The best travel report on any of the gay forums in a long while, in my opinion. I appreciated the detail and tips on things the casual visitor would probably miss. Your pictures were really interesting and I hope you'll share more here about your trips.
I'll check the other site for some of your reports, too. There's so much more to travel than prurient interests.
Taiwan?
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fountainhall
Re: Taiwan?
I could not agree more.bao-bao wrote:There's so much more to travel than prurient interests.
Many thanks for your kind comments. I generally prefer to post travel reports and pics on just one Board since I know some people read several and I don’t want to waste their time. So usually it is gaythailand.com. But I did make an extensive one here on GB’s Everything Else Board on a month-long trip I made to South America in October/November 2010.
http://gaybuttonthai.com/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=1870
For anyone interested, I have posted comments (usually short ones rather than full trip reports) along with some photos on a number of other trips I have done. These include –
Nepal Nov 2009 and a little on Bhutan Nov 2008 (from Post #7) -
http://www.gaythailand.com/forums/topic ... entry30989
Hanoi Jun 2010 (although the thread is wrongly titled as Ho Chi Minh!) –
http://www.gaythailand.com/forums/topic ... ty-photos/
Shanghai and Suzhou Aug 2010 (from Post #42) -
http://www.gaythailand.com/forums/topic ... ou__st__40
Moscow (Sept. 2011 from Post #4) -
http://www.gaythailand.com/forums/topic ... al-skills/
Chengdu and the Jiuzhaigou National Park in China’s Sichuan Province Oct 2011 -
http://www.gaythailand.com/forums/topic ... -of-china/
The Harbin Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival in north-east China Jan 2012 -
http://www.gaythailand.com/forums/topic ... -festival/
A Beijing Stopover Jan 2012 -
http://www.gaythailand.com/forums/topic ... stop-over/
I travelled extensively in many neighbouring countries since moving to Asia in 1979, and so my trips now tend to take me a little further afield!
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fedssocr
Re: Taiwan?
Wow. Thanks! Do you think Macau is worth hopping over to for a day trip?
Actually my plan will depend somewhat on award seat availability, but things are pretty wide open on CX this far in advance. I am trying to figure out the order of my trip now. My original plan was to fly CX USA-HKG and then (before I was considering Taiwan) just do the EK A380 F class suite to BKK. And fly home from BKK most likely on a Star Alliance award of some sort. But adding in Taiwan makes things a little more of a puzzle. I should be able to fly USA-HKG-TPE on one award if I decide go there first. Then I was thinking maybe head to BKK for a little while before jumping over to HKG (maybe that EK A380
) and then return to the US on CX. I could also use BA points to fly from either TPE or HKG to BKK. Or go to TPE first, then jump back to HKG (either buying a ticket or BA points), then to BKK and home from there. So, there are some options. I'm not sure any of them is better than another.
Actually my plan will depend somewhat on award seat availability, but things are pretty wide open on CX this far in advance. I am trying to figure out the order of my trip now. My original plan was to fly CX USA-HKG and then (before I was considering Taiwan) just do the EK A380 F class suite to BKK. And fly home from BKK most likely on a Star Alliance award of some sort. But adding in Taiwan makes things a little more of a puzzle. I should be able to fly USA-HKG-TPE on one award if I decide go there first. Then I was thinking maybe head to BKK for a little while before jumping over to HKG (maybe that EK A380
) and then return to the US on CX. I could also use BA points to fly from either TPE or HKG to BKK. Or go to TPE first, then jump back to HKG (either buying a ticket or BA points), then to BKK and home from there. So, there are some options. I'm not sure any of them is better than another.-
fountainhall
Re: Taiwan?
I'm not sure I can advise! If it were my trip, I be tempted to get to BKK first, relax and get over jet-lag, and then do a HKG trip on its own, and TPE as a stop-over on the way home. But that's largely because I get quite bad jet-lag after a trans-Pacific flight and I think to do Hong Kong justice you need to be pretty alert.
Macao! It used to be the most wonderful step back into the 18th century - the perfect antidote to Hong Kong. When I was last there a few years ago, I loathed the experience! It's like walking right into a monstrous, fake movie set now. On the other hand, the centre is still 'old' Portuguese and there are still some hidden gems to be seen. But I would give it a miss - if only because Hong Kong itself has so much to offer.
Macao! It used to be the most wonderful step back into the 18th century - the perfect antidote to Hong Kong. When I was last there a few years ago, I loathed the experience! It's like walking right into a monstrous, fake movie set now. On the other hand, the centre is still 'old' Portuguese and there are still some hidden gems to be seen. But I would give it a miss - if only because Hong Kong itself has so much to offer.
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fedssocr
Re: Taiwan?
Thanks. I tend to get over jet lag pretty quick. Part of the idea behind flying F class is to get some rest on the plane. And I usually arrive in the evening so I can unpack and go to bed to get my clock reset right away. That seems to usually work.
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fountainhall
Re: Taiwan?
As mentioned earlier, my knowledge of Taipei is much less detailed than Hong Kong, as my visits have generally been for short 2-3 day business trips. But in addition to bao-bao’s very useful comments in the second post, here are some general thoughts.
When I first started visiting Taipei, I found the city quite boring. It had none of the vibrancy of Hong Kong, the charm of Bangkok or the exoticism of mid-1980s Tokyo. There seemed to be no natural centre to the city; it just rambled and rambled without any truly interesting landmarks. Even today, the business districts are plain dull, with little of the architectural excitement found in other modern Asian cities. And it is one of the few cities where I always seem to find it difficult to get my bearings, being criss-crossed by a series of old elevated expressways which all look the same!
One reason is perhaps historical. When Chiang Kai Shek and his two million followers ‘invaded’ the island in 1949 (they called it a ‘retreat’ after being overcome by Mao and his Red Army), they never intended their residence to be permanent. It was just a temporary retreat whilst they regrouped, re-equipped and readied themselves to re-conquer the mainland when communism failed. For that reason, the island was under martial law for close on 40 years, a state that only ended in 1987. Also for that reason, there was little in the way of intelligent town planning. Like Topsy, Taipei just grew and grew.
We know now that, with the mainland’s spectacular economic development, a Taiwanese re-conquest is just not going to happen. And this may be one reason why the city has in recent years made greater strides to develop along more international models. There is now an urban centre roughly encompassing the Presidential Palace, the railway station and the Chiang Kai Shek Memorial Park, with its monument to Chiang and two large Chinese-style buildings housing the National Concert Hall and National theater, two of the world’s great concert/opera stages.
More recently developed areas, like that near the Grand Hyatt hotel – relatively close to Taipei 101, for six years the world’s tallest building – certainly have a more international ‘feel’. Called Xinyi, this is almost the most cosmopolitan part of the city, packed with shopping malls, cinema complexes - and all the things you probably don’t want to see on a short visit!
You can ascend up to floor 89 of Taipei 101 in some of the fastest lifts in the world, traveling at 37 mph. If you get a clear day, it will be worth it. But Taipei lies in a valley surrounded by hills, and so in addition to an almost constant heat-haze for much of the year, it is a pollution trap. When I went up, I could see precious little from the observation deck. (Why anyone would want to build such a tall building in a typhoon zone and over a major active earthquake fault line, beats me!)
The CKS Memorial Hall is worth a visit, if only to see the hourly changing of the guards. These servicemen are all young, tall, slim, look immaculate in their tight-fitting uniforms and carry out their duties with extraordinary precision. Within the Park, there is a large piazza between the Concert Hall and Theater where there are often open-air concerts. When Pavarotti sang in the Concert Hall about 20 years ago, 60,000 stood outside in a cold February evening to hear a ‘live’ relay from inside.
Greater Taipei is very spread out, but Taipei City itself lies to the eastern side of the river which bisects it. Two of the most interesting districts are close to that river – Wanhua and Datong. Wanhua has many gay pubs, gay clothing establishments and cafes located at The Red House in Ximending. Take the Blue Line subway to Ximen station and look for the signs to The Red House. Don’t expect crowds of people until week-end evenings, though. I have been there around 6:00 pm on weekdays and found myself in the company of very few others. At least two gay saunas are in this area, as well as a small pedestrian area with a lot of trendy local fashion shops.
A note for gay travellers. I find Taiwan guys amongst the most attractive in Asia. But being openly gay is much less common than some other countries, and so meeting up with local guys is not always so easy. Unless you have arranged meetings with guys from gayromeo or fridae.com (much the best site for Chinese guys in my experience), there are several saunas ranging from old and seedy to more modern and beautifully decorated (check utopia-asia for a useful map and the latest information). Westerners are generally welcome, but younger and fitter guys will have more success. I have only occasionally been to gay bars where I found younger Taiwanese tended to go in groups and then mix within the group. If you are a single older guy sitting at the bar, it is not so easy to start up a conversation. I have read of others’ experience at a very trendy nightclub named Luxy which seems rather like Zouk in Singapore. It has occasional gay nights but seems gay friendly.
http://www.luxy-taipei.com/en/main.php
Walk north and you come to Datong, one of the oldest areas of the city, notable especially for its Japanese colonial and Qing Dynasty architecture, as well as a Chinese medicine market. As you wander anywhere in Taipei, always look out for the many tea shops and small tea houses where taking tea is almost as much of a ritual as in Japan. The variety of teas is extraordinary, but it is best to have a local with you to explain how to select your tea and then the very detailed process for preparing and drinking it.
Taiwanese food is delicious and cheap, but understandably you can get all types of Chinese food in Taipei. I can't recommend specific restaurants as I tend to be taken by friends and can never remember the locations, let alone the names! For a special occasion, I have had several excellent meals at Tien Hsiang Lo in the basement of the Landis Hotel – beautifully decorated in 1930’s art deco style. This serves Hangzhou style cuisine (a sort-of mix of north and south). Their dumplings are quite wonderful!
Just along from the Landis is one of several temples worth seeing, even though it was built much more recently than most – the Hsingtien Temple at 209 Minchuan East Road.
The city itself is 40 kms from the international airport. If you are not arranging a hotel car in advance, a taxi or small limousine from the desk in the arrivals hall will cost between NT$1,000 and NT$1,300 (appr. US$34-44). Outside the long rush hours, you’ll be in the city centre within 40 minutes. At the peak of the rush hour, traffic moves incredibly slowly and can sometimes double that time.
Alternatively, you can get a shuttle connection to the high-speed trains which connect the north and south of the island (not advisable as you may have to wait quite a time) or there are shuttle buses to the main railway station and to the domestic in-town airport. From both, it’s easy to pick up taxis to your hotel.
Within the city, there is now an extensive, efficient and inexpensive subway system. I always try to stay at a hotel within 10 minutes walk of a station as taxis, whilst reasonably plentiful, are not always available when you want them, especially in the rain.
Lastly, do try the hot springs in the Beitou District to the west of the city. There are now two men-only facilities which attract a generally gay crowd. Because so many guys are still in the closet, though, it’s not easy arranging a hook-up here, if that’s what you are looking for. But it is the perfect way to relax in the company of some gorgeous young men - in all their glory! Full details along with map and name-card in Chinese are in one of the gaythailand.com threads I posted earlier.
When I first started visiting Taipei, I found the city quite boring. It had none of the vibrancy of Hong Kong, the charm of Bangkok or the exoticism of mid-1980s Tokyo. There seemed to be no natural centre to the city; it just rambled and rambled without any truly interesting landmarks. Even today, the business districts are plain dull, with little of the architectural excitement found in other modern Asian cities. And it is one of the few cities where I always seem to find it difficult to get my bearings, being criss-crossed by a series of old elevated expressways which all look the same!
One reason is perhaps historical. When Chiang Kai Shek and his two million followers ‘invaded’ the island in 1949 (they called it a ‘retreat’ after being overcome by Mao and his Red Army), they never intended their residence to be permanent. It was just a temporary retreat whilst they regrouped, re-equipped and readied themselves to re-conquer the mainland when communism failed. For that reason, the island was under martial law for close on 40 years, a state that only ended in 1987. Also for that reason, there was little in the way of intelligent town planning. Like Topsy, Taipei just grew and grew.
We know now that, with the mainland’s spectacular economic development, a Taiwanese re-conquest is just not going to happen. And this may be one reason why the city has in recent years made greater strides to develop along more international models. There is now an urban centre roughly encompassing the Presidential Palace, the railway station and the Chiang Kai Shek Memorial Park, with its monument to Chiang and two large Chinese-style buildings housing the National Concert Hall and National theater, two of the world’s great concert/opera stages.
More recently developed areas, like that near the Grand Hyatt hotel – relatively close to Taipei 101, for six years the world’s tallest building – certainly have a more international ‘feel’. Called Xinyi, this is almost the most cosmopolitan part of the city, packed with shopping malls, cinema complexes - and all the things you probably don’t want to see on a short visit!
You can ascend up to floor 89 of Taipei 101 in some of the fastest lifts in the world, traveling at 37 mph. If you get a clear day, it will be worth it. But Taipei lies in a valley surrounded by hills, and so in addition to an almost constant heat-haze for much of the year, it is a pollution trap. When I went up, I could see precious little from the observation deck. (Why anyone would want to build such a tall building in a typhoon zone and over a major active earthquake fault line, beats me!)
The CKS Memorial Hall is worth a visit, if only to see the hourly changing of the guards. These servicemen are all young, tall, slim, look immaculate in their tight-fitting uniforms and carry out their duties with extraordinary precision. Within the Park, there is a large piazza between the Concert Hall and Theater where there are often open-air concerts. When Pavarotti sang in the Concert Hall about 20 years ago, 60,000 stood outside in a cold February evening to hear a ‘live’ relay from inside.
Greater Taipei is very spread out, but Taipei City itself lies to the eastern side of the river which bisects it. Two of the most interesting districts are close to that river – Wanhua and Datong. Wanhua has many gay pubs, gay clothing establishments and cafes located at The Red House in Ximending. Take the Blue Line subway to Ximen station and look for the signs to The Red House. Don’t expect crowds of people until week-end evenings, though. I have been there around 6:00 pm on weekdays and found myself in the company of very few others. At least two gay saunas are in this area, as well as a small pedestrian area with a lot of trendy local fashion shops.
A note for gay travellers. I find Taiwan guys amongst the most attractive in Asia. But being openly gay is much less common than some other countries, and so meeting up with local guys is not always so easy. Unless you have arranged meetings with guys from gayromeo or fridae.com (much the best site for Chinese guys in my experience), there are several saunas ranging from old and seedy to more modern and beautifully decorated (check utopia-asia for a useful map and the latest information). Westerners are generally welcome, but younger and fitter guys will have more success. I have only occasionally been to gay bars where I found younger Taiwanese tended to go in groups and then mix within the group. If you are a single older guy sitting at the bar, it is not so easy to start up a conversation. I have read of others’ experience at a very trendy nightclub named Luxy which seems rather like Zouk in Singapore. It has occasional gay nights but seems gay friendly.
http://www.luxy-taipei.com/en/main.php
Walk north and you come to Datong, one of the oldest areas of the city, notable especially for its Japanese colonial and Qing Dynasty architecture, as well as a Chinese medicine market. As you wander anywhere in Taipei, always look out for the many tea shops and small tea houses where taking tea is almost as much of a ritual as in Japan. The variety of teas is extraordinary, but it is best to have a local with you to explain how to select your tea and then the very detailed process for preparing and drinking it.
Taiwanese food is delicious and cheap, but understandably you can get all types of Chinese food in Taipei. I can't recommend specific restaurants as I tend to be taken by friends and can never remember the locations, let alone the names! For a special occasion, I have had several excellent meals at Tien Hsiang Lo in the basement of the Landis Hotel – beautifully decorated in 1930’s art deco style. This serves Hangzhou style cuisine (a sort-of mix of north and south). Their dumplings are quite wonderful!
Just along from the Landis is one of several temples worth seeing, even though it was built much more recently than most – the Hsingtien Temple at 209 Minchuan East Road.
The city itself is 40 kms from the international airport. If you are not arranging a hotel car in advance, a taxi or small limousine from the desk in the arrivals hall will cost between NT$1,000 and NT$1,300 (appr. US$34-44). Outside the long rush hours, you’ll be in the city centre within 40 minutes. At the peak of the rush hour, traffic moves incredibly slowly and can sometimes double that time.
Alternatively, you can get a shuttle connection to the high-speed trains which connect the north and south of the island (not advisable as you may have to wait quite a time) or there are shuttle buses to the main railway station and to the domestic in-town airport. From both, it’s easy to pick up taxis to your hotel.
Within the city, there is now an extensive, efficient and inexpensive subway system. I always try to stay at a hotel within 10 minutes walk of a station as taxis, whilst reasonably plentiful, are not always available when you want them, especially in the rain.
Lastly, do try the hot springs in the Beitou District to the west of the city. There are now two men-only facilities which attract a generally gay crowd. Because so many guys are still in the closet, though, it’s not easy arranging a hook-up here, if that’s what you are looking for. But it is the perfect way to relax in the company of some gorgeous young men - in all their glory! Full details along with map and name-card in Chinese are in one of the gaythailand.com threads I posted earlier.
Re: Taiwan?
Why? For the fireworks display rack, of course!fountainhall wrote:Why anyone would want to build such a tall building in a typhoon zone and over a major active earthquake fault line, beats me!
My blog: http://khunbaobao.blogspot.com/
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fountainhall
Re: Taiwan?
Well, I rackedbao-bao wrote:For the fireworks display rack, of course!
my brains for all this time - and the answer is so simple! But I still think you don't need height for fireworks. Sydney Harbour Bridge does them better!-
fedssocr
Re: Taiwan?
well...why does anyone build big buildings? because they can, right? It's a show of wealth and know-how.
Why does Doha have all of those stupid digital clocks in the median of the road? Because they have more money than they know what to do with.
Why does Doha have all of those stupid digital clocks in the median of the road? Because they have more money than they know what to do with.
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fountainhall
Re: Taiwan?
I can understand why Malaysia has the Petronas Twin Towers. Prime Minister Mahatir was a sucker for mega projects and he wanted the world's tallest building to put Malaysia firmly in people's minds. He succeeded. Heck, he even got Sean Connery and Catherine Zeta-Jones to star in a movie featuring the building.fedssocr wrote:well...why does anyone build big buildings? because they can, right?
But how many around the world, I wonder, have heard of Taipei 101? It never really registered in people's minds, and now there is the much taller Burj Khalifa in Dubai (site of Tom Cruise's latest "Mission Impossible" movie). Aha! Perhaps the problem. Taipei forgot to snare a major Hollywood movie!