For our post-graduation trip, Joanna and I travelled to Kaohsiung for two main reasons. 1) Kaohsiung is a relatively small city, just enough for us to finish exploring at a comfortable pace when we only have 4 days. 2) I love love loveeee Taiwan, and I haven't been to Kaohsiung yet!

Flight (Singapore to Kaohsiung direct)


We decided to travel to Kaohsiung at only the eleventh hour so we didn't manage to secure good deals for our flight. Since Scoot only flies to Kaohsiung thrice weekly, and Scoot is the only airline that flies directly from Singapore to Kaohsiung, our choices were limited. To save cost, we decided to only check in our luggages on our way back from Kaohsiung (because we know we were going to be shopping a lot).

Our flight departed Singapore at 6:00am and we reached Kaohsiung at 10:20am.

Kaohsiung International Airport to Kaohsiung City


Compared to Taoyuan International Airport to Taipei City, it was way easier to get from Kaohsiung International Airport to Kaohsiung City.

There's a direct train from Kaohsiung Airport to Kaohsiung City, which costs about NT$20 one way. Take note that you can use Taipei's EasyCard (you-you-ka) in Kaohsiung, but you can't top up there. It takes only about 15 minutes to get to the hearts of Kaohsiung by Kaohsiung Rapid Transit Corporation (KRTC). You should familiarise yourself with their KRTC system as it is Kaohsiung's main form of transport.

Day 1, 15 May 2017

06:00am — Take off from Singapore

10:20am — Reached Kaohsiung

10:40am — Breakfast at Kaohsiung Airport's FamilyMart

11:30am — Reached HotelR14 (review) to leave our luggage

• Nearest KRTC: Kaohsiung Arena (R14, red line) | Exit 2
• Address: 804, Kaohsiung City, Gushan District, 文忠路1號  

12:30pm — Shopping at Anning Street (wholesale fashion district)

• Houyi Station (R12, red line) | Exit 2, 20 minute walk
• Behind The Kaohsiung Railway Station
• Address: Anning Street, Sanmin District, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan 807

02:00pm — Left Anning Street

02:50pm — Dream Mall (梦时代购物中心)

• Nearest KRTC: Dream Mall Station (C5, grey line)
• Largest shopping mall in Taiwan and East Asia
• Address: No. 789, Zhonghua 5th Road, Qianzhen District, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan 806

05:50pm — Left Dream Mall

06:40pm — Back to HotelR14 to check in

• Nearest KRTC: Kaohsiung Arena Station (R14, red line) | Exit 2
• Address: 804, Taiwan, Kaohsiung City, Gushan District, 文忠路1號

08:20pm — Rui Feng Night Market

• Nearest KRTC: Kaohsiung Arena Station (R14, red line) | Exit 1, 5 mins walk
• Within walking distance from HotelR14
• Address: No. 1156, Yucheng Road, Gushan District, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan 804
• Opens 6pm to 11pm
• Ruifeng Night Market closes on Mondays and Wednesdays

11:00pm — Back to HotelR14

12:00am — Cabbed to Muse Club (~ NT210)


12:20am — Reached Muse Club

• Nearest KRTC: Sanduo Shopping District Station (R8, red line)
• Address: 802, Taiwan, Kaohsiung City, Lingya District, Siwei 4th Road, 10號
• Close on Mondays
• Entrance fee: NT200, with free flow drinks the entire night

03:00am — Left Muse Club

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Day 2, 16 May 2017


01:00pm — 极品豚骨拉面 (Taiwan-styled pork broth ramen) for brunch

• Nearest KRTC: Sanduo Shopping District Station (R8, red line)
• Address: No. 79, Sanduo 4th Road, Lingya District, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan 802
• Opens 10am to 10pm daily

02:20pm — Took KRTC to Ecological District Station (R15, red line)

02:40pm — Reached Ecological District Station


02:55pm — Walked to Zi You Huang Hun Afternoon Market (自由黃昏市場)

• 15 minutes walk from Ecological District Station
• Address: 813, Taiwan, Kaohsiung City, Zuoying District, Ziyou 3rd Road, 261號 No.
• Opens 2pm to 8pm daily

04:10pm — Walked back to Ecological District Station to rent bicycles


04:35pm — Reached Lotus Lake by cycling

• First 30 minutes: Free
• 31 to 60th minutes: NT5
• 61 to 90 minutes: NT10
• 91 minutes on: NT20-30/minute

05:00pm — Walked to Dragon and Tiger Pagodas

• Address: No. 9, Liantan Road, Zuoying District, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan 813
• Opens 8:30am to 5:30pm daily

08:00 — Back to HotelR14 to rest


09:50pm — Rueifeng Night Market for dinner

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Day 3, 15 May 2017



09:00am — Breakfast at HotelR14

12:20pm — Left hotel

12:40pm — Reached Sizihwan KRTC Station

• O1, C14, orange and grey line

01:00pm — Began hiking

02:00pm — Martyrs Shrine (高雄市忠烈祠) / Love Observatory

• Address: 804, Taiwan, Kaohsiung City, Gushan District, 忠義路32號
• Martyrs Shrine opens from 8am to 5pm daily

03:00pm — Hiked down


03:10pm — 福泉布丁豆花 (Shaved ice)

• Address: No. 91, Binhai 1st Road, Gushan District, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan 804

03:40pm — Began walking to Sizihwan Beach


05:40pm — Reached Sizihwan Beach (西子湾海滩)

• Address: No. 51, Lianhai Road, Gushan District, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan 804
• Located inside National Sun Yet-sen University 
• Beach closes at 6:30pm

06:30pm — Left Sizihwan Beach


07:00pm — Reached Liu He Night Market

• Nearest KRTC: Formosa Boulevard Station (R10, O5, red and orange line) | Exit 11
• Address: Liuhe 2nd Road, Xinxing District, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan 800
• Opens 6pm to 11pm

08:00pm — Shopping at COSMED (康是美)


0830pm — Formosa Boulevard Station

• Largest glass work in the world

09:00pm — Shopping at Watsons


12:20am — Supper at Yong He Eating House (永和豆浆油条大王)

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Day 4, 16 May 2017

11:00am — Check out of HotelR14


11:40am — Massage at Zuo Jiao You Jiao (左脚右脚)

• Nearest KRTC: Aozihdi Station (R13, red line) | Exit 3
• Address: No. 67, Ziyou 2nd Road, Zuoying District, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan 813
• Opens 9am to 5am daily

01:40pm — High tea after massage


02:20pm — Shopping at Han Shen Arena (漢神巨蛋)

• Nearest KRTC: Kaohsiung Arena Station (R14, red line) | Exit 5, 5 mins walk
• Address: No. 777, Bo'ai 2nd Road, Zuoying District, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan 813
• Opens 11am to 10pm on weekdays, 10:30am to 10:30pm on weekends

02:50pm — Lunch at hot 7新鉄板料理

• 4th floor

03:30pm — Dessert at Cafe. Waiting. Love

• 8th floor

04:20pm — Back to HotelR14 to collect luggage


04:50pm — Reached Kaohsiung International Airport (because I thought our flight was an hour earlier LOL)

8:50pm — Takeoff from Kaohsiung (1 hour delay)

01:05am — Reached Singapore