South Korea and Taiwan 2025

We are off for another adventure! As travel to some countries is getting more difficult...we took this opportunity to return to the East.

Saturday June 7, 2025

Delta pass awards scores for another big trip. FLL to MSP to ICN. We had an uneventful flight in Comfort Plus and arrived at MSP on time. Unfortunately, our flight to ICN is delayed 3 hours. We decided to spend our long wait in the Am Express Escape Lounge. Photo bombed by the Flight Attendants once on board in Delta One!

We were upgraded to Delta One! Korean food was on the menu.

Sundary June 8, 2025

We arrived ICN and greeted by our driver. We didn't realize it would take over an hour to get to our hotel. We finally did arrive at the Ibis Ambassador hotel. It felt like we were on a cruise ship due to the size of our room.

Monday June 9, 2025

Our room was on the 30th floor. We had breakfast on the 31st floor where they had a cutout of the floor that looked all the way to the street.

I have circled our room. the section in between the 2 buildings is where we had breakfast. 

This is actually a picture from our room.

Our Tour Guide, Jake from Here Korea Tours picked us up this morning. We had a private tour and started with Gyeongbokgung Palace which is the 3rd Palace of the Joseon Dynasty. There were 26 Kings that ruled from 1392 until 1910 which ended due to the annexation of Korea by the Japanese. The last Princess died in 1989 ending the Royal Monarchy.

We watched the Ceremonial changing of the guard. This reenactment is played by actors wearing royal uniforms, carrying traditional weapons and playing traditional instruments. This reenactment is done up to 4 times per day depicting the changing of the guard during the Joseon Dynasty. During their reign, they replaced Buddhism which had become corrupt with the Confucian ethical system.

The 4th king of the Joseon Dynasty, Sejong the Great, is known as the greatest ruler in Korean history. He was the inventor of Hangul, the native alphabet of Korea. He took the thousands of Chinese characters and simplified it. Korea now has a 98% literacy rate. Originally, the alphabet consisted of 24 basic letters: 14 consonants and 10 vowels.

The Korean traditional clothing (Hanbok) has been inspired and popularized to Koreans and foreigners due to K-dramas and K-pop. The period dramas include Kingdom and The Moon Embracing the Sun and K-pop idols like BTS performing in reinterpreted Hanbok outfits. The outfits have vibrant colors, and each piece has symbolic meaning.

Seoul Tower was our next stop. The tower is a communication and Observation tower on an 860ft summit built in 1971. It is the second highest point in Seoul and was the first general radio wave tower. It now broadcasts signals for Korean media outlets such as KBS, MBC and SBS.

Notice the "Locks of Love". There must have been millions all over the area. The tower is behind us!

We had lunch at a restaurant located in the side of the mountain. The Seoul Tower BaBang Restuarant (ba means rice and bang means mixing). We had a traditional meal that consisted of rice with a bowel full of fresh vegetables that we mixed together and drank Korean sweet rice punch.

We walked the streets of Bukchon Hanock Village. This is a residential neighborhood with restored traditional Korean houses call Hanok. The houses date back to the 19th and 20 centuries.

You can see this is also a popular place for people to dress in traditional Hanbok and take photos to upload to Instagram.

We went to Gwangjang Market. We bought JJ a T-shirt that we think Master Kim will appreciate. Our guide, Jake, gave me his credit card for us to have dinner! I was so jetlagged that I fell asleep about 5pm to take a nap and we never made it to dinner!

Tuesday June 10, 2025

Apparently, Jake wanted his credit card back! LOL

First stop was Gamaksan Chulleong Bridge which is the longest suspension bridge in South Korea. It was quite the hike up the mountain, but we made it. The bridge is over 220 meters long and 10 meters high. The bridge is dedicated to the Gloucester regiment of the British Army who fought in the Korean War and was instrumental in changing the course of the Korean war. 

The scenery was stunning of the mountain and lake. We could see the monks sanctuary further up on the next mountain. They were driven deep into the mountain when they were replaced by the Confucian system during the Joseon Dynasty

Jake says it is supposed to be able hold 900 people. I am sure that is 900 Koreans not Americans!

Lunch was amazing! We had lunch in Gyonggi-do of do-it-yourself lettuce wraps. Jake taught us how to do them like a Korean with all the fixings!

We had Tree water for drink that was very good. The drink is called gorosoe and is made from maple tree sap. It is believed to be good for the bones and ailments such as high blood pressure, DM and hangovers. 

DMZ the 3rd Tunnel: We finally made it to the DMZ but forgot our passports! Jake verified us and we were allowed to enter. The DMZ is a weapons-free zone between the North and South Korea established July 27, 1953, when the Armistice Agreement was signed. It is a 2km wide stretch of land on both north and sound of the line. We went into the third tunnel and to the Dora observatory. We were not allowed to take any pictures of the North or in the tunnel. This tunnel is the third of 4 known tunnels dug by the North Koreans. It was discovered in 1978 and is 1 mile long. We walked the entire length of the tunnel to the area that was sealed by the South on a 11% downward grade. 

Jim trying not to create an international incident! This is the Dorasan Station, the northernmost railway station in S Korea. It once connected the North and South and is now closed. It is a symbol of peace in a divided country.

Demarcation line between the countries. Sort of like East/West Berlin. We went to the Dora observatory and through binoculars, we were able to see the North Korean's in their watch towers watching the South. The entire length of the DMZ is monitored from both sides 24/7 and is lit up like daylight at night.

Dinner was at the Gaeseong Traditional Dumpling House. This restaurant is owned by a North Korean family. The restaurant has a Michelin distinction Bib Gourmand. I discovered Soju, a distilled alcoholic beverage made from rice that was similar to sake or vodka.

Wednesday June 11, 2025

We started today at the Yongin Korean Folk Village. The village introduces traditional culture from the late Joseon period.

We watched a traditional performance of music and dance.

Our lunch was a Korean BBQ at Kabojung restaurant. It is one of the most popular Korean BBQ in Korea. It was delicious.

Next stop was Hwaseong Fortress from the latter part of the Joseon Dynasty and the official fortress of Suwon, Gyeonggi-do. It was constructed from 1794-1796. It has been reconstructed to it's original form.

Fun picture. During the construction, scholar Jeong Yak-Yong invented "geojunggi" which uses a lever to lift heavy stones.

Waiting for Jake and cooling off!

We stopped at a new mall which holds the Starfield Library.

The library is quite impressive.

Jake drove us to ICN and we stayed at the Ibis hotel at the airport. Cost us an additional $99 as I had managed to screw up our original reservation at the airport. Korea is one of the safest places we have ever been.

Thursday June 12, 2025

We flew Korean Airlines from ICN to TPE. We had first class lounge access and enjoyed breakfast. A quick 2 hour and 5-minute flight and we landed in Taipei.

We took the hotel shuttle to the Hyatt Regency Taoyuan International Airport. We had concierge level so we enjoyed our dinner and drinks for the night. The staff said they had never seen a rainbow over the airport before. We were lucky enough to have a double rainbow.

While we were in the lounge, a beautiful rainbow appeared in the sky and soon a second one appeared.

Friday June 13, 2025

We met our Supera Tour guide in the hotel lobby. There are only 8 of us today and another joining tomorrow. Apparently, they had cancellations. The other 6 are a 3 generation family who are from Taiwan that immigrated to the United States many years ago. Taiwan is an island of 23 million people. 

Today is a wet day so our itinerary changed a bit. We went to the Nanmen traditional market that first opened in 1895. 

Taiwanese birthday cakes in the shape of a peach. The large ones hold 12 smaller ones inside. The peach symbolizes longevity and are used to offer a wish for a long and healthy life.

Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall. Chiang Kai Shek was the ruler in Mainland China who was overthrown by Mao. He had established the ROC/Taiwan in 1911. When he was overthrown in 1949, he went to Taiwan ROC. He died at the age of 89 and his son had the memorial hall created in his honor. Taiwan was ruled by the Japanese from 1895 to 1945.

These bronze doors open up to 89 marble steps leading down to the ground floor. Chiang Kai-Shek led Taiwan from 1928 until his death in 1975.

The changing of the guard occurs every 1 hour

The memorial is surrounded by a beautifully designed garden.

Taipei 101 was once the tallest building in the world at 90+ floors. It is still the tallest building in Taiwan. We went to the 89th floor for a magnificent view of Taipei.

We had coffee at the 89th floor coffee shop that was a World Coffee champion and Ina had the signature drink "Sola". Supposedly, you can taste 2 different coffees using the same cup by drinking out of the green side or the white side. Maybe....

We then went to lunch! We followed Ollie the robot to our table. We had a traditional Taiwanese lunch sharing all sorts of dishes.

Dumplings of all kinds with so much food!

We stayed at Wellspring by Silks Beitou, a hot mineral springs hotel. This has to be the largest bed in the world. The room was huge and had a Japanese hot springs tub in the bathroom. Jim enjoyed the public bath while I enjoyed the one in our room.

Dinner at the hotel was amazing! 9 courses.

The sashimi boat!

Check out the fish boat!

The fruit boat!

Saturday 6/14/25

We had a nice breakfast then set out for our next adventure to Chiayi.

We took he MRT to transfer to the high-speed rail. A man approached me on the metro and told me his life story...of course. The trip took about 2 hours and the train reached speeds of 250KPH.

We arrived in Chiayi and had lunch at the Cow Palace. This is a hotpot restaurant where Ina had the seafood and Jim had the beef.

The Southern Branch of the National Palace Museum. The museum blends the essence of ancient Chinese culture with native island art.

Jim took a selfie with this giant mural from the Edo period in Japan.

The Voco Chiayi hotel lobby with this 2-thousand-year-old carved cypress. They had 2 more cypress pieces that were over 4 thousand years old.

The view from the hotel.

Dinner at the Spraying Water Chicken Rice restaurant. The served a Black Fungus drink, Guava Lemon drink and Taiwan beer.  One of our group stated that my glass had a funny saying, "I need a raise".

Night market in Chiayi occurs every night. Today is a weekend so it is a little more crowded than weekdays. Eva, our guide, had us trying all sorts of street food including peanut rolled ice-cream, Japanese wax apples, and sweet potato balls. I refused to try the duck tongue of which she said was delicious.

The Sky Walk on the 32nd floor of our hotel with glass flooring!

It was very windy! Several attempts to get a selfie!

Sunday June 15, 2025

The morning view from our room.

We took a ride to Danayigu Park in the Wangyou Valley, a sacred place of the Tsou tribe and home to this tribe of indigenous people. There are 5,000 total Tsou tribe members with about 500 living in the area. 

The village has a model for the typical housing the tribe used in olden times. They continue to live off the land today.

We crossed the Shuangmei suspension bridge and enjoyed the view!

The bridge is suspended over 2 rivers coming together. We weren't able to wade into the water due to the recent rain.

We enjoyed a BBQ feast of pork, chicken, fresh vegetables and rice wine. We made our own rice wine although it takes 3 days to ferment. We took ours with us.

Jim made a bamboo cup!

We enjoyed a performance of song and dance by the local youth.

We stayed at the Hotel Indigo Alishan.

Rooftop view!

Dinner tonight at the hotel.

Monday June 16, 2025

Morning sunrise over the mountains. Jim did a time lapse.

We went to the Taiping Suspension Bridge. This is Taiwan's tallest scenic suspension bridge and 281 meters long with a view of the Chianan Plain. The road leading up to the bridge has 36 near 360 degree turns.

 Ina did a rare selfie!

Jim did another selfie!

Once across the bridge, we walked the "trail of the Southern Clouds". This was a winding wooden stairs and path between tea fields and cypress trees.

Lunch was at an open restaurant called the "Air Library".

We traveled to a village, Rueli, that is renowned for its tea. We toured the Rey Lee Impress Coffee house where they make and sell their own brand of coffee. We got to roast our own coffee beans to take home. *Late entry: I finally got around to drinking my coffee that we roasted. It was mild and good!

We returned to the Hotel Indigo in Alishan for dinner.

Tuesday June 17, 2025

The Alishan National Scenic Area. We were unable to see Jade (Yushan) mountain due to the clouds. Jade mountain is the highest peak in Northern Asia at 3952 meters. We settled for hugging a tree.

Lots of beautiful flowers...even deadly ones like the Foxglove.

We enjoyed a high tea.

Jim wrote some more postcards for his Mom and JJ.

The heavens opened and it poured the rain during our tour through the forest. It was a little wet but we were protected by our rain gear. We saw trees that were thousands of years old.

We took the train back to meet up with our group.

Our new hotel is the Union House Lukang. We had dinner at a vegan restaurant. I did not know at the time, but the black fungus drink in this picture and all the mushrooms I consumed caused me to have an allergic response.

Eva took us on a night stroll of Lukang while we carried Japanese lanterns.

Wednesday June 18, 2025

Lukang Longshan Temple

Lukang electric tricycle tour shuttled us through the alleys and to tour the city.

We walked through this alley called Molu Lane (Breast touching lane). It is 100-meter-long fire lane with <70cm at the narrowest point. It is so narrow that only a single person can pass without touching. Women should cross their arms over their chest to avoid brushing against a man.

Sun Moon Lake cruise. We had a private charter that took us for a boat ride around the Sun Moon Lake.

We checked into the Fleur De Chine Hotel located on the Sun Moon Lake. Beautiful views of the mountains and lake.

Dinner was teppanyaki at the hotel!

Thursday June 19, 2025

We opted for the early morning bicycle ride with Eva. Jim chose a regular bike and I took the E-bike. Jim's was $250 and mine was $800 Taiwan dollars (~$36 USD total).

CNN named the bike path one of the world's top ten most beautiful.

Jim made a friend.

Sun Moon Lake cable car connects the Ita Thao and 9 Ethnic cultural village of the indigenous people of this area. The population of Thao are <1000. We saw panoramic views of the Michelin 3-star lake. Total length of cable car ride is 1.877 km.

Jim being Jim!

Lunch was in the Thao village. The restaurant did not really have a name. This was a set meal for 2!

Wenwu Temple combines Confucian and martial traditions. It was removed from another location and totally rebuilt in this location.

The staircase, known as the "year of steps" leads up to the temple.

We walked around the village after lunch I saw this on the side of a building. This is written in Thao language. Our guide, Eva, found a Thao person who spoke their language and was able to learn that Ina means "mother", but the other word is lost in translation.

We enjoyed the buffet dinner at the hotel. Afterwards, we listened to a Taiwanese pop singer.

Friday June 20, 2025

We took a ride on the Old Mountain Route Railway. The railway is no longer in service after earthquakes destroyed the bridges. 

It is actually gas powered but gives the idea of a pedal railcar. We made Jim drive.

The tunnel

We had lunch at 3 Generations Restaurant. This is a traditional Hakka (an ethnic group from China) food. They served a ginger tea that was really good and a dish with "old and new radish".

Jim went on a night market walk with Eva and others from the group. 

We had a long drive back to Taipei and dinner was on our own with a refund of $900 Taiwan dollars each. We were so overstuffed that we did not even have dinner. Overnight we stayed at the Okura Prestige Taipei

Saturday June 21, 2025

The Grand Hotel was built in 1952. It faces the Keelung River against the Yanming Mountain overlooking the Songshan in the East and Danshui in the West.

The hotel has tunnels built as air-raid shelters intended for government officials and important heads of state to escape during the event of war. It was built to accommodate up to 10,000 people. The tunnel has many turns so that if someone was following, they could not get a clear shot and acoustic ceilings so that they could not locate them by sound.

We had lunch at the Grand Hotel sampling dishes that past presidents have used to host international dignitaries.

We explored the Dadaocheng shopping district. 

We returned to our Hotel at the Hyatt Regency Taoyuan International Airport. Early morning flight tomorrow home.

Sunday June 22, 2025

Thanks Delta, for the free ride to S Korea and Taiwan! We just are not accustomed to "the back" on long flights. We had Premium Select on the way home.