30 April 2022 was supposed to be D-Day, marking the start of a tsunami of expiring Krisflyer miles. Surprisingly (and thankfully), Singapore Airlines decided to extend the expiry of our miles again, giving them a new lease of life. Here’s how I plan to redeem all of them before they expire.
Continue readingTag: Taiwan
Head up to Wulai for a break from the bustle of Taipei city
The first time we visited Wulai (烏來) was in the winter of 2005. We were on vacation in Taipei and wanted a change of scenery from the tall buildings and crowded streets of the city but didn’t want to travel too far. So we booked a night at 美人湯溫泉會館, a hotspring hotel up in the Wulai mountains.
We enjoyed the stay and told ourselves that we would visit Wulai again. But we got distracted by the central, eastern and southern Taiwan and didn’t manage to return until the spring of 2019.
Continue readingSurfer dudes make the best seafood BBQ
We were glad that the walk back to the hotel was relatively long, as it gave us time to slowly digest the huge meal. The next time we’re back in Kaohsiung, we will definitely return.
Until then, at least we can enjoy the livestreams that they put out regularly on Facebook. Nothing much happens during those sessions, but it’s strangely calming to watch a surfer dude patiently cook seafood over red hot coals for one and a half hours.
Continue readingRunning down our expiring Krisflyer miles
Our next few flights will be within the region, starting with Japan in 2023 Q1, followed by South Korea in 2023 Q4 and Taiwan in 2024 Q2. Based on current redemption rates for Business class tickets, this will be enough to wipe out our expiring Krisflyer miles.
Continue readingVisiting the Kavalan distillery in Yilan
Yilan (宜蘭) is most famous for its hotsprings, innovative cuisine and 三星 spring onion, but it also happens to be the home of the Kavalan whisky distillery.
Continue readingThree days in the mountains of Cingjing
Since 2005, Taiwan has been a regular holiday spot that we return to every few years. Our initial trips were restricted to only Taipei, but over time, we’ve been going further out to explore the other counties. During the summer of 2012, we decided to head up the mountains of Cingjing (清境) in Nantou (南投) county and spend three days there.
Continue readingFlying overseas for home-cooked food
Whenever we travel, our first priority is always to find good local food, whether it’s at a casual eatery, street food stall or high-end restaurant. But unless we gate crash someone’s house, which we haven’t attempted (yet), it’s almost impossible to sample authentic home-cooked local food when we’re overseas.
Continue readingOne duck was harmed in the making of this post
Back in the day when planes were in the air and international travel was possible, we had the most amazing duck tasting menu in Yilan, Taiwan. It’s been four years since then, but we still can’t forget the best duck soup we’ve ever had in our lives.
Continue reading