G'day! I'm Chris. I left my home in rural Australia back in 2007 to pursue a life less ordinary.
I specialize in ambitious travel - bucket list worthy journeys such as the Great US Road Trip, the ultimate African safari, and following the length of the Silk Road.
Beach-goers headed to Taiwan most often make a pilgrimage all the way to the island nation’s southern tip to pay a visit to Kenting National Park, but with time tight on my own exploration – Kaohsiung would be the southernmost stop on my 13 day exploration.
With the Chinese summer back in Nanjing in full swing and Taiwan not a whole lot cooler, I was in dire need of some fun in the sun.
Thankfully for me, the staff at Kaohsiung Backpacker’s Inn were only too happy to make a recommendation. Nearby Cijin Island (sometimes known as Cixin or Cijin Beach) was the cure for what ails me.
Getting to Cijin Island
It’s surprisingly easy to get to Cijin Beach.
Taiwan, unlike the Mainland, does not make things arbitrarily difficult for foreigners.
You can either take a taxi/Uber to Gushan Ferry Pier, take bus 248 from the Kaohsiung Main Station, or take the MRT to Station R01.
Once at the ferry terminal, a ticket is around $15 NTD. The ferry ride is a short, ten-minute journey over calm waters.
You arrive on the less picturesque side of the island, but don’t let that put you off.
Things to do on Cijin Island
Cijin Island is a popular day escape from big and bustling Kaohsiung, Taiwan’s second largest city. When the weather turns muggy on the ‘mainland’, it’s not uncommon for locals to make the short trip over to Cijin for some time on the beach and some of the cheapest seafood in Taiwan.
A popular way to explore the island is to rent a bike. A number of bike rental options are close to the ferry terminal, although I didn’t avail myself of these myself.
Like in other tourist destinations, bikes can be rented for a modest amount of money. You leave your driver’s license/passport with them as security.
This church, wedged in behind apartments and such, caught my eye.
Upon arrival, you’ll be confronted by a bustling market street in which seafood vendors and souvenir sellers vie for your attention.
This is where you’ll find some of the best and cheapest seafood in the country, but press on through the crowds and you’ll soon come to the beach.
With distinctive dark sand and some pretty sweeping panoramas, Cijin Beach definitely brings it on the visual appeal front.
Large swathes of the beach were covered by set up for some kind of festival when I visited, but a short stroll down the perilously hot sands saw me at a small patrolled beach where a few other brave souls were swimming.
The water was deliciously warm and, for reasons that are beyond me, the entire swimming area was roped off to protect us from the non-existent current.
The beach proper isn’t all white sand and pristine sunbathing conditions, but it does offer up some impressive views.
I was also lucky enough to visit during a sand sculpture festival, so there were some rather impressive bits of art scattered about the beach.
Ah, snuggles!Tinned seafood on an island famous for its fresh seafood.
With it being around noon and the sun seeming intent on baking the skin from my bones, I decided it was time to seek out a cold drink and a bite to eat.
There are a few packed streets connecting the beach side of the island to the ferry terminal, and you’re spoiled for choice when it comes to seafood restaurants.
Signs everywhere promise that everything you see can be add for $100 NTD per plate. Shrimp, squid, a variety of fish, vegetable dishes, and more can all be had for $100 NTD per plate.
I opted for the shop whose friendly owner shouted at me in English, helped myself to some squid and fish, and had a couple of ice cold beers.
The heat on the island was intense, and with plans to meet up with a friend later in the day, I had to cut my day trip short.
Had I had more time, I’d definitely have liked to snap some photos of the temple and the famous Cijin Lighthouse, but I guess that’s just incentive to return in 2017.
We’ve unfinished business, you and I.
Where to Stay in Kaohsiung
I was lucky enough to stay in the Kaohsiung Backpacker’s Inn for my two nights in the coastal city, and it really did make for a great base of operations.
With its cool robot themed exterior and its trendy interior, it was a far cry from the cramped and grungy hostels I’ve stayed in in the past.
Their rooftop hangout area with honor system beers gets a special mention. Great place to watch the sunset.
I spent a night in a dorm and a night in a private room, and both were very comfortable.
Their four bed dorms feature double-bed bunks with privacy curtains, lockers, and individual charging stations and reading lights. A great combination of privacy and affordability that I really appreciated.
The shared bathroom is a bit dated and clunky, but nothing I couldn’t deal with.
The private rooms are what you’d expect to find in a modestly priced hotel, and the private shower and TV were a nice touch.
I especially liked the friendly staff and the bagel and smoothie breakfast offered at the attached cafe each morning.
The concept of a farm stay fills me with a kind of instinctive dread.
Having been raised in the rural backwoods of Australia’s New England region, I can’t hear the word ‘farm’ without my mind being filled with images of the vacant-eyed farm boys who made my high school years so unpleasant.
The phrase conjures up images of back-breaking labour, quiet boredom, and an unwelcome detachment from the comforts that emit from the tiny smartphone that has become every bit as essential to my being as my passport and my wallet.
So, it was a with a certain sense of trepidation that I embarked on a two night Sabah Farm Stay at Kiulu Farm Stay in Malaysia.
Day One: First Impressions and being happily proven wrong
I distinctly remember a growing feeling of desperate unhappiness as the beat up old truck rattled and bounced its way down an increasingly deteriorating dirt track – the bars on my phone’s 3G gradually decreasing and then, finally, disappearing completely.
A frightened chicken fled at my arrival. I did the mental math in my head as to how many hours separated me from blessed civilization.
Like a bridge out of some teen fantasy novel, the suspension bridge acted as a kind of barrier between the real world I was leaving behind and the remarkably fascinating world that lived on the opposite side of the river.
Something remarkable happened as I made my slow, swaying way across the bridge: I cast aside my doubts and surly predisposition and I just opened myself up to the experience.
I’m so glad that I did. My time at Kiulu Farm Stay would stand out as the absolute highlight of my time in Sabah.
My home for the visit – the gorgeous ‘Fig Tree’ seamlessly blends modern conveniences with rustic, Sabahan charm. Image courtesy of Kiulu Farm Stay.
My accommodation for my visit would be the newly finished Fig Tree.
As you can see, it’s a traditional long house style design with a modern take on both sustainability and convenience. Built from bamboo that creaks and shifts deliciously under your bare feet, modern conveniences like comfortable double beds, hot and cold running water, and a well-equipped little kitchen make it a perfect base to explore the nearby villages and jungle.
Each night, local women would come in to whip together a delicious local feast of kampong (village) chicken, tilapia caught from the many ponds in the area, and fresh picked vegetables.
Delicious potato cakes were just one of many savoury highlights from the local ladies, but their breakfast banana bread was to die for.
Far from being tedious affairs, my nights were filled with laughter and comfort.
Whether I was teaching my host how to play Monopoly, drinking rice wine with the locals in a dimly lit hut, or sharing stories in the riverside sulap – I would go to bed each night tired and happy.
And the sleep! I don’t think I’ve ever slept so well as those two nights in which I was lulled to sleep by the warbling river, the twittering night birds, the rustling branches, and the chirping cicadas.
My host tries his best to teach me the intricacies of local gong playing. I disappoint.Locally made rice wine. Tastes quite a bit like Korean rice wine, but lumpier.
The days were no less entertaining. They were also considerably more exhausting.
My first day saw us immediately heading to the local village to do a little exploration.
As we walked, we’d pluck fresh rambutans and langsat from the trees and share them between us as my two guides took turns talking to me about the local culture.
I loved being able to just pick fresh fruit off of trees and munch on it as we walked. So good!
In many ways, the village reminded me of my own village in Australia. There were obvious differences, of course. My village has high speed internet and cable television, while theirs had more of a pulse. Kids played badminton in the community hall, locals sat outside and chatted, chickens and dogs raced around, and it all felt very much alive.
Unlike other tourist friendly villages I’ve visited in my travels, I didn’t find myself inundated with souvenir vendors or smiling kids asking for money.
Far from it, I was treated to reactions ranging from warm welcomes to polite indifference. It was refreshing to be able to take it in organically, rather than have it forced down my throat.
The brightly coloured and adorable village school was also the only source of 3G in the village. There was even a Pokestop!The village in all of its splendour from above.
Our walk took us beyond the village and into the motley of farmsteads and dense jungle beyond. It wasn’t quite machetes out conditions, but there was plenty of ducking under low hanging branches and one-leg-dancing to get myself out of a tangle of vines.
I was taken by the enterprise on display in every farm. With land and resources limited, families don’t focus on a single crop and instead grow everything they might need. Pineapples, rice, tilapia, vegetables, chickens, and more all co-exist in the same relatively small parcels of land.
I’ll never tire of photographing rice paddies. The sheer greenness of them blows my mind.
Day Two: Jungles and Marriage Proposals
My second day in the village offered a more comprehensive exploration.
Starting out bright and early after a big breakfast, we again ventured into the village to learn a bit more about the local culture.
From visits to the local cemetary (where the above panorama of the village was taken) to tight-rope walks through the heart of rice paddies to detours through farms to show off a new local innovation or experiment gone wrong, it was a pleasant way to start the day.
The local rice paddies are experimenting with new, sustainable ways of raising rice.The homes and farms are as much a part of the landscape as the jungle they exist in.
After a brief stop at my host’s home to meet his family and mentally prepare ourselves for the jungle trek, it was off again.
The jungle trek is not some dumbed down tourist thing. It’s a lot of slogging through ankle-deep streams, half-sliding down muddy embankments, ducking underneath thorny vines, and occasionally exhausting uphill climbs.
There are no ropes or paved paths to follow, and it’s all the more fantastic for it.
Plenty of fresh, ice cold water to keep you hydrated as you go too.
The trek itself takes about two sweaty, entertaining hours. We fill ourselves with ice cold river water and fresh fruit as we go, with my host’s dog (aptly named ‘puppy’) racing ahead of us to scout the way and ensure there are no unpleasant surprises ahead.
Along the way we forage for ingredients for the lunch we’ll cook together, occasionally stopping to snatch up fresh tomatoes or vegetables whose names escape me.
We even try our luck with the blowgun to see if we can’t bring down a bit of game.
The best I manage is hitting a tree. I am inordinately proud.
When the trek is finished, we return to my host’s home for a big family lunch that we whip up together. I even chip in by preparing some vegetable and anchovies dish that I proclaim to be my favourite.
There’s fresh lime juice to accompany our meal, and aunts, nieces, sisters, and children all gather around the table.
Sharing some rice wine with my guide and the mayor, who just so happens to be my host’s brother!
It’s over lunch that my host attempts to set me up with not one, but two of my relatives.
“This is my sister,” he informs me, “She manages a hotel in Kota Kinabalu and is your age”.
When the sister blushes bright red and beats a hasty retreat, he seems to have dropped the subject.
We’re going to learn how to shell rice and separate the husks from the rice. He summons his niece.
This is Jennifer, who studies tourism in Kuala Lumpur. Despite her height, she is actually 21.
“Future husband and wife!” he proclaims proudly as we perform the task of pounding the rice to get the husks off.
We both blush and I, assuming from Jennifer’s height that she is 12 or 13, quickly try to change the subject.
“What is your favourite subject at school?”
“Tourism management,” she replies.
“Oh, they teach that here?”
“No, they teach it at my university”.
My host cackles with delight and continues to suggest we would be a good match. His many brothers, including the girl’s father, are only too happy to continue the joke as we’re all invited to the local river for a swim where a jungle river and a mountain river meet.
The warm water of the mountain river meets with the cold water of the jungle river.
The river is a lot of fun. The warm mountain water and the cold jungle water meet and mingle together, leaving one side of the river ice cold and one side bathwater warm.
The current is strong, so my host slings a rope across the river for the less strong swimmers to grab onto.
All told, there are maybe a dozen of us in the water, with all but me being part of my host’s extended family.
Continuing the joke, my host and two of his brothers continually push their 21 year old niece in my direction. We both politely decline their invitation to marry one another.
We play local variations of water games like Marco Polo, slide along the rapids on our backsides, and probably would have stayed a lot longer had the thunder not begun to boom overhead in prologue to a tropical deluge the likes of which seemed entirely fitting for our jungle setting.
The rice paddies certainly drank their fill from the rain.
My time at Kiulu Farm Stay was one of the high points of my year.
There was a kind of simple pleasure to be found in a life removed from Instagram and Facebook posts, nervously awaiting WeChat replies from the girl I was flirting with at the time, and emails from work.
We have a nasty habit of glamourising the comparative poverty of those in the developing world as some kind of simpler ideal, and I don’t want to be guilty of doing that here. Education and medical care are still very much issues in communities like this, but initiatives like Kiulu Farm Stay are going some way towards remedying that be bringing vital money into the community.
I do my part by tapping a rubber tree.
What I liked most about the experience was that, at least for now, this influx of money has not been used to cheapen the experience. There are no cheesy photo opportunities or cliched tourist traps here – just local people enriching their lives a little by enriching the lives of their visitors.
As my host put it:
“There is poverty here if you measure wealth by money. But nobody here is hungry. Nobody here is thirsty. We have all we need”.
There’s a real beauty in that sense of community – of people pulling together for the improvement of their lives.
I left Kiulu Farm Stay ashamed at my pre-judgement and warmed by their hospitality.
My visit to Kiulu Farm Stay was organised by the Sabah Tourism Board as part of their #HelloSabah campaign. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Taipei is a fascinating city with a lot to see and do, but there often isn’t time to give any place the thorough exploration that it needs.
I was lucky enough to have a few days to explore the city with my delightful friend, Doreen, but with a day trip out to Jiufen and wanting to eat all of the things with another friend – we had to cram most of the city’s more iconic spots into a single day tour.
Below, I’ve put together a pretty achievable day trip for those wanting to see the best Taipei has to offer in a single day.
You didn’t come all this way to eat your hostel’s free continental breakfast or hit up the McDonalds’ breakfast menu!
Traditional Taiwanese breakfasts are heavily influenced by northern Chinese cuisine, so you can expect to see some familiar sights like youtiao (fried bread), dan bing (a delicious savoury pancake), and the ever popular dim-sum.
Wash it all down with some cold or hot soybean milk if you’re feeling adventurous, or take the safe option and get a bubble tea or fruit tea.
You can read more about Taiwanese breakfast over at Pretty Hungry.
Longshan Temple
This one is a fairly easy stop, and I didn’t spend more than half an hour here.
There’s a saying that if you’ve seen one temple, you’ve seen them all – so if you’ve got temple fatigue, Longshan is the obvious one to cut from your itinerary.
Built in 1738 and something of a ‘local’ area despite its popularity with tourists, it’s a good place to see a side of Taipei you might not otherwise see in the modern metropolis.
We also grabbed lunch in one of the nearby eateries, but that’s because we’d had to skip breakfast due to getting a later start than anticipated.
Chiang Kai Shek Memorial Hall
Another quick visit, we actually caught this one during a later evening tour and still found it quite nice.
In the morning, it’s a popular place for older citizens to gather to do tai chi, sing songs of the glory days, and generally socialize. In the evening, the same area becomes popular with a younger crowd practising hip-hop dancing in one of the more surreal ways to celebrate one of the country’s founding fathers.
Stick around for an hour or so to soak in the ambiance and see the changing of the guard.
National Palace Museum
By now, you should have had some lunch. You don’t want to be paying overs for food at the museum cafe, and the museum isn’t something you can rush through.
The National Palace Museum is an exhaustive collection of artefacts dating back to the glory days of China before Mao and his Cultural Revolution – and is actually the largest collection of its kind in the world. If Chinese history does it for you, you’ve come to the right place.
Spread out across multiple buildings and divided into styles rather than eras, the National Palace Museum has large exhibits on bronzes, jades, porcelain, calligraphy, and a lot more.
Truth be told, we spent two hours here and had had enough, but we’d barely scratched the surface.
If you’re a completionist or a history buff, you’re in for a treat.
National Martyr’s Shrine
We had to give this one a miss after spending too much time in the National Palace Museum, but the National Martyr’s Shrine comes highly recommended – especially by those with an interest in Taiwanese military history.
The architecture is impressive and they also do a changing of the guard ceremony here, so it’s worth a look if time allows or if you missed the changing of the guard at the Chiang Kai Shek Memorial.
Maokong Gondola/Taipei 101
You’ve got two choices here, and both of them afford you a remarkable view of Taiwan’s largest city.
Taipei 101 is obviously the better-known option, but at a relatively expensive $500 NT, it’s a pricey prospect for those wanting to ride to the almost top of the world’s eighth tallest building.
If the weather is good, you’ll get a fantastic panorama of the city. If it’s not, give it a miss.
If you’re looking to get a cheaper Taipei 101 ticket, consider buying yours through KKday for a 15% discount.
Taipei wasn’t very cooperative for my visit.
Alternatively, take the train out to Taipei Zoo and take the cheaper Maokong Gondola for a unique perspective of the city. This one isn’t open on Mondays, so don’t trek all the way out there like I did.
Shilin Night Market
Food!
If you’re feeling like you need guidance, you can always take a Taipei food tour like I did.
If you’re feeling adventurous, head to the bustling Shilin Night Market and get lost amidst the swirling chaos of this smorgasbord of tastes and scents.
You’ll find everything from infamous stinky tofu to fried chicken to steaks to burgers to oyster omelettes to pearl tea to fanciful icecream creations here. It really needs to be experienced.
Not only is there a huge variety of delicious food to try here, but it’s also a good place to do any last minute souvenir shopping you might need to.
Taipei, like any modern city with a tourism focus, has a wealth of options when it comes to accommodation.
You can go to the high-end luxury apartments all the way down to quaint little B&Bs.
I chose to stay at Space Inn, which was a more upmarket hostel. As I get a bit older, I need my hostels to have a bit more than just a bed and a smelly common room, and this sci-fi themed hostel certainly fit the bill.
Smaller room allocations (I was in a four bed dorm), a huge common area with fast WiFi, the cleanest hostel bathrooms I’ve ever seen, and super friendly staff. I spent four nights here and never once felt my usual “I hate hostels” rage.
What are your favourite things to see and do in Taipei?
My stay at Space Inn was complimentary, and I want to send them a huge thanks for helping to make my visit to Taipei possible. All opinions are, as always, my own.
At first, I wasn’t sure whether to be flattered or offended.
On the one hand, it was a pleasant surprise to have a clothing label contact me and ask me about wearing and advertising some of their catalogue for them.
If you’ve been reading my site long, you’ll have picked up two things about me:
I don’t take a lot of photos of myself;
I have pretty awful fashion sense.
Looking into the brand farther, I was even more flattered to find that many of their existing advocates are professional rugby players.
Little old me being asked to advocate alongside people who get paid to be near perfect physical specimens? Don’t mind if I do!
On the other hand, the fact the brand contacting me was Johnny Bigg, a ‘plus size’ label, had me rushing to the bathroom scales to double check.
The fact the brand was for ‘plus-sized gentlemen’ had me rushing to the bathroom scales…
So, was I flattered to be thought important enough to advertise clothes? Or offended that somebody assumed I was somebody who shopped in the charitably named ‘big and tall’ section?
In the end, I decided that XL probably qualifies me as a plus-sized guy, and I can’t exactly be unhappy about being in the same weight class as Oscar Forman of the Illawarra Hawks, and the likes of Kane Douglas and the Faingaa twins from the Wallabies.
I can’t exactly be unhappy about being in the same weight class as professional basketballers and rugby players.
The Johnny Bigg Experience
As a guy who has always struggled a bit with a beer belly and broad shoulders, it can sometimes be frustrating shopping in ‘normal stores’ to find styles that suit my frame.
I’ve never been a guy who can just go in, grab something off the rack, and walk out.
Clothes shopping for me is often an agonising, sweaty, soul-destroying experience in which I am forced to confront every physical flaw in my body.
Standing in front of that tiny mirror in those cramped dressing rooms is tantamount to torture for me, and it’s a big part of the reason that I still own and wear clothes I bought 2, 3, or even 5 or 6 years ago.
While stores for larger gentlemen are obviously not a new thing, many stores seem to equate being larger with being happy to wear the bland shit your father wears. It’s all tent-sized button up shirts, ugly tan slacks, and council worker chic.
As if getting laid as a bigger guy wasn’t hard enough already – looking like you raided the op-shop for your outfit is essentially a vow of chastity.
Johnny Bigg, a part of the popular Tarocash label, aims to “recognise the desire to be well dressed” among men with larger frames. Ranging from the relatively svelte XL to the heftier end of the scale at 8XL, Johnny Bigg’s outfits emphasize style without making you feel like an imposter.
How do I know this? They let me try their clothes for free!
Yes, the team at Johnny Bigg were kind enough to send me a few outfits of my choosing to road test and share the experience.
No, that doesn’t mean I’ve been paid to say I like something I don’t. I’m not Alan Jones.
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In all, I was sent five pieces of clothing:
A pair of Dixson stretch jeans which I wear often;
The Acton Gusset boots that I may never take off;
A comfy Espen long-sleeved shirt with an oddly placed nipple zipper;
A button up top I’ve yet to have a real excuse to wear in 38C Nanjing heat;
The stylish Bomber jacket that I can’t wait to have more excuses to wear.
Everything I’ve tried has not only been a comfortable fit and drawn plenty of compliments from those who know me as ‘that dude always in shorts, thongs, and a Skyrim t-shirt’.
My only regret has been the fact that it’s all been winter wear, which has been at odds with another sweltering Nanjing summer. Most of my new clothes won’t get a real run until winter rolls around in a few months’ time.
A better look at my Davis Bomber jacket. I can’t wait for winter.
The Male Modeling Experience
Part of our arrangement was that I’d share some photos of my new attire on Instagram, which would mean subjecting myself to wearing winter clothes in the Nanjing heat and subjecting myself to being photographed.
Still, ever the professional, I bought my friend Doreen lunch and had her snap some photos of me in various outfits – pausing in between shots to mop liberal amounts of sweat from my brow and inhale my brunch.
Modeling is hard! Where do I usually put my hands!?
It has been a fun experience, though.
I’m not somebody who is used to being complimented on my appearance. It’s certainly been an ego-boosting experience to not only have nice clothes that feel comfortable, but to have people comment on the way they look on me.
While Mum is always quick to tell me I’m handsome, I’m beginning to suspect she’s a tad biased.
Johnny Bigg may be pricier than the big and tall section at Lowes or Woolworths, but their catalogue has far more clothing that I’d feel comfortable buying and wearing.
They’re even having their end of season sale at the moment, so if you want to grab some clothes yourself – they’re 70% off at the moment.
If you’re following me on Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook – you might have noticed a wee video from the Qingdao Beer Museum as I down a beer and talk about an exciting competition being run by Tsingtao Brewery.
Missed it? I’ve conveniently included it below for your viewing pleasure!
Why, yes! Tsingtao Beer, my favourite Chinese beer, are offering the chance for you to win one of five trips to the Qingdao Beer Festival at the end of August.
The contest includes international flights, Qingdao accommodation, and entrance to the Qingdao Beer Fest with all of its pageantry, festivity, and (of course) beer!
All you need to do to enter isclick hereand submit your photo or video of you with an ice cold bottle (or glass) of Tsingtao beer and you’ll be in the running to win your trip over to China to participate in the festivities.
I pose with the original Tsingtao brewery keg.
Why Visit Qingdao?
I’m writing a lengthy post espousing the virtues of Qingdao as we speak. It’s one of my absolute favourite cities in China, and not just because it’s China’s uncontested beer capital.
While there’s certainly plenty of beer related fun to be had between the Tsingtao Brewery, the Qingdao Beer Festival, and the fresh seafood and suds of Beer Street, it’s so much more than just a place for drinking.
Qingdao is something unique in China, as its German colonial roots are still very much in evidence in the architecture and ambiance of the city.
Its beaches and mountains offer something for the outdoorsman, and the Olympic Sailing Centre gives the city a foreshore that puts me in mind of Sydney or Vancouver.
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