Kaohsiung is Taiwan’s largest port and second-largest city after Taipei.
A buzzling metropolis, it’s not just another unexciting industrial city which I initially imagine it may be. With a good public transport system, comfortable lodging and varied food choices, Kaohsiung can be a good choice for family travel.
Here’s what I did for my 4D3N trip to the city earlier this month:
Day 1: Sanduo Shopping District, Fo Guang Shan, Liuhe Tourist Night Market
Day 2: Lotus Pond, Kaohsiung Port Warehouse 2, Cijin Island, Banana Pier
Day 3: Pier 2 Art District, Kaohsiung Sugar Museum, Love River Cruise
Day 4: 85 Sky Tower 85 Observatory, Central Park, Sanfang Temple
Day 1
An early morning flight brought me to Kaohsiung at half past 10 in the morning. Great flight timing with almost a full day ahead for exploring the city, though heading for airport in wee hours isn’t the easiest thing to do.
After dropping off my luggage at Airline Inn, I headed off to Sanduo Shopping District for a failed attempt to get a selfie stick. It was just my luck that I went into 3 shops to be told the stock ran out.
Instead of wasting more time, I headed off to Fo Guang Shan, Taiwan’s largest Buddhist temple. Half a day in Fo Guang Shan allowed just about enough time to see most parts of the temple.
After an afternoon at the temple, I rounded off the day visiting Liuhe Tourist Night Market near Formosa Boulevard MRT station. The station constantly ranks among the most beautiful underground stations in the world with its ‘Dome of Light’, an impressive large-scale glass work installation. And I finally got my selfie stick at the night market!
Day 2
The first part of the day was spent at Lotus Pond, an artificial lake in Kaohsiung’s Zuoying District with as many as 20 Temples around it. A few of the temples are popular tourist attractions, making Lotus Pond one of Kaohsiung’s must-visits.
July to August are typically the hottest month in Kaohsiung. The temperature and humidity during sunny mid-day was stifling, with sweat literally dripping off my chin! Thankfully, with my hotel being near MRT station, I enjoyed the convenience of being able to head back to the air-conditioned room for short breaks in between.
For the second part of Day 2, I initially thought of taking a friendly hotel staff’s advice to have a late afternoon stroll from Sizihwan MRT station up towards Yanchengpu then along Love River (Ai He). When I reached Kaohsiung Port Warehouse 2, I saw eager tourists hopping onto a ferry towards Cijin. Cijin is an island just 10 minutes ferry ride away from Kaohsiung and a popular weekend destination for its beach and seafood. Immediate change of plans, I bought a ferry ticket and hopped on as well. Cijin’s Black Sand Festival was ongoing but since it was a weekday, I only saw the festival’s sand sculptures. Read more about the festival in Cijin Black Sand Festival (旗津黑沙玩艺节).
The last ferry departs Cijin for Kaohsiung Port Warehouse 2 at 7.45pm. Not wanting to be stuck on the island for the night, I took the second last one half an hour earlier. Back at mainland Kaohsiung, I went over to Banana Pier to have a quick look at their banana museum before heading to Liuhe Tourist Night Market again for dinner.
Day 3
The morning of Day 3 was spent at Pier 2 Art District. The initially abandoned warehouses at Pier 2 were injected with life by a group of persistent artists with the place eventually growing into a vibrant area for enjoyment of fine art. The art district’s installation offers interesting surprises but I was quite disappointed that the colourful human-like sculptures featured in many brochures were gone, replaced by light rail transit tracks.
Afternoon was spent at Taiwan Sugar Museum. The sugar factory, that is no longer in operation, is now a museum by itself. This, together, with other installation which traces Taiwan’s history in sugar production, is the theme of this attraction.
No trip to Kaohsiung is complete without a trip to Love River or Ai He (爱河). The river is of great cultural significance to the city and plays an important role in its economy and tourism. I went on a Love River night cruise and took a short stroll along it thereafter.
Day 4
With an evening flight to catch, Day 4 was spent in a time-conscious mode.
The morning was spent at 85 Sky Tower Observatory. 85 Sky Tower is the tallest building in Kaohsiung. A trip to its observation deck at 74th storey offers panoramic views of Kaohsiung. Read more about the observatory in Kaohsiung’s 85 Sky Tower Observatory.
A quick visit to Central Park and Sanfang Temple rounded up my trip.
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How much did I spend on a trip like this?
Air Ticket: S$253 (via Scoot)
Accommodation: S$240 (Airline Inn – Kaohsiung Station)
Food: S$75 or NT1700
Admission: S$18 or NT400
Transport: S$24 or NT530
Total: S$610
Notes:
- Air ticket cost includes seat selection – ScootinSilence (one way for early morning flight out of Singapore) and 20kg check-in luggage (one way back to Singapore),
- Since this trip is solely within Kaohsiung City, the cost of transport is low. I took public transport (MRT trains and buses) to get from place to place. That was inclusive of the trips to and from the airport which is real affordable at NT30 (S$1.35) from Kaohsiung Airport to Kaohsiung Train Station,
- Only admission/attraction fees paid were for the Love River Cruise and Sky Tower 85 Observatory
- Exchange rate at NT1 = S$0.044
