Southern Island Fun 5 Day Private Tour (Classic)

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Southern Island Fun 5 Day Private Tour (Classic)

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HIGHLIGHTS

Fun in the sun in Kenting, Taiwan’s Cancun
Spiritual discovery at the Fo Guang Shan Buddhist Center
Cultural and Historical exploration in Tainan, Taiwan’s ancient capital
Relaxation, revitalization and exfoliation in the unique mud springs of Guanziling
Endless opportunity to enjoy unique dishes found only in southern Taiwan

Casual visitors to Taiwan tend to stick close to the capital, but the southern half is where the real treasure trove of culture and history reside. It’s also where you find the best beaches, and (apologies to our northern brethren) best examples of authentically Taiwanese cuisine. Our Southern Fun Tour aims to bring you all the sun, fun & culture of our island’s lower half, including the old capital of Tainan, the laid-back modern metropolis Kaohsiung, the art-filled city of Taichung, and of course, the beach town of Kenting. Along the way you’ll visit ancient temples, swim on Taiwan’s finest beaches, soak in natural hot springs, dine on amazing delicacies, visit the scenic countryside and even walk inside a dragon’s mouth. We promise five unforgettable days of fun in places you may not have heard of before, but to which you’ll want to return.

Cultural and Historical exploration in Taiwan

Day 1: Drive down to the beach resort town of Kenting

Day 3: Visit Fo Guang Shan Buddha Memorial Center

Day 3: Shop for crafts at the old Lin Family Department Store

Day 4: Explore the historic Anping District

Day 4: Visit an old Dutch castle and an ancient banyan tree

Day 5: Explore the psychedelic vision of Rainbow Grandpa, artist in residence at Rainbow Village

Day 1:

Taipei - Kenting

Day one begins with a high-speed train ride down the west coast on Taiwan’s efficient high-speed rail. With a top speed of 300 kilometers per hour, you’ll reach the southernmost city, Kaohsiung, in less than two hours. We’ll save cultural exploration for tomorrow; today, we’re hitting the beach in Kenting, a picturesque beach town located at the island’s southern tip. After checking into a beachfront resort, we’ll have the rest of the day to swim, hike, bicycle, or just soak up the rays. When the sun goes down, you will be able to experience the beach town's night markets, drinks and massages.
Day 2:

Kenting - Kaohsiung

Leaving the beach is hard, so on day two, we’ll leave some time to get in a morning swim or two before checking out around 11 am. We’ll then head back north, stopping in the old town of Hengchun to visit one of the last remaining Qing-era city walls left in Taiwan. Back in Kaohsiung, we’ll visit the 200-year-old wall paintings at the Fongyi Academy before heading to Lotus Pond, a man-made lake surrounded by temples, pavilions, temples and the famous Dragon and Tiger Pagodas. After checking into our hotel, we can enjoy the culinary delights at Kaohsiung's iconic night markets.
Day 3:

Kaohsuing - Tainan

After breakfast at our hotel, the spiritual portion of our journey begins. We’ll head first to the stunning Fo Guang Shan Buddha Memorial Center, a vast religious complex containing eight pagodas (each dedicated to a specific virtue) and grand meditation halls, all overlooked with loving grace by a 108-meter high statue of the Buddha. We’ll then head to the ancient capital of Tainan, where will visit gardens and temples, including the island’s oldest Confucian temple. We’ll do plenty of exploring and eat great food before ending the day at our hotel.
Day 4:

Tainan - Taichung

The tour continues on day four with an exploration of Tainan’s historic Anping district. We’ll visit a castle and fortress dating back to Dutch colonial days and go inside (yes, inside) an ancient Banyan tree. We’ll also eat delicious local snacks, including Tainan’s coffin bread (sounds spooky, tastes delicious). Afterward, we’ll head to the hot-spring (and mud-spring) resort of Guanziling for relaxation, rejuvenation and exfoliation before heading up to Taichung.
Day 5:

Taichung - Taipei

We’ll spend the final day of our Southern Fun Tour exploring the art and culture of Taichung. We’ll visit a Japanese activity center to practice archery and calligraphy, hit a couple of unique museums and art centers, learn how to make Taiwan’s most famous beverage (pearl milk tea) in the place where it was invented, and have a great time in general before heading back up to Taipei.

Pick up from your hotel in Taipei (Chinese-speaking driver)
Take the High Speed Rail (HSR) to Kaohsiung on your own
Meet your guide at Kaohsiung HSR station and drive down to the beach resort town of Kenting
Swim, bicycle, hike, or just soak up the rays
Hit the night market, get a massage, have some cocktails...
Accommodation: 3-star Lealea Garden Hotel Kenting (DOUBLE/TWIN) or equivalent

Breakfast at hotel
Fun in the sun on the beach until 10:30am
Visit the walled town of Hengchun
Explore the temples of Lotus Pond and artwork of Fongyi Academy
Enjoy a movable feast at the night market
Accommodation: 4-star La Inn (DOUBLE/TWIN) or equivalent

Breakfast at hotel
Visit Fo Guang Shan Buddha Memorial Center
Explore historic Tainan, Taiwan's ancient capital
Walk through history at Taiwan's oldest Confucian Temple and nearby Wu Garden
Shop for crafts at the old Lin Family Department Store
Accommodation: 4-star Fushin Hotel Tainan (DOUBLE/TWIN) or equivalent

Breakfast at hotel
Explore the historic Anping District
Visit an old Dutch castle and an ancient banyan tree
Relax, rejuvenate and exfoliate in the unique mud springs of Guanziling
Feast on local delicacies at a lively Taichung night market
Accommodation: 4-star In Sky Hotel (DOUBLE/TWIN) or equivalent

Breakfast at hotel
Cultivate the traditional arts at the Japanese-style Natural Way Six Arts Cultural Center
Hang out among whimsical outdoor sculpture at the CMP Block Museum and the outdoor art of the Art Garden and Park Lane
Visit Chun Shui Tang, the birthplace of pearl milk tea and learn to make Taiwan's most famous beverage yourself
Explore the psychedelic vision of Rainbow Grandpa, artist in residence at Rainbow Village
Return to Taipei

*In the event of inclement weather or other unforeseen circumstances, MyTaiwanTour reserves the right to alter tour itinerary.

Meal :
Breakfast : 4 | Lunch : 0 | Dinner : 0
Duration :
5 days 4 nights
Pick-up :
At your accommodation in Taipei city
Drop-Off :
At your accommodation in Taipei city
Group Size :
1-6 people
Language :
English

DETAILS

Inclusions

A knowledgeable, licensed and fun-loving English-speaking guide
All transportation (High speed rail,5-seater sedan or 8-seater van, driver)
Admission to all activities on itinerary
Four nights accommodation with breakfast at 3 and 4-star hotels
Travel insurance

Exclusions

Any optional activities not on itinerary
Meals not listed above
Gratuity

Cancellation Policy

Guests canceling at any point up to 31 days prior to this tour’s starting date will receive a full refund.
Cancellations made between 30 and 15 days prior to departure will receive a 90% refund.
Cancellations made between 14 and 7 days prior to departure will receive a 70% refund;
Cancellations made less than 7 days prior to departure are non-refundable.

REVIEWS

Victor C

United States

January 2016

I would definitely recommend My Taiwan Tour to anybody who is a first-timer (or repeat visitor) to Taiwan

So a few month's back, we decided to take a trip back to Taiwan... which quickly turned into a 3-generation, 4-states, 2-country family reunion. While I tend to fall in the "let's freestyle it" mode, when traveling with my wife + my parents, that doesn't fly. At. All. After my mom decided to drop the local tour guide that she's used in the past, I found My Taiwan Tour through another website (which shall remain un-named).Anke, a customer service specialist, very promptly replied to my initial inquiry regarding a group rate for one of the advertised multi-day tours. After I showed this to the rest of my family, my mother subsequently provided her input. What I (and Anke) thought would be a quickly easy booking became a highly customized tour specifically for our family... by highly customized I mean the final product was nothing like what you would find on My Taiwan Tour's website. Throughout the process, Anke was more than willing to work with us (e.g., when we found hotel prices cheaper than what she had quoted, she was more than happy to let us book our own hotels at the better price and work around whatever changes we wanted). In Taiwan: from the "extra" airport transfers to/from TPE at the beginning and end of the trip, to the tour itself, I'd say we had as good of a time as we expected. Our tour guide, Fiona, was very willing to work with us throughout the tour. From pushing back departure times so we could enjoy our hotels a bit more, adjusting the places we visited, to making a pit stop along the tour so my mother could see her 95 year old aunt, to Fiona's willingness to wait until we finished dinner at 7:30p and walk with us through the streets of Kenting / Kending (even though her day started at 7:00a), essentially what we wanted, Fiona did whatever she could to provide it. I would definitely recommend My Taiwan Tour to anybody who is a first-timer (or repeat visitor) to Taiwan.