Since 7-11 was just a few shops away from our hotel, we visited it before heading to Taipei Main Station (台北车站). Along the way to the bus station, we also passed by quite a few breakfast shops with grab and go concept.
New foods to be tried out at 7-11! I love the cabbage stuffed with meat! How we wish that Malaysia’s 7-11 has the same concept.
There was already a crowd at the bus station early in the morning. We bought the one-way bus tickets to Taichung Station at TWD440 for two persons from the ticket counter.
Once boarded, the first thing that made Mr. J excited was the small TV at every passenger seat. We were impressed that a 3 hours bus journey would actually provide entertainment to the passengers! USB was also available beside the TV for us to charge our phone throughout the journey. While Mr. J was watching movie throughout the entire journey, I have fallen into my sweet dream.
After getting down from the bus nearby Taichung Station, we checked in at Bravo Hotel Taichung which was just opposite Taichung Station.
We then proceeded to the 5th Market (台中第五市場) for lunch. This place had a wet market and with some stalls and shops surrounding it. We wanted to try something the locals usually eat for lunch. Unfortunately, we only managed to try the oyster porridge (蚵仔粥) and “Yau Kee” Spring Roll (游記潤餅) as the other hot selling food, Taiwanese rice ball (日棧飯糰) was already sold out. The rice ball is stuffed with pickled mustard greens, chicken/pork floss, youtiao, braised eggs, etc.
Taiwanese spring roll is almost similar to Malaysian version of Dried Popiah with just some of the ingredients being the difference. The Malaysian version usually has sweet sauce with/without chili sauce while Taiwanese spring roll (for this stall) has wasabi, sweet sauce and chili sauce. The sauce combination which the stall owner recommended to us was really delicious!
游記潤餅
Address: No.60, Lequn St, West district, Taichung. (西區樂群街60號, 台中第五市场)
Operating hours: 10.00am - 6.30pm
Their oyster porridge is a must try if you get the chance to visit here! This porridge was super delicious with lots of big fresh oysters and flavorful clear soup. There were plenty of people dining there or taking away. So, you may need to wait for a while if the shop is fully packed. We actually shared a table with other customers since it was just the two of us.
Oyster Porridge (蚵仔粥)
Address: No.80, Lequn St, West district, Taichung. (西區樂群街80號, 台中第五市场)
Operating hours: 10.30am – 8.30pm
Since the famous rice ball was sold out, we got it from another stall selling all kinds of Taiwanese breakfast! It looks small but the stuffs inside made it looks like a complete meal!
Spotted a nice building on the way walking back to Taichung Station, it took us about 20-minutes of walking distance from the 5th market. Other than the No. 11 bus, you can also take the No. 21 bus but we did not see it on our way back. You can also take the cab at NTD100 one way from Taichung station.
Taichung station is actually a railway station but inter-city buses and long distance buses do stop here which makes it a transportation hub. So, we were back here to wait for our bus to Gaomei Wetlands (高美湿地) to catch the sunset view.
The weather wasn’t being nice to us. Make sure to apply enough sunscreen even if the sky is cloudy and windy. Our skin did turn darker from visiting this place.
Below is the cheapest way get to Gaomei Wetlands. It was a long journey but you could get a different kind of experience. The total bus fare from Taichung station to Gaomei Wetlands cost us TWD52 (Bus 306) + TWD0 (Bus 178).
6 things that you should know before you take the bus to Gaomei Wetlands:
- To enjoy the cheap bus fare, make sure to use the EasyCard for your entire ride. Taichung grants everyone complimentary first 10km when you take bus.
- Remember to tap your EasyCard when you get up and down the bus.
- Manage your time well for the activity in Gaomei Wetlands as the bus frequency of No. 178/179 is very very long. There was only ONE bus for every 1-2 hours.
- Download the bus schedule from the links below to avoid long waiting time.
- Make sure you stand or sit at the seat nearby the screen which shows the current and next station. Nevertheless, the bus driver will also announce the station name as well.
- Bus 178/179 is a mini bus with limited seats. Make sure to arrive at the queue early.
Note: Take No. 305/306 bus from Taichung Station (台中火车站) and get down at Qingshui Station (清水). Then, cross the road to the opposite bus stop and wait for No.178/179 to Gaomei Wetlands (高美湿地). The pictures below will provide a better understanding of the station:
Food is always the best way to reward our tiredness. Fengjia Night market (逢甲夜市) was our food hunting place for the day. This night market is huge and has plenty of food stalls as well as business area surrounding it. Other than food hunting, you can also do a little shopping. Click here for a more detailed blog post of our experience at Fengjia Night Market.
There were a lot of foods to try in the night market but we only have limited stomach space for it. We will definitely come here again during our next Taiwan trip. If you are staying nearby Taichung Station, make sure to catch the bus before 10.00pm. The last bus from Fengjia Night Market to Taichung Station is about 10.00 pm or 10.30pm. We were lucky to catch the last bus back to our hotel. Well, if you are staying nearby Fengjia Night Market, you do not need to worry about this.
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