Yilan

Really appreciate the personalized attention from 小江。 行程有商有量 - in fact, some of the suggestions were even better than what I had in mind; there’s also flexibility to adapt as the day goes along depending on my energy level and interest. 小江也很细心，ensuring I had breakfast, sufficient water during the hot weather day, and making sure I get to try some of the highly acclaimed local food; he also orientated me around the final hotel destination on where to go/what to eat (extremely helpful in saving me some walking in the hot weather!). Thank you 小江for making my Yilan trip so memorable!

Taipingshan in Yilan isn't really suitable for solo travelers like myself who can't drive. Online research showed that only two buses depart for Taipingshan at specific times in the morning, and only two buses return to Yilan at specific times. Therefore, after weighing the cost of a chartered car and the bus journey, I chose to join a one-day tour with KKDay. If the trip goes ahead, you'll receive a contact from the tour guide and an updated voucher the day before. Thanks to Kelly from bus C for reminding us of the meeting time and location, and that we needed to purchase separate admission tickets, as KKDay's prices were indeed cheaper than buying them now. It's really convenient to travel directly from Taipei to Taipingshan without worrying about transportation. Especially since the travel time between each attraction is only 35 to 45 minutes, showing how vast the area is. We were lucky that day and saw a beautiful sea of ​​clouds; Kelly said she's led many tours, but this was only the second time she'd seen it. The tuk-tuk ride was also a unique experience; thankfully, she thoughtfully reminded us that the weather on the mountain is cool, so she suggested bringing a light jacket, otherwise we would have caught a chill. Each attraction was also very special. Thank you Kelly for your thoughtfulness and care.

The nine-seater bus was very comfortable. There was also ample time for the DIY scallion pancake activity and feeding the animals at Grandma Zhang Mei's farm. This itinerary is perfect for people who enjoy DIY and animals. The only problem was that the last stop, Luodong Night Market, wasn't enough time for 1.5 hours. Because the previous activities went smoothly, we arrived at the night market around 3:30 PM. Many stalls hadn't opened yet.

The train is excellent and offers great value, but the fact that you can't pre-select the first or second train when buying a flight is a slight drawback.