only took them about 15 minutes to finish serving the pre-booked meals & offering in-flight snacks to the passengers. Also, they were super attentive to every request made by the guests & stayed alert throughout the flight. From experience, Cebu Pacific Air’s cabin crew has always been great & I’m glad that they keep that vibe throughout the years.

verdict

My flight with Cebu Pacific Air last 22 August 2019 on 5J 759 from Manila to Jakarta, Indonesia was great. Even though the aircraft was already 8 years old, the in-flight facilities such as the seats, lavatory & ventilation, are up-to-date & well-maintained. The flight was on time & the cabin crew were amazing as always. Paying only ₱1,236 for this Manila to Jakarta leg was definitely a steal. You don’t get that much chance to fly to international destinations at that cheap rate. I am thankful I recently had the chance to do so.

Will I fly Cebu Pacific Air again? Of course! I will be flying them again in December when I fly back to my home town for the holidays & probably back to the metro in January, plus I have another flight with them to a new destination in February. I am already looking forward to these Cebu Pacific Air flights & I cannot wait to fly with them again with cheap fares!

Having 2 empty emergency exit seats beside you was the best thing in this 4 hour flight to CGK!! 🙂

In case you’re wondering what the statistics of this Manila to Jakarta flight are, check out the details below:

Airline: Cebu Pacific Air
Flight Date: 22 August 2019
Flight Number: 5J 759
Route: Manila, Philippines (MNL) to Jakarta, Indonesia (CGK)
Duration: 4:13 hours
Seat Number: 12F
Aircraft: Airbus A320-214
Aircraft Registration: RP-C3267
Age: 8 years
Year Delivered: 2011

Have you flown with Cebu Pacific Air on a ₱1-base fare international flight? Where did you fly to & how was your experience? Feel free to share your flight experience in the comment section below. You can also share them via email to contact@thewkndtravel.com. I’ll respond as soon as I can. Don’t forget to follow me & please please please also help me in promoting my social media channels – Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.

Thanks for joining me in today’s Flight Report! My next flight report will be about a famous low-cost airline in Southeast Asia. Watch out for it soon.

PS. Photos were taken using my HTC U11.

YEHLIU-JIUFEN-SHIFEN Klook Tour – Perfect & Hassle-Free Taiwan Northeast Coast Day Tour

Note: This post is not in any way sponsored by Klook. This is a narrative & a review of the day tour we took with Klook during our Taiwan trip last June 2019. Just like any other group, we paid the full day tour fee through Klook’s website.

Yesterday, I shared with you details about Uinn Travel Hostel, the modern & excellent hostel we stayed in Taipei last June. My family went on a 4-day weekend trip to Taiwan last June. We flew with EVA Air for an affordable price & even went on a day trip to Taichung. Watch out for the post that will lay out our chill itinerary around the city.

It was a sunny day; a perfect weather to explore Yehliu Geopark, the Northeast Coast of Taiwan. 🙂

One of the famous day trips outside of Taipei is a trip to the Northeast Coast of Taiwan. This trip goes to the known places of Yehliu Geopark, Jiufen & Shifen. I already went to Shifen & Jiufen in 2015 (via a do-it-yourself itinerary) & in 2017 on a half day trip with Klook. We opted to go with Klook again this year since we were travelling with our parents & our baby cousin.

I will share with you details about the day tour – its price & inclusions, meeting place & boarding procedure & the itinerary for the whole trip in the different sections below.

Day Tour Price & Booking

We booked the day tour via Klook‘s website. We opted for the 9:00 am tour. The tour included a shuttle bus with driver, shuttle toll & parking fees, an English-speaking tour guide & a bottle of water. At the time of booking, it cost us ₱8,786 for 8 people & 1 infant – around ₱1,100 per person. The rate also included the entry ticket to Yehliu Geopark.

At the time of writing, Klook offers the tour at a cheaper rate of ₱975, including the Geopark entry ticket. No idea why it’s cheaper than our trip – maybe because it was peak season during? Anyway, there’s no need to print the Klook voucher; you can present it using your phone on the day of the tour.

This is Klook’s day tour rate at the time of writing this blog post – 8 September 2019 at 5:00 PM.

Tip: Full names, birthdays & passport details are required while booking the tour.

Meeting Place & Boarding

Klook’s designated meeting & boarding place is in front of GaKuDen Bakery near Exit 4 of Ximen Station. The meeting place is very easy to find; you’ll also see a lot of other people (many of them are Filipinos) waiting for the buses.

On the day of the tour, we went to the designated meeting place at least 30 minutes before our scheduled trip. Our trip is due to leave at 9:00 am but we were already there at 8:30 am. Our tour guide (Hillary) called the groups one by one, asked for a copy of the Klook voucher (showed the voucher in my phone) & let us board the bus. Upon leaving the meeting place, she handed everyone a water bottle & started talking about Taiwan, Taipei & our destinations – Yehliu Geopark, Jiufen & Shifen.

itinerary

Allow me to share with your our itinerary for the day tour. I will give you information about every stop & how long we stayed in every place. The trip to the 1st stop (Yehliu Geopark) took about an hour while the trip back to Taipei took about 1 hour & 20 minutes because of traffic in the city.

YEHLIU GEOPARK

Yehliu Geopark is a natural park consisting of interesting sedimentary rock figures formed through geological forces of sea erosion on softer rock layers. The most famous rock formations found here is the Queens Head. There are a lot more interesting formations found around the Geopark. We stayed around the park for 70 minutes.

The famous Queen’s Head rock formation in Yehliu Geopark; I took the photo from another angle.

YIN YANG SEA

The Yin Yang Sea is the dual-colored part of the northern coast of Taiwan. The blue-colored sea is mixed with the yellow-colored water coming from the old mine sites. The Yin Yang Sea viewing platform & 13 Layer Remains were located in the same area. We spent around 10 minutes in these 2 areas.

13 LAYER REMAINS

The 13 Layer Remains is a former smelter plant that used to process metal from the mountains. The plant was run by the state from the 1940’s & for about 30 years. The plant shut down operations when the metal resources ran out in the 1970’s.

GOLDEN WATERFALL

The Golden Waterfall doesn’t have true golds in it. Its ‘golden’ color is a mixture of regular rainfall in the mine sit & the rich metal elements in the riverbed. We stayed in the waterfall area for only 5 minutes.

JIUFEN

Jiufen used to be a small village of nine families. With the development of the gold mine industry in Taiwan, this village eventually became a town & housed those involved in the gold mining activities. At present, this village is a famous weekend holiday destination for both locals & visitors. The village features old Taiwanese & Chinese architecture & vibe. It also has numerous tea houses, cafes & souvenir shops. In 2001, the place became more famous because of the Japanese film Spirited Away. We stayed in Jiufen for 2 hours; we also had our lunch here.

SHIFEN WATERFALL

Shifen Waterfall is a scenic waterfall found 30 minutes away (by foot) from Shifen Station. This natural & beautiful body of water is regarded as one of the most scenic places in Taiwan. It is definitely worth the visit & more worth the walk towards the viewing platform in front of the falls. We went around the waterfall area for about an hour.

SHIFEN OLD STREET

Shifen Old Street is the famous place to fly the sky lanterns in Taiwan. This place also houses the Shifen Railway Station, which was initially used to transport coal during the Japanese invasion. The station is still used for scheduled train services to Riufang & nearby towns. The old street now is full of souvenir shops & food stalls that cater to the tourists & visitors. We experienced a pretty heavy rainfall whilst in Shifen; we were not able to fly a sky lantern. We opted for a walk around the shops & had some snacks in between. We still stayed here for an hour even if it was raining really hard.

After Shifen Old Street, we boarded the shuttle & took the trip back to Taipei. We were dropped off at the same meeting place – in front of GaKuDen Bakeryin Ximen. This pretty much sums up our Klook 9-hour day tour to Yehliu, Jiufen & Shifen.

VERDICT

Klook’s day tour was worth every peso – it made the 3 places accessible. I already tried using public transportation to Shifen & Jiufen in the past & I can definitely say that this day tour was super convenient & hassle-free. The addition of Hillary, our tour guide, was a plus. She shared a lot of facts & information about Taiwan’s history & culture. She also helped us book our place for lunch in Jiufen.

Shifen Waterfall – one of the highlights of the day tour. It was worth the walk to the view deck! 🙂

The order of itinerary & allotted times for all places were enough except for Jiufen. I wish we stayed longer in Jiufen because there’s a lot more to see, do & eat in the area. I don’t mind taking an extra hour in Jiufen, just to have more time to explore the place. The heavy rainfall definitely spoiled our excitement in flying a sky lantern, but it was all good. Believe it or not, I’ve been to Taiwan 3 times & I haven’t flown a single sky lantern. Perhaps another reason to fly back in the future? We’ll see.

Wish we had more time in Jiufen – I’d love to check all the shops & food stalls along the old street.

Overall, we enjoyed how relaxed & convenient this tour was planned. Thanks heaps to Klook & the tour operator for the fun, enriching & worthwhile day trip to Yehliu, Juifen & Shifen. I highly recommend this day trip by Klook to everyone – you no longer need to plan out how to go to this place & on what train or bus to catch. Klook has everything set for you!

The Golden Waterfall – glad to finally see this one after missing it during my previous two visits 🙂

What are you waiting for? Book your Yehliu-Jiufen-Shifen Day Tour with Klook now!

Have you been to Yehliu Geopark, Jiufen & Shifen? Which was your favorite place & why? Have you also booked your day trip with Klook? How was your experience? Feel free to share them in the comments section below & let’s engage in a discussion. Do you have any questions about the day tour of the places we visited? You can email me at contact@thewkndtravel.com. Don’t forget to follow me & please please please also help me in promoting my social media channels – Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.

PS. Photos were taken using my HTC U11.

Hostel Of The Day: UINN TRAVEL HOSTEL – Modern, Space-Themed & Excellent Taipei Hostel

UPDATE: Uinn Travel Hostel has ceased operations. I am keeping this Hostel of the Day feature to give tribute to such excellent accommodation.

Hey ho! I’m so sorry I’ve been quiet the past few weeks. I just came back from Yogyakarta, Indonesia (more details soon!) & been very busy with work requirements. Fret not, I am back & I am excited to share more information & experiences with you. Today, I will take you to back to Taipei, Taiwan. I’ve been to the city in 2015 & 2017 but I was convinced by my mom to go back with the whole family.

My family & I took advantage of the visa-free privilege for Filipino passport holders & went on a 4-day weekend trip around Taipei & Taichung last June 2019. I already shared with you last month some photos of our Taichung day trip as well as details of our EVA Air flight back to Manila. Now, I want to share with you details about our modern & space-themed hostel in Taipei – Uinn Travel Hostel. This amazing will be today’s Hostel Of The Day feature. I can’t wait for you to see how excellent this property is! Check out the property’s details below.

Location & Access

Uinn Travel Hostel is located in Chongqing South Rd, in the quiet neighborhood of Zhongzheng District. The nearest famous landmark to the property is Chiang Kai Shek Memorial Hall. The Chiang Kai Shek Memorial Hall Station (Green & Red Lines) is 700 m away & is about 8-10 minutes walk. The hostel is 1 km away from Guting Station & is about 10-12 minutes walk. Chiang Kai Shek Memorial Station is 2 stops away from Taipei Main Station & 3 stops away from Ximen Station. Taipei 101 Station is 5 metro stops away on the red line. The hostel is also accessible to Ximending, Taipai Main Station & Daan Park by bus, with the bus stopping right in front of the hostel premises. The Taipei Taoyuan International Airport can be accessed from Taipei Main Station.

The hostel is located in a quiet area with local & affordable restaurants. The nearest convenience store is about 3-5 minutes walk from the hostel. For those who love bubble tea, there are a number of nearby bubble tea shops in the hostel. The hostel’s location may not be as strategic as the other hostels but its location is still nice – quiet, safe & accessible.

private & dormitory rooms

The property offers both private & dormitory rooms to its guests. Those who prefer to have the room to themselves can book their spacious standard double room. This room can accommodate 2 adults. It comes with a double bed, cable television, private toilet & shower, complete towels & toiletry set & a small fridge. The room also has a small table & chair if guests plan to do some work during their stay.

Guests who want to save some money can opt for the dormitory rooms. The dorm rooms are configured to either capsule beds or regular bunk beds. All these beds are equipped with personal television screens (with headset for the bunk beds), bedside sockets, personal reading light & lockers with electronic locks. Towels & toiletries are also included. Guests of the capsule dormitories can fully enclose their space while those on bunk beds can pull down roller blinds for privacy. Guests of both dormitory rooms have access to communal toilets & shower areas equipped with hair dryers.

All hostel guests have free, simple buffet breakfast every day; it is already included in the nightly rate. Room / dormitory bed rates differ from one booking website to the other. It also depends on the season. You can check out the hostel’s booking platform for the updated rates for your desired stay. Book early to get the best deals.

hostel amenities

Here comes my favorite part of every Hostel of the Day feature – the list of perks a guest gets in every hostel. Uinn Travel Hostel offers a long list of amenities & perks to enjoy. Check them below.

Free Fast Wi-Fi
The hostel offers free, fast Wi-Fi to all its guests. The connection is available throughout the property – from the reception area, to outdoor seating area & to the rooms. The Wi-Fi password can be obtained from the reception.

Simple Buffet Breakfast
Breakfast is included in the nightly rate. All guests have access to unlimited bread (with croissant!!) with butter & jam, coffee, tea, biscuits & boiled egg. From memory, breakfast starts at 7:00 am & ends at 9:30 am or 10:00 am.

Free Coffee, Tea & Juice
The hostel’s coffee & juice machines are open to all guests 24/7. Any guest can just go there & get their drink of choice at any time of the day. These drinks are free of charge.

Cozy Lounge & Dining Area
The hostel has a cozy & spacious lounge & dining area on the ground floor, beside the reception area. They even have stuff toys & colorful pillows which my baby cousin enjoyed.

Clean Communal Toilet & Shower Rooms
Aside from the toilet & shower areas in the private & dormitory rooms, the hostel also has communal facilities in the basement, open to all guests – even those who are just about to check in or those who already checked out.

Free Luggage Storage
Luggage storage is free to all upcoming & outgoing guests. The staff provides a small control paper which indicates a control number & the number of luggage the guests have. The luggage area is by the stairs, directly in front of reception. Bags & luggage are secured & are always at the eye of the staff.

24/7 Reception
Uinn Travel Hostel’s reception is open 24 hours 7 days a week. There’s always someone who is at the reception counter. People who are flying to Taiwan in late night or red-eye flights won’t have any problem when they arrive at the hostel.

Cheerful & Helpful Staff
The hostel staff are very cheerful & helpful. They welcomed us with bright smiles on their faces. They also answered all our questions & even gave recommendations on where to go & what to do. They also speak the English language; communication is & will never be a problem.

Outdoor Lounge Area
The hostel has an outdoor lounge area, right by the road. It is the perfect place to have some late night talks / drinks or early morning coffee.

Communal Computers
Personal computers are available for communal use in the ground floor communal area. Guests can use these computers to plan their itineraries, book onward tickets & future accommodation. It’s free of charge. Reception offers printing, fax & photocopying services for an additional fee.

Uinn Joy – Lounge & Games Area
One unique amenity of Uinn Travel Hostel is Uinn Joy. It is a special lounge & games area located in basement level 2 that has a dart machine, a table football, an audio-visual equipment & comfy seats which guests can enjoy. They even have free popcorn for all guests. Drinks can be bought in the on-site vending machine while beers can be purchased from the hostel. The hostel has viewing parties at selected times of the month. Uinn Joy is the best place to meet other guests & travelers. This facility is open everyday from 8:00 am to 11:00 pm or 1:00 am.

Daily Housekeeping
The hostel staff cleans all rooms everyday. They even provide bottled water to private rooms every day. Guests have the option to have their room cleaned every day or not.

Laundry Facilities
Uinn Travel Hostel has complete on-site laundry facilities. Feel free to check with a staff on how you can use the laundry facilities.

Secured Room Access
The hostel main door is open to everyone at all times. Lift access is only limited to guests & hostel staff through an electronic key card. Room access on the other hand is only available to the guest checked in on a specific room. Electronic key cards do not work on other room doors, only on your specified room door.

Bicycle Rental & Tour Services
They also offer bicycle rental & tour services to interested guests. More information about these services can be obtained from reception.

The perks & amenities provided by Uinn Travel Hostel to all its guests are at par with those offered by established Japan hostel chains. The hostel excels in providing every amenity & makes sure that the guests enjoy what they pay for.

my experience

We were a family of 8 adults & 1 kid & we opted on staying in private rooms for all 3 nights in Taipei. We got 4 standard double rooms (2 persons per room) at NT$ 1,700 per room per night – around ₱2,800 per room per night. A normal dormitory bed in Taipei costs close to ₱1,000 per night so getting the room for around ₱1,400 per person per night with privacy & a private toilet & shower is already a good deal.

The standard room was very spacious. The bed & pillows were soft & comfortable. The room air conditioning worked well – we had the coldest room among the four. Cleanliness was spot on – the staff even cleaned our room everyday. They also give our daily supply of bottled water. The toilet & shower were modern & clean; toiletries & towels were included. One weird thing I noticed is that the sinks were located outside the toilet & shower area. It was only a minor observation & probably the first time I saw it in a room. Wi-Fi was fast everywhere in the hostel.

The simple breakfast bread buffet was superb! I enjoyed the chocolate, peanut butter & garlic spreads they have. I ate a lot of small croissants every morning. The orange & grape juice were my favorites. I wish all other hostels offer the type of breakfast Uinn Travel Hostel offers.

Hostel location was alright. We didn’t mind walking to Chiang Kai Shek Memorial Station & back. Hostel staff were super nice & accommodating. I didn’t have the chance to play & enjoy the facilities at Uinn Joy due to our tight schedule; but just having them on site is already great. The hostel is relatively quiet, not much of a social & definitely not a party hostel. It is a quiet but an amazing one.

Overall, we had a great stay. My parents, siblings, uncle & aunt & my baby cousin enjoyed their stay at Uinn Travel Hostel. We definitely got more than what we paid for. Everything was spot on; it is an excellent hostel. I definitely recommend this hostel to everyone. You don’t want to miss staying here whilst in Taipei.

If ever you have a question about the hostel or you want to contact them directly for an upcoming stay, feel free to reach them in the contact details below:

Uinn Travel Hostel
Address: 38 Section 3, Chongqing South Road Taipei City Taiwan 100
Phone Number: +886 2 2333 1277
Fax Number: +886 2 2339 6800
Email Address: uinntravel@outlook.com
Website: travel.uinnhotel.com
Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/UinnTravel
Instagram: www.instagram.com/uinntravel/

Have you stayed with Uinn Travel Hostel in Taipei, Taiwan? If yes, how was your stay? Have you been to another modern & excellent hostel in Taipei or in Taiwan? Feel free to name the hostel in the comment section below. I might just stay there in my next Taiwan trip. You can also send your suggestions via e-mail to contact@thewkndtravel.com. Don’t forget to follow me & please please please also help me in promoting my social media channels – Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.

Thank you for joining me today. Until the next Hostel Of The Day feature!

PS. Photos were taken using my HTC U11.