Taiwan Travelogue: Night view of Taipei City from Taipei 101

Taipei 101 is the iconic landmark skyscraper which made the Taiwanese proud when it was officially launched in the year 2004, and hailed as world's tallest building then.



The title was held for a duration of six years before Burj Khalifa, in Dubai stole it away in the year 2010 but Taipei 101 remains as the apple of Taiwan's eye and continues to be the much celebrated building where fireworks are set off on New Year's eve under the eager and watchful eyes of the nation.
(Note: The position held by Taipei 101 was preceded by the famous and close to home's Petronas Twin Towers; from the year 1998 to 2004, yet today they remain as the tallest twin towers in the world. )

Taipei 101 comprises of a hundred and one (101) floors above ground(the reason for the name of the building), and 5 floors underground and is a magnificent city sight when it is fully lit at night. If the title of being the world's tallest building from ground to pinnacle for six years is not enough, take note that the building was also the world's tallest and largest green building when it was awarded the LEED Platinum Certification; the highest achievement award in the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED). For more information on the Taipei 101 trivia and facts, please refer to Wikipedia here.



Like most major cities in the world, skyscrapers are common sights in a scene which seemed like they were all standing arrogantly in a bid to outdo each other in their glory and height, not to mention magnificence. Taipei 101, is another building like that; originally known as the Taipei World Financial Center, it is now still a commercial center filled with offices, retail outlets and also observatories open to public to enjoy the view from the tall building.

Taiwan is no stranger to typhoons and Taipei 101, with its modern city architecture infused with the Asian tradition is designed to weather the strong winds of typhoon and also earthquakes.
The architectural design and structural integrity of the building are all explained in the exhibition hall and observatory decks of Taipei 101, located on the 88th and 89th floor.

Take an elevator to the 5th floor to the ticketing counter to purchase your tickets to the observatory decks.
(Do take note that there are indoor and outdoor observatory decks located in the Taipei 101, and the outdoor observatory deck's only open to public should the weather permits, and may not be open all the time. The staff at the ticketing counter will notify at the time of the purchase if the outdoor observatory deck is open).





Each ticket costs NTD(New Taiwan Dollar) $500 per person.



The other record that Taipei 101 holds is this fastest passenger elevator in the world, as marked in the Guiness Book of Records.
The whole journey from the fifth floor to the 89th floor; where the indoor observatory is located takes less than a minute (in exact, only half a minute) and I barely felt anything; yes, it was that smooth!
Thumbs up, they deserve the title! (I was impressed with the smooth and almost transition less ride up the high floors)





On the 89th Observatory Floor





Decor in conjunction with the upcoming Chinese Lunar New Year celebration in the following month (February)



Views of Taipei city at night; an animated map freckled with bright neon lights.







The observatory deck provides a 360 degrees view of the city; from the different decks and sections available for the viewing.





Take the staircase to the 91st floor for a view from the Outdoor Observatory Deck.
The wind can be really strong here; and not the full deck will be open for viewing.







A view of the pinnacle of Taipei 101



Complete the tour by heading back to the 88th floor for the exhibition hall, for the facts and figures on the impressive skyscraper.





Damper Baby, is everywhere, as the unmistakable iconic mascot of Taipei 101.











If you are from the city, skyscrapers would probably be another part of the familiar scene you grew up with though the only difference lies in the location you are at, and the view, just seems different when you are in different country altogether?

The other reason is perhaps, to check out the famous building which was once the tallest building in the world, taking over the title from our very own backyard's Twin Towers?

Take in the view from the towering skyscraper in the day or the night, and enjoy the animated hustle bustle of the city in action, although personally, I would say the night seems to provide a far more superior view with the city fully lit to project modern urbanization to life :-)

Besides, what could be a better way to enjoy the Taipei 101 fully decked with lights than in the dark of the night, to fully see the grandeur of the building?

Pineapples at Dole Plantation

Dole is not an unusual name to anyone; especially if you are big fan of fruits like me as they are one of the largest fruit exporters, if not the largest, in United States and the world.
Originally a fruit stand in the 1950s, the plantation opened its doors to the public in the late 1980s;  in 1989 to promote their pineapples and becoming the icon of Hawaii.
(Pineapples are often associated with a Hawaiian vacation and Dole Plantation is the reason behind that)

The vast area of the pineapples plantation could be spotted when one is driving along the highway, and the scene reminds me a little of our southern state; Johor which is also the land of pineapples.

Dole Pineapple Plantation








There are many tours and activities offered at the plantation; including that of a plantation/garden tour, the pineapple maze, the pineapple express or if you are just dropping by, like what we did, you can spend an approximate of 30 minutes browsing through their pineapple merchandise outlet which had almost everything in the pineapple flavor; besides the fresh fruits themselves that is.



One can find the pineapple soaps, shower gels, shampoos, candles, tupperware, pineapple jam, pineapple cookies/biscuits, concentrated juices, syrup and even pineapple ice-cream!
I regret that my hubby did not get his chance to try out the pineapple ice-cream there, or I would have a perfect picture to share right now, bummer!

Anyway, what beats the fruit themselves in their original form than made into flavors?



One must not miss paying honor to one of the icons/mascot of Hawaii when traveling there; and Dole Plantation says it all with their long history and their bright yellow fruit!:-)

Adventures at Kualoa Ranch - Tickets and tours

Kualoa Ranch is located right within the vicinity of the Kualoa Park, and from the moment I read about this place in the travel magazine in my hotel, I knew that I must plan at least half a day to visit this ranch.

(Source: Wikipedia)

Kualoa Ranch is the landowner of Kaʻaʻawa Valley, also commonly known as Kualoa Valley, on the windward coast of the island of Oʻahu inHawaiʻi. This place was sacred to ancient Oahuans from the 13th to the 18th century, as it was whereLaʻa-mai-kahiki settled after visiting Kauaʻi and before returning to Tahiti. It was also the site of the sacred drums of Kapahuula and Kaahu-ulapunawai as well as the sacred Hill of Kauakahi-a-Kahoʻowaha, the key to the sovereignty of the Kingdom of Oahu.

A typical scene of a ranch house and the majestic mountains as the backdrop; as with most of the scenes I have captured of O'ahu.

There is a sugar mill here too

Though the place may be known for its history and past, it is also open to tourists to share in the captivating stories surrounding the place and experience for themselves the beauty of the grounds.
Various tour packages are devised for these purposes; including that of horse riding and hiking but there are also more which are tailor made and categorized based on the nature of the tours.

Guess which tour we booked?
Honestly, I would have done them all; but I just had other plans and besides, the staff manning the ticketing booth was kind enough to recommend two tours which she personally felt was the most popular and also best for those who wanted the best of the ranch yet crunching on time.



So yeah, got our tickets for the Movie Sites & Ranch and also the Jungle Expedition!



We had more than an hour to kill before the scheduled tours start (yes, the tours are all on scheduled time of the day; so it's best to plan your itinerary before making plans to visit other places).

Note: The earliest tour starts from 8.30a.m; so it may be a good thing to be here early if you want to enjoy all the tours offered and yet have time to check out the other attractions on O'ahu.

TO be continued...

Kualoa Park

The best place to take in a good and close-up view of the little islet; Mokoli'i or better known as Chinaman's Hat mentioned in the previous post, from the island of O'ahu is along the coastal stretch along Windward O'ahu; north of Waiahole.

Kualoa Park, refers to this sandy, grassy and breezy coast along the Kamehameha Highway; and with a clear view of the Chinaman's Hat Island.



This place is exceptionally windy; and honestly, I was almost blown off myself by the gusty wind the minute I stepped out of the car.
I owe my life to the strong and tall trees surrounding the area, seriously!!

Look at the way the trees are swaying in the direction; an obvious tell-tale sign that the wind is no breeze but an extremely strong wind.



Despite the strong wind which sends the chill down my spine and over my whole body, the place was actually a good place for family outings with the sandy beach, grassy expanses and a great view of the sea.
The strong wind seems to be favorable for those who would love to fly their kites over the wide grasslands here.





Look at the island; is there any wonder why it is named as Chinaman's Hat?
Go figure...