City Guide to Artsy Kaohsiung

I only have myself to blame. Like on my first morning there, I had no idea why I was even in this city. I remember I had the idea of going here because of some blog, but I needed some time to look up things to do that fits my preference (except for the usual night markets of course.) Anyway, I digress. It was still a blessing in disguise, as I finally got to see more modern Taiwan art, or just more artworks for that matter. I’ve never been to a museum for a while so I finally got to in Kaohsiung.

Kaohsiung's Lotus Lake

Jampacked Day of Fascinating Sights in Tainan

I always enjoy strolling around small heritage cities, that’s why when asked about travel suggestions, I always mention places like Gyeongju in South Korea, Pingyao in China, Melacca in Malaysia and of course, Vigan in the Philippines. So it was a must for me to go to Tainan, Taiwan’s oldest city.

Located southwest of Taiwan, Tainan is a well-known destination for its temples and ancient buildings that has been a witness to almost 200 years of history. What makes it attractive to travelers like me is its rich culture that can be observed through the colonial buildings scattered around the city and its variety of snacks and street food.

Good morning from Tainan!

Two Days of Art and Flower Power in Taichung

My main objective in Taichung was to see the amazing sea of flowers at Xinshe Flower Festival, it’s also the most convenient gateway for travelers going to Sun Moon Lake or Alishan, but not knowing much about this city didn’t stop me to see what it has to offer. Taichung is pretty laid back, yet packed with interesting things to see that I really wasn’t able to cover much during my two-day stay.

Downtown Taichung by night

Colorful Taiwan – Taichung’s Rainbow Village

I haven’t met any traveler in Taichung who hasn’t been to the Rainbow Village. It’s just too interesting to skip. I had troubles figuring out how to go to this place at first (given that this city doesn’t have subways) and it’s located outside Central Taichung, but that is also how I eventually discovered the beauty of Google Maps (blessing in disguise, I guess). So, let me do the honor of showing you this imaginative place called the Rainbow Village.

tropical feels~

Interesting walk at Qianmen Street and 798 Art District of Beijing

I had no itinerary when I went to Beijing, I had no time to plan and so I had some last-minute Google search for activities on what to do on my first day in the city. I ended up doing the thing I hate the most during summer when it is hot, sticky, and humid – long walks. China has tons of those long shopping and restaurant-filled streets that would not bore any traveler but I chose to spend my first day in this city at 798 Art District and Qianmen Street.

cool graffiti at 798 Art District

Hunting for Street Art in Penang! - Day 7 in Malaysia

While we were enjoying our town and seeing George Town, we also noticed tons of art displays on the walls and streets nearby tourist spots. They were very interesting to look at especially since I thought they were only vandals at first. I later found out that there many of these scattered around the city, but we only found two types of these artworks. While we didn't get to see all the art displays of George Town, it was sure fun to compile and post this collection of artworks that we were able to appreciate and at the same time, enjoying this heritage area of Penang.

A walk around KL's Chinatown - Central Market, Petaling St, Sultan St, Guan Di and Sri Mahamariamman Temple - Day 1 in Malaysia

My friends call me an expert on booking promo flights. I was able to book flights going to Malaysia via Air Asia for less than 650 pesos. How nifty! I later found out that they were cancelling the Kota Kinabalu-Clark route which I have previously booked. After tons of calls and emails via their customer support, I was able to have my money refunded on the cancelled flight. I am not sure if I will be flying through Air Asia again because of that. So anyway, I ended up booking a more expensive flight (Singapore-Manila), no thanks to Air Asia, since I decided to push through with the trip regardless of what happened.

Me and my friend decided to Couchsurf, because sincerely, I love traveling and meeting locals at the same time. We planned to travel through 8 days to Malaysia and 3 days in Singapore. We didn't have an itinerary since it was a very busy time at the office so what we did during our trip was to ask our hosts for recommendations and if we had time, look for something in the Internet.

overlooking the grand Kuala Lumpur Menara or KL Tower

Trick Art Museum, Jeju - Day 12 in South Korea

It was almost nine in the morning when we reached our third destination, Jeju's Trick Art Museum, coming from Seopjikoji. Our driver was able to get us discounts which was pretty awesome. Not only has he been reliable at giving tips, he made an effort so that we can save some money too! :)

Trick Art Museum can be found at three cities in Korea; Seoul, Busan and of course, at Jeju. The one in Jeju is located in Seogwipo City nearby the Seongeup Folk Village. The entrance here is 8.000 won for aduls and 6,000 won for children.

Behind bars... or not!