Travel
Online Travel Expo: 38% off stays & whale watching, $999 for a food & hot spring day tour
The spring travel event "2016 Taipei International Spring Travel Expo" is being held at Hall 1 of the Taipei World Trade Center. Eastar Resort Hotel (Booth Nos. B232, B240), under Eastar Vacation Hotel, will launch an exclusive online pre-sale service for popular travel expo products on its official website starting today, offering discounts as low as 16% off, with stays (room & meals) starting from NT$3,380 and day tours from NT$750.
Taiwan’s first pancake mix experience kitchen, Kyushu Pancake Kitchen, opens on March 26
After opening stores in Fujin Street and Songshan Cultural and Creative Park in Taiwan, Japanese Kyushu Pancake launched its first-ever composite pancake mix experience kitchen, “Kyushu Pancake Kitchen,” on March 26 in Taiwan. The location remains in Taipei’s Fujin Street. The 12-ping (approx. 39.6㎡) wooden-toned, warm-style kitchen carries on the consistent Japanese aesthetic of Kyushu Pancake. “Kyushu Pancake Kitchen” will sell brand-new limited-edition pancake mixes, such as okonomiyaki mix, muffin mix, whole wheat mix, and more. A wider variety of series offers even more diverse cooking options.
Did a Taiwan face get lost while cherry blossom viewing in Kyoto? Netizens: Drop these 9 bad travel habits
Every year, Japan’s cherry blossom season attracts throngs of travelers, with Kyoto being a beloved spot among Taiwanese visitors. Faced with the influx of people, a netizen working in tourism in Kyoto has something to say. He shares nine common bad travel habits for Taiwanese tourists to consider improving, hoping everyone can enjoy their trip while also being a welcome and quality traveler.
Initial Deer Ranch to Launch "Uniform Day" for Children's Day: Drink Milk to Your Heart's Content & Name a Baby Lamb
Taitung’s Initial Deer Ranch will hold a "Uniform Day" event during the Children's Day holiday period (April 2–5)! Visitors who come dressed in uniforms—whether student or work attire—can enjoy unlimited free fresh milk from Initial Deer by simply taking a group photo of two people and uploading it to the ranch’s social media page. Additionally, a four-horned lamb with “cow spots” was born on the ranch last month and is super adorable. Since it doesn’t have a name yet, visitors are also invited to help name it on-site.
A 20-meter snow wall forms a silver corridor – Japan’s must-see “Three Great Snow Walls” attractions
To enjoy the snowy scenery in Japan, besides admiring the poetic charm of ancient temples contrasted with white snow, the highland areas also feature massive snow walls up to nearly 20 meters tall formed by heavy snowfall. During certain times of the year, these are cleared to create a gleaming silver corridor where visitors can walk through, becoming a popular tourist spot in recent years. Here’s a list of three places in Japan that offer snow wall corridors — as the opening dates approach, travelers shouldn’t miss them!
Luffy and ship girls spotted: Doujinshi and anime carnival appear in Taipei City Hall
Starting March 25, the Taipei City Government × Anime Carnival will be held for three consecutive days at the Shen Baozhen Hall of Taipei City Hall. This event marks not only the first time the Taipei City Government has hosted an anime-related event, but also the first time local anime creations have been displayed in the public spaces of the municipal government building.
Spend ¥40,000 to Sleep at a World Heritage Site Overnight: Kyoto Opens 5 Ancient Temples to Travelers
With the number of visitors to Japan increasing year by year, Kyoto has opened five normally off-limits temples in the city to allow travelers to deeply experience traditional Japanese culture by actually staying overnight in historic temples. However, the cost per night is steep — each person must pay ¥150,000 (approximately NT$43,650), which includes dinner and translation services.
Latest on-site photos: Impact of Brussels explosion & crowds at Paris & Dutch airports
The explosion at Brussels Airport in Belgium has shaken European society, causing multiple casualties, and the airport has been closed indefinitely. It is reported that there is currently a large exodus of travelers heading to or from Belgium in Europe, with many opting to depart from either Paris, France, or Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Airports in these cities are crowded, and Mr. You, a traveler who was planning to go from Brussels to Paris Airport to return to Taiwan, described the scene: “The crowd is as packed as during Taiwan’s Lunar New Year holiday.”
Celebrating 4 Additional Weekly Flights: Taipei–Busan One-Way from NT$1,000
Starting March 27, Air Busan has increased its Taipei–Busan flights from 10 to 14 per week, adding new services on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. The new flights depart from Taoyuan at 03:35 and return from Busan at 22:05.
Steaks, pasta, and hot pot—all on the menu | A quick guide to Danny Yuy Kuei’s 7 restaurants
Chef Danny Yuy Kuei is known as the “steak godfather” in Taiwan’s culinary scene. Since founding Danny & Company in 2010, he has launched almost one new restaurant every year. What you might not know is that his portfolio now includes not only teppanyaki and steakhouses but also ventures into bistros and offerings like hot pot and pasta. Even without much publicity, many food enthusiasts still flock to these quietly opened eateries.
One bowl costs NT$1,000！Lawry’s launches steak-grade beef noodles, limited to 10 bowls per day
The first in 80 years！Originally a fine-dining steakhouse known for knives and forks, Lawry’s in Taiwan has launched a “Lawry’s Premium Original Soup Beef Noodles” set menu using chopsticks to compete in Taiwan’s fierce steak market. This is the first time any Lawry’s branch has offered beef noodles since the brand was founded in 1938. The set includes an appetizer, salad, beef noodles, dessert, and drink, priced at NT$890 + 10%, available weekdays from Monday to Friday at noon, with only 10 servings per day.
Zhonghe Affordable Charcoal-Grilled Steak House – Savor the Original Flavor of a 10-Ounce Prime Ribeye
I made a special trip to the area near Nanshi Corner after seeing netizens’ recommendations to feast on steak. I heard the owner usually reads my articles and thinks I don’t like charcoal-grilled style. But that’s not true—really, I only care about whether the food tastes good; style comes second. Even with sushi, though I prefer traditional Edomae style, most of the time I go for kappo-style, and I’m perfectly happy with Taiwanese-style Japanese food once in a while.
2016 Yilan Green Expo Opens to Promote Food Safety and Encourage a "Grain Heart"
The 2016 Yilan Green Expo opened on the 26th at the Wushikan Scenic Area in Su'ao, and the event will run for one and a half months. The county government has set this year’s theme as “Grain Heart,” creating a variety of interactive exhibition areas to promote a green, toxin-free lifestyle. It hopes that through the event, the public can distinguish the authenticity of food products on the market and eat with peace of mind.
The aroma is irresistible right to your senses—4 must-try Mongolian BBQ spots in Greater Taipei
In recent years, Korean BBQ and Japanese-style grilling have flooded Taiwan, sparking a barbecue craze. But have you forgotten about that hearty dish loaded with ingredients and stir-fried on a big grill? Yes, we’re talking about the fragrant and flavorful Mongolian BBQ. Once hugely popular, Mongolian BBQ joints are now becoming fewer and far between—and only the most beloved ones survive. 《ETtoday东森新闻云》 has handpicked 4 must-visit Mongolian BBQ spots in Greater Taipei from the limited options remaining. The sizzling aroma alone is enough to drive you wild.
The golden wind chimes tinkle with the sounds of nature—Xiangshan’s lupine sea in Taipei is blooming beautifully right now!
In early spring, colorful flower seas of all kinds can be seen blooming across Taiwan. Along the Camphor Tree Trail in Taipei’s Maokong area, vast fields of lupines have been planted. When the breeze blows, strands of golden wind chimes sway from side to side, playing the silent music of nature. Now is peak blooming season—take advantage of the sunny weather and come enjoy a floral hike here!
Hawaii’s “Stairway to Heaven” has 3,922 steps — still drawing adventurers nearly 30 years after closure
Located on Oahu in Hawaii, there is a hiking staircase called the “Haiku Stairs,” which consists of a total of 3,922 steps leading to a mountain peak at an elevation of 850 meters. Due to its extremely steep incline, almost seeming to reach the clouds, it is known as the “Stairway to Heaven.” Although it was closed in 1987, it still attracts hikers and adventure enthusiasts. To this day, people still sneak in when guards are not around, take photos on Facebook to check in, and share their summit experiences.
Crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside – the Q-textured water dumplings of Taichung
For our two-day, one-night hot spring trip, since we planned not to go out again after arriving at Fresh Spring Hot Springs up Dashan Mountain, we decided to stock up on dinner food before checking in. Girl J said she wanted to eat Matsamura Smoked Flavors (how many times have we had that now?), while I remembered hearing that the water dumplings on Dadun 11th Street were pretty good. So after finishing our meal at Fasen, we headed to the water dumpling shop, Matsamura, and Ballet Bakery.
Hokkaido Shinkansen begins operation — First-class carriages now visible on Google Street View
The Hokkaido Shinkansen officially launched on the 26th. All 731 seats on the inaugural train departing from Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto Station were sold out instantly upon release. To allow those who couldn’t catch the first ride to still explore the interior of the carriages, JR Hokkaido collaborated with Google Street View to launch the “Hokkaido Shinkansen Interior Street View,” fully showcasing the design of all three classes of carriages.
Flight attendants are good-looking and you get a meal box — Here’s a full review of Jeju Air’s 8 services
In the past, Jeju Air once operated the Taipei–Jeju route. Now, after many years, it has returned to Taiwan with the new Taipei–Seoul route. Following Jeju Air’s launch, other low-cost carriers such as Eastar Jet and Jin Air will also gradually start flying the Seoul–Taipei route. ETtoday Travel Cloud has also listed Jeju Air’s main features and real passenger experiences to help travelers better understand the airline when planning a trip to Korea.
The real-life candy house is in Yilan — a sightseeing factory floating on water
Yilan is Taipei’s backyard garden, just an hour’s drive from the city. Today, Pingzi wants to introduce you to ?Feng Xiaopu Yilan Yuanshan Pavilion / ?Feng Candy Workshop. It’s full of childlike fun — kids love candy houses, and the creativity here is endless. The place also offers parent-child DIY experiences, making it a great sightseeing factory for families and a wonderful spot for creatives to find inspiration or enjoy a holiday. Why not plan a light trip to Yilan?