Day Trip from Taipei to Kaoshuing
Replies: 7 - Last Post: Dec 1, 2012 5:12 PM Last Post By: krish1971
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Day Trip from Taipei to Kaoshuing
I have a conference in Taipei in June and during my one free day I am planning a day trip to Kaoshuing by bullet train. I have a few questions about doing so:1. Is it possible to take a bullet train from Taipei to Kaoshuing in the morning and return later the same day? What is the frequency of this train and what is the journey time?
2. Do tickets for the bullet train need to be booked in advance or do I simply purchase tickets on the day of travel? If they need to be purchased in advance, could I purchase them through the Grand Hotel in Taipei - that is where I will be staying.
3. Is Kaoshuing an interesting place to visit for a day? What are some of the main sights to see there from a tourisum perspective?
Thanks.
1
1. Yes, totally possible. Travel time is 90 minutes. Trains run every 15 minutes but the ones with fewer stops run every 30 minutes. Schedule and pricing can be found here: http://www.thsrc.com.tw/en/2. Tickets for the next train can be purchased at the station. They don't run out. Tickets without assigned seating is slightly cheaper - if they run out of seats (and this usually only happens during commuting hours) you'll just have to stand in the aisle. I believe tickets can also be purchased from any convenience store (7-11, Family Mart, etc.) vending machine.
3. There's plenty to see there, but why Kaohsiung? Have you been anywhere else? There are plenty of closer and more interesting places in Taiwan.
3
I made a day trip from Tainan to Kaohsiung.I liked the Lotus Pond, I had already seen a lot of old temples in other places (Taipei, Lugang, Tainan and Sansia/Sanxia) so the modern stuff around the Lotus Pond was a nice contrast.
I also liked hiking in the Chaishan nature reserve, lots of Monkeys, big banyan trees and beautiful views on the ocean.
4
This will actually be my 3rd trip to Taiwan. I have already visited Taipei and I have visited central parts of the island (Hualien, Toroko Gorge, etc.). Part of the reason for going to Kaoshuing is because I wanted to experience the new bullet train - it didn't exist the last time I was in Taiwan in 2004.5
Except for Lotus Lake, which is about a ten-minute walk from the Zuoying High Speed Rail Station, Kaohsiung's sights are spread out, and you would need to rely on buses, subways or taxis to get around to them. If you're interested in history, I'd recommend making that day trip to Tainan instead of Kaohsiung. The central part of Tainan contains a number of historical temples and other sights, and the Lonely Planet guide to Taiwan outlines a walking course that can be done in a day.The Taiwan HSR Station is located in the Guiren area of Tainan City. From there, you can either take a bus or the Shalun Line train for the short ride to Tainan's downtown area.
6
I also think Tainan is a better choice for a day trip. It still gives you plenty of time to experience the HSR.7
Thanks! I will disembark at Tainan which appears to be the next to last station on the HSR.
