Відео

It is Sanxiantai Arch Bridge - which is approximately half way between Hualien and Taitung on the south east coast of Taiwan. The bridge was closed at the time of filming this video, and a few others since then have also commented that the bridge is still closed, so I'm not sure if it's open yet, or ever will be, but it was still an amazing place to visit.

Heya Rick! She was a friend who showed me around Taipei city, and gave a few suggestions on places in Taiwan, however I travelled around the island of Taiwan myself. For my other video to Orchid Island, I also went there alone and did my own research, although after finding out the only ATM on the island only accepted Taiwanese bank cards, she did help by paying the hotel fees for me, and then I paid her back upon arriving back in Taipei before leaving.

@@DefineAdam thanks, I am taking my family to Taiwan in October and we are considering using a local tour guide in some cases. I prefer finding an individual’ not a “tour company”. That is why I asked. Thanks for your feedback back!

Heya - I stayed at a hostel called “Amsterdam Hostel Uptown” near the Rijksmuseum. It was cheap, but they did try to charge me additional money to leave my luggage there for the day after I checked out, so I could explore the city before heading to the airport. After I refused to pay that extra and started to walk out, they let me keep my luggage there for free

Heya Tanahmerahhantu! I'm glad it was useful!! The place at 12:38 is "Sanxiantai Arch Bridge", which is approximately 1 hour drive north of Taitung. There's no nearby train stations, however there's a local tourist bus from Taitung Main Station which goes there during the summer seasons if you're not hiring a car.

@@DefineAdam you’re incredibly helpful! Thank you 😊😊

No - all I was asked was whether I had rode a motorcycle/scooter before, to which I said yes (although I never did before). It was very easy to use once I figured out how to turn the engine on (one of the most complicated input systems to turn it on).

Hey Mary! I’m glad it was able to help out and has been the most helpful you’ve found! 🥺 You are right though, even one month isn’t enough time for everything. I’ve been back to Taiwan 5 times last year and this year since posting this video and still haven’t covered everything!! I have uploaded another video of Orchid Island if you’re looking at one of the Taiwanese islands. I did come back from Penghu County 2 weeks ago, although the entire island was covered in fog the entire time, so basically managed to get nothing done 😝

Also, if you have any additional questions, feel free to ask! ☺️

Going back five times shows how much you loved the country. I'm sure I'll enjoy this trip a lot! It's unfortunate that Hualien was hit by that terrible earthquake yesterday. It's one of the cities in my itinerary that I want to see. Hope the situation gets better by then. A question in terms of money: What do you think is the best and cheapest way to exchange and use money over there? My credit card charges a 2.5% commission on each transaction. Do you use Wise or similar money transfer services?

@@maryamsamadi4714 Hualien is very difficult to visit. For this video, I sadly only had a single day there… when I returned each time, it was closed off due to safety reasons. Last September I ended up going when it was hit by a typhoon, so it was super dangerous. When I went 2 weeks ago to Penghu, the entire island was covered in fog. So it really is a challenge with weather. As for money - I have two online bank accounts “Revolut” and “Monzo”, which allow up to £200 each spending and ATM withdrawals per month fee free. Not too sure where you’re coming from, but it could be worth seeing if there’s banking options that have that. Before I found out about it, I just withdrew from ATMs and tried to ignore the bank fees hahaha. 🤣

@@maryamsamadi4714 Oh, don’t forget to sign up for the “Taiwan Tourism Lottery” - must be done between 7 days and 1 day before you arrive, for the chance to win $5000NT spending money (about £120/$150USD). I won it last September and it lasts such a long time I ended up buying random drinks for people at 7/11 just to use it up. On my recent trip though, I sadly didn’t win 🥺 5000.taiwan.net.tw/

Thank you for the positive comment! 💚 I didn't encounter any issues with the drone, except me being stupid enough to risk flying it between 2 canyons at a waterfall, where it then crashed into a spiders web and then fell into the waterfall, and I had to jump in after it (this was a waterfall near Nantou County), but at least I was able to find out the DJI Mini 2 is waterproof! You do need to apply for a drone licence with Taiwan's CAA, however payment (£5 GBP/$6 USD) can only be done in a bank in Taiwan. I made the payment and carried my proof of payment around with me, however no one ever came up to me or questioned me about my drone. If you're going to Taroko National Park, you also need to apply for an additonal drone permit on their own website, but if I recall correctly, that permit was free.

Thanks for the positive comment on my video ☺️

Thanks for the positive comments!! 😁😁

Yeah, I was surprised as well!!

Also, if you’re aiming to hire a car in Albania, make sure to avoid “OkMobility” at all costs. Their franchise here is full of scammers and will do whatever they can to make sure you pay for damages you never did. Sadly after the fact, checking reviews online for this branch, many, many other people have also experienced their disgusting tactics.

How did this happen?

Thank you for the positive comment and ongoing support! 🥺 I was quite surprised myself about the landscapes around Albania! 🤣 There’s a lot more, but I couldn’t cover everything because of a few issues that occurred during the trip… 😝

You’re welcome, and thanks for showing support 💚

Thank you so much for the compliments!! 🥺 I’ve been trying to make the quality of them improve with each one, and currently in Australia now doing another~

I'm very glad you enjoyed it!!

I did! :D

Thank you for the tips! I am constantly looking at ways to improve my footage, without changing too much to be unrealistic. I know quite a few people like to filter clips so much that it doesn’t even look like the real place. The DJI Mini 2 drone which I currently have only goes up to 30FPS. Once my videos start making money, if they ever do, then I’ll be looking to upgrade to the Mini 4 which does go to 4K 60FPS. But while this is just a hobby I do in my spare time, I sadly have to make do with what I have. 🥺

Thank you so much ☺️!!

Thank you so much ☺️

I am planning on it. Quite a lot to do this year, and it is coming. It’ll be my next video!

Thank you! :)

There's one in Taipei, Taiwan, as well as one in California, USA and Jiande, China. Can't have unique names everywhere :P

@@DefineAdam Certainly ! I remember reading of this name in a news about Japan, they may have one too. The reason this name got well known to Taiwanese is because back in 90's, a tour group from Taiwan was murdered on a tour boat in the one in China, they were robbed, shot and the boat was burnt down in the lake. That was around 50 people and no one survived. If there is one in Taiwan, the media would have made tons of comparisons; but there was none. That week came along with a major plane-crash news in Taoyuan and I really thought it was the end of the world. (what on earth is going on now) I just found it on Google Maps, it's near Taipei, is it a dam ?? 🤔🤔 I was born and raised in Taiwan, honestly never heard of this lake before.

@@eudesodoroidefrance9643 Of all the photos and drone videos I took of the lake above, I couldn’t see any dams nearby. Very interesting story about the lake in China though. I didn’t know about that either.

@@DefineAdam Well, nothing splendidly great in Taiwan; but more & more westerners have moved to Taiwan in the past 20 years and stay there for good. I hope you will see her as a hub for your future travels in Asia or even your 2nd home. I now live in Paris but will retire to Taiwan for sure. The stress of living in Taiwan is low and it's safe, while in Paris, I never put luxury goods on me because I was robbed & attacked in a subway station once and called the police for help. The police responded to me that they wold not come over because the property belongs to the subway company....what a crap ! BTW, Merry Xmas ! 😃😎

@@eudesodoroidefrance9643 I’d love to live in Taiwan eventually, but the language barrier is what worries me. I’ve been to Taiwan 4 times this year, and can’t wait to return again! And I know what you mean about safety in western countries. My first time in Taiwan, I saw a table where people just left their phones and laptops to charge, and walked away to a shop or cafe. I was so surprised and the level of trust that people there had. If that was in London, that would be gone in 30 seconds. As for the police not helping you - it was the same with me back in February. When i actually returned from Taiwan, my landlord was waiting for me, he broke into my room and stole my things, and then demanded money from me, despite already paying rent. I refused and he stabbed me. I ran straight to the police while there was still blood running down my hands and they did nothing because “it wasn’t recorded”. They’re absolutely useless here.

Thank you for the positive comment! I really do appreciate it!! And I 100% agree with you regarding returning to Taiwan! I've been 4 times in a year, and I can't wait to go again soon! I'd love to live there, but the language barrier I think is too much of a challenge at the moment.

In this video, December 2022. With my most recent Taiwan video (Orchid Island), September 2023.

Thank you for the positive comments on the video! There's quite a few things that annoy me when I watch videos on UA-cam when they're overbloated with things such as where to eat good food or other things that may not necessarily be important to everyone, so I try to create things I'd prefer to watch. I have had some feedback that there was too much content in this particular video, and should've been broken down into 2 or 3 videos, but I also don't like dragging things out for the sake of it haha. I actually managed to visit Yilan briefly when I returned to Taiwan in September, and had every intention to spend another 2-3 weeks on the east coast, however a typhoon was around and all the mountain passes were closed off. I quickly adjusted my schedule and went to Orchid Island instead (I made a video about it). As for the drone clips - I had permission/licences from Taiwan's Civil Aviation Authority to fly in Taiwan during the trip. Taroko National Park, as well as the areas around Taitung/Hualian, also required their own additional drone licences/permissions which I applied for and was approved for. The only one which wasn't approved until I had already left Taiwan, as they were confused why I came from the UK on an Australian passport, is the area around Yuanzui Shan (鳶嘴山). The drone shot going over the suspension bridge in Taroko National Park also isn't allowed under their specific licence, however I did get permission on the day and they allowed me to do 1 fly over only, and under supervision. I am very particular on where to fly with my drone, as I do not want such an expensive piece of equipment to be confiscated from me if rules are broken! :P

@@DefineAdam It is great to hear your happiness while you were in Taiwan. Because I am a Taiwanese I always tried to avoid big cities and some very common tourist-liked places such as the Sun-Moon lake. This is because I have been there many times and I am living very close to Lake Superior. If you have another chance to visit Taiwan, try a few small/little towns/places along the northeast and the east coast. I would recommend just a few as follows: (1) Badouzi near the Keelung city (ua-cam.com/video/IDX1WNX0m4E/v-deo.html , ua-cam.com/video/Uj8sHf2fNMk/v-deo.html , ua-cam.com/video/Zc7nwVHqy_A/v-deo.html ) (2) Bitou, which is not very far away from Taiwan and can be accessed by bus ( ua-cam.com/video/RVKHirGac64/v-deo.html ) (3) Fennialin Fish Port (or Pigeon Woods Fishing Port) ( ua-cam.com/video/-JGsF9l1d2Q/v-deo.html and ua-cam.com/video/o3r-4Und4fo/v-deo.html ) (4) Chishang ( ua-cam.com/video/TdSw2HZypTQ/v-deo.html ) (5) Tamsui may not be a good place for a Briton; but you could visit Fort Santo Domingo ( en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Santo_Domingo ) where you may find the former British Consulate Residence in Tamsui very interesting. It has been very well preserved. This place can be accessed by bus or by walking (if you chose to take Taipei MRT). Really wish you will be in Taiwan again. God bless.

@@ckshene7212 I'm exactly like you! I try, almost always to avoid tourist hotspots for a number of reasons (too many people, tourist traps, ruined by tourists, not really an authentic part of the country anymore, etc). Some I'll go for the same of going, or if it's not too much of a detour, or just to say I've been there, but the majority of my trips are focused on the not so popular/known places. I went to Beitou springs and the marks during my 2nd trip in February - they were amazing! I did also spend some time in Keelung City back in September, but it was only a short day trip as it was my last day in Taiwan. I am hoping to one day move and live in Taiwan, but the language barrier is one of the major factors stopping me.

Apologies for the delayed response - I just got back from a trip in Albania and it was an absolute nightmare with the hire car!! :( I've been back to Taiwan 3 times since and have spent a total of 8 weeks there this year now. Taiwan is truly an incredible place to experience (I did another recent video on Orchid Island). As for the car company, they were really good when I did this video in January, as they had just opened up. When I used them again in September 2023, they added an additional fuel charge card to me, which was around 20% more than what the actual fuel costed - not too happy about it myself, but it was still cheaper than other companies. They were called "CarPlus", and their office is located in Taipei Main Station. I booked via Discover Cars here (www.discovercars.com/?a_aid=defineadam) as they had the cheapest deal when I booked in January, but in September, I booked via Kayak. So shop around and see where is currently hosting the cheapest prices.

I’m very glad to hear it was helpful!! I also recently went back to Taiwan (except I focused on Orchid Island - video also posted), as well as seeing Tainan which I missed out on in the above video during September 2023, and the weather was very good for the final 2 and a half weeks of the trip. The first few days were affected by the typhoon, but if you’re intending to visit in October, then you should be fine!! 😁😁

Thank you so much for the positive comment <3

Thank you for the amazing comments!! 🥺 And yeah, regarding food, it’s something I’ve heard quite a lot about - and what also managed to get me a collaboration on my most recent Taiwan video to Orchid Island!! Sharing food is nice and all, but everyone has different tastes and ideas of what is good food, and that’s something best left for the individual to decide on. Rather than wasting someone’s time going through the best places to find food, better off just showing the actual best places of the region, and people will find food along the way 😁

Thank you so much for the positive comment and welcome! <3

Thank you for the positive comments!! I still don't think they're the best they can be, but I am slowly trying to improve my skills between each upload, and I do hope it's noticeable comparing to my Cyprus video. Regarding why I chose China Airlines - well, first of all they did ask for a collaboration, however before they even approached me, I had gone to Taiwan two times prior with other airlines (one of which was Eva Air), and I just didn't want the hassle of a layover in another country. China Airlines offered an option for a direct route to Taiwan from London, and I wanted to see how that differed from the other times I had gone. And if you book far in advance, the ticket for China Airlines may even be cheaper than others.

@@DefineAdam They're good, especially for someone with so little subscribers! Thanks for explaining about China Airlines. I'll have to consider them once I plan my holiday to Taiwan.

Thanks for the positive comments!!

Thanks for the positive comment about my video!! Regarding the enchantment, I personally agree - I find my Asian trips to be far more exciting for me, but that might be because a lot of places in Europe have similar cultures to Australia/UK where they're considered western countries.

Thank you so much for the positive comments! There's more to come, although I'll be taking my time with each release. :)

Thank you!!

Yeah. It's a nice mountain.

Thank you so much!! 🥺🥺🥺 This is very much a hobby, so I won't be uploading often like a lot of full time UA-camrs, although I am hoping to maybe do one every 2 or 3 months. I'm more focused on quality over quantity, hence why there's only a few videos out so far. Trying to hone my skills in video editing as I'm personally not too impressed by the videos so far (although I've been told by several I need to lower my standards!), while juggling a full time job and masters degree, and enjoying trips in between!

Thank you for the positive comments! <3

Thank you for the kind comment!!! <3 As for the car, when I made this video in December, I gave about 4 weeks notice before booking the hire car, however during my most recent trip in September when I went to Orchid Island, I only had 1 week notice using the same car company, and the pricing was the same. I used a company called "Car Hire Plus", who have their main office in Taipei Main Station. I used this website (www.discovercars.com/?a_aid=defineadam) to gain a cheaper rate than what they offer in-person when booking in December. They were very good overall, and there weren't any complications with the process.

Really appreciate that you answered back to me! Thanks a lot! Cheers mate

@@portugalslb97 No worries!! If you need any other help or questions, feel free to ask away! 😊

This video was filmed in December 2022, and then I returned to Taiwan in February 2023 to visit addition places as I enjoyed my time so much there. 😁

So glad to be able to give you some ideas!! I do have another Taiwan video coming out next week, which focuses on the large offshore island "Lanyu/Orchid Island" which I visited a month ago, if you're also wanting another place to visit near Taitung.

First of all, thank you for pointing this out. I did wonder when I made that video, as well as the following two why the camera work (with the drone at least) didn't appear quite as good as I was expecting, despite the DJI app telling me it was recording 4K video. So I decided to go back and investigate over the past few weeks why this was the case, and I found out that I had used a sub-par SD card within the drone, where it could not keep up with the 4K video transmitting. I have now bought a superior SD card for any future trips with the drone. As for other clips utilising my iPhone 14 Pro Max, this was all recorded in 4K video. I'm not too sure whether UA-cam compresses this further during the upload, however looking in the settings, it's telling me the video is 4K as well. Anyway, thank you again for the constructive criticism. I am always looking for feedback and ways to improve.

Surely it’s quite difficult to find a job without knowing the language though?

Wow. That must have been an incredible experience and one I wish I had myself!! 🥺🥺 I love Taiwan so much that I’ve actually been 3 more times since that video was uploaded in January. I’m actually currently in Taiwan as I write this comment, although sadly it’s my last day here before going back to the UK. 😔 I honestly see myself moving here to live, however the language barrier is one of the biggest concerns for me. 🥺

@DefineAdam I'm sorry you have to leave again, but enjoy your last day there! I would gladly spend the rest of my life on that fabulous island lol! I only learned enough Mandarin from my friends to be able to direct a taxi, order food and jenju nai cha, shop, etc. I chose to attend MAK over KAS and had to take Bible class when I should've been in Mandarin. 😒 I'm much more worried about being able to eat there safely - I've been diagnosed with celiac disease since living there, and not being able to enjoy all the amazing street food and restaurants will break my heart a little! P.S. Did you conquer that mountain yet? 🙂

@@annameagher6728 Ive been slowly trying to learn Mandarin over the past year, but with 2 full time jobs, studying a masters degree - it’s all quite hectic!! I do wish I focused more on a second language during high school, although our schools in Australia mostly focused on Japanese. As for the mountain, my plan was to do it this trip as part of another video I’m doing in collaboration with an organisation, but the typhoon hit Taiwan suddenly 2 weeks ago and I had to change everything up on the spot. The entire Taroko Gorge area was closed off, and all the mountain passes. But I’ll get to it eventually!!

@DefineAdam Well it's a good thing you missed the typhoon, but I'm guessing you missed that window after a typhoon when the city skies are actually crystal clear! Bummer about Taroko! (But if it they actually closed the whole thing off....uh, it must be pretty dangerous, to say the least...) Sounds like perfect Kenting beach holiday timing to me! 😎 It sounds like you do have quite a bit on your plate, indeed. Learning a new language sounds low priority atm. Also, it takes some time to adjust to the language barrier, but it's definitely manageable to move there speaking only English.

@@annameagher6728 I actually managed to get over to Orchid Island off Taitung right after and got some amazing photos and videos of the clear blue skies!! Edit: Out of all my time in Taiwan, I think it would only be feasible in Taipei with English only