there are many ways a frog can get to tainan.
swim.
hop.
… or go the normal way (in milo’s case, the low-cost way).
STEP 1: BANGKOK -> TAIPEI
recommended airline: nokscoot (average price: 3000 ~ 6000THB)
pros: probably the cheapest flight from bkk to taipei. pretty big/legit planes. run by ‘nokair’ and the singaporean airline ‘scoot’. good take-off/landing, smooth ride all the way. only does morning flights, so you get to arrive super early and have the whole day to explore.
cons: a low-cost airline is still a low-cost airline. small seats, v little leg-room. there’s a business class that’s pretty neat with in-flight meals, but don’t be expecting cathay pacific business class vibes.
also important to note: nokscoot only has one flight per day, and they only do morning flights. morning as in the flights leave at around 2-3AM, and arrive around 7AM taiwan time. be prepared to spend the night at the airport.
definitely worth the price though, considering it’s super cheap but has amazing service. flight attendants are very friendly and attentive. my go-to airline when visiting taiwan.
book here: http://www.nokscoot.com/en/
i got my own seat because i am just as deserving of rights as any human.
the craft itself is pretty big, with a business class (24 seats) and ordinary seating zone (391 seats). basically the airline owns 3 B777-200 aircrafts, which they named ‘proud’, ‘plaifah’, and ‘waew wow’. it’s partially owned by the singaporean ‘scoot’ so quality is guaranteed. headrests in business class are also flexible, so you can bend them towards your head and use them as proper pillows.
STEP 2: TAIPEI -> TAINAN
brief intro thing for people who don’t know what tainan is:
this is tainan.
basically it’s taiwan’s old capitol; the oldest and most unique city in taiwan. unlike the developed and industrial taipei, tainan has managed to retain it’s historical charm. you’re missing out if you don’t visit.
milo has written a very detailed post on it here
once you land at taoyuan airport and make it past immigration, go find the bus stop from terminal 1 and terminal 2 arrivals. this is easy: there are signs everywhere. keep following the signs that lead you towards the HSR (stands for High Speed Rail). The High Speed Rail is a very fast train that basically connects the entirety of taiwan.
at the bus stop, you now have 2 options.
1. (FASTEST OPTION) take the ‘ubus’ to the High Speed Rail Station, and then take the High Speed Rail to tainan.
costs: 35 TWD for the bus, 1,350 TWD for the hsr. total cost: around 1,400 TWD.
the bus takes around 25 minutes, and the hsr takes 2 hours, making this entire trip take you roughly just 2 and a half hours.
if you pick this option, buy your tickets at the counter and go wait for your bus at platform 12.
2. (CHEAPEST OPTION) take the bus all the way to tainan.
for this you need to first take the bus to ‘Zhongli Transfer Station’, and then change buses and take that directly to tainan (last station).
costs: 45 TWD to Zhongli Transfer Station, and around 430 TWD to get to tainan. total costs: around 500 TWD.
warning: to say this takes a lot less time is a massive understatement. it takes 30 minutes to get to zhongli transfer station, then you wait for the next bus. getting to tainan can take up THREE AND A HALF HOURS. prepare 4 hours if you want to go the low-cost way.
wait at platform 14 if you choose this route.
now i know it takes a ridiculously long amount of time.
i know it’s a long wait.
but i still highly recommend this option.
why???
because it’s cheaper, and you really get to see taiwan.
you don’t want to spend your first two hours in the country speeding through a dark tunnel, which is basically what the hsr is.
also, the bus is very comfortable. there’s free wifi, sockets to charge your phone, and really nice chairs. note: big luggages are allowed on-board!
look out the window, and take in how idyllically scenic this country is.
i am so lucky my human is capable enough to get a job here. so pumped for taiwan!!!
will keep you guys posted!!!
x, frog.
青蛙 